Seamus was scuffling in the furthest corner of the warehouse with the soul he had been sent to pa.s.s over. Brigit stood quietly watching them tussle. She noted the look of fear on the a.s.signed soul's face as he tried to fend off Seamus' blows. However mean this soul had thought he could be, Brigit mused, he had met his master in Seamus Flannery. With that thought, Brigit noted the look of delight on Seamus' face as he took another swing at the soul he had been sent to cross over. John had been right. Seamus Flannery was perhaps the perfect person for the job of the harder a.s.signments. Brigit could tell the Irishman really got into his work.

When Seamus finally wrestled the man toward the opened doorway, he easily pushed the soul through it and slammed it with a force that made her flinch. Even the mortals in the closest vicinity seemed to hear the slam and reacted by stopping their work to quickly glance around them before shaking off their sudden fear and returning to work despite their new uneasiness. Brigit remained still as she continued to watch him. He casually walked to the wall and stooped to pick something up. As he straightened, the item dangled from his fingers as he appraised it. It was a gold locket. Brigit watched her colleague open it to look at the pictures glued inside before stashing it in his coat pocket. When he turned, Seamus finally noticed her.

"Oh, h.e.l.lo, la.s.s," he greeted, forcing a charming smile to his face. "What brings you to this neck of the woods?"

"John sent me," Brigit replied evenly. "What was that you put in your pocket?"

"Just a token," Seamus answered. "It fell off him during the fight. He won't miss it," the Irishman decided out loud. "Besides, t'was a fair fight. Conqueror takes all, ye know what I mean?"

"Hm," Brigit grunted. She eyed the other Reaper for a moment, wondering how many other 'tokens' he had snicked as a reward for his accomplishments.

"So, what does our fearless leader need of me today?" Seamus inquired as he reached into his coat and withdrew the crumpled pack of cigarettes from their resting place. Brigit noted it was the same pack he had been pulling from the night they had recruited him. It was never empty, only crumpled.

"He a.s.signed you this and he's asked me to a.s.sist you with it," Brigit explained as she withdrew the file John had given her before his departure. "He's left for Italy for a few days to do some recruiting."

"I see," Seamus said as he exhaled the smoke through his nostrils and reached for the file Brigit held out for him to see. "Why would he think I need back up?" he asked as he scanned the contents.

"It contains multiple souls. I suppose he thought back up might even the playing field for you," Brigit explained. "Are you finished here?"

"Aye," Seamus smiled. "Just let me fetch me walking stick," he said. Brigit nodded and stepped back as the other Reaper went to retrieve the shelaighley he had set aside so that he might use his fists instead. Once it was in hand, he turned and smiled the charming smile again. "Ready when ye are, la.s.s..."

18: Reaping the Chupacabras

Brigit and Seamus left the pier in San Francisco in silence. She had nothing really to say to her co-worker. The idea that he was stealing mementos from his a.s.signments irked her. She wondered if John would have anything to say about it once he found out. As they had pa.s.sed through the portal, however, Brigit's thoughts returned to the task at hand. She had scanned the file briefly enough to know that they were definitely entering a situation that would need their full attentions.

The Chupacabra Gang had been notorious in their day. Their evilness rivaled the other well known motorcycle gangs of the time. They had often made headlines for having robbed unwitting vacationers on the side of a highway. They were known for raping the wives, beating the husbands for sport and torturing the children for laughs. They were outlaws of the highest sort. Their 'Wanted' posters still hang on every Post Office wall through out the southwest.

Brigit had only been eight years old at the time. She had been unable to fathom then what she could wrap her mind around now. Her mother had simply told her that the Chupacabras were pure evil in black leather and chains riding a two-wheeled death chariot. As Brigit had scanned their file, she realized without doubt that her mother had been right for once.

The Chupacabra hideout had been in an old airfield hangar in the middle of the New Mexico desert. The portal had delivered Brigit and Seamus to the main door, which hang open from the years of disuse. Whomever had entered and destroyed the chiefs of the gang had neglected to lock up on their way out.

"Keep quiet," Brigit warned in a whisper. Seamus nodded in agreement. They returned their attention to inside the hangar. It was filled with boxes and crates, creating a maze of pa.s.sages that could prove dangerous to anyone moving between them. The windows high up the walls had been spray painted black, allowing no light to filter through.

Together, they entered the hangar and began to slowly walk down the corridor of crates. Involuntarily, Brigit's grip tightened on the handle of her umbrella. She wished she had something a little more substantial to fight with, something a little more dangerous. John's instructions had been to reap them all by 'any means necessary'. As she listened to that instruction in her mind again, she realized this would not be an easy a.s.signment by any stretch of the imagination.

"Why did ye become a Reaper?"

The question, though in a whisper, broke the silence like a roaring wind. Brigit had instructed him to keep quiet for a reason. Somehow, she had known, Seamus Flannery would not be able to follow such a simple instruction.

"I have a promise to keep," she replied in a whisper as well. She was hoping the answer was short enough to suffice, that it would give him the hint to maintain the silence they needed to aide them in their hunt for the Chupacabra Gang.

"To yer Maggie, I presume?" Seamus sounded amused. "That's sweet, la.s.s. How long have ye been dead?" he continued.

"Long enough,"

"No, seriously, how long?" he asked again. He was beginning to raise the volume to his voice.

"Since Halloween. Now, will you please lower your voice?" she snapped. She glared at him over her shoulder. It was a look she would never have guessed she was capable of. It was a look she knew she had received from her mother plenty of times throughout her childhood. Brigit knew it was the look because it had affected Seamus the same way it had always affected her. There was a sudden shock registering on the Irishman's face followed by a hard swallow and, then, silence that told her she had achieved her goal.

A loud clatter followed by a loud curse and then laughter brought the Reapers to a halt. They exchanged glances again and came to the same conclusion that their task was directly in front of them. Brigit wondered if the element of surprise was going to be in their favor; but, it was too late to change their game plan now.

"Who are these guys again?" Seamus asked, his voice was notably lower in its whisper this time.

"The Chupacabra Gang," Brigit answered.

"What the h.e.l.l kind of name is that?"

"I'll explain later," Brigit promised.

"How many of them are there?"

"Six, I think,"

"No matter," Seamus shrugged as he hoisted the shelaighley to rest on his shoulder. "I'll take the bigger ones."

Brigit ignored the c.o.c.ky remark as they continued the remaining length of the corridor. From the sounds of the ruckus before them, all six of the gang members were in the same s.p.a.ce. That was good for the Reapers. It would save them the time of hunting further. As they stepped into the clearing, Brigit and Seamus took a second to observe. The Chupacabras were amusing themselves. Empty beer bottles were strewn on the floor around them as they sat at a small table playing cards. By the pile of cash and jewelry in the middle of the table, Brigit guessed they had been interrupted during a serious game of poker. It was suddenly no wonder that they had been taken by the surprise that led to their mortal demise.

"h.e.l.lo, boys,"

The sound of Seamus' announcement before striding into the s.p.a.ce was like a slice of lightning through a blackened sky. In surprise, Brigit cast an annoyed glare that fell unnoticed on the Irishman's back as he walked away. Before she could return her attention to the startled gang members, the fight had already begun. Seamus broke into a full tilt charge at them with his shelaighley held high over his head, a war cry escaping from him as he ran.

He was trying to prove something, she thought as she watched him start swinging the Blackthorn stick wildly at the gang members that had now jumped to their feet with knives and broken beer bottles held by the neck in their hands. He was trying to prove that he needed no help, she mused as she watched the melee. One of the Chupacabra had Seamus in a headlock as another was punching him repeatedly across the jaw. Seamus, though, was laughing and delivering a sharp elbow to the ribs of the one holding him captive. The remaining three Chupacabra were vying for their turn to punch the intruder. Brigit remained where she stood. She was waiting for the moment that Seamus would indicate a need for her a.s.sistance.

As Brigit continued watching, she suddenly realized that all six were not in the room. One was missing. Where was the sixth gang member?

Just as the question came to mind, she heard the screeching cry of a woman from behind her. Brigit turned in time to see the attacking woman running at her, a steel pipe raised high above her head. The female Reaper only had a second to raise her umbrella to fend off the blow. The Chupacabra woman stumbled as Brigit's defense propelled her out into the open. Brigit calmly followed the woman, coming within arm's length of her so that the door to her fate would appear. The woman swung the pipe again, but Brigit ducked it effortlessly as she reached to open the door. Twice more, the pipe was swung at her head. Brigit deflected the blows with the black umbrella, all the while keeping her eyes locked on the deep black orbs that betrayed the other woman's every thought. As they began to circle each other, Brigit maintained an even breath as she read the woman's frantic search for the Reaper's weak spot. Raising the pipe above her head, the Chupacabra woman decided a full frontal attack was her best option. She did not realize her back was to the door that Brigit had so casually opened.

As the woman charged, Brigit lowered her umbrella and waited. The look of surprise on the Chupacabra woman's face fully explained the unexpected force of Brigit's front kick to her abdomen. The force of the kick propelled the woman through the air and through the door. Still maintaining her calm, Brigit stepped forward and swung the door shut before returning her attention to Seamus.

The sight she found, however, made her cringe. Seamus was beaten badly. He had managed to pa.s.s three of the gang members through their doors; but two remained unscathed. From where Brigit stood, they appeared to be the fiercest of the bunch and they were going to town on Seamus with the intention to kill. While she was aware that they could do no such thing, she could see that Seamus was losing the battle. He had been sufficiently mauled by the group to be reduced to a huddle of swinging yet target-less fists. His shelaighley had been lost somewhere during the fight.

She had stayed out of the fight too long and now Seamus was hurt because of it. She had the brief thought that there was going to be h.e.l.l to pay for her decision to let Seamus prove himself wrong. Their doors were opened. Brigit noted how intent they were on Seamus and saw the opportunity she needed to end the a.s.signment once and for all. This had gone on long enough.

Quietly, she approached the nearest gang member. For all their cursing and yelling, he didn't hear her approach. Swiftly, she flipped her umbrella and hooked the crook of the handle about his throat. She only had a second to register the look of surprise on his face as she hurled him through the open door to her right.

As she slammed the door, she felt the force of the blow against her jaw. The remaining gang member had tossed Seamus aside and was now focusing his wrath on her. Brigit shook off the blow and locked eyes with the remaining soul as he took another swing at her. Like the female Chupacabra, his eyes betrayed his thoughts of attack. Her mind remained focused on reading his thoughts as the sounds of Seamus' moaning reached her ears.

"Do you know what I'm goin to do to you, b.i.t.c.h?"

The voice that snarled at her was as close to a demon's as Brigit could imagine. The remaining gang member had stopped swinging at her and they now circled each other like hungry dogs. Brigit kept her eyes locked on him, aware that he could spring at any moment. She doubted that she would be so lucky with him as she was with the Chupacabra woman.

"What are you waiting for?" Brigit asked calmly.

The lack of fear in her voice seemed to enrage him. With a deafening roar, he charged at her just as Seamus spoke her name. As it registered in her mind that Seamus was calling for her, she was caught off guard and felt herself in the death grip of the gang member. The air was being squeezed out of her as he lifted her off her feet and crushed her against his chest. A fire of maniacal delight danced in his eyes as Brigit struggled against him.

"I'm gonna have some fun with you in a few minutes," he snarled.

His breath was hot against her face as she let herself go limp against him. He gave her a good shake as he began to curse at her. When her thoughts had finally stilled, Brigit lifted her head back and looked him in the eye again. The maniacal light was still dancing there. Tilting her head a little further back, Brigit smiled briefly before snapping it forward with as much force as she could manage. There was no sound as their heads collided, but the surprise of it was enough to cause the Chupacabra to drop her and stagger back a few steps. Brigit landed easily on her feet, her mind focused, her body relaxed but ready for the next a.s.sault.

Enraged even further, he charged her. Aware that the door to his fate was open behind her, Brigit had only to step aside as he rushed by. His roar turned to screams as he fell into the dark abyss that led to his final judgment. Quickly, Brigit closed the door behind him.

"Brigit,"

It was a painful moan that brought Brigit back to her senses. She went to Seamus and knelt on the ground beside him, quickly taking in the extent of the damage inflicted. The gashes in his coat and shirt revealed the open wounds inflicted by their adversaries. She knew there would be no blood, but, she also knew the sickness a.s.sociated with the injuries would quickly set in.

"I'm here, Seamus," she a.s.sured him quietly. "Don't move yet. Just catch your breath," she instructed.

"I have something to tell you," he murmured laboriously.

Brigit let her eyes roam down his torso and saw a long gash between two ribs. They had opened his side all the way to his lung. Small bubbles of black goo were trying to pool in the opened s.p.a.ce; but they appeared to clot as soon as they reached the air. Brigit frowned at the sight. They were spirits now. There should be no liquid involved anymore.

"Not now, Seamus," she said softly. "I have to figure out how to get you out of here," she explained as she looked around for anything to bind his wound with. The Chupacabra gang had been destroyed long before their file had been located. Anything of usefulness during their mortal existence was now long eroded to dust and blown away.

"No, I think you need to know," Seamus pressed, grasping her by the arm. His fingers were like claws through the sleeve of her coat. Brigit glanced down at him. His eyes were beginning to roll back into their sockets.

"What do I need to know?"

"I'm going to kill you for this," he vowed before pa.s.sing out.

Brigit stared hard at him for a second, contemplating the idea of just leaving him there. She shook herself free of his grasp and clenched her jaw in irritation. John would have her head if she abandoned Seamus in the warehouse. Surely there was some rule about leaving a fallen Reaper behind. Or did that only apply to fallen soldiers?

There would be too many questions and not enough good answers to justify abandoning her fellow Reaper no matter how annoying he may be. In the end, Brigit mused as she stared at the unconscious Irishman, it was his own fault for being so arrogant. She had merely wanted to see him fail, if she were to be honest about it. Now, as a result of both their actions, she faced a new dilemma.

Frustrated with the consequences she could foresee over all that she had done and all that she could do, Brigit stood and walked to the nearest door to figure it all out. As she looked over her shoulder at the unconscious Irishman, she knew she had to take the lesser of the two evils.

With that in mind, she returned to his side and grabbed him by the arm. He was dead weight. Yet, if Seamus Flannery was going to kill her as he had promised before pa.s.sing out, then, he deserved to be dragged all the way home.

19: Decisions

Brigit felt herself huffing for breath as she drug Seamus down the main hall of the office. A few groans had escaped him from time to time during the journey and she had taken no great care to make sure he had a smooth ride. When she reached the door to his personal office, she slammed it open, not caring that it bounced off the wall and returned to smash the wounded Reaper on the head as she pulled him across the threshold. With some effort, Brigit managed to lift him onto the couch that doubled as his bed during his down time. She stood over him for a moment longer, wondering if that should be the extent of her kindness toward him after his threat to kill her.

Her mind was still burning with the irritation of his threat as she left the office and went to the supply closet down the hall. Inside, she found pillows and blankets meant for those Reapers who tended to reside as well as work at the main office. Though a Reaper required no real rest, the previous heads of the firm had often encouraged it as a means of prolonging the burn out stage. Quickly, she grabbed a pillow and a blanket for Seamus and returned to his office. He was beginning to twitch and shake. The infection was beginning to set in. Knowing there was little more she could do for him now, Brigit shoved the pillow under his head and unfurled the blanket over his body. She had never been the maternal type and she was d.a.m.ned sure not going to start acting the part now. Especially where Seamus Flannery was concerned.

With that thought in mind, Brigit turned and looked around the small quarters. A small desk sat against the wall. The files she and John had compiled before Seamus' hiring had been brought in and lined against the wall adjacent to the desk. There were only a couple dozen boxes, but Brigit was well aware that they were stocked full to the brims with portfolios of potentially dangerous a.s.signments. A thick black book lay open on the desk. Brigit stepped closer to have a look. Through the dim light of the office window, she could see in a terrible scrawl the names of those a.s.signments that Seamus had completed. The Irishman was taking his responsibilities on the administrative part of his job quite seriously, she noted as she quietly closed the book.

Another moan escaped him and she glanced over her shoulder. He had been keeping a relatively decent pace in completing his a.s.signments. Once he was well, he was going to be behind again. Brigit frowned. She knew John would be none-to-pleased with that notion. She would have to figure out a way to manage some of Seamus' files in with her own. It was a risk, she knew, but it only seemed fair. She had set the firm back by allowing Seamus to get hurt. She would have to manage the work load by herself until Seamus was well or John had returned.

Brigit's frown deepened at the thought of John's return. She had no idea how she was going to explain this to her mentor. The truth would probably be the best route The truth would probably be the best route, she decided as she sighed deeply. In the mean time, Brigit knew, she was going to be working some serious overtime. She'd be lucky to see Maggie anytime soon...

As that thought settled in on her mind Brigit went to the stack of boxes against the wall and reached into the one missing its lid. She withdrew a stack of files and stuffed them into her coat pocket. She would just have to do the best she could until she could figure things out more clearly.

Seamus could feel the fire running through his veins. He was unsure, though, whether it was his anger or the sickness John had warned him about in the case of a serious injury. She had let him go into the battle alone. She had stood aside and merely watched as he had taken on the gang members when she had been sent to a.s.sist him. She had always led on that she was such a brave soul, a d.y.k.e capable of taking on anything; but it had all been a farce. d.y.k.e or not, Seamus angrily realized, Brigit Malone was still a female and females were weak. Ultimately, Seamus had lost his fight because of the female Reaper and her ruse of bravery. She would pay for that, Seamus determined as wave after wave of nausea and fire rushed through his body. She would pay dearly for it one way or another...

20: Mama Dee

After making sure Seamus was as comfortable as he could be, Brigit strode down the hall to John's office. She noted as she walked that she was the only one without a designated office. Most of the time, she was only in the firm's headquarters long enough to receive instruction from John Blackwick or to refresh her load of files. During that time, she was usually in John's office.

Considering the trouble I'm going to be in, I might not ask for one just yet, she thought as she retrieved some waiting a.s.signments from the box she and John had been working from for the last week. Stuffing this pile into her coat pocket, she turned and exited the room and strode back toward the main entry to the firm's headquarters. She paused long enough to look in on Seamus one more time before leaving. She had one more stop to make before beginning her work.

Mama Dee was lying on her sofa with her eyes closed. By the pained look on the older woman's face, Brigit could tell that her old friend was suffering one of her migraines. Mama had suffered them off and on during the years that she had lived across from Brigit and Maggie; but Brigit had noticed that their frequency of visits to the old woman had increased since the accident. Brigit had heard Maggie suggest on more than one occasion that Mama Dee go to see the doctor about them, but Mama Dee had waved away the notion as if she were waving away a fly.

Brigit stood over her friend, watching in concern. She wanted to reach out and touch the woman's face wishing she could ease her friend's pain if only for a few minutes.

"I know you're standing there, child..."

Brigit started at the sound of Mama's voice as it carried through the silence to her ears. The old woman's eyes had not opened, but her mouth had moved. Brigit could feel a smile coming to her own face as a previous notion came to mind yet again. It was true after all. Mama Dee could sense her.

"It's Brigit, Mama," Brigit said gently.

"I know that, child," Mama Dee retorted. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm just checking in on you," Brigit replied. "Were you sleeping?"

"No, I just like to keep my eyes closed these days," the old woman quipped. "I'm awake. I just have another one of my pains. It hurts to open my eyes."

"When are you going to the doctor?" Brigit asked.