The cold steel bars of the jail cell slammed shut behind John, the sound echoing through the dimly lit police station. He sank onto the uncomfortable cot and buried his head in his hands, feeling a chill creep up his spine that had nothing to do with the drafty room.
"John isn't safe in prison, the exorcist will kill him before they even get to trial," Ethel said urgently as she pulled up next to Zack, the scarlet sky casting eerie shadows on her face. "I need your help to get him out."
"Of course, but next time you find one of Gluttony's vessels, a heads up would be nice," Zack said, still put off but Ethel's lack of communication with him. He and Rob had rushed to Ethel with their discovery that John was a vessel only for her to explain she knew that already and he had joined her covenant. Zack couldn't help but feel they wasted so much time figuring out his identity when they should have been figuring out how to keep him safe.
"I've already apologized for that but Zack you are not a part of my covenant, I don't owe you anything." She explained.
"Really? Because without us you wouldn't have been able to take on Gluttony and become a Supreme in the first place." Zack retorted.
"Fine you're right," Ethel admitted, "And on the note I did discover where Gluttony was keeping them. I think you should see it." she opened the passenger door for Zack, who slid into the seat without hesitation.
They drove to the old house where John had been held captive by Gluttony, their headlights slicing through the swirling fog. The dilapidated building loomed before them like a haunted specter, its dark windows staring sightlessly at the two intruders.
"He kept them all here?" Zack asked grimly, as Ethel led him inside.
The house was even colder than it looked, and they could see their breaths forming clouds as they searched through the debris. Ethel gasped when they found the door to the basement, its door hanging open to reveal a cramped space that still smelled faintly of fear and despair. She clenched her fists, her brown eyes blazing with anger.
"You can still feel it here," she whispered, her voice shaking. "fear and pain, the vessels that were trapped here knew nothing else." Zack could feel it all, four distinct auras all laced with fear and despair and caused his whole body to start shaking.
Zack's gaze was then drawn to the chains on the floor and the locks on the door. He reached out and touched each lock but couldn't sense anything, not a trace of aura. He looked up at Ethel "Who let them out?"
"Someone powerful, but the question that I have been asking myself is why would someone let them out?" Ethel's gaze never left the door, "I wasn't close to finding them, this place wasn't even on my radar so why would anyone release a bunch of weak vessels into the world?" Zack thought about the question, nothing about this was adding up.
-----
Elsewhere, Deb slipped unnoticed into St. Jerome's Parish, the candlelight flickering across her face as she listened to the hushed conversation between Jessica and Pablo. She hoped to learn what the exorcists' next moves were so she could warn Zack.
"The boy must be eliminated," Jessica insisted, her brown eyes steely. "It's for the greater good, a witness puts him at the murder scene."
Deb's heart raced as she realized they were plotting to kill John. She had to let Zack know. As she crept away, she caught sight of an exorcist dressed as a police officer, carrying a box marked with the symbol of the holy grail. She remembered Zack telling her about how Abby poisoned Ethel with something similar. She tried to call Zack but there was no answer, so she went with plan B.
She called Rob, her voice barely above a whisper. "Rob, I can't get a hold of Zack but the exorcists are moving ahead with their plans tonight. They are going to try to kill John, they have a cop with them."
"Slow him down if can," Rob said, though he wasn't sure how she was going to be able to do it. "I'll find Ethel and Zack. We'll meet you at the station."
"I have an idea," Deb said as she followed to police exorcist. "I will meet you there" She then hung up and turned her focus to stopping the assassin from reaching his target.
Deb brandished a throwing knife and crept around the side of a car, her eyes narrowing in concentration. She aimed at the tires of the assassin's car, puncturing one with expert precision. The exorcist cried out in surprise, and the car swerved crashing into a lamppost close by. Deb approached the car and found the man alive but out cold. She thanked god he would be ok, and swore she would never do something that risky again.
Rob paced outside the police station, hoping Zack and Ethel got one of his texts and were on their way to help him stop the exorcists from killing John without knowing the truth first.
Ethel's car pulled up and Rob was surprised, "Where is Zack?" Rob asked taking note of the empty passenger seat.
"He won't be joining us on this one, he looking into something else," Ethel explained as she stepped out, taking in the police station.
"Something more important than stopping exorcists from killing John before we figure out if he is a murderer or not?" Rob couldn't believe Zack wouldn't show up to this.
"First of all John isn't a murderer, he has been living with me since I found him and he is way too timid to kill anyone. Secondly, I am sure your BFF will fill you in on all the wonderful details of his investigation during one of your tea parties or whatever it is the two of you do." Ethel didn't want to answer a million questions right now, she wanted to save John. "now let's go save an incent life." Rob fell silent and nodded. leading Ethel around back.
Ethel's heart pounded as she and Rob slipped through the shadows behind Waterloo police station. She knew a bond was formed between Supremes and their vessels, but she never imagined the strength of it. A force that compels her to push her usual self-preservation instincts aside to protect her vessels. Ethel's fear for John warred with her determination to save him.
"Keep low," Rob whispered, his dark brown eyes scanning the area for any signs of danger. They reached a back door, and Rob expertly picked the lock, allowing them to slip inside undetected.
"Remember, John still isn't in full control of his powers if things go sideways," Ethel reminded him, her voice barely audible. As they crept down the dimly lit hallway, she couldn't help but feel like time was running out for John.
"Stay behind me," Rob instructed, he knew that if he was caught, no one in the station would find it out of the ordinary because he was constantly visiting Lindsey. They inched closer to the holding cells, their footsteps muffled by the worn carpet beneath them. As they turned a corner, Ethel caught the aura of an exorcist in a police uniform, standing guard outside John's cell. Her heart skipped a beat.
"Rob, that's not a guard," she breathed, fear and anger surging within her. She had never felt this way about another vessel or anyone for that matter, but she was a Supreme now and this connection to her vessel seemed all too natural.
"Shit, how are we going to take him down without alerting the entire police department?" Rob asked, steadying himself. But before they could come up with a plan, an intense flash of light blinded them momentarily. They blinked away the spots in their vision, only to see the exorcist unconscious on the floor, his body crackling with residual energy.
"That was John," Ethel whispered, realizing he had used his powers to knock out the guard. John reached out from the cell and retrieved the keys. The holding cell door swung open, and John crept out slowly. He knocked the guard with his foot to make sure he was out before looking up to meet Ethel and Rob's gaze.
"Ethel and..... I'm sorry I don't know you," John's voice sounded relieved, his body relaxed at the sight of his Supreme.
"I'm..." Rob went to shack his hand but the sudden motion caused John's PTSD to trigger. He lunged at Rob, his hands crackling with energy. Caught off guard, Rob stumbled back, struggling to fend off John's attack.
"Stop!" Ethel cried, her aura flaring to life, the air around her shimmering with power. She forced John into submission, his powers fading as he collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath.
"John, I'm sorry," she told him, her voice firm but gentle. "If you run, it will make them believe you are guilty, and they will never stop looking for you. But, my family is an old and powerful one, once they set bail, you won't ever spend another night in prison. I can promise you that."
"What about people like that guard?" John cried, "I could feel his murderous intent seeping off of him, What if there are more?"
"I'm not going anywhere, I will make sure they never get this close to you again," Ethel promised the sincerity in her eyes convinced John she was telling the truth.
Defeated, John nodded and crawled back into his cell.
I Promise it won't be for much longer Ethel said, one last time before helping Rob drag the unconscious exorcist from the scene. Ethel and Rob exchanged a tense glance before leaving the exorcist by the dumpster outback, they knew they had bought themselves some time but they didn't know how much. They drove off hoping bail would be set soon.
As they left, Lindsey came around back after thinking she heard voices, her blue eyes widening in shock as she discovered the unconscious man on the ground. Her instincts kicked in, and she hurriedly called for an ambulance. As she approached the man, a chill ran down her spine, he had a belt with grenades strapped to it and a larger hunting knife strapped to his leg.
"What the hell were you trying to do back here," she murmured, her mind racing with questions about what the unknown man's intentions were.
-----
The dim light from a lone, flickering bulb cast eerie shadows on the basement walls as Deb descended the creaking wooden stairs. Her dark brown eyes surveyed the room, taking in the unsettling sight of the dungeon Gluttony had created to hold his vessels. Zack stood amid the chaos, his blue eyes filled with pain and determination.
"So this is where Gluttony kept them," Deb said, her voice echoing in the dank space. "Zack, I don't think he locked them all up just because he couldn't control you." She could tell by Zack's face he blamed himself for this.
Zack nodded solemnly. "I still feel responsible for what happened to these people. I need to make sure they're safe."
Deb studied her boyfriend's resolute expression before stepping closer and placing a reassuring hand on his arm. "I know we will find them, I just don't want you to blame yourself for anything that happens to them, something is out of our control."
She leaned in, her lips meeting Zack's in a tender kiss that spoke more than words ever could. As they parted, Deb gave him a small, determined smile before turning to leave. "I'll keep listening in to the exorcist chatter when I can, hopefully, that will keep us one step ahead of them. Now let's go back to campus, it's been a long day."
"Thank you," Zack said taking in the basement one last time.
As Deb reached the top of the stairs, she froze, feeling an unexpected presence. Before she could react, an invisible force struck her, sending her crashing into the wall. Panic surged through her as she struggled to regain her footing.
"Zack!" she cried out, her fear piercing the air.
Bounding up the stairs, Zack rushed to Deb's aid. She was lying on the floor but as he scanned the room there was no sign of anyone else there. Suddenly he could sense its malevolent aura and in the silence, the sound of breathing came from an invisible source.
"Get away from her!" he snarled, he threw a punch in the direction of the sound, connecting with the leathery skin of the invisible attacker.
With a guttural growl, the invisible creature retreated, escaping into the night. Breathless and shaken, Deb and Zack exchanged worried glances, there was something else stalking the streets of Waterloo and it was like nothing they had seen before.
"Are you okay?" Zack asked, concern etched in his features.
"Fine," Deb replied unsteadily as she dusted herself off. "But what was that thing?"
While the young couple pondered their harrowing experience, Boon sat hunched over his laptop. He had filmed himself every night, hoping to catch a glimpse of himself using his powers. But as he watched the footage, he found no trace of the change he so desperately sought. Instead, he saw his sleepwalking figure, a haunting reminder of just how human he was.
"Nothing," he muttered bitterly, his green eyes clouded with disappointment and fear. "I'm still just...me." After all the weirder things he had gone through, after fighting Gluttony and seeing vessels in action, he hadn't hesitated to make his deal for that power. He looked down at his arm where the symbol had been burned into his arm, he had done all of that for nothing.