“Mal?” Chuck paused at the door of the vehicle.
Turning his eyes to her, he pressed his nose against the grate.Be careful, there’s something bad out there. Something that wants to hurt everyone.I can smell it.
Wrinkling her nose, trying to detect whatever he was sensing, she shook her head firmly. “Got it. Come on out with me so you can watch my back.” She hit the release and clipped his leash quickly. “Let’s go,” she murmured.
Sticking close to her side, Malachi pressed his body as near to her as he could without tripping her.
“Chuck!” came a call as the scene lieutenant from their first mission waved them over. “Malachi, hey, buddy!” the officer greeted excitedly, this time with an eager smile. “Sorry to pull you from so far, but we’re gonna need Malachi on this one. His nose is incredible, and time is of the essence. We’ve got a carjacking, but there was a pretty sick kiddo inside. The mother was shoved out of the car, and the suspect took off out there.” He gestured towards a large field surrounded by a dense forest. “Abandoned the car, but no sign of the child. Mother is en route with the officers who initially responded. The little girl needs medicine; she has a heart condition of some kind. We think he took off that way.” He pointed towards the left side of the field, then glanced back at Malachi. “But I’m open to whatever this guy thinks.”
Malachi hurriedly approached the vehicle. He took a good, thorough whiff and caught the underlying scent of the little girl’s sickness. His heart sank; this didn’t seem good. She was very ill, and they needed to hurry. Dancing uneasily on his paws, he whimpered slightly as he moved to the driver’s seat. He smelled the mother, a clean, wholesome scent, and then he honed in on the suspect. The scent dropped his stomach to his toes. It was demonic. The one he’d caught wind of when they first arrived. And it was no run-of-the-mill lower demon. This was someone on Hyacinth’s level. They didn’t usually stoop to petty crime or kidnapping. Something else was going on here.
Shit,he thought frantically, then turned, sniffing the air and closing his eyes, letting his senses roam. The smell of brimstone was everywhere, andhe was surprised the humans couldn’t smell it. Although the way they kept shifting their weight and glancing around warily let him know they weren’t entirely immune to it either.
He homed in on the direction the scent took him, and it was indeed the field. Alerting, he pulled Chuck towards the tall, yellowed grass and urged her to hurry.
“Okay, Mal, retrieve!” She unclipped him, and he took off like a shot.
Chuck made a surprised noise in her throat at the speed at which he launched. His natural Malinois speed was enhanced by his demon powers, and he flew through the field. He continued, knowing she’d never keep up, but he had to hurry if they wanted this little girl alive. Loping through the grass, he reached the edge quickly and disappeared just inside the tree line. He approached a small stone hut with a historical marker outside indicating it had stood for a long time. The desolate air of abandonment surrounding the area made it an ideal creepy place for a demon to spirit away a child and steal their soul. The tall, heavy stand of trees kept the ground dappled in shade dark enough that it seemed like early evening, although it was just after noon.
Pausing outside, Malachi crouched low and listened intently, trying to get a sense of where everyone was positioned. He could hear the ragged breathing of the small child, but no other sounds or movement. That didn’t mean anything; he had muffled his own sounds, but he also didn’t sense the other demon inside. Slowly, he crept closer, nearly dragging his belly across the ground, and peered through the open doorway. The little girl was curled in on herself, clutching a small, bedraggled stuffed giraffe, her eyes wide in fright as she lay on the packed dirt floor, surrounded by dead leaves and other detritus.
After a quick survey of the interior, Malachi was certain the demon had left the child alone. He slunk in warily, senses on high alert, expecting atrap. When he reached the tiny girl, he peered into her frightened eyes and sent a wave of calm to her. She immediately stopped trembling and stretched her tiny fingers out to pet him.
“Puppy!” she squealed in relief. “Are you… Mawachi?” she asked in a thin, breathy little voice.
Nodding, he focused sharply on her, confused how she would know to ask.
“The other man said you gonna find me, but you gotta watch out.” Her lips trembled as she relayed the message. “He said… I haff to tell you… Hi… Hiya… Hiya-since is twying to twick you.” She nodded solemnly, and her eyes filled with tears. “Puppy… I want my mommy!” she wailed. Her tiny body shook with her fear again, and he could hear her heart beating irregularly, stressed by her ordeal.
Spinning to the door, Malachi barked sharply, alerting Chuck of his location, and went back to the child, leaning against her in comfort while contemplating her words. Another demon was trying to send him a message. Apparently, Hyacinth was messing with him.What else is new?he thought in disgust. But why go through such lengths to get the word to him?
“Mal?” came Chuck’s quiet call.
He could hear her hesitant footsteps and the jaggedness in her breathing. A soft woof meant to guide was rewarded with a quickening of her pace and a soft sigh of relief. Appearing in the doorway, Chuck cleared the room before holstering her weapon. “Good job, Mal.” She briefly patted him before crouching by the little girl. “Hi, Analisa? My name is Officer Charles, but my friends call me Chuck. You’re safe now, okay? Your mommy is on her way, and we’re going to take you to her, alright?” Her tone was soft and light, designed to soothe and comfort.
Malachi noticed that when she used it, her aura glowed gold. Pure heart and grace washed through Chuck in these moments, and Malachi couldn’t help the awe that filled him. Normally, an expression of grace would have him cowering or vomiting, but now he wanted to stare at it all day, drinking in the beauty of it. Realizing Chuck was rising and scooping the little girl in her arms, Malachi stood quickly, pressing to her side, warily conveying the importance of getting out of there. The demon may have left the child alone, but he didn’t trust that it wasn’t still waiting somewhere out there.
As they hurried back to the rendezvous point, a team of medical personnel met them in the field and took over care of the child. A shrill cry and blur of color announced the arrival of the little girl’s mother. She rushed forward, medication in hand, waving frantically.
Squatting in the grass, Chuck scratched Malachi’s ears. “That was awesome, Mal, I’m really impressed how quickly you found her.” She leaned closer. “What about that bad smell you detected earlier? The suspect? Any sign?”
Malachi was about to tell her the suspect had fled when a sharp cracking came from deep in the trees. His head turned quickly towards the sound, and his nostrils flared as the breeze carried the scent of brimstone to him. The demon was back, hiding somewhere in the woods. He crouched low, telling her,he’s there, in the trees. Stay back, Chuck, this guy is super dangerous.Slinking across the ground, he wove through the grass towards the edge of the trees and peered into the shadows.
“Mal,” came Chuck’s fierce call from over his shoulder.
Fuck,he cursed to himself. He was so focused on tracking the demon that he didn’t realize Chuck was following him. His head whipped around, and he glared.Stay. Put.He growled for emphasis, and a pang of sorrow coursed through him at her startled and uncertain expression.Sorry… Chuck, I… this guy is really dangerous. I don’t want you to get hurt.
With a wry smile, the flickering yellow in her aura solidified into streaks of pink and gold. “Mal, I’m a trained police officer, and I have a gun. You’re in more danger than I am. I’m not letting you get hurt either.” She crouched next to him.
Trust me on this, Chuck, I promise I’m better prepared to deal with him. He’s not quite… human.He swallowed heavily, afraid to get too close to the truth.
Chuck’s eyes widened, and her mouth parted slightly as she rocked back on her heels. “Not… human?”
Stay,he warned again as he crept into the shadows. He didn’t pray, but if he could, he would be begging every god out there that she listened. Pausing next to a particularly wide tree with low-hanging branches, he cautiously sniffed and angled himself towards the demon. As he moved closer, he knew it had him in its sight, but it wasn’t moving. Away or towards him. He paused, puzzled. Did the demon want to be found? Was this the trap?
A flicker of movement caught his eye, and he focused in on the form of the man crouching behind a large clump of twisting vines.
The man was gesturing for Malachi to come closer. He glanced nervously over his shoulder and gestured again, more impatiently this time.
