Iblis : I Bring You Hell!

Peace in the Middle East isn't something the Djinn want. It's in the best interest of the forces of darkness that all Arab nations continue to view Western nations as their enemies, and the actions of well-meaning do-gooder Western students at famous universities cannot be allowed to interfere with that. World peace isn't good for business when you're working for the forces of darkness. My assignment was to kill Samantha Ribeiro. When I went to the U of A campus in Calgary to get the job done, I couldn't do it. This tall, gorgeous young Afro-Brazilian woman with the most deep-set almond-shaped brown eyes and the heart of gold was an arresting sight. I refused to do it, and when Marid came calling, I threatened her with force. The demon Princess smiled and gently touched my face, setting me ablaze. I howled in pain, though moments later I was alright for my unnatural flesh healed quickly.

The demon Princess revealed to me that Samantha Ribeiro was none other than one of the Djinn's acolytes in disguise. The young woman I refused to kill was just another demon. The demon Princess set up the whole thing as a test of my loyalty and I failed miserably. My second assignment I performed without complaint. You see, my target was Wild Rose Party member, internationally published author and well-known anti-immigrant speaker Amanda Frey, a racist if there ever was one. This is the same woman who once said on RDI that Canada should be kept "pure" and that immigration should turn away non-whites. I snapped her neck without hesitation or mercy in her Edmonton townhouse. Marid praised me for my good work. Why did she have me kill an evil woman? Not because it's the right thing to do but because someone sold their soul to the Djinn to get rid of Amanda Frey. Whom, you may ask? Her estranged husband Louis Frey, who stands to inherit millions now that she's dead.

Thus began my journey as a Minion of the Djinn, immortal entities made out of smokeless fire who hate mankind with a passion. And I was good at my job, make no mistake about that. I traveled the world, from Canada to Saudi Arabia, from Iran to Belgium, from France to Brazil, from South Africa to the United States, and I killed people. Mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, businessmen and crooks, politicians and preachers. It didn't matter if they were Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Atheist, Agnostic, followers of Hinduism or what have you. No discrimination in the heart of yours truly, ladies and gentlemen.

Now, working for the forces of evil definitely had its perks. I amassed a small fortune, for the Djinn believe that you keep what you kill. In a year, I made about five million. I quietly paid up the mortgage on mom and dad's house, then got myself a place near downtown Calgary. I could afford a loft. I had enough money for Law school now and began attending on a part-time basis. In my spare time, I lived like a King, spent my nights in the arms of gorgeous escorts, both male and female, with the odd tranny at times, and at some point I realized that whatever was left of my soul was rotting away. I didn't have any friends, I didn't have any hobbies besides drinking, sleeping around and spending money on things I don't need. I felt...dead.

Throughout the missions I've undertaken for the Djinn, I've been 'killed' in every manner imaginable. A rogue businessman hurled me inside a volcano in Hawaii. A Japanese swordsman beheaded me. An ex-cheerleader turned serial killer cut me in half, and burned away my genitals with a blowtorch. Fun times. Naturally, or unnaturally I suppose, I always came back, regenerating completely...even after being reduced to ashes. The Djinn rendered me indestructible...for as long as I serve them. What happens when I stop serving them? After a couple of years spent killing people around the world, I got tired of it all. My last assignment had me going to the town of Nabatieh, Lebanon, to murder Lebanese Christian activist Sheila Abdullah, a woman who made headlines by traveling all over North America and Europe to raise awareness about the plight of Arab Christians in the Middle East.

According to Marid's orders, killing Sheila Abdullah was supposed to kill two birds with one stone. By killing her, I'd be removing a thorn from the Djinn's side. Sheila's been a glitch in the Djinn plan for a clash of civilizations pitting Western nations against the Muslim world due to her successfully getting Christian and Muslim leaders to sit down and talk. Also, her death would be blamed on a radical Islamist, thus fueling Western prejudice against middle-easterners. I went there, and found out I couldn't do it. This woman wasn't like the other men and women I'd killed. I have never killed anyone who wasn't in some way wicked. Well, I really dropped the ball that day. Not only did I NOT kill Marid, I also killed the three PLO hitmen sent to kill her. Yeah, I rescued the woman I was sent to kill. Upon returning to Canada, I expected to catch hell from Marid, but instead I was arrested by a joint RCMP/CIA taskforce. Apparently, all my trips to the Middle East and elsewhere had gathered a lot of attention.

Which is how I ended up here, where you found me when it all began. In an 'interview' room, being interrogated by the CIA and the CSIS. It's good to see such international cooperation between super powers, really promotes synergy. I looked at agents Kristina Bellman and Victor James Lee. Smiling, I rubbed my hands together ( as much as the cuffs will allow ) and waited for their response. They stared at me blankly. I guess my story is a bit much even for these seasoned international government agents who think they've seen it all and done it all, eh? I could see the disbelief in their eyes, they're probably thinking I'm a nutcase, so I did something completely unexpected.

I flexed my hands, easily snapping the steel bindings. With my magically enhanced strength, crushing reinforced steel is like crumpling paper to me. The look on the agents faces was priceless. I smiled at them. I want to talk to your superiors, I said. They exchanged a look of disbelief, and Bellman even made a show of going for her gun but agent Lee stayed her hand. I had a proposal in mind for your bosses, I said calmly. The way I figure it, the Djinn aren't going to like my disobeying orders and going rogue. Time for me to find a new employer. I think the CIA and the CSIS and pretty much Western society could use a superman in the coming global war against terror, wouldn't you agree? As the agents whipped out their cell phones and began dialing Ottawa and Washington D.C. I smiled and shrugged. Change is the only constant in this world, isn't it?