The Demon Leader

You sit in the back of a DSD SUV on your way to the warehouse in Camden as Peter speeds across the Ben Franklin Bridge. You're alerted to an incoming message from Kyle on your tablet. "Here's the video from Marcus' Interrogation," it reads.

"Check this out," you say to Emily who turns to look from the front passenger seat.

You click on the link and the video starts to run. Marcus in held in rectangular cell not more than 2 feet across and 8 feet high. It barely contains his bulk. Curtains of UV light stream down each side cell from high intensity bulbs at the top corners.

"LET ME OUT!!!!" Marcus roars.

"You know we can't do that, Padre," Kyle teases.

"Do NOT refer to me by that title, young man, I abandoned it when the church that gave it to me left me to become something so..oooo much better."

"What shall I call you, then?" Kyle asks.

"It matters not," Marcus hisses. He rattles the bars of his cage and singes his fingers on the UV light. "When I escape this chamber, you will call me Master."

Kyle throws a switch and directs the beams of light inward, and Marcus cries out in agony as his flesh sizzles and turns black.

"Since THAT's not going to happen soon, how about if we play another game?" Kyle inquires as he backs the light beams away. Almost instantly, Kyle begin to heal.

"What game would you like to play, HU-Man?" Kyle replies.

"You give me some information," Kyle turns the beam inward again, "and I don't leave you in this tanning booth until your dick is extra crispy."

Marcus scowls at Kyle.

"Fuck you!" Marcus screams. Kyle aims the beams at Marcus' crotch and backs him against the rear of his cell. Marcus is frozen in his spot by the other beams. Kyle leave the room, and video goes into fast forward mode. The timer in the bottom right corner shows time passing, Six, eight, then ten hours pass as Marcus is tortured.

Finally, the video resumes normal speed and Kyle re-enters the view. Turning down the intensity of the beams by 50%, Kyle asks, "Ready to talk?"

"Fuck you," comes the reply. Up goes the beam and the video pops into fast forward mode again. Another 12 hours pass.

Kyle turns down the beams.

Marcus laughs.

"What's so funny?"

"You humans forget that, for a demon, there's a fine line line between pleasure and pain, but I'm growing tired of your games. I'll answer three questions. What do you want to know?"

Kyle begins, "Where's Alexander Dupre?"

Marcus looks into distance and strokes his goatee. "You really have no idea what's going on, do you?"

"I'm asking the questions," Kyle responds.

"Fine. The answer to your first question is: Lord Alexander has been sitting at the foot of Mistress Lilith for 20 years, ever since you rained your fire onto our blessed city."

"How did you escape?"

"That's two. I was granted some exceptional powers as Dark Priest of Satan. They allowed me to will myself to a safe location."

"How many others are there, where are they, who are they?"

"Hummm, three, four, five. You're over the limit. Perhaps you should forfeit your third question.

"No, I think I shall tell you all you asked. Our numbers are sufficient for our needs, they are near where you found me, and we are the followers of Queen Lustara, the most powerful succubus and Lilith's chosen representative on Earth. "

Marcus raises his hands through the UV field and waives them back and forth. The video goes black.

"Queen Lustara?" Peter says. "That's a new one."

You nod in agreement. "Have Ellen run it through the database and see what turns up."

Emily makes the call as Peter pulls up to a crumbling building. Out of the SUV, you walk up to a metal door. It's jammed shut. You give a pull and wrest it from its hinges. The inside is dark. You carefully point your UV flashlight around the room, careful to keep yourself out of the beam. Roasting your flesh would be sure to blow your cover. The light is just for show, your eyes adjust to the darkness quickly and you view the room as if it is evenly lit.

You hear footsteps and see three demons heading toward you. You point the light toward them, they hiss and dive for cover. Peter shoots at them but misses. You make the way to the middle of the room, in a triangular formation, each of you with your back to the other, gun extended and flashlight above it. Suddenly, the a light comes on, directed toward one of the catwalks overhead. A succubus stands in the spotlight. You sense her power. She is stronger than Mistress Deb, but no where as impressive as your Queen. You hope the that glamour crafted with her power is enough to hide your true nature.

"Welcome," the succubus shouts. "Identify yourselves."

"DSD," Peter shouts. "Surrender Now!"

He fires a three more shots, but the Succubus avoids them easily. She flips into the air and glides down the floor and approaches.

"That's close enough," you shout before squeezing off two rounds. She avoids the first, but you expected that. With the second, you strike her shoulder. She flinches. "If I wanted to put that one through your skull, I would have. Now, stay there and tell us who you are."

"I am Queen Lustara," the succubus answers. "Do you have my Dark Priest, Marcus?"

"We may," you respond.

"Good," Lustara smiles as she pounces. Before you can react, she grabs Peter and flies back up to the catwalk with him. The lights throughout the warehouse come on, blinding you and Emily.

Lustara shouts to you from above, "Bring me Marcus before sunset, and you may have your companion unharmed, but if he spends the night with me, he may never want to leave."