Title: Temptation
Series: Biblical
Author: Christina A
Fandom: Brimstone
Pairing: None
Characters: Ezekiel Stone, The Devil, Charlotte Rameses
Category: AU, Drama, Het, Original Character, and Angst
Warning: Spoilers for the show.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don’t own Ezekiel or The Devil. They’re owned by Warner Bros. I do, however, own Charlotte (scary woman that she is!).
Summary: Ezekiel meets Charlotte. She poses more than one temptation, and he wonders if he has the strength to fight off both her and The Devil.
Temptation
by Christina A.
Ezekiel Stone took his $36.27 out of his pocket, contemplating whether to eat first or just buy a newspaper.
“Sucks, huh?” the Devil said, appearing beside him. “Next time you die, make sure you have more money in your pocket.
Stone glanced over at him and smirked. “Are you ever going to get a new line? That one ranks right up there with the threat about sending me back to hell.”
Patting Stone’s shoulder, the Devil replied, “That’s not a threat. It’s a promise.” He gave the cop a wink, followed by a smile, and vanished.
“Promise,” Stone snorted. “And the promise of Satan is supposed to mean something?” He pocketed his money and headed out to the street. Breakfast first.
*-*-*
The news said the murder had been ritualistic. The LAPD had asked for a consultant from the FBI. A linguist. Interesting.
Of course, Stone found out about her as he was standing outside the crime scene. He had just crossed the tape when Fraker approached. “You have the uncanny ability…”
“For being in the right place at the right time. Yeah. I know.”
“This is the second victim. We’re thinking serial killer. I’m actually surprised the feds have only sent an advisor.” He shrugged and looked over at her.
Zeke’s eyes followed the lieutenant’s. “She’s an advisor? Fraker, she can’t be much more than a kid.”
“She’s been with the bureau for years, they say. Some kind of wiz kid or something. Anyway, I’m assuming the news broadcast aroused your curiosity?”
“Something like that.”
“C’mon, Stone. Ritual killings aren’t everyday events.”
“Not where you come from,” Stone replied, moving toward the entrance to the church.
“Excuse me, but you can’t go in there.”
Stone turned toward the heavily accented voice… the FBI advisor. Nodding toward Fraker, he said, “Sure I can. I’m with him.”
Fraker laughed. “Not hardly. But we let him nib around. He’s mildly amusing.”
Stone and Fraker both cracked smiles. The FBI agent didn’t. Clearing his throat, Fraker said, “Right, well this is Special Agent Charlotte Rameses.”
They nodded at one another, and Stone entered the temple. It wasn’t actually a temple but an abandoned shack that had been turned into one.
“It’s from Ancient Egypt. Whoever set up this temple knew what they were doing.” Charlotte moved into the room and stood beside him.
Stone looked her up and down. Her heels were made of leather, definitely not the most practical when the floor was covered with blood. She had money too. Her suit was made of silk… as was her shirt. Her hair was artfully arranged and her nails were manicured. Lord help him, but her perfume had to cost more than a year of his salary when he was alive. Her mannerisms also suggested money, or as her kind must have called it… ‘breeding’. She wasn’t raised in America either. Her accent suggested perhaps an Middle Eastern nation. Her bearing suggested upper class as well. So what the hell was she doing with the FBI?
Charlotte walked the perimeter again. Her eyes drinking in everything as the camera in her palm recorded the scene.
When the light from the camera struck the wall, Stone moved forward. He had no idea what the symbols he was looking at meant. But glancing at the FBI agent, it was easy to see that she did. He made a mental note to talk to her later.
*-*-*
That ‘later’ came the next day. Ezekiel had managed to find her address from Fraker. He had the sneakiest suspicion she was doing the majority of her work at her apartment. He had watched her closely last night. The symbols on the wall spoke to her, and puzzled her. She wasn’t the type to divulge information unless she knew all the facts. And she didn’t research at FBI headquarters either.
As he approached the apartment building, he smiled. The opulence of it reinforced his earlier conclusions. No way could an agent afford this. There was a lot more to this woman than met the eye.
The doorman reached to open the door as Stone approached. He then lifted the brim of his hat and smiled. “Smitten, are you?” the Devil.
Sighing, Stone put his hands in his pockets. “I’m trying to follow a lead. Trying to help you save face.”
Moving forward, he smiled again, but this time it seemed more evil. “You remember that. The ‘Good Book’ says ‘Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil’. Normally, I would argue that point, but for you I’ll make the exception.”
“Only because you have something to gain from it.”
“Is there any other reason to do something?” the Devil asked, almost sincerely.
“Human kindness?”
“Bah! That went out with the Spanish Inquisition. Although, I rather enjoyed that.”
A mild chuckle escaped Stone. “You want me to do your work, you might want to step aside.”
Opening the door, the Devil said, “Just remember what I said. Resist temptation.”
*-*-*
Zeke found the penthouse rather easily and waited patiently for his knock to be answered. Given that she actually lived in the penthouse, he wasn’t surprised when a maid answered the door.
“May I help you?”
Her voice was just as accented as Charlotte’s but not nearly as refined and articulate. Same country… vastly different social class. He mentally put another piece of the puzzle in its place. “Yes, I’m Detective Ezekiel Stone. I’m working with Agent Rameses on a case and needed to see her.”
Nodding the servant told him to wait and she would announce him.
Being alone, he took the opportunity to look around him. He was actually standing in a foyer. To his right, he could see a dining room. The table seated ten. More than likely, she hosted gatherings. To his left was a living area. The white leather furniture led him to deduce that it wasn’t actually for ‘living’ but for display. Just who was this woman, really?
“Detective Stone.”
He smiled. No doubt about it… Charlotte had decided to see him. “Agent Rameses.” She was dressed similarly to what she wore last night; the only exception was that she’d let her hair stay down instead of putting it up. It was the first time that he was struck with the fact that she was very, very beautiful. Hence, the temptation the devil had spoken of.
“May I help you?”
He laughed. It sounded so different coming from her. When her maid had asked that, it sounded genuine. From Charlotte, it sounded almost insulting.
“I had a few questions… about the evidence.”
“I see. Lt. Fraker said you would be seeking out my counsel. However, I am not expected to share information with you. And contrary to what you may have told my maid, we are not working together, I assure you.”
Stone looked at her in awe. The word used to refer to her servant had been spoken in what he could only assume was her native tongue. She shifted from that language to English so fluidly that he actually wondered which tongue was native to her.
Her posture spoke of her impatience. “My father is Egyptian, my mother is American. Does that answer that burning curiosity of yours?”
“You read me well.”
“Perhaps.” To her maid, she gave an order in Arabic and looked back at Stone. “Most people are curious about my origins. It’s common in this country to be faced with the fact that I’m not ‘Americanized’. I am an American, but given that I’ve grown up in Egypt, one couldn’t tell.”
“Why are you here then?”
“I want to be.” Sighing, she changed the topic. “It’s not normally something I do, but if you would like to see what I’ve gleaned from the information I gathered last night, I will show you. I get the distinct impression you aren’t going to leave until I do.”
The maid reappeared with a glass of water for the detective and offered to take his coat.
Stone followed the young woman into her office. And it was a complete office. She had a complex computer system and books lined the wall behind her desk. On the far wall, six diplomas were neatly displayed. As he moved to look at them, her voice broke the silence. “I earned my first degree in Egypt. Linguistics.” It was almost as if she were telling him this to get it out of the way… but there was a great deal of pride in her voice. “I came to America and earned degrees in Forensics and Criminology… from Harvard.”
“But there are six diplomas here.”
She sighed. “Yes. Bachelor’s degrees followed by Master’s degrees.”
That explained a lot. Turning back to her, he said, “So the language that was written on those walls last night meant something to you.”
“What is gibberish to the commoner is language to me.” She paused. Her eyes closed and she inhaled deeply. “I apologize. Such comments are not appropriate.” She cleared her throat. “Yes, they mean something to me. The symbols were hieroglyphics.” She handed him a copy of one of the pictures she took. “Whatever this was before, it was converted into a temple for the precise act of murder. Or more to the point… sacrifice.”
“It was, huh?” He took a seat and watched as she did the same. She reclined in her high-backed leather chair and folded her legs. She was a ‘cold’ woman, but her mannerisms exuded class, culture, and breeding. He was indeed tempted to try to ‘thaw her out’. “How is it you can tell that?”
“The symbols.” She picked up her own copy of the picture. “You see the symbol that looks like a flag… it’s at the top. That symbolizes ‘god’. Farther down, you get the more specific symbol with represents Osiris. In simplest terms, he was the god of the underworld. This temple was created in his honor. To your left, you’ll see a column of symbols. These are actually letters represented the word ‘damned’. The throw stick represents ‘enemy’. And the man lying on the ground is ‘die’ or ‘death’.” She looked up at him to see if he was following her. When she was satisfied that he was, she continued, “What bothers me the most is the numbers on the right. The first is two arcs and six sticks. Twenty-six. The other is three arcs.”
“Thirty,” Stone finally spoke up.
“Yes,” she responded, more annoyed at being interrupted than impressed with the fact that he figured it out. “There are other symbols there. They are called ‘determinatives.’ They are more connotative than denotative. There are symbols connotating life… sunlight… rising. These are what puzzle me. I am uncertain as to where they fit in.”
“Purification,” Stone said softly.
“Excuse me.”
He set the picture down. Book learning was fantastic for information gathering purposes. But there were times that street smart was much more handy. “Well, you said yourself. This is a temple. To this god… what’s his name?”
“Osiris,” she supplied, having a hard time keeping the annoyance out of her voice.
“Right, that guy. Anyway, these thingies over here talk about death and enemies, while these others are numbers. Twenty-six out of thirty. Then these others are about light and life. So what’s going on is…”
“The victims are being sacrificed to the god Osiris. They are deemed enemies to the god and are offered as a means of purification.” She filled in. The emotion of annoyance filtered away as she began to think it through. “What you have here is someone who feels deeply tied to Ancient Egypt. Not only does he or she have more than a working knowledge of hieroglyphs, but is also schooled in the knowledge of the civilization.” She handed him another picture. This one of the victim. “I observed the autopsy last night.”
Try as he could, Stone just couldn’t picture this woman in the garb of someone who performed such messy tasks. But then again, she was the very determined type.
“Organs were removed. Ancient Egyptians would place them in sacred canopic jars. It gets complicated but the essence of all of this is… Ancient Egyptians believed that a person was made of three separate entities. Two of which exist after death. But they are separated. One part stays with the body… in layman’s terms anyway. The other spiritual part goes to the underworld. If the two parts cannot reunite, the dead will fail to reach the state of akh, which is the blessing of being able to live with the gods.” She looked back down at the photograph. “With the way this victim was sacrificed, that reunion would never be possible. And therefore, he will be damned for all eternity.”
“Is there anything that you can find that could possibly link this to a crime committed in Ancient Egyptian times?”
She looked at him, a bit incredulous. “You are joking, right? Ancient Egyptians kept histories and records, but much of the papyrus was destroyed when the civilization was taken over by the invaders. One can’t just get on the internet and search the ‘police’ files of Ancient Egypt.”
He sighed. She seemed determined to put him in his place. But still… “Look, what I’m suggesting is that maybe this person is copycatting something that is documented. If he can find it, why can’t you?” Best way to get her ire up was to challenge her. So he did.
“Fine.” She sat back in her chair. “I will look into it and see if I can find anything. Any other questions?”
Dismissed. Oh this was interesting. Standing, he said, “Nope, not right now. But I’ll come back… tomorrow? Would that be good for you?”
She stood as well, walking to her door and opening it. “Of course. I’ll make finding information for you my top priority, Detective Stone.”
He smiled in response. Oh, she was quick-tongued, but fun. Definitely fun!
*-*-*
“Meskhenet,” Charlotte said to herself as she gazed at the computer screen. Ezekiel Stone had infuriated her beyond words earlier today. It had taken every ounce of training she had not to scream at him. Sometimes, she really wished she could let emotions like that out, but then she’d hear her father’s voice telling her that people of her station didn’t react out of emotion but out of intellect. So she swallowed her emotions and put distance between herself and Stone.
It was for the best anyway.
After the detective left, she got on the internet and began searching. He’d been right and that was what had infuriated her most. Though why it should have, she didn’t know. They were working on the same team. She just wanted to do one thing on her own. One thing without someone leaning over her shoulder telling her what to do and how to do it. But that wasn’t Stone’s fault. And she’d been wrong to take it out on him.
Looking back at her computer, she found the name again. Meskhenet. An Egyptian priestess accused of murdering twenty-four citizens. Her crime was attainable, not because of the number of killings, but whom she’d killed. The one that got the most attention was the sacrifice of Khentimentiu. He was a prince… although far removed from ever being pharaoh. He was a prince, nonetheless.
Charlotte delved into the reasoning for the killings. What she found shocked her. She picked up the phone and called her ‘partner.’ Best to give him all the information at once.
*-*-*
Back in her office, Stone was surprised to find a more relaxed Charlotte Rameses. Something had changed with her.
“Meskhenet was a priestess, as I told you on the phone. She killed twenty-four citizens… all either royalty or favored by royalty. But here’s the aspect that got my attention. When she was finally captured, she stated that the sacrifices were performed in the name of Osiris. She said that she was ordered by him to seek those out who no longer ‘believed’. In other words, she was on a crusade for purification.”
“Just like the symbols.” It was the confirmation he’d been looking for. This murderer was one the escaped 113. No doubt about it now.
“Exactly like the symbols. I found a description of her temple. Detective Stone, it’s described exactly as we saw it last night. This is obviously a copy cat.”
“More than you know,” he murmured, but she didn’t hear. She’d moved on.
“Khentimentiu was a prince. He was the victim that actually led to her capture. In Meskhenet’s eyes, he was the epitome of what she was trying to root out, so to speak.” She paused for a moment. “Oh, I almost forgot. Her goal was to kill thirty unbelievers.”
“Thirty? Why thirty?”
“According to what she said, once she sacrificed thirty ‘sinners’, she would automatically reach the state of akh. Osiris would bless her with life among the gods.”
He had to admit, he was impressed with this woman. Once again, the Devil’s warning of temptation filtered through his mind.
“But it seems the copycat is picking up where Meskhenet left off. She’s crediting last night’s victim as number twenty-six.” Just then, her phone rang. She spoke quickly, perfunctionarily, before hanging up. “We should make that victim number twenty-seven.”
“Another one?”
“Yes.”
*-*-*
The ride to the crime scene was quiet. Stone was in awe. The car was nicer than most people’s homes. After all this was over, he was going to ask her about her parents. He simply had to solve this mystery.
Arriving at the scene, Charlotte wasted little time. She passed through the police tape and wandered into the new ‘temple’. “It’s harder to stay secretive,” she said to Stone, who she knew was right behind her.
Stone heard the words, but movement in the corner drew his attention. “Very hard,” he said softly. He didn’t want to raise suspicion, but he had to find out what the movement was. He knew Charlotte was following him, but he couldn’t change that. He’d explain later.
Going out the back door, he looked left. Before he could look right, he was jumped. Making sure to protect his eyes, he fought off his attacker. He put distance between himself and the woman and pulled his gun. “Meskhenet, I assume.”
The language that was spoken back to him was not English.
“She says you are damned. Like her. She wants to know why you are trying to send her back. What is she talking about?”
“Not now, Charlotte. Go back inside.”
The demon’s gaze turned to the FBI agent. She hissed and said, “Khensa.”
Charlotte swayed slightly. Her vision becoming blurred. Khensa. Why did that name affect her so? When her eyes refocused, she wasn’t in the alley, but in a room. A man, who looked amazingly like her father, was holding her face in his hands. He spoke in Ancient Egyptian. “Khensa, my one daughter. You are the light of my life. My one true success.” His garb suggested Ancient Egypt, what she could see of the room denoted the culture as well. What was going on?
Her vision blurred again and she heard a shriek. The tongue being spoken was still the ancient one. “Your evil was resurrected. I was denied what was mine. I will achieve akh. You cannot stop me.”
Stone fired two shots but missed as the priestess vaulted over the fence. His immediate concern was for Charlotte as she looked about ready to faint. Taking her in his arms and holding her up, he asked, “Care to explain that to me?”
“I… I don’t know.” Her guard was let down at this particular moment. To hell with what her father expected of her. She was frightened by what she’d seen. “She said that name, and the alley disappeared. I could swear I was in Ancient Egypt. And a man was talking to me. I could feel his hands on my face… smell the incense.”
“C’mon. I’ll buy you some coffee.”
Leaving the crime scene to the other investigators, he drove her to his favorite restaurant. “Teresita, would you mind getting us a couple cups of java?”
“Anything for you, Zeke.”
He smiled his thanks.
To Charlotte, he said, “Do you believe in your culture’s ancient ways? The underworld… afterlife…”
“Reincarnation?” She shrugged. Sipping at the coffee that was brought to her, she sighed. “I didn’t give it much thought. My mother is Catholic. Though I was raised in Egypt, I was also exposed to as much of her culture and customs as they could. Religion was included among those. Her beliefs do not teach reincarnation. So I suppose if I use her religion, no. But after seeing what I saw tonight…”
“You were Khensa?”
She nodded. “My father was Khentimentiu. There were glyphs that bore his name. When Meskhenet saw me, and that woman in the alley was the priestess, she called my name. The name she knew me as over 3000 years ago. This means that I’ll be a target for her. I am an obvious pollutant.” She paused and sipped at her coffee again. “But, how did you know? I mean, how did you know she was Meskhenet? I can see how I would draw the conclusion, but you?”
“I have an open mind.”
“You lie,” she replied, but a faint smile touched her lips. “But I’ll let it slide for now.”
*****
Swearing in Arabic, Charlotte dropped her files on the desk. Moving around to her seat, she logged onto the internet and began a search for Ancient Egypt. After several long minutes, she found a site dedicated solely to crimes and punishments. The Egyptians were strict in their punishments… often very harsh or even cruel. Clicking through the site, she found Meskhenet’s name and read the information contained there.
It was then that her phone rang. Of course, the maid would answer it; that was, after all, the woman’s job. Shortly after, however, there was a knock at her door. The woman spoke very little English. She was handpicked by Charlotte’s father to ‘care for’ his daughter. The entire conversation, therefore, took place in Arabic. “Phone for you, Madam.”
“Take a message.”
“But, Madam.”
Charlotte had dealt with servants her entire life. Her father was always very clear to her about how one should be treated. They worked for you and therefore did as you ordered. “I said, take a message.”
“It is your father, my lady.”
Glaring at the maid, she curtly said, “Fine.” When the woman left, she picked up the phone. Her tone changing to that of an obedient daughter. “Hello, Papa.”
It was odd, but the tone he used with her was very similar to what she’d used with the maid. “I got a report on you today.”
Pinching the bridge of her nose, Charlotte sighed. “It was nothing, Papa. I was in no physical danger.”
“I should have never allowed you to go to America. Never. And especially not to demean yourself by working as a common police officer.”
A part of her wanted to shout at him, another part of her wanted to break down and cry, but the part that won was to sit and listen to his scolding. Her only comment was, “Papa, I’m not a police officer. Well, not merely a police officer anyway.”
“Say what you mean.”
Immediately, she sat up a bit straighter. “I am an FBI agent. Papa, I have three degrees and all are put to use in this profession.”
“You were almost murdered tonight.”
“No. I was in no real danger.”
“My report says differently.”
She sighed. He always did believe those reports over her. It appeared that that would never change.
“I want you to leave this assignment. Tonight.”
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. For the first time since deciding to come to America, Charlotte contradicted her father. “I cannot. They need me.”
Her father’s voice elevated. “You will. You are the daughter of a diplomat and an ambassador. You have no need to ‘work’. It is beneath your station. You consort with commoners. It even says that you had drinks with a detective. Charlotte, the man was wearing tattered clothing. This is beneath you. Come to your senses, and come home.”
Again, she sighed. But this time, she took a deep breath as she said, “It was coffee, Papa. And I’m not coming home. This is my home now. I wish you could understand that. I’m happy here.”
“I could take away your inheritance… disown you.” There was a long pause. To Charlotte, it seemed as if he was fighting an inner war. He loved her. It was the reason he spoke to her as he did. He could be a very warm and loving man, but fiercely protective. He knew his station in life, and was very proud of his accomplishments… and his family. When he spoke again, his voice was softer. “I will do neither, and you know it. But I am going to send guards to protect you. No arguments. I stand firmly on this.”
“Alright, Papa. As you wish.”
“I wish it.” Before hanging up, he said, “And I do love you, little one.”
“I love you too.”
At headquarters, her fellow agents called her a ‘cast iron bitch’. Maybe she was. But it was coming from 30 years of being told how to walk, talk, eat, dress, and act. It was years of going to only the finest boarding schools… in Egypt, of course. It was 30 years of being told what her station was and how someone of her ‘caliber’ was supposed to act. Her mother was an American… the American ambassador, actually. She kept the position until retirement… and although her father made enough to keep 100 families living in comfort… the American government paid her a hefty retirement.
So the other agents teased and harassed, and Charlotte let it all run off her shoulders. She was used to being treated by commoners in this manner.
Only problem was…
Stone.
He was a commoner, worse in her father’s eyes. But he didn’t treat her any different than he treated her maid. And though she was sure that on some level she should be enraged by that thought… it intrigued her. She’d shown him her worst side, and he didn’t change how he treated her.
So regardless of what her father said, she was going to continue to work with Ezekiel Stone. He was the first friend… and she did consider him a friend… He was the first friend she had who didn’t seem to care about how much money she had… or that her parents had a great deal of political power.
It was refreshing.
Pulling away from her thoughts, she returned to her internet search. She was eager to find exactly what kind of punishment Meskhenet endured and to see if she could figure out the woman’s next step. She leaned in to see the screen closer.
Then was hit with an idea.
Stone *knew* that the priestess was Meskhenet. Not a copycat, but the priestess herself. He believed that she wasn’t merely a reincarnation… but the actual priestess. How? Why?
Closing that search, she entered into the FBI database and used her clearance to find out as much as she could about her ‘partner’.
What she found was beyond belief! Even for someone who was tracking down a 5000 year old Egyptian priestess.
*-*-*
Lt. Fraker handed Charlotte a plastic bag. In it was contained a ceremonial dagger. She looked at it intently. “There’s been no weapon left with the other victims,” he stated. “Killer’s getting sloppy.”
“Perhaps,” she said, moving beyond him to enter the temple.
Stone arrived just as she entered. Stopping beside the lieutenant, he asked how the man was doing.
Fraker laughed. “Oh just fine. Agent Rameses is as lovely as ever. You could freeze a Popsicle on that woman.”
Stone chuckled and patted the man on the back. Saying nothing more, he walked into the temple. “Victim twenty-eight.”
“Yes, but this time we have a weapon.” She took him the bag. “The glyphs on the handle represent Osiris and cleansing.”
Looking at the remaining symbols, he said, “That I can understand. But what are these?”
Pointing to the one, she said, “That’s death.”
“The other?”
Without emotion, she answered, “Khensa.”
“So you’re next.”
“No, Det. Stone. I’m last. She has one more victim before she comes for me. Then her work will be done and she will be granted akh by Osiris.”
Zeke noticed that her posture had returned to the rigidity of when they’d first met. It bothered him some. He rather enjoyed the warmer version of Charlotte Rameses. Too bad.
“Want to tell me about the man you killed?”
The question was spoken so softly that he almost missed it. “Pardon me?”
“The man… you killed. Want to tell me about him?”
“How did you…” Raising a hand, he shook his head. “Never mind. He raped my wife. Got off on a technicality, and I went to his home and killed him.”
She turned to look at him. Her long black hair contained perfectly in a bun. Her dark eyes penetrated his. “Want to tell me about your death? Want to tell me why I’m standing here talking to a dead man? Care to explain how all of this is happening, Det. Stone, because I am very interested.”
She felt betrayed. He stared at her for several long moments. It struck him then. Before him stood a woman who had obviously led a very sheltered life. Class… breeding… money… She had all of that, but she didn’t have friends. She had no one she could truly trust… not even her parents probably.
But she’d opened up to him, and he’d not been completely honest with her. She’d found out by using her connection through the FBI. And now she felt betrayed.
“There are very, very few people who would believe my story. They’d sooner write me off as crazy than to listen to the fact that 15 years ago, I killed the man who raped my wife. Shortly after that, I was killed chasing a suspect and went to hell.” They were completely alone in the temple, but still, he moved closer as he spoke. “No one would believe that the Devil sent me back to catch damned souls who escaped.”
“No one?” Her eyes easily showed her anger. “I am pursuing an Egyptian priestess, who, though she died at the age of 30, is over 5000 years old. I now know that I was a princess during the time of the Upper Kingdom. I was Khensa. My father was Khentimentiu. I know this. I believe it. Yet you presume to believe that I would not believe your story, so you lie to me. I have no room in my life for liars.” She started to move away.
Stone listened to her words, took in her harsh tone, and even though he knew she was a product of her environment, became angry. Reaching out, he grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. “Don’t do that. Don’t you dare judge me according to those preconceived standards of yours. I’ve yet to judge you… and believe me, I could have. So you damn well better extend me the same courtesy.” He actually surprised himself. He *never* lost it like that.
Temptation…
It came back to that. Even in her tirade, she’d tempted him. ‘Lead me not into temptation…’
Pulling her arm away, she smoothed her blouse. It was perfectly within her to storm out of the temple… smack him in the face… or just give him another tongue-lashing. But she didn’t do either. Instead, she said, “I am sorry. Trust…”
“I know. You don’t trust often.”
“Ever. It’s simply not a luxury I can afford. But I trusted you.”
“You still can.”
Taking back the bag, she nodded. “I know. On some level, I know. And I wouldn’t have believed your story… not at first. But it’s different now.”
Placing a hand at the small of her back, he led her from the temple. “I know. Now, how about we see if we can find out who made this dagger? From the looks of it, very few could make such an intricately detailed object.”
“And in two days…”
“Exactly. We have some snooping around to do.”
*-*-*
Tracing the dagger, led them to a knife maker. It also led them to victim twenty-nine. It seems that the man’s payment for services rendered was to have the privilege of purification. At least that was the translation that Charlotte found on the wall. Meskhenet turned the shop into a temple, using her purification rituals, and set herself one step closer to her goal.
Of course, both knew then that Charlotte was next.
The only question was… when?
*-*-*
Charlotte, once again, sat behind her desk. This time, she held the photos taken while at the latest crime scene. Most of the symbols were repeats of the ones that had been in the other temples. On her computer screen was a map that pinpointed the exact locations of the temples. She didn’t rule out the possibility that there was a pattern to the placement of the temples. But she couldn’t seem to come to any conclusions.
She’d told the maid to bring her a cup of tea, so she didn’t really look up when the door opened.
“Khensa. It is time.” The voice filtered into her thoughts. It took her a second to adjust to the Ancient Egyptian tongue. It wasn’t a language she spoke daily. But her proficiency in languages came in very handy.
Looking up, she asked, “Time?”
“For your purification.”
“I am not a contamination.” She folded her hands under her chin and smiled. “Besides… Khentimentiu lives again. My father.”
The priestess gasped. “You lie!”
“I speak the truth.” She turned and pointed to a photo of herself and her parents. “Meskhenet, you will not receive akh from Osiris. Your quest for purification is false. Why do you think you were denied the reunion of you ba and ka?”
“I was not denied!” The demon moved forward. “My ascension was delayed because I did not fulfill his mission. You have no idea what Osiris demands. You have turned your back on the god and you will pay. You and all those like you.” She lunged forward.
It was then that the door opened again and Stone entered. “Oh, I really don’t think that she’s going to pay for anything. You, however, well you have to go back to hell. Sorry, that’s just the way this works.”
She looked between Khensa and her guardian… for obviously this man was created to protect the princess. Deciding that taking the princess would be easier once the guardian was removed, Meskhenet lunged forward. The fight was on.
Charlotte stayed clear, just as Zeke had warned her to. She was amazed at the quickness between the two damned souls. There was a tense moment when it looked as if Meskhenet might get her fingers on Stone’s eyes. She was shocked though when he flipped her over, pulled his gun, and shot her. Two shots… one in each eye. With a shriek of agony, the light that emanated from her eyes swirled around her, and with a flash, she was gone.
*-*-*
The Cadillac pulled up in front of the restaurant. The driver smiled brightly at the passenger.
The smile was returned, along with the tease. “YOU chose to come here? Wonders never cease.”
“Miracles have been known to happen,” Charlotte returned.
The two wandered into the restaurant and headed toward a table. Teresita brought them each a cup of coffee. And waited while they ordered.
When they were alone, Charlotte reached out and lightly touched his arm. “When the tattoos are all gone… what happens then?”
Zeke shrugged. “The Devil says I’ll have a second chance at life.”
“And you trust the Devil?” She laughed lightly. “I’m sorry. It just seems so absurd to be talking about the devil as a ‘person’. He’s always been more of a concept.” She shrugged. “But maybe that’s what’s wrong. Maybe people have so distanced themselves from their humanity that only concepts remain and therefore, the respect is lost.”
Stone simply smiled. When she started talking on a subject, he learned it was best to let her talk through it. Her mind worked constantly… it was never merely idle. She needed to work on that.
“I think if people truly realized what happened, they’d be more cautious about sinning.” She smiled. “Sorry. I rambled.”
“Not really. It makes sense.”
“If you had known, would it have made a difference?”
Rubbing his eyes with his palms, he sighed. “I don’t know. I’d like to think I would. But, I just don’t know. The rage… Charlotte, the rage and anger I felt.” He paused. “I just don’t know.”
She gave his arm a pat and pulled away. “At least you’re being honest… with me… with yourself. Now, what about this devil? Can you trust him to do as he says and release you?”
He laughed. “I want to believe it. I think if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here tracking these souls down.”
Their food arrived and out of habit, Charlotte checked it out in detail before starting to eat. “But throughout biblical history, it’s been noted that the devil is highly skilled at making humans believe.”
“You have no idea.”
“After you are freed, and given life again, what will you do? Find your wife?”
“Nah.” He shook his head. “I wanted to… at first. But the more I think of it, the more I realize that it wouldn’t be fair to her. I died over 15 years ago. She’s gone on with her life… the last thing she needs is me turning up again. Could you imagine? ‘Hi, honey, I’m home. Sorry for the absence. But I had to take a side trip to Hell’.”
Charlotte watched him for several moments. “It’s ok, you know?”
“What’s ok?” he asked, confused.
“To love her.”
He nodded. “I always will. But, I can’t live in the past. Looking to the future, that’s what I need to do.”
“And what future are you looking to?”
“Right now? Sending the next damned soul back to hell and losing another tattoo. My future starts there.”
She smiled. “Well, if you need any help, I do have skills in linguists, criminology, and forensics. Might be useful.”
“It might at that.”
*-*-*
After dinner, he returned to his hotel room and dropped his coat on the chair.
“Sloppy, sloppy,” the Devil’s voice filled the room before the man materialized by the chair. “You really should hang up your coat.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Stone replied sarcastically, “but I think I’m old enough to put my coat wherever I want.”
Shrugging, he crossed the room to stand by the detective. “She’s sweet, isn’t she? Beautiful, smart, rich… everything a man could want.”
Stone shrugged. “I won’t deny that she’s…”
The Devil laughed. “What? Tempting?”
Stone didn’t turn his head, but his eyes locked on the Devil. “Your word, not mine.”
Lucifer dropped a piece of paper down in front of Zeke. “Khensa. You should take a look at that temptation. Get to know each of her lives.”
“I don’t care about that.” Handing back the paper, he turned to look at the ‘man’, he said, “I’m sending back your escapees. That’s all that should matter to you.”
“But I care, Ezekiel. I care about you.”
“Ha! Only in the capacity that I’m returning your 113 damned souls. And don’t tell me that you could have someone else doing this. I know you can. But the fact is, I’m here… you brought me here. And I’m getting the job done. Whatever temptation I give into when I’m waiting for the next escapee to reveal himself, it’s mine to give into.”
The Devil’s face turned serious. Moving in, he said, “Just so you understand. You are here for me. You are here by my grace.” Pulling back, he smiled. “Sleep well, Detective Stone. Tomorrow’s another day. Another day, another soul to return.”
With that, he was gone, leaving Stone alone in the room. But was he ever alone? No.
Temptation.
Temptation was good… but giving into it was another question. It was a question he could not answer. He would not answer… not now.
‘And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.’ Matthew 6:12-13
The End
Tags: alternate universe, angst, charlotte rameses, drama, ezekiel stone, het, original character, rating: pg-13, the devil