The Wayward Shepard

Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Present Day

I threw open the door of my one bedroom apartment and walked in, crouched down with my Rugers out before me. There were thirteen locks on my steel reinforced front door which automatically lock every time I leave. So there is no reason why my door should have been standing ajar when I arrived home.

My living room looked like any other. Flat screen on the wall showing tonight's football game that I'd auto-tuned. My two bookshelves filled with battered paperbacks that I often read and reread. When I'd moved in originally the floor had been covered in a nasty green shag carpet that I'd since ripped out and replaced with beautifully textured wood. I had kept the old sofa that was here when I moved in and only added a single recliner. Oddly there was a fire crackling  in the fireplace that I hadn't kindled before I left. The light of the fire made the silver crucifix above the mantle shine and shimmer in the otherwise dim lighting.

I slowly made my way into my second favorite room of the apartment, the kitchen. I absolutely love my kitchen. It's the reason I bought the place. It was just as big as the living room and all shining stainless steel. The island stove in the middle of the room was flanked on one side by a full service bar. Hey, just because I hunt demons, doesn't mean a guy can't indulge himself.

Sitting at the bar, enjoying a very expensive glass of Le Pin, was my Natie. Natalie LeCrux was one of the most powerful Voodoo Priestesses in the known world. If there's anyone out there who's her equal they've done the smart thing and found a bunker in the arctic to hide out in. Although looking at her, the word Voodoo would never cross your mind. She was short and curvy with long blonde hair, pale skin, and piercing blue eyes that promised trouble and never failed to deliver. Although I knew she was older than me, she looked young enough to be my little sister. And although I often felt the need to protect her from the more dangerous things out there, I knew Natie could more than take care of herself. I'd seen her do bad things to bad men. I'm not talking about your run of the mill gang bangers either. This was the woman who once resurrected Hitler himself, and beat him until he begged to return to Hell, just because she had a bad day. (That was also the last time anyone tried to wake her up before 11am). She knew spells in languages that were forgotten when Columbus landed in the Americas and for someone involved with Voodoo, she had the straightest moral compass I'd ever seen. She was the only person in the world who could calm me down when I lost my temper.

And she was my best friend in the world.

I placed my Rugers on the marble tabletop and walked to the bar to fix myself a drink. After knocking down two shots of bourbon I settled in with a tall glass of Crown Apple and Sprite.

"Forgetting something?" Natie asked, raising one of her almost invisible blonde eyebrows.

"Shit, I'm sorry", I said as I stood for my hug, "I had a hell of a night."

"I know" Natie replied as she sat back down, "I barely beat you here."

"What do you mean 'beat me here'?" I asked, downing the last of my drink. "You following me now?"

"Well duh. I was worried that you would have trouble with the  succubus, and I wanted to make sure you were ok."

"How did you know I was after a succubus? I didn't even know until she went after the guy."

"I knew because I was chasing her too. Also, I knew she was a succubus because I'm a woman, so I think with something other than a penis."

"Besides" I said, my face buried in my hands, "I thought you had a date tonight?"

"Please" she said, rolling her eyes, "he was so not worthy. First of all he's a cop, and you know that goes against  rule number one. Plus he's super Catholic, and the last thing I want to hear is how it's better to wait until marriage and how if we do have sex we can't use His name in vain."