"He's still missing?"

  "Yeah. I've been fielding all the calls for maintenance like normal, but I haven't seen him once."

  "You still get paid though, right?"

  "Yeah, that gets handled by Neffie. Brian calls the shots, but we can still run the ship without him. How much do I owe you?" Oscar asked, digging out his wallet. Brian adjusted his position slightly at the chime of the register, hoping it covered the rustling completely.

  He was currently wedged into the corner, in a small space behind the soda shelves. It was just close enough to the register to hear their conversation, but far enough that he wasn't too worried about being found himself. He'd learned this spot from Natalie. She'd often played a game of seeing how long it would take Hector to find her while Brian did the shopping. This spot was yet unfound as far as he'd known. For her, it must have been downright roomy, but Brian's joints were flaring in pain. He was just lucky enough that Hector was so disorganized he'd never rearranged the store to something more efficient.

  "Fourteen forty-five. Bottled water's on the house today, with that heat-wave coming. You're gonna need it."

  "You're a lifesaver, Hector. Thanks."

  Hector shook his head. "Just doing my part. Say hi to Neffie from me?"

  "How's that going, anyway?"

  Hector blushed very red. "I never asked her."

  Hector and his assistant? Brian wondered, smiling to himself. He couldn't really see them working out. Neffie was too adventurous, too flighty. She'd never take up with someone as timid and distracted as Hector Peraza. He was a nice guy, but he'd be better off with someone more stable. Still, they'd be an entertaining couple. Brian could see Neffie dragging a reluctant Hector on a pretty wild ride for a while. And who knows, maybe they'll suit each other?

  Brian shut his eyes. He'd forgotten once again the world he now lived in.

  Hector was one of the "awakened". He was dangerous, to himself and everything around him.

  Brian shuddered at the memories of his daughter playing in the store. Hector had always been nearby. His memories of his daughter's friendship with the old shopkeeper were now twisted into horrified visions. What if something had gone wrong? What if his Natalie was caught in the crossfire of something horrible and destructive?

  He briefly imagined leaping out and putting a fist straight through Hector's nervous smile. Jackson had warned him about Hector in particular. While the other couple of targets Brian had been sent to investigate had been believable—even likely—candidates, Hector had given him pause. Brian simply couldn't believe his ears at first. Hector seemed the least likely person to have anything remotely threatening about him. And yet…

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  Jackson had been open with him so far. He'd witnessed strange, unnatural occurrences on a daily, even hourly basis now. People in his hometown - be they college kids, loggers or just the normal residents - were slowly selling themselves to the devil for a grasp of his dark gifts. So when Jackson had named Hector Peraza as one of the Awakened with a quiver of tension in his voice, Brian was truly afraid.

  If the most powerful man one has ever met has fears, is it reassuring to know that he is still human, or terrifying to know something else with even greater power yet awaits?

  So Brian remained hidden, listening closely to what Hector said. Jackson had told him not to get close, but he couldn't resist. Unlike the others, Hector was a friend. Everyone loved him. His store was pricier than most, partly due to his own ineptitude in running the business, but they still came in droves simply to hear his stories. The children came to play games with him and laugh at his terrible jokes. Everyone was a recipient of his never-ending generosity, but no one ever took advantage.

  Brian wasn't here for Hector though. His real target was the young man who'd been working part-time in the back of the store, helping to unload boxes of fruit. Seth Merrill, the son of the town's only real journalist, was a slacker and a hothead, however odd such a combination might seem. More importantly—according to the curious runed stone that was now faintly vibrating against Brian's leg—he was also one of the so-called "awakened".

  Seth Merrill was one of the lost souls that had given themselves over to corruption.

  Brian had never liked him, but now he had real reason to distrust the young man. Jackson had given him a stone he now kept in a tight pocket where it would not be lost. By his explanation, it drew upon Brian's own energy to power a simple spell, one that allowed him to feel out those who had undergone the ritual at a simple glance. He'd examined everyone as they passed by his narrow spot in the shadows, and thankfully neither his reliable and trustworthy handyman Oscar nor his hypercompetent and spirited assistant Neffie had given it any reaction. It was only the college boy, and thus did Brian have his next target.

----------------------------------------

  "You have to kill him, Brian."

  Brian stopped eating the fruit Jackson had handed him abruptly. "What?"

  "Seth needs to die before he can hurt anyone."

  Brian shook his head. "I'm not a murderer. I didn't agree to that. I said I'd help you track down everyone, but I'm not about to hurt a kid who hasn't actually done anything yet."

  Jackson's eyes were cold—and with the deep blackness that shrouded his gaze permanently, adding a layer of ice was enough to remind Brian of the terror he had chosen to serve. "He will."

  "He's a stupid college kid. I don't disagree there's a risk, but innocent until proven guilty, right?"

  Jackson frowned. "And what about when that one guilty verdict comes at the cost of hundreds, if not thousands of lives? They may not have done any damage yet, but it's as if we'd given nuclear weapons to children and trusted them not to do anything wrong."

  "I don't think I can kill anyone," Brian said. "I can't even go hunting with Robert whenever he invites me."

  Jackson looked pensive, then turned and dug through his bag for a moment. He came back up with a small rod made of obsidian, laid with a bright green stone. He offered it to Brian, who took it gingerly. "Like I taught you, put your mind into the rod."

  Brian hesitated. "Is using this pushing me over the edge as well?"

  Jackson shrugged. "You aren't awakened. You haven't read from the book or done the ritual, and the magic does not originate with you. I would call that distinction enough, but that's for you to judge."

  Brian closed his eyes and prayed. God, I hope I'm doing the right thing. I haven't seen Natalie in days, but I know that she can take care of herself. I'll make the world safe for her again. Please, let me be spared from whatever demons haunt the man I'm following.

  He sent his mind into the rod. There, legions awaited him.