John called Andrew.
“Hi!”
“Hello, John! Did you visit the abbot?”
“Not yet. I wanna talk to Candy first before going to him. Then, at a meeting, I’ll explain everything. Do you have her number?”
“Yes, I do. Write it down.”
Having written down the numbers on a napkin, he dropped Andrew’s call and began calling Candy. There were beeps in the receiver. After a long wait, her mother picked up the phone.
“Good day. This is John Constantine. May I hear Candy?”
“You know, she went for a walk.”
Constantine was going to turn white. In a few seconds, he became like death itself.
“How? Where? Have you not seen the weather? Do you understand that she may still be out of her mind and disappear again, but now for weeks or even months?”
“I didn’t even think about it. Candy is an adult. She said so calmly and convincingly that I didn’t interfere with her.”
“Tell the address!” She dictated it. “Damn it. I’ll be soon!”
He rushed out into the street under heavy rain, which instantly turned him into a person taking a shower. His attempts to stop or call a cab were unsuccessful, but each time passing cars doused him with water from under the wheels. “Run to Angela, to the police station! She has to provide some help.” He shot in the police office like a bullet, having thrown at the entrance:
“Constantine.”
Having run along the corridor, he opened the door of the investigators’ department:
“Angela! Candy has left right now, without saying anything.”
“Golly! I can’t go right now. I have to make a report done, as well, there are no cars. Damage!”
“Whatta fuck!” Having said nothing more, he whirled out into the street.
The address that Candy’s mother told was twelve blocks from the police station. “Run! I must be on time! I’ve spent so much effort to save her, and now she can disappear again. It’s a pity that physical training is not enough.” John checked the distance and ran. The rain wall made it difficult to navigate in space in order to avoid obstacles and distinguish between traffic lights. Having run five blocks, he was thoroughly out of breath, but there were cab’s checkers in front of him. John ran up to it and, opening the door, jumped inward:
“Can I get a ride? Urgently! I’m out of money.” A half-breed Angel sat behind the wheel. “Damn it! How many of you are there!” He opened the door and went out again in the rain. Least of all, he wanted to devote them to this issue.
He was aware that he’d have to look for a needle in a haystack. Awareness of this at some point returned to his former excitement.
“Let’s go. This one’s on the house, John,” he said through the lowered glass.
“Well. The hell with you.”
“Where to go?”
“Seven blocks ahead, drop me off there.”
“Where?”
“In the middle of the street.”
“I see,” he replied, being not surprised.
Having looked around the carriageway in the side mirror, he turned a signal and started moving. During the ride, John didn’t find a place for himself, having minded all kinds of scenarios. Having called Candy’s mother again, he made sure that she didn’t come back. They were in place shortly. John jumped out into the street without saying goodbye to the driver and ran wherever his eyes led him. There were several shopping malls nearby, where he went first. Having interviewed people quickly, he was convinced that no one had seen her there.
“So… since she’s not here, she may be somewhere in a cafe.”
About half an hour of searching gave nothing. She was nowhere to be found. She fell through the ground as if. Having come out of the next cafe, he punched the wall angrily. If she doesn’t sit in a cafe and not walk in the malls in this weather, that means Candy couldn’t return to normal life. The phone rang.
“John, I’m ready to go! Where?” Angela told by her high-pitched voice. He named the address. “On my way!”
“There’s nothing. Check up neighborhoods. She must be found. She’s the key.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
He turned towards the road and assessed the situation. “An hour and a half ago, she said. If I’d like to be alone in her place, where would I go?” Not far from her house, there were several parks. “I need to check.” John got a second wind, and the rain began ending. Random passers-by and cafe visitors near whom he stood looked at him with undisguised surprise. It wasn’t difficult for them to notice the changes in his face from reflection to determination. Having run to the first park, he rushed through the stream of cars, collecting signals and looks full of hatred, until he got to the right side. Having braked sharply, the drivers didn’t skimp on the curse after. John ran through the alleys, having turned the head from side to side in search of Candy. Having run for several minutes, he saw a talking couple standing under umbrellas. Having run up to them, breathing heavily, he began asking about Candy. He received only surprised looks and a negative answer. Having realized that there was nothing more to expect, he turned around and was about to run on. Having done a U-turn, pebbles under his feet helped him to fall into a puddle. Having jumped to feet as if nothing happened, he continued his search. The phone rang.
“What do you have, John?”
“Nothing!”
“We cordoned off the district within a radius of eight quarters along all the streets, but you say that the girl is unusual. I don’t know if this will help us.”
“It’s clear.”
Having run out of the first park, he headed to another one. The phone rang again.
“We found her. She’s walking along the street. We’ll stop her. Do not end the call.”
He, having not believed in her words, jumped over two benches and began reducing the distance to the entrance. This park was much larger and in addition to everything, there was a big lake. Knowing about it didn’t give him peace.
“How can this be? John, it’s impossible!”
“What? Did she disappear? This is a mirage!”
“In LA downtown?”
“She wasn’t there. Do you remember what I said? Look for her! Don’t stop! Go-go!”
The rain began to intensify again. He rated the distance and ran straight across the lawn. A premonition told him: “You know that there’s a pier where catamarans stand. There’s not very deep, but if you want so much, you can drown.” He chose a route so that while running to check it. After a few minutes of running, he already began thinking that there was someone on the pier. The wall of rain didn’t give him the opportunity to see everything in detail, and there was no need for this.
Having run through one of the alleys, where a small cafe with a summer terrace was located, he couldn’t help but notice the presence of many half-breeds. From the outside, it looked like a catering party from Midnite’s club. They accompanied him with eyes full of indifference, hatred, and contempt, but John didn’t care. Having approached the pier, he began to shout:
“Candy! Wait! Candy!”
Still not seeing her, he understood that this wouldn’t save her from obsession. Having run into the pier, he didn’t have the slightest doubt that it was she. When there were only a few feet to her, Candy jumped upside down. He immediately followed her. They entered the water almost simultaneously. John tried to grope the edges of her clothes or fingers but to no avail. “What the Hell! She’d be here!” He opened his eyes and was surprised to note that she was ten feet deeper and went to the bottom, being covered with a bright glow. When he swam to her, she was already at the bottom. He picked her up and began surfacing. It seemed simply impossible that she weighed so much. John refused to believe that it was the fatigue of the muscles. Having floated up, he saw Angela and three hastily approaching policemen. Candy began to regain consciousness and saw John sitting just on the ground next to her.
“John?”
“Yes.”
“What happened to me?..”
“Yeah.”
“Again?”
“Yes.”
“And they,” she gestured toward the running cops.
“Wanna live a long life – keep your mouth shut. You can trust only Angela.”
She looked at him questioningly.
“She is you. You understand?”
“Yes.”
“Deal?”
“Yeah.”
The group came close.
“Candy, Candy, how are you?” the cops gibbered.
“I’m fine.”
“For sure? Did you want to commit suicide?”
“Oh, no! Of course not! I love this life too much,” she smiled at ease, to which Angela furtively looked at Constantine, and he blinked his eyelashes in response to the fact that it was necessary, and she understood. Like no one else, Angela knew that the game, alas, is conducted according to laws that are unknown to her.
“Take you home?”
“No, I’ll walk with him.”
“My name is John,” he reminded her courteously.
“With John.”
“So, did you want to jump off?”
“No, I just slipped on the pier, having thought about my own. Indeed, there’s no need to worry about this.”
The cops went away in disbelief. Angela was the last to go. Having put her hand behind, she showed a thumbs up: “John Constantine, it’s well done.”
“Let’s get out of here, John.”
“Already leaving. It’s bad that my bag drowned.”
“Dive for it?”
“You shouldn’t stand under the piercing wind. We’ll leave the park and call your mother. You should say you good. I’ll confirm.”
“What’s then?”
“You’ll go home.”
“No way!”
“Why?”
“If everything happens again?”
Passing by a half-breed, her eyes were glazed.
“What’s up?”
“I… I cannot believe it!”
“The visit there opens up these opportunities for you. It’s true sight.”
“They… they’re not humans!”
“Exactly, I’m sure that they’re not just sitting here for no reason. Gotta get out of here. Soon, information about what happened will scatter among them.”
“Tell me more!”
They left the park, went into the first store that they came across. She called mother and calmed her down.
“I’ll be with John for a while. Not a word about me. See you, mommy.”
“Let it look as if she still walks,” John intervened in the conversation.
From overwhelming fatigue, Candy sat down on the floor. Sitting in the middle of the shop with kitchen utensils, she shocked a salesman, both in her appearance and condition.
“We’re leaving now,” John said calmly but weightily. “While we were walking past the summer terrace, how many half-breeds did you count?”
“Eight, maybe nine. Right?”
“Fourteen. You’ve got extras, but they’re in their infancy. Over time, you can grow ‘em up,” he leaned on the door jamb.
“What do you think about, John?”
“This is deja vu. A persistent smack of consequences doesn’t give me peace of mind.”
She looked at him even more perplexed.
“Never mind. Everything’s different. Each time, madness has new forms. You good?”
“Sort of. Do you have money for a cab?”
“Not a penny.”
“I see.”
“You need to dry clothes.”
He gave her a hand and helped her up. Having opened the door, John threw a kind of “Thank you” and went out with her.
“I’m gonna bring you home. It’ll be safer.”
“What should I do then?”
“Do your usual doings.”
They walked pretty quickly along the street, having overlooked puddles and dumped garbage cans, pushed out of the lanes by gusts of wind.
“So, what did you do before you ended up on the pier?”
“I’ve watched YouTube. Then something unusual happened. I distinctly heard the call, and I couldn’t resist.”
“In what form did it send info about what you should do?”
“First of all, a voice distinctly told me what to do, then a picture of the place appeared in my head. This was a part of my childhood memory. John, this bothers me so much.”
“I need to inspect your apartment. Do you live with a mom?”
“Yes, I do. The father has left us long ago.”
The conversation was interrupted by a whistle of brakes and a roar about fifty feet behind. Having turned around, John noticed that a truck, having hit the brakes, turned sharply, and, sweeping away everything in its path, went straight at them.
“Damn it!”
“What? Holy fuck!” Candy was shocked.
Until the next span between the houses was over a hundred feet ahead not less, and the one that was closest was already blocked by the truck.
“Run! Now!”
“Damn it!”
They rushed off. John appreciated the situation. Running along the wall for a long time wouldn’t succeed: the truck will catch them up.
“John, a lighting pole! She pointed a finger across the street.”
Having sharply changed course, they rushed towards it to take cover behind and have more place for a maneuver. Having jumped onto the roadway, they ran directly. Every second mattered. The truck was running with a roar behind them. Fortunately, they jumped out from under the wheels of Aveo, after which it was rammed by the truck and was thrown to the wall. The blow, albeit slightly, could slow the truck. There were less than twenty feet to the pole. John pushed her, and she was the first at it, then he jumped himself. The truck hit it with such force and knocked them down. Their cursory glances were enough to see a half-breed Angel as a driver. After hitting the steering wheel, he lost consciousness, and blood flowed through his face. Having recalled himself, John ordered:
“Run! You know a short way?”
“I do. I’ve grown up here.”
She ran along the streets, having dragged John along with her.
Having run three blocks, they slowed down a little bit. At some point, she felt the absence of his gaze on the back. From this, she covered herself with chilling sweat. Having turned around, she saw John resting his hand on the wall and bowing his head.
“Something’s wrong?”
“I hear them. The hunt is open for you.”
“You’re scaring me.”
“We have to get your home asap.”
She ran forward, having shown the way. An unremarkable house appeared in front of them. Having flown to the third floor, they stopped in front of an ordinary door. “I’m finally home.” Having opened a lock with a key, Candy fell exhaustedly to the floor. Hearing that the daughter had come, the mom was jumping out of the room. Having kneeled down, she hugged her shoulders, but John wasn’t up to touching moments.
“Pack her stuff. Only the most necessary in a few bags. She’s coming with me.”
“…But why? Nothing threatens her here. I’ll call the police if something goes wrong.”
“Want to entrust her life to them? Let it be. No problem!”
He turned around, about to leave. In despair, Candy grabbed him by the wet hem of the cloak.
“John, no! Don’t leave me! I’ll not survive this again. Pleaaaase,” her request turned into one continuous howl: she was gripped by despair. “Mom, I’ll go with him. He saved me three times in a few days. They’ll definitely come after me.”
“Who’ll come, darling, no one is threatening you? You’re completely safe with me.”
“I’m leaving; if they come here for me, they’ll definitely harm you.”
“Take a shower quickly and put on some dry clothes. You have to be done in ten minutes. Wanna help Candy live longer, pack her bags and hurry up.”
“Are you John Constantine, an exorcist, who everyone talks about?”
“Yes. It’s me, but … I still don’t understand what’s going on. The only chance to know this before she dies is to stay by my side.”
“Don’t talk like that. She’s so young. She’s got no family and just graduated from university.”
“Well… Where’s her room? Let’s check it up to find some clues.”
She opened the door, having hastened to let him in. Having got two sports bags from the pantry, she began to get packed.
“What a strange room.” He started the inspection. For the first time in several years, goosebumps ran down his skin, which he noted with surprise. Having examined every corner of it, he froze in indecision. “There’s definitely something wrong here.”
“Have you been living here for a long time?”
“About half a year.”
“Who’s the previous owners?”
“A married couple, they moved out from LA.”
“Was there anything unusual?”
“With them or in general?”
“Both.”
“Everything was fine. I haven’t noticed anything special.”
He closed his eyes and just began to feel the room with his hands every inch of the wall, furniture, floor. She looked with wonder at the exorcist at work. The sound of a hairdryer turned on from behind, having made her shudder. John turned to her.
“Have you packed up? Dunno waste time on me! We run out of it.”
She quickly put the rest of her stuff in the bags and set them in the hallway. John pushed back the bed and continued the research. While he was measuring the room, Candy entered.
“What are you looking for?”
John, without opening his eyes, continued to examine.
“I don’t know yet. Candy, is there anything valuable besides your laptop?”
“Nope.”
“Take it away.”
Having opened his eyes, John thought that something had changed in the room. He critically looked at the bookcase in the left corner. It looked like something superfluous. John easily threw it aside. Books and all kinds of trinkets flew to the floor.
“And still nothing. Hmmm. May I ask you to go out?”
Candy’s mom nodded and headed out.
“I wanna stay.”
“It’s not desirable. Unforeseen can happen.”
“John! I should know what was going on here.”
“As you wish. Just close your eyes.”
He stood to give himself the most stable position. Having unbuttoned his sleeves, he released two halves of his tattoo. He bowed his head, uttered a half-whisper a few words, and crossed his arms.
“Whatever the fuck you are, I’m John Constantine, wanna see you.”
Seconds began lasting forever, but nothing happened. “Maybe something is wrong with me, and I’m gonna lose my skills…” Incredibly slowly, a dim glow began appearing in the room.
“John, look!” having not followed his advice, Candy opened her eyes.
“Yes, it is.”
Runes of various colors began emerging on the walls.
“John, what are these patterns about?”
“Runes, hmm, but there’s good news: they’re protective. From the dim glow, it was evident that they were very worn out but still working.”
“Who could protect me, and why did they stop?”
“I heard rumors about a mediums protection program. I don’t know how true it is, but this seems to be exactly the case.”
John looked at the clock that showed the beginning of 6 p.m. It seemed that time had made a leap, having cathed up lost.
“We’re leaving.”
“Explain…”
“On the way.”
He took out the phone to call Angela. After water procedures, it completely refused to work. “Gimme landline one!” Having dialed the phone number of the police station, he said in a demanding tone:
“This is John. I need Angela.”
“Connecting.”
“John, you’ve got an urgent call! Where’s your phone? They looked for ya…”
“Remember it was diving with me?”
“Ah, for sure. The problem is that according to the description, someone possessed a guy. They could tie him up only after they thoroughly stunned him. How about you? Is everything alright?”
“So far, so good. They started hunting for her, and the driver on the truck …”
“A few blocks away from you?”
“Indeed. He has tried to kill us by arranging a safari right on the street. And yes, they didn’t let us get bored. Can’t that guy wait? First of all, I would have to bring Candy to a safe place.
“Lemme take her? Where do I have to go?”
“The hunt has begun.”
“What do we do?”
Candy made pleading eyes so that he wouldn’t throw her alone.
“Everything’s even worse. It’s not clear how, but those who hunt can guide half-breed Angels. Take two bags from her mother and bring them to Gabriel. Will you do it? Nice! Where’s he? On my way.”
He turned to her and smiled a little.
“Don’t change your mind?”
“No, John. I’m tired of being afraid. I’m calm with you.”
He made an appreciative grimace and nodded his head.
“Do you know how to handle weapons?”
“Yeah. I’ve taken a shooting course.”
She opened the bottom drawer and took out a box. In a beautiful pink marshmallow box was Desert Eagle with two extra magazines.
“Most likely, he won’t save from the half-breeds, but it’ll definitely give you confidence.”
She immediately hid it in her purse. Having looked around the room and made sure that nothing else holds them here, they went out into the hallway.
“Candy. You know, you’d better take a bird. I’d be much calmer,” a mom’s palette of emotions has shown that she was very worried about her girl.
“Don’t worry, mommy,” she lifted the edge of it from the purse, having shown that the “bird” took place. “I’m an adult girl and can stand for myself.”
“Please, take care of her. I have no one else except her.”
“I promise.”
John left the apartment. Candy followed him.
Chapter 7. Angela Dodson. Let’s Talk About Details Chapter 9. The Exorcist At Work