Page 18 of Dead Evil
Ronan
With a spring in his step, courtesy of Ten’s gold medal performance in sexual Olympics the night before, Ronan opened the back door of Fitzgibbon’s SUV to usher Ten and Cope inside. “Morning, Cap.”
“Good morning.” Fitz started the SUV and pulled out into traffic. “Are you all ready for today?”
“Ten and I are going to work our schedule. We’ve got a group reading this morning and another after lunch. In between, we’re going to work the booth with Carson and Cole.”
“I want Ronan or Jude with you at those group readings,” Fitz said.
“You got it,” Ronan agreed. “What are you doing today?”
“I’m meeting with the FBI and the Mass State Police this morning. Now that we know KOD will be at the demonology demonstration tonight, we need to revamp our security plan,” Fitzgibbon said. “I’m hoping that it will go the way it did when Ten went to their revival meetings, but we need to be prepared for all hell to break loose. Especially, if the pastor starts trying to convert the con attendees into radicalized Christian warriors.
“What do we do about you-know-who?” Jude asked.
“Christ, are we still talking about that doll?” Fitz asked, sounding annoyed. “We could have real trouble tonight and you’re worried about a toy?”
“Seems like I’m not the only one thinking about Agatha Louise.” Jude pointed to the front of the convention center where a black limo sat idling. Five news vans were parked nearby with reporters speaking to a man holding a large box.
“Christ, that’s Devin Forrest.,” Fitzgibbon muttered. “He brought the doll in a limo and they’re meeting the press?”
“Agatha Louise is famous,” Jude said. “I can’t wait to see her.”
“What if you’re the ninth victim?” Ten asked.
“What?” Jude barked, turning to face Ten in the backseat.
“Everly said she couldn’t see who the ninth victim was. I figured she was being blocked from seeing, the same way the Dallas Demonologists were blocking us all last night, but what if the reason she couldn’t see who was going to die is because it’s you?” Ten asked, sounding as serious as a heart attack.
“Jesus, Ten, could you wait to be a little black storm cloud of doom untilafterwe’ve had coffee?” Cope asked.
Ronan was about to add his two cents until he saw a large crowd down the street from the parking garage. Salem Police Officers were scrambling to get a barricade erected. The group was holding signs and marching. “Fuck me with a chainsaw. It’s gotta be the KOD.”
“It wouldn’t have been hard to get the schedule for when the talent was getting to the event,” Fitz said, as a man broke free from the police and ran at his vehicle, holding his obscene sign high. “God hates-”
“Don’t say it!” Ten cautioned. “We can all read.”
“Repent now, Sodomites!” the man shouted. “Repent! It’s the only path to salvation!”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been called a Sodomite,” Jude said on a laugh.
The protester smashed his fist against the back driver’s side window. Ten jumped back. “Repent in the name of God Almighty!”
Two uniformed officers grabbed the man and yanked him away from the SUV. Ronan could hear the man shouting at the cops that he was a messenger of God. “What worries me is that he knew who we were.”
“We researched them,” Cope said. “It shouldn’t be surprising that they researched us.”
“Let’s just get inside and away from the gathering crowd.” Fitzgibbon entered the garage and stopped at the unmanned booth and took a ticket. The guard arm raised and he drove inside. A few minutes later, Fitz found a place to park on the third level.
“Are you okay?” Ronan asked as he got out of the backseat and offered his hand to help Ten out.
“I’m good,” Ten said. “I want to get inside so we can get this over with.”
Ronan couldn’t agree more. He pressed the button for the elevator and waited for the others to catch up.
“You know, I would never think to do this to someone else. Come to their event and protest. Insult and try to assault people. The fact that these people use Jesus’s name as their sword to hurt others makes me sick to my stomach.” Ten took Ronan’s hand.
“Same,” Ronan agreed.
