Ink

It appeared that even demons had to abide by the natural order of things. Aimon pulled into a gas station, parked at pump eleven and handed Jake some money. “There’s extra there for you to get a snack if you want.” Then Aimon pulled out a cell phone and got out of the car. He completely ignored the sign that warned against using cell phones while pumping gas.



Jake grinned as he climbed out of the Firebird. Like a demon would be afraid of getting blown the fuck up. Jake stretched, and tossed his garbage in a convenient waste bin before heading for the store.



There were only two customers inside, a young girl and what appeared to be her boyfriend. They were racking up on snacks, but Jake didn’t need to go down their aisle. He wasn’t hungry. Running his tongue across his teeth he winced at the crummy feel. But he could use a brushing. And some water. Jake eyed the stocked fridge. He picked out a huge bottle, then rounded the shelves looking for a traveler’s set of toiletries. He found one, and took his purchase up to the front desk.



The couple had left their purchases in front of the register in favor of joining the cashier in front of the ticket machine while they called out numbers and ordered scratch offs. Jake rubbed his jaw, wincing at the scratchy new growth. That would just have to wait though. His eyes were drawn to the small TV mounted against the back wall beside the video camera.



A blonde reporter in a navy blue blazer was reporting recent events from behind a wraparound desk. Jake almost abandoned the TV to contemplate buying some Trident for later when an ominous sentence caught his ear. “…yet another jogger in Metro Park of Virginia has come up missing in the past week. This brings the total count of missing persons to five. City police have announced an increase in foot patrolmen in Metro Park, but in recent events a police officer: Officer Gary Lindentree went missing as well. Metro Park: once a popular destination for residents and tourists has now quite literally become a ghost town or should I say park.” The screen cut to a scene of Metro Park, abandoned benches, overflowing trashcans, and a swing-set swinging eerily in the breeze. Then the footage cut back to the news reporter. “Across the country chaos reigns. In Monte Carlo, California there are reports of unprecedented rainfall. Weather, it seems, the local meteorologists failed to report. In Oswego, New York detectives are scrambling to identify the responsible party in the macabre slaying of a security officer in the Museum of …”



A chill traveled down Jake’s spine as he watched the TV. Cithru. Had to be. Apparently he was leaving a trail of dead bodies across the country. Cam. God if he hurt Cam. Jake’s empty hand curled into a fist. He didn’t know that he had the power to exact any kind of revenge, not on something as old and powerful as Cithru, but he sure as hell was going to die trying if the demon had hurt his brother.



Feminine laughter drew his attention back to the present. The girl and her boyfriend were approaching the main cash register again. Jake looked up at the TV, and froze. His picture had popped up on the screen. “And to add to the list of missing persons, Jake Underwood went missing from...”



Panicked, Jake forced his gaze from the screen and looked at the cashier. He was ringing up the food and tickets for the giggling couple. Jake dared a look back up at the television. “…mysterious disappearance from a jail restroom



“Hey, kid, can I help you?” The cashier stood behind the empty check-out desk, eying Jake expectantly.



Jake flushed, feeling a trickle of sweat roll down the back of his neck. “Y-Yeah, sure. Jake hurried to put his purchases on the counter, unable to keep his eyes from straying to the screen above the cashier’s head. Thankfully his picture had been removed, but now they were talking about Cam. Shit!



Jake laid the money on the counter and told the cashier to take out for his purchases and put the rest on pump eleven. Jake snatched up his purchases and started heading for the door.



“Damn, another one.” The cashier cursed.



Jake threw a quick glance over his shoulder, and saw the man looking up at the screen. Fuck! His face was up there again as well as contact information and a reward for any information on his whereabouts.



Putting his shoulder to the door, Jake stumbled outside to the sound of the jingling bell. His gaze fell on Aimon: the Demon King was just starting the process of pumping gas. Of course—he’d only just paid for it.



He knew it would take a few minutes for Aimon to finish up. He just hoped the cashier hadn’t drawn any conclusions, because fear had tightened his bladder and Jake felt the mad urge to urinate. Surely a minute more wouldn’t hurt, he convinced himself, rounding the building to the side and thankfully finding the bathroom door unlocked.



The room smelled like bleach, piss, and mildew. Jake took shallow breaths as he put his purchases on the rim of the sink and took care of business. After washing his hands Jake pulled out his toothbrush. He couldn’t take it anymore. He needed to do something normal, something familiar, in a world that had flipped itself up and down. His hands were shaking, but he got the toothpaste on the bristles and his teeth cleaned in short order. Spitting into the sink, rinsing, Jake packed away his toiletries, grabbed his bottle of water and reached for the doorknob.



He came up short on the other side. A tall, distinguished looking officer in a khaki uniform and big cream hat tilted his head in Jake’s direction, eying him from above the rim of his dark shades. Jake’s mouth fell open, quite literally. Fuck!



“I’d choose my next words mighty carefully, Jake Underwood,” the sheriff said.

***





Aimon returned the nozzle to the gas pump, just as a white and black police car pulled into the gas station and turned off its blue lights. He frowned. This was the last thing he needed. He watched the sheriff exit his vehicle and hurry into the store. Seconds later he came jogging out, heading around the building to the restrooms, no doubt.



Jake.



Aimon cast his gaze about the parking lot until they lit upon the young humans parked beside the air pump eating snack foods. Aimon eyed the human male a moment before he moved from around his car and approached the couple.



The boy looked up from behind the wheel of his car, a Doritos chip halfway to his mouth. “Hey, dude, can I help you with something?”



Bending down so that he could peer into the human’s eyes, he said, “I think you can, Jake.”

***



“I’m not Jake Underwood!” Jake lied, even though he knew he had already blown his cover. He had never been good at hiding what he was thinking.



“Well now, I’d have my doubts, ‘cept you look pretty guilty to me kid. Mind stepping out of the restroom for a minute so we can talk?”



Jake shrugged, what choice did he have? Damn, he should have just went and sat in the car and asked Aimon to pull over, later;when they were farther up the road. You are such an idiot, Jake Underwood!



Jake squeezed past the sheriff, darting a glance at the empty walkway that circled to the front of the store, contemplating running for it.



The sheriff must have guessed his intentions, as the tall man quickly moved to cut off his exit. “You got any form of ID on you to prove me wrong?”



“Uh…” Shit. He didn’t exactly think about grabbing his license while he was busy running from, and then after demons. “Well…I… no, I don’t—.”



“Sheriff.” Aimon’s familiar voice pulled both their attention to the imposing figure, approaching them. Aimon didn’t spare Jake a look. In fact he had only eyes for the sheriff. The smooth as molasses timbre of his voice made Jake’s body tremble. There was a dangerous mesmerizing quality to it. Something that made you want to listen and obey. “I think you can find what you’re looking for out front. Jake Underwood has agreed to give himself up.”



The sheriff’s hand went to the butt of his gun, perhaps an instinctual reaction to what he perceived as a predatory threat on the approach. But as Aimon kept talking, feeding him suggestions, the sheriff dropped his hand and nodded. “Yeah, I best be seeing about the boy then.” The sheriff agreed. “Out front, you say?”



“Yes, he is out front. Him and his girlfriend.”



“Well, I never heard tell he had a girlfriend with him.” Frown lines appeared between snow white brows.



“He does. And they are waiting for you. Go.”



“Yessir.” The sheriff started walking. “Thank you kindly.” He tipped his hat, before disappearing around the building.



Finally that intense green gaze settled on Jake. “Let’s go, Jake, before they are able to shake off my suggestion."



Jake started moving, shaking his head in wonder.He knew that Aimon could suggest emotions and to some extent actions, but to convince someone that something did not exist when it was right before their eyes, well, it was powerful stuff.Aimon turned,leading the way back to the car. Apparently he was not in the mood for explanation. Not that Jake cared to linger a moment longer. He was in awe of the Aimon’s power. To make a man forget what he was about. To force the sheriff to forget that the ‘real’ Jake stood just a few inches away was mind-blowing.



As Jake rounded the building he could see the sheriff in front of a gold Honda. The young man and woman he had seen earlier were talking with the sheriff. The woman appeared to be crying, while the boy look resigned and a bit frightened. When the sheriff took out a pair of handcuffs, Jake rushed up to Aimon and grabbed his arm. “It’s not right. We have to help them!”



Aimon reversed the hold, and pulled Jake toward the car. “Come. Once the fabrication has warn off the humans will be released. No harm will be done to them.”



Jake allowed himself to be tugged along. He got in, and moved his feet so that Aimon could shut his door. When Aimon got in and started up the Firebird, Jake saw the glass door to the store open, and the cashier dash out waving his hands frantically to get the sheriff’s attention.



The clerk spotted Jake in the car as Aimon started to pull away. He pointed at the Firebird and shouted to the sheriff. Just as Aimon pulled back onto the road, Jake saw that the sheriff wasn’t paying the clerk any attention ; just as if he didn’t exist.







____



Please don't ask about the quick police response. It's a small town. Hence the sheriff does a lot of the legwork. Only three deputies. :P
_________


I'd like to send out a big thanks to all my faithful readers. If you visit my Manfix site you can see the newest character in Ink. Her name is Eve. Yes, she is the first significant female in the story. :D You'll meet her in the next chapter.





_____________

I have received several requests for personal notification when I do updates. Do to the volume and my work load I cannot accommodate personal notices, however this is an option:If you want to be alerted to when I update stories here on AFF then join my yahoo group and pick the special notices option for emails. My yahoo group will be the first to know when I have updated a new chapter. Bow of Eros http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Bowoferos/ I have already sent out numerous special notices for updates, and if you pick this option that is ALL you will receive. No spam. No questions to ask you to participate. I do however send out poll notices and notices such as my addition of the Manfix website, but that is very, very rare.