The Devil's Mark (Book 1)

Chapter Eight: The Blood Diamond

Lucifer

Another long work day had finally come to an end as I gathered up the papers on my desk and shuffled them into a neat stack. I signed my name on the last page with a pen dipped in ink that was as red as blood. Afterwards, I picked up my cigar from the nearby ashtray and inhale deeply as a sign of victory. Morningstar Enterprises has been in business since the turn of the 20th century. Although the company is primarily known as a law office its a front to hide my real illegal activities on a day-to-day basis.

On one hand, being the Devil does have its advantages. But on the other, the true nature of myself, the greedy, evil, bastard who is portrayed by the church as some sort of demonic creature that sends those who are damned straight to hell. That part is actually true. However, not all people are bad in this world. Wanna know how I know? The answer is simple, yet hard to believe unless you're someone like me who has the ability to see the line between good and evil. The good, are those with a kind heart. The one's who help those in need, who sacrifice themselves when the going gets tough. They are called Seraph's, angels.

You know I use to be one of them until I was betrayed. But that's a separate story for another time. And one that requires a desperate case of hard scotch and a box of cigars. I leave my office at a quarter to nine by the time the cleaning crew arrives and starts taking out the trash. They nod their heads in greeting as I return the favor and push the button for my own private elevator. Five more minutes pass by as the glass machine travels swiftly in between the floors of my newly purchased building that's modern on in the inside, but still resembles that early 1920's feel on the outside.

I step out into the pristine white marble lobby with its Greek columns and various artifacts displayed on the walls. A lonely male security guard sits behind a desk, his eyes constantly on the monitors as he tells me to have a goodnight. Once outside, I cross the street to the parking garage and go straight to the roof. My car sits by itself closest to the ramp as I reach for my keys and hear the cocking of a gun. I stop dead in my tracks and slowly glance over my shoulder as five men walk up behind me each of them armed with their own unique weapon.

The leader sticks out drug addict who's just escaped from a mental health clinic. I can see the murder in his eyes, the darkness that resides within him, he likes to kill. And I intend to send him to hell. Tonight. Dressed in a bomber jacket with an attached hood, the leader steps forward as his crew falls short behind him. His hair is skin tight to his scalp that he almost looks bald. And the five gold and silver rings on his hands tells me that they once belong to the men he stole them from after he robbed them and murdered them in cold blood. He grins when I turn to face him, thinking that I'm going to be an easy target. Oh, he doesn't know what he's in for.

"Sweet ride, man. Why don't you hand over those keys and I might just let you live."

"You want it? Come and get it."

He aims his gun directly at my chest as I pretend to raise my arms in surrender. I smell the bullets, and I smell the gunpowder. I even smell the blood that still lingers on his skin. His smokey gray eyes are like staring out a window into his very soul. Twisted and dark, I fear that there is no humanity left within him. There is only a broken shell, a man that was once full of life is now gone and in his place is someone who has already taken over. A demon. Reaching out with his free hand, he orders me to reach into my suit jacket and pull out my keys. He then snatches them from my hand and pistol whips me across the face. Bad idea.

I unleash the full power of my gaze as I turn look to at him with my blazing red eyes. I reach for the gun that connects to his wrist as the bone snaps, causing him to drop it as I eject magazine and rack the slide. The bullet flies out from the chamber as I grab it with one hand and with enough force, I shove the bullet into the leader's skull right between the eyes. His body falls to the ground as his crew stares at me in horror. I smirk. They know that I am not who I claim to be. Stepping toward them, they drop their weapons and take off down the ramp in search of the nearest exit sign.