A PALE HORSE

After the successful delivery of the first of the tech suits the previous day, Peter, Sam, and Abe were in high spirits, talking and laughing. As the bitter cold and remnants of a snowy night seeked to do battle with the rays of the bright autumn sun, the three men sat precariously in the tram that sped them through the streets of St Petersburg. They were discussing the city and the sights and comparing notes, when all three had to grab for handholds as the tram skittered to a wavering, icy stop. The travelers disembarked from the small vehicle to stand in front of the Church of Our Lady of Smolensk, and Peter, in particular, was caught up for a moment in the stark white walls that finished themselves off in spectacular parapets of icy blue. Once off the tram, and one block adjacent to the Expoforum complex, no one in the party had to ask which way to proceed. As they walked north from the church, they heard it before they saw it. From their right, they could see what appeared to be a mass of people that Abe could only assume were circus performers.

This is absolute chaos!, he thought. The riot of color and sound and spectacle that greeted them was a lot to behold at once, and Sam and Abe in their turn felt positively assaulted by it. Peter, who was used to what they were witnessing, men and women in elaborate costumes carrying fantastic weapons and props, wanted to get them moving before they succumbed to the sheer weirdness of it all.

“Come on, you guys. I have to get to the vendor’s control area and sign us in,” Peter said, hopping a low plastic yellow chain and alighting on a path that took them to the front entrance of the Expoforum. The complex itself was made up of three exhibition halls, two hotels and numerous areas for restaurant vendors and drink sellers. They made their way to registration, encountering less of the hullabaloo from earlier, and Sam supposed that not many of the con-goers came this way. They reached a box office counter, and Peter removed the messenger bag he had been toting at his side to produce some paperwork, which he handed to the person on the other side of the glass. “Peter Devereaux, Guardian Craftworks, 118.” After the young woman behind the counter took his name and booth information, she handed Peter the three vendor passes on lanyards, a map to the grounds, and a list of the vendors and speakers for the day.

“Mr. Devereaux, would you mind waiting here for a moment? Mr. Hawsey would like to have a quick word before you enter the complex.”

“Yes, that’s fine. Please let him know that I’ll be happy to talk to him.” Peter nodded and placed his lanyard around his neck, as the other two men gave him a quizzical look. “Dunno,” Peter said to them as he shrugged. A door opened to their right and a rather outlandish- looking man in a black suit approached Peter. It wasn’t the black suit, but the bright pink and blue paisley tie and pocket square and the glasses to match that pushed the outfit over the top. As he approached in a flurry, whisking back and forth as he did, Peter noticed that the silk lining of his jacket bore the same crazy colors and pattern. The man rushed Peter with his hand extended.

“Mr. Devereaux, darling! Thanks for waiting! Such a pleasure to meet you at last and in person!” Peter shook the extended hand and the man squeaked a little as he spoke, “Such. A. Pleasure!” the little man shook with one hand and fanned himself like a fainting Southern belle with the other. The exchange would have made Peter uncomfortable if he weren’t used to meeting people like this on a pretty regular basis.

“Not at all, Mr. Hawsey. The pleasure is mine. What can I do for you?” The man withdrew his hand, still smiling broadly at the young inventor, absently plucked the pocket square from his suit jacket, and gave his right hand a quick wipe before replacing the handkerchief. Peter’s raised eyebrow told Hawsey of a slight offense.

“No offense at all, darling! I simply cannot abide germs, you understand?” he explained with a dismissive gesture and a sincere countenance. “I never shake, darling. Never! The reason I extend the honor to you, sir, should be evident. I want to thank you! Your generous contribution, not only with your inimitable and fantastic creations, but also your timely and um, sizable contribution, has allowed us to continue to host the convention, once again, in the heart of St. Petersburg! The organization thanks you, and I thank you. We are at your service while you are here… please do not hesitate to let us know if you need anything. Well, not ME, of course!” The little prim man called over his left shoulder with his hand raised, “I will be a busy little beaver, for certain, but… well, SOMEONE will tend to your every whim! Every whim!” And, he was gone, disappearing through the large door.

“That was…”, Abe started. “Um…”, he tried to come up with a description and stopped. “Yeah, I got nothin’, Peter. He was a weird cat. Just how much did you give them?” Peter glared a bit at Abe, obviously embarrassed at the exchange.

“Can we go, please? I have a ton to do.”

“By all means, darling!” Sam couldn’t resist the jab, lighthearted as it was. They all laughed and went through the door on the left leading to the huge entrance of the convention floor. Peter was supposed to have debuted his SAMs at the show, but had to pull out after Max warned him about Lev. The Expoforum personnel were not happy at the last-minute cancellation of the debut of such a highly-anticipated piece of cosplay tech, but had a replacement ready for just such an emergency. As they walked down the long wide hallway,

Peter handed out the other two lanyards and said, “I have to go check in at my booth, but then we are free to get out and see all of the action.” They turned a corner and were met with a throng of con-goers in full regalia.

“I think the action has beat us to it,” said Sam. Two women dressed as elves, although “dressed” was an overstatement, sauntered up the hallway, looking the men over as they went. They seemed to take particular interest in Sam. Sam was, by most women’s standards, very attractive, and this was not the first group of women to take notice while they were all together. Peter silently wished that a group of women would look at him like that someday. He shook his head as Sam brushed past the women without looking at them, and they continued on through the throng.

“It’s going to take me a while to go over product placement and displays, but you guys can wander around. Just don’t go too far. Lev can easily get to us here, but we have strength in numbers.”

“I didn’t think you had anything else except the SAMS?” Sam asked him.

“I sent everything over a week ago along with one of my associates. You guys will meet her. She’s perfect for this kind of thing- Tammy enjoys the travel and loves people! She has a heart for the crazies, and is a con favorite. She is one of my main agents.” Peter watched Abe out of the corner of his eye, he was ogling everything around him, so much so that he had tried three times to put his lanyard around his neck but it kept getting caught. Peter finally took pity on him and freed the lanyard so that it fit neatly around Abes ballcap.

He looked at Peter and said in an awed voice, “I have never seen anything like this, and I’ve seen a lot!” Peter laughed and took the big man by the arm.

“Gentlemen, we’re here. Welcome to the freakshow!” The three of them walked to the double doors that led into the cavernous expo center. When they finally opened the doors, Abe and Sam felt positively assaulted. The noise level rose a few decibels as a wash of voices, audio from displays and games, and music battered their ears. Lights and color were everywhere, and their senses were challenged to take it all in. Abe literally was so overwhelmed he didn’t know where to look. Peter corralled them, “This way- we’re near the con entrance.” Peter explained to them his idea to always ask for a booth nearest the entrance, that way people would see your products on the way in and the way out. Abe had been impressed with Peter since the box office. He was seeing Peter in a different light; he wasn’t just a twenty-something shy kid. Abe was seeing Peter the entrepreneur, Peter the tech head, Peter the marketer, Peter the diplomat, Peter the expert. He was truly impressed, and Abe made a vow to not be so quick to judge a youngster by appearances in the future. Peter looked over the items and tech they had set out to sell, and set about arranging and tweaking busily. The products that GC had displayed were flanked on either side by impressively lit and flashing LED models of some of Peter’s creations, along with the catalogue of items that Peter had for custom jobs. His business cards and pamphlets littered the table placed up front. At the front of the booth stood a ladder and on that ladder stood the diminutive woman Peter had spoken of to his companions earlier.

“Guys, this is Tamara Kent- Tammy.” He gestured up the ladder to the figure atop it. She was a pretty woman in her late twenties, with purple hair that fell past the middle of her back and kind, excited eyes. She was dressed similarly to many of the folks that were milling around the forum, sporting white and red boots, a red skirt, a white armored bustier that looked like a sailor’s tunic, and a gold and purple diadem. She looked down from where she was standing, dressing a mannequin in a costume that was little more than a bikini, a belt with a gun holster, a pair of thigh high boots and a small red cape, and gave a small wave and held up a finger to let them know she would be right down. Abe looked at the dummy and nudged Peter.

“What’s that supposed to be?”

Peter grinned and said, “Red Riding Hood, Wolf Hunter. Paramount, 2017. We made a mint on that movie!” Abe whistled in response. Having finished the mannequin to her satisfaction, Tammy carefully made her way down to the last two rungs of the ladder, then bounded down in one leap, almost landing on top of Peter.

“You finally made it, boss!” She flung her arms around his neck, reaching up a bit to do so. “I thought you would never get here. Where is the suit? You didn’t have trouble getting it in did you? Marquez is here, by the way. Did you see the orders?” she asked, seemingly all in one breath, and she gestured to a small stack of paper on the edge of the nearest table. Abe was tired just watching her move and listening to her speak. She was what his grandfather would have referred to as “spunky”. She flitted about with excited energy, and her smile was lovely and infectious. When she had finally worn herself out Peter answered her.

“Got in yesterday, the suits are all sold and we will not be able to debut them here. I thought Marquez had decided to pass on this one? The mannequin is perfect. What did we sell? Oh, by the way, this is Sam and Abe, they are the pilots that flew the SAMs over from New Orleans. Guys, this is Tammy Kent.”

Tammy looked over at the two guys, lingered a second over Sam, and said, “Nice to meet you guys! Wait, SAMs?” she turned back to Peter, “What are SAMS?”

“Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you that I renamed the suits! They are now called SAMS, Stealth Armed Mobility Suits,” Peter said excitedly. Tammy grinned at his enthusiasm.

“I’m glad you finally got rid of BMs!” She turned to Sam who was grinning, and she matched him, saying, “I know, right??! I always thought of the bathroom when he said that.” Sam barked a laugh and Abe hid his grin by looking the other direction.

Peter’s face turned red and he said, “If you hated it so much, why didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn’t want to hurt your feelings, honey. I know how long it took for you to come up with the name in the first place.” She laid a hand on his arm in a placating gesture. “The suits are your genius, but names are not your forte. Anyway,” she quickly changed the subject, “Todd Marquez wanted me to let you know he would like for you to stop by their display… he has a piece he wants your opinion on. Also, did you know there were some people looking for you earlier? Yeah, a really beautiful woman and her two associates. They kind of looked like they were Takame Rereta Seishin, but I couldn’t pinpoint them. The guys that were with her were suits. Not normies, but not cosplayers, either. And she’s definitely a she…not a trap!”

“Oh, how beautiful was she and why would she want to see me?” he asked her, but all of his attention was now focused on the answer.

“Oh! She was stunning, with long silver hair and the most vibrant lavender eyes, and her voice was smooth and warm... like the caress of a lover... in the dark.” Suddenly she stopped and shook her head as if to clear it and blushed prettily at the three confused men. “You are the great Peter Devereaux! Boy Wonder and hero of cosplayers and replicators EVERYWHERE! She probably wants you to know that you changed her life by creating the Pascal Pack!... I dunno why she wanted to see you, honey,“ she shrugged, referencing a highly-detailed jet propulsion device that Peter had fabricated for Pink Star Arc, a movie series that had been huge in Russia. “Anyway, she made the best vila I have ever seen, and you know I’ve seen it all!”

Peter looked at the other two and then back to Tammy, “I’m sorry I missed her then...sounds interesting.”

“Oh, that’s not all,” Tammy said, “she had two really big guys with her, maybe they were her bodyguards, the good Lord knows that she needs protection! The weird thing is that they were just as striking as her. They were a matched set, twins by my guess, they didn’t say anything and watched her like they couldn’t wait to do anything she asked. I should have someone look at me the way they were looking at her.” She became sullen and looked as if she may cry, almost like she couldn’t help herself. Peter knew that Tammy had a hard time finding dates, but this sort of despondency was far out of character for her. Her diminutive size and charismatic personality were at odds with each other on a daily basis. She was not a shrinking violet and definitely had opinions. She also had an overpowering love for life and excitement. Most of her dates came from a dating site and when the meet her in person they can’t help but feel intimidated by the small woman with the larger than life personality. Tammy also figured that anyone who couldn’t take her the way she was wasn’t going to be worth her time and it was their loss, and Peter agreed. Her confidence and exuberance was one of the many things that made her attractive. This was not Tammy… this was... something else, and Peter was worried.

“Hey, Starburst, what gives?” He took her by the shoulders to look him full in the face and used the nickname he had given her due to her ever-changing hair color. “You okay?” He looked encouragingly at his friend, but she just shook her head vehemently, as if trying to jar something loose, and turned to Abe and Sam.

“Peter said you are pilots, right?” Abe and Sam shook their heads in the affirmative. “Well, there is a new exhibit down that way,” she pointed in the direction of a large group of people at the end of the isle, “that has been giving everyone fits.” Peter looked questioningly at her and she offered as an aside to him, “Yep, it’s MJV’s piece. Those bastards!” She turned back to the two pilots, “It is a flying simulator built into a new RPG game called Kill Zone. I have heard bits and pieces from the people who have tried it… the reviews are rave! Supposed to be extremely challenging, even for seasoned pilots. The thing splashed an F-35 ace and two Blue Angels just last month.” Abe looked at Sam with excitement.

“I have never met a simulator I couldn’t master!” he said proudly.

“Everyone knows what kind of scrubs the Angels’ pilots are!” Sam sarcastically scoffed and rolled his eyes. “I haven’t met a plane I couldn’t handle, either!” Sam raised his eyebrows and looked excited at the prospect of giving the machine a go. “I was born to fly, you know!”

Peter thought, Yeah, you were definitely born to fly, Samael. Question is how do I get you to agree to what Michael is asking? I need to find out what you care about! He zoned back in on the exchange.

“It’s not just planes,” Tammy told them, “from what I hear the game has everything from an Apache helicopter to a Stealth fighter, and even some top secret spacecraft! AND it is customizable for the skill level of the person. They were looking for people here with flying experience to test some of the harder levels earlier- maybe you two should go beat it up!” Peter watched as Sam and Abe grinned at each other in anticipation, then both turned to him.

“Nope, not me! I’ve got a business to run… you guys go ahead, and I’ll catch up with you. I’m going to help Tammy for a little while.” He watched as Abe and Sam made their way down the aisle and disappear into the throng of people. He turned back to Tammy who was still looking a little down and said, “You okay? What was all that a minute ago?”

She shook her head again and smiled, “I don’t know what the hell that was, Peter! That’s not me! Sorry- I guess it’s jetlag or something… the air in here is weird, too. You don’t have to worry about me, honey. I’m tip top! But thanks!” Tammy looked at Peter with her characteristic big smile and did her best to reassure him that the thing that wasn’t quite right with her at the moment was really fine.

He gave her a hug and said to the air in a loving mock, “Girls!” She rolled her eyes and shooed him away, laughing.

“Speaking of girls, you could do way worse than that vila bombshell that blew in like smoke! It’s a shame you missed…” She was looking past Peter when her eyes locked on someone, “You speak of them and they appear, and it looks like she has gathered some more admirers.” Peter turned in the direction that Tammy had been looking and saw a strikingly beautiful woman walking towards his booth. She was covered from head to toe in a material that floated and swayed with every movement, diaphanous and sort of not-there. Peter took a closer look and saw that it was feathers that floated and moved with the woman. The feathers were all white except the tips, they were a burnt orange color, roughly akin to the colors in a russet sunset. She moved with grace, and following in her wake were two very large men. They were identical from the dark sunglasses they wore to the matching suits. They looked every inch the body guards Peter assumed they were. Behind them, Peter noticed a large group of men. They were following the woman, but keeping their distance from the Wonder Twins. The woman caught sight of Peter and smiled. She was a picture of grace and femininity. The closer she got, the more rapid Peter’s heart beat. His chest tightened and he was finding it increasingly harder to breathe. The old feeling of insecurity he had tried so hard to rid himself of was trying to make a spectacular comeback.

Man, he thought, I come all the way across the world and I can’t escape it! Super not-helpful at this particular moment.

He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, before he could open them again he heard a sultry voice say, “Hello, you must be Peter?” Peter opened his eyes to the most vibrant purple eyes he had ever seen. He thought she must have paid a fortune for the lenses he was sure she was wearing. Normally, Peter would not be able to speak with a woman like this. He would freeze up and get tounge tied, Tammy knew, so she tried to head off his condition by saying, “I was just telling Peter about you… Miss…?” She held her hand out in question and waited for the woman to make herself known.

“Serena.” She said her name without taking her eyes off Peter, peering at him strangely. It was strange but the longer she stared at Peter the more he came to dislike her.

That’s new, he thought. He was usually a very friendly person, and he couldn’t pin down what made him feel so negatively towards her, but it was there, definitely. He found himself experiencing a sudden, strange annoyance. He didn’t know why, but it was plain he couldn’t stand her. “Hello… Serena, was it? What do you want?” The question took Tammy by surprise, not only because he asked it, but because of the brusque manner in which he asked. She turned to the woman apologetically.

“I’m sorry... he just got off a plane and is still a little jet-lagged.” She shot Peter a what-the-hell-are-you-doing look and offered, “What he meant to ask is, how can we help you today? I’m not sure what we can do though, your costume is the best I have seen!” Tammy was trying to placate the frowning vila, but Peter was not in the mood to placate. He heard two growls come from the statues standing behind Serena. He looked over to them and smiled. He wasn’t sure where this newfound courage was coming from but he was glad to have it. Serena looked past Tammy dismissively, not even acknowledging that she had spoken. It was clear that the woman was only there to address Peter, and he noticed Tammy looking dejected and sullen again. He was beginning to think the strange girl had something to with her countenance, and that made him even angrier.

“Miss, I am quite busy. What can I do for you?”

“I heard that you were showing off some robotic suits today and had to come and see for myself. Your talent as a fabricator and designer are very well-known, Peter. Show me what you have created.” It wasn’t a request, and it wasn’t a fan asking. It was clear that the woman expected him to supply what she required without any blowback from him or hesitation.

Who does she think she is? I don’t like the affect she seems to be having on Tammy… I need to get her away from her! Peter didn’t feel like playing along, and he started to shake his head, smiling at the woman’s gall. This was about to get interesting. Peter looked over to Tammy, and caught her eye as she looked solemnly at the woman, and said “Tammy, can you go and see if Sam and Abe can help me with a few things? Just tell them that they can spend their time goofing off later. I’m going to talk with Serena here about the suits. Thanks.” Tammy watched Peter closely and then gave a slight nod to her head. She took off down the aisle and pushed her way past the growing crowd where the simulator was located. Peter could here the shouts from the bystanders cheering on whoever was in the simulator at the moment. He turned back to Serena and said, “No. I don’t think I will. Have a nice day.” Then quite a few things happened all at once. Peter turned back to the table to re-re-arrange the stuff there at the exact moment that the woman let out a slight, otherworldly shriek as if she had been struck. Also, at that exact moment as he showed his back to her, he felt a clap on his shoulder and he suddenly found himself facing the woman again. When he was facing the three of them again, there was precisely zero indication that anyone had touched him, and he didn’t know who to glare at. She wasn’t pleased, and it showed. Peter started to notice that there was a creepiness to her exotic look, and where Tammy saw beauty, he saw cruelty and capriciousness. Dear God, could she actually BE a vila? A real live vila? If he hadn’t experienced the events of his recent life, he would have had a different answer. She was probably the real deal, and that would explain why she was so surprised when he didn’t fall under her spell. Why DIDN’T he fall under her spell? He would have to ask Michael when he saw him… if he saw him. Vilas were dangerous and cunning, and who knew what her henchmen were capable of. One thing was for sure, the people in the forum were in real danger. He had to play this the right way because he had done something that she wasn’t used to. It pleased him to know that he refused to comply when he was sure countless others had not, but this was not the time. He had to get her to leave, and so far, boldness had been working in his favor. He decided to keep riding that horse until it bucked him.

“Excuse me? What do you mean ‘no’? Perhaps I didn’t articulate my desire clearly enough- show me the suit. Now!” Peter smirked, and he knew he was all in on whatever gambit this was.

“Serena, you made yourself perfectly clear, and I am telling you again, no. I am the owner and chief designer at Guardian, and I have chosen not to debut them here. Not that it’s your business, but there was an issue that made them unfit for unveiling here. Maybe we can do business some other time. Thanks for stopping by.” Serena pursed her lips at the obvious dismissal.

“You are playing a very dangerous game, Mr. Devereaux.”

“Oh, how so?” Peter asked flippantly. The twins growled dangerously and Peter saw one of them reach inside his jacket. Peter swallowed hard but stood his ground. He had never hoped so hard for interruption from an angel in his life. Michael!, he thought, if you can hear me, I could really use some help right about now! Serena laid a hand on the guard’s arm and smiled at him. Peter saw him visibly relax and his hand drop to his side.

She turned back to Peter and said,“You have angered some very dangerous people. Who is not important, but what?... that is of utmost importance. Can you think of the what that I am referring to, Peter? Thirteen little sluts in a box, perhaps?” The vila threw her head back as if to laugh, and Peter could see the exposed vocal cords and innards of her throat and thought he may vomit.

The vila is working with Olivier! That vile man had reach across the world, and Peter realized worriedly that he had severely underestimated the scope of what they were dealing with. Serena returned her gaze to him, and Peter, for his part definitely did not see any beauty in the creature, unlike the followers around her. She would kill him, here. Now. He had no doubt about that, and he also had no doubt that the girls were going to be in terrible danger if anyone found out where they were holed up.

She continued, “They feel that you owe them something of value, something that will take the place of the items that were stolen from them.”

She’s not guessing- she knows. Peter was certain that Olivier had briefed his people thoroughly and told them of the mech’s involvement in springing the girls and destroying the grunch. Still, he decided to play dumb… and hope it worked. “What are you talking about, Serena? When could I have done what you are suggesting, considering I’ve been traveling for the last couple of days?” Peter said.

“Just know that reparations must be made or your worst nightmare will become reality.”

“Look around you, Serena. My business is nightmares. You don’t scare me.” Peter said clenching his fists and swallowing hard. The two goons with her instantly stepped in between Serena and Peter, and the larger of the two placed a meaty palm on Peter’s chest. Peter was sure this could get out of hand quickly.

“Peter, everything alright overH here?” came the familiar voice of Sam.

Peter breathed a sigh and said, “No, I believe that our business is finished here.”

“I do not believe it is, Mr. Devereaux.” Serena had stepped out from behind her two henchmen and directed her gaze towards Sam and Abe. “You must be Mr. Deveraux’s friends? Pilots, if I am not mistaken?” she asked arching one beautifully sculpted eyebrow in question. Abe quickly stepped up and held out his hand to the woman.

“Guilty as charged. Abraham Sims at your service. You are stunningly beautiful! Like an angel from heaven!” It seemed to Peter that Abe was just as smitten with Serena as the rest of the lovesick bystanders. It made his blood boil and just as he was about to step forward and say something, Sam laid a hand on his arm and as he looked over at his friend he received a small shake of the head indicating that he shouldn’t move. The protective streak in Peter was strong but he trusted Sam’s instinct and stood firm.

“Such a flatterer!” Serena’s silken voice oozed over Abe. She turned to Sam and said, “And who are you?”

“Not important. What you may be more interested in is who my boss is, but I have a sneaky suspicion you already know. He isn’t someone you want to piss off, so you may want to take your weebles and skee-daddle.” Peter turned and gaped at Sam, joining in on the expressions of the vila and her henchmen. Peter thought he noticed her eyes turn a darker purple, and for a moment they seemed to glow while she vacillated between fury and fear. Serena quickly returned the sweetness to her gaze and honey to her voice.

“Sir, whatever do you mean?” This time, Peter was certain he saw the hue of her irises change, and he felt like he wanted to reach out and touch her, just for a second.

He began to bring his arm up, but Sam grabbed it firmly and shook his head and said in a clear strong voice, said, “What do you want, sweetheart? We’re all sort of busy here, as you can see. Spill it!” Peter had never heard the flippant and sarcastic Sam be so forceful and it made him immensely proud to be his friend.

“Oh, don’t be like that,” she said with a mock pout, “we were just getting to know one another, right, Abe?” She placed a familiar hand on Abe’s sleeve and Peter saw her eyes flash again. Abe turned around to face him and Peter noticed Abe’s glassy eyes and vacant expression. Abe was not himself, but his voice came out clear and loud.

“You guys are being rude! Serena just wants to talk to you! To warn you.” Sam faced the vila.

“We know who sent you. We have no intention of heeding your warning, witch.” Her smile remained dazzling, but her eyes clouded over and became a dark and violent storm of violet and black. She looked over their shoulders and smiled. Peter turned and looked where Serena had been gazing. It took him a minute, but then he saw her. Tammy, glumly walking up the stairs to the second story leading to the food courts, taking measured, deliberate steps. She walked as if in a trance and Peter could tell by the look on her face that she had been crying. She looked over the balcony towards where Peter, Sam and Abe were standing. He saw her shoulders shake as she cried and she turned and fled further into the building. Peter swung back to the vila and reached out to grab her, but he was forestalled by the full girth of one of the twins holding him back.

“What did you do to Tammy?!! I swear, if anything happens to her-” His anger was bile in his mouth and he spit at the woman. He had never felt rage that was so palpable.

“I am answering your question about what will happen if you ignore my warning. We are strong, little man, and we are not alone.” Serena turned on her heel and started to walk away, one twin in tow while the other still had a grip on Peter. She called absently back over her shoulder, “Oh, you will want to go find your friend. We wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to her.” Without waiting, she walked through the sea of men. They parted before her and followed in her wake. Sam grabbed a hold of Abe’s arm as he went to follow Serena.

“Let go, Sam! What the hell??” He moved as if to confront the angel, but Sam spoke in a calming tone while holding his arm in a very formidable grip.

“Trust me, my friend. You want to let that one go.”

Abe tried to shake him off, but Peter said, “Abe. Abe!! Hey! We have to find Tammy! Stop thinking about yourself! That thing did something to Tammy and she ran off. We have to find her or I think something bad could happen to her.” They were able to keep Abe still long enough for the vila to disappear from his sight.

Abe slumped and said, “She got away. Some friends you are!” Peter pulled Abe in the opposite direction.

“Come on! You go to the second floor. Sam will go up to the top floor and I will go to the food courts. That was the direction I last saw her go. Please, guys, we have to find her!” Sam and Abe went in the directions that Peter indicated, as Peter went off to the second floor with a horrible dread in the bottom of his gut. He hated feeling helpless, and he hated seeing innocents harmed. Right now, all he could do was hurry and pray. So, he prayed quickly and silently as he ran to the last place he saw Tammy. He was worried that he would be too late, but for what he was not sure. He knew that Serena was serious in her warning and that she had done something to both Abe and Tammy that made them act strangely. He walked with a purpose, searching for any sign of his friend. Her size did not help him in the least. He was searching for her purple hair, but at a con, so many people were dressed outrageously and had purple hair that it was like trying to find a needle in a stack of needles. Purple was a popular color... not as popular as bright red or electric blue but still, it seemed that everywhere he turned he saw someone with purple hair. He made his way to the stairs and saw Sam ascend to the next level. The open concept of the building allowed for those people on the second and third floors to see down into the lobby. Peter moved over to the rail and looked down into the lobby, he spotted the vila there with her entourage. She looked at him and smiled, then looked up. He didn’t see anything in the direction that the woman was looking, but he heard a scream a little further down the landing. Most of the patrons stopped moving and people were looking up and pointing. With a sinking feeling Peter followed there gazes up to the third floor. There standing on a railing was Tammy. Peter felt his heart seize in his chest. “No! Tammy, stop!” Peter cried as he ran, torn between sprinting with his eyes straight ahead and not wanting to take his eyes off of Tammy. He felt that as long as he could see her and kept her in his line of sight, nothing bad would happen to her. There were people, mostly girls, pleading with Tammy to get down, but she was crying and shaking her head. Peter pushed his way through the masses, he reached a spot that he could clearly see Tammy, and she looked hysterical and dazed, reminding Peter of a man he had seen on a bridge once on the news… right before he jumped to his death. She was shaking her head and wringing her hands. Peter could tell she was speaking but he couldn’t make out the words. He saw Sam step out of the crowd behind Tammy and calmly start talking with her. She looked back at Sam and said something that Peter couldn’t hear. As she talked to Sam, she inched closer to the edge of the rail. Peter could only watch in terror as Tammy crept closer to oblivion, nothing but air below her. A drop from that height would be fatal... and messy. He looked over the railing from the second story and noticed that Serena and her mob had not moved from the spot he had last seen them. The men with Serena had started a chant. It had begun low, but was now building in intensity and volume, and Peter was disgusted and terrified. They were chanting “Jump!”. He was certain that Serena was pulling the strings, controlling the innocent Tammy, but she seemed helpless to stop what was happening to her. He did the only thing he could think of, he prayed for all he was worth that help would come to them before it was too late. He cared deeply for Tammy. She was a person that knew the real Peter and still liked him, even with his paranoia and unreasonable fears. Peter watched horrified as a group of men made a semi-circle around his friend, blocking him from getting any closer. They were all looking at him with the same zombie expression, chanting in his face, “Jump! Jump!”. Peter could see from his vantage point that the closer Tammy got to the edge, the greater the joy on Serena’s face. Peter felt a great wave of anger swell up in him and he yelled, “SERENA, STOP!! She has nothing to do with this!”

Peter flinched as the man in the mob closest to him suddenly stopped chanting, turned to face him with glowing purple eyes and said, in Serena’s voice, “You will not be the hero this time, Peter. You caused this slut’s death. She will not be the last.” The eyes flashed and Serena’s wicked laughter erupted from the bearded face, but Peter silenced the man with a quick elbow to his jaw. The man dropped and the eyes closed. Peter watched as everyone turned from him to her. Serena pursed her lips in annoyance and with a flick of her wrist, dismissed the whole situation, turned and walked through the parting crowd. Peter looked from Serena to Tammy. She stepped one step too far and tumbled over the side of the balcony. Peter watched it, helpless where he stood to reach her, but having an excellent view of the ground floor, he watched it all happen in slow motion. Tammy tumbled forward and screamed, turning to face the crowd and him with a look of shock, sorrow, and realization. He started forward to catch her, even as he watched her body fall down towards the lobby floor. From the corner of his eye, Peter saw a blinding light and felt a whooshing of air that moved him from the place where he, moments before, had been watching his friend fall to her death. He heard a rush of… something and caught the corner of a wing in his very blurry vision. When his eyesight cleared, he saw a figure standing on the lobby floor with a very surprised and unabashedly sobbing Tammy in his arms. The figure, so substantial was he, that the crying and spent woman all but disappeared into his embrace as he cradled her like a beloved child. He stood well over nine feet tall and wore... the dark, Peter thought. He just looked like… night. Peter fought to find a word in his mind to describe the garb, but he had never seen anything so black, so utterly void of light. The robes weren’t just black, they were as fiercely dark as being a mile under the ocean on a starless and moonless night. Everything seemed to disappear into the folds of the suffocating black of his robes. Peter tore his eyes away from the body of the figure and noticed it had the face of a man, with six wings that spread out behind him, black as pitch and magnificent to behold. Peter heard before he saw a truly terrifying detail that had escaped him in his assessment of the being- it had the face of a man, and that’s what faced him, but on either side of the creature’s head were additional faces, both of men, one shouting praise and the other pity.

“Mourn! Mourn all who hear! For Death is among you and in you, about you and above you! The Maker and Master of all sends his best to his worst! Crawl and repent, the least of you! Mourn, for Death comes to take and devour and bring grief!” The voice was unlike anything he had ever heard. The other sound that Peter heard, was a hushed and steady hymn of peace that touched him so far into his inner being that he felt calm on a spiritual level that he had never felt before. The song was so beautiful and sad, with no language that he recognized or could describe, but it made Peter feel like a great event was taking place. He found himself caught up and drawn to the haunting music, and Peter took a step towards the spot where Tammy had been standing only seconds before.

“No.” The face facing him said, and Peter felt real fear. When the gaze of the being swept over him, it left him thinking upon his own death and what good he had done in his lifetime. Upon it’s back was a fearsome sword, and he watched as the creature lowered Tammy gently to the floor. The creature was smiling and weeping what Peter assumed were tears of joy over her. The creature said something and laid a tender hand on the girl’s head, and then looked up directly at Peter. Peter found the face recognizable, but didn’t have time to think about how. Peter locked eyes with the creature but before Peter could do anything further he heard a voice say to him, “Look not upon me.” Peter felt compelled, strongly, to bow his head. He was afraid, and he knew the voice speaking to him was Death, the REAL Death. He also knew, without question, that the voice was Sam’s.