Devil Bound

Prologue

On the third floor of a building that does not exist, a contract was broken.

Waiting to see to the situation was the boss himself. Some called him Mr. Steel, some called him Stryker. It never mattered which, they fell just as hard.

He knew the instant it happened. It was his business to know. A faint tingle in the air, and a heavy cream contract slid across the desk.

The scream down the hall was also a good indicator, but that was beside the point.

Stryker remembered these terms better than most. A young heart broken lad. The fiancée died days before the wedding. The contract promised to return her in exchange for work.

Stryker straightened his tie - the defector would be there shortly. Not many braved his own office, the shadows and secrets within. It brought a rare smile to his face. Some came willingly, others did not.

The Empath, Kaiden, brought him in. Dragging him effortlessly with one arm while managing to look uninterested.
"He's all yours, Steel." Kaiden kicked the man forward and melted back into the shadows that delivered him.

Like the Empaths before, Kaiden learned quickly. In this company small print meant large risk, and this Messenger hadn't read the finer details.

"I did what you asked! The deal said-"

Stryker silenced his employee with a look, plucking the contract from his desk. "I'm well aware of what the deal was."

Stryker knew, in his way of knowing things, that this man had contacted someone from the outside. Beyond the simple violation of the terms, that someone was of a rival office. His employee had little way of knowing that, but the law still stood. Automatic grounds for termination.

All fell silent for a moment. When the man spoke again, his voice was much softer. "She was supposed to come back." He sunk to his knees. Easy prey.

This was Stryker's favorite part. The moment where he broke the news, when he could see the realization in their eyes. They were his, the moment the contract had been signed. It was over.

Bringing the poor girl back like that, well, it was nasty business. After all she'd been rotting in the ground for a good six months.

But it was necessary, and completely within the boundaries of the contract. The fine print was all there. All of it, for Stryker's profit.

"Tell me, was it worth it?" The corner of Stryker's mouth tipped up. He knew exactly why this Messenger had made the phone call.

The man screamed, a sound of pure grief. It was almost as if he knew what was coming. Before he took another breath Stryker lit the contract with his bare fingers, savoring the smell of burnt paper. Smoke curled from his fists, then from the Messenger before him.

His scream broke once as Stryker smiled. Flames consumed the man in a very familiar way as the contract crumbled to ash.

From the doorway a pair of eyes reflected the dying light. They watched with mild interest, never anything more. The Empath had returned.

The body turned to ashes in a matter of seconds. But that wasn't the important part. The soul-

Stryker's fingers curled tightly into his palms, hidden from view in his pockets. The rush hit down to his bones. Almost a century and the feeling still surprised him.

"That might be a new record." Kaiden leaned against his boss's desk, perhaps the only one able to get away with it.

Stryker tsked, making a note to have his two-thirty moved back. While the body disappeared, the scorch marks didn't. "Ask Ms. Welsh to-" he waved his hand at the mess.

That was his second Messenger in less than a year. They never lasted long, but this....

If he was any less a man, any less a monster, Mr. Steel may have found himself momentarily overwhelmed. There were deals to be made, contracts to be signed and now a new position to fill.

But it was no matter. There was always work to be done.