“Isn’t that incredibly dangerous?”
Curran looked at her. “I’m trying to judge which one is worse: getting shot to death or messing around with Satan.”
“Tough choice,” said Lauren. “And even if you had known, would you really have chosen another path?”
“I might have.”
She grinned. “I think you would have stayed exactly where you were regardless of what the outcome would be.”
“You know me that well?”
“Getting to, yes.”
“Really.”
“Steve, you might think and say things like that, but you wouldn’t actually do it. You are one of the few men in this world that I know of who don’t actively try to steer clear of a challenge. You don’t necessarily rush at them head-on, but if you know what’s got to be done, you do it, regardless of the personal cost.”
“I wouldn’t say regardless,” said Curran. “Personal cost can be a real bitch to put up with.”
“I’m sure it is,” said Lauren. “But that still doesn’t take away from what I said. You know as well as I do that your path is what it is because you chose to follow it.”
“If that’s so, then by your definition, I chose to get fired by the FBI.”
“By virtue of pursuing Darius even when it became apparent you were getting nowhere. Yes.”
Curran shook his head. “I don’t know. I loved the FBI.”
“Did you really?”
“Yes.”
“Maybe a part of you loved the Bureau. It attracts people because of the prestige. But maybe there was an aspect you didn’t like at all. Maybe you knew deep down inside that you wouldn’t want to stay there much longer.”
“And what — the case became my excuse to leave by way of getting fired?”
Lauren nodded.
Curran looked at her. “That’s one helluva theory.”
“It might prove itself true, you never know.”
“And it might hold no water whatsoever.”
Lauren smiled. “Maybe.” She pointed. “Only you can decide whether it does or not.”
“You never mentioned you were some kind of pop psychology whiz kid.”
“Pet hobby of mine,” said Lauren. “Impressed?”
“I’d be more inclined to amazement if I wasn’t the guinea pig under the microscope.”
“Wow, that’s one incredible mixed metaphor.”
Curran shook his head. “Jeez, you’re an English teacher, too?”
Lauren waved the comment off. “What are we going to do next — now that we’ve got Darius possibly thinking we’re on to him?”
“I still don’t have any kind of evidence to do things the right way, as much as I’d like to.”
“I thought by-the-book had gone out the window.”
“It did earlier today,” said Curran. “That doesn’t mean I intend to make a habit out of it.”
“But you will if there’s no alternative.”
“Of course.” He didn’t feel comfortable doing it, but Darius had to be stopped. Legally or not.
“You know the best thing to do is to destroy that vat.”
“What — you mean break it?”
“Yes. But we’d also have to dispose of all the evil Darius has spent all these years gathering inside of it.”
“And how do we do that?”
Lauren frowned. “We could pour it down the drain?”
“Uh,” said Curran. “Part of me thinks Darius might find a way to have some sort of resurrection ceremony down at the sewage treatment facility. That wouldn’t be good.”
“We don’t have many other alternatives.”
“So if we break this vat and somehow dispose of the contents,” said Curran. “What’s to stop Darius from going off on another killing spree for the next decade.”
“You.”
“Me.”
Lauren nodded. “You can stop him.”
“I take it you’re not talking about putting him in jail.”
“No.”
“I didn’t know the Church sanctioned killing.”
“It doesn’t. And I don’t.”
“But you’ll make an exception in this case.”
“Considering how many innocent lives will be lost if the resurrection comes to pass, yes. I think anyone would be able to justify killing Darius.”
“Sure, They might. Only problem is that convincing people that Satan is really coming back might prove a little difficult.”
“Well, we can either not worry about it and deal with him, or we can let Darius continue with his scheme and people will see soon enough what kind of hell can be unleashed here on earth.”
Curran smirked. “You make a convincing argument.”
“I wish I didn’t have to.”
“Makes two of us,” said Curran.
“You’re worried though.”
“Damn straight. It’s my gun going bang at Darius, not yours. And even if that theory about me not really liking the FBI holds true, the same can’t be said about the Boston Police Department. I do like working there.”
“I understand.”
“I don’t think you do, Lauren. Believe me, I want Darius put away as bad as you do, but there are things that have got to be played down correctly, not by going off on some badly played out shoot ‘em up.”
“And if it comes down to putting a bullet into him?”
“I’ll shoot him if I have to, “said Curran. “Although I’m not sure how much good it’ll do. After all, he’s one of the Devil’s servants. Some sort of demon, right? You said he could only be hurt while in human form.”
“According to what we read in Westerly’s book, he can be.”
“What happens if we run into him as a demon?” An image he thought he’d seen before floated through his mind. Another fragment of the bad dream from the other night. He pushed it away.
“I’d rather not think about that right now.” She smiled. “So, we’ll destroy the vat?”
“Yeah,” said Curran. “I’m not crazy about pouring that gunk down the drain but I can’t think of anything else to do with it. Can you?”
“No.”
“Then it seems settled. We bust the vat up, smash the pottery or whatever it is, maybe grind up the pieces so it can’t be repaired, and then dump the goo.”
“How big was the vat?”
“Big. About five feet tall.”
“And wide?”
“Maybe two, three feet.”
“It will be heavy,” said Lauren.
“Yeah.”
“Will we be able to move it?”
Curran frowned. “I hadn’t thought of that. We’ll have to do it somehow. We can’t very well leave all that crap down in his cellar. He could still do the ceremony or whatever to bring back Satan.”
“Would it be too weird to suggest a wet/dry vacuum cleaner?”
“Weird? Yes. You might have something there, though. Depends on how much gunk is in the vat itself and how much the vacuum can hold.”
“We’ll have to find out.”
“You really think they’re the souls of all the evil people Darius has killed over the years in that vat?”
Lauren nodded. “Very likely.”
“And you’ve got no ideas how to stop this guy if he turns into a demon?”
Lauren frowned. “I’m still researching it.”
“Don’t take too long,” said Curran. “We’ll have to stop him. And soon.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Curran contacted Kwon shortly after four that afternoon. At about the same time as the sun started tracking west toward the horizon. The forecast called for more rain tonight.
Kwon’s assistant answered on the third ring and told Curran he was doing an autopsy. Curran frowned. “Tell him it’s important.”
The assistant sighed. “There’s a corpse on the gurney, sir. Is this really important?”
“Just get him.”
Kwon came on the line a minute later, breathing heavily. “You’re making my people upset, you know that?”
“Tired of wading through the dead yet?”
“It’s my damned job. Why?”
“No reason. Just wondering if you were busy tonight.”
“Why, your hand turn you down for a date again?”
Always the card, Kwon was. Curran smiled anyway. “I need your help. Again.”
“My help.” There was a pause on the phone. “I thought I made it clear I wasn’t really cut out for that kind of thing.”