Of Death & Virtue

chapter twelve :: patience is a virtue

"Oh?" I reach under the table and lift it up. When his eyes find it, they light up. "You mean this file?"

Jackson's shoulders fall and he starts moving towards the table again. The guards do their thing before exiting the room. Jackson watches me intently, half of his focus on me and the other on the folder in my hand.

I fucking knew it! My lip twitches and I lower the file. I feel my face shift into a snarl. "You said there was something I need to see in here," I say, gesturing to it. "But I looked and I couldn't figure it out. You just want to see the photos, don't you?" Sick fuck.

His eyes flicker. "That's not —" He sighs heavily and flexes his arms. The chains clank. "If I'm being honest, I would die happy if I never saw those photos."

"Then what is it? What's in here that I need to see?"

He nods at it. "Open it,"

With an annoyed eye roll, I put it on the table but I keep it on my side. I flip it open and look to him. "Okay. Now what?"

"There's something familiar about the women. Something..." He inhales deeply, his gaze upward. "Celestial."

"Celestial?" I shake my head. "What are you going on about?"

Jackson sighs, clearly frustrated that I'm not catching on. "Just let me —" He reaches out to take the file but I pull it back. He narrows his eyes, retracting his reach. "Look at their occupations, or...or the things their loved ones said about them. If you include that sort of thing."

I scrunch my face. I'm this close to chewing him out, so I take a deep breath. I'm already here, and if this gets more information out of him, it shouldn't hurt to indulge him a little.

"Fine," I sigh, and I glance down at the pages, flipping through to each woman.

Imogen Russell, Sunday school teacher. The family said she was happily married, but her neighbors said her husband was having an affair. She refused to leave him. Her sister said Imogen was afraid of starting over.

Esther Oval, stay-at-home mom. Her family was wealthy but she chose to live below her means. She owned a two-bedroom home and lived modesty. Friends said her kids were her entire world.

Lucia Navarro, E.R. nurse. Her friends told us she often took on extra shifts even though she was left tired. She gave everything even if it were the shirt off her back.

I stop, lifting my gaze back up to Jackson, who smiles at me, nodding.

"I don't get it," I say in exasperation. "What am I supposed to be seeing here?"

He huffs, the sound whistling from his nostrils. He thinks for a moment. "Are you religious, Jennifer?"

Not bothering to hold back my surprise, I shake my head. "I'm sorry?"

"Ah," he smirks. "I see I've struck a nerve. Not a fan of religion?"

I cross my arms. Not that it's his business, "No, not really."

"But you do know about it? Christianity? Catholicism?" When I don't respond, he groans. "Come on, Jennifer! Look at their details! What do they remind you of? Look deeper!"

Ugh, I can't take it! I throw my hands up and let out a frustrated scream. "I don't know, okay!? Why can't you just tell me!?"

"C'mon," he says softly. He leans towards me with his all-knowing smirk. "Patience is a virtue."

I furrow my brow. The way he said it, that look in his eye... I glance down at the file, flipping through it once more.

"Virtues..." I whisper. "They resemble virtues..."

Jackson's hands slap the table. "Yes!"

"But...why? How?"

He shrugs. "I don't know how, but I can tell you why." He lowers his voice. "The only way you can cast out the demon is to kill seven people; one for each of the seven virtues."

I don't know why, but my heart begins to pick up speed. "How do you know this?" And why do you volunteer this information but not the virtue part?

"I researched the occult. For hours and hours."

Holy shit. I don't think he's wrong. This is too scarily similar. Imogen represented Chastity, Esther was Temperance, and Lucia was Kindness. Then it clicks.

Theo. Paul. Reese. Theo was abstaining from sex. Paul was a recovering alcoholic practicing his self-restraint despite his family's history. And Reese was the overly helpful good neighbor. They are perfect reflections for the virtues.

"You killed women," I say, my own voice lowering. "And I..." I choke up. "Hypothetically, if you killed women, why would someone else being possessed by the same demon kill men?"

He hums. "Don't know. Maybe it's a sexual thing — like it's dependent on the host's sexual orientation. Or maybe it's just human nature."

"Host?"

He nods. "That's what we are. What the book referred us to. We're the host body for the demon to carry out its...rampage, if you will."

I need to get my hands on this book. "The book. Where is it now?" Maybe I could sneak into his house and get it. If it hasn't been taken as evidence.

"Yeah, it's gone. Burned."

Fuck! I completely forgot. "Why did you burn all of your shit?"

Jackson's eyes go dark and he glances away. It surprises me. I'm used to his direct eye contact making me uncomfortable. "I was so close. It was almost gone," he says so quietly I almost don't hear him. "I knew I would get in trouble, demon or no demon." Then his eyes flick up to mine. "I had to get rid of everythin'. No trace of me or the demon left."

Oh. I scoff in surprise although I shouldn't be. "You were gonna run..."

He nods sadly. "But I didn't get that far, did I?"

No, I suppose not. My mind falls into a dark place for a moment. I've...killed three people. Where am I going to go after this is over? If it ever ends.

I shake myself out of it, taking a deep breath. "What's the name of the book?"

Jackson tightens his jaw. "I don't remember."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I let it slip out, and honestly, my chest feels a bit lighter afterward. "I came here for answers and all you do it give me more puzzles to solve!"

"Maybe that's what you should do then." He turns back. "Guard!" The door buzzes. "That's really all I know. I have nothing else to tell you."

As they haul him away, I don't know if I can believe him. I don't want to believe him. All of this sounds batshit crazy! But for some goddamn reason, it makes sense when I see it in front of me.

But if he's right, then I might be able to get out of this alive. Yes, I've killed three people. Three innocent people. But after four more, I will be free.

I want to be free. More than anything.

Total word count (as of end of chapter 12): 24,492