“Stop shouting in my ear. If backup were coming, it would be here by now. You might consider shooting him yourself before he kills us.”
I step out behind the pillar where I first entered the room and shout, “He’s right. No guards get in here without a permission slip from me.”
The ice-cream man blasts into the dark.
“That’s a clever ploy. Use up all your bullets shooting at nothing. Did they teach you that at military school?” says Mammon. But the ice-cream man isn’t listening. He’s not a soldier anymore. He’s an angry f s;s an aboyfriend looking to get back at someone who got his girl killed. Join the club, fucker.
The ice-cream man shouts, “Show yourself!”
“I am,” I say. “Don’t look at the shadows. I’m right out in the open with you. Come and get me.”
He’s pissed enough about Mrs. Hulk that he lets go of Mammon and prowls around the edges of the light, listening, trying to figure out where my voice came from.
“Get back here,” shouts Mammon. “He’s goading you.”
I take out Mason’s lighter from my pocket and toss it onto the nearest couch. The ice-cream man spins and blasts the enemy furniture.
I throw the black blade. He sees it at the last second but can’t get out of the way, and the blade buries itself in his right eye. He’s dead before he hits the floor.
Mammon finally sees me as I step out from behind his floating map of the universe. The room is empty except for us. Mammon’s dead officers have all winked out of existence and are on their way to Tartarus, the Hell below Hell.
I get Mason’s lighter off the couch and put it back in my pocket.
From the floor, Mammon gives the room an expansive wave like he’s addressing the multitudes.
“Lo, the prodigal coward returns. It’s been a long time, assassin. How have you been? Enjoying your life upstairs? That’s a breathtaking tan.”
I take my time getting to him.
“You’ll notice I’m not rushing over. I want you to get used to seeing the world from floor level.”
He looks me over.
“Nice coat. But I hate the shoes.”
“I like what you’ve done with the place. Is that why you threw in with Mason? He got you a good decorator?”
“I’m with Mason because I appreciate winners.”
“Like the five I just slaughtered? Or was it that time when you threw in with Lucifer to take over Heaven. Face it. You’re completely shit in the picking-winners department.”
Mammon’s legs are splayed at funny angles. He’s propped on his elbows, trying to look comfortable. I circle him so half the time he’s talking to empty air.
He shrugs.
“We were young back then and swept up in the excitement that we could throw out the old ways and rebuild the world. I’m older now and understand. Our plans weren’t thorough enough back then. This time they are.”
“I’ve got my fingers crossed for you, doughboy. I have a feeling if you fuck up one more time, there’s nothing left for you but Tartarus. Unless you know somewhere lower than that?”
He keeps smiling, but his lips do a little involuntary micro-twitch. Tartarus is the only thing that truly frightens all these Hellion bastards. Even they don’t know what’s down there. Maybe Lucifer does, but he’s not around to ask.
Mammon manages a little mocking laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing. It’s a private joke. You wouldn’t understand. There’s wine and Aqua Regia on my desk. I hear you’re quite the drunkard these days.”
“Did you hear that when Kasabian was still spying for Lucifer? That intel is out-of-date. I’m strictly a social drinker these days.”