Chapter 7 Road to Hell

Jason wanted to take another shot of vodka but instead screwed the cap back on the bottle and handed it to Mark who put it back in the freezer. He learned his powers had an alcohol limit and drinking too much would just knock him out.

"What now?" Mark asked.

"We go after Penny." Jason replied. I got her into this, and I feel it's my obligation to rescue her.

"But Meztaziel has the Saeton," Asterial said. "He will become too powerful very quickly now."

"Where the hell did you disappear to?" Jason asked.

Asterial licked his paw and smoothed out his brow, "I was right here the whole time. Right here behind the sofa. I took cover, that's all."

"So, the demon boss has the idol, what exactly does that mean?" Jason asked.

"Well, the Grievous Saeton works a bit differently with demons than it does with humans. It doesn't grant them wishes, they have no use for them, instead it amplifies their power and powers. They want it so they can move up the demon ladder. The GS is the only way to thwart or even kill one of the Disowned too."

"The Disowned?"

"Fallen angels." Mark answered. "The very ones who fell with Lucifer."

"Oh," Jason remembered Asterial said that Mark was a fallen angel but not one of the angels who fell with Lucifer. He hesitated but he had to ask. "So, you are not one of the Disowned?"

"Naw, only the fallen ones who fell with Lucifer are the Disowned. I am not one of that lot."

Asterial began to snicker which sounded very strange come from a cat, "One of the fallen angels is named Ariel. Humans name their little girls after a fallen angel!" His laughter became hysterical.

Jason smirked, "That's nothing new. We also name girls Porche which pretty much means pig."

Asterial doubled over in laughter, "It does, doesn't it, Porche means pig! What does Mecedes mean? Slut!"

Mark crossed his arms, "No, that one means mercies as in the plural of mercy. It's harmless."

"Okay, we need to focus on how to rescue Penny and get the Saeton back." Jason said, "Any ideas that doesn't include fighting more demons?" He turned thoughtful, "By the way, why don't the people around us fight the demons?"

"Oh, they are too self-absorbed. They are conditioned not to notice them. Some see them and think they are ghosts. Every once in a while a human will see one in their true form, but that usually sends them to therapy." Asterial answered with a smirk.

"All right, I guess that makes sense. I suppose it's all up to us. Where does this Meztaziel live? In Hell?"

Mark went to his bookshelf and pulled down a book that looked a lot like an old phone book except for the burned edges and the demonic symbols on the cover. He flipped it open and thumbed through the pages landing on a page he seemed satisfied with. "Ah, yes, Las Vegas."

"Nevada?" Jason asked with surprise.

"Yep." Mark closed the book. "999 Witchmoor Ave. to be exact."

"May I use your laptop?" Jason asked.

"Sure, but if you're looking for Witchmoor Ave., you won't find it on google maps. It's a hell spawn street hidden away near the strip, probably."

"Well, shit. How do we get there then?"

"I can get us there." Asterial said. "It's easy."

"Okay, let's go then."

"Not so fast," Mark said. "We will need to pay a visit to the tailor first. We can't just walk into Meztaziel's casino off the street and not expect to be brutally killed by his underlings."

"No, of course not." Jason said. "Enlighten me. What the fuck is the tailor?"

"Not what, but who. He and the seamstress are the foremost authority on demon clothing and equipment. We will need to visit them before we can go into Las Vegas looking for a demidemon." He paused, "You know, a demon boss."

"You're going to come too and leave this place?" Asterial asked Mark.

"Yeah, I haven't had this much fun in ages. Someone else can take up this post." He rubbed his hands together. "Besides, I have not driven Hazel in so long. I can't wait to be behind her wheel again!"

"Hazel?" Jason asked.

"His RV." Asterial replied.

"It's not just an RV!" Mark quipped, "It's a palace on wheels."

"Where is it?"

"It's in storage out back. We may as well get going. Las Vegas is a long ride west." Mark grabbed a set of keys from a rack by the door. "Come on, Hazel is already fueled and ready to go. I always keep her up in case I need to flee in a hurry."

"Aren't you going to call somebody?" Jason asked.

"For what?"

"To take over watching the Devil's Hole." Jason said.

"No, the Parademons in the kitchen will all try to take my spot and when they fail, one of the lesser demons will fill the spot." His face twisted into abject delight, almost distorting his features. "Come on, let's go!"

"You seem a little too eager, my friend." Asterial said.

"Well, the harlot won't rescue herself."

Mark led them behind the cabin to a long garage. He opened a padlock and rolled the garage door up to reveal a thirty-five-foot class C RV on a Ford chassis. It was white with red accents running down the sides giving the appearance of horns. The front grill had "teeth" or rather the grill was modeled so it appeared to have teeth. Inside the driver and passenger's seats were covered in red velvet as well as all the cushioned seats in the interior. Some might have seen Hazel as gaudy, but Jason liked it.

Mark sat in the driver's seat and cranked over the engine. It roared to life and soon they were on their way to see the tailor and the seamstress.

****

The Tailor and the Seamstress were located in a house on one of those hidden demonic avenues Mark had been talking about. The Tailor was of course a demon. He had yellow eyes and a slightly red complexion that kind of resembled a white man who had a bad sunburn. His voice was raspy like he needed a cough drop. The seamstress appeared to be a hooker in the manner she was dressed. She was older so some things sagged a bit, but Jason could see she was once very beautiful. She had bleach blonde hair and tattoos of sunflowers on her ankles. She usually had a cigarette hanging from her mouth. Her thick makeup looked like it had been applied two or maybe three days ago.

"So you want costumes?" The tailor asked.

"More like suits to protect us," Mark answered. "You know how craftly demons can be."

"It will cost you. Have you any money?"

"Of course I do." Mark said, "Would I come here and ask for new apparel if I didn't?"

"All right, I will make you the clothes. It will take me about a week."

"We don't have that long. How much to have them ready by tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow!" The demon looked at the seamstress, "If we are to make these by tomorrow the price quadruples."

"Done," Mark said. "We will be in the RV outside, the one with all the solar panels on the roof. Come get us there when the clothes are finished."

"I will need the money up front." The Tailor said.

"I will give you half now and half when the clothes are completed."

The Tailor nodded, "Very well. Now, come to my pattern making room, each of you, and tell me exactly what you want me to make."