CHAPTER 19
FALSE WITNESS
PERCY enjoyed his birthday. It was actually the first birthday he enjoyed in a long time. He wasn't a fan of parties, or being around people – even though he had partaken in many frat outings during college – but he managed to have fun. Nowadays, having fun was a rarity, but Hadley had somehow made his life do a three-sixty spin.
Despite the smell of rotting flesh in the basement of the Cortez, the small party she gathered hadn't been anything short of spectacular. She got his favorite drinks and somehow managed to find his favorite flavor of Bugles. (He had never even told her that he liked Bugles. Perks of dating a supernatural being.) She got a live band to play, which ended up being a few musically-inclined spirits haunting the hotel. He danced with her all night, holding her close as they swayed to the soft beat.
Even the Countess showed up – an hour late, of course. She stood in the corner with Hadley's siblings, watching Percy with ease. She smirked at him when their eyes met, as if to warn him what was to come. Elizabeth had other plans for him. He shivered at the thought.
Hadley had been tasked to watch over the front desk while Liz was on her hour-long break. Iris had partied too hard last night and was currently asleep in her room with a killer hangover. That left Hadley being the only person available for the shift, which she didn't mind at all. Percy, on the other hand, was incredibly annoyed, seeing as she was called in when he wanted to have some – you know – "alone time."
She tried to make the best of it as she sat there for the hour. After twiddling her fingers for five minutes, Hadley resorted to thumbing through Liz's file cabinets, trying to something – anything – that interested her. She managed to find her old article deep within the contents of the second drawer, and Hadley smiled at her old school portrait, thumbs brushing over the black and white photo. Her hair had been so curly back then, and her eyes – they were full of more light.
"Nice of you to invite me to your little shindig last night."
Hadley stood up abruptly, narrowing her eyes once they landed on the woman in front of her. Sally staggered up to the front desk, coming down from her high, and smacked her pale, veiny hand on the bell. She smirked at Hadley, who simply cringed at the high shrill of the bell. Hadley could see a few recent needle punctures in her arm.
Approaching the desk slowly, Hadley replied, "It was open invite, Sally. You could've just shown up." She eyed the older woman up and down, upper lip curling in disgust. "But it's probably a good thing that you didn't. You were probably too high to realize where you were last night anyway."
Sally laughed, a deep hearty chuckle that rattled her frail bones – as if she needed them after her death. Placing a hand on her chest, she bared her yellow teeth, covered in tar and grime. Hadley lifted her chin, "What's so funny?"
"You know," Sally said, laughter dying down. She wagged a finger in front of Hadley's face. "You really shouldn't make parties open invite around here. Might attract some unwanted folk."
Hadley snorted. "Like you?"
"No," Sally's voice dropped to a whisper, and she leaned in hesitantly. "Worse."
The brunette's face fell, disappointment radiating in her expression. "I'm not one for riddles, Sally. Just tell me and get on with it."
Sally's expression twisted. Her brow furrowed with confusion. "You really don't know, do you?" She scoffed, turning to look away for a moment. "Dumb girl, of course, you don't. Haven't you been watching the news at all?"
"How could you forget that half this hotel doesn't have cable service?"
Sally rolled her eyes, voice becoming serious when she replied, "The Ten Commandments Killer has been on the loose once again. He could've slipped into your party last night right under your nose, and you wouldn't even know it. Until he – most likely – killed your human blood bag of a boyfriend."
Hadley was suddenly gripping a pen on the desk so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Sally was smiling at her with satisfaction. "You shut your dirty mouth –"
"Why?" Sally cocked her head to the side. "Are you afraid that what I'm saying is true?"
Hadley released a fake laugh. The light above her head flickered at the sound. "Like that would ever happen."
"Maybe it could," Sally grinned. She leaned closer on the desk, and Hadley remembered then how much her breath reeked of onions and cigarettes. "Maybe the killer lives inside this hotel."
Hadley paused and eyed the drugged-up ghost with suspicion. Sally was spouting lies – they had to be lies. That was the only thing she was good at. Did she really think Hadley to be that much of an idiot? She has been at this hotel far longer than her, and she was so much wiser.
"Are you pulling my dick here?" Hadley arched a brow. "Because you're not succeeding."
Sally sneered. "Please, I'm an expert dick puller –"
"Not something that I needed to know –"
"– I'm just saying," Sally continued, "that you should watch over that little human of yours so he doesn't get hurt."
Hadley lifted her hands up in surrender, deciding to round the table to meet Sally on the other side. The female ghost was a lot taller than her, especially in her cheap heels, but Hadley was stronger than three of her combined. The anger coursing through her veins made her feel twice her own size.
"Can you cut the bullshit, Sal?" She snarled, poking a finger into Sally's chest. The other woman swayed slightly. "This new Ten Commandments Killer doesn't live in the fucking hotel. I know March's whole story – I mean, he doesn't shut up about it. I know he, himself, was the Ten Commandments Killer back in the day. There isn't a new one. The gig is dead."
Sally snickered loudly. "The Ten Commandments Murders were some of Mr. March's greatest regrets. Mostly because he was never able to finish them. Did you ever think for a second that he would want them to completed? That he could call upon a human to do his bidding?"
Hadley's whole face went blank. Her body started to shake. She swallowed bile that rose in her throat.
"Remember all this the next time that detective comes in here," Sally smiled, walking away slowly. She almost tripped a few times, but the addict recovered quickly. "Keep the investigation in check."
The brunette stilled. She narrowed her eyes and formed her hands into fists. "Are you threatening me?"
Sally punched the elevator button to go up, sending Hadley a wide grin. "Of course, I am," she giggled, shaking her head with ease. "Make that detective go away, and I won't offer your boy-toy to the Ten Commandments Killer."
•••
Hadley didn't have a plan. At least, not one that was logical. She kept Sally's threat hidden from Percy, but it was the only thing that she could think about. It rumbled through her mind, circling in and out like a merry-go-round. There was no way that Sally could do anything, right? She was too coked up to piss half the time. The Ten Commandments Killer couldn't have returned, Hadley knew this, but maybe that was just her being ignorant. She saw stories about him on the news the next day, and that was when she realized that this new killer definitely couldn't be March. This was a human helping him.
She had a feeling the detective would be coming back in the next week. Hadley still wasn't sure if Sally's threat was real, given that she hadn't done anything yet, but she wasn't taking any chances. She had Percy with her at all times, and when he wasn't, she locked him in the suite across from Room 66. Percy never questioned it, even though he found her frantic actions odd. He was scared to know the truth.
Lucky for her, the next time that Detective Avery arrived at the Cortez, she was waiting by the front desk with Iris. He was still wearing the same suit, the same shiny shoes. His head was still bald, but a small amount of grey scruff was growing on his chin. Hadley greeted the detective with a warm smile, revealing her bright canines. Iris watched the exchange with curiosity.
"Detective Avery," she said, beckoning him forward, "how nice of you to return."
The detective scoffed, not impressed by her greeting. "I have more questions," he replied, "and more leads that trace back to this hotel. I would like to speak with a handful of residents here, starting with you."
Hadley wasn't fazed when he pointed directly at her. In fact, she had hoped he would. This made her plan all the more easier. She grinned big, clasping her hands together as she said, "I'm all yours." She flipped her dark hair over her shoulder, stare shifting to Iris, who was eyeing her with utter shock. "Iris, I'll be away for some time with Detective Avery. After I'm done, you should talk with him, okay?"
Iris gulped, glasses shaking on her nose. "Um –"
"Excellent," Hadley nodded, spinning back to the detective. "I know a place we can speak privately. Follow me, detective."
Detective Avery cleared his throat, giving Iris a quick nod before following Hadley. As she wandered through the halls, venturing down the winding staircases, Hadley allowed her lips to curl into a devilish smirk. The detective's heart rate was starting to speed up. He was suddenly hovering his hand over the weapon on his belt. Little did he know that it would be useless in a fight with Hadley.
When she had him cornered in the basement, covered wall-to-wall in neon signs, the detective knew he was in for trouble. Hadley smiled at him, keeping her hands behind her back. She didn't have to say anything. He knew they weren't down here to speak privately anymore.
She had him in a headlock before he could even pull out his weapon. He struggled with keeping the gun in his hands. His fingers were sweaty, causing him to lose his grip on the weapon. It clattered to the cement flooring, and he pulled at Hadley's skinny arms wrapped around his neck, struggling to breathe. Hadley kicked his gun away with the heel of her boot, using his second of vulnerability to slam his back to the ground. The impact must've fractured his spine, if he was lucky.
Pressing her foot down on his chest, Detective Avery tried scrambling for his weapon, but realized the weight of her boot was too much. "It's useless to fight," she sighed, as if she was bored. The detective swallowed hard and said a silent prayer. "Listen, I didn't want to hurt you before. But I was threatened and if I don't do this, then my boyfriend might die. Sorry, detective. I'm not a bad person. I just do bad things sometimes."
He didn't have time to respond, because she was already slicing his throat open with her pretty pink switchblade. Blood squirted from the wound like one of those spouts at a waterpark. Hadley straightened her back, refusing to remove her foot until he stopped struggling. As the blood began to coat the bottom of her jeans, his eyes slowly shifted to hers, staring at him with a monstrous intensity. She frowned.
"Probably should mention," Hadley whispered, leaning down, inhaling his blood as it drenched her face, "it was me who killed those boys. I murdered them in cold blood. Percy Isaacs is still alive and well. I figured you should know that before you died."
Detective Avery took one final breath, and then his body collapsed. Hadley sighed, allowing herself one last human emotion, before she lunged for his neck and let the monster inside come out to play. She was only seconds into her feeding before she detected a scream. She heard her name, a familiar voice calling out to only her. Hadley popped her head up, blood dripping down her chin until she finally recognized the voice.
Percy.
•••
John Lowe finally called upon Sally for help, a task she was most grateful for. In the heat of the moment, as their naked bodies were entwined in his musty hotel room, John took her hands and said, "I need a victim for Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness. March says that this is the next commandment to fulfill. Do you have anyone in mind?"
Sally's lips had curled into a smirk. She knew the commandment well – in fact, she had broken it many times. It would be fitting for her to offer herself to the Ten Commandments Killer, but she knew someone even better. Someone that was currently lying about their state of existence. Someone who was deceiving the local authorities as they spoke.
"I know just the guy," she replied.
So, maybe, that's how Percy got into this predicament: gagged, cuffed to a headboard in Room 64. Percy's wrists were beginning to hurt as the rough metal cut into his skin, and his nose was runny from the tears trickling down his red cheeks. "Hadley really made it too easy for us," Sally mused. "I mean, she still hid him on our floor."
Percy screamed against the gag in his mouth, but it was obviously useless. Sally quirked a brow, walking away from John as he cleaned his best blade. "You wanna talk?" She asked Percy, giggling at the fear in his eyes. Sally ripped the gag from his mouth and replied, "Then talk."
"Just you fucking wait," Percy seethed, hands balling into fists. He pulled against his restraints, which just cut deeper into his skin. "Hadley is going to get here and you're both toast."
Sally snorted. "Buddy, I'm already dead, and you're dealing with a deranged serial killer. I really don't think we're gonna be toast any time soon."
John sighed, approached the dusty mattress with his knife gripped firmly in his large hands. "Can we just get this over with already? I'm tired of hearing him talk."
"Be my guest," Sally said, gesturing to Percy.
The blonde boy started fighting again. The closer John got, the more Percy pulled against the cuffs. Blood was running down his arms, but all he could focus on was the man with light eyes and hair hanging in front of his face. John pointed the knife his way, smiling wickedly. Snapping Percy's head back, he yanked his mouth open and began the chase for the boy's tongue. It took several minutes, but then John's fingers clamped down on the slimy part, and he pulled it out further. In just one swipe of his blade, the tongue would be in his hands.
That was when the door was knocked down.
"What the fuck is going on here?!"
Percy's tongue slipped out of John's grip, sliding right back into his mouth. Sally froze in place, looking at Hadley with wide eyes. Maybe they should've considered that Hadley could find them at one point, but frankly, Sally was too high to think beyond the boy's capture. Percy looked up at Sally with a grin, whispering, "I told you so."
John's knife clattered to the ground as Hadley stomped into the room. Dried blood coated her cheeks, and yet, there was still some that threatened to dribble down her chin. John pushed Sally behind him, but there was nothing they could do to save themselves from Hadley's wrath. She had John's knife in her hands in one quick swipe, and then she was pressing it against his throat, a snarl rumbling from the deepest parts of her chest.
"I don't know who are you and I don't care," she growled, pressing her nose into John's face. "I should be slicing your neck without a second thought, but that's what you want, right? You want to be free from March's grip? From the pain you caused? Well, guess-fucking-what, you have to deal with it. Just don't bring my boyfriend into it."
John released a breath of relief when Hadley released the blade, but she still pointed it directly at his chest, brushing it against his white button-up. "If you come near him again, I'll eat you alive. Stay the fuck away from us. Both of you."
Hadley threw the blade into the wall, and it landed perfectly in the peeling wallpaper, shaking at the impact. Percy watched her approach with wide eyes. Hadley had to compose herself for a minute when she saw the blood on his wrists, but then her expression softened, and she quickly released him from the headboard.
The suite was silent as Hadley helped her boyfriend hobble out of Room 64. However, she took a moment to look over her shoulder and smirk. "By the way, Sally," she said, flipping her hair to the side, "I killed the detective. Our deal is done."
•••
A/N: This story is coming to a close soon 🤧🤧🤧
Also I know it's SO SURPRISING but I'm rewatching AHS: Apocalypse again!!! Love that for me!!!!!!!!