*Author's Note: Please note that this story takes a different approach to the story told through Judeo-Christia faith. There is no sex directly in this story, but it is allude to.
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Matt
***
Demon Run
And God created the heavens, which he populated with angels. But he was displeased. - The Book of the Nephilim
August 27, 2012
Albuquerque, NM
***
Jason and John made their way through the alley and then twisted their route back around to Jason's car. John kept looking behind them to make sure they were not being followed. His heart was racing, and he could feel sweat pouring down his face. Glancing at Jason, he felt embarrassed. Jason was cool, calm, and knew what he was doing.
"We will swing around this block." He said pointing down the alley. "I park at this end as it is less congested. I guess it was wise that I did."
"How are you not freaking out?" John asked as he wiped sweat that had fallen into his eye.
"I have been in situations far more dangerous than this." Jason laughed. "I have been shot at, I have had bombs go off around me… oh and I have been shot."
John stopped and looked at Jason. "Were you in a war?"
"Nope." Jason again laughed. "I was in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa."
Jason continued to walk forward, and John caught up. Jason rounded the alley and came out onto a street. It was a narrow street, which was not unusual around the university. The traffic was light, but would start to get heavy as soon as everyone from the university would be on their way home. They moved in silence as they walked.
They came up on a black BMW that beeped as they neared it.
"Professors must make tons of money." John said as he rounded near the passenger side.
"Professors do not." Jason climbed in behind the wheel. "But professors who have a rich family background do."
"Oh." John said as he blushed. "Sorry."
"Nothing to be sorry about." He started the car, and pulled out onto the street and made his way towards his house. "I was lucky. I was able to use that fortune to fund my investigations, which have netted me a fairly sizable income on its own."
They merged onto I-40 and headed east towards the Sandia's. John sat silently as they headed further from the University.
"I live in the other direction." He said as they turned off and headed north into a higher income part of the city.
"I will send someone to your place to grab some things as you need." Jason said. "I would think that whoever is after you might be waiting there."
John looked around the car but remained silent for the rest of the ride.
***
They pulled up in front of a large cast iron gate that opened as the car approached. The community was made up of two story houses, most covered in various types of red brick. Jason maneuvered the car towards a back section that came to a dead end. John opened his mouth as he saw the house. It was the only three-story house in the community that John could tell. It was covered in black brick, and a large redwood door with glass panes on both sides.
"All things holy." John whispered.
"What?" Jason looked at the young man sitting next to him. Now that he had a chance to look at him again he felt the urges to kiss him. He willed himself to open the car door and get out.
John climbed out and made his way up the stairs to the front door following Jason. His amazement continued to grow as he walked into the foyer. There were two sets of stairs: one that led up to the upper stories, and one that led into what he presumed to be the basement. The foyer opened up into an area that had three couches and two recliners grouped in a square.
"Come on in." Jason said and walked towards the living area throwing his keys into a bowl by the door. "Do you want anything to drink?"
"Water?" John asked politely. "If that is okay."
"Sure." Jason made his way into the kitchen.
John looked around this part of the house, which had a high vaulted ceiling that had a chandelier made out of a dark metal that hung down low. There was a fireplace behind the two recliners and a large door that opened out to the back yard. He could see through the glass a spacious yard that was green. There was a set of outdoor furniture, a swing set, and a large grill-cooking area.
"Swing set?" John asked as Jason came back in with a bottle of water.
"For my niece and nephews." Jason laughed. "Thought I had a kid?"
"Well," John blushed. "I thought maybe you had a wife or something."
"Nope." Jason sat down in one of the recliners and pulled out his phone. "I am 100% into guys."
"That's good." John grinned and leaned back into the couch.
Jason punched in a number and waited for the person on the end to pick up.
"Hello Professor!" the voice on the other end answered.
"Hey Sam." Jason responded. "I got a job for you." He related the events that took place. "I need you to run by John's place and see if there is anything the police missed."
"Sure thing sugar." Sam said back. "Address?"
"Where do you live?" Jason held the phone back looking at John.
"Uh..." John paused for a moment. "There is no need to do that."
"Sam is a professional." Jason went on. "Plus it will help us get to the bottom of this thing."
"I live over on Espanola." John said with a bit of hesitation. "It is 1300 E. Espanola."
"Anything else?" Sam asked after a momentary silence.
"If you can find some clothes to bring, that would be great. John will be staying here for the time being. Not sure if this is just me being paranoid, but best to be on the safe side."
"Got it. Give you a call when I am done. Love."
Jason hit the end button and put the phone down.
"Who is Sam?" John asked, looking a bit pale.
"An associate of mine. We have been through tough times." Jason crossed his legs and played with the fringe of his shirt. "I would say a bodyguard, but Sam feels degraded by that comment."
John nodded his head. He looked like he was about to faint.
"You okay?" Jason got up and sat down on the couch next to John. He instinctively grabbed his hand. The warm touch was enough to send thoughts through his body. He felt his pants start to get tight.
"Just a bit nauseated." John stood up. "Bathroom?"
Jason pointed to a small side hall. "First door on right." He watched as the man walked to the bathroom and leaned his head against the back of the couch. What was he thinking? This was a student. He could not do anything with him. Even if they both consented it would look bad and go against the rules of the university.
As Jason sat with his thoughts swirling, he heard the door to the bathroom open, and John stepped out. His heart started to beat harder as he watched John walk back into the living area and could feel his face turn flush. The man was beautiful.
"Feel okay?" Jason asked, trying to get his mind on other things.
"Yea." John grinned as he noticed how flush Jason's face was. "I hope you don't mind but I used your mouth wash."
"Perfectly fine." Jason said as John took a seat next to him again. "Now want to tell me about what is going on?"
John sighed as he sat for a moment thinking about what to say. He knew he had to explain some of what was going on. After all, the man was kind enough to let a stranger into his house. Plus, he would find out sooner or later when Sam returned with information that he found at his place.
"Okay." John drew a deep breath. "It started with my ancestor, Joshua Benthum. He witnessed some scary things on that night, and the following nights."
"The night the world was supposed to end, but didn't?" Jason asked with interest.
"Yes." John looked down at his lap. "I need to grab the journals, which are safe, so for now I am just going off what I remember."
"Okay."
"That night he witnessed five men die without explanation. He was with a friend, a man by the name of Luke Milson, who also witnessed what took place." Jason's face went white. "Joshua and Luke agreed to never tell another soul about that event, or anyone that was in Ithaca if they should ask." he paused. "That's where they observed the event. No one from Ithaca seemed to notice or care that five members of the community were missing. The next day, just to be sure they had not dreamed the event, Joshua and Luke went back out to the lake and wanted to see if the dead were still there." John paused for a moment and took a drink of water. His face was growing paler and paler as he recounted the story.
"Are you going to be okay?" Jason put his hand on John's forehead and moved in closer. The heat from John's body was turning him on, and he had to will himself not to be drawn into his student.
"Yes." John put his head against Jason's hand and moaned a bit. "I am fine. I just get a bit... disturbed when I recount this story." He pulled Jason's hand down and kissed it. "Thank you for your kindness." He held onto Jason's hand and placed it into his lap. "When he arrived at the spot the five bodies were no longer there. There was no sign that anything took place the night before. Joshua stayed in Ithaca while Luke went back to New York. Joshua wanted to find out what happened."
"Joshua asked around about the Milirites, and what they were up to that night. No one in town seemed to know anything or at least they didn’t talk about it." John swallowed. "About two days later three men showed up in town. For some reason Joshua felt that he needed to leave and went back to New York."
"So what does that have to do with today?" Jason asked, thinking the situation over. There was something he was missing. "Why would people want to come after you?"
"Well..." John started but was interrupted by the ringing of the phone.
"Sorry." Jason got up and picked up his phone and stood up. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust John, he didn’t know him. "Sam?"
"My god Jason." Sam said on the other side of the phone, almost screaming. "What the hell have you gotten yourself into?"
"I am not sure." Jason said, looking at John who was still pitch white. "I am in the midst of finding out."
"How long have you known this John guy?" Sam asked on the other side of the phone.
"He is a student in my class. Not long." Jason smiled at John and made a motion with his hand on the phone that indicated the person on the other line was going to just talk his ear off.
"He is not who he appears to be. He has been following you." Sam said on the other end. "I am on my way now. Just watch yourself."
"See you in a bit." Jason said, sitting down in the chair he occupied before, and hit the end button on the phone. "Sorry Sam is on the way."
John sat silent, looking blankly at the wall.
"Not sure." Jason said. "We will know in a few minutes. Please continue your story."
John swallowed hard. "Well after Joshua left Ithaca, he returned to New York, where he and Luke continued to follow regular stories. Of course, privately Joshua continued to investigate the mysterious deaths of those five men." John took another drink and made nervous looks at the door. "After about a month or so, the three men that had appeared in Ithaca, now appeared in New York. They were following Joshua everywhere he went. Joshua stopped investigating the story and decided that he would just let it go for a while. The men never bothered him, but for almost a full year they followed him. One day, they disappeared, and he never saw them again."
"And you think it had something to do with what happened in Ithaca?" Jason asked, thinking about what he had been told by both John and Sam.
"Yes." John shivered. "Just a few days before they disappeared, Joshua's place was broken into. Nothing was taken, but they were looking for something. As time went on, every generation of my family has inherited his journals.” He swallowed again hard and looked at the door. “At various times, houses are broken into. Nothing taken, but a heavy search of the house is done. Our family has become obsessed with end of time theories. Not the general nutjob theories, but those that really, truly have a mass following, and deep devotion to end of the world ideologies."
Jason sat silently. "Anything else?"
John sat silently for a moment. "Well..." He paused again.
"What?" Jason asked, getting impatient.
"There was this..." His statement was interrupted as the door burst open. "Oh god."
Jason jerked up and stood, but stopped when he saw the silhouette of a female standing in the doorway.
"Damn Sam!" Jason said, sitting back down. "Give us a heart attack will you?"
John looked at the door and watched as the female figure walked into the room. She was stunning. She had long black hair that went almost down to her waste. It was pulled back into a ponytail. Her eyes looked like blue diamonds and she wore a tight black top and tight khaki pants. She looked like Tomb Raider, but dressed in black. Her skin was tan and smooth. She stood proud, and on the offensive.
"Sam's a woman?!" John looked at Sam up and down.
"Yea." Sam said but did not have a smile on her face. "And you are not who you say you are!"
"But you said Sam was a bodyguard?" John ignored her words.
Jason shrugged, "What can I say? Lesbians are the best."
***
And God created the earth, and all living things therein. And he was pleased. - The Book of the Nephilim
August 27, 2012
Albuquerque, NM
***
"So." Sam said, standing in front of John with her hands on her hips. "Who are you really?"
John sat in the chair looking blankly at the woman who was standing in front of him. He could see that she worked out, and probably would have no problem taking him out.
"Sam." Jason said. He had seen her work before, and that was when their lives were in danger. "I am sure John has a good explanation. After you explain what you are accusing him of."
Sam handed a folder to Jason that was full of paper. "I tried to grab as much as I could, but there was a ton more on his wall." She never took her eyes off John.
Jason leaned back in the chair and flipped through the papers. The majority of the papers were photos of various sites he had visited over the past 10 years. Most were just of himself, but some included just Sam and other portions of the dig sites he was at. The other papers in the folder were newspaper clippings that trailed his academic discoveries.
"These go back as far as 2002." Jason said looking up with a shock on his face. "How the hell have you been following me for that long? Were you even born in 2002?"
John looked down at his lap. "Please..." He started and leaned forward. Before he could move, Sam had him pressed back against the couch.
"Sam!" Jason waved his hand, and stood up and pulled her back.
Sam looked at Jason for a moment, and then lifted her leg off John’s chest and stood to the side.
"Sorry about that. She has good intentions." Jason said with a bit of a sigh. "She is right though. Who are you?"
John adjusted his shirt, and coughed a bit. "I see why you keep her around." He sat up and reached for the folder. "She moves fast too." He thumbed through the pictures and pulled one out that was taken over the summer at a site in South America. "My father took these pictures. Quinn was his name."
Jason’s face fell flat. “Do you mean your father was Dr. Quinn Rodgers?”
John thought for a moment, and then nodded. “Yea. That was his other name.
Jason’s face contoured a bit and looked at Sam. “I didn’t even know he had a son.”
Sam just sat motionless and her expression didn’t change much. Jason knew this was just her way of keeping everything in check.
“Your work caught his attention, and they decided to keep tabs on your theories and discoveries. You were turning out to be the frontrunner in your field, and what better way to find out things, than by following the best?”
“Please,” Sam huffed. “Don’t inflate his ego.”
Jason just shook his head but motioned for John to continue.
“He died shortly after this dig ended. He said you found something of importance but didn’t go into much detail. I was young anyway, so even if he did I probably wouldn’t remember it.”
Jason leaned over and rested his elbow on the edge of the armrest of his chair. He slowly rubbed his chin mulling over what he had just been told. He picked up the pictures and shuffled through them again. There was no picture with Quinn in them at all.
"Before we were interrupted," John continued looking at Sam, "I was about to inform you of one last thing that Joshua found at the site in Ithaca." He fished in his pocket and pulled out a black stone, the size of a quarter. It was shiny and reflected the light almost like it was emitting the light itself.
Jason reached for the stone, but stopped short. He felt energy from the stone that he had only experienced once before. He withdrew his hand and sat silently.
“It can't be.” Sam gasped. Jason looked at her with surprise. Usually she didn’t let her emotions break free like that, especially in a situation that she felt there was a threat.
Jason stood up. “Be right back.” Jason said walking out of the living area he disappeared down another side hallway.
John looked at Sam who had resumed her emotionless vigil of John. He smiled at her weakly but she didn’t return the gesture. He took a sip of his water as they waited.
Jason returned with a photo album in his hands about 3 minutes later. As he entered the living area John was still sitting on the couch, keeping a careful eye on Sam, with Sam also keeping a sharp eye on John.
Jason laughed. "If you stay that way too long, your face will get stuck that way."
"I just don't want her attacking me again." John said with a flush in his face. Jason felt his heart race. Maybe this one would not be stereotypical. Maybe this one would not care about age, he thought to himself. The idea excited him.
"He would never see me coming." Sam said back.
Jason ignored them both and sat down next to John again, this time letting his leg rest against John's. He could not help it, but had to touch him.
"So let me get this straight real quick." Jason said as if the thought just occurred to him to ask. "You are not really a student."
"Well not at the moment." John said grinning. "But after your opening lecture I may just have to enroll.”
Jason grinned. "Good." He turned his attention to the album. Jason flipped the pages of the album as he looked at the various photos. " Sam, do you remember that large black rock we found?"
"Yea." Sam said thinking. "If I remember correctly it was found almost near the oldest portion of Rome. Didn't Dr. Rogers decide it was some kind of volcanic rock?"
"He assumed it was." Jason said, flipping a couple of pages before stopping. "This rock here."
He put the album on the table, and John and Sam peered at it.
"Yea that's the one." Sam said, scratching the back of her neck. "Gave me the creeps. Felt like it was watching everything I did."
John said sucked in air through his teeth. "How big is that one?"
"Only four people saw this. No other picture but this one exists of it." Jason said with a grim look on his face. "This one is about the size of an orange or so. No one wanted to touch the thing, but Dr. Rogers did." He trailed off.
They sat in silence for a moment as they each recalled the life lost.
“He died in a fire.” John said without much ceremony, breaking the silence. He thought his voice echoed in the house. “He was actually on his way to visit a friend, didn’t say who, and was staying in a hotel room.”
“I remember getting the news.” Jason grabbed John’s hand and squeezed. “I am so sorry.”
John nodded his head, but seemed more mesmerized by the picture than anything. The door opened, breaking him out of his trance. Sam on the other hand bolted into action, she was up and at the front door faster then John could think humanly possible.
"Tina!" Sam yelled. "You almost got yourself laid out!"
John looked and saw the girl from the coffee shop standing stunned with Sam mere inches away from knocking her legs out from under her. She had good reflexes.
"Sorry." Tina said composing herself. She grinned widely. "Laid me out huh? Sounds kinky." She turned to face Sam and kissed her square on the mouth.
"Isn't that the girl from the coffee shop?" John asked with a whisper, not taking his eyes off Sam. He was more nervous now seeing her move so quickly across the room than before.
"Yea." Jason said, turning his attention back to the book. His heart was still racing and he rubbed his chest in an effort to make it quiet down. "That's how I got to be such good friends with Tina."
Tina and Sam walked back into the living area. Sam seemed less tense, and more at ease now that her girlfriend had arrived.
"Hey Jason!" Tina said excitedly.”And you are John right?” Tina asked, extending her hand.
“Yea.” John shook her hand in return.
“Nice catch professor!” She giggled and put a coffee cup in front of Jason. “Thought you might need a pick-me-up.”
John felt his face blush.
“Thanks Tina.” Jason said, picking up the coffee cup and leaning back on the couch. “I think I need all the pick me up I can muster.”
***
The rest of the night went perfectly peacefully. The four ended up talking about various topics, from politics, to education, to the latest Hollywood news. Jason ended up ordering pizza for dinner. Jason pulled Sam aside.
"I am not too sure that something more is not going on here." Jason said quiet enough so the others could not hear. “I still think it is odd that those three guys came into the cafe.”
"I think this John guy is a con artist." Sam turned to look at John. "Maybe those guys are in the mafia or something and want him for cheating them? I mean we really don't know much about him."
"Mafia?” Jason had to keep himself from laughing out loud. “See what you can dig up tomorrow." Jason patted her on the shoulder and started to walk back towards John and Tina but stopped. "I want you to stay the night." He paused and continued. "I want you and Tina to stay. Just to be on the safe side."
"Sure thing boss." Sam smiled. She stayed the night frequently, so this was nothing new. She stayed in the basement, and the house was much nicer than her own apartment. She also liked it because the walls were thick enough she and Tina could have as much fun without disturbing any neighbors. "You know, we could just move in."
Jason tilted his head. "Maybe."
They rejoined the group.
"Okay." Jason clapped his hands. "I am sorry, but I am old. I need my rest." He paused for a moment looking at John. "Tina, you and Sam will be staying the night, if that is okay with you Tina?"
"Yay!" Tine squealed. John looked at her at this outburst of joy.
"John," Jason turned his attention to the man sitting on his couch."I will show you to your room upstairs."
"’Room’." Tina said, using her fingers to show quotation marks around the room. Sam poked Tina in the stomach. They both watched them climb the stairs.
As they reached the top of the stairs Jason turned around and embraced John and kissed him on the lips, softly. John, shocked at first, softened in the embrace. He wrapped his hands around Jason and pulled him in tight.
"I have wanted to do that since yesterday." Jason said, pulling his face away just far enough to speak. "God you are gorgeous."
"If I had known this was the reception I would get, I would have come to you sooner." John grinned. "Now where is this bedroom I am to stay in?"
Jason sighed as he pulled himself free of the grasp of John and walked down the hallway.
"Well you can stay in the guest room." He pointed at a door down the hallway. "Or you can stay with me?" He nodded to the door next to them.
"Tough decision." John giggled. He grabbed Jason's hand and pulled him into the bedroom that Jason had indicated was his.
Inside John paused and looked around the room. The bed stood directly in front of him. The comforter on top was a dark red with black trim, and the decorative pillows were in the same form. On either side was a dark redwood night stand, that each held a lamp that came on when Jason flipped the light switch. The light illuminated the rest of the room. It was almost as large as the living area downstairs.
On the opposite wall stood a large bookshelf with a television attached to the wall and books covering the rest. On the outer wall sat another fireplace, with two bay windows flanking each side.
"So what do you think?" Jason asked grinning as he took John's hand and pulled him towards the bed.
"Impressive." John said as he allowed himself to be pulled towards the bed.
Jason lay back on the bed pulling John on top of him.
***