Author's Note: This is the final book in the Cooper Mystery series, the order is: Blue Sheep, Demon's Gate, Big Bad Wolf, Ghost Stories, and Red Eyes....it's been a long journey, thanks for reading all the way to this one!
Chapter 1 – Operation Tobalt
Dark gray clouds swirled in the sky, it wasn’t the Los Angeles he was used to and from the balcony of his Hollywood Hills home he watched the clouds. Cooper Morris was 29 years old and his brown hair was cut short but styled in a Mad Men-esque style. The hometown cuteness he used to have faded into more of a LA glam now. Leaning back in the patio chair his finger tapped his iPad as he flipped through pages of his latest script.
Everything around his was beautiful, his large ultra modern home, the expensive suite he wore, and especially his gorgeous movie star boyfriend Paul Micks. Hollywood didn’t just love the fact that the two were a power couple in the town, they loved that they had a history – growing up in the same town, overcoming struggle, finding each other years later on a movie set. Plus, they looked good on the red carpet. But with all of this luxury, fame and beauty Cooper wasn’t smiling. He was being hunted by a demon
It was hard for Cooper to imagine that just four years ago he was a struggling screenwriter, working out of retail to make money. He rose to the top quickly and almost everything changed for him. It all started around the time his father died. Cooper had been working on a script when all of a sudden he was thrown into a whirlwind adventure fighting ancient cults, demon controlled nightclubs, vampires in Vegas, the big bad wolf at his front door, and ghosts in the spirit world. In the process he lost many friends and gained some new ones. But four years ago, he found out that his father’s death wasn’t an accident, but rather his father died protecting him from some evil.
This red-eyed evil confronted him once in a dream, but had been following him for much longer – possibly his whole life. Since all that, Cooper had been able to get his life in order and the werewolves and vampires seemed to disappear. It had been quiet and his career took off in the meantime. He’d sold a script for a made-for-TV-movie, then a pilot for a TV show, then an independent film – which when produced just won a Golden Globe a month back.
“Working hard?” Paul stood in the doorway some tight fitting boxers clinging to his perfectly chiseled body. Paul Micks was Cooper’s current boyfriend, at least in the media’s eye. Cooper loved him just enough.
“Trying to figure out this scene.” Cooper eyed Paul as he walked barefoot across the deck to the chair Cooper was sitting in. Paul pushed up against his boyfriend’s arm, the hairs of his leg brushing against Cooper’s bare arm. This was everything Cooper dreamed up growing up. Their eyes connected briefly and in that moment Cooper saw lust not love, but he conceded to the feeling slipping his fingers into the band of the boxers and pulling them lower. Sliding the red briefs down his tanned legs he exposed a growing member eager for fun. Cooper stood up and slid off his suit jacket then slowly unbuttoned his shirt.
Paul gave a sultry grin and jumped into the infinity pool. Cooper finished undressing and joined him in the water. Their hair wet and dripping and bodies pushed against each other.
***
Pulling up outside of the Artist Talent Agency known in the business as ATA. Cooper parked him BMW and stepped outside. He had to meet with his agent today about a movie he wrote entering production and the season finale of his television show. NBC wanted to pull it on for another season but negotiations were dependant on the finale viewings. Walking into the flashy building the assistants and desk staff all lit up at the fact that they were seeing a star. Stacey Moore, Cooper’s agent’s assistant greeted him once he stepped off the elevator. She was a sweet red headed girl trying to work her way up in the world.
“Hello Mr. Morris, Walt is ready to see you. Are you good on coffee? Water?” She inquired leading Cooper down the hallway to a glass door with Walter Stone written on the door. Cooper shook his head and stepped inside the slick black and gray office. A view of downtown hung like a portrait through the window. Walter Stone was one of the top talent agents in the business. Generally, agents would pick a passion: literary, movie talent, film talent, sports, music but Walter represented them all.
“Thank you Stacey,” Walter dismissed his assistant and walked across the room to shake Cooper’s hand. Cooper took a seat across from his agent. Everything felt so cold, so empty, the opulence of the building and his life.
“Why’d you need to see me today?” Cooper leaned back in the dark wood and black leather chair. It was a giant desk that stretched between the two.
“I finished reading your script – it’s great, I knew it would be. I should have no trouble optioning it and…” Walt thumbed the edges of Cooper’s script, which sat in front of him on the table.
“And we will both make a lot of money, great. Tell me something I don’t know.” Cooper was bored, he had everything he ever wanted but besides this knife of a demon hanging over his head, his life wasn’t fulfilling. It’s like he had a big empty hole inside of him.
“Tonight during your interview you need to obviously thank all those important to you – I just wanted to run through the list.” Walt opened his desk and pulled out a piece of paper sliding it across the table.
“To make sure you’re on it?” Cooper eyed the list; Walter Stone was the very first name.
“I have helped you haven’t I? Walter leaned across the table his eyes peering into Cooper.
“You believed in me before anyone else, you found my script –” Cooper looked back into Walter, the man was straight as an arrow, a slick, handsome man with salt and pepper hair. His jaw line was sexy and strong. There was something so sinister and alluring about the talent agent. Cooper couldn’t trust him, not ever, but he was drawn to the man.
“Stop there, I believed in you since the moment you were born.” Walter spat back, he stood up and walked around the desk sitting on it, his gray pants brushing up against Coopers and sending shivers down his spine.
“Now let’s not get that dramatic.” Cooper teased looking up at his agent who now towered over him. The chair felt incredibly some.
“Come on Cooper, I think we both know why you’re here today.” Walter put one hand on the arm of Cooper’s chair and leaned over him, his body casting a shadow and chill over Cooper’s
“Enlighten me.” Cooper taunted trying to straighten his posture in the chair, he was trapped by the names arms.
“You’re winning the Oscar this weekend. It’s your first and it won’t be your last. All this money, success, dare I say happiness doesn’t come at a price.” Walter’s breath was sweet and the scent of his aftershave a masculine one.
“You’re getting your 10%” Cooper said bitterly putting a hand on Walter’s chest, it was firm and strong. He pushed the man back.
“It’s not about the money.” Walter sat up and removed his arm, freeing Cooper temporarily. Cooper looked into Walter’s gray eyes and saw a flicker. For a brief moment they flashed red. “Your powers are growing Cooper,” Walter smirked.
“Excuse me?” Cooper shot up from his chair knocking it back to the floor. He focused in on Walter’s eyes; they were the same ones that he had been thinking about all these years. They were red. Cooper was frozen.
“The telekinesis, from that demon you truly exorcised from your body. Jonas wasn’t a lackey, he was a powerful solider in my army. He shouldn’t have been able to be removed but you did it. Only one other person in history has been able to removed a top ranked demon.” Walter knew everything about him. Cooper focused his powers; he dug into that empty pit and his mind instantly cleared something grew inside him.
“So you’re Red Eyes.” Cooper flung up his hand and the chair that lay sideways on the ground flew into the sky smashing into Walter’s head. Walter fell back onto his desk and Cooper jumped on top of him. Grasping the letter opener on Walter’s desk, Cooper pulled the sharp knife-like tool into his hand and held it close to Walter’s neck. Cooper straddled Walter’s waist pushing himself on top the handsome older man.
“You think it’s that easy? Just slit my throat and we are done? Nah, I’ll just inhabit someone else, maybe the president and launch some missiles?” Walter scoffed then threw his hand out. Cooper flew into the window and the glass spider webbed. Cooper felt his body pushed into the breaking glass. If it broke, he would fall to his death.
“Stop,” Cooper begged feeling the weight of Walter’s power pushing into him.
“Now you want me to stop?” Walter dropped his hand and Cooper fell to the ground. The glass fixed itself. “I only want to be friends and that’s it.” Walter held out a hand for Cooper to grab. Cooper swatted it away.
“Why did you decide to reveal yourself now?” Cooper sat up wiping some blood from his lip. Walter was much stronger than him. He wasn’t going to win this now. But this person, that had been following him – that everyone warned him about was right in front of him, and he wasn’t as evil as Cooper thought. He didn’t hate his agent, but didn’t love him either.
“We are at a turning point Cooper, everything is going to change real soon and I just want you to be on the right side when it does. I’ll see you at my party tomorrow night. Good luck during your interview.” Walter walked to his door and opened it. Cooper walked to the door, shaken, but as he left he felt Walter’s hand on his shoulder. “It will be okay, just don’t think about it too much.”
Cooper didn’t know if Walter was talking about his master plan or the interview, but either way a knot grew in Cooper’s stomach and he didn’t like it. This took him by surprise and he didn’t like surprises.
***
The city lights twinkled and Cooper looked at the sprawling metropolis. He was dressed to impressed and although his mansion had every security protection, cameras, fences, alarms, and more he didn’t feel safe. Walking back into the room, he noticed the living room set up for an interview.
“Baby, you look so good.” Paul, not dressed in a loose t-shirt and some expensive designer jeans planted a kiss on Cooper’s cheek. The cameramen were all set up and a sign that read “Lori Gallagher Show hung around some of the director’s chairs. Lori Gallagher was interviewing everyone before the Oscars to show the footage during the red carpet and offer some as extra content online.
“Thanks,” Cooper kissed Paul back and moved towards the spotlights, they were warm and he was glad he upped the air conditioner.
“Hello, hello my dear.” Lori herself, a bubbly redhead with rosy cheeks and gaudy jewelry motioned her hand to the seat next to her. “I am loving the suit.” She complimented him, but it felt so fake. The whole industry was so fake, “Now, we have a lot to go through and I have done my digging so there will be some intense questions.” Her voice was high pitched and although Cooper loved her talk show normally, he didn’t want to sit next to her.
“I thought your people forwarded everything to my people already?” Cooper said as the makeup artist powdered his face for the camera.
“Well, some things get forwarded, but I thought I’d just surprise you.” She smiled and then waved her hand shooing her makeup artist away.
“I don’t like that.” Cooper whispered, he leaned over to her his heart starting to race. He never considered himself good on his feet.
“Darling, it is not what you like it is what the people want.” Lori nodded and the cameraman started filming. “Haven’t you realized that yet? Enough make-up, let’s get started.” She shooed Cooper’s makeup person away and leaned back in her chair glancing at her note cards. The director nodded and the camera light glowed red. Everyone was quiet and Lori looked directly into the camera with her Cheshire cat grin.
“Hello, I am here in a gorgeous house in the Hollywood Hills with the famous screenwriter Cooper Morris. This is quite a place Cooper?” Lori smiled turning to Cooper. He stared at her for a moment.
“Thanks Lori,” Cooper forced a smile, it didn’t feel sincere but he knew the camera would read it like such.
“But you weren’t always living here were you?” Lori was getting right to the point. She leaned in and put on a more sympathetic face.
“Not at all, when I first came to LA I was actually in a tiny studio is Silverlake. It was cramped but it was home,” Cooper answered, he remembered that question from the list they sent over.
“But this is home now, you’re dating your childhood sweetheart Paul.” She threw out her hand with a bright smile and the camera sung over to catch him. He blew Cooper a kiss.
“And I love him so much.” Cooper caught the kiss and held it to his heart. They had rehearsed this as well. It felt sweet and loving. Lori was still following the questions.
“Of course you do, but Cooper, I want to talk about some of the people you left behind. You’re family in Virginia, your father died a little while ago didn’t he? That is what your new movie is based on.” Lori’s false sense of sadness returned and she leaned over to Cooper to clutch his hand. She was a professional at this, interviewing people and gaining a following for her talk show because of her ‘authenticity.’
“It is, a relationship lost.” Cooper gulped. That was one of the harder questions to answer. As he opened his mouth to finish describing the correlation, Lori interrupted, now she was deviating from the original questions.
“Have you lost a lot of people in your life Cooper?” She pressed and squeezed his hand a little harder.
“Even one is too many.” Cooper couldn’t hold back his grief for his past boyfriend and love of his him. His mind flickered with thoughts of the werewolf Tobalt that he used to date. The werewolf that the demon that used to possess him killed. But before Cooper could go too deep into remembering, Lori was shooting question after question at him.
“But have you wronged anyone? Hurt anyone? You got to the top so quickly, anyone you’d want to apologize to now? Your movie is all about redemption.” Lori kept leaning in her eyes sparkling in the light.
“It is. I believe redemption can be found in anyone but you have to trust in your true self to get to it. And I thank God for giving me another chance to share this with the world.” Cooper answered honestly and it seemed to be enough for the talk show host. She leaned back in her chair and looked at the camera.
“Great, we will be right back to dig into his relationship.” Lori smiled.
***
Cooper sat up in bed, he couldn’t sleep, he had too many surprised today and they all felt overwhelming. Reaching for his phone he pulled it close. Paul’s naked body rustled in the sheets next to him. Cooper looked at the man, the epitome of sexiness, sleeping next to him – but it wasn’t whom he really loved, at least, not now. Cooper typed a number that he only knew from memory. He typed it into a message and sent a text. The text was one word: Tobalt.
Sliding out of bed, Cooper walked to the closet and threw on some of his sweats. He hurried down the stairs and to his car. Los Angeles was a driver’s dream at night, the hellish traffic of the day asleep and the streets clear to let thoughts wonder. Driving down Sunset Blvd, the billboards for Oscar considerations flew by.
Cooper reached a street that he had long since visited. He reached into his pocket pulling out a key he had not used in a long time. The studio apartment he once lived it was still here and the key would still work. This was his sanctuary, one he hadn’t visited in years. Opening the door he stepped into the one room studio, the wood creaking beneath his feet. It was vacant, but the window was open letting in a cool evening breeze. Figures stood around him. He flicked on the lights and the room illuminated the faces of his friends: Kayla, a blond vanilla pudding faced girl with a sweet smile on her red lips ran up to hug him; Soraya, a beautiful Lebanese girl, girlfriend to Emily Lee, a tattooed Asian woman, stood in one corner of the room. Jake leaned against the wall as handsome as ever with a warm smile on his face. Walter may have had an army of demons that helped him, but Cooper had an army of his own friends.
“Guys, thanks for coming. Before we begin, you don’t have to be here, but if you want to, you are more than welcome. This is going to be dangerous but if we can pull off Operation Tobalt, we may just save the world. So who is with me?”
The room nodded, it was unanimous, they were going to take down Red Eyes. They were going to finish this once and for all.