Although it was close to 6 p.m., the main lobby of BWC pharm was still crowded. John leaned back on one of the pillars, having rejected Candy’s offer to sit down. She looked with interest at everything around.
“John, why a pharmaceutical company?”
“You can both take care of people and have access to any deadly substances.”
“Looks like a fortress.”
“It’s convenient. Even I don’t know how deep the rabbit hole is.”
The hall space began filling up with security officers. This could only mean one thing: she decided to meet them in person. The elevator doors swung open, and a group of bodyguards came out, along with Gabriel dressed in an ordinary medical gown. She was in a good mood. Having seen them, she smiled and, having straightened her loose hair, went towards Candy.
“Candy, right?”
“Yes. It’s me.”
“I’m Gabriel. John probably told you about me. I’m so glad to meet you!” She held out her hand.
“It’s mutually,” Candy shook her slightly, having thawed.
“John told me …”
“Please, don’t rush. We’ll still have enough time,” she looked at the thoughtful John. “How was your day?”
“I had some fun. They didn’t let me get bored.”
“I’ll make dinner for you. Go, fresh up yourself while I organize everything.”
“There’s one more thing that I would not want to postpone until tomorrow. The abbot is looking for a meeting with me.”
“I see. I hope you don’t go like that?”
“You’re right.”
The coolness of the evening enveloped the city. John reached the monastery without delay. Clarity about how to start the conversation didn’t come. The reason was fundamental: “He knows and covers, or he is used blindly.” The fact that he was head over heels in this story was not even in doubt. Having got out of the car, John went into the store and took a couple of beer cans. Having entered the park, he saw a homeless man asking for alms and went up to him.
“Wanna beer?” He handed him one, having known the answer in advance.
“Yep!” he perked up. “Are you Constantine?”
“How you can see,” John, without thinking twice, crouched next to him on the curb.
The sound of opening cans invited for a short conversation.
“Are you here for a reason, too?” He asked John.
“Yeah.”
“Probably, it’s a visit to the abbot. Recently, the monastery has become a very popular place.”
“People seek consolation and advice,” after which he added, “it’s ok.”
“I’ve seen a girl …”
“Candy? I’ve already been told about this. She’s in good hands. She’ll be taken care of, and she’ll live a long and happy life.”
Silence hung. A middle-aged woman passed by and, having mistaken John for another homeless person asking for alms, threw a few dollars into a bowl.
“John. I’ve been sitting here for a long time and have seen a lot of things.”
“Hm?”
“Before that incident with the girl, several delegations came to the abbot.”
“Do you know who they are?”
“I know at least one for sure. They drove up in a branded car. This is the protestant church of Short Way.”
“Heck! What a ridiculous name? Who else?”
He finished his can and looked blankly at John.
“You’re right. I want more too.”
John darted into the bodega and brought a pack. They took one by one and continued the conversation.
“It was a TV channel.”
“It’s ok, too.”
“Without stuff.”
“But this is no. Gimme more details.”
“They pulled up on Suicide Canal’s car. They were dressed casually. Three men and one woman. Then the car left immediately.”
“How long have they been with the abbot?”
“A few hours, not less.”
“How did the woman look like?”
“A Latina of medium height… average one. But her look… look of a predator, that’s for sure.”
“Thanks.” John got up, having left him two cans. He threw the empty can into a trash bin and headed for the monastery.
“God bless you, John!”
“He doesn’t care about me.”
Having approached, he threw the chewing gum in his mouth, knocked on the door, and, without waiting for an answer, entered. After taking a few steps, he was greeted by a novice.
“Good afternoon, John Constantine!”
“Evening. The day was lousy.”
“All the will of God.”
“Yeah, and nothing else. I can even see how He can’t live a day without throwing shit by the scruff of the neck.”
The novice smiled, after which he has restrained himself and became calm again.
“The abbot will accept you as soon as possible.”
“No need to rush.”
The novice didn’t want to breathe down his neck and disappeared according to his deeds. Thoughts about hunger drilled John’s brain, especially after beer, and he strenuously chased them away. Over this occupation, he was found by the abbot.
“Greetings John!”
“Yeah. Did you want to talk to me?”
“Yes, I did. I really want a mutual understanding between us.”
“Well, who doesn’t?”
John nodded back. The wording itself didn’t bode well for him, but clarity was still worth it. They went into the office and sat down. The abbot offered refreshments, to which John refused.
“I wanted to talk about the inadmissibility of such behavior in the church in the future, John Constantine.”
“You probably don’t quite understand the scale of the disaster that could have happened.” He went on a counterattack, having narrowed the abbot’s field for maneuver.
“It’s unacceptable!” having raised his voice, Steve retorted. “Your behavior violates the canons.”
“We’re different.”
“We’re all different, John.”
“The only question is who you serve.”
“I serve the Lord and will not give up. My faith is stronger than ever.”
“I do serve people! I make this world cleaner and safer. Don’t forget that people like me stand at the forefront and risk their lives every day when you sit here and wipe your knees.”
“In our actions, we must serve the Lord. HE’ll help and direct us.”
John jumped up from his chair and threw the cup on the floor in a big way. It shattered into pieces, having spilled the tea everywhere. A shock was read on the abbot’s face. It was noticeable that Steve wasn’t prepared for such a turn of events.
“This cup was made by a man or woman. The one who needs our protection here and now, and not in advice. People need security and protection, and only then something abstract, such as consolation or advice.”
“Unthinkable behavior!”
“We’re only parasites on the body of society! Inaction kills. Therefore, we’re called to act, not to hide our heads in the sand.”
“People should believe, and they’ll be rewarded for this…”
“… Bearing money to you for which you buy the benefits of civilization.”
“We give them what they need: consolation and faith, for which we get their grateful.”
“You probably have never heard how a mother asks you to expel the Demon who has infused her child. Moreover, she’s an atheist, and the child doesn’t understand anything at all in life. At this moment, she believes neither in God, nor in Devil, nor in science, but only that I can save the child. Advice isn’t enough. Protection must be given.”
“There’s a reasonable grain in your words, but we’ll not violate the rules. Otherwise, chaos will begin. We won’t be any different from those who we fight against.”
“The last two who infused were the inhabitants of Heaven, not Hell.”
“The Lord is interested in protecting his flock,” Steve peacefully spread his hands.
“Lemme surprise you: He doesn’t care. We’re just a battlefield for Him. Everything’s turned upside down. You serve the ONE who, without you, does an excellent job of everything instead of serving people. You’re hopelessly out of date. I have to talk about the problem, and we must solve it together. I see only indifference covered by an unwillingness to face the truth.”
“Enough! We’ve got enough problems that we solve: an increase in the number of suicides, abortions, and others. The last thing I need is hearing the accusations from you.”
“What’s happened with Candy? She recalls that she‘s been here before I cast the Angel out of her.”
“Did Andrew tell you?” He stepped down his tone and regained the usual equanimity.
“No. Candy.”
“Where’s she now?”
“In a safe place.”
Not one muscle fluttered on the face of the abbot. He kept calm.
“It’s good,” he added with a little thought. “Take care of her, John. It’s unusual, I didn’t feel it right away, but after the first service, it became obvious to me. When she was present, the service went as if by notes… she, as it were, to be more precise, inspired me. It’s a pity, of course, that Candy decided to leave us so soon.”
“They didn’t forget about her. I haven’t found out yet what had happened.”
“Does she remember anything?”
“Scraps on the verge of absurdity. There’s nothing to add to the big picture.”
John didn’t dare to reveal all the details. It wasn’t clear how he’d manage the info he heard.
“After her departure, a delegation from Suicide Channel stopped by.”
“Asked about Candy?”
“No. They tried to build bridges.”
“Well… that doesn’t mean that they didn’t have an informant here.”
“I see… John, about the curses. You embarked on a slippery slope. No readings of them in the walls of temples.”
Silence hung again. John didn’t want to agree with him, thereby trapping himself.
“I see. If you get something new – call.”
Steve got out of the chair, having shown the guest that the meeting was over. Without a handshake, John turned and walked out. He hurried toward the exit. The abbot’s office was located in the farthest wing of the monastery. Around the corner, near the patio, he has almost been knocked down by one of the novices.
“John, John! May I…” he said in a half-whisper.
Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed his elbow and pulled him to the side.
“John, this is important! I put myself in great danger.”
“What the Hell?”
“They sniffed about her. They were looking for her.”
“Who?”
“Candy. Ours had to hold her until their arrival, but… but she disappeared. Here… take it. It dropped out from one of the visitors. I hope this helps you, John Constantine.”
The novice put a piece of paper in his open palm and, without explaining anything, disappeared into one of the corridors. John mechanically put his hand in the pocket and walked in the direction of the exit.
On the street, he was waiting for evening coolness and a cab, which he wasn’t slow to take. Famine drove away from the first impressions of the talks and reminded of itself. John wanted to eat much more than sleep. After a cab started, he pulled out the note. The well-wrinkled piece of paper contained two lines that looked, damn much, like a username and password. What it was from and how to use it, there was not a single hint.
Meanwhile, Candy managed to take a bath and put herself in good shape. Gabriel gave her home clothes, having made it clear that she was safe and no need to worry. The assistant helped cover sushi with a bottle of wine in her office on the top, so everything was conducive to conversation. They sat in two comfortable chairs with their legs tucked under them and proceeded to dinner.
“What’s up with John?”
“Don’t worry. He can handle it.”
“He spoke about you quite a bit. You aren’t a half-breed, are you?” She asked with a note of doubt.
“No, I am not. You’re a medium; you have to see.”
“That surprised me. As I saw Balthazar, I immediately realized who he was.”
“Oh yeah! He’s a rare shit.”
“You know him?”
“Yes, I do. I’ve tried to do a few things together. But, unfortunately, both were unsuccessful, and because of John, I lost control of most half-breed Angels, having become mortal.”
“… but you help him.”
“It was difficult for me to come to a decision, but the incident with you has shown that we’re half a step from big events. He was persistent, and I couldn’t resist. Let’s drink for an acquaintance.”
“There’s so cozy.”
“Yeah. I’ve settled down in a big way. I wasn’t limited in needs. For many, I remain a pain in the ass. They want to get rid of me, despite the fact that I became a human. Half-breed Demons hate me because I’ve destroyed many of them. Half-breed Angels have formed the backbone of the so-called Council. Most of them have served me before. Now they want to remove me so that I can never again claim power. My death would greatly add to their influence.”
“Sooo. How are you still alive?”
“I have been a woman for only a few years. By human life, I’m still a baby. They don’t have a leader; they’re marginals, but albeit dangerous ones. Despite the troubles, my informants have not gone anywhere. You know, I very carefully select people in my environment. For example, you are. May I trust you?”
“Yes. For sure!”
“John said amazing things about you,” having stared at her, she continued. “Were you in Heaven?”
“I don’t know for sure. I think so, but I have nothing to compare my experiences with.”
“I’ll help you.”
“How? Have you been there?”
Gabriel smiled, having left the question unanswered. Having entered the necessary emotional state, Candy retold what she had experienced.
“Looks like the truth. I can’t believe this!”
“What about me?”
“I’m sure that everything will settle down soon, and you’ll be able to return to your regular life.”
“But, this curse won’t go anywhere, right?”
“I’ve told John. I’ll tell you too. It’s a gift that makes it possible to see the essence of things. Thanks to it, you can make the right choice.”
Having finished the first, the assistant brought and opened the second bottle. Gabriel filled the glasses.
“Have you ever loved anyone? I just noticed how you look at John…”
“Huh. Eternity or more time back. It was in Ancient Egyptian times. What about Constantine? Then I have a whole bunch of feelings for him. He annoys me with his rudeness and arrogance, but… how attractive his perseverance is…”
“… so what about him?”
“He has no time. Balthazar brought him up to speed, thereby having unleashed him. He won’t turn out of the way and open his teeth until the job is done. Everything that happened to you is not an accident and has its own causes and consequences.”
Gabriel’s phone rang.
“I‘m on my way. I’ve got something we have to talk about.”
“Oh, John! Come on. First of all, I’ll feed you. That’s all! Waiting for you!”
Having locked off the phone, she glanced at Candy.
“I will not bother you…”
“Go get some relax. You had a tough day.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to cook. I haven’t done this for a long time. It’s just … there was no one for it. So yes, don’t worry, we’ll devote you to the course of things.”
Gabriel stood up. Candy followed her lead. They approached each other. At that moment, a gush of tenderness surged over Gabriel. Without thinking twice, she hugged her, having embraced her tightly, like her own daughter, whom she never had. She felt how much this great happiness takes care of someone, having received thanks in response. Candy clung to her, having looked up, full of understanding. In an instant, Candy became so dear and close to her. Overwhelmed by the warmth of these thoughts, she let her go and went to the kitchen to cook.
As usual, the retinue makes the king. Having entered the kitchen, she saw that the assistants had already taken care of everything necessary for cooking the roast: peeled potatoes floated in a large pan, the defrosted chicken was on a cutting table in a bowl, as well as, vegetables were washed and prepared for cutting.
John got there a lot before Gabriel had time to cook everything. She went out to meet him after he went upstairs. Having returned with him, she stood in the middle of the room, having given him the opportunity to start talking first. He went up to the table and leaned on it, and became thoughtful. So they stood for a while. Having looked at her, John grinned because he couldn’t imagine her in the kitchen apron: with a gun, yes, with the Spear of Destiny, too, even with the Lord who’s asking her for advice was easy, but never behind the stove.
“Don’t look at me like this…” she was embarrassed, although it was not like her. “I’ve decided to follow your advice to live a little human life.”
“Never mind,” John was skeptical. “You look great in it…”
“How has the meeting been?” She asked curiously. “How’s Steve? Is he alright?”
“Strange. It was strange,” he spread his hands. “I can’t make any definite conclusions. What about Steve… he’s ok, as usual.”
Smells came from the kitchen, having reminded of hunger with a renewed vigor: he wanted to eat unbearably.
“Have something to eat?” John frowned and licked his lips.
“Yes, I do. I’m cooking dinner for you. You’ll eat soon. Make yourself comfortable. I’ll soon…”
“I’m with you.”
Like a cat that heard the smell of a meal, he followed her. Having entered the kitchen, she, first of all, checked the readiness of the roast, after which she picked up vegetables from the trays, began to rewash, and cut them. John leaned on the table.
“So… what’s up with the abbot?”
“He’s against my methods.”
“Ha! This is not surprising at all. What did you expect that instead of a church choir or worship, he’ll allow you to read curses? Pfft!” She mocked him, having smiled.
“The problem is not even that. He doesn’t understand what’s happening and doesn’t want to delve into down. He seriously hopes that it, as always, will be resolved by itself or simply fooled me.”
She turned off the fire and took out a baking sheet. From the smell of the roast, John’s eyes sparkled.
“What do you think about it?” Gabriel asked.
“I think he’s still not up to date and just hides his head in the sand.”
Gabriel motioned that’s time for dinner. Having opened the cabinet, she pulled out porcelain plates and filled the deep dish with the roast.
“Need some help?” He pulled away from the table and walked closer to her.
“Yep. It would be nice of you. Wash your hands and help me to carry.”
Having finished in the kitchen, they returned to the relaxation area. Gab walked in front, having shaken her hips and carried utensils for serving. John followed with everything else. Having given a voice command, she lowered the brightness of the lighting, having made an intimate atmosphere. Having filled the plates with a meal, John lit candles, and they proceeded to dinner, having continued the conversation.
“He promised some kind of assistance?”
“Yes. It may be called that. If I continue in the same vein, he’ll excommunicate me and forbid me from entering all church institutions.”
“It’s very severe on his part.”
“While I was going out, one of the novices gave me this piece of paper.” He took it out of the pocket and laid it on the table in an expanded form.
“This is something!”
Gabriel took a photo and sent it to the Information Center for analysis.
“It looks like an access code and password. If he gave it to you, it means someone is counting on you to find what you need.”
“Which only confirms that we’re on the right track. Short Way paid a visit to the abbot.”
“Sectarians. They mess with people’s minds that if you do anything with the praise of God, you will go to Heaven. They’re preparing religious fanatics in their purest form. Recently, such “churches” have grown like mushrooms after the rain, but… but… without media support, they’re only a bunch of crazies under the supervision of the FBI.”
“The other delegation was just TV producers… without equipment. They were the ones who had to drive up for Candy,” John retold what he heard.
“So our affairs are very bad. They can become the force that will be used blindly to achieve a wide variety of goals. Given their increasing numbers, their followers can easily paralyze the work of public utilities and wreak havoc. While some will act, the others will make the necessary TV picture. John, we need to understand who’s behind all of them and what threat they can bear.”
“Calm down. Don’t panic. I’m going to go on Suicide Channel in the morning; then we’ll go to Short Way… and… check if you have moles.”
“Okay. I’ll gather everything necessary,” she answered in a voice full of concern.
“It was yummy. It’s time to sleep. It’s been enough adventure for today.”
“I’ll show you your room.”
John caught himself thinking that he expected her to ask him to stay. Gabriel jumped up before him and suggested following her. Having captured the cards on the way, she headed for the exit. John held his gaze for a second on her ass and then followed. Having walked along the corridor, she opened one of the doors with an electronic key.
“Come in.”
Having stepped aside, she let pass him. The motion sensor worked, and the muffled “warm” light turned on in the room.
“There’s a shower, bed, and wardrobe.”
John, on the go, took off his shoes and threw them aside, rummaged in the closet, found his size of underpants, and went to the shower. Honestly, Gabriel was hurt by how easy it was for him to ignore her. She stood indecisive in the middle of the room, having tried to make a choice. Rather, her body already made it: her nipples hardened, and a blush appeared on her face from excitement while the brain was still considering options. She continued standing, breaking her arms. Then, having made a decision, she undressed and went to John in the shower.
“May I help you?” she laughed when she opened the door.
There was a brief silent pause, where John’s answer was “obvious.” Having realized that he got nowhere to go, he held out a hand so that she wouldn’t slip on the wet floor. Warmed by water procedures, they ended up in bed. Having emerged from under his arm, she climbed on him.
“Come on. You already had a hard day.”
Having seized the initiative, she began slowly moving her hips, increasing her pace.
“Jooooohn, don’t be a dick, slap me on the ass,” she gave him a massive slap in the face.
“Well! Here we go!”
“Yes, like that! Ha-ha-ha.”
He sharply turned her over, having laid Gab on the back. She didn’t resist at all and spread her arms in different directions, having put a lascivious smile on her face. After a moment, she wrapped her legs around him. Now he set the rhythm of their communication.
“Fuck yeah! Don’t stop.”
“The lustful bitch!”
“Yeah!”
The sound of a slap diluted her moans.
The sun illuminated the room and more insistently entered in its rights. There was still about an hour before the alarm. The rays of light began dancing on John’s face from which he began tossing, turning, and eventually woke up. Gabriel was peacefully sleeping on his chest, having put a leg thrown over him. “How much her defenselessness is deceiving.” He stroked her hair by which she answered something sleepily and continued sleeping. In an instant, all of John’s thoughts returned to their place. We’ve got Balthazar, Suicide Channel, Candy, and abbot. He tried to drive them away, stroking Gabriel’s back. From his touches, she began waking up.
“It’s too early for all of this…”
“I cannot. This day is obliged to clarify everything that I did before. Don’t you feel this surging excitement?”
“Of course, I feel, and not only about this.”
Breakfast passed in complete silence and didn’t take much time. John went into the armory, where he was able to make sure that everything necessary was gathered. Then John, Gabriel, and Candy met each other in the Control Center, where they began discussing a plan for further action.
“We have prepared a backpack for you.”
“Everything you need is there,” the second assistant added.
“Yes.”
“… but your goal will not only sniff out everything. We need access to their system.”
“So… hire some hackers to crack it,” Candy retorted, having defended John.
“We wouldn’t ask if it were possible.”
Gabriel took the initiative.
“Balthazar has come to me about six months ago with a request similar to the one with which he came to you. By that time, he had lost several lawsuits against Suicide Canal. Together with his guys, we carried out a joint attack on the channel servers but couldn’t achieve significant success. It became clear to me that they could be the tip of the iceberg, but I had no power, as well as goals that would justify further pressure on them, and Balthazar plunged into his demonic problems, having left them alone for a while. In the light of recent events, it’s necessary to dot our I’s and cross our T’s and clarify what they really are.”
“I’ll give you new phones. All we need from you is to keep the phone a few feet from the working device, ideally, a PC, laptop, tablet, or manager’s phone. On devices of lower rank employees, there may not be the necessary access keys. The attack itself can take up to half an hour.”
“There are cameras everywhere,” Candy protested.
“If they understand that you caused the attack, most likely, you’ll have to steamroll,” the assistant summed up.
“The risks are not small. You have to decide.”
“I’ll do it,” John answered calmly.
“I’ll help John. I can’t explain… but something tells me that the key to my disappearance is there.”
John and Gabriel looked at each other, having received another confirmation of their words.
“Any updates about the code?” John asked.
“No, but it’s better for you two to memorize it.”
“Let’s get started.” John summed up.
Gabriel gave him a piece of paper with a phone number. John took out the phone and called it.
“Good day. You’ve called the Suicide Channel director’s office. How can I help you?” A pleasant female voice sounded.
“I’m John Constantine. I need to meet your CEO. I can come to you at 10 a.m. Try to keep this time free.”
“But… It’s against the rules,” the assistant protested. “Stay on the line,” she switched the lines, having put his call on hold.
Gabriel made a poker face, barely holding back a laugh. The thought amused her that he was such an asshole, not only with her.
“The apprentice will be with me. Yes, she will. Candy.”
“We can give a pass only for you, as well. The boss is ready to meet only you.”
“She won’t participate in the meeting. Come up with an excursion for her.”
“But…”
“No objections. I’m on my way.”
John finished the call and hid the phone.
“Let’s saddle up!”
A cab took them from the parking lot and headed to Suicide Canal’s office. John took out his phone and called Angela to find out how she was doing in the police station, but more so to warn her about where they were going.
“We’re going to Suicide Channel.”
“Yikes!” She reacted violently.”
“Help us to get out of there alive.”
“What time?”
“By 10:30 a.m. Can you cordon them off?”
“John, do you know how they treat you? If you disappear somewhere, all the alcohol in the nearest bodegas will be sold out… I’ll try to help you.”
“It’s something. Do it!”
“I have a meeting to go to. Have a good one!”
Chapter 10. Who The Hell Is Megan? Chapter 12. The first contact