The High Order

4. Redemption

4.       Redemption

1. Through the dens and houses of Hell Dan sped after the treacherous little thief who had snagged the watch of his very wrist as he was simply walking in broad daylight. In the human world, Dan had been seasoned in the art of tracking his target over long distances, usually over state lines, making a chase through the city a cinch in comparison. However, when the target possessed the abilities of an acrobat to parkour their way through the busy streets and areas of extensive scaffolding that he did not, Dan saw the odds stacked against him. The thief continued to run, finally taking a wrong turn down a dark alley where their skill would serve them very little. Dan's appearance shook the thief further into the darkness of the alley, from where he heard the smashing of a bottle and a short figure step out of the shadows.

"easy now. I just want my watch back. Jesus, you really gave me a workout back there" Dan cracked his back and tried to make peace with the dark haired girl, wearing black leggings, white sneakers and a grey hoodie. He had learned the hard way that being stuck with a girl holding a broken bottle was one of the wrong situations to be in.

"what's your name, mine's Dan" Dan acted civil.

"Abigail" the girl replied.

"great. You still have my watch on you?" Dan gestured a waiting hand out to the girl, who reached into her hoodie and threw the watch on the floor. Dan eagerly went to pick it up and returned it to the comfort of his wrist.

"now that's taken care of, why did you steal from me?" Dan looked at Abigail.

"why the hell do you look like that, it's like some fucked up Halloween costume or something" Abigail said.

"be that is at may, you can't blame how I look for you trying to rob me, so why did you do it?" Dan asked again.

"I don't know, something to do I guess" Abigail looked down, still holding the broken bottle in her hands. Dan saw several marks on her face and hands in the light of day, making him wonder about what had this kid been through.

"look, Abby?" Dan spoke.

"Abigail"

"gesundheit. Anyway, I'm gonna be real with you. I am kind of in the middle of trying to find some asshole that tried to kill me, and I also just happen to know Lucifer himself, no bullshit. So, if you can help me find this guy, I can get you whatever you need. Deal?" Dan offered his hand, which Abigail took before being led out onto the open street and off to where Dan thought "guys in kraut uniforms would usually hang out".

The other day, Alois had told Dan that Lothar dwelled across town In the district of Furytown, where every building paled in comparison to the Xibalba tower, the tallest building west of the Dis. It did not take them long to track down Lothar. He was performing an arms deal with several Italian mob bosses between two parked cars at the edge of Hades way. Abigail and Dan held back behind them in an alley for a moment. Lothar was a tall young man with brown hair and a gray German army uniform. He was flanked by several other German soldiers who were performing the transaction of handing weapons to the Italians.

"what do we do?" Abigail whispered.

"on of two things. Guns blazing or talk him down?"

"I think the first one. The second one isn't as much fun" Abigail stated as the deal was complete and both parties returned to their nearby cars. Dan and Abigail fired on them with a pistol and small pellets of pure energy courtesy of Dan. The Germans fired on the two, while Lothar darted up the road towards the tower.

"he's getting away" Dan told Abigail. Dan created a diversion in the form of an energy wave to deal with the remaining soldiers before the dynamic duo gave chase to a running Lothar. The tower was adorned with intimidating Aztec masks and skulls painted the color of dry blood. It led to an atrium on the top floor, several hundred feet above. Abigail and Dan were forced to run up the stairs as Lothar had taken the only elevator up to the top floor. When the two finally burst though the fire safety doors, they saw Lothar standing on the edge of the tower looking out onto the horizon in the west.