The Devil's Beat (The Devil's Mark) Read online

  Mike scowled and grumbled. “Yeah, yeah. It's just because I softened it up for you.”

  “Ha!” snorted Max. He peered into the dark opening. As the dust cleared, he saw a small narrow room, no more than four feet by twelve feet with solid brick walls all around. There were sets of iron manacles hanging along one side of the wall from thick rusty iron chains and something was attached to two of sets of manacles.

  It was the ghostly forms of a familiar man and woman. It was Annette who spoke first. She said in a heavy southern accent. “Oh, thank the Lord! We are rescued! Please release us from this durance vile, kind sir!”

  The man said, “Oh yes, please sir. If I have to spend one more moment next to this harlot, I think I shall go stark raving mad!”

  Max took a step closer with open curiosity in his face. “How did you get stuck in here? Last I saw you, you were trying to burn the place down around me.”

  The man replied in as dignified a manner as one stuck to a wall might. He said, “'Tis this infernal house! It has kept us here against our will since that night!”

  Mike's eyes were wide with excitement when he piped in, “These are those ghosts? I thought you were just pulling my leg, Max!”

  Mike looked at Mike. “Oh yeah, these are the two. Mike, may I introduce you to the former Annette...”

  Annette gracefully interjected, “O'Shannosy, kind sir. I beg your indulgence and understanding of my bad manners, but as you can see, I am not able to properly greet you.”

  Max continued, “And I have not been introduced this man...”

  The man responded with, “Brett, good sir. Brett Babbage. And could you enlighten me with your names, gentle sirs?”

  Max said, “I am Maximilian Faust and this gaping gentleman is Michael McCormick.”

  “It is my pleasure to meet you. And now that we are introduced, would it be too much trouble to ask you to help free us from this most unseemly confinement?

  Max eyed Brett. “I don't know. I think I agree with Belle on this one, Brett. I've grown rather fond of this house, and I wouldn't like to see it burned down.”

  “Mr. Faust, as god is my witness, I assure you that I will do nothing to threaten Belle again. Please reconsider your position on this.”

  Max said, “Okay, before I even try, I will need both of you to swear on your honor that you will do nothing to harm Belle or her guests, and you will do as I ask when I need you.”

  Both of them swore to God.

  Mike said, “Really Max, are you going to trust two ghosts to keep their word?”

  Brett huffed. He said, “Sir, I am a gentleman and an officer of the Confederacy. I would never foreswear myself in life nor in death. Unfortunately, the harlot next to me cannot make that claim.”

  Annette was quick with a hot retort. “You sanctimonious bull’s pizzle, I have told you repeatedly that...”

  Max interjected. “My first request is that the two of you to keep your bickering out of our earshot.”

  Annette stopped mid rant. “I beg your pardon, sir. I have forgotten my manners due to the extreme stress of my indelicate situation.”

  Brett said, “I shall do better than that, Mr. Faust. I will endeavor to keep as far away as possible from this...woman.”

  “Okay, let me see what I can do.” Max walked into the room and examined the manacles. Neither set looked like they were holding anything. It was almost like it was a ghost of the manacles themselves that was holding the two human ghosts. Max said, “Belle, you've heard that the two of them have learned their lesson and have promised to behave. I think it would be good of you to release them. You've made your point.”

  Nothing happened for a moment, until a nose fell off the statue on the column that Mike was standing next to. It hit Mike on the head. The manacles disappeared just as Mike started curse. The two ghosts quickly faded out to nothing.

  Mike calmed down and put his hat back on. He just glared at Max.

  Max tried not to laugh. He said, “And Belle, please be nicer to Mike. He’s going to help make you beautiful again.” There was no response, so Max just looked at Mike and shrugged.

  Scowling, Mike grabbed the hammer from Max's hand and headed carefully and slowly down the stairway.

  Max looked at the pile of bricks and the brick prison room. It sure was uncomfortably like in the story “A Cask of Amontillado.” As he turned to follow his friend down the stairs, he wondered when he was going to wake up and find that he had been in the loony bin for the last decade.

  Max headed to the music room to check up on his other guests. As he entered the room, he could see that Josh had indeed been at work on the walls. There were more of them finished and waiting for a coat of stain or paint. Max wasn't sure which they would use. Suddenly, Vlad was standing in front of Max. Max yelped and jumped back.

  Vlad didn't react to Mike's startled response. He said, “Have you brought the internet so we can find my Anesha?”

  “Uh no, Vlad, sorry, it doesn't work quite like that. We would need a satellite dish and a... Oh never mind. We will have to see if we can find a library or something that has a computer we can use. Then, we can get on the internet and hopefully find out where she lives. Right now, you just need to be a little patient, okay?”

  Vlad stared hard at Max. He said, “If she dies or comes to harm before I find her again, I will kill you, and I will kill all your friends slowly and painfully. My parole will not stop me from this. Da?”

  Max swallowed and nodded. He had to admit that Vlad had a way of setting one’s priorities straight.

  He made some calls on his cell phone and passed on what he had found to Vlad. The town did have a small library, but unfortunately, it was only open Monday through Thursday. Vlad did not look pleased at the thought of waiting two more days, but Max finally convinced him that breaking into the library was not the solution. Vlad grudgingly went back to helping Josh, taking a break only to watch his show. It took a while, but to everyone's relief (and probably the life of the actress who played the abusive Cindy), the others convinced Vlad that the love of his life was not actually being abused by the buxom blonde and that no vengeance was called for.

  That evening, the whole bizarre crew headed to town for some food. Everyone was surprised when Vlad insisted he was going to come along. They headed out to Bayou Bob's Crab Shack. Max was pleased to discover that Vlad couldn't read when he saw the sign proudly proclaiming, “Free Internet Access!”

  Vlad had fixated on the idea that he was going to start solid food again. He grimly ate what was put in front of him and then would rush to the restroom, come back an even whiter shade of white and try again. When Max asked him why, Vlad said simply, “Anesha would not like it if I could only eat blood.” Max had a really bad feeling about introducing Vlad to the actress. When Vlad found out that she was just a normal twenty-first- century American, he might just lose it even more than usual, but Max couldn't think how they might actually stop Vlad—short of chopping off his head again.

  Lost My Head

  That night Max got separate rooms at the motel for Josh and Vlad so everyone had gotten a good night’s sleep. That morning, Vlad had been exceptionally proud when he had been able to keep an egg down for a couple of minutes. He insisted that it wouldn't have come back at all if he hadn't had the slice of toast. For his part, Mike was on cloud nine. He had gotten the confirmation from his bank on the transfer of fifty million dollars from Max.

  As they headed to the house, they passed by the hotel, but no one noticed the black sedans and the men in black suits and sunglasses who were swarming like wasps in and out of his room at the “Quaint and Charming Dixie Motel.” Fortunately, the suits didn't notice Max and company either.

  All of them were back in the kitchen discussing what sort of changes they could make to allow for a sink and a full suite of modern appliances. Surprisingly, Vlad had started taking more interest in the trappings of modern civilization. Suddenly, he was thinking about living.

  If
Max himself had been thinking, or consciously aware that, “Bad Moon Rising” was playing from the music room, he would have been wary that things were going too well

  Their discussion was interrupted by a faint scream from the front of house, followed by gunshots. Vlad led the charge and was already out the front door as everyone else was just entering the main hall. When the rest arrived on the scene, there was a large trail of dust leading down the drive like someone hadn't cared what the rocks and ruts were doing to their shocks, as they were getting out of there. Max could hear the distant sounds of squealing tires on the road out front. None of that compared to the sight that greeted them near the overgrown front fountain.

  Vlad was standing over a body thrashing on the ground. It was the body of a short, but very round man in an expensive suit and it had no head. Max recognized the body immediately. It was Big Al, the mayor. Max cried out, “Oh, fuck!” He followed that with several other exclamations of disgust and despair.

  By the time he was next to the body, it became impossible not to notice that it wasn't slowing down. It seemed awfully active for someone without a head. It flailed around until, disturbingly, it found its feet. Max jumped back as the body stood up and began stumbling aimlessly around the drive. For his part, Vlad was mesmerized. He went to the body and pushed it over again. It started flailing its limbs like a beetle on its back.

  Josh said, “Dude. That is one freaky trip.”

  Mike said, “That can't be the real Mayor. Where's the blood? Max, look around for a hidden camera.”

  Max shook his head as the mayor's body found its feet again and proceeded to wander around aimlessly with its arms out front, zombie-style. He said faintly, “Mike I don't think this is Candid Camera.”

  Josh laughed. “Dudes! He looks like humpty-dumpty!” He went over to poke at it with Vlad.

  Max had to admit that it kind of did. He said, “What the hell happened to his head?”

  Mike added, “And why is it still walking around without it?”

  “I wish I knew, Mike. I wish I knew. Do you think whoever hightailed it out of here took the mayor's head with them? Maybe they are the guys responsible for leaving all those dead animals at the door.”

  Mike turned to Max with wide eyes. “Jesus Christ Max! What the fuck is this place? Did you call your body guards back?”

  Max shook his head with regret. “No, I forgot.”

  That was when Max noticed a new car pulling in from the road at the far end of his drive. “Ah, Hell! We've got more company.” He waived his arms at Vlad and Josh and shouted, “Vlad, Josh, get him inside! The last thing we need is someone else seeing a headless mayor! Come on, hurry!”

  Vlad didn't bother trying to guide the body into the house. He just picked it up and carried it, arms and legs kicking at the air, into the house. Josh, who had opened the door for Vlad, patted the body as it was carried past. He said, “Don't worry man, we'll get your head back in no time!”

  That was when one of the hands managed to clamp onto Josh's hair. Apparently, it had quite a grip because suddenly, Josh was being dragged along with Big Al. Max picked up the Mayor's power tie that, with no head to keep it in place, had fallen in the dirt. He hurriedly followed the others into the house and closed the door. He told Vlad to take the struggling body back to the kitchen and to help out Josh, who was still caught and wailing in pain.

  Max ran to one of the hall windows and peered out at the slowly approaching car. For once, he was glad that the drive was such a death trap for cars. There was a short scream from Josh behind him and Max tensed up thinking about other short screams that had come from Josh. He relaxed when he heard Josh saying, “Dude! That hurt!”

  ELO’s Evil Woman started playing from the music room.

  Max tried to see who was driving the car. His heart sank when he saw that it was Alice's old beater. He wailed “Aw, crap! Why now?” He really didn't want to drag Alice into any more of the bizarreness of his life.

  “What is it?” asked Mike coming to the window. When Max told him he said, “What is she doing here?”

  Max shook his head. “I wish I knew.”

  As Max watched Alice's car approaching, he briefly wondered how she had found the place. No one found this place without following a ridiculous, convoluted path. Hell, the turnoff onto the road leading this place wasn't even there the first time you drove by. That thought was overridden by concern about what she was here for. He remembered her warm kiss and the feel of her body pressed against his, and then he saw the fright and sorrow in her eyes when she pulled away. He knew that look must be something his subconscious dreamed up because it had been too dark to see her that clearly.

  He was brought back to the present when Alice's car bounced to a stop about fifteen feet away from the drive circle. Alice got out of the car and then got down and peered under the car. When she got back up, she seemed bigger to Mike. She kicked the front tire of the car and the whole left front of the car dropped as the wheel popped out from under the wheel well.

  Alice seemed to shudder as she dropped her head into her hands. Standing next to him Mike said, “Whoa, dude. That is one strong lady friend you've got there. I'd suggest you don't piss her off.”

  Max muttered, “You have no idea.” He looked at Mike. “I think you've been hanging out with Josh too long.”

  Mike didn't deny it. Instead, he said, “Looks like she broke an axle.”

  Suddenly Vlad was beside Max looking out the window as well. He said, “Max, there is darkness moving within her.”

  Max held his tongue. He said, “Vlad, why are you out here? I thought you were going to take care of the Mayor?”

  “Something unnatural drew me away. It is this creature.”

  With her head in her hands, Alice took a couple of deep breaths and seemed to fall in upon herself. Once she was normal sized again, she dropped her hands, lifted her face to the sky, and took a couple more deep breaths. She then turned towards the house and started walking.

  The three men simultaneously dropped down so they couldn't be seen in the window. Mike looked at the other two and said what Max was thinking. “What? Are we seven again? Two grown men and a vampire afraid to be seen by a girl?”

  Vlad scowled. “She is no girl, though the darkness has receded.”

  Feeling foolish, Max peered up over the dilapidated window sill. It was just Alice. She had her arms wrapped around herself as she walked towards the porch with her head hunched down between her shoulders. It was almost as if she was cold, even in the stifling Mississippi heat.

  It hurt Max to see her like this. Max wanted to run out to her and comfort her, but fear of what he had seen earlier stopped him. Shit, this is absurd, I'm crouching next to fucking Dracula! He stood up and walked the short distance to the front door. His resolve wavered, and he found he couldn't open the door. A moment later, there was a hesitant knock. Max jumped like he'd just stepped on a tack. He looked over at his two companions who were still crouched in front of the window looking at him.

  The ridiculous sight finally broke him free from his goofy paralysis. He motioned them away. They both scrambled into the music room. Max turned, took a deep breath, and opened the door.

  Instantly, all his doubts and fears dropped away. Alice stood there looking miserably at Max. Her eyes were full of tears and her lower lip was slightly trembling. She said in a small voice, “I broke my car.” Then she was crying in earnest. Max went to her and clasped her in a tight hug. She shuddered in his hold as she fought to pull herself together. She lost the fight and suddenly, she pressed against him, crying freely. She put her head and hands against his chest and allowed herself to be held. She was small and fragile in Max's arms, and he instinctively rocked her back and forth and stroked her hair. “Shhhh. Alice, it's okay. Everything's okay.”

  She quieted in the comfort of his arms, and she didn't raise her head from his chest as she said quietly with her beautiful southern lilt, “I'm so sorry, Max. I'm not like this. Really,
I'm not. It's just, just been so long.”

  Without thinking, Max said, “Come on in and sit down.”

  ***

  She pulled away, looked at Max with puffy eyes and red nose. She nodded and then sniffed and dabbed at her eyes. Max stepped back, and she followed him sniffing and looking around at the great, dilapidated hall. Max was somehow embarrassed by its shoddiness. From where he stood at Alice's side, he was facing the music room and saw two heads peering out curiously from the side of the entrance. Max glared at them and motioned for them to get lost. The heads drew back out of sight, and he returned his attention to Alice.

  She said in wonder, “It's beautiful!”

  Really? “Uh... yeah, she needs some loving though.”

  She sniffed away the last of her tears as she looked to Max with inquiring eyes. She said, “She?”

  “Yes, her name is Belle.”

  “It suits her. I'm glad you're fixing her up.”

  Max looked around and agreed with her. He was about to ask Alice what was up, when Mike came walking out of the music room. He said, “I thought I heard somebody.”

  Alice was momentarily startled by his appearance but relaxed when Max, hiding his irritation, introduced the two. “This is my friend Mike. He's helping me fix up Belle.”

  Mike put on his best good ol' boy suit. “Pleased to meet you ma'am!” He gallantly ignored her discomfort at meeting a stranger while sporting a runny nose and puffy eyes.

  Mike said, “Yes ma'am, we are going to fix up this heap of kindling and turn her into a beauty.” He stepped to the side as another piece of plaster smacked the floor, just missing him. He looked up at the ceiling and stuck out his tongue, just in time to get a face full of plaster dust. Mike coughed and clapped his hands to his eyes.

  Alice put her hands to her mouth, but her laughter escaped around the edges.

  Max looked at Alice. “Remember how I told you she was haunted?”

  Alice nodded, and he added, “Well, not only is she haunted, but she is quite the, uh, feisty southern belle as well. She and Mike don't get along so well.”