Earlier that Day

Eva woke to her abductor whistling. She knew he had been lying about letting her go.”Bastard,” she thought. Her head ached.

If people could see her now, they probably wouldn’t recognize her.  She sported two black eyes and a busted lip. His temper was unpredictable. That was something she learned quickly. When he became upset, he would usually pull her hair or slap her. He was careful in how he doled out his abuse because he didn’t want to kill her…not yet anyway.

She thought of what had happened the night before. He had asked her to kill that hooker in exchange for her freedom.

“All you have to do is kill her.”

He made it sound so easy...as if he was asking for her kill a roach and not another human being. Eva had asked for the knife and as soon as he gave it to her, he had stepped out of reach. Smart man. The chair that held the prostitute was close enough that she could’ve stabbed her with ease if she wanted to. Instead, Eva tuned out the poor woman’s muffled sobs and turned the knife towards her own body. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of killing her and she was tired of being at his mercy. Her weakness made her movements slow enough that he was able to figure out what she was trying to do. He quickly jumped forward and snatched the knife away from her.

“What do you think you’re doing? You don’t get to call the shots around here Eva. I do!” He quickly turned around and made quick work of killing the other hostage.

Eva was on the ground vomiting what little food she had consumed earlier that day.

“Just for that…you get to watch what I do next.”

Never in her life had Eva imagined she would have to watch another human be defaced and gutted. She tried to close her eyes but he threatened to rape her if she didn’t obey. She cried the entire time she watched.

“So we’re conscious again, are we?”

Eva groaned. After he was done with the prostitute, he had slapped her so hard she fell and hit her head on the floor.

“I want to warn you that the next time I ask you to do something, you better do it. If you don’t, who knows what I might do.”

Eva’s laughter turned into a coughing fit.

“What’s so funny, bitch?”

Eva let her head cock to the side as she whispered, “What else can you do to me? Why don’t you kill me already?”

He shook his head, “No…no…no. I can’t do that. I want you alive so that I can play with you a little longer.” He knelt down and clasped her face in his hands. “You think there’s nothing else I can do to you? Did I break my favorite toy?”

Eva shrugged.

“Well maybe you’re right,” he pulled out his cell phone and opened his picture gallery. He found the image he was looking for and showed it to her. “If I can’t do anything to you…maybe I can do something to her…”

Eva focused on the picture before her and her chest tightened in dread.  Talking to an overweight woman in some random parking lot was her cousin, Joelynn.

Later that day

After talking with Detective Smith, Joelynn stepped back into the police department’s headquarters. She went to the missing persons unit and asked to speak with an officer Dempsey.  He was the one in charge of Eva’s case.

The woman at the counter told Joelynn to wait. She sat next to a lady that was clearly dressed too provocatively for the daytime.

The woman looked over at Joelynn and said loud enough for the officer at the counter to hear, “These pigs don’t care if people are missing. So I hope you don’t plan on finding your friend anytime soon.”

“I’m not here for a friend. I’m looking for my cousin.”

“Yeah well I’m looking for my friend. I even have a picture of her,” the woman said as she showed Joelynn a picture of a group of women giving an older gentleman a lap dance.

“Umm…well I hope they find her.”

“I don’t know. It’s been almost two weeks now. She was going to meet a reporter for some extra money but she never came back. I think that reporter had something to do with it.”

Joelynn shrugged her shoulders.

“Trixie!” the lady at the reception desk called out. The prostitute next to Joelynn got up quickly. “That’s me. I hope they find your cousin.”

“Joelynn?”  Officer Dempsey called out.

“Any news?” Joelynn asked.

He shook his head, “No, but we’ve been watching the online chat rooms for the Demon King to see if there’s been any new information. If it’s related to him and his fans something may come up. The last person to talk to her was her boss and he said she was working on some secret story and was going to meet a source. Do you have any idea who her sources were?”

“Of course not. Well she used to say that you had to go to the scourge of the earth to get the dirt you wanted. Who would you consider the scourge of the earth?”

“Well that means different things to different people. For me it would mean my ex-wife.”

Joelynn failed to see the humor. “Alright, well keep me posted.”

She walked out of the police station feeling defeated and guilty. If only she hadn’t moved out. If only she hadn’t abandoned Eva. None of this would have happened. Eva used to always check in with her when she went on dangerous assignments. She scanned the parking lot for her car and spotted Trixie talking to…Artie? Was that Artie from her group therapy sessions? What was he doing here?

Joelynn was about to call out to him when he suddenly lifted his head and noticed Joelynn. His eyes widened and he whispered something to Trixie and quickly fled the area. Joelynn was dumbstruck. Why was he pretending not to know her? She walked over to where the two had been standing.

“Uh…Trixie was it?”

Trixie turned around, “Yeah that’s me.”

Joelynn cleared her throat, “Who was that man you were just talking to?”

Trixie gave a languid smile, “Sorry honey, I don’t talk about my customers to anyone.”

“Customer?”

Trixie was about to leave when suddenly an idea struck Joelynn. “Hey Trixie…you said your friend was going to meet a reporter, right?”

“That’s right. They think her pimp Carlos did this but I know he didn’t. He loved Roxy like a sister.”

Joelynn stopped herself from mentioning how brothers wouldn't sell their sisters for casual sex. “Do you know the reporter’s name?” she asked instead.

Trixie scratched her hair causing her weave to move. “I don’t really remember but she was always in the paper for that serial killer a few months back.”

“Listen Trixie, I think your friend met my cousin who’s also missing.” Joelynn felt a glimmer of hope. “Maybe the two disappearances are related somehow.”

“You think they have something to do with that cheating politician?” Trixie asked.

“What cheating politician?”

Trixie walked up to Joelynn and put her arm around her, “Honey, let me drop some knowledge on you…”

During a Therapy Session

Dr. Colin Spencer sat across from Agent Sally Roux who had her arms and legs crossed. “Sally your body language is telling me that you don’t really want to be here.”

“Is that so? I could’ve told you that myself,” Sally took a frustrated breath and adjusted herself on the leather sofa in Dr. Spencer’s office.

“The longer you refuse to open up, the longer it will take to get back into the field Sally.”

She hated when he called her Sally. He should address her as Agent Roux but he insisted that it would make them build rapport. 

“Can I be honest with you Dr. Spencer?”

“Always,” he smiled.

“I think you’re a quack. I’m not sure why you’re taking so long to reinstate me but I will find out.”

“Are you always this suspicious?”

“Oh my God…can you please just stop with the therapy mumbo jumbo? I killed a man! I have nightmares…so what? Who wouldn’t? Do I feel guilty? Yes, at times I do because even though he was a psychotic sonofabitch, he was still a human being. Pulling the trigger on him was something I had to do. Would I do it again? In the same situation…hell yeah I would!” Sally was pacing the office now. “I’m not sure what magic words I need to say to you before you can give the okay for me to go back to work but tell me what they are and I’ll say them. I’m not afraid to kill again but I pray to God that I won’t have to.”

Dr. Spencer smiled.

“What now?” she asked in total irritation.

“Nothing. I just think you’re ready to be back into the field now.”

Sally didn’t wait for him to say another word. She stormed out of his office and let the door slam behind her. She was back.

Disciples of the Demon King Chat Room

The-Deadly-Disciple: The Demon King believed in justice.  For an FBI agent to kill him was a travesty.

DKingRulz91: Whatever happened to that lady cop that killed him?

JC_DemonKing: She’s probably at home.  Waiting to get hers.

DKingRulz91: Yeah man the Demon King was like the Jack the Ripper of our times. Sucks that he’s gone. You think Brad Pitt’s gonna play him in the movie? I hope they get somebody good.

The-Deadly-Disciple: As disciples of the Demon King, we must strive for revenge. I shall personally take vengeance.

JC_DemonKing: Dude shut up already! Hey I heard that lady reporter went missing

DKingRulz91: lolololol R u serious? The King’s gf?

JC_DemonKing: Yeah the cops think one of ours took her

The-Deadly-Disciple: She WASN’T his girlfriend!  A girlfriend wouIdn’t have betrayed him. She’s being punished.

JC_DemonKing: Riiiight…get a life man. Who’s punishing her? You?

DKingRulz91: You’re always saying weird shit. We’re here to talk about the new movie Raising the Demon King…not listen to your crap.

JC_DemonKing: Preach it!

The-Deadly-Disciple: does this look like crap to you?

He posted a picture of a woman chained to a wall. Both JC_DemonKing and DKingRulz91 recognized her. It was Eva Lewis.

Meanwhile

Jacob waited at the coffee shop for Vincent McDaniels. He didn’t know why but he was nervous. When he spotted McDaniels come in, he waved his hand in the air. Other patrons recognized him and some asked for autographs which he was happy to give. When he finally sat down with Jacob he ordered them two mocha lattes.

“So how do you know my mother?” It was the only question Jacob wanted to know the answer to.

“She didn’t tell you?” Vincent raised his eyebrows. “I met her when she was a prostitute.”

‐-----------

NOTE: Reminder, this story is unedited. Also, I keep forgetting to update. Please remind me if I forget. The stories are finished, I just need to transfer them over.