Revenge, Photos and Covenants

Chapter 4: Jail Break

The cold steel bars of the jail cell slammed shut behind John, the sound echoing through the dimly lit police station. He sank onto the uncomfortable cot and buried his head in his hands, feeling a chill creep up his spine that had nothing to do with the drafty room.

"John isn't safe in prison, the exorcist will kill him before they even get to trial," Ethel said urgently as she pulled up next to Zack, the scarlet sky casting eerie shadows on her face. "I need your help to get him out."

"Of course, but next time you find one of Gluttony's vessels, a heads up would be nice," Zack said, still put off but Ethel's lack of communication with him. He and Rob had rushed to Ethel with their discovery that John was a vessel only for her to explain she knew that already and he had joined her covenant. Zack couldn't help but feel they wasted so much time figuring out his identity when they should have been figuring out how to keep him safe.

"I've already apologized for that but Zack you are not a part of my covenant, I don't owe you anything." She explained.

"Really? Because without us you wouldn't have been able to take on Gluttony and become a Supreme in the first place." Zack retorted.

"Fine you're right," Ethel admitted, "And on the note I did discover where Gluttony was keeping them. I think you should see it." she opened the passenger door for Zack, who slid into the seat without hesitation.

They drove to the old house where John had been held captive by Gluttony, their headlights slicing through the swirling fog. The dilapidated building loomed before them like a haunted specter, its dark windows staring sightlessly at the two intruders.

"He kept them all here?" Zack asked grimly, as Ethel led him inside.

The house was even colder than it looked, and they could see their breaths forming clouds as they searched through the debris. Ethel gasped when they found the door to the basement, its door hanging open to reveal a cramped space that still smelled faintly of fear and despair. She clenched her fists, her brown eyes blazing with anger.

"You can still feel it here," she whispered, her voice shaking. "fear and pain, the vessels that were trapped here knew nothing else." Zack could feel it all, four distinct auras all laced with fear and despair and caused his whole body to start shaking.

Zack's gaze was then drawn to the chains on the floor and the locks on the door. He reached out and touched each lock but couldn't sense anything, not a trace of aura. He looked up at Ethel "Who let them out?"

"Someone powerful, but the question that I have been asking myself is why would someone let them out?" Ethel's gaze never left the door, "I wasn't close to finding them, this place wasn't even on my radar so why would anyone release a bunch of weak vessels into the world?" Zack thought about the question, nothing about this was adding up.

-----

Elsewhere, Deb slipped unnoticed into St. Jerome's Parish, the candlelight flickering across her face as she listened to the hushed conversation between Jessica and Pablo. She hoped to learn what the exorcists' next moves were so she could warn Zack.

"The boy must be eliminated," Jessica insisted, her brown eyes steely. "It's for the greater good, a witness puts him at the murder scene."

Deb's heart raced as she realized they were plotting to kill John. She had to let Zack know. As she crept away, she caught sight of an exorcist dressed as a police officer, carrying a box marked with the symbol of the holy grail. She remembered Zack telling her about how Abby poisoned Ethel with something similar. She tried to call Zack but there was no answer, so she went with plan B.

She called Rob, her voice barely above a whisper. "Rob, I can't get a hold of Zack but the exorcists are moving ahead with their plans tonight. They are going to try to kill John, they have a cop with them."