20.
It’s ten ‘o clock the next morning when I leave reluctantly for my order. In the Falcon I call Sharon and agree to see her the next day. First I want to deal with that angel, get some sleep in Jabar’s ultramodern villa and then have breakfast with Sharon. She goes absolutely wild when she hears I’m on my way. Still in love with the angel she’ll try to take him along so I can meet him. I’m really amazed. Sharon has never before thought it worth the effort for me to meet a boyfriend or sexbuddy of hers. It has to be more serious than ever.
Strangely enough I can concentrate on the book I brought with me, although the order that’s ahead of me is much more difficult than the last one and Lucas keeps stirring in my mind.
I realize I can’t do much with a pistol or any other weapons when facing an angel. Especially when the speed with which he uses his telekinetic gift is equal to his strength. I stand more chance when I transform, but I didn’t think about into what or how. That’s my part of the job.
Jabar already took care of the other part and Diedie still has to chip in. Still another difference with the last order: Diedie can’t protect me against telekinetic powers in contrast to the protection of my mind against telepathical influences. If she protects my entire body I can’t do much with it and I can’t transform. Besides, Jabar is right: the risk of getting trapped is extremely big.
I take a nap, have a little chat with Tony and his copilot, read for a while in the book Hunting Moon, which is extremely thrilling, and eat something. The almost ten-hour flight is over quickly and before I realize it, I get the command to fasten my seatbelt.
Montreal lies beneath us and looks as amazing as always. I think it’s a beautiful city and the people are friendly and kind. French is my second language, so that doesn’t cause a problem. Besides they also speak English in an excellent way.
We don’t land on the busy hypermodern Montreal-Trudeau Airport, but on a smaller airport that’s almost exclusively used for cargo transport: Mirabel Airport. Tony can’t wait to win the feminine population over and my transport, in the shape of a Renault, is already awaiting me at the exit.
It’s two p.m., local time, the same day when I hug Kingston and get in his car. Time zones, sometimes they really bug me.
We chatter about his wifey, the weather, the latest political changes in Canada. He recommends me a delicious restaurant, but I’ve already decided to order a pizza or something like that this evening and get it delivered at home. I already know I’ll be worn out, at least, if I survive.
The drive to the centre of Montreal luckily is short. At three ‘o clock I’m dropped in the neighborhood of the angel’s house. We agree I’ll take a cab afterwards to Jabar’s house and Kingston only has to expect a call the next day in the late morning to bring me back to the airport.
The Glock and the blackjack, which I got from Kingston, are in the meanwhile well hidden and out of sight in my leather jacket. At this time of the year, the spring, it can be quite hot already in Montreal and so it is now. I can only welcome it, because with the transformations I’m planning to do, I expect a serious cold front afterwards.
It could have been a great deal worse, it’s Saturday and the company Joseph works for is closed. Hopefully he decided to stay home today. The house I’m standing in front of has Victorian influences with the typical balcony that runs over the entire storey. The garden looks wild, but the house itself got a new layer of white paint not so long ago.
In Kingston’s car I transformed myself into a little man who delivers parcels, in the right uniform for this area. When I ring at the wrought-iron gate I’m let in immediately. While I walk to the front door I begin to feel uncomfortable. I’ve picked up devils before and also some vamps and elves and a single witch, but never before an angel. Their telekinetic powers can sometimes measure up to those of Superman, if he would exist. Nah well, it has to be the first time once and I gain experience this way.
The front door swings open and a man with white hair and a sharp hooknose stands in the opening. His brown eyes, which almost have a beige color, look cautious at me.
‘I don’t expect an order,’ he calmly says.
‘Joseph Jones?’ I ask, making my voice as heavy as possible.
‘Yes, that’s me,’ he answers in a nasal tone.
‘A delivery from Moonwalking company.’
‘The company I work for?’
I shrug. ‘I have no idea, sir.’
He holds out his hand to take the package, but I can’t let that happen of course, because it’s a part of myself. I change so the package turns into muscles and I still look like a little man, except one that does weightlifting regularly.
Joseph blinks his eyes in surprise and wants to smack the door shut in front of me. I was prepared for that one. I transform my right arm into a crowbar and put it quick as a flash between the door. Autch! It hurts for a while and I’ll probably be able to add a new bruise to my collection.
I walk past him, into the hall and suddenly feel how the ground withdraws itself from me. Now it’s my time to look surprised. He holds me into the air with his power at, at least, four meters above the ground.
‘What are you doing here? Who are you?’ he yells at me, his eyes completely white as a sheet.
‘Put me down again!’
I’m not afraid anymore, but enraged and I’m only glad about that.
‘Not a chance!’
Okay, have it your way, cunt. I transform into an eagle and not a little one. Because of that I can tear loose from his mental grip. Luckily it’s an immensely big hall with a high ceiling. Only for a second he seems to be off his stroke, but that gives me enough time to dove for him. I still know to peck in one of his eyes with my beak. Fairly hard. Yuck! It’s doesn’t taste like anything, but just the mere thought!
He screams out loud and covers his eyes with his hands.
I transform into a black panther and land flexible and softly on my four paws. He has recovered in the meantime and looks at me with a mixture of disdain and rage. I hope I made the right bet and he has quite less power with one eye than when he would use both of them, but I’m still feeling anxious. See, if Jabar would only have let me read in his Lexicon of Species earlier, I would have probably known.
I’m thrown aside, but I can indeed feel – hooray – his strength isn’t of the same level anymore. Being a panther I land on my side, but I’m immediately on my paws again and change in a boa constrictor. Sneaking over the floor I wrap myself around his calves. He tumbles, falls down and knows how to throw me off of him. I end up in a corner of the hall.
He jumps to his feet. ‘Who the fuck are you? What do you want from me?’
I can’t talk in the form of an animal, so I change in an average girl, but not in myself.
‘We have a strong suspicion you murdered your boss and his secretary,’ I say.
‘Fuck off. How you can prove that? Besides, who are you?’ It almost sounds moaning.
‘Your angel of revenge.’
‘Ha ha, how funny.’
‘If you’re innocent, nothing will happen.’
‘And else?’
‘Else you get punished.’
‘Especially by you.’
‘Among others. If you harm me, a next one will come after you.’
‘Mind your own business!’
‘Misuse of your gift is not tolerated. You surely know it’s an unwritten law among otherkinds.’
He mumbles something unintelligible but I don’t go on about it.
‘It wasn’t my fault, honestly! Tell me how I can prove my innocence to you?’ His eyes have a normal color again, but I don’t think they look honest. The eye I attacked looks nasty red and waters.
I take my mobile phone from my inside pocket and call Diedie while I rip off a big piece from the underside of my shirt.
‘What are you doing?’ he still asks, his look on my torn shirt.
‘It’s quite hot in here.’ To Diedie I say: ‘Truth mojo.’
‘Okay, bring me to his ear.’
I put a few steps in his direction and hold out my hand with the mobile phone to him.
‘What are you planning to do?’ His eyes shift back and forth from the mobile to me.
‘A truth spell,’ I smilingly say.
‘Oh no, you don’t. I don’t trust witches.’
‘How handy! We don’t trust you. Well? What’s it gonna be?’
I still go closer until I’m on half a meter away from him.
With his mental power he swings the mobile phone out of my hands, so it falls on the stone floor. Luckily it isn’t broken.
‘No,’ Joseph says firmly.
‘Then I declare you’re guilty.’
Although I know a bunch of jiujitsu-grips and – techniques, the next thing I do is still the most effective for men. With all of my strength I kick him in his balls. He leans down moaning. I don’t hesitate a second and wrap the piece of cloth around his head so it covers his eyes. Then I hit his head with the blackjack. Not too hard, he can’t be out for too long.
I put out the belt that’s in my jeans and is used for emergencies and bind his hands on his back. He tumbles aside. I leave him where he drops.
I pick up my mobile phone, get a seat on the ground about two meters away from him with my Glock in one hand and call Diedie.
‘Diedie?’
‘Oh, my gosh, Manon, I thought he killed you. Everything alright?’
‘Sure, everything’s fine. I just have to wait until he recovers. Whoops, that doesn’t look good, I can see blood trickling out of his head.’
‘Rather his head than yours, love.’
‘I’ll call you back right away.’
‘Alright. Be careful.’
‘Always.’
It takes about ten more minutes before he moves moaning.
‘Wake up!’ I yell. ‘It’s time to get up!’
He moans a bit harder. Oh, what a wonderful sound if it doesn’t come out of your own mouth.
‘I’m holding a pistol on you.’ I unlock the Glock clearly audible. ‘If you refuse to sign the document I’ll give to you, I’ll get a finger cramp.’
‘What kind of document?’ he asks in a sharp voice.
‘A letter of resignation. With immediate effect and without bonus.’
He seems to take my offer in account.
‘Alright, if that’s all I need to do.’
For now, mate, but there’s more to follow.
‘That’s all,’ I say. A white lie.
I stand up and take the paper, which Jabar drew up, out of my trousers pocket, together with a pen. After that I help him to get up, cut loose his hands and guide a hand to the document.
‘Here.’
He puts a scribble on it. Because he’s still blindfolded it’s a bit topsy-turvy, but clear enough.
‘And your name,’ I demand.
He does what I ask him to do. After that I tie up his hands again.
‘I’ll still send your resignation today for you. Isn’t that sweet of me.’
He grumbles an answer which sounds like a curse. I put the document away and call Diedie back.
‘Second round, Diedie.’
‘Alright, give me his ear.’
I lay the mobile phone next to his ear and let Diedie do her thing. When he realizes what’s happening and want to turn his head away, it’s too late already. Diedie has already got him under her mojo-influence. I know what it means, we talked elaborately about it before I flew to Montreal.
First she blots out his memory just until the point where he started working for Moonwalking. He won’t remember a thing about this period. If he has done some financial investments this year or other important deals, he’s out of luck. He won’t remember. If he met the love of his love, he’s double out of luck. He can start looking again then. Second he’ll be a dishwasher for the rest of his life in a restaurant. From a high manager function to dishwasher. The difference could be bigger, but not that much.
It seems to be a gentle punishment compared to a life imprisonment. But, as I explained before already, the risk is too big. He could misuse his gift in prison against other prisoners who challenge him. Besides, the slow aging process will strike the guards after tens of years. The importance of the mass of otherkinds is more important than that of one single individual.
Nevertheless we still have a little surprise in reserve for him. It was my idea and I’m still proud of it. Diedie puts a false desire in his memory. Namely the desire to spend each and every moment of his spare time to volunteer work and that for the rest of his working days. At least he’s doing something to make it up. It doesn’t compensate the two murders, but it’s better than nothing.
‘Okay,’ Joseph says and that’s the sign Diedie is ready.
‘See you tomorrow,’ I say and shut the mobile phone.
I cut loose his hands and take off his blindfold. In the meantime I got extremely cold because of the many transformations and my teeth rattle. It seems as if I’m standing in a freezer.
Joseph looks surprised at me, he clearly doesn’t recognize me.
‘Come on, I’ll help you. You fell down.’
I support him under his armpits and he struggles to his feet.
‘Joseph Jones, we’re very happy you want to work in our restaurant. We urgently need dishwashers.’
‘Oh?’ He now looks even more surprised and especially at my torn shirt.
‘Yes, that’s why I came to you in personal to sign the contract. We know you’ll earn precious little money, but that can change in the future.’
‘Did I apply for a job?’
‘Don’t you remember? You did just yesterday. But you seemed a bit confused. You said you were having a headache, maybe that’s why you don’t remember.’
‘Probably.’
‘However. Welcome in our team. You told the owner of the restaurant you were tired to do paperwork jobs and you wanted to work with your hands. Well, you’ll get that chance now.’
‘Oh, nice.’
He doesn’t seem convinced, but that will still come.
‘Here is the contract. You want to sign?’
I give him the pen and he signs his new work contract. A job as dishwasher in one of the busiest restaurant in Montreal. One of Jabar’s friends is the owner and he still owed Jabar something. Besides, after that friend heard how little he would have to pay his new dishwasher, he agreed immediately.
‘Here’s a card of the restaurant.’
Joseph hesitatingly takes it.
‘Then I’ll be going. See you tomorrow!’
I shake his hand. With the doorknob in my hand he stops me. Oh, oh.
‘Ma’am?’
I turn around carefully. ‘Yes?’
‘I’d love to do some volunteer work. Do you know some place where they could use me?’
Yes!!!