13: The Hard Game

Murphy joined Sean in humming along to the intro of “Renegade” by Styx that blasted from the jukebox. It was the tenth song that he had requested earlier in the night after their sixth pitcher of beer.

They clashed their filled glasses together in the air and raced to see who could finish their amount first. Veronica watched them in their act as drunken brothers, laughing and belching loud enough to carry over the song.

Being the only patrons at Bar 69, just down the street from Veronica’s apartment building, gave them a legitimate excuse to sing at the top of their lungs. The small bar had four round tables, three booths, and three pool tables. Sean liked the fact that the cost for one song from the Jukebox was only seventy-five cents and the beer prices didn’t break his wallet.

With the alcohol traveling through his system, Sean found it easier to ignore the main reason he came to Minneapolis. He wanted to tell Veronica everything at her apartment. In the bathroom at her apartment, instead of using the toilet, he sat on it with his face in his hands contemplating if he was doing the right thing. He thought about what her father wanted him to do; give her false information about her mother. But he had already broken that rule. The paperwork he showed her was information he’d stolen. He couldn’t bring himself to blindly follow what her father wanted, no matter if it was his duty as a member of The Brotherhood. Before he had left the office, Kenneth handed him an envelope stuffed with money and a small sheet of paper, pointing out his objective. Before he boarded his plane, he threw the paper away without reading it. He didn’t care about the consequences. He wanted Veronica to find the truth and he believed he could help her while pretending to follow his orders.

The decision wasn’t easy. If the Brotherhood found out he’d given her stolen documents, they’d come for him. In the meantime, he’d try to help her get as close as possible to find out about her mother while playing the role of “spy.”

Veronica cupped her empty margarita glass until Murphy filled her empty glass with beer.

“This is no fun if you don’t drink,” Murphy’s voice slurred. She declined his offer, and Murphy refilled Sean’s glass.

“Aw, c’mon, Veronica.” Sean slapped Murphy on his shoulder like two buddies enjoying their drunken night.

“I’m fine,” she replied.

“She doesn’t like beer.” Sean leaned in close to Murphy’s ear, but he yelled above the music. He felt his eyelids slowly closing. The ground swayed back and forth and he lost his footing for a moment, using Murphy as a support.

An unfamiliar song to Veronica replaced “Renegade” and Murphy bobbed his head to the beat. “I love this song.”

Sean drank again, consuming everything including the foam that collected on the bottom of the glass. He wiped the excess from his mouth with the back of his hand and smiled drunkenly.

“I can tell.” Veronica looked at the clock on the back wall. Two hours passed and Sean and Murphy were still embraced in their drunken shenanigans. She sipped the beer slowly through her straw and watched the bartender who was glued to a football game showing on the flat screen TV.

“How long have you guys known each other?” Murphy waved his hand back and forth between them.

“A while,” replied Sean.

“It’s a long story,” Veronica added.

“I bet.” Murphy belched then excused himself. “You guys must have some interesting stories about these Deamhan you’re chasing.”

“Pssft.” Sean rolled his eyes. “We’re not chasing them. We want to know what happened to her mother.” He pointed at Veronica. Murphy’s body slowly leaned to the right, followed by Sean, who still had his hand on his shoulder. Veronica chuckled and pulled the pitcher toward her.

“You both are pretty wasted.” She slid off her stool. Sean watched her walk toward the bar, taking the nearly empty pitcher with her. She set it on the counter and nodded, thanking the bartender.

He then heard the distinctive clinging of the front door open and he saw two women walk in.

He turned his head and watched the women approach the bar. Veronica returned to her barstool, and joined him in watching the Asian woman, wearing a sharp dress suit with high, heels walk up to the bar, followed by an African American woman wearing a white blouse and black dress pants.

“Thanks for inviting me out,” Murphy said to Sean.

“Hey, nooooo problem.” Sean turned back to him. “God, those girls are hot.”

“Go over there and say something to them,” Veronica egged him on.

“Naaw,” he replied. “They’re not my type.”

“I think they just winked at you.” Murphy lowered his voice.

Sean turned to face them again. The Asian woman flashed him a look, winked, then looked away. “Hey! Hey! They winked at me.” A wide grin covered his face.

“Did you wink back?” Veronica sipped her beer.

From the corner of his eye, he saw the two women walking toward their table. He heard their sharp heels clicking on the floor and his eyes widened.

“Here they come,” Veronica teased Sean in a whisper. The Asian woman placed her drink on the table. Sugar crystals covered the rim of her glass containing a yellowish-orange colored drink, topped with a small yellow umbrella.

“Hey.” The woman looked at Sean. Murphy concealed his giggling by covering his mouth. “I’m Amber, and this is Toni.” Toni waved and gulped her drink.

“I’m Sean, and this is Veronica.” He pointed to Murphy. “And Murphy.”

Amber turned back toward Toni, who immediately walked back to the bar. She turned back, her face totally flushed. Her demeanor changed. “I’m sorry.” She stepped back and turned, walking away from them.

“Did I just get rejected?” Sean asked.

“I think you scared them.” Murphy slapped him on his shoulder. He then stood up from his chair and stretched is arms over his head. “It’s getting late. I think I’m gonna head back.”

“Yeah, we should get back.” Veronica brushed off the women’s weird behavior.

Sean slid off the stool and nearly lost his balance. He caught the edge of the table, but their empty glasses crashed onto the floor, scattering into shards. “I think I might need a little help.” He leaned against the table. He covered his mouth, feeling the alcohol regurgitating from his stomach.

He rushed to the back of the bar to the men’s bathroom. He pushed the door open and hurried to an empty stall.

The alcohol gushed from his mouth and his stomach convulsed. He stared into the toilet bowl and watched the yellowish liquid pour from his mouth. After the last chunks were expelled, he plopped to the floor, leaning against the wall of the bathroom stall. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stared at the ceiling fan.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

What am I doing? He again questioned his motive. A feeling of discomfort followed by the onset of jealously overcame his nausea. He didn’t want to admit to what he saw in Murphy’s eyes. He likes her. He likes my Veronica.

He heard the door to the men’s bathroom open, and he immediately stood to his feet, checking his shirt to see if some of his bile had missed the toilet bowl. Satisfied, he flushed the toilet and opened the door.

He saw Amber standing in front of the door and Toni leaning against the only sink in the bathroom with her eyes slowly reverting to black. The two women remained fixed on him with Amber revealing her sharp prominent teeth. Sean paused and he picked up on the fact that they were watching, waiting to see what he planned to do.

The years of training in The Brotherhood, especially how to act when confronted by a Deamhan, ran through his head in a millisecond. Hide your thoughts and don’t show your fear. Look for any weapon in your environment. Catching them unexpected was best, but what if they caught you unexpected? His training didn’t cover that and it didn’t cover what to do when confronted by two Deamhan in a men’s bathroom.

Amber lunged at him first. He jumped back and slammed the stall door shut. He felt the door shake, and he heard her drop to the floor. Above, he heard snarling and he looked up, seeing Toni gripping the top of the stall. Suddenly his body began to feel weak. His legs wobbled from underneath him and his arms felt as if they weighed a million pounds. His head throbbed and his sight became clouded.

It didn’t take long for him to realize what type of Deamhan Toni was; Metusba. She jumped on top of him, and he pushed her to the side. She landed, hitting her head on the bathroom seat. He opened the door and jumped over Amber.

Everything he learned about confronting a Deamhan from The Brotherhood kicked in. He searched the bathroom for any object he could use. He grabbed the hand sanitizer on the sink, but dropped it. He reached for a roll of toilet paper sitting on top of the paper towel dispenser, but he dropped that too. Finally, he grabbed the large waste can underneath the sink. He swung it at Amber, striking her across the face before she stood to her feet. He then raised it over his head and swung, striking her again. He continued his attack with each blow connecting, until he saw Toni walk out of the stall.

He swung the waste can at her but she caught it and she pushed him to the floor. Immediately Sean jumped back to his feet and he stepped back, readying himself for her attack.

“You’re not as strong as they said you’d be.” His liquid courage spoke for him. The men’s bathroom door opened, and he quickly turned to look over his shoulder. Veronica stood in the doorway with Murphy behind her. She grabbed him by his shoulder and pulled him out of the bathroom. Murphy closed the door and reached for a broom, leaning against the wall nearby. He ran the broom through the door handle, bracing the door and trapping the two Deamhan inside.

Away from danger, Sean drunkenly smiled at Veronica. “You see that?” He pointed to the door. “I took on two of them at once.”

“You could’ve died!” Veronica screamed at him.

He stood silent then shrugged. Yes, he knew he could’ve died but not once did the thought cross his drunken mind.

She wrapped her arm around him and hurriedly rushed him outside, with Murphy following slightly behind.

Sean looked at Veronica, who stared straight ahead. Not once did she look back.

###

Sean didn’t remember the walk home. He didn’t see Veronica and Murphy, scared shitless, after his Deamhan encounter. What he did remember throbbed in his brain to the point that he felt like dying.

His throat cracked and his stomach growled when he rolled off the couch and fell to the floor. He stood up. It took him awhile to realize where he was.

The sunlight peeped through the blinds, touching his skin. Veronica stood in the kitchen with her back facing him. She looked over his shoulder, said good morning, and attended back to her coffee.

Hours later, fully awake, they headed to a local coffee shop down the street called “Jubilee.”

Sean repeatedly apologized for what he called “the behavior of a virgin drinking college student.” Veronica assured him that he had nothing to be sorry for. He agreed and popped four Tylenol before ordering a small hazelnut coffee.

The vast amount of voices echoing in the café around him didn’t stop his vigorous typing. The sunlight glared on the monitor of his laptop, and it blinded him for a second. He repositioned the laptop again in hopes that he could avoid the stinging after affect. She sat across from him, watching his movements.

He told her he had received information from his informant in The Brotherhood when in fact, he skimmed through an email sent from her father.

The email demanded a status update. He replied that everything was under control and that Veronica didn’t suspect his true agenda. The email, filled with a list of demands, lacked brevity. On the other hand, it enforced loyalty. He read it over several times; once and awhile he shifted his eyes up to Veronica and curled his lips in a pleasant glance.

“What is it?” she asked.

“I don’t know yet.” He clicked on another email from Kenneth Dearhorn sent an hour after Mr. Austin’s email. The demands grew more explicit in concern to Dark Sepulcher. He was to suggest to Veronica the possible correlation between the sanctuary fires and her mother’s disappearance. He needed to persuade her to not go to Dark Sepulcher and that nothing could be found there. The email ended by stating that phase one was in progress and in Kenneth’s signature was the title “Midwest Region Leader. The Brotherhood.”

The Brotherhood was on its way to Minneapolis.

He brought his fist up to his mouth in thought. He still couldn’t believe that somehow that jackass had kissed enough ass to be promoted to Region Leader. Sean had no intention of working under him. Somehow he had to postpone their arrival.

Again he looked up to Veronica, thinking maybe just looking at her would help him decide on what to do but the cafe’s menu had her complete attention.

He replied to Kenneth’s email in the best way he could, giving them what they wanted to hear. He agreed to the demands, stating that Veronica was already moving her search in a different direction, away from Dark Sepulcher, and that he would be in contact if anything changes. He lowered his monitor. Maybe now was the time to tell Veronica that The Brotherhood was coming back to Minneapolis with Kenneth as their Region Leader.

“I think that’s it. I told my contact to get back to me before noon.”

She nodded and sipped on her mocha. “These drinks are so sugary.”

“Now we wait again.” His mind went into thought. Along the streets, he noticed the parked cars and a few residents walking near the coffee shop. A group of bicycles strolled down the sidewalk, and a group of college students stood on the street corner, waiting for the light to turn green. “This isn’t a bad city. I could live here.”

“With the Deamhan?” Veronica questioned.

“They’re everywhere and in every city. No one can avoid that.”

She cupped her coffee. “What if your contact doesn’t get back to you before tonight?”

“I don’t know.” He leaned back in his chair, positioning his hands on the back of his head. He knew Kenneth would send another email soon. But of what, he didn’t know. He moaned and returned to his upright position. The Tylenol wasn’t working, and his head throbbed just thinking about the chance of The Brotherhood returning to Minneapolis.

“I think I want some more coffee.”

“Don’t get the white chocolate mocha unless you want a heart attack.”

A group of businessmen nestled in a corner table, chatting raucously over their empty plates.

“Every time I look around, I can’t believe Minneapolis of all places has one of the highest Deamhan populations in the country,” said Veronica. “It’s cold here half of the year and humid the other half. This city is small compared to Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Orlando.”

“There are a lot of open spaces far from anyone here,” Sean said. “Farms dot the landscape; your neighbors are miles from you. This is a perfect state if you want privacy.” He looked up at the ceiling, and his mind suddenly switched to Murphy. “Is your friend okay?”

“Murphy?”

“Yeah. He must have been scared out of his mind last night.”

She shrugged. “He took it pretty well.” She paused. “Actually, really well. I was surprised.”

Sean leaned upright in his chair. “I still don’t trust him.” “There’s something about him that irks me. I don’t know what it is. I just feel like he’s hiding something.”

“You should thank him.” She sipped her coffee. “He saved you from the two Deamhan.”

“I was doing all right.” Sean smirked.

“Yeah, well, you were running out of weapons. Trash cans are useless against them, Sean.”

“But it worked, didn’t it?” He teased.

Veronica observed a special alert bulletin on the television behind Sean. The volume was low, and the picture of another home ravaged by fire loomed on the screen.

“What is it?” He turned to look. “Another house fire last night.”

No, not now! He watched the image of a charred home on the screen.

“I think I know where that is.” Veronica’s eyes danced. “South Minneapolis, just off the 35W freeway. Can you look up the directions?”

“We should wait and make sure it’s a sanctuary and not some normal house fire.”

“Wait? We all know the Deamhan are burning each other out of their own sanctuaries. Why would we wait?”

“It’s not safe.”

She gaped at him and he quickly stopped talking. “When is it ever safe?” She stood up and yanked him from his seat.

His mind raced quickly to think of another excuse but he came up empty.

“You could just wait in my apartment until I get back.” She gulped down the last of her mocha, which had turned warm.

“Yeah, right. You’re not leaving my sight.” He watched her eyes beam and her lips pull back into a smile.

She placed a ten-dollar bill on the table and walked out of the coffee shop. He gathered his things, still trying to decide what to do. He wasn’t good at spying and he didn’t know how long he could hold out until Veronica finally discovered his true agenda.