Previous Chapters:

A truck driver had an unfortunate encounter with the mysterious Lilith. She killed three men the year before while Greg was dealing with the hag. Now she is back with a vengeance and Wolf Bend Chief Greg Harsen is called to the scene by FBI Agent David Harkins, a man who really dislikes him. What Greg finds awakens him to the realization that more bad things are coming for him and his little town. Further, Harkins managed to wrangle him into Task Force Ash, which was created to capture the killer.

A county wide call-out for a jail riot interrupted the hunt for Lilith. At the riot, Greg finds out that Jenny's violent ex-husband, Lenny Benslow, has escaped from the jail. They race to his cabin, but Greg's beloved wife had been taken. Through good investigation techniques, they may have found the bad guys' hideout. A shootout ensues, with Jesse getting shot while they rescue Jenny. When Greg went after Lenny to finish him, Sheriff Watson convinced him to take the felon back into custody. Batty Betty Benslow was taken into custody for assisting with Lenny's escape.

Greg thought he was in for a rest, but another Lilith victim, 'Satin Shorts' had been found revealing new clues. Then Greg and Jesse found Lilith's lair, getting closer to the killer. Then Greg had a meeting in the alley with Lilith where he barely escaped with his life. At the same time, the taskforce has been getting nowhere. Finally, Lilith revealed herself as Officer Katie Kelsey when she killed FBI Agent Kenneth Lee. An unaware Greg walked into her trap.

Jesse and Jenny race to Greg's aid, but they too end up captured. Greg's chances of survival are dwindling . . . 

New Chapter:

Greg jolted awake. What the hell? Did I fall asleep? Hey, I have my clothes on. Wait, where are my chains? He stretched his now free arms, then caught his breath when he saw the room. He rubbed his eyes. What the hell?

The canopy bed, stone table, and candles were all gone. In fact, the room was empty except for the row of old weight benches that he was sitting on. He slowly rose to his feet, when he heard the door to the room opening. 

I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m going to take my chances and jump her. Greg crouched, preparing himself. To his surprise, Katie Kelsey walked in and shined her flashlight on him. She was wearing her Wolf Bend Police uniform. 

“I knew it. Why do you keep coming back here, Greg? Did you have another episode?” The woman held up her belt radio. “Dispatch, Bravo Three, have all units stand down, I found him.”

Episode. Found him? A new game? “Stay back, Lilith. I mean it.”

“Oh, Greg, the Lilith fantasy again? Just when Mayor Whittis was about to give you your badge back.”
Fantasy? “My badge back?”

“Yes, Greg. The mayor had to take it away when you lost it after the hag killed Jenny. You completely broke from reality. You’ve been chasing around some fantasy succubus for the past several months. You call her Lilith. For some reason you keep ending up here. We thought you were getting better. Come on, I’m taking you straight to your psychiatrist.”

This can’t be true. Lies! “No! Jenny’s not dead and you’re Lilith.”

“Jesus Christ, Gregory Harsen! Now I’m Lilith? That’s a new one. I’m not Lilith. I’m your girlfriend. We’ve been dating for the past several months. You live in my apartment.” A small tear ran down her cheek. “I swear, Greg, I don’t think I can take any more of this. You really don’t remember me? You don’t remember when I hit the bull and we made love in my apartment?”

Why does that sound right? “I . . .I . . .but you’re Lilith.” He rubbed his forehead, trying to ease his throbbing headache. “We’re dating?”
“Baby, I know you miss her. To lose a second wife is devastating. But you need help. Serious help.” She reached out and took his hand. “You scared me. I called you several times.” 

 “You took my phone.” 

Katie held up a blue phone and pushed some buttons. A second later he could feel his phone vibrating in his pants pocket. Greg reached in with his free hand and pulled out his cell. What the hell? I have my phone? I’m so confused. Maybe I am crazy? 

Katie started trembling as her body was racked by big sobs. She tried to pull away from him, but he pulled her in close and hugged her. She cried into his shoulder for a bit, while he stroked her hair, his mind a painful jumble of mixed up thoughts. Girlfriend? 

Katie looked up at him, her eyes red from balling. “I love you, Greg, but I don’t think I can be your girlfriend anymore. This is too hard.”

“No.” Greg pulled the upset woman in close and kissed her. Her mouth was intoxicating. I lost my Jenny. I can’t lose Katie too. 

“Stop. It’s over.” She pulled away, but he pulled her right back. Now the kisses were much more passionate. He felt a slight throb in his shoulder tattoo. “Damn it. I want you so bad, Greg.”

“I want you too, baby.” Why’d the bear on my back start burning? When’s the last time I felt that? Something’s not right. 

“That’s all I needed to hear.” A smile spread across Katie’s face as she pushed Greg back against the wall and began to unbuckle his pants. Wait, nobody answered her on the radio. And my wrists still have shackle marks. Oh shit!

“That’s my man!” Jenny stood in the open doorway, Jesse’s 9MM in her hand. 

Lilith spun and hissed at her, angry at having been interrupted right as she was about to have Greg. The succubus failed to notice Jesse was standing in the corner with a shotgun. He had been waiting for her to step away from the groggy man. 

BAM! The officer sent a slug straight into the woman’s chest. He was glad they had went back to the Blazer and got more firepower, but Lilith’s face merely transformed into the stone-face for the half-second that the round struck her. The succubus extended her wings and jumped onto the nearby wall, running sideways on it assisted by her wings. 

Both Jesse and Jenny unloaded their guns at the creature as it creepily ran sideways with its feet on the wall. Then it was upon them. A rigid black wing struck Jenny, flinging the tiny woman backwards and out the door she had just come through. Then Lilith reached Jesse, who had hit the woman with at least three slugs that had little effect. 

A flick of her serpent-like tail whipped Jesse backwards into the wall. Then the serpentine tail slithered around the shotgun he was holding and ripped it from his hands, tossing it across the room. Jesse balled up his fists, and landed first a left and then a right into Liliths’s face. Both punches caused her face to flash the stone contours, hurting the man’s hands. 

The succubus wrapped her tail around Jesse’s neck and lifted him off the floor with it. His feet dangled as his airway was cut off. It didn’t take long for Jesse’s face to turn bright red. Crack! Ctack! Crack! Crack! Crack! . . . Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Jesse had drawn a Glock from his boot and emptied it into the attacking woman’s stomach. 

“Aaaagh!” Lilith scowled, and using her tail, slammed the man’s head against the stone wall several times until he lost consciousness. She dumped the battered cop unceremoniously to the ground and turned back to a befuddled Greg, rushing at him. 

“You said what I needed to hear.” Lilith grabbed his trousers with her clawed hand and completely tore them from his body. “Now I’m going to take what I need.”

Greg grabbed the woman around the neck and started to choke the Katie face with all his strength. 

“Good. I like it rough, Greg!” She snarled. 

Lilith’s face froze in an expression of surprise as a black blade popped out of the front of her chest, extending from between her breasts. 

“I told you.” Jenny twisted the blade with a mighty grunt. “That’s my man!”

Lilith staggered backwards, grasping with her clawed hands at the bewitched knife impaling her. With a ragged screech, she fell to her knees. “Completus Sum,” she whispered, then fell to her side, the six-thousand year-old spirit dead.

                                                                   *     *     *

The tiny Jenny stood between the two men, propping them up as they exited the lumber mill, stepping into bright sunlight. She was breathing heavily due to a suspected broken rib, and had a large bruise on her forehead from where she had banged her head when she fell out of the vent she and Jesse had crawled through to get out of the storage room. 

Jesse was bleeding from several places on his head, including both of his nostrils. At the very least, he had a concussion. That, combined with the gashes on his back and the gunshot wound he had suffered last month, left him in bad shape. 

Greg was dirty, battered, and very groggy with a pounding head, almost like he was drunk. It didn’t matter, she had them and wasn’t going to let anything happen to the two most important men in her life.  

“Calvin is finally going to be happy.” Greg was barely audible. 

“The mayor? How’s that?” Jesse spit out a bloody tooth as he spoke. 

“He’s got a serial killer’s body this time. Not to mention, we managed to clear out Grayson’s Lumber Mill for his political donor.”

Both of the Anderson siblings stared at the man in disbelief. Then all three of them broke out into very painful laughter. 

                                                                      *     *     *

Several miles away, in Walla Walla, Washington, the trembling Latin King gang member cowered in the corner of the tiny 12X12 cell. His roommate, sitting on a nearby bed, paid him no attention. The Native American man named Lenny Benslow merely stared at the wall in front of him, his eyes as black as coal, radiating pure evil.  

Bad things were happening at the Washington State Penitentiary. Those bad things would eventually wind their way to Wolf Bend. Those bad things were coming with one goal in mind. Greg and Jenny.