Demon and the Fox - 22. Caged

Sasha was in a bit of a situation. And that, added to the fact that he was in some smelly New York motel room with four psycho, self-proclaimed werewolf hunters, and he desperately craved a shower, some clean clothes that actually fit him, and maybe disinfectant and bandages for his bite wounds—those were surprisingly healing, even though it was taking forever, but still, Sasha would have appreciated the chance to take better care of himself. But he was stuck inside a god damned dog crate. They would only let him out for brief, humiliating moments, with Jared pointing his gun at Sasha the whole time to make sure he didn’t sneakily try to escape while he was peeing.

But the current situation was that Jared actually wanted to kill him.

“He’s useless,” Jared waved his gun about as he paced the room, “and it’s costing us money we don’t have to keep him alive.” He’d ditched the Ghostbusters t-shirt today, in favor of a Walking Dead one that read: If Daryl dies we riot.

“What are you talking about?” Valerie sat on one of the double-sized beds. It was unmade, with the covers and sheets all crumpled and messy. “He won’t even eat anything. That’s not exactly an expensive diet.” She had just taken a shower, and changed into skinny jeans and a snug black tee that hugged her curves. She was patting her wet red curls with a towel.

Kim and Michael were busy trying to make the coffee machine work. Kim was in a fluffy bathrobe and she had her bangs clipped away from her face, and Michael was in his shark pajamas, rubbing his eyes under his glasses. They kept plugging and unplugging the coffee machine. But it seemed to be broken, just like the noisy, rattling fan in the corner—it wasn’t producing much air. The blinds were drawn over the window, letting scarce daylight spill in from the edges, and Sasha could hear the drone of traffic outside, but he had no idea where they were exactly. They’d kept him in the trunk for the whole forty five minutes drive here. They were nice people like that.

The motel room was gross. The walls were painted a yellowish brown shade. Sasha had no idea why anyone would ever want to paint a wall that color. He didn’t even know why that color existed in the first place. And there were rats. Sasha had seen them at night, darting about. No one had believed him. They’d all laughed it off and said they weren’t afraid of rats; they were werewolf hunters, after all.

But when Jared had seen one the night before, he had screamed like a little girl, waking all the others. And Sasha had laughed.

Right now, though, Jared was pointing a gun at him, so Sasha didn’t feel like laughing.

“We’re gonna have to kill him anyway, when he transforms next full moon,” Jared argued.

Sasha pressed his forehead to the cool metal wires of his crate. It was too warm in here, what with the broken fan and the lack of AC. He really hated this motel, and he hated these people—especially Jared.

It had been almost three days since they’d arrived at the motel—these guys didn’t even live that far, but apparently they had to be in the city full time because they were researching and hunting and on the prowl. Sasha hated them.

One time, while they were all out except Kim, Sasha had learned a few things about Jared. Apparently, he was a really good person and a good nurse too, when he worked at the hospital. But when it came to werewolves, he could be a little intense. That was what Kim said. Sasha replied that he had indeed noticed how intense Jared could get.

Sasha had learned other stuff, too. Just by listening to these people. He had nothing better to do—he kept asking for a book, but they wouldn’t give him one. So Sasha now knew that Michael’s wife had been bit by werewolves a while back, and when she’d turned into a wolf the next month, Michael had no choice but to kill her in self-defense. Kim and Valerie’s dad used to be a supernatural hunter. He didn’t just kill werewolves; apparently he went after demons too. Reapers—Kim and Valerie called them. So they carried on their father’s legacy. Basically their life was a little bit like the plot of the TV show Supernatural, but with red-headed twins instead of Sam and Dean.

That was something Sasha found really annoying. The fact that he remembered random, useless things like TV shows, but he couldn’t even recall anything about his own life.

Except one thing. One thing had come back to him, and it was haunting him every second of every day. He clenched his fists.

Jared was still pacing. “It’s like we haven’t accomplished anything since we got here.”

Kim looked away from the hopeless coffee machine. “Don’t say that. We killed Elena Snow.” Kim rubbed the corner of one green-brown eye, until she got rid of an eyelash that was bothering her.

Jared sighed, and went to put his gun down on the night stand, next to Valerie’s crossbow. Sasha let out a breath.

“But she wasn’t the pack leader,” Jared said. “She wasn’t anything. I want Hazel and Jackson. And Hazel’s boyfriend. He killed Kevin, so he might be their new leader.”

Sasha had learned things about the others, but he also knew Jared was the one with the most dramatic back story. Kim had told Sasha about it. Jared used to have his parents and a little sister, and they were all in Kevin Snow’s pack for a time. But then Kevin Snow kicked them out. Jared was an anomaly. His parents were both werewolves, and his little sister too, but Jared wasn’t. Apparently Kevin Snow didn’t like that. He wanted them out.

But Jared’s parents were broke, and they had nowhere to go. When Jared’s dad defied Kevin, he got himself killed. Jared’s mom ran away with her kids after that. They found a homeless shelter. But they had to leave around the full moon. Jared’s sister was dangerous when she turned. She couldn’t control herself. With nowhere to keep her locked up and safe, they lost sight of her and she went and killed people.

Soon after, Jared found his mom and little sister dead, with a note for him. This is your chance at a normal life. Don’t waste it. His mother’s handwriting.

Basically, Jared’s mom had gone nuts, and killed her daughter and herself.

So now, two names were crossed off Jared’s list: Kevin Snow and his wife. But Jared wanted their kids, too. And anyone involved with them. Or any werewolf, really. Jared just wanted to kill all of the werewolves. In the entire universe.

Sasha didn’t feel like a werewolf. He didn’t feel like his body would suddenly transform into some kind of big dog just because the moon was full. That was ridiculous. Sasha leaned against his cage, and sighed.

Just when Sasha started to think that he’d probably imagined that girl in white the other day, she showed up. Sasha’s eyes opened up wide. She was sitting in the wooden chair next to the dog crate. Her legs were crossed, and her feet were in white stiletto heels. She wore a bustier dress—also white, no shocker there.

“Hello, Sasha,” her melodious voice said, soft as velvet.

Her satin hair was tied in a side ponytail, and around her neck was a silver chain with a tear-shaped emerald pendant.

Sasha glanced around the room. Michael threw on a white tee and announced he was going to Starbucks. He asked everyone what they wanted. Sasha’s stomach growled, but he doubted Michael would come back with a latte and scone for him even if he asked nicely. While everyone answered with their specific coffee cravings, it became clear that they couldn’t see, or hear, the girl in white. Just like last time. So Sasha brought his attention back to her.

Her manicured fingers stroked the chain around her neck, replacing it against her collarbone.

“I know where they are.” She looked down at Sasha with violet-blue eyes.

Sasha swallowed. “Jared,” he said.

Jared looked up. “What do you want?”

Michael had just stormed out. Kim had crawled in the bathroom, and soon they heard the sound of the shower. Valerie and Jared sat in the unmade bed, staring at him.

“I think I know where they are,” Sasha said.

Jared stiffened. He went for the gun, but Valerie was faster. She reached over him and her hand snatched it, quick as a bolt. She put the gun away from Jared. And when Jared glared, she glared right back, her long red curls spilling over her shoulder.

“Enough with the gun. You’re not Daryl, and he’s not a zombie.”

Valerie was Sasha’s favorite, out of the four psychos.

The girl in the white dress told him more information, and Sasha repeated after her.

“They’re at the Upper Yorkville, on 3^rd Avenue.”

Jared and Valerie exchanged a puzzled look.

“And you would know this how?” Jared looked like he didn’t know what to do with his hands now that he wasn’t holding a gun.

“Tell him,” the girl in white said, her words quick but soft, “that you remembered something. Hazel Snow’s father was friends with the hotel’s manager. So it would make sense for them to go there.”

Sasha repeated after her.

There was a silence. They just heard the drizzle of the shower.

Jared still looked like he was trying to figure out what to do with his hands. He opted for pointing at Sasha with an accusing index finger.

“If you’re wrong about this, if you’re lying, I’ll—”

“Kill me?” Sasha finished for him. “And if I’m right, you’ll kill me anyway.”

Jared dropped his finger. Valerie laughed. Jared glared at her, but Valerie ignored that. She was taking out her smart phone.

“Upper Yorkville,” she said as she typed.

“This is good.” Jared started to nod to himself. “We should go tonight. See if they’re really there. Strike when they’re asleep.”

Michael came back with coffee around the same time Kim finished her shower. They had a bit of a meeting while taking in their doses of caffeine. Sasha wanted a coffee, too, but he didn’t get one.

Soon after, the four of them decided to go out somewhere nice for brunch to continue their meeting. Talking about murdering people over brunch. Lovely stuff. Still, Sasha didn’t blame them for wanting to leave the smelly motel room. But he hated them for leaving him alone here.

He wasn’t alone, though.

The girl was still there.

“What’s your name?” was the first thing Sasha asked her when the others were gone. “Do you even have one? I think of you as the girl in white in my head.”

She smiled. “The girl in white. I like it. But my name,” she said, “is Rebecca.”

“So what’s your deal, Rebecca?” Sasha hooked his fingers around the wires, looking up at her.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, what are you? A ghost? Did you get killed by werewolves, and now you want to help these weirdos? Am I like the kid in Sixth Sense?” Sasha asked. “I see dead people?”

Great. He remembered useless details about TV shows and movies, but he didn’t know a thing about his life. Except one thing, Sasha reminded himself with an uneasy feeling in his chest. He did remember one thing.

“I already told you,” Rebecca said quietly, examining her white-tipped fingernails, “I’m a spirit guide. Or guardian angel, if you prefer.”

Guardian angel, huh?

“Can you get me out of here, then?” He shook his cage a bit. He really wanted to get out. Lanky dark blonde strands fell in his face. God, he was filthy. He needed a shower.

Rebecca tilted her head. “All in good time, sweetheart.”

She was kind of pissing him off. But Sasha took a deep breath. Getting angry at his only ally wouldn’t help anything right now.

“Where are you from?” he asked her. “Are you telling me you’re from Heaven, or something? I don’t even believe in that stuff. At least,” he frowned, “I don’t think I do.”

“Then let’s not argue about such things. I only ask,” Rebecca said, “that you believe me.”

“I do. What choice do I have? I’ll know soon enough if you’re wrong, anyway. Jared’s gonna kill me.”

Rebecca’s blue eyes hardened. “I am not wrong.”

“Good.”

“I shall leave, now.”

“No, wait! I wanted to ask you something.”

“Sure.” Her voice was soft again.

Sasha’s heart started beating a little faster.

“It’s just… I remembered something. And you seem to know a lot about me—about everything, so…”

“You remembered something?” She sounded doubtful. “What is it?”

“It was something Valerie said the other day, about demons, and reapers, it stuck with me and…” Sasha let out a shaky breath. “A name came to mind.”

Just thinking about that name rattled him inside. Sparked a fire in his veins.

“What name?” Rebecca asked, insistent.

“Malachy.”

Rebecca’s lips parted. She seemed a bit unsettled. Her fingers stroked the silver chain around her neck again.

“Go on,” she said.

“He’s a demon. I know he is. He possesses people. Hurts others while pretending to be someone he’s not. He killed my parents. Made my brother suffer. I know that much.” Sasha’s gaze locked with Rebecca, unwavering. “He needs to be stopped. That’s what I remembered.”

“That’s very interesting, Alexander,” she said.

“Thought my name was Sasha.”

“It’s a diminutive,” Rebecca said at once.

“You know a lot about me, don’t you?”

She said nothing.

Sasha sat up as much as he could in his cage. “Do you know about Malachy?”

“Maybe,” she said. “More importantly, I’m very impressed you remembered about him.”

“What do you mean, impressed?”

Her pretty face gave nothing whatsoever away. She brushed it off with a hand.

“Never mind that. Do you know who Malachy is possessing right now?”

Sasha nodded, his jaw set. “I think I do. That Nicholas Russell guy. The one you said killed Kevin Snow. The one Jared’s after.”

The hint of a smile crossed Rebecca’s face.

“That is correct.”

“The name just stuck. I kept thinking about it after you left,” Sasha said. “I made the connection. I don’t know how, but…” Sasha’s head hurt whenever he tried to remember more, or make sense of anything. There was a throbbing pulse in his temples, and his brain felt like it was going to explode.

“Do you remember anything else about Nicholas?”

Sasha shook his head. “Just that. He’s probably already dead, right? Just some poor kid Malachy’s pretending to be. He needs to be stopped. I know he killed my parents. It’s funny. Me and Jared are after the same guy. Except he’s not really the same guy. I want to take him down. If the wolf hunters can’t do it, I will.”

He rattled his cage again, wanting to stretch his legs, but he couldn’t. He fell back, sighing. He wished Rebecca would help him to get out of here.

“So that’s all you remember?” Rebecca asked again. “You’ve told me everything?”

“Yes,” Sasha said tiredly, “I’ve told you everything.”

It was all he remembered, and he clung to it because he had nothing else.

I need to kill Malachy.

He had nothing else to hold on to. Knew nothing else. And he was stuck in a cage alone with his thoughts.

“All right, then.” Rebecca got up, smoothing down her dress. “I’ll be there tonight, when the hunters make their move. Then I’ll come here, and report back to you.” She was starting to fade away, like she’d never been here in the first place. But her voice lingered. A whisper. “Wait for me. I’ll be back. I promise.”

Wait for me.

Sasha wanted to laugh.

What else was he supposed to do?