Page 3 of Seeking Hades' Ember

Chapter 2

Loukas

“Have you gathered enough information about this strip club?” There was a pause from Vulcan. “Cheaters Anonymous?” He laughed at the name.

“Yeah, I have.” I threw the paperwork on his desk. I had everything, down to the last picture of girls entering the club, bagged, and gagged, and often leaving the club with different men. They never return when they leave and where they go was a mystery since I haven’t been given enough personnel to follow. I’d help, but Hades was only willing to give so many resources.

I was Hades’ 3rd-degree bitch. Anytime he felt like something needed to be investigated when regarding a high-class, low-class demon, or even a demigod, I had to step in and check it out. Hades doesn’t leave the Underworld much, ever since Persephone left.

All and all, it was a good thing for me. I could spend more time on Earth in his penthouse he never uses and have a little fun with the willing girls. A vacation from hell, not bad if you ask me.

“All right,” Vulcan spoke, “I’ll contact Hermes so he will be the witness and Ares for the manpower. Do you really think a god is involved in this though? Seems a bit like human activity to me.” Vulcan rubbed his eyes. He had spent way too much time forging relics for the higher-ups, so now he transferred out so he could do something different along with taking on his nickname- Vulcan. It took a lot of pleading from Hera since she was her son and her favorite. Vulcan was one of the and kinder gods, even though he was not considered the most beautiful. To any human, he would still be a catch.

“That’s what I thought too.” I pulled out a folder and opened it up to page 87. “This here gives me a feeling in my gut.” I had circled an item that was being held by the owner of the club, Teddy Johnson. It was a large helmet, one that could have been easily mistaken for just an acting prop, but it wasn’t.

“This isn’t,” Vulcan spoke in shock.

“It is!” I said with excitement. “The Helm of Darkness.”

“Hades needs to know about this.” Vulcan stared at the picture in disbelief. The Helm of Darkness was Hades’ way of making himself invisible. Only a few had dared to wear it. Those that wore it without permission became dark from the inside out and their only hope would be to gain mercy back from the gods.

“I agree. Will you call him?” I begged.

“The fuck, no!” Vulcan said, exacerbated. “We have been friends for ages but each day he gets worse and worse. I can hardly keep my own calm demeanor around him. He just reeks of hatred. I don’t like to associate myself with that.” Vulcan sat back and drank a sip of his coke. “I love the guy, but it isn’t healthy for me, even my therapist said so.”

“Therapist?” I said sarcastically. “You are such a pussy.”

“I have a lot on my plate right now. You leave my therapist out of this!” he yelled as he pointed his worn finger at me.

Just then, Hermes and Ares walked through the door. Hermes’ blond shaggy hair was unkempt as always. His boyish features were evident, and he pranced over and hopped in the chair. Ares looked stoic; only his close friends like us knew his playful nature.

“Good of you all to show up,” I spat playfully and gave them pats on the back.

“We’d been here sooner but Hermes has started to lose his touch.” Ares’ eyes lingered on Hermes.

Hermes held his hand to his chest. “I can’t help it that you weigh 300 some pounds of muscle. I’m not meant to carry that much. Messages, people, messages. I am the MESSENGER. Not a freaking taxi.” Ares laughed out loud as he slapped his leg.

“All right, enough, down to business. The club we are going to open in a few and we need to give you the rundown of what’s going to happen.” I quickly explained to Hermes and Ares the background on how the Helm of Darkness was being used in a human trafficking/strip club. They were shocked. They had frequented the club many times and never caught a thing. I was to only monitor several strip clubs in my region for any fishy behavior of gods or demigods taking advantage of female humans. I never thought I would stumble on this.

“I have contacted Hade’s assistant and he will meet us at the club at 10.”

“Couldn’t talk to him directly, could Vulcan?” Ares teased.

“Fuck off man.”

All four of us entered the club and sat down at my usual spot. I was waiting for my favorite waitress to show up. I knew the girls here were being forced to use their bodies but I knew this girl was different. There was something about her that kept me coming back to make sure she was all right, and she didn’t get sold off. There were nights I would sit outside the club at the back, waiting for them to take the girls out and made sure she wasn’t one of them.

“I want you guys to meet this girl. She’s sweet, kindhearted even. Not an evil bone in her body.” Hermes laughed in his new body form. Ares, Vulcan, and Hermes always changed their form since they were the more popular gods. We couldn’t afford anyone to take notice of us and blow our cover.

“Sounds like a crush,” Hermes teased.

“No, no, more like a sisterly thing. She’s real timid though. Took me months to get her to open up a bit.” I scanned the lounge waiting to see her, and there she was. Her light hair and her short stature were easy to pick out of a crowd. She really was a woman in a teenager’s body. “Hey, Jillian! Over here!” Jillian waved and held up a finger to let me know she was coming.

“Be nice, guys, she’s shy. She’s been here for a while. I’m not sure why, but she’s held out long enough. This all ends tonight when Hades gets here.”

“Maybe Hades will just blow the place up and we don’t have to deal with it at all.” Ares propped his leg up on his thigh.

“The least amount of blood the better, brother,” Hermes said as he straightened up as Jillian came over.

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