Big Trouble in Little Chi-Town

[Casey]

“Demons, as in plural,” he all but growled, “I’ve counted about five. Stay close.”

He took a few more steps before a man appeared at the end of the alley. Stopping he turned and glanced behind them, spotting two more wearing a man and a woman. A demon dropped down from the roof of a building next to him and Chase. His jaw tightened as he observed them all, waiting for someone to step forward. They didn’t gang up like this unless they wanted their prey alive and for a reason. If they wanted to just toy with them, they would have snatched up the hunters by now. Thankfully he didn’t have to ask the stupid question of what it was they wanted.

“Well, well, well,” said a man who appeared in a second story window, “Looks like even the henchmen get sidekicks now.” It smiled and it’s eyes flashed black before it dropped to the ground. “Been looking for you Irishman.”

“Ah, I’m flattered,” he laughed and watched as the demon began to circle the hunters.

“Don’t be, you’re just a means to an end, now be useful and we might let the child live. Tell us were Casey is.”

He tilted his head, “Who?”

“Casey, you idiot,” it snarled, “the man you work for. He knows something and we need to know what it is. Don’t try and deny it, we know he’s not a myth.”

“That so?”

The demon smiled, “Yeah, through the vine. Hunter down south let it slip. Same vine told us you’re his eyes and ears out in the world.”

“Soddy ass vine,” He shrugged.

“Reliable vine,” it said in his ear.

He sent a glare to the demon which just made it smile wider. So it wasn’t going to fall for the dumb act, inconvenient. Looking straight at the demon he said, “No”.

It rolled it’s eyes, as annoyed as he felt, “Tell us or we rip the boy’s head off.”

“What about that thing the boy gave him?” The she demon stepped forward, “If Casey wants it, it must be important.”

“Later,” the other one hissed and she glared at their leader.

“You brought quite a bit of back up,” he looked around at the other demons creeping closer, “Seems a little much, don’t ya think?”

“From what we’ve heard, you’re a slippery one, just to be on the safe side I brought my best.”

“Bit unfair,” he said and sent Chase a knowing look.

The demon apparently missed it, “Well it’s not in my job description to be fair.”

“Funny,” he chuckled closing his eyes, “it’s not in mine either.”

He pulled a hand out of his pocket and the demon smiled. The smile disappeared after a flick of his wrist and a knife plunged into it’s heart. The wound flashed and it looked like a fire was lit in the body it inhabited. Before it’s body hit the alley floor, he pulled the knife out and sliced the neck of the next closest demon. The one in the woman eye’s widened just before the knife cut into her. Then he stabbed the over dramatic one that jumped off the roof. He was about to get the last one when it tilted it’s head back and smoke escaped the body, flying off into the night sky.

“Bugger,” he muttered staring in the direction it went, “Best get out of here before we draw attention to ourselves.”

[Chase]

Five of them now, huh? Chase's eyes narrowed, wondering how he had picked that up. He himself was pretty sharp at deducting the amount of enemies trailing behind, but he hadn't caught one. Either they had just started their pursuit or-

A dark figure stepped out of the shadows in front of them. Footsteps echoed from behind as well and the dart of someone jumping from the ashen rooftops passed the corner of his eye. A fifth shape emerged from the windows above them.

-or Chase was losing his touch. "You've got to be freakin' kidding me," he muttered, gaze darting between each potential threat. His grip on the gun tightened as the conversations began. A shame he hadn't loaded it with rock salt earlier when he had the chance. Keeping on alert, he resigned himself to listening to the conversation.

Chase scoffed at the 'child' remark. If the demon took another two steps closer, Chase would show him exactly what kind of damage a child could do. Mainly involving blood. From what he was hearing, the demons thought Sylus knew where Casey was. Chase found himself curious as well. He knew nothing about the mysterious figure who sent him to Chicago, but from what he was seeing, it might be worth investigating before accepting any further jobs. The man had people working for him, demons chasing him, and managed to create enough of an impression on those working for him that they would take on five demons under intense pressure, no sweat.

Sylus broke away from the conversation to send him a look, and Chase raised his eyebrows in response. Yeah, I'm paying attention and ready, he sarcastically thought. Make the first move.

And oh, the Irishman did. In fact, all Chase had time to do was draw his weapon and aim before he saw was Sylus was doing. He lowered the gun. Sylus wielded a dagger of sorts that killeddemons on contact. How was that possible? He had spent years researching artifacts and had no record of existence of such an object. Something was different about Sylus, Chase realized. The man had more layers he kept under wraps than anyone thought. Within moments, all that remained in the alley were five limp bodies- four of them dead.

"Following your lead," Chase nodded at the man, returning his gun back into his jacket. He carefully stepped over the bleeding corpses. That knife...he had to get a closer look at it. "Sylus, that knife ain't normal. Where'd you get it?"

[Casey]

“Did I ever come across as normal,” he smirked, “what makes ya tink me knife would be?”

He continued out of the alley, walking casually. He looked more like a lost but relaxed business man than someone leaving behind a collection of corpses. If anyone asked they probably wouldn’t remember him by appearance which is why he kept his mouth more than shut. Accents people remembered, oddly quiet people, not so much.

He was a good few blocks away when he did answer Chase’s question, “There are some perks to working for a fellow who could get you killed with his name. Doublely when he actually cares for his employees. Us that do his running around, he helps. Fake ids that can get past feds, information, and in cases like my some extra protection.” He patted his pocket.

“Truth is this is probably the worst gig I’ve ever had,” he sighed, “that wasn’t the first set of head hunters I’ve been in confronted by, sorry you got pulled into it. You’re probably going to have to be watching your back extra since that one got away. In fact, let me make a call to the big man just to be on the safe side, kay?”

[Chase]

"Eh, who is normal these days?" Chase shrugged in agreement, taking one final look back. Since the hunting scene was nothing new to him, he was used to walking away from bloody battle scenes, but not hung-over Irishmen slaughtering demons like licking icing off a spoon.

The blocks they walked were accompanied with a bitter chill, adding an intense freeze to the night. He bore the silence, immensely curious but not childish enough to allow it to leak. Finally, Sylus decided they were far enough away to start talking.

Casey sounded like a really important person. Either he was a very well established established hunter or dabbled in the black arts and managed to make a name for himself. He sounded more like a rich mafia boss to Chase, taking care of his own like that, but if demons chased him about...either he wasn't so bad or the mob idea wasn't far off.

"Go ahead and make that call. I might need compensation if they'll be on my trail," Chase retorted, shoving his hands in his pockets. This would be an interesting call indeed.

[Casey]

He pulled out his phone and dialed the well know digits. The phone rang several until it went to the automated answering machine. It said the number he had dialed was unavailable in a convincing voice and told him to hang up and try again. The message played a second time, then he entered in his code and cleared his throat before it beeped.

“Hey, it’s your man,” he said, “ran into a complication, met up with some folks, and one slipped. Got an eyeful of your boy. Wondering how you want to handle this.”

He closed the phone and slipped it back in his pocket but kept a hand on it. Sighing, sometimes he wished things were easier.

“You’ll probably be getting a text telling you what he’s going to do,” he explained, “shouldn’t be too long, the guy doesn’t really ever sleep. Too busy digging around.”

He sighed again, “Don’t worry boy’O he’s good people. If he does anything wrong it’s only cuz he’s trying to help.”

“Well,” he serious face disappeared and smiled, “I think I’m going to head back and sleep. Probably head out early. Catch you if I’m up, if not, it was a pleasure meeting you Chase. You’re a fine hunter and have the makings of being a fine man someday. Don’t prove me wrong on either count.”

With that he turned and headed into the hotel.

[Chase]

Chase stayed quiet as the Irishman left his message, intently listening to the brief recap the man gave. Chase thought it interesting he didn't identify himself as Sylus when he left the message. Maybe he was the only Irish agent Casey had. The accent would be a dead giveaway, he supposed. Still, he was disappointed that he didn't get a chance to actually talk to this Casey person.

"Why don't you let me have a copy of that number and I'll discuss the next step with him myself?" Chase countered to the text remark. What person didn't have the time to answer the phone when their workers called but could send a text to issue out any problems? His words fell on deaf ears as Sylus continued.

"A pleasure to work with you too, grandpa," Chase grinned, resigning himself to leave it at that. The man was confusing and peculiar, his boss was even more so, but in the end he supposed Sylus was worth his weight as a Hunter. Four dead demons to prove it, too. "Let me know if you need help again." Last resort, Chase hoped, but it wouldn't be such a bad thing to work with him again. Especially if I can get a closer look at that knife, he thought as he rattled off his phone number to the man.

"I'll do my best." Chase watched the man head over to the elevator. What an odd character. As the metal doors sealed off his sight, a vibration from his pocket caught Chase's attention. He grabbed his phone, sent a confused glance back to the elevator and checked his messages. Chase knew the sender before opening the message.

It was Casey again. Unidentified number, but it left no doubt about the sender.

Go to Austin. Await further instructions.

Chase rubbed his free hand through his hair and shut the phone. Whatever it was could wait until the morning. After all, he needed a full nights sleep if he planned on doing anything within the next twenty-four hours. Nodding politely to the hotel staff sipping coffee at the front desk, Chase made his way to his room for some much needed rest.

[Casey]

“Casey is more of the ‘you don’t call him, he calls you’ type. Very few exceptions to the rule and even then not fully,” he shrugged.

He smiled at Chase, “Pleasure is all mine, will do if need be.”

He memorized the number Chase gave him. Wasn’t hard since he’d seen it before, as number to call in case the kid hadn’t shown up. Thankful he hadn’t needed to call it. Stepping into one of the elevators he finally let the tension from earlier out of his shoulders. Another job thankfully and hopefully over with.

Stepping into the room he pulled off the bowtie and threw it to the ground. He checked the salt lines and sigils before getting comfortable. Before throwing his jacket on the floor he pulled out the stone and set it on the table.

“That boy is going to be royally pissed if he finds out I just nicked that thing from a pawn shop,” he sat down and pulled off the dress shoes.

“Best he doesn’t find out then,” Casey said picking up the canister. He opened it and poured the contents out onto his hand. Examining the stone he frowned, “The boy still proved himself, despite a few flaws and tonight’s unexpected company. I just pray that he can help us.”

“Amen to that….”