Hallows: Den of Serpents

Exodus Thirty-Four

Stone Sour- Through Glass

B.B.:

Ray is putting things in the back of a black Yukon when I arrive. He looks my new car over and scoffs as I approach without touching anything. He doesn't say a word as he finishes up and shuts the trunk. Ray is a big man. He's bigger than my dad but he's not insanely muscular. As he moves around the garage, I don't miss his movements.

They're a lot like Carson's. Precise and ready to take on the world should he need it. My mind drifts off to what we spoke of this morning and I can't help but think about everything he's going to miss. Every event that's going to cause his son sadness because he can't share it with him. I'm a shitty substitute for that. For anything really. I'm not sure I really know what love is. Not the kind of love either of them deserves. I am, after all, a f*****g snake.

"You keep looking at me like that and I'm going to knock you on your ass," he growls making me smile. He's definitely a devil.

"You can certainly try, sir," I challenge. "I'm simply observing,"

"Come here," he waves me over. I follow him inside the garage.

Ray presses something and the garage door begins to shut. When it's completely closed he pushes against the tool tables and they pop open. I step back giving him room to open them up. Inside are collections of high-powered sniper rifles, money, papers, and electronic devices I want to get my hands on. I reach out for one of the radars but before I can make contact he smacks the top of my hand. I retreat immediately.

"Sorry," I whisper.

"Dec knows the drill. We've been doing this since he was nine. Let him guide you. He knows how to hunt. He's an expert marksman. Anything you put in his hand, he'll know how to work. It's how I feed him. I make the deals and he collects the bounty," he coughs. "He'll stay with you for a bit. Like his momma, Dec is a little emotional. Once he's licked his wounds, he'll be on the move. He doesn't do well with authority and has a bit of a hero complex. Stands up for the little guy and whatnot. He's not into material s**t but he'll be grateful for anything you offer him. He reads mostly. Paul Beatty, Toni Morrison, Marlon James, you know black man s**t. Any questions?"

"Not about him. I'd like your medical records. A time frame of when your illness began and what it is you have,"

"You can't save me,"

"I'm not trying to. I want to figure out if I can isolate your symptoms to create something to keep you comfortable on your feet. Maybe give you a little more time with him. He graduates this year, yeah?"

"Yeah," he nods.

"Let's get you there. I mean it. All your medical history,"

"Here," he holds up a USB. "There are blood samples in the cooler,"

"Thank you," I take the USB.

"The password is Until Death. Capitol U, capitol D,"

"What does that mean?"

"It's the Stone motto for all stones. Until Death comes for us,"

"Those who work for the union?"

"Yes,"

"What about those who don't?"

"It's a secret society," he answers. "One and the same. Organized crime. Those willing to put in the hours on government paychecks and those who strike a deal to move s**t out here. Like your little crows. Jimenez and Escobar,"

"Jimenez didn't know what he was until just recently,"

"They ain't gotta know. His daddy knows. It's a Legacy thing. Your sister is part of it too," he informs me. I looked up at him pretending that none of it bothers me. These f*****g hallows and their f*****g secrets. "You gotta look out for the cartels, kid,"

"Yeah, Jimenez is a d**k,"

"Yeah, he is. But that's not who's in charge. His momma is. You ever meet a Mexican drug queen? Them bitches don't give a f**k about anything other than their money and their offspring. Jimenez is a smart man but she's the savage. Stay on his good graces but f**k with the kid or his momma and you're not going like what she gives back,"

"Noted,"

"How'd you do it?" he asks suddenly.

"Do what?"

"Bring Dante back from the dead?"

"I didn't. He brought himself back. Blackstones have a thing about not staying dead,"

"You ain't no doctor. What makes you think you can help me any more than they can? I've had the best take a look,"

"You should stay for dinner tomorrow when you pick him up. Eight o'clock. My butler hates tardiness so if you're going to be late, you might want to use one of those Chateau Cos d' Estournels in your wine racks,"

"You've been in my house?" he glares at me.

"Yeah, I've slept here a couple of times already. He wasn't sleeping well," I explain.

"What did you do to get him to sleep?"

"I drugged you both. Figured you needed the rest as well,"

"You f*****g-"

"Ah, ah, ah," I stop him. "I was just worried. How have you been feeling? A little more energetic?"

"What have you been giving me you f*****g tiny asshole?"

"Nothing that would ever hurt you. No more western medicine, shits only going to kill you faster. It escalates the process to try and terminate it. You're past that. We suppress it, keep it from spreading, and if we're lucky. Maybe I can get it to move somewhere I can reach it. I make no promises. Except for you know, helping with the pain," I hand him the first batch of strips I made him.

"What's this?"

"One strip, every six hours. It'll help you stay focused, push back the migraines, and keep the vertigo in check. It's normal to feel warm and a little anxious. Keep taking the vitamins everything else has got to go. Mixing the chemicals can alter my results,"

"We really doing this?" he whispers. I take his hand in mine and smile at him.

"Yes, what other option do you have?"

"None," he gives my hand a squeeze before letting go. "Never thought a woman would be taking care of me in my final moments,"

"I never thought I'd be the one to kill my mother but here we all are," I shrug.

"Why'd you really kill her?" he asks. "Was it mercy for her or you?"

"Mercy for me?" I laugh watching as he puts everything away. "There is no mercy for me, Pastor Addams. I've made peace with that I think. I'm not helping you. I'm helping him. If I could have it my way, I'd put my gun to your head right now and spare you of the suffering to come. Believe me, when I say, you're going to suffer, sir. A lot,"

"The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation,"

"Exodus thirty-four," I smile. His eyes meet mine, impressed or happy that I know that. "I think the first thing someone does when they find out they're possessed by some kind of demon is try to find answers in god. There is nothing in any religion about what we are,"

"No, there wouldn't be any would there?" he sighs. "It might all be s**t, Belladonna but there is peace in faith. It has a way of making you a believer. After everything I've done, what are the odds that I'd end up here with you? If that's not some motherfucking god's move, I don't know what is,"