Friday, May 27,1988
Jane Addams Middle School
11051 34th Ave NE,
Seattle, Wa
Another Friday afternoon, the last day of the school year and Miss Donaldson sits at her desk staring into space. Days like these, only a few hours from summer vacation, she feels like she is even more eager for it to come than the kids. Right now she will just be happy to start her weekend. In her purse she has her plane tickets for a weekend excursion. Glancing at the clock it feels like the bell to end this final study period will never sound.
It has been months since Pam Donaldson told her friend Eileen that she was going to leave Seattle. It was great spending time with Eileen again and learning that she had become Sentry. Afterward she considered moving to hide from her past again, but she loved her new job. Most of the people she has met here have been good to her. Then she concluded that she was sick and tired of running away. She wanted Jon and Joe Morgan to come after her again. She was ready to put them out of her life permanently.
When that didn’t happen Pam decided it was time she went after them. As it turned out, one of her new friends here at school, computer science teacher Hugh Murphy, was quite a good hacker. He was glad to help Pam even if she did not tell him all of the truth. After all she did save him from his crazy ex-girlfriend. She told Hugh enough to put him on the trail of the Themela Lodge.
Hugh found reports of the Thelema commune that was massacred in the Colorado Rocky Mountains on Christmas Eve 1968. It was the same night a falling star was recorded by astronomers in the area. It wasn’t until her mother was very sick that Pam finally got a few morsels of truth. She confessed to being a member of that commune and she fled it as a serial killer attacked. Pam didn’t tell Eileen about her mother’s confession. She isn’t sure why. Even after Eileen revealed that Joe Morgan was a member of that same cult. Pam never knew just what the cult was into and the power they wielded. Maybe that is why Pam kept what she knew a secret from Eileen. As powerful as Eileen is with that suit, Pam still wanted to protect her friend.
It isn’t the Colorado Rocky Mountains that Pam is going to for the weekend but another mountain range. Hugh also found other stories of strange events on that same night. Apparently there were two falling stars that night, one in the Rocky Mountains and another in the Taum Sauk Mountains of Arcadia Township, Missouri. From what Max/Joe told Eileen and her, Pam was the fulfillment of some kind of prophecy around a falling star that would create the Starchild. Maybe Joe Morgan’s group was not the only one following that prophecy. Maybe there was another group in Missouri.
So, it is a weekend in St. Louis searching the Taum Sauk Mountains for some sign of another cult. Hopefully learn something from them about the Colorado commune. “Ding,ding,ding.” Pam has never been so glad to hear the end of the day bell before! She hustles the kids out of the room and gathers up her stuff to head out. She meets Hugh Murphy at his class room, he is giving her a lift to the airport. “Are you almost ready?” she asks impatiently.
“Just need to shut down this last computer and we can go,” Hugh replies. “Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” “I can still get a ticket.”
“Don’t be silly,” Pam tells him, not wanting to start this argument again. There is no way she will be able to do what she needs to do with him tagging along. “I’m just going to do some research with the locals.” “See if I can find anything out about a cult in the woods.” Hugh doesn’t know all that happened when she stopped his ex-girlfriend. Pam wants to keep their friendship super-power free.
“Still, I could get risky,” Hugh says with concern.
“You know me, I’m no risk taker,” Pam lies. “If I feel as if something is weird, I’m on the first plane home.” Pam has always been a good liar but it almost hurts to lie to such an honest sweet guy. The biggest challenge has been not sleeping with him. When Pam vowed to Eileen that she would be celebent for safety reasons, she did not realize how big of a challenge it would be.
St. Louis Lambert International Airport
10701 Lambert International Blvd
St. Louis, MO
Waiting for her luggage Pam looks over a billboard from the tourism bureau. It is for the Gateway Arch and a banner is across it reading, “CLOSED for repairs.” She had seen on the National News how there was some kind of terrorist attack that was thwarted by three of those superhero types. Eileen had implied that she knew Master Warrior, Pam wondered if she knew the other two. The woman goes by Miracle Maiden and that other hunk’s name is Olympian. She really has no desire to go public like them, working in secret may be harder, but it is more her style. The Olympian guy is allegedly local to St. Louis so avoiding him will be her top priority.
Pam spots her bag in the luggage carousel and moves to grab it. It is then that a man bumped by her reaching for the same case. He smells of expensive cologne, something she is adept at noticing. “Excuse me,” the man says in a deep voice with a latin accent. These are two things that have always drawn Pam in, but she knows she is here on business, not monkey business.
They stand at the side of the carousel, both of them with a hand on the same case. “That is fine, no harm done,” Pam replies, trying to hold back her lust when she looks at the well built latin god in a leather waist length coat. “If you can let go of my suitcase I will be on my way.”
“I’m sorry to disagree with you, but this is clearly my case,” he says, twisting his wrist to show her the luggage tag that reads, “Pen Galden.”
“Oh, I am so sorry, Mr. Galden, my case looks exactly the same,” Pam says, releasing her hand from the bag.
The Latin man that Pam guesses is probably about fifteen years her senior smiles a broad white toothed grin. “Not as sorry as I am, My name is Howard Alameda.” He sits the bag down on the carousel. “I guess we were both wrong,” he chuckles.
Pam and her new acquaintance Howard go back to watching the luggage for their apparent matching cases. They watch a small asian man pick up the case they both grabbed. “Who would have thought a guy like that would have the same luggage,” Pam comments.
Howard chuckles again as their bags come around the carousel side by side. “Perhaps if you are not in too much of a hurry I could buy you a drink at the bar,” Howard suggests. “To make up for my rudeness.” Pam gives the man a look leading him to say, “Let me just tell you up front I only have a three hour layover and in that time I also have a business meeting.” “So all I’m looking for is some pleasant conversation over a few drinks while I wait for my business associates to arrive.”
Against her better judgment and oath to herself she decides what happens in St. Louis, stays in St. Louis. “I think I would enjoy that, Mr. Alameda,” she says, taking the case with her name on it.
“Please call me Howie,” Alameda requests.
Thousands of people pass through St. Louis Lambert International Airport in a day. Another one of them is Albert Dinesen arriving from New Orleans. The rather plainly dressed older gentleman shows everyone of his sixty-some years with his wrinkles and gray hair. Although he is still in very good shape for a man of his age as he carries his heavy traveling case with one hand. The arm that holds the handle is anything but frail. He is on a personal trip to the city to visit his grandson at University for the first time. Before his grandson, Topher left for college in the fall they were rather at odds over the young man’s future. Albert wanted his grandson to follow in his footsteps into the family business. Topher has different ideas about what he wanted to do with his life.
Albert passes by Pam Donaldson and Howard Alemeda in the concourse and the latin man makes eye contact with him. In that instant Albert has the most intense feeling of Deja vu. In Albert’s line of work he is very familiar with the supernatural and knows that Deja vu is really a feeling of events that have happened in a previous age. Each one of the events is meant to signify the chance to change direction. Albert has had many of these experiences in his life but somehow this one is different. Never before has a Deja vu triggered by a person. That is a mystery for another day.
Three Kings Public House
St. Louis Lambert International Airport
10701 Lambert International Blvd
St. Louis, MO
As they enter the Restaurant/Bar Pam says to Mr. Alameda, “Would you excuse me for a moment, it was a long flight, I’d like to freshen up,”
“Of course,” he replies, “I’ll wait at the bar.” Pam takes her leave to the Ladies room. At the bar Alameda takes a hundred dollar bill for his wallet to lay it down. “I’ll have two Dewar’s on the rocks please.”
Pam returns from the ladies room to take a seat at the bar next to Howie. She looks at the glasses on the bar as he picks one up to drink. Pam smiles and does the same as she closes her eyes long enough to hide the glow that insures that she is immune to any drug that may have slipped into it. If anyone knew what she was thinking she might seem paranoid. After learning what her step-father and brother were she needs to be paranoid. “Mmmhh, Dewar’s, my favorite.” “How did you know?”
“Actually I ordered both of them for myself,” Howie replies, grinning. “I know how slow the bartenders are here.” “But if you like it, drink up.” He leans over the bar to signal the bartender for another round. “So Miss Star, what is your first name?”
Pam is cautious as she replies, “Sally.”
“Sally Star, like the cartoon host,” Howie replies, smirking. “She was on local TV in Philadelphia.
His statement triggers a memory Pam had forgotten, She and her mother had lived in Philadelphia for a time. Maybe the name had stuck in her memory. “My mother was a fan,” Pam tells him. “Are you from Philly,” she asks, trying to sound like she spent more than three months in the city.
“I’ve lived just about everywhere in the world,” Howie answers. “There are only a few places I haven’t found educational.”
“Educational?” Pam repeats, “Are you a scholar?”
“In a way, I like to think of myself as an authority on human evolution.”
“That sounds very deep,” Pam smiled, taking another sip of the Scotch.
Howie turns to look at the Jukebox where a woman plays a song. “I love this song, Blondie is amazing.”
Pam is confused as the song “Rapture” begins to play. Not even she could see the song title before it began. “So you travel a lot?”
“I like to think of it as being where I am needed,” Howie replies.
Pam giggles, “What are you some kind of Superhero?”
“If I was a Superhero would I admit it?” Howie answers. “Would you?” Pam glares at him for a moment. Her answer would be no, if she had the courage to respond. “Let’s face it, as amazing as it is there are now Superheroes in the world.” “Before now that was something from comic books.” “Not everyone who is special is meant to be out in the open.” “Some must stay hidden until the time is right.”
Everything this guy says confuses her. “How would someone know when the right time is?” Before Howie can answer, a young man approaches them from a table at the back of the room.
“Oh Bruce it is good to see you again, are the others here?” Howie asks the young man.
“Yes, we are sitting right over there,” Bruce says pointing across the room.
“Oh please forgive me.” “Bruce Stacey I would like for you to meet Pam Donaldson,” Howie says with an eyebrow raised at Pam.
“It is nice to meet you,” Bruce says, reaching out his hand towards Pam. She is somewhat in shock as she takes the young man’s hand. How does Howie know her real name?
“Come along Bruce, we have business,” Mr. Alameda instructs, “Excuse me for a moment,” he tells Pam as he takes Bruce by the shoulders to lead him back to the table.
Pam remains at the bar alone, her mind racing with the events that have just transpired. This all seemed so innocent. From meeting Howie at the luggage carousel to agreeing to a drink. Is he one of them, is he a Thelema? Holy shit! All this time, have they been stalking me? Or am I just paranoid? She watches Howie at the table where the young man sits down with a man and a woman. He is clearly chastising them, taking a tone much different than he has used in the hour she has known him. Pam can not hear what he is saying over the noise in the room. She watches him closely wondering, is he something else entirely?
When he is done, Howie returns to the bar with the young man, Bruce following behind him. “Now if you will excuse me I have a plane to catch.” Pam sits at the bar speechless as she watches the man pick up his suitcase and walk from the bar.
“Have you known Mr. Alameda for a long time?” Bruce asks as he too watches Mr. Alameda leave.
“Only a few hours,” Pam whispers. “I met him over some confusion at the luggage claim.” “How do you know him?”
“I am an author, Howard Alameda is the owner of the publishing company of my book,” Bruce explains. “He has gone out of his way to help me.” Bruce takes a seat at the bar to look at Pam. She looks familiar to him but he cannot place her face. “But he has just said something very strange to me.” “It was as if he could see my future.”
“I have to agree he is unusual,” Pam replies. “It was nice to meet you but I have to go too.” Pam finishes her drink and moves to pick up her bag from under the bar to leave. Walking from the bar she can’t help but to wonder if Alameda is somehow involved with the Thelema. Was this really a chance meeting or something much more planned.
Washington University
1 Brookings Dr
St. Louis, MO
Albert Dinesen arrives at the 135 year old Washington University unexpectedly by his grandson so there is no rush for a reunion. He would never admit it to his grandson but he has another reason for this trip north. Reports of a serial killer on the loose have drawn his attention due to the strange circumstances surrounding the bodies that were found. Albert Dinesen is a hunter of sorts. He hunts those things that would prey on humans. Things that are older than humanity itself, demons. It was not until he arrived on campus that he began to feel that his suspicions were right. There has been demonic activity here. He can only assume it is because his grandson attends college here.
As he climbs the steps up to the entrance way of the 80 year old Brookings Hall building he can feel that something has transpired here. Gazing up at the high stone archways it reminds him of a place he once traveled in Europe. He has no good memories of that trip either. He stands in the center of the breezeway that spans the depth of the building. He could find no evidence of prior demon activity in this area of the country, if he had he would not have allowed his grandson to attend this school.
Demon hunting is a profession passed down through a family lineage. It is only the male members who are trained to do the job, that is why his daughter was passed over. That is why it is his grandson Topher who is meant to carry on the family procession. But up until now the young man has had no training in the role of hunter. He refuses to be trained, insists he has another life planned for himself.
It is early evening and several co-eds pass by Albert returning to the dorms after their final classes of the day. Albert goes mostly unnoticed by them as he goes into his jacket pocket to retrieve a smooth stone that fits in the palm of his hand. Carved on the top of it there is a pentagon. Albert speaks a phrase in Latin over the stone, “Lapis Pendragonis mihi daemonium historia ostendit.”
A strange mist begins to flow into the open breezeway going completely unnoticed by everyone but Albert. The sunlight is dimmed as the mist dissipates and day has changed to night. Albert is alone in the space completely unphased by the changes around him. A young man staggers up the steps and into the breezeway. He is clearly drunk as he vomits in a dark corner of the stone and mortar structure.
Then someone else, no something else arrives from the opposite side of the breezeway. It stands over seven feet tall with an emerald metal armored exterior. Its face looks like a cross between an owl and an insect. Albert has never seen anything like it as it towers over the young man too drunk to even realize the danger he is in. There is nothing Albert can do because this is but a replay of past events that took place here. The towering green knight takes hold of the young man as he loses consciousness. It then turns back the way it came and launches itself into the night sky to fly out of sight.
The mist returns, washing away the night scene to return Albert to the daylight of the present. He looks at the stone in his hand before putting it back in his pocket. Whatever that thing was it was clearly part demon, he assesses, the stone would not have shown him those events if it wasn’t. But it was like no demon he has ever heard of, it was almost like it was altered somehow. But why or how could anyone do that? The next thought is more wishful thinking than anything else, perhaps his grandson knows something about these events.
Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel
Room 409
11228 Lone Eagle Dr
Bridgeton, MO
It is late when Pam finally gets to her room. She drops the suitcase on the floor and falls across the bed, it has been a weird day. It is two hours later here than in Seattle so Pam is far from tired. She assumes that will catch up with her when she goes home. Sitting up on the bed she picks up the phone. Dialing the number she has put to memory although she will never admit it to him. “Hi Hugh, it’s me, are you busy?” she says into the Hotel phone. “I need for you to find out everything you can about a man in his mid-forties by the name of Howard Alameda.
“The Media Mongol?” Hugh Murphy says almost laughing.
“You’ve heard of him?” Pam replies.
“Who hasn’t, he’s a Media King!” Hugh answers over the phone. “Some say as big as Ted Turner!”
“Apparently that is a party I was not invited to.” Pam says. “I’m guessing you are a fan.” “Has he ever been rumored to be involved with the Themela Lodge?” Pam can hear Hugh beginning to type on his computer keyboard.
It takes about fifteen minutes for Hugh to reply to Pam’s inquiry, “From what I can find, Alameda doesn’t go in for that sort of thing.” “He doesn’t appear to even do the standard charitable donations to get tax breaks.” “He pays his taxes on time and in full.” “He has no family to speak of, no parents, no women in his life, to kids.” “He looks to be all work and no play.”
After an hour of Hugh filling Pam in on everything he can find about Howard Alameda, Pam turns in for the night. All that has happened today flows through her head as she drifts off to sleep. How much she values her life in Seattle. How she questions who she really is and how she got these powers. Thoughts of Jon and Joe Morgan invade her thoughts, pushing the mysterious Howard Alameda aside.
Saturday, May 28, 1988
Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel
Room 409
11228 Lone Eagle Dr
Bridgeton, MO
Pam wakes up early to lay in the Hotel bed thinking about the events of the previous night. She can’t make heads or tails of any of it. The whole time she was dating Max he never slipped up. Not once did he give away who he really was to her. Even the sex was different from Joe. There were things he did that were similar but she never imagined the truth. Nor can she imagine how Howard Alameda knew her real name.
She needs to get back on track, hopefully a hot shower will get her there. Pam rinses the dye from her hair, she will not be needing it today. After all, she doesn’t need anyone else recognizing her in St. Louis. Showered Pam returns to the bedroom to toss her suitcase up onto the bed to open it. To her surprise the contents are not hers at all. These are men’s clothes, she thinks as she lifts a blue and white spandex cyclist suit from the luggage. “Shit!” she announces out loud. Pam looks to the handle of the case to find no tag on it. “I must have got Howie’s bag at the bar!” Then she realizes the bag switch might be just what she needs to learn the truth about the Media Mongol. Going through the bag is a strange experience. It is filled with clothing that she can not believe would even fit the man she met at the airport. As a matter of fact when she slips the blue and white spandex shirt over her head, it fits her perfectly. There is no way this would fit Alameda. Trying on the pants they fit too. The material looks like spandex but on her body it feels different, like it is heavier than it looks.
Looking at herself in the mirror she appears to be ready for a cross-country bike ride. It looks great conforming to the curves of her body too, she thinks as she turns to look at her butt in the mirror. The outfit would be the perfect thing for a hike in the mountains. After all, she has nothing else to wear until she can find Alameda and she has no idea what city he was even headed to when he left. As ridiculous as it sounds there is also a matching blue ski mask hat in the case.
There are several other matching shirts and pants sets in the case with slightly different patterns. In the middle of the case wrapped in the fabric, Pam finds a small electrical device about the size of a calculator. Which it clearly is not. The front of the device appears to be some kind of display screen like nothing Pam has ever seen. Along the top of it there is a red and a blue lens that looks like some kind of scanning lazer from the supermarket. There are several buttons on the sides of the device labeled with letters. Flipping it over there is an emblem on that back that reads, “Property of the United States Government ”. Apparently Hugh did not find out everything there was to know about Howard Alameda’s business dealings.
Pam plays with the buttons on the device looking for a way to turn it on. She has played hand held computer games so this shouldn’t be too difficult. When she finds the right button on the back of the device just below the label it lets out a low pitch beep. It powers up quicker than any computer in Hugh’s classroom. The screen on the face of the device in Pam’s hand is a monochrome of blue and black. A phrase appears on the screen, “Select Terrestrial metal compound” At the bottom of the screen are two icons, “A-ENTER” and “B-ESC”. Finding the corresponding button on the side. Her curiosity leads her to choose “A-ENTER”.
The screen reloads and changes to an elemental compound description that she recognizes as Aluminum. At the bottom of the screen the icons read, “A-ENTER”, “B-ESC” and “C-CONT”. She chooses “A-ENTER” again and the screen gives her three more options, “A-SEARCH” “B-SCAN” and “C-ESC”. Choosing the “A-SEARCH” icon a red and blue beam comes out of the top of the device. The beams then go wide covering the entire wall of her hotel room and the dresser where her purse sits. The beam narrows down to become a pinpoint laser and the screen reads, “ALUMINUM DETECTED.” That makes sense to her. There are most likely several things in her purse made of aluminum.
The screen then displays “A-SCAN” and “B-ESC”. She has no need to scan the things in her purse to find the aluminum one. This is an incredible device she thinks examining it in her hand some more. Pressing the “B” she goes back through the menus past the first one she started with to find something even more surprising. The first menu on the scanner gives the options “A-Select Terrestrial metal compound” and “B-Extra-Terrestrial metal compound” If that means this thing can do what she thinks it can, it might be the greatest bit of luck she has had in her life!
Washington University
South 40
St. Louis, MO
The previous day when Albert Dinesen arrived to seek out his grandson he could not find him. Spending the night in a motel Albert found some time to further investigate possible demon attacks. There have been reports of missing students in the past month that turned out to all be victims of the local serial killer. Albert fears that his grandson would be a prime target for the killer if it is truly a demon. Being a Demon hunter is in the blood and it is that same blood that draws demons to the men of his lineage.
It is after breakfast that Albert returns to Topher’s dorm room. He knocks on the door to get no response at first. Then when he knocks louder he hears movement in the room. It sounds almost like a scuffle. “Topher are you in there?” he calls out. Then he hears a low moan from inside. “Topher?”
“Pappi?” a whispered voice replies. It is enough to give Albert cause to force the door open. When he bursts into the room he is not surprised to find his grandson and another boy nude in one of the two twin beds in the room. He has known about Topher’s affinity for a while and considers it to be something the boy uses to deny his birthright. The other boy tries to hide himself under the sheet as Topher steps out of the bed not at all concerned by his state of nudity. “What are you doing here Pappi?” he asks, walking toward the old man.
“We need to talk privately,” Albert says. “It would be best if your friend left us alone.”
“I can guess what you want to talk about, but I don’t care,” Topher replies definitely. Behind Topher’s back his “friend” gets up from the bed pulling the sheet off the mattress with him scurrying into the nearby bathroom.
Albert turns away at the sight of the stains on the bed sheet. “When are you going to outgrow this stage?” he mumbles as the bathroom door slams shut. “Put some clothes on for Christ sake!”
Topher turns to see that his lover has gone into hiding. Taking a pair of underwear from the floor he pulls them on. “There, I’ve put away my junk and we’re alone, what do you want?”
Albert turns back to face his defiant grandson. “There have been demonic killings on campus,” he states. “What do you know about them?”
“Why do you have to bring your bullshit wherever I go?” Topher fumes. “There is no demon killing people here!” “The police on the news say it is just some kind of psycho.” The two men are silent for a moment, each of them replaying every other time they have had this argument. “I am sick of fighting over this, why will you not accept that I don’t want to be like you.”
“Why will you not accept that you have no choice?” Albert asserts. “The only thing that is protecting you from the demons that would end our bloodline is me!” “When I am gone, if you have not been trained you will be soon to follow.” “Could you at least put aside these dalliances with boys to find a girl to continue our line?”
“I thought we agreed that would be Tiffany’s job,” Topher suggests throwing his sister under the bus. Then walking to the bathroom door to bang on it he calls out, “Chuckie, are you okay in there?” “I’m sorry I didn’t know my grandfather was going to show up, unannounced.” “Chuckie?” Topher forces the door open to find the bathroom empty and the door into the adjoining room ajar. “Great! now you have scared off the best piece of ass I’ve had all year!”
“Just tell me, have you felt any demon activity on campus?” Albert sighs frustrated with his grandson as always. “Like I taught you before your parents….”
“Died?” Topher comments. “Before you let demons kill them?”
“Now you know that is not true!” Albert asserts. “Is that why you resist being trained?” “Because of what your father told you about me?” “Your father was not a believer and that is what put your parents at risk.” “There was nothing I could do to change that.” “If only he had listened to your mother, they would still be alive today.”
Topher clearly shows his frustration over his grandfather’s words. Then he walks over to the foot of his bed where he opens a foot locker. He digs to the bottom through blankets and clothing to draw back an object wrapped in a hand towel. “I found this on a walk in the park on the east side of the campus.” He unwraps the towel to reveal something that appears to be a lump of metal about the size of a softball. “It just doesn’t feel right somehow,” Topher says.
Albert takes the object from his grandson. He turns it over examining it from all sides, then he draws it to his face to smell it. Topher half thinks his grandfather will lick it next but he doesn’t. “It’s demon excrement,” Albert states bluntly.
“It’s what? Topher exclaims.
“It’s demon excrement,” Albert repeats. “It is like nothing I have seen before, but I am certain that is what it is.” Holding the metal chunk up Albert explains, “It is very rare to find demon excrement in this world, but I am sure that is what this is.” “It has been changed somehow, mutated like the thing I witnessed take that young man.” “Perhaps that is why I did not recognize the class of demons.” “Until recently I would have thought it impossible for a human to manipulate the make-up of a demon.” “Now with all of these….Zeni-humans around.” “Is that what they are called?”
“I think so,” Topher replies, slipping on a bathrobe. “I’ve seen one who calls himself Olympian on the local news.” “Why don’t you go find him and let me get on with my life!”
“I don’t think this was done by some super-hero, most likely it was done by someone with evil motives,” Albert suggests. “Someone I should be able to find using this.” The older man pulls a pendant that hangs on a silver chain around his neck from under his shirt. It looks like a standard compass but has a much different use.
“Good, I guess you will be going then,” Topher says, holding open the door to his dorm room.
“Don’t think just because I am going on a hunt I will not be back,” Albert says walking toward the open door. “There will be a time when you will have to accept the truth.” “I only hope it will not be too late!”
Dr. Bybo’s secret lab
Taum Sauk Mountains
Arcadia Township, MO
Dr. Bybo has spent months searching for his greatest creation, the Scarab. Bybo had added a tracking device to the Scarab. That tracking device was the first thing that the entity calling itself the Scarab deactivated. When that tracker became active again, Bybo sent his men to find what he had lost. It was not Scarab that his men found but what was left of Lt. Vasco. When the fragments of Lt. Vasco’s body were returned to the lab it was covered in a strange alien compound.
Bybo studied Lt. Vasco’s remains for weeks. The scientist needed to know what had caused his experiment to fail. Bybo learned that the remains had been completely emaciated. Vasco was run dry like a used car battery. The substance covering the body was made up of a kind of digestive protein that Bybo had seen in only one other place. It intrigued him, he had studied that same compound before in another creature he had experimented on. The compound was similar to fluids found in the digestive tracts of Earth birds and reptiles. Bybo already knew that the substance was not at all of this Earth. The question that remained was how did the Scarab produce such a compound or know for what it was used.
It was clear to Bybo that once all the nourishment that could be taken from Vasco’s body was removed, the shell of a body was no longer of any use to Scarab. There were also particles of a hardened substance on the body that was similar to what a snake would regurgitate after feeding. Even in this small quantity it gives off an alien radiation that Bybo can not identify. There was only a small amount of this substance on the body but Bybo assumed there was a larger mass somewhere that his men did not find.
Bybo’s men could find no evidence of what became of the alien Scarab technology. After learning what he could from Vasco’s remains, those remains were incinerated. There would be no family notification or burial. Which was standard procedure for anyone in his service.
Bybo determined the best way to find his Scarab was to find a trail of the radioactive excrement it left behind. To find and track the compound he would need resources that he currently did not have. There was a device that he had created while working at Area 51. It was capable of finding and tracking alien compounds on Earth from a distance. It was a device the US Government found other uses for beyond Area 51.
All of those devices he had kept were destroyed at Area 51. But Bybo knew where he could find another. Although he was believed dead by the US Government, he still had trusted contacts inside many of its branches. He contacted one of those allies last week and made a personal trip to Seattle to secretly acquire what he needed. He also picked up several fifteenth generation kevlar suits that he intended to duplicate for his own men. The suits were meant to act as a barrier to conceal the scanning device from Airport security. It worked perfectly but somewhere in transit his case got switched for one full of women’s clothing. He has already sent several men on the hunt for his lost case. Until they find it he will have to make due with other projects.
Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel
11228 Lone Eagle Dr
Bridgeton, MO
Not being a true user of magic Albert Dinesen must rely on other means of manipulation supernatural forces. There are several locations all over the world that are considered Mystic Sources Points of magic, some more powerful than others. Although he can naturally detect the presence of demonic activity in the case of this strange new discovery he needed added help. He is educated in witchcraft but not as skilled as one born into the craft. Meaning that he can only use mystic talismans that are imbibed with true magic but not create any of his own. One thing he has learned from his study of witchcraft and the occult is that he can use Mystic Source Points to temporarily strengthen his own power. It usually is not an accurate means to an end but it is always worth the effort.
There are fewer Mystic Source Points in the midwest of North America, most of them only accessible by native Americans. Missouri River near Brunswick, Missouri is one used by the Missouria. The trip there and back took several hours but it was worth the time spent. The creature in his vision at the University is not the only one tainted by demonic power. Albert has located many less powerful hybrids in the St. Louis area. Right now three of them are very much out in the open.
In the elevator Albert can still detect their trail even if it is the faintest one he has ever tracked. From what he learned at the Mystic Source Point these are human men he is tracking that were somehow spliced with demonic genes. He can not imagine why anyone would do that or how for that matter. When the elevator opens on the fourth floor it is easy for Albert to pinpoint the location of the men now, Room 409.
The door to the room is ajar when he approaches it. Quietly stepping inside the room he deadbolts and chains the door closed. There are three men inside the room all of them with military style haircuts. Their boots appear to be well-worn military issues too, not at all matching with the brand new clothing they wear. The three men appear to be of one mind as they search the room. On the bed lies an open suitcase with some kind of blue and white athletic suit inside of it. Taking a small tuning fork from his pocket Albert says, “Excuse me gentlemen is this your room?”
Without a word the three men turn to rush toward him. Albert strikes the fork on the corner of the desk before holding it up between him and the angry men. The fork releases waves of sonic sound at the men causing them to stop their approach. The high pitch sound washes over the men in waves, each one affecting them a small bit more. The smallest of the men is the first to crumble to the floor. The other men don’t seem to even notice what is happening to their companion as they tremble trying to stand. Then the second msn falls. As the last waves of sound come from the fork the final man crumbles across the top of the other two.
The men on the floor do not make a sound as Albert watches what happens next. It begins with the smallest man as tiny black ant-like creatures crawl out of his ear canal. There are too many of them to count as they form a line across the carpet. From each of the other two men the same insect-like creatures emerge falling in line with the others. At last Albert has a clue as to what is going on. He also has a trail to follow back to the source of this disturbance in the natural order.
Dr. Bybo’s secret lab
Taum Sauk Mountains
Arcadia Township, MO
Not far from Dr. Bybo’s secret fortress hidden deep within a mountain an uninvited visitor has arrived at her destination. As helpful as her power of flight has been to getting her here, to precisely locate what Pam is looking for she must do that from under the tree canopy. Pam spent an hour going through all of the menus on the device she found in the suitcase. It wasn’t until she realized her biggest clue that she left the hotel. A necklace given to her by her mother that she has worn for years as something of a good luck charm. Pam’s mother always told her it was a piece of a falling star but she never took that idea seriously. Nevertheless she always just thought it was pretty. Now using the Government device to scan it she discovered it is in fact made up of extraterrestrial compounds. So her search began to find more of that alien compound.
Pam spent another hour circling low over the mountain range using the scanner to find the smallest of clues. From the height she was flying the device could not pinpoint the alien compound like the stone in her necklace but it could detect it. The idea that her powers came from a falling star is not more ridiculous than the things she can do with them. What Eileen told Pam about how she was raised by a cult in the woods doesn’t seem as ridiculous either now. For all she knows it could have been this forest. As a young child her mother moved them around quite a bit there is no telling where they began.
Pam walks through the forest her eyes begin to glow as she uses her own talents to scan her surroundings first visually than audible. But there is something else happening to her, she feels something new. When she hears movement in the leaves not far away she switches from hearing back to vision. It takes only a few seconds to spot the deer about two hundred yards away blending into the backdrop of the forest nearly perfectly. Pam wonders if it is another power she has discovered that works along with the others that do not work together. A sense of living things around her. Why would she be drawn to the deer and not just the breeze blowing the leaves? The glow of Pam’s eyes dims as suddenly as if she has opened up “a door” in her mind. Although it is silent she can feel the many things alive above her in the trees, birds, squirrels, chipmunks. For a moment it is all too much for her to handle and then she slams “the door” shut.
Trying to ignore what just happened to her, something she has done for most of her life she turns back to the device in her hand. Pushing the button for “SEARCH” the red and blue lights come on again to shine through the trees. She begins by pointing the device north and then east, seeing no change in the beams she turns south and then west. It is the west direction that shows the most significant change in the beams. Guiding the device slightly back south and then north the beams change again to narrow into a single beacon. Pam begins to walk northwest toward the incline of the mountain.
It is a good long hike in her new sneakers she bought at a shop in town. The salesgirl insisted she buy a pair that matched her blue and white suit. Paying cash to not give her name and having a blonde woman in a biking suit linked to dark haired Pam Donaldson was something she was sure was a good idea. Pam’s mind wanders as she hikes up the mountain, she kind of wishes Eileen was here to share this adventure. Seeing her again after so long was like reconnecting with a part of herself she didn’t know she had lost.
At the top of the mountain Pam finds a one hundred foot in diameter disc of steel painted with camouflage colors. Around the edges of the circular plate are red and green lights that are currently off. She recognizes that this is a hidden helicopter landing pad. Who would need a helicopter way out here? she wonders.
Only one way to find out, Pam thinks as she gets down to dig her fingertips into the seam between the two sliding doors. It is harder than she thought it would be, but she does manage to part the door enough to slip down inside. She falls for a few yards before catching herself by activating her flight power. She is in a long deep shaft that is well lit and appears to be some kind of lift tunnel. She can not see to the bottom and to switch to vision powers would send her falling to the bottom fast enough for her to find out its depth. So Pam chooses to slowly descend into the mountain watching the red and blue beam of the scanning device narrow to guide the way.
At the bottom of the shaft she finds herself in a vehicle storage warehouse. She also learns that her arrival has not gone undetected. No more than fifty gray uniformed men stand in front of the circular lift platform she stands on. All of them hold high powered rifles pointed at her. None of them appear to have any insignia to imply that they are military. “Oh my gentlemen, the guns really aren’t necessary,” Pam says, holding up her hands. “I was just on a hike in the woods and got a little lost.” “I was hoping to use your phone.”
“Not a very good lie I must say,” A small asian man standing on a catwalk that overlooks several intimidating looking vehicles. “You just dropped two hundred feet into the mountain like you were a feather.” “Cut her down!” he shouts to his men.
Pam recognizes the guy instantly. He is the same little guy who picked up the suitcase that she and Howard mistakenly thought was theirs. The device in her hand has now formed a single beam pointing past the armed men and to a door under where the man she assumed is named Pen Galden stands. Before she can utter another word the men begin firing. It makes little difference to Pam as the hail of bullets bounce off of her body. Luckily being bulletproof is something she has all the time. Pam’s eyes glow for little more than a second and she is gone. Moving at superspeed she breaks through the firing squad to follow the beam of light from the device.
Pam has no idea where the scanner is leading her, but she doesn’t need super hearing to know that the armed men are following after her. She needs to find a way to lose them. Eileen’s ability to turn invisible would come in handy right now. The scanner leads Pam to a sealed metal door with no handles, only a keypad. Switching off her speed her eyes dim. She might be able to force the door open but that would give away her location. She has to be smart about this, there is no need for anyone to know the real reason she is here. Resetting the scanner for one of the compounds on the list she restarts it to lead her away from her true goal.
Turning to a corridor to her left Pam flees moving slow enough to allow the men coming around the corner to follow her. More bullets are fired that bounce off both her skin and the wall. Pam comes to a stop outside a large set of doors twice the size of the one she left behind. Her eyes glow as she digs her fingers between the two metal doors just as she did on the top of the mountain. These doors are easier to force open. Stepping inside she is in shock at the sight of what waits inside the storage room. The only way to describe it is, “Spaceship!” The armed men flood into the large open room behind Pam. This is not at all what she expected to find when she came to Missouri.
Dr. Bybo steps between his men entering the room. “So have you found what you are looking for, young woman?” he asks. Pam turns to face him, still a little speechless. “I do not know what you are but you are clearly not Argoian or one of their disciples.” “One thing I do know is that you are a thief coming here wearing one of my stolen uniforms and carrying my Compound Scanner.” “But that is not the only device I have created.” Dr, Bybo lifts his hand from behind his back to reveal another device bigger than the one Pam holds.
Up until now Pam has never had any injuries her entire life. She is completely confident that the weapon this man holds will do her no harm. Bybo fires the weapon at her. It creates a loud crackling in the air as an invisible force crosses the room at the young blonde. Pam makes no effort to move as she is struck by the unseen force. It cocoons around her body, compressing it with incredible force. By the time she realizes she may have been wrong about this weapon it is too late. Pam Donaldson collapses to the cold metal floor of the storage room.
Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel
Room 409
11228 Lone Eagle Dr
Bridgeton, MO
Dr. Bybo’s three men begin to wake up in a pile on the floor of the hotel room. The smallest of the men struggles to free himself from under the other two. “Get off of me!” he shouts, elbowing one of the men on top of him in the face.
“What the fuck!” the larger man shouts as his nose begins to bleed. He pushes the still unconscious guy’s arm off of him to roll off the smaller man. “What the fuck is going on?” “Who are you guys?”
The third man rolls onto his back still groggy, freeing the small man. The small man sits up looking confused as he says, “I….I don’t know who I am.”
The man standing sits down onto the edge of the bed putting his face into his hands. He slowly looks back up to the other men. The third man appears coherent now saying, “I don’t know who I am either.” “Not so much as a name.” He reaches to his back pocket for a wallet or some other kind of identification to find none.
“Clearly we all were all in this room together for some reason,” the man sitting on the bed suggests. He too looks for some kind of I.D. on his person to find none. “Do either of you know the rest of us?”
“All I know is that I woke up with two oxen on top of me,” the small man says angrily as he stands up. “I feel like something has been stolen from me.” “Did one of you do something to me?” Instinctively he reaches inside the light-weight jacket he wears to pull out a semi-automatic handgun. Pointing the gun at the others he shouts, “Did you asshole do something to me?”
“Why do you have a gun,” the big man on the floor asks.
The man on the bed stands up to lift his jacket open to reveal a shoulder holster. “More importantly, why do I have one too?” he asks, showing the weapon. “Using these weapons on each other will not tell us who we are or how we got here!”
The largest man stands up from the floor to reach out and grab the gun away from the smaller man. “He is right, maybe if we checked in here together, the front desk knows who we are,” the large man suggested taking the magazine out of the gun to throw both on the bed.
“This is a small room.” “I don’t know why they would rent it to three men,” the medium size man says, tossing his gun on the bed too. “I guess they might know who one of us is at least.” “If you have a gun, leave it here!” he says to the large man who is nearly a half foot taller than him. The big guy does as he is told and they all head for the door to the room.
Dr. Bybo’s secret lab
Taum Sauk Mountains
Arcadia Township, MO
Pam Donaldson wakes nude strapped to a table in some kind of science lab. The strange little Chinese man standing over her. “So you have returned,” he says, laying some odd looking instrument back to a tray table at her side. Pam scans the room, it is only she and this Mad-scientist type in the room. The biking uniform she wore lays over a console across the room from her location. A digital time display on the console tells her she has been unconscious for over an hour. She has no idea what that weapon was he used on her but she can see that it is within reach of the table. “I have used every instrument I have and it would appear that your skin is completely impenetrable.” “Would you care to explain that?”
“You’re the Doctor, why don’t you explain it to me?” Pam replies to stall while she figures out a plan.
“I have given you a full examination and you appear completely human with the exception of that skin,” Dr. Bybo answers. “I have been able to gain a DNA sample from your saliva so I will know more when that is run.” “Until then you will be my newest subject.”
“How is it you think you can keep me here?” Pam questions refusing to play the helpless captive.
“With my magnetic field generator, of course,” Bybo grins. “It made quick work of you earlier.” “I’ve found that it works on most extraterrestrials and apparently whatever you are.” “Its intensity disrupts the nervous system of an alien target.”
Pam had heard enough, whatever this freak has been doing to her while she has been out ends now, playtime is over. If these straps were made to hold aliens down, she is not one. Being nude has its advantages, focusing all of her thoughts on becoming as bright as a starburst she causes a burst of light from her entire body that blinds all of the men in the room. Pam sits up, easily breaking free of the restraints. Before Bybo can regain his sight she reaches for his weapon to smash it against the wall.
“Guards!” “Guards!” Dr. Bybo shouts as Pam crosses the room to her stolen clothes to quickly dress. Even with all the gun fire she took, Pam notices that the suit is completely undamaged. Clearly it too is more than meets the eye. It also is clear to her that it was this guy’s suitcase she had after all and not Howard Alameda’s. But giving this guy the suit back and leaving here nude is nowhere in Pam’s plans for today.
Dressed Pam moves quickly to take the mad scientist by the throat pinning him to the door. “I don’t care anything about your little playhouse here,” Pam tells him as she squeezes his windpipe. “I’m just looking for a meteor that crashed to Earth in 1969.” “This toy of yours led me here, so I’m guessing you know something about it.”
Dr. Bybo makes no effort to escape or respond as he glares down at the woman. He knows this woman has no hope of escaping this place. She will be his prisoner again before the day is done. Her strength is as impressive as her control of it. He can feel how she uses only enough pressure to deprive him of air.
When Bybo loses consciousness Pam drops him to the floor. It is then the guards that Bybo called to arrive. Pam is no fighter and she is not ready for the mob of soldiers that crowd forward into the room. Untrained the only thing she has is her strength and invulnerable body that she uses as her weapons against the soldiers. As long as none of them has another one of those magnetic weapons she knows they can not hurt her.
It is almost laughable how some of the men throw themselves at her, effectively knocking themselves unconscious. But for Pam this is no laughing matter as it feels like it takes hours before all of the men are staying down on the floor. It is almost like these men have nothing else in their lives except to fight to protect this place. When she is finally the only one still standing in the room, Pam moves to step over the unconscious men on the floor.
Heading for the door that the men entered through Pam spots something familiar on a table against the wall. It is the scanning device that she used to find this place. Retrieving it she checks the setting to see if it is still set for the meteor fragment. It is, so she pushes a button that invokes a light beam that leads her from the room. Before leaving the lab behind Pam forces the door closed and bends it so it will not open again easily.
Meanwhile not far away outside.
A trail of ant-like things make their way across the forest floor. Nearly invisible to the naked eye, they are tracked by Albert Dinesen. Albert uses another ancient talisman known as a Spirit Stone. It allows him to travel on the astral plane after the demon fragments across their long journey that has taken hours.
Now that Albert knows where the demonic fragments are going he can use his mystic tuning fork to get there. It is early evening when the portal opens to allow Dinesen to step through it. Slipping on special glasses that are tuned to demonic energy he finds the path of the fragments. The trail leads him into a cave that spurs him to take a very normal flashlight out of his backpack to follow them in.
Dr. Bybo’s secret lab
Taum Sauk Mountains
Arcadia Township, MO
Pam has tracked the meteor compound to another storage room like the one she was captured in hours ago. Up until now she has not crossed paths with any more of the Mad Scientist’s goons. That was up until now. At the door of the storage room ten of the soldiers stand guard. She had hoped that all of them had come to their boss’s aide when he called. She has passed at least fifty of these rooms that were unguarded. Ducking back around the corner from the guards she studies them for a minute. None of the men even seem to have spotted her. What could be more important in that room where the meteor is hidden than any of the others? What has she gotten herself into? They all appear to only have standard weapons, nothing that could harm her or apparently her new suit. She can’t help but think for a moment how proud Eileen would have been of the way she took down those other soldiers. There is no reason she couldn’t do it again.
Stepping around the corner she calls out, “Hey, soldier boys, what is so important in that room?” “Mind if I have a look?”
It is as if all of the men have been awakened from sleep at once. Three of the men step toward her in formation. Unholstering their guns they begin to fire at Pam while walking to close in on her.
“Is this any way to treat a visitor to your home, boys?” She asks. Pam’s eyes begin to glow as the one in the front position is close enough for her to grab the barrel of his gun. None of the men show any reaction of shock or surprise as she bends the barrel yanking it from his hand. Taking him by the arm she slams him aside into the block wall. She takes the next two down just as easily. These soldiers are much stiffer than the others. It is easier for her to predict their moves as the other seven step toward her. It is almost like they want her to get into the room. Like they are not fighting up to their true potential or training.
When all of the guards are unconscious on the floor Pam moves forward to the reinforced steel door. Up close it appears to be more heavily armored than the other doors in the corridor. Focusing on her strength her eyes glow even brighter than when she fought the guards. For a few minutes she wonders if she even has enough strength to force the thick metal door open. Then she hears the sound of the deadbolts on the inside of the walls begin to creak and break. It is a loud crash and a cloud of dust that rises from the door as it hits the floor inside the room.
Putting aside her strength Pam focuses on seeing through the dust as she steps through the doorway to scan the oddly lit room. The lights that stream down from the steel beams of the ceiling are tinted a blue that seems to add a chill to the room. But it is what she sees in the center of the small room that gives her the real chill. Inside an eight foot tall glass cylinder a dark figure floats upright. She steps closer to get a clearer view of it. At first it appeared human, but now she can see that it has four arms. “What the hell is that?” she blurts out. “An Alien?”
“No it is a demon,” a man’s voice says from behind Pam. “A Pawn Demon to be precise.”
Pam turns prepared for another attack. What Pam sees is not what she expected, a plainly dressed gray-haired older man wearing a backpack. “Who are you and what are you talking about?” she demands, keeping her distance from the man who holds out a strange tuning fork in his hand. From behind him on the floor a dark line of what appear to be insects stream into the room. Pam steps aside as the line of bugs move past her toward the cylinder. Somehow they penetrate the device to join with the creature inside.
Pam looks back to the older man as he strikes the fork in his hand against the doorframe. It rings at a frequency that is almost above human hearing. More of the dark bugs emerge from the men on the floor in the doorway and down the hall. All of them quickly fall in line to travel to the creature. “What the hell is going on here?” she gasps. “I’ve had no choice but to believe in aliens, but now whoever you are, you expect me to believe in demons too.”
“Believe me there are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio,” the man says, quoting Hamlet. “Someone here has used this demon to infect these men to make them slaves,” Albert explains. “It is something I would have never believed possible.” “More importantly it breaks every law of nature.” “I must collect up all of the pieces to banish the demon back to its prison realm.”
Pam looks back to the cylinder as the last bit of the of black bugs disappear inside. As strange as her life has been, from the time Eileen told her about Joe Morgan’s cultism things just kept getting weirder. “Are you telling me that all of the soldiers in this place are possessed?” she asks. “There must be nearly a hundred men in this place!”
“That would explain how the Pawn demon is kept so dossile,” Albert suggests stroking his chin. “But the men are not possessed, Demons of Life can not take control of corporal bodies.” “Some kind of twisted science has found a way to merge the demonic material with human DNA.” “The more of the Demon that is spread out the weaker it would become.” “This is the biggest abomination I have ever witnessed.”
“So what will happen to the demon when all of the pieces have returned?” she asks, watching as the last of the black things enter the cylinder.
“It will be reinvigorated, returned to full strength,” Albert reveals. “Problem is some of that demonic material is in a creature that stalks St. Louis.” “It has murdered many people and in its wake it leaves a strange waste by-product.” “That is what led me here.” “And you what brought you here?”
Pam is unsure for a moment before explaining why she is here. “I have these powers and I have no idea why,” she tells the stranger. “The only clue I have about them is a necklace that my mother gave to me.” “It is made from a piece of a meteor.” “I suspect that the rest of it is here somewhere.” “I never imagined finding anything like this….creature.”
Albert examines the stone in the necklace that hangs around Pam’s neck. “I believe I have seen something like this before, it was used by a group of occultists calling themselves the Themela Lodge.” “A misguided cult at best.”
“Yes, that is them!” Pam exclaims. “I was told that both of my parents were members of that group!”
“Then perhaps we can help each other,” Albert suggests. “I will help you find this meteor you seek if you will help me stop this demonic killer that hunts in St. Louis.”
Hawk Nest Storage, LLC
11356 MO-21,
Hillsboro, MO
Pam arrives at the address Albert wrote down for her, it is a Storage Depot. Not being a St. Louis native she has no knowledge of the murders or this location. She and Albert used one of his strange artifacts to return to her Hotel without making the long trip back through the mountains. Even with being a science teacher the things that Albert explained to her were confusing. She has reached a point in all of this where she had no idea who or what to believe, her life has become a complete leap of faith.
Even though she has depended on hiding her identity using the glow around her eyes she has decided it is best to go low key tonight. There was another bonus to her visit to the mad-scientist’s bunker; she did manage to retrieve her suitcase. It is after dark when she leaves the hotel. She wears an overcoat she brought along on the trip not sure what the weather would be like in St. Louis this time of year. Because it is after dark she does not feel at all guarded over what she does next. Crossing a police line, breaking open a door does not concern her at all. Pam feels she has no need to take any precautions. She hasn’t felt this free in years. Tonight, she is ready for whatever is to come.
It is dark inside the warehouse but it means nothing to Pam as she adjusts her vision to compensate. The sound of her footsteps on the concrete floor are rather loud in the silence of the dark warehouse. Perhaps if she is going to continue in this kind of undercover work she should have left her sneakers on. They would be much more appropriate footwear. Conveniently for Pam when she uses her night vision power her eyes do not glow like with her other powers. She carries Bybo’s compound tracking device in her hand. What she seeks is around here somewhere.
Looking up from the device the first thing she spots in the large empty space is the police chalk outlines on the floor. Then she sees something else not so flat away from the outlines. There is clearly a man in some kind of gray and dark red suit laying on the floor. When she draws closer she can see that it is one man in this town she wanted to avoid, Olympian. She stands over him taking in every inch of his hard muscled body covered by the thin spandex fabric. Pam isn’t sure how, but she can feel that he is alive, just unconscious. The screen on the device in her hand begins to blink. It is picking up another reading. Some kind of radiation is affecting this man’s body. But it appears to have no effect on her, something that does not surprise Pam. Pam has no time to investigate the state he is in any farther.
Pam continues past the man on the floor stepping through the beam of his flashlight that lays on the floor pointing toward what she seeks. It is unmistakably the chunk of metal that Albert referred to as Magna-ore. Approaching the lump of alien/demonic metal on the floor she bends down to pick it up barehanded. It has a rather strange weight for its size she thinks as she lifts it. It also has a slight glow in the dark under the power she uses to see. Bybo’s device also identifies it as the source of the radiation affecting the man on the floor. It would appear that removing the Magna-ore should reverse whatever it is doing to him.
Tucking the chunk of metal into her coat pocket Pam returns to the man on the floor. She looks down at him again. He really does have a great body, she thinks. Face is probably ugly, she surmises. So, this time bending over to slide his mask off his face. She is shocked to not only see he is not ugly but that she recognizes the guy from the bar that Howie introduced her to. What was his name, Bruce, yes Bruce Stacey. Just as a precaution she uses her enhanced hearing to check for a heartbeat. It sounds fine, the guy is just unconscious, but moving the Magna-ore closer has had an effect on him. She needs to get going. She pulls his mask back into place and looks over the rest of his body. He appears to have no wounds that she can see. Again she admires that tight suit he has one killer body. But right now the last thing she needs to do is get wrapped with some super hero want to be. It is bad enough that she had so many of her own tracks to cover on this trip.
Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel
Room 409
11228 Lone Eagle Dr
Bridgeton, MO
Pam returns to her hotel room with the strange chunk of metal. She steps into the room to find Albert Dinesen standing in the bathroom over the sink shaving with the door open. The only thing he is wearing is a small hotel towel wrapped around his waist. She is not as surprised by his nudity as she is at how good of shape he is for a man his age. Sure he has gray hair and some wrinkles on his face but the rest of his body is what she would call completely bangable.
“Oh excuse me,” Albert says, ending her inspection of his body, when he sees she has returned. “I didn’t expect you back so soon.” “It is rare that I come across this nice of a place to get cleaned up.” “I hope you don’t mind that I took a shower and had a shave.”
“Not at all Mr. Dinesen, you clean up rather… nicely,” Pam comments with a smile. “How old did you say you were?”
“I don’t believe I did say,” he replies, turning to stand facing her trying to look his best by holding his breath. “I’ll be 65 this October.” “And please call me Den.”
“You’re in good shape for a man your age, Den” Pam says, turning away to take off her coat. She can hear Eileen’s voice in her head telling her to behave, but it has been months since she has gotten laid. From what she can see this hot old guy could fill the bill for a one night stand.
“Demon hunting gives me a good workout, helps me keep in shape,” he replies, stepping out of the bathroom still only wearing the towel.
Pam lays her coat over a chair as she looks back to the man whose towel has visibly slid down his hips. “I got the Magna-ore that you sent me to get,” Pam says, retrieving the rock from her coat pocket.
“Good you keep it there, it is important I do not touch it before the ritual,” Albert explains.
Putting the strange alien/demon poo back in her coat pocket Pam comments, “But it is rather late, where you thinking of doing that tonight?””
“You are right it is late,” he agrees. “The best time to track a demon is in the daylight when they are more vulnerable.” Albert explains, again catching Pam looking him over. “Perhaps it would be best if I got dressed and came back in the morning to do the ritual.”
“No….no that is not necessary, it would be easier to get an early start in the morning if you just stayed the night,” Pam tells him, trying not to appear too eager. “After all we are both adults here.” “I have my own ritual I’ve become rather good at over the years.” “Perhaps you might be interested in it?” “After all if we are going to be partners on this we should learn some more about each other.”
“What is it you would like to know?” Albert asks, a gleam in his eye.
“To be completely honest, I would like to know what you have under that towel,” Pam inquires. Generally speaking Pam isn’t much for a certain type of man. As long as they are good looking and well built she is willing to give them a tumble. And Den is far from the first older man she has seduced.
“I must admit I like your honesty,” Albert replies. “I get the feeling that your ritual had nothing to do with working together to catch a demonic killer.” He plays along knowing full well what this young woman is talking about. He too is in the mood for some sexual interaction. Letting her catch him in a towel was far from an unplanned accident. She is very attractive and it is rare that he comes across a woman this beautiful that isn’t somehow involved with a demon. Taking a few hours for some fun is never out of the question for him.
“If it is honestly let me just be clear,” Pam tells him. “I like sex and I get the feeling you would be interested in some fun.” She pulls the blue and white shirt she wears off over her head. Shaking out her blonde hair to fall on her nude shoulders she continues, “If you are not interested you are welcome to leave and we can meet tomorrow.” “It will just clear up the question, am I getting laid tonight or not?”
The woman half his age stands topless in front of him. The sight of her perfect tits and nipples instantly makes the decision for him. “You do not mince words do you, young woman,” Albert says grinning as his hands move to loosen the towel.
Dropping the hotel towel to the floor, the sight of his nude body puts a smile on Pam’s face. “Den, I am not at all disappointed,” Pam smiles, stepping forward to kiss the man thirty-seven years her senior.
May 31, 1988
Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel
Room 409
11228 Lone Eagle Dr
Bridgeton, MO
Pam wakes up to stretch out in the bed. She had almost forgotten she was not alone. Looking over at Den she is surprised to see the old guy, she can only attribute that to the good work she did on him last night. Rolling over she reaches her feet to the floor. Reaching to the side table she opens the front to reveal the personal safe inside of it. Keying in the new code she set after they returned to the room from the bunker, Pam opens the door. Reaching inside the small steel box she retrieves the chunk of meteor. It is still where she put it. Examining over it the burnt chunk of rock doesn’t look like much. She and Den had spent nearly an hour searching around that compound to find it.
Den’s part of their deal complete, she then helped him to move the cylinder containing the demon out of the bunker. Using her super-strength, it wasn’t much of a problem, hiding it was another matter. But it was all worth it to get this piece of her past that hopefully will shed some light on who she truly is. With all of that demon stuff that Den told her she wondered if her powers were demonic. But he assured her that if she had been one of that Mad-scientist’s experiments he would be able to tell. He also said that without the demon components the soldiers at the compound wound have no memory of how they got there. Nor would they be taking orders from Pen Galden.
Albert wakes to reach out to touch her smooth back. “Good Morning Beautiful,” he says, rubbing her shoulder. “How did you sleep?”
“Satisfied,” she replies, putting the rock back into the safe and locking it again.
“Was I all you expected?” he asks lying back to the bed.
Pam stands up facing the bed. “From the moment I met you, you have been nothing like I would have expected, and that is good!” “I’m going to jump in the shower.” Pam gets up from the bed to walk to the bathroom. “We have a demonic killer to find today.”
While Pam showers Albert gets dressed and retrieves the piece of Magna-ore that Topher found from his bag. He also takes out a copper bowl that is burnt on the inside as if it has been used as a fire pit many times.
“What are you doing?” Pam asks, returning from her shower wearing a fluffy white hotel robe, like Den had the night before.
“Preparing the ritual,” he replies as he pours some of the contents of three small vials into the copper bowl. “We will need that other chunk of ore that you found.”
“Is this really the right place to begin doing this?” Pam asks as she reaches for her coat. “Won’t this stink up the room?” Pam takes the Magna-ore from her coat pocket.
“It is a type of St. Elmo’s fire and will leave no residue that can be detected by human senses,” Albert tells her, making her wonder about what that means to her senses. Then he strikes a match to drop it into the fluids he poured in the bowl. The mixture burns with a blue-green flame like nothing Pam has ever seen before. “Now hold the Magna-ore like this,” he instructs, raising the demon feces to his chin. “Spit on it.” Which he does, leaving a large splatter of his saliva on the chunk of Magna-ore. “And repeat after me.” “Per vim ignis Sancti Elmo, Vastum parit vastum, vestigium nobis ostende,” He holds the object in his hand up as it quickly absorbs the saliva.
Pam holding up her hand she repeats the phrase, not even sure what she is saying, “Per vim ignis Sancti Elmo, Vastum parit vastum, vestigium nobis ostende.” Then she watches as her spit is incredibly absorbed into a chunk of what appears to be metal.
“Now!” Albert says as he tosses the Magna-ore in his hand into the flames. Pam follows suit and the fire surges up to paint a picture in its dancing flames.
“The Gateway Arch?” Pam says aloud. “What the hell does that mean?”
“I see something different in the fire,” Albert confesses. “I see a construction site hidden underground.” “And a weak portal to another land.” Then the flames die down until they extinguish on their own, leaving only the two chunks of Manga-ore behind.
“How is it that we both saw something different?” Pam asks curiously.
Albert removes both of the chunks of metal from the bowl to clean up the ritual. “To be honest with you,” he begins, “We began the ritual last night by exchanging bodily fluids.” “Our bodies connected in that way we became two parts of the ritual.” “I saw a past event that will lead to the future event that you saw, the bowl was the medium of the present.”
“Wait a minute, are you saying that you seduced me last night to be part of the ritual?” Pam inquires.
“That was the plan, as it turned out you were a much more willing participant than I expected,” Albert confessed. “A beautiful young woman like you usually takes more coaxing from an old man like me.”
“Don’t underestimate yourself, old man,” Pam smiles. “I broke a six month long celibacy promise for you last night.”
Gateway Arch National Park
11 N 4th St,
St. Louis, MO
Pam walks through the park along the paved sidewalk outside the construction fence that is around the grounds of the Arch. She read about what happened here back at Christmas, but Den had more information that was not written in any Newspaper. The architect of this monument was something of a freak and not everyone had knowledge of all the things constructed on the site. From the way Den described it there were tunnels under this place.
Pam scans the area using several of her powers looking for anything out of place. It is her hearing that identifies something that is confusing. There is an echo coming from the surrounding shrubbery. She remembers what Den said about the underground construction site. That could mean a tunnel, a tunnel built under the park. Focusing on the echo of voice underground nearby she leaves the path to find a large boulder. Approaching it she notices that it is cast in concrete sealing it to the ground.
Bracing her hands on the boulder she switches on her strength and all the work to mount it in place is torn apart in seconds. The boulder rows back several yards across the grass to reveal a passage with stairs leading down underground.
Along the passage there are electric lights that have been disconnected. The darkness is not a problem for Pam. Whatever the purpose this tunnel was built for it is no longer in use. She follows the sound of the voices. It isn’t far into the tunnel that she realizes that the voices are arguing and one of them sounds very weak, almost in pain.
Pam stops in her tracks, what is she doing? She is a seventh grade school teacher, not some secret agent hunting some Russian spy. Pam doesn’t move for several minutes looking at her feet in the dark. She is no Superhero but this outfit does look good on her. “What the hell!” she announces before continuing to walk. Unfortunately the tunnel reaches a dead end.
What was clearly a doorway has been sealed up recently with a poured concrete wall. Pam reaches out her hand to touch the wall. It is solid as she pushes on it. There is no way she is getting through it. So that leaves the question, where were the voices coming from? Pam turns off her vision and reverts to hearing, to leave her blind in the dark to find the voices again.
“I am not the one you want!” the voice that sounds in pain says.
“You will be the one to bring him to me!” A much more powerful angry voice replies. “When I have him I will be free to return.”
“Return where?” the other voice asks.
Pam has pinpointed the origin of the voices but it makes no sense to her. The voices are coming from her right. Returning to vision power, all she can see is another solid wall. Once again she remembers what Den said, “A weak portal to another land.” Of the things she has learned this weekend the idea that a solid wall is in truth a portal to another land is the least unbelievable.
Reaching out to touch this wall to her right it is not as solid as the other one. Pam’s hand pushes into it like it is made of jello. Whatever the wall is made of it does resist her as she forces her way through it. Jello was the right reference for the consistency of the wall that turns out to be about a foot thick by the time she makes it to the other side. The strangest thing is it leaves no residue on her hair or clothing as she emerges into the odd space beyond it.
Not far from the entrance a large green and purple metal armor suit stands. The armor is cleaved down the center to the waist, the chest plate and front of the helmet tilted forward. On the angle it stands with its back to Pam she can see that there is a young man inside of it, arms held tightly inside the armor’s sleeves. It is the young man inside the armor that is the weak voice in the argument. The second voice comes from tha armor itself that is clearly holding the young man captive. “What the hell is going on here?” Pam shouts, making her presence know.
Instantly the cleaved armor slams shut sealing the young man inside. The green and purple armor automaton turns to fire a crackling bolt of energy at Pam. She has little time to react as she is blasted back through the Jello doorway into the tunnel. Whatever the energy was it is enough to render her unconscious as she hits the wall, being embedded into the cinder blocks.
Little more than five minutes have passed but by the time Pam regains consciousness the passageway she used is gone, the block wall returned to solid mass. But there is a new exit to this underground tunnel. A hole has been torn up through the fifty feet of Earth above her location. She can hear the sounds of a battle back at the park above. Wasting no more time, Pam jumps up through the new exit to fly up out to the underground tunnel.
Pam emerges into the open air just as Olympian is blasted back by Scarab into the traffic on the SLK Sullivan Blvd. That thing is holding a young man hostage inside. He looked a little older than the boys she teaches at school. Whatever she has become, one thing’s for sure she has no intention of letting that stand.
Landing on the path behind Scarab Pam’s eyes glow bright as she grabs it by the arm. Yanking it up over her head she slams Scarab to the ground as hard as she can hoping to split it open again. The speed at which she moves catches the alien composite off guard. Once the armored being is on the ground she jumps down on its chest. Quickly she feels along the chest plate for the seam she saw open back in that other place. She can feel no apparent edge to the armor plating. Sliding her hands up to the sides of the neck of the armor she at last feels something she can get her fingers into.
It is then that she hears Olympian shout, “Stop!” “There is an innocent young man inside of that armor!”
Pam looks over her shoulder at Olympian, her eyes still glowing. “I know, I’m trying to get this damned thing open!” she tells him. “Help me get him up by putting your fingers in this gash I’ve made.” Olympian does as she instructs. “Now pull!” she shouts. “I hope you are as strong as you look.” “I saw this armor slit open like this before!”
They pull on the Scarab’s armor in opposite directions. Even when the armored cyborg groans trying to escape them they continue the tug of war. Scarab begins to send a charge through the armor they touch. Even though it weakens Olympian slightly he continues trying to split the metal shell open to save his brother. Then at last steam begins to escape through the cleave in Scarab’s sides. Olympian quickly moved to dig his fingers deeper into the parting seam. “Get your fingers down here and pull!” Olympian shouts to the beautiful woman helping him. Sliding their fingers to the sides of the chest of the armor, it gives way. “It’s working!” Olympian shouts in amazement.
Workmen from the job site begin to gather around them now to watch. Once all four of their hands are pulling on the edge of the armor seam it takes only a few minutes for them to split it open like a walnut. More gasses escape from inside the armor as it opens. The surrounding area suddenly smells of rotting meat and eggs. Most of the spectators begin to gag and move away from the scene. One final tug from the two heroes and the shell splits wide open allowing the weak and dehydrated young man to tumble to the ground.
Still holding half of the alien tech armor, Pam’s first instinct is to see what condition the boy is in. But before she can make a move toward the young man on the ground she hears the sounds of bending metal and the popping of sparks. Olympian is compressing the half of the armor he has in his hands. She realizes he is right, if there is anything left active in this suit it must be destroyed. Switching on her strength, Pam easily follows his example, crushing the half of alien tech she holds into a lump smaller than a basketball.
“These two pieces must be kept apart!” Olympian instructs. “I don’t trust that it can not reassemble itself.” He gives his chunk of mental a toss that sends it into the river before moving to attend Deke. Olympian falls to his knees to check the young man’s vitals. It is the perfect time for Pam to make her exit. She has half the alien armor in her possession, she must hope that it is enough.
Leaping into the sky she heads north out over the river. The thought of diving down into that murk water is something she does not want to do. With any luck Den can get the last bits of the demon DNA out of the other half of the armor using this piece so she doesn’t have to retrieve the other.
Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel
Room 409
11228 Lone Eagle Dr
Bridgeton, MO
“We will still need the other half,” are the words Pam did not want to hear Den say to her. “I can cleanse this piece of this abomination, but without all of the pieces of the demon I can not banish it back to where it belongs.”
“So you’re telling me I need to take a swim in the Mississippi River to find it,” Pam replies in disgust. Then she thinks about it for a moment, “There is no way that hero left that thing at the bottom of the river.” “He has probably already retrieved it.”