Satyr Play 04 Pt. 01

Henry tugged the zipper up the back of the man's head and yanked off the mask.

"NOOO!!!" the man screamed in terror, so Henry bounced him hard against the floor then flipped him over.

Henry frowned as he recognized him from somewhere. Then it popped into his head. He was one of the morning anchors from a major network channel. Chet, no, Chuck Darnell, the big, jolly goof who did the light-hearted, feel-good stories for the show. Seeing him here was so far out of context. His nose was broken from the impact against the floor.

"Keys," Henry demanded, and the man's eyes widened in panic.

"I-I-I don't have them! I don't run the place! I'm just a client!" the man babbled in fear.

Henry wanted to hurt this man, but he didn't want to waste time. If he'd had a permanent sharpie marker, he'd write his crimes on his face—

A memory rose in Henry's mind, a spell of Baba's. Almost before he was aware of what he was doing, he was writing with a fingertip across the man's forehead as he spoke words he couldn't hear. The man's eyes widened, and tears of shame formed as he struggled to take a breath.

Henry stood and looked down at him in disgust. "Leave."

The heavy man's crimes were written on his face, and he wouldn't be able to hide them from his family, friends, or coworkers. There was no ink or even scratches on the pale skin of his forehead, but the compulsion to confess his sins had been deeply imprinted in the man's mind.

Frantic to escape, he rolled over onto his hands and knees, scrambled towards the door, and then got to his feet and ran. The moment he was out the door, Henry moved to Kali's restraints and used his strength to break the links between the cuffs. He'd need a key to remove them from her wrists, but he could get her home for now. He eased her down, and she whimpered.

He heard the sound of running, so he sprinted across the room and touched the door as he cast the Magic Door spell. Seconds later, the outer hall sounds became muffled. He cautiously opened the door and saw Kali's room.

Smiling to himself, he walked back to Kali and carefully lifted her in his arms. He carried her across the room and into her bedroom. He gently set her down on her bed.

"Mahati. Can you come in, please?"

The older sister immediately entered and cried in dismay when she saw her sister. She rushed next to the bed and touched her sister's face gently.

"Do you have the number for General Crane?" he asked her.

Mahati looked at him in confusion. "What?"

"General Crane. I need to speak to him."

"Now?" she asserted.

"Yes, unless you're fine with the monsters who did this to Kali getting away," he said firmly.

She pursed her lips and rushed out of the room to return with her cell. She dialed and handed it to him.

Henry walked over to the window as he listened to the phone ring. On the fourth, he heard someone answer. "Ms. Chandra? What can I do for you?"

"Hi, General Crane. This is Henry Gable. I'm at Mahati's place, and I asked her to call you for me."

"Oh, is everything all right, Mr. Gable?" he said, sounding a little uncomfortable.

"I need some assistance from the squad of Silver Soldiers you have watching me," Henry said frankly.

Crane was quiet for a second, then cleared his throat. "Why do you think I assigned my squad to such a duty?"

"Because I spent several days telling US congresspeople a bunch of stuff that made most of them very nervous about the security of their way of life. Of course, they asked to have a squad of soldiers to keep track of me. From the few demonstrations I made of my new means of travel, they wouldn't have asked regular soldiers. Besides, I can feel their energy close by." Henry looked back at Mahati.

She turned her head to look at him incredulously, and he shook his head as he shrugged.

Crane exhaled in a gust. "Dammit! How are we supposed to do our jobs if we don't have complete intel!" the General cursed.

Henry smiled. "So, can I get their help?"

Crane sighed. "What are you asking for?"

Henry turned to look out the window again and spoke softly. "A friend of mine was kidnapped, likely around the time of the Skyfall. She's been held prisoner in some kind of torture club."

"You need help extracting her?" Gordon asked.

"No. I got her out, but there could be others, and there may be a client list for this club and information on the operators. I need help freeing the rest and collecting the information so we can shut these monsters down permanently."

"Where is the club? I can have the team raid it and call in the local authorities to collect the operators and customers," the General suggested.

"I just caught Chuck Darnell of the very popular breakfast show, New York Morning Express, whipping my friend with a bullwhip while dressed in some leather fetish wear. We aren't going in the club's front door as the cockroaches would just escape out the back ways. I have a door already opened in the dungeon. They're aware of my presence but probably think I'm trapped in the room. They'll have a team of security goons trying to bust in to get me as we speak. We break in from the inside, secure the staff and customers, rescue the tortured, then depending on who we find and what data I can retrieve, we either blow the lid on the operation or bury these bastards in an unmarked grave. That decision is yours, but we gotta do it fast."

"Shit. Okay, I can have the team to your location in two minutes."

"Thanks!" Henry hung up. He looked to Mahati. "Sorry, we'll need to use Kali's closet door to enter the club, but once we're in, I'll release the door, and we'll leave another way."

He knelt down next to the bed, and Kali's eyes tracked him. "I'll come back to heal you once we catch the bad guys, okay?"

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice cracking.

He nodded and walked to the condo's front door so she couldn't see his rage building. Opening the door, he saw several Silver Soldiers exit the stairwell into the hallway and look in his direction. He waved, and they zipped up to the doorway.

Henry recognized the one in the lead, Sergeant Michelle Tennison. She smiled at him, and he returned it. He noted that she and the other soldiers were all wearing vests make from tough black nylon straps. Affixed to these straps were insignia and some pockets for carrying essentials.

"Good to see you again, Sergeant," Henry addressed her with a smile.

"We thought this would be a covert surveillance assignment, then the General told us our cover was blown because you sensed our energy," she replied.

Henry grinned. "Yeah, please apologize to the General for me. That was a complete bluff. I can't sense your energy at all, but I knew you guys had to have been assigned to watch me for suspicious activity."

The soldier next to Michelle burst into braying laughter. "Oh man, the General is gonna be pissed when he hears he fell for that!"

"Shut it, Yablonski!" Michelle sighed wearily. She looked to Henry. "I understand time is of the essence?"

Henry nodded and gestured for them to follow him. He went inside and turned to see there were ten soldiers. He faced them in Mahati's living room. "We'll go through the bedroom and into the closet door, which leads to a dungeon room in the club. I'll release the magic, and the security goons will probably bust through the door. We tie them up, then tie up any customers in the act of torturing another being."

"What if it's just two people getting their freak on?" Yablonski asked.

Henry blinked in surprise at the soldier as Michelle scowled at him.

"Every time you say shit like that, it makes me wonder why Endale sacrificed himself to save you," the Sergeant growled.

Henry shook his head. "It's likely the person being tortured will not look Human. It may be one of those clubs. Stop the customers from hurting them. We also need to capture the people running the place and stop them from accessing the computers. There's data we need to get from them. Any questions?" He saw there were none. "Let's go."

He guided them through the bedroom and through the closet door. He immediately closed the door behind himself, stood to the side looking at the prepared Silver Soldiers, and touched the door to release it. The two men slamming their shoulders against the wooden door crashed through to fall onto the floor and were zip-tied together in a flash. Michelle and Yablonski tied up the two waiting in the hall.

Henry watched the silver streaks zip away in pursuit of the baddies in the rest of the building as he went from room to room, checking on the ones chained to the wall. For the three customers he found zip-tied, he spelled their sins on their foreheads as they stared up at him in fear and shame.

He was breaking the cuffs for a female Fae in the last room when she muttered something to him.

"Demn..."

Henry leaned closer. "What?"

"Club... owner... demon."

Henry cursed under his breath. "Thank you for the warning."

He rushed back to the door and closed it. Then he pictured Sigrid's bedroom door in his mind and touched the dungeon door as he launched the spell. He thumped on it so she'd know it wasn't Meixiu.

Light poured out around the door as it slowly opened. She was in her armor. "Henry?" she called out.

"Sorry for suddenly showing up unannounced, but we have a Demon issue," he said as he opened the door the rest of the way, holding up an arm across his eyes.

"Where is this?" she asked.

"It's some kind of torture club. I found Kali here, and I arranged to have General Crane's Silver Soldiers assist with its shutdown," he explained.

"They aren't equipped to take on a Demon!" Sigrid exclaimed.

"Hence my coming to you!" Henry pulled her into the room then closed the door, releasing the spell. When he opened it again, the club's hallway was back, and they could hear muted shouting and crashing sounds. Sigrid was out the door and racing away before Henry could say anything. He turned around and saw the old Fae was smiling. Then he noticed she was no longer breathing. Henry touched her head then followed Sigrid up the stairs toward the sound of battle. There were dead bodies in a few rooms, and some were zip-tied, which told Henry the Demon was trying to cover his tracks, snuffing out witnesses. Henry stepped into a large open chamber where Sigrid was fighting with a man in an expensive suit. The Silver Soldiers were trying to help, but it was just hindering Sigrid.

"Sergeant, pull your people back! Sigrid needs room!" Henry yelled, and the soldiers were suddenly resting back against the wall on either side of him. They looked tired, which he could help with. "Join hands," he yelled over the crash of weapons from the battle.

Henry could tell this Demon was highly skilled in battle as Sigrid's grin was almost outshining her armor.

Seeing the soldiers were all linked, he reached out and grabbed the hands next to him as he looked inward to open his rift. He directed the torrent out through his hands and heard the gasps of the Silver People as he quick-charged them. He reduced the flow and released his grip. Yablonski made a noise of disappointment and received a scowl from the Sergeant before she turned to Henry.

"Thanks for the juice. It's so much better when it's filtered," she said with a grin, and he returned it but kept his eyes on Sigrid. She was loving this.

Henry needed to find a computer. "Did you find the main office?" he asked.

"It's at the end of the hall on the right," Michelle called out over the din.

He saw the Demon glance his way in frustration after hearing the Sergeant. So, there was something to find in that office.

He looked to the Sergeant. "Leave him to Sigrid, but don't let him leave this room." She nodded.

Henry hustled down the hall and found the office with the Private sign on it. He examined the doorknob and saw a nasty little spell on it. Muttering a cleansing spell from Baba's memory, the poisonous barbs fell from the knob and shriveled up on the floor. Safe once more, Henry opened the door and walked into the office. The office was beautifully decorated with a sophisticated style, making the EMP wires circling the doorway stand out like a sore thumb. They'd wipe any computers carried through the threshold. He tore them from the wall then walked over to the desk where he found the Demon's ledgers and a laptop left on and not locked. Sloppy. Henry confirmed the machine contained the data for the ledger spreadsheets and the contact list. He also saw there were at least three other clubs.

He'd forgotten his cell, so Henry opened a small tear to Eden, then another below it to show the surface of his bureau at home. He collected his cell and let the tears close. He dialed Roy.

"Henry?"

"Hi, Roy. I found Kali and got her back to Mahati. She was held prisoner in a sex and torture club. Sigrid is currently battling the Demon running the place, and I have his computer with all his records. It looks like there are a few more clubs like this scattered around the world. The ledger only seems to go back five or so months."

"Can you get that to me?" Roy asked.

"Yes, where are you?" Henry responded.

"In my office at work."

"Is your door closed?"

Roy hesitated. "Yes."

"Okay, hang on."

Henry walked to the office's bathroom door, opened a new Magic Door to Roy's office, and knocked.

"Is that you?" Roy asked over the phone.

"Yes," Henry said and watched Roy's face as he opened the door. They hung up. Henry walked back to the desk and reset the laptop's password to Duncan123! and ensured Roy saw this. Then he shut it down and handed it to the big redhead. He grabbed its AC adapter for Roy as well. The big man put them on his desk then returned to the office to begin going through the desk drawers and cabinets.

Sigrid appeared in the doorway, breathing hard but smiling. She seemed completely oblivious to the fact that she was only wearing a sweet little satin nightie, which, thankfully, had been spared being stained with demon blood. Her skin gleamed with sweat, and her deep breathing did things for Henry's libido. She looked damn sexy, and he had to fight his body's reaction to her.

"Damn! That was an epic battle! It was a senior level demon! I rarely get to fight them." She walked into the office, followed by the soldiers who were watching her with awe.

"Any survivors on the main floor?" Henry asked.

Michelle broke out of her stunned state to look at Henry. "Unfortunately, no. The Demon killed his workers and the customers. He was too tough for us to stop. He was heading downstairs to you when she exploded out of the stairwell and knocked him back into the main hall."

"There are three tied up customers in the basement who are desperate to confess, and six victims who need urgent care." He looked to Roy. "Can you give General Crane a call and let him know about the other clubs and arrange raids on their locations."

"If they're also run by Demons, you need Valkyries on your strike teams. I can make some calls."

Henry nodded and pointed down. "Would you like to get dressed first?"

"Shut up!" Yablonski groaned, and Michelle slapped the back of his head.

Sigrid smiled sexily, watching Henry as she ran her hands over the smooth fabric. "You don't like it?"

He licked his lips nervously. "Ooo, I like it a little too much for current company."

Her smile was deeply satisfied. "Then I suppose my job here is done. I can do the rest from home. If you could open a door for me, Henry?"

"Certainly." He closed the bathroom door and released the spell to launch it once more for Sigrid's bedroom. He opened the door to see her girly bed. Yablonski sighed.

Sigrid looked to Roy. "Call me once you've connected with the Brigadier-General." He nodded, and she went inside, looking back as she bit her lip and waved sexily at Henry. She laughed delightedly at his hungry expression then closed the door. He released the spell.

Henry looked to Roy, who was pulling up the map on his cell for his current location. "Do you want me to set the door back to your office?"

"Hmm? Oh! No, I'll have a clean-up team, and my squad come here. I'll catch a ride back with them. We'll get the others to a hospital," he replied.

"So, I can leave the rest to you and Sigrid? I need to help Kali," Henry said to Roy.

"Yes, and thanks," Roy said absentmindedly.

Henry nodded and left the office with the soldiers following him.

When he got back to the main hallway leading to the front door, he stopped and looked back at them. "Uh, I'm just going back to my place. I don't know where you guys were watching me from, but you can head back there if you like."

"We're sitting in the back of a van. It's so dull!" Yablonski grumbled.

Henry stared at him in dismay while the Sergeant contemplated murdering the Corporal. She glanced at Henry in embarrassment as he turned his attention to her.

"Is that true?" She nodded. "That sucks! When do you get to hang out with your family— Oh! That was insensitive of me. Did any of you lose anyone during the Skyfall Event?"

They glanced at each other, and all shook their heads.

Michelle cleared her throat. "We, uh, assisted our families earlier to ease their transition."

Henry grinned. "You made them into Silver People, too!"

They shifted from foot to foot uneasily, and he held up his hands. "It's cool! I won't say anything. I'm just glad you were able to protect them." He sighed. "Still, it sucks you're stuck in that van. I mean, I don't know what you're being asked to watch for. How often do you get to recharge?"

"We return weekly to the strike zone on the Mall in Washington, DC," Michelle admitted.

Henry shook his head. "I don't mind giving you guys a boost from time to time. Should you feel the need, please just let me know." That got smiles from them.

"Your energy is so much better than the strike zone," Yablonski sighed.

Henry walked to the front door, unlocked it, and linked it to a side door on his condo building. "This will take you back to the street outside my place." He pushed the door open, and they filed through, and Michelle stopped at the entrance.

"Aren't you coming?" she asked.

"I have to go back to Mahati's. I'll open a door to her place. Thanks for your help tonight."

Michelle stepped through with a smile, and Henry closed the door.

Henry's head was ringing as he found himself on the floor. A dark shape was swinging something at his head again, so he tilted his head to take the hit against his horns. That hurt much less, and he was able to focus on his assailant.

The man was a smaller version of the club owner, right down to the impeccable suit and expensive leather shoes. With the strength and speed, it was obviously a demon, too.

"You fucked up master's operation. I had to kill our playthings. I'll kill the one you stole—AAAAIIIEEE!"

Henry's sharp kick against its shin had the desired effect as bones snapped and poked out. Then Henry tugged it down to the floor and rolled to pin it under him. He began beating on it with his fists, harder and harder as it screamed. He bared his teeth as he slammed his fists against its face until it began to distort and flatten out.

The demon was no longer futilely trying to block Henry's strikes. Henry picked up the sound of Roy's voice.

"Henry!"

He blinked as he turned his head to look at the shocked expression on the man's face.

"It's dead, lad. You can stop now."

Henry was sucking in deep, shuddering gasps of breath. He nodded as he looked down at the paste he'd made of the demon. "It... it killed the... people downstairs." He frowned as he tried to think how the monster could have moved through the building while avoiding being seen. How did it sneak up on him in the empty hallway? It suddenly came to him. "Secret passages," he muttered. His eyes went to the ceiling. He imagined a security setup in the attic with cameras and secret passages to each level.