Saints or Martyrs?

“Are ye sure we're in the right place Conn?” Murphy looked around at the fancy shopping center they were now parked in. “I can't see him pulling his shenanigans here.”

“Aye tis a right upscale place, Rockerfeller level even.” Connor rubbed his chin. But tis tha right address and the sign in tha window does say Satyr's Rest. Maybe we should give it a look see first.”

Murphy double checked that his holsters were hidden under his coat before following Connor to the door. A doorbell sounded as the door was opened and almost before the door closed behind them a woman was coming forward to greet them.

“Good afternoon gentlemen,” She said holding her hand out to Connor who shook it with a stunned look on his face. “My name is Jez.” She finished offering her hand to Murphy.

As soon as he touched her hand he felt a jolt. “What tha hell?” He asked taking his hand back and rubbing it on his jeans.

“Murph don be rude ta tha lass.” Connor said with a goofy smile on his face.

The woman smiled at Connor and said “Please have a seat.”

Murphy watched as Connor sat in the chair still with the goofy grin. The woman looked Murphy expectantly as he continued to stand.

“Please Murphy sit.” She said.

“How do ye know me name?” Murphy said his hand inched toward the gun strapped to his left side.

“We know all about you and your brother and we honestly mean you no harm. Remember your dream? The Morningstar visited you. Obviously touch reveals us.” She said. She glanced at Connor who was still staring at her. Believe men there are things going on that you don't want to know about and for the moment Lucifer and his father upstairs are on the same page. So you're getting a bit more help than normal.”

“Yer a fuckin demon.” Murphy hissed.

“Yes, one with a soft spot for good looking young men. Unlike Lilith I'd rather fuck a man to death and have him die happy than torture him. Now please sit. I have a lot of information for you.”

Murphy looked at her for a few moments. “Connor?”

“He's fine just under my spell. Unfortunately I can't turn it one and off. He'll be fine once you leave.” She apologized. “Whatever the Morningstar did to you it's protecting you from me. But enough about that.

You're looking for Robert Pandora, or as we know him, Pan. Pan is a minor demon working with Bacchus. He never leaves his brothel. It's hard to spot, there is nothing but a sign on the road bearing an image of panpipes nothing else. It's located in Maryland on the Eastern shore in a town called Madison.

You need to be prepared to run into imps, he has several working with him in addition to the humans that work with him.”

“Imps? Wha tha hell are imps? Ye mean like little demons?” Murphy asked.

“No, Imps are evil men and women who die without repentance. I know you'll run across at least one you'll recognize. Don't hesitate to shoot him again.”

*****

“You don't look well my friend.” Papa Joe struggled to open his one good eye. When he saw the beautiful creature leaning over him he thought it was a woman at first, then he realized it was male but a very gorgeous male. His first thought was how much money he could have made off of this young man in his escort service.

The man chuckled. “Now that's exactly the type of thinking that got you into this mess. I am willing to get you out of it. And give you the opportunity to see your son again. Lilith lied to you. You son died at the hands of the saints. The same ones who killed you. However he died in a state of grace. Unlike you he accepted what they offered and asked forgiveness for his sins before their bullets turned his brain to mush. He went somewhere else.

You had that chance when they prayed over you in that courtroom but you were defiant. So you ended up here. Before I had a chance to get around to you, you choose to wander off with Liltih and her little group.”

Lucifer reached out and traced a cut about Yakavetta's swollen shut right eye. The cut soon healed and Yakavetta could see out of both eyes.

“First things first. You have an overinflated sense of self worth. You were the man who ruled Boston. The Yakavetta family ran everything and all it took to take you down was two inexperienced warriors of God. They didn't even have any skill when they tore your empire down, just dumb luck and instinct.

Then your son, poor weak minded fool that he was let himself be manipulated into rebuilding your empire only to draw them back, this time hardened and experienced. And they tore it down again. Yet you believe this makes you powerful. In reality you are a tiny little minnow swimming in a pool full of Piranha. Your only worth here is in how well you please the shark that eats everything in the pool, and I am the shark you need to please.

So here is the situation, you can stay here and wait for Lilith to come back and slice and dice on you again or you can become my errand boy. Which will it be?” Lucifer asked.

*****

“Wha tha fuck Murph?!” Connor said as he looked out out over the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. “We're killing fuckin ghosts and ye don blink a eye!”

Murphy leaned against the car smoking. “I did warn ye tha we might run inta someone we thought was dead.”

“Thought?! Thought? No thought about it! When yer eyeballs are blown outta yer skull by bullets from tha back o yer head, yer dead!” Connor pulled another cigarette from his pocket and stuck it into his mouth, lighting it from the butt in his hand. He dropped the butt and noticed the tremors in his hand. He was still shaking an hour later.

“I did warn ye. Jezebel said that he was surrounded by imps and tha we'd recognize at least one o them.” Murphy said not quite sure how to calm his brother down.

“Imps? How many more o tha dead are we goin ta have ta kill a second time?” Connor tossed the half smoked butt to the ground. “Tha shit is getting weird Murph. Wha tha fuck are we all tangled up in here?”

Murphy slipped his arms around his brother pulling Connor back against him and laid his chin on Connor's shoulder. “Yer faith is a strong as me own Conn, at least when yer not being all analytical an shit. Just take it on faith tha we're doin. what we're supposed to be doin.” Murphy gave him a final squeeze then said. “So get tha broomstick out of yer ass an stop tryin ta make sense o it, just go with it.

After all tha fact tha we hear God's voice and go out an kill people in his name isna very rational. Ye can accept that, just accept this. If we do somethin wrong, he'll let us know.”

“Ye know Murph there are times I envy ye yer ability ta be so acceptin o everythin.” Connor sighed. “Lets go. I'd like ta at least make Delaware tonight.”

“Aye tis been a long day.” Murphy agreed walking back to the car and getting in.

*****

Shiva looked at the shivering imp curled into a defensive little ball on the floor at his feet. Pan was gone. Destroyed by the two saints. The only reason Shiva wasn't more pissed was because of the weapons they had used. Guns blessed by the Pope and emblazoned with the wings of Michael the Archangel. That was good.

Demons could be destroyed only by Saints of David's line personally called by God to fill their duty or by weapons granted divine power. The fact that they used guns dedicated to the archangel ruled out the first possibility.

The loss of Pan was a minor blow, he was not that powerful and Bacchus was still firmly allied with them. Even Bacchus understood that there would be losses required to pull down the fallen one. Pan's destruction did present a bit of a dilemma though. Satyr's Rest and the other less savory businesses were a perfect recruiting ground for imps and human puppets. Bacchus was now working quickly to protect as much as he could from seizure by human authorities.

So lust was out for the moment as a route for obtaining soldiers but there were other means. “Kali, do you know who has taken over the Miami smuggling operations? Castro's death left a void that would have been quickly filled.”

“I'm not sure but I can find out if you wish.” she said with an evil smile.

“I wish. Pan's destruction leaves us without a way to seduce his followers. We need an interim method of influence.” Shiva answered looking down at the creature on the floor. “And get rid of the pathetic imp!”