Grim Echoes

Chapter 52 - Maeve

Maeve stared out the window on the way to wherever they were headed, glad she rarely ate breakfast. Over the last week, there'd only been a handful of times they'd had breakfast. Ander had been smarter and bought bananas one day, which he ate periodically. She should pick up some fruit to have something in case they missed a meal. Will didn't notice missing breakfast as much, at least not if he had a steady supply of alcohol. She didn't know how Will could stand listening to music so loud in the morning; it drove her crazy, but she'd learned the hard way it was better not to complain.

Why were demons after her? Ander and she'd discussed old items or family heirlooms that'd been passed down to her. They'd even talked about random strange objects she'd found or been given that could've been marked or cursed. Unless she'd forget something, it wasn't anything she owned. Will reiterated it was just her. He'd mentioned her power wave, but it frustrated her because the timing wasn't right. She'd never had that happen until meeting them. She flexed her hands. Would've been nice if it'd been around when she and her cousin Wynne had gone ghost hunting in the haunted asylum. Maybe things would've turned out differently.

"Who's Pastor Mallory?" She wanted out of her own head, needed the distraction.

"An associate," Will replied, without looking at her.

"That's unnecessarily vague,"

"You don't really need to know." he pulled his flask out. He took the phrase it's five o'clock somewhere quite literal.

"Please don't start that again. You let me come with you. I just want to know more about who I'm about to meet."

"I never said you could meet him." his words and tone were harsh but when she turned to glare at him, there was a smile on his lips.

"Stop being a jerk!"

He laughed before he answered. "Ok, ok. Sorry. Pastor Mallory's a contact who occasionally blesses our weapons."

"Blesses your weapons?"

"Ammunition too, if we need it. We have a network of priests, pastors, bishops - whatever the mission calls for,"

"They work for the Soldiers of Night?" She couldn't imagine religious officials being ok with the Soldiers of Night for many reasons.

"No, they work with the Soldiers of Night. Some aren't as friendly. They like the purpose we serve but have issues with our execution sometimes. In the end, we get rid of the monsters and protect the normals so they usually help us."

"So Pastor Mallory has blessed weapons for you?"

"No. Well, actually, yeah. I'm picking up something for Mason, but I also ordered special arrows for this mission. That's really why we're going,"

"Special arrows that are blessed because they hurt vampires more?"

"Not too far off track," he replied with a grin. "The arrows weren't made by Pastor Mallory, he just got 'em two days ago. Pastor M is cool though, he isn't just a Pastor, he also makes or modifies weapons, it's his hobby,"

Maeve's eyes widened. A Pastor who made and modified weapons, not a combination she'd expected.

"Is he modifying the arrows you sent him?" she asked cautiously. She had a million questions but understood if she asked too many Will would clam up.

"Yeah, he's adding blessed silver tips to them. They're gonna to be gorgeous." his mouth widened into a smile.

Maeve wondered if she'd find the special arrows gorgeous or if they'd just look like regular arrows. She knew very little about weapons in general and less about ones without bullets.

They pulled into a crumbled parking lot in an abandoned industrial park. There weren't any other vehicles or people around. Just old rusted or decaying buildings. Will passed a row of them and made a right to an even older, more damaged set and drove to the last building. The building looked like it was collapsing because the outside wall on the right side was shorter than the others. Held together with what appeared wire and random pieces of metal. Difficult to tell from inside the SUV, but she hoped that wasn't where they were going.

Of course, that's where they were headed. Will parked outside the plain metal door. One window at the front of the warehouse was boarded up. This was where Pastor Mallory was?

Will turned to her. "Listen, Pastor Mallory is kinda out there sometimes. Technically he isn't a Pastor anymore cause of the incident but don't talk about that. As far as he knows you think he's a pastor, got it?"

She nodded, but wanted to know what the incident had been.

"He doesn't have to be an active pastor to bless things, as long as he was an official at one point and still has faith. His shit works." he turned and put his hand on the door handle but paused. "Just don't do anything to set him off and as far as he knows you're my fiancé," Will said as he left the SUV.

Maeve's mouth dropped to floor. Fiancé? He'd told Pastor Mallory they were engaged? Why? She opened the door and was about to ask when a disembodied voice crackled through an unseen speaker.

"State your name and business or prepare to defend yourself from God's wrath."

Will put his hands in the air and looked at her. "Hey Pastor M, its Will. You called Raven for a pickup, she sent me. I'm also here for the arrows."

She mimicked Will with her hands in the air. Raven? Was that some weird codename for Mason?

"Billy! Its been a long time!" the crackling voice now sounded friendly. "Is that beauty your fiancé I've heard so much about?"

Heard so much about? Billy?

"Sure is. Can we come in?"

"Of course, Billy, let's get this union blessed!"

A loud lock disengaged. Random electrical sounds from around the building and behind them clicked, buzzed, or clunked. Maybe Pastor Mallory was paranoid like Mason, and that'd been his security system. Will went to the door and held out his hand. Hesitantly, she clasped it and stepped into the building.