Between Heaven And Hell

Chapter 8

Shar sat in her car. She unlocked her cell and pressed #4 holding it until it called. A deep voice answered. "Hey Boss, what's the job?" Shar asked.

"I have an issue with a local drug dealer. Said he could get me some info on something I was interested in. Want to go wring his neck?" The head demon's velvet voice caressed Shar's ear. She could hear the underlying threat.

"Sure thing, easy ass job tho." Shar was surprised, he never gave her the easy stuff.

"Well, this is... let's just say, sensitive." The devil growled into the phone. He finished giving her directions. She quickly scribbled them on a napkin.

Shar hung up the phone and tossed it into her bag on the passenger seat. She threw the car in drive, and with the radio turned up loud, took off to the city.

* * * * * *

Sirens roared as she walked into an alleyway. She had parked the car a few blocks over. The alley was the nastiest thing she had ever seen. Hell looked better. She chuckled at the thought. Shar cautiously got out, pulling the silver dagger out from under the dash. She always went prepared. A bad habit from her human days. That dagger had saved her many times, and she would keep it until it failed her. It was the only thing that made her feel safe. Well, at least one she could carry on down the street. She smiled as she thought of how much damage she could do with the arsenal she had at home.

She silently walked down the alleyway, making sure to keep in the shadows. Humans were so noisy to her now. She could hear the drug dealer's heavy breathing around the corner. She silently turned it to face him seeming to appear from the shadows. "Well, well, Steve, we have a little issue don't we." She unfrilled her wings and kept her fangs showing in the dim alley.

The man backed up with his hands, palm out, held up high. "I don't even know you, get the hell outta here." His grungy coat and pants were stained with muck. Shar curled her nose at the smell. He must live at least some of his days on the streets.

"No, we don't, do we? Oh well. I was told to come and get you. The Beast wants you. You were told to get him some information, and he still doesn't have it. Now go figure on that one Steve." Panic rushed to his face as Shar grinned. "So he sent me, name's Sharlotte by the way, not that it matters to you." She started walking toward him, very calm. She learned long ago that calm tends to send people into panic. "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way, your choice."

His eyes got wide as the panic set in or the drugs. He lunged at her. She didn't expect it and fell under his weight, with him positioned above her. "Seems like he sent the wrong girl. Though you will make a nice play toy." He sneered as he straddled her.

Something deep inside of her snapped. Weeks of her time in the Underground flooded her brain. The term Underground is used where most would say hell. To Shar it wasn't. Yes, there was pain, and lots of it. But that was where she trained. The Underground gave her a new life. It was no hell to her.

She locked onto a core memory of a teacher that went too far. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at the man on top of her. She looked deep into his eyes. The scent of fear rolled off of him.

Shar closed her eyes to center herself. She drew in a deep breath. The weight of the man held her down as his hand slid up her body. She ignored it. Her training was hard, but she was glad for it now. Her mind centered and her muscles readied. With one swift graceful movement, she ripped her attacker from her, throwing him halfway down the alley.

Shar stood there in full huntress mode. She opened her wings as she slowly approached the man. He stirred and sat up looking dead at her. "Bitch." He spat the word with a vile tone, as blood dripped from his lip. He quickly reached into his jacket. Shar froze in her position. Silver flashed in the moonlight as a shot rang out clearly. Shar fell to one knee clutching her shoulder.

The copper in the bullet burned her blood, making her entire body hurt. Her heart kept pumping it throughout her. It felt as if her blood itself was on fire as she gasped in pain. Her body trembled. She heard him laugh. Her head snapped up. She slowly and shakily stood up. Her voice rang out clearly. "That was your mistake. I am a death angel, and you will pay." Shar lunged, despite the pain raking her body. Her foot slammed into his chest breaking bone. The man hit the wall gasping for air. Blood ran from his mouth. Shar calmly walked over and stood above him, her wings open wide to give the illusion of her size. "Never call me a bitch." Shar drove her fist hard into his skull, shattering his face. His skull cracked under the pressure.

She stood there shaking slightly, her blood still burning. She slid her arm out of her jacket and looked at the bullet wound. She dug her nail across her skin, wincing slightly. Her fingers dug into herself, capturing the bullet. She slid it out and threw it down the alley. The burring feeling seeped from her body as she walked back to her car.

She called her boss. As soon as it picked up, she started talking. "Have Kat get someone over here to clean this mess up." And she hung up. Looking out of the front window she sighed softly. "Off to Luke's now. This will be fun." She winced as she shifted it into reverse and took off.