Nesert

2.9

Episodes 7.21 and 7.22 "Lost City"

The Malibu house was clean and white and modern, with windows nearly the entire full side of the house to enjoy the views of the ocean. Sekhmet had built the house during the seventies and had remodeled it more than once. Nes had also decided to update it and now it looked fresh and new compared to when she'd been there just a year ago. She wandered out to the balcony on the main floor and breathed in the salt air. The sky was already dark, but she briefly contemplated a swim despite the danger. The weight of the day fell onto her all at once, though, and she moved back inside to find a bottle of something to make sure she would sleep like the dead before she thought too hard about joining them.

The light streaming onto her bed woke her far too early. She'd forgotten to shut the shades the night before, but she got up, made coffee, and took it straight down to the sand. The house was smashed between neighbors, meaning it was fairly worthless for killing, but the view made up for that flaw. She had other nearby houses that were more isolated, some in rather seedy neighborhoods that wouldn't bat an eye at screams or bodies. She would keep those in mind if Sekhmet claimed a greater dominance after her killing yesterday.

The rhythmic waves calmed her body, but she began to feel that awful prickling of a conscience she was working hard to suppress. It didn't matter how she justified the deaths of Keffler and Anna. The truth was, she'd killed them to protect herself. Keffler would have blackmailed her with his information about Ba'al. Sekhmet would have forced her down paths she was trying to avoid.

Killing them, though...that may have set her on that path anyway. Nes knew she was still dangerous, but the memory of pushing Anna's thumb down onto the button...she would never be rid of it. Maybe it was time to admit that her place was with Ba'al.

No.

She wasn't ready to do that just yet. She just needed distractions until the despair passed. A muscular jogger went past giving her a flirtatious smile and her own smile spread onto her face in response.

LA was a superb place for distractions.

Back inside, she got dressed for the day and went to investigate the garage. A bright yellow Porsche convertible was just what she needed. She wanted to be ostentatious for a while. Managing attention was always a good way of avoiding any real thoughts beyond one's own beauty and charm and power.

She drove. She drove fast and she did all the things a young wealthy woman does in Los Angeles. She went to the beach. She went shopping. She ate at the best restaurants. She let men flirt with her, but as the evening wore on, she made her way to her and Sekhmet's old preferred bar. The sign in the window read The Butcher's Favorite Bar and Nes tapped her foot in annoyance before going in.

It was crowded, but she moved quickly to the bar, unsurprised to find Tony, with his dark hair, scruffy face, and a smile that melted, still mixing drinks, the female clientele still hanging on his every word.

She edged her way up to where he stood flirting with a busty blonde and rather loudly said, "I hear this is one of the only places a girl can get a decent Aviation."

His eyes immediately left the other woman and hunted for her face. "Holy shit....Kat." His face went pale with the ghost in front of him. "I thought you were..."

"A dead serial killer? I noticed your sign."

He set down the cocktail shaker in his hands and absentmindedly arranged the bottles in front of him. "Well...you gotta admit...there's a resemblance."

"So are you glad to see me or not?"

He quickly looked up and gave her a wink. "Get your ass on this side." He cleared a spot on the bar. "Just like old times."