Ch. 12 Athena's Gift

Chapter 12

“Desire makes everything blossom; possession makes everything wither and fade.”- Marcel Proust

The level of seediness within the club rose in direct correlation with the number of bodies crowding in the door. We had to shout to be heard. Getting to the rest room became an obstacle course through sweaty bodies.

“Come with me.” Jeff shouted at us, “I see someone I know.”

Our empty booth seemed to draw people in like a vacuum.

We wound our way through the crowd, past the dance floor and towards the darkened back half of the dance side of the club. People back here glanced furtively around themselves, looking for something but afraid to be seen. Further back women were giving lap dances and bringing their money to one of several men.

Jeff headed to a large round table with about five absolutely gorgeous women and one guy with black dreads. He was wearing a plum colored button down shirt, a bowler style hat and smoked a fat cigar. Pimp was the term that came to mind.

As I approached, the Purple Pimp looked up at me with brilliant blue eyes. He rose from his chair hesitantly, extending a hand towards me. The ambient noise in the room seemed to subdue and my hand felt like it was wading through thick static electricity as I reached to grasp his hand. There was a sense of repulsion, similar to magnets being forced together the wrong way the closer our fingers got.

We glanced at each other, gauging the other’s reaction. He quirked a smile at me and we decided to withdraw our hands. I chose an empty seat across from him as he sat back down.

“What have you brought me Jeff?” he asked in a deep mellifluous voice; it sounded faintly Caribbean to me. “You are always in such interesting company.”

As Jeff made the introductions, the Purple Pimp snapped his fingers at the women around him. They docilely left the table allowing Jill, Suzanne and Jeff to be seated. Jeff seemed to purposefully place himself between SupahPimp and me.

“You have a lovely accent,” Jill began, “Where are you from?”

“I have traveled far in my life.” He answered leaning forward to kiss the back of her hand, “but I am originally from New Orleans.”

“Ladies, this is Phineas. You may remember us hoping to find him in Danville earlier this year Lucy.” Jeff cut in, visibly uncomfortable with the friendliness of Jill and Phineas.

Come to think of it, this snapping of the fingers really should have set us all on edge. What kind of self-respecting woman responded to that? And, hey…what was that?

“Can I get you something Phineas?” Suzanne asked in a voice dripping with, well, it was x-rated. She leaned in, giving him a nice view of The Girls, who had by the way gotten completely out of control. That shirt couldn’t take much more of the heaving and swaying.

Jill and Suzanne had their gazes locked on Phineas. I looked over at Jeff who was shaking his head a little, smiling to himself.

“They aren’t even your type Phineas. Let them go.” Jeff said, with a small chuckle in his voice.

“What?” Phineas asked innocently, “Besides, you don’t know what my type is.”

“Phineas.” Jeff said a little more sternly.

“I’m not actively working anything right now.” Phineas said, “It’s the bath from earlier.”

Oh, that just explains everything…

“You know, I don’t understand half of what you say most of the time.” Jeff said. “These ladies aren’t available to you. Forget about it.”

“Oh, for Pete’s sake! They are sitting right here, they can hear you.” I blustered out, “Why are we even over here Jeff?”

“You are here because you are concerned for the Angels.” Phineas answered for Jeff, who just nodded his head. Jill and Suzanne took a sip of their beer in unison. They didn’t even make a face.

“It’ll wear off shortly.” Phineas said in a low voice to me. “Don’t worry.”

Riiight…

Phineas really was a Pimp. Just not in the traditional sense according to him. He claimed that all of his women were with him by choice, got regular health care provided by him and were NOT addicts of any sort. Some of them were supporting children and elderly parents, some of them were just trying to get by until something better came along.

I still wasn’t feeling all warm and fuzzy towards Phineas. Every few minutes a beautiful young woman would discreetly pass him a wad of bills, jewelry or other items. He would politely thank them, fix a stray strand of hair or disheveled bit of clothing and send them back on their way.

Jill was beginning to snap out of her amorous stupor and I could see that she was uncomfortable sitting with a working pimp. She got quiet and seemed to be waiting for this to be over.

Suzanne however, was curious. She wanted to know everyone’s name, how long had they been with Phineas, did he have a favorite? Sheesh! And for his part, he seemed to be growing fond of our Suzanne. He gave her a pretty sapphire ring when she commented on it, just like that. She protested at first, but he said it sparkled like her eyes when she smiled- oh it was getting deep.

I was really ready to call this night a bust and leave the happy hookers behind. I was about to say so when a large man a few tables away got up and came over to join us. Jeff and Phineas both tensed up, causing me to do the same.

“Richard, I have not extended any invitations to you this evening.” Phineas said in a loud carrying voice. The people at the tables around us seemed to pause and then move a little away.

“By my calculations,” the large man said in a classic TV pimpified voice, “you owe me some green. Since you passin’ out jooory, maybe you bettah throw somma dat in too.”

Two even larger men joined him. I was beginning to get worried.

“Whachoo reachin’ fo’ ho’,” he yelled at me, “Getcho’ bitches under control heaah Phin.”

What was that? Bitches!

Bitches!! Jill and Suzanne’s expressions said it all.

All the ladies brought out our stash of weapons; such as they were and turned in our seats to face Richard and friends. Jill slammed one of her throwing knives into the table for effect. I wondered briefly if Jill actually knew how to throw the things.

Jeff stood up next to me, with a calming hand on my shoulder that I shook off. I wasn’t about to get manhandled by my shoulder this time.

“Richard!” Phineas said in a commanding voice. “You have insulted me. Go back to your table right now!”

The people around us were giving us as much space as possible. I started to stand up, crossing my arms in front of me so I could point but still hide, my gun.

“Jeff, my friend. This is not your battle tonight. Perhaps you and your friends should come back in a few moments. After I have dealt with this piece of gutter trash.” Phineas said pointedly.

Then he cocked his head, listening to something we couldn’t hear.

Richard blanched for second. “Don’t you put no curse on me mothaf**ka...”

Then he gagged, reaching for his throat. He started clawing at it, as if he were trying to peel a pair of hands away. His large friends began to back away, looking nervously about themselves.

“The Gede say you are a nuisance I should deal with myself, you are so far beneath them.” Phineas said calmly. He cocked his head again. “And the Baron Samedi says he has no use for you, yet, so I will let you go. Trouble me no more, you have not yet seen what one of my curses may do.”

A crucifix that Phineas was wearing began to glow with a bluish light. Richard stopped struggling, his eyes bulging in fear. The large man turned and ran out of the club screaming about a Voodoo curse.

I could see four Things, for lack of a better word, swirling around Phineas’ head. They seemed like smoky, misty tribal tattoos in motion. Phineas looked at me and gave me a half nod as the Things faded.

“Let us sit back down.” He said calmly, snapping his fingers again. The women who weren’t otherwise occupied headed for the bar to bring back shots for the tables around us. Phineas muttered a few phrases under his breath and pulled out a few coffee beans from a pocket. He crushed them on the table under a shot glass and returned the coffee grounds to his pocket, patting it.

“For later.” He said, winking at me. Whatever.

“Don’t look up.” Jeff said quietly, with a glance to Phineas. “Are you expecting any Demon Touched tonight?”

I winced at the words and with an effort managed to smile and look only at Phineas.

“Oh, I expect Demon Touched every night. You are correct, a few have taken note of us and are now watching.” Phineas said. “I expect they were drawn to my discussion with the Loa.”

“What about the Angels, Annabeth and Mikhail?” I asked, would they help us?

“They are still around. But they will not interfere directly with each other here.” Phineas said. “Just wait calmly with me and they will move on to their real business for the night.”

“Which is…?” I prompted.

“Most are here to score. A few of the Demon Touched are here to recruit, but they will not bother any of mine. The Loa discourage them.” Phineas informed us.

“Loa?” Suzanne asked him.

“Yes, Spirits. I practice a form of magic you probably know of as Voodoo. It is too much to explain to you right now. Let us just say that it is a mix of African traditions, Haitian Vodoun, Catholicism and Native American herbalism.” He smiled at Suzanne as a round of spiced rum was passed around the table.

“A toast. To Baron Samedi and the Gede.” Phineas and his ladies tipped back their shots, leaving a few drops of the liquid in the bottom. They turned the glasses over, slapping them down on the table.

We looked at each other, none of our foursome wanted to drink the rum. I personally liked rum, but I was dead set against getting tipsy.

“It’s ok. You may drink with me even if you don’t thank the Loa.” Phineas was letting us off the hook.

I guess we had to drink.
**********************

Suzanne and Phineas engrossed themselves in an animated discussion about herbalism. Jill had an incredulous question now and then, grasping at a positive attitude.

“They are relatively safe here with Phineas.” Jeff whispered to me as he steered me towards the bar. As we rounded the corner to the bar side, we could see Annabeth and Mikhail. People in trench coats in varying degrees of agitation surrounded them.

“I am going to go ahead and call the Full Stein. Watch my back.”

Jeff turned in to face a corner, hiding his actions from view. I scanned the room around us, noting at least three people watching us intently. They didn’t even try to hide it. I took that to mean that they were hoping to intimidate me into behaving. Fat chance.

“Apparently, the Regulators are already here.” Jeff said, pocketing a hand held radio.

As he turned we could see a group of about five extra tall guys in trench coats sweep through the front half of the dance floor, heading for the bar side. Muscles from the Full Stein broke off from the end of the group and moved towards us.

“That’s Matthew. Don’t be rude to him.” Jeff quickly told me.

Rude! I wasn’t the one interrogating women and bopping them with stun batons.

“You two may want to leave. We are going to try to get Annabeth and Mikhail out without a fuss before the rest of the Demon Touched show up.” Matthew turned around to join the others.

The rest of the Demon Touched?