It was a good day to be Nicholas Diggle.

After weeks of theorizing and months of testing he had finally made a breakthrough. In a matter of hours his lifetime dream would come to fruition. And it was all thanks to a sex demon.

The succubus herself was looking at Nicholas through the barred door of her cell with a seductive gaze. Her eyes, like the rest of the girl’s features, were breathtakingly beautiful. Despite her situation, Alyson remained unwholesomely attractive in every way. Just being in her presence required Nicholas to push down urges he absolutely could not afford to act on. When she’d first arrived the green of her eyes was fiery, filled with rage and indignation. Only a few days later those once fierce eyes were now filled exclusively with lust, even as they remained locked on her captor.

He hadn’t mistreated her.

Not horribly at least. She’d been fed, given water, and was being held in a sanitary and moderately comfortable cell. Apart from the drugs that kept her in a sedate and compliant state, no untoward acts were committed. Though, as her nature dictated, a need as vital as oxygen was not being met. Sex demons need sex. Depriving her of that would continue to weaken her as time went on. She would continue to become more and more desperate to seduce someone, anyone. Even the man keeping her in an underground holding cell.

As he approached with his equipment, Alyson reached one arm through the bars and held it out for him with her palm up and the veins near her elbow clearly exposed. Her loose fitting shirt hung low, full breasts completely exposed as she looked at Nicholas like he was a piece of meat. Nick pulled the syringe from its plastic packaging and began the process of extracting the maximum amount of blood that could be taken from a succubus without (too many) negative repercussions. Throughout the process she bit her bottom lip seductively. Her breathing quickened with even the slightest touch of Diggle’s skin against hers. With effort, he forced the stirring in his pants from his mind.

His task complete, Nick Diggle left the cathartic demon passed out in her cell with her arm still dangling out from between the bars. An incoming text buzzed in his pocket. It was from Nick’s most valued advisor and friend, Eli.

Eli: There’s a man here in my office with some information for you. He said it’s concerning Subject31. Do you want to see him or should I put him away somewhere?

Subject31 was the code name and experiment designation for the girl. If someone had information about her, it could only mean that someone knew - or at least suspected - that he had her in custody. He agreed to see the man and notified Eli to take steps to ensure the visitor did not leave the complex.

Nicholas exited the elevator from the underground holding cells into the lobby of his complex’s main office building. To anyone outside of his organization the office building would look much like any other. Professionally dressed men and women were going about their duties. The janitor, Mark, smiled at Nick as he passed.

“Morning, sir.”

“Hey Aurelius!” Nick greeted him, smiling brightly. “How’d Brett do on Friday?”

Mark’s lips scrunched up and he shrugged. “He got benched after getting burned deep a couple times in the fourth. Had a great first half though.”

“He’ll bounce back. Who’re they playing this week?”

Despite the anxiety and curiosity he felt concerning the guest awaiting him in Eli’s office, Nick took the time to stop and chat with several employees on his way. Mr. Diggle prided himself on the treatment of his staff. Bestowing nicknames, often strange or seemingly random, was something he did to every employee or prospective recruit he met. In addition to helping him remember details about each person he bestowed a nickname, Nicholas found that doing so forged a bond between himself and his underlings.

For the janitor’s nickname Nick had followed a mental path from Mark to Marcus, which naturally led to the nickname Aurelius. Mark had been confused when Nick bestowed the nickname without explanation, but had yet to complain about it.

Due to his position at the head of EMU (Endangered and Maltreated Unlimited), even high ranking or long time members or employees wouldn’t dare give Nicholas a nickname. Nicknaming members while being exclusively referred to as Mr. Diggle created an unfair relationship dynamic that most people wouldn’t even recognize. Master and servant. One of his myriad of tactics for maintaining control without being forced to turn to less amicable tactics such as fear or violence.

Eli’s office door was open. Inside, facing away from the door, sat a young Asian man with one side of his hair cropped short. The rest of his beautiful black hair hung at shoulder length. Seeing Eli look sharply up at Nick’s arrival the man stood and turned.

“Good afternoon,” Nick greeted him with a smile. “I’m Nick Diggle.”

***

Andy Reinke was not sure what to make of Mr. Diggle. From what Tyler had told him about the man, this man was someone to be feared and respected. Someone who obeyed only the laws of an “organization” (cult) that he himself had founded. Someone who paid people like Tyler to kidnap young girls at nightclubs. Someone that Andy did not plan to upset.

Mr. Diggle’s appearance came as a huge shock. He’d been expecting a pockmarked mafia-boss or something. Instead, Mr. Diggle was blessed with a perfectly trustworthy face. His smile was warm and inviting, revealing a row of straight and white teeth. His cornflower blue eyes literally twinkled as the afternoon sun coming through the window reflected its light. If anything, Andy thought Mr. Diggle looked more like a Mormon than a cult leader… but then, were the two things really so different?

Andy returned the smile but, on the inside, he was shaking. Mr. Diggle pulled a chair over to sit beside him, spun it around, and sat down on it backwards with his arms folded over the back rest. He rested his chin on his hands and, still smiling, pierced Andy with a penetrating gaze.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Diggle. I’m Andy.”

“Andy…” Nicholas said the name as though tasting it. His expression turned contemplative, eyes narrowing slightly and upper lip scrunching up. “So, Alfonzo for short. Right? It’s nice to meet you! Eli tells me you bring news?”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Eli cleared their throat. “News that he expects compensation for relaying.”

Andy cringed. Tyler said this guy might pay for the intel he’d picked up at Club de Tac today, but he couldn’t help worrying that the cult leader smiling at him might take it the wrong way when he asked. To his relief, Mr. Diggle’s smile widened.

“Is that right, Alfonzo?” Nick asked.

Alfonzo for short? How does that make any sense?

For a full second he just looked at Mr. Diggle with a confused expression, and then let his brows relax.

Call me whatever you want as long as I get paid…

“Five grand,” Andy stated confidently. He had no idea whether he was asking way too much or far too little but could hardly let these two know that.

“Five thousand dollars,” Mr. Diggle said slowly and with emphasis as though it were a significant amount of money. “Let’s make a deal, Alfonzo. You tell me what you know and I’ll pay you an amount equal to the value of your information. It could be five big ones. Could be less. Depending on what you tell me, it could also be significantly more.”

Andy narrowed his eyes, head tilting slightly as he considered the offer. With a proposal phrased that way he was almost sure to walk away with less than the $5,000 he was asking for.

“What I’ve got, you’re going to want,” Andy said confidently after a brief staring match. “I’ll agree to your terms as long as we set a minimum of 3k.”

Nick stood up abruptly, spun, and then slid the chair he’d been sitting on back in place. “Thanks for coming, Alfonzo, but I’m sure we’ll get by without whatever gossip you picked up.”

“Fine,” Andy called to Nick’s back as he approached the door. Andy was almost a week late on rent. He could really use the money, whatever amount he could get. “Fine. I’ll take your deal.”

“I thought you might,” Mr. Diggle said, turning around with a big grin on his face.

It wasn’t the smug grin of a car salesman who’d just pulled a buy-or-walk over on some soccer mom. It was the same genuine smile he’d worn since walking into the office. The smile that instantly made Andy want to trust him, get to know him, and impress him.

“You’re going to want to sit down for this,” Andy told him seriously.

Cocking his head curiously and raising his eyebrows, Nick pulled the chair back into place beside Andy’s and sat. “Tell me what you know, Alfonzo.”

“A pair of private investigators is looking into the girl that went missing from Club de Tac a few days back.”

Nicholas waited, scrutinizing Andy with a penetrating gaze. The fact that PIs were investigating a missing girl meant almost nothing at all. Unless that missing girl was taken by the cult whose headquarters Andy was now inside. The unreadable expression on the cult leader’s face made Andy second guess whether his information was worth anything at all.

“Go on,” Mr. Diggle prompted.

The air felt heavy with static electricity as Andy’s nerves grew excited - an unintentional effect of his latent fairy magic. He nervously began pulling dead skin from his fingertips.

“That alone, I’m sure, wouldn’t concern a man like you. But one of the PIs is a Van Helsing.” Andy let that pronouncement settle in before continuing. “And they just got a lead that I think is going to point them in your direction.”

With a sharp look and subtle nod to Eli, Nick Diggle issued a silent order. Eli nodded then reached one hand beneath their desk. In no more than a breath, the office door slammed shut and a lock could be heard clicking into place.

“Hey,” Andy said, eyes widening in alarm. He got to his feet and looked back and forth between the two other men several times in rapid succession. “What the hell is this? We had a deal!”

“Sit down, Alfonzo. We just need to ask you a few questions,” Mr. Diggle said. He waived his hand flippantly in a vain attempt to calm Andy’s concern.

Andy looked nervously between the two other men in the office again and then back to the door before finally resuming his seat.

“First, how did you come by this information?”

“That’s kind of…” Andy paused, tilting his head back and forth as he searched for a way to say what he wanted to say, “sensitive to explain. A few hours ago the PIs tried to interview me about the night the girl disappeared. I left a… we’ll call it a listening device. I left a listening device behind to make sure they weren’t going to come after me when I left. Once I was gone they started talking to a couple chicks. The club’s owner and her girlfriend. Sounded like someone saw your guy Tyler slip something in the girl’s drink. Then, later, they said something about looking for someone using a find disk. Whatever the hell that means.”

“Interesting,” Mr. Diggle said, looking up at Eli with a strange expression. “That’s interesting, isn’t it, Eli?”

“Interesting,” Eli agreed from the other side of the desk.

“And why is it that you believe this guy, Tyler, has anything to do with me or this organization?” Diggle asked, leaning forward so far that the back legs of his chair came off the ground.

Andy's face turned to an apologetic wince. “Because your guy, Tyler, is also my guy, Tyler. We go way back. I thought it had to be some kind of mistake when I heard them talking about him slipping drugs into girl’s drinks at the club. Tyler’s a fuck up, for sure. But date rape? I didn’t believe it. So I called him up and told him what I heard. He told me to get here to your office to tell you about it pronto, and not to mention it to anyone else on my way.”

Diggle nodded to himself for a handful of contemplative seconds and then began shaking his head in disappointment, one hand held thoughtfully to his chin. “Tyler, Tyler, Tyler…”

While Mr. Diggle continued shaking his head in silent contemplation, one of Andy’s abilities activated. Like any of his other magical abilities, he could not control or even trigger his telepathy on purpose. In Andy’s mind, Mr. Diggle’s thoughts came in bits and pieces.

…not only was Tyler seen slipping something in Alyson’s drink, he then let sensitive information slip to this kid Alfonzo. Slipping, Tyler. You’re slipping…

…should have blown Alfonzo off like he was mistaken and brought this to me directly. Stupid, stupid, stupid…

…should put Alfonzo in a cell. Who could say who else he might try to sell this information to…

All of those thoughts and more were transmitted without Mr. Diggle’s knowledge or consent. Andy was feeling increasingly uncomfortable as the silence went on. Finally, Diggle seemed to accept Andy’s intel for what it was and asked his next question.

“How certain are you that one of these PIs is a Van Helsing?”

…Why is someone like that even in Portland? Don’t Van Helsings just wander about the world killing monsters?

“Pretty damned certain,” Andy replied immediately. “Said his name was Greg. Huge dude. Only wears black. Stupid ass hat. Macho and broody. Weird accent that sounds made up for a fantasy movie. Sound about right?”

Diggle nodded, expression turning sour.

…bad news. It’s all bad…

…But bad news that arrived before it’s too late to act…

“Eli,” Diggle said, getting to his feet and returning the chair to its place against the wall. “Collect Dead Eye Ty immediately. I do not care how you do it or what he’s doing at the moment. Get him here now. Alfonzo, I’m going to keep you here at the compound for a few days. Nothing personal, just can’t have you blabbing this kind of thing to anyone else.”

Alarmed, Andy got to his feet. “I won’t tell anyone, I promise. You can’t just keep me here, man.”

Diggle looked at Andy with pity in his brilliantly blue eyes. “Alfonzo, you told me all of that without even negotiating a price. I now have the information you came here to sell and I am not obligated to pay you anything at all. In short, you came here and spilled incriminating intel for free to someone you just met. I’m sorry to say that your promise is not entirely convincing. Don’t get me wrong, what you brought me today has value and you will be paid fairly for not only that but also for the time I have you detained.”

Diggle’s private thoughts continued coming into Andy’s mind in fragments as the reality of his situation settled in. He was never going to leave this complex.

…give these “investigators” a trail to follow…

…wouldn’t be such a bad thing to spend a little alone time with Subject31. Would it?

…it’d be better if these PIs just fucked right off and disappeared into the ether, but if they’re following a trail leading to me anyway, it may as well be a trail I lead them to…

Nicholas Diggle looked up sharply.

“Lightbulb,” he said, smiling brightly at Andy. “Alfonzo, I’ve changed my mind. You will not be detained. You and Dead Eye Ty are going clubbing tonight.”