Soul

Author's note: This chapter is NOT a stand-alone...The story starts here.

Every cop a criminal, all the sinners saints.

You three go walk around the mall for a bit. I want to finish my coffee in peace.

I will enjoy Erlyn today, but this will be an object lesson for Amelae and Mirafe. Right now I need to start the tablet again and put some things in motion. Dany will get a text, sending him on a snipe hunt along with his mother. I need to get him out of town. At fourteen, it is far easier to make that happen if ‘mother dearest’ is part of the package.

Our two potential murderers have their own problems. There are others who have been looking for them and their boss. A few well designed text messages, allegedly from numbers the others know, will work just fine. Spoofing outgoing caller ID’s is easy enough if you can access a PBX using a PRI outbound line.

It takes twenty minutes, but the work is done. Now we wait for the result.

I text Amelae. I forgot to tell her to confiscate Erlyn’s phone. She needs to do it immediately. Once that is done, they are to meet back with me. It is time to go.

I get a text back almost immediately from Mirafe. Erlyn is fighting with Amelae. The girl is refusing to give up her phone. I text back,

OK just keep her busy for a couple of minutes and stop trying to take the phone. Just don’t let her use it. I will text back soon.

I know her number and I stole her IMEI¹ when she was with me at Bo’s. Logging in through the Talk ‘N Text servers. I find the right code and essentially brick both her phone and her SIM card. She will be unable to use the phone on the Talk ‘N Text network. She would need to buy another SIM from a different network. She can never get her old number back. It takes ten minutes, but it is done.

I send another text to my two stalwarts, OK just come to Bo’s with her.

Two minutes later, they are approaching, and Erlyn is screaming. I just do not like this kid. When they get close enough I can tell that she is accusing the girls of damaging her phone.

Erlyn, do you want to die today? Do you? Because if you keep this up, I will allow it to happen. Neither of these two, who at least were your friends before you started acting like an ass, damaged your phone. I bricked it.

What?! How?!

You need to learn some lessons. The first is that I am not to be disobeyed… ever! If I am, you will suffer. I told the girls to take your phone because I didn’t want you using it for a few days. You refused and so I killed the phone myself. … You have two minutes to convince me not to just walk away from you.

You can’t! The contract!

The contract allows me to release you and your soul whenever I want. You are bound to me. I, Erlyn, am not bound to you. You have used up thirty seconds of your time.

Tell me how you kill my phone!

No. … Amelae, Mirafe, let’s go. I have had enough. She isn’t worth saving. At this moment, Erlyn doesn’t know that she won’t be killed as soon as we leave her here. She has no way of knowing what I have done. My two know not to argue with me and they fall in as I walk away.

We get to the second floor of the parking area garage before I hear the footfalls of Erlyn running towards us. I ignore it. As we approach the Everest, my fob unlocks the doors and I get in as do three girls.

Turning around toward the back seat, I speak my mind. Erlyn, you need to get out.

I need your help, Po. Please.

It is no good. You are either unable or unwilling to submit. I do not need to bother punishing you as you will be dead soon anyway. There are many souls I can gather. I don’t need to bother with yours.

No more problems. I promise. I will be good. I will do what you say. Please save my brother.

I told you earlier that even if I keep him alive for a few days, he will surely die. There is nothing I can do about that. So he will not die today. But he still will die in a matter of days. So will your mother. I told you this. It was only you who would live a long life. You chose to ignore my warning and sign your own mother’s death warrant. I kept my part of the bargain. If you do not seek them out, right now; if you stay away from all of them and of the others, whose company they keep, they will live a few more days. But if you go to them, you will now all die.

Po, Ninong! I was stupid. I sorry! Truly. Please help me. No more problems. I promise. Just please take care of Arjun, Eryl, and Rykel.

I already have.

What? How?

How, is none of your business. Just as how I bricked your phone is none of your business. Are we clear on that?

Po, you never left Bo’s coffee. But you do all that?

Yes.

May I stay with you please?

Maybe you need more time to understand the power that exists. We will go back into the mall. Amelae and Mirafe will stay with you for the next hour. After that we will meet to eat a lunch here at the Mandarin Restaurant at noon. That may be enough time. There is to be absolutely no use of any cell phones. No exceptions. OK girls, out!

I go back to Bo’s, order more coffee and read the news online. It’s as good a way to kill time as any other and costs far less. I am also watching some of the SMS traffic via logs. It seems that things are about to get bloody.

I am not a fan of the Mandarin, but it is one of those places that doesn’t get super busy with a lunch crowd. That affords us some privacy during the meal. The Mandarin is one of those restaurants that sells Chinese food that really isn’t Chinese. How do I know that? Here’s the first clue. They have General Tao Chicken on the menu. Go figure. So what do the girls order? Chicken Chow Mein, and sautéed vegetables that includes broccoli. Whatever.

The food won’t make you sick and it is quiet in there. At least it is quiet for forty-five minutes. But at that point both Amelae and Mirafe’s phones go nuts. There are five people dead just two streets away from the Church. The messages say that they were killed in a shootout with the police. The girls know the place. It is the street Erlyn lives on. Photos are sent over Facebook messenger. None are Dany or Erlyn’s mother. When Erlyn looks at who is dead, she stops eating and starts shaking.

Erlyn, three of them, Rykel and the other two, are the three we spoke about before. The other two are your friend Chona and a young man who runs packets for your mother, correct?

Erlyn cries out, There can’t be a shootout! Chona not have a gun! The Police kill her?

Those police run shabu too. It is a rival group. Rykel thinks theirs is spiked with strychnine and it is killing people. In this case Rykel was the good guy.

How? How? You know them? How you know this?

No. I have never seen them. Never. And how I know things is none of your concern.

But you know why Chona and the boy dead?

Your mother asked them to deliver shabu for her and Dany as they had to leave town.

How you know?

Erlyn do I have to tell you again. I am not going to explain. I told you I would do as you asked in payment for your soul. It happened. Your soul is mine.

Erlyn doesn’t need to know I was watching her mother’s text messages while sitting at Bo’s. For her, it is seeming to be magical. And for her, it better be as she is a handful of difficulties all wrapped up in a 4’ 9” package. The next days will be instructive for Mirafe, at least. I am no longer concerned about Amelae at all.

Still it is Amelae who speaks. Last night you said that if you saved Erlyn, another would die. You said we had to choose, Erlyn or someone else. It seemed easy last night. But, Master, I know Chona. She is a friend. I not know she do this shabu, but she is a friend. Last night, we did not know Chona would die. Now I know. By saving one friend, I killed another. It like you say. You don’t kill. But interfering with one death by violence may simply lead to another. I not know what to think. I am glad, Erlyn is not dead. But I maybe killed Chona.

Amelae, all those who swim in those waters are asking to die early. You asked me to save Erlyn. I did it. Chona chose to run shabu and didn’t ask for help. That was her choice. You did not kill her. But it is important to remember that asking me to save a life that will be lost to violence is not something you should do without understanding the consequences. Also, this is not over. The only way Dany and Erlyn’s mother will live is if they never return. Even then, I can’t be sure they will survive. If they return, they will die. Of that I am sure.

Now it is Erlyn who asks, You will kill them?

I kill no one. I just cannot stop those who want your mother and brother dead. I can do many things. But I cannot do that. The only one I can keep alive right now is you and I was only able to do it because Chona would die in your place. I am not allowed to kill and with the exception of some very narrow guidelines, I am not allowed to help someone in harm’s way of a bullet. Even you, Erlyn, may yet die unless you do exactly what I tell you to do without exception. One mistake and you will die in spite of what I have done. Using your phone just once will be enough to tip the scales against survival. Is that clear.

Yes, Po. It is clear.

Is it also clear that your soul belongs to me?

Yes, Po. It is clear.

Is it clear that from now on, until the day you die, you, Erlyn, belong to me?

Why that?

Because, for me to control and own your soul, I must control the vessel that contains it. Think of your soul as water. That is what you have sold me. Can you give me the water without the glass that contains it?

Oh! I not understand that part of the contract where it talk about the possession of the vessel. I am the vessel?

Yes, you are the vessel.

So when I sold my soul, I sold myself?

Yes.

That is a trick!

Even if it was a trick, what were your other options? Do you want to leave? I will relinquish the hold on your soul and you can leave.

Yes, I see. I not like, but I see. I will not leave.

So are we clear now?

Yes, Po. I am yours. It clear.

OK. Let’s go home.

Things are silent inside the Everest as we traverse the streets. Each of the three has a lot to chew on. For me, there is less now. The only question revolves around Erlyn. We will see.

Entering the house, Amelae and Mirafe immediately disrobe and instruct Erlyn to do likewise. The girl is just not wanting to get with the program. I am about to do something drastic when Amelae slaps the girl across the face and tells her that she is to do as told or Hell will really break loose and it will not be a saying. You will be the real damned, you fool!’ Don’t you get it? He is not human!

Of course I am human. And of course, I am not the devil. But they seem to have no other way to categorize me. I can say there is no God and no Devil. I can say it for all eternity. It makes no difference. It is how their minds work.

And so, Erlyn does disrobe. She is then pulled into the bedroom to be ‘prepared.’ As they drag her along, they are telling her what comes next. In that process, she swivels around to look at me just before the door closes behind her.

It takes a good forty minutes before the three appear. Erlyn looks none too happy. The girls place her on the table. Mirafe drapes the cloth over her head.

I signal to two to walk away from Erlyn. I take a moment to give them instructions. Each is to suck on a breast, massage a temple with one hand and cooperate with each other as they play with Erlyn’s clit. I get no pushback.

The music blares. The incense fills the room with aromas of vanilla, cinnamon and sandalwood. Oil is applied but I avoid the breasts. My phallus is well lubricated and I enter deep into virgin territory, yet again. All this is totally new to Erlyn. The sensations are so many and so varied that she is having real trouble sorting out what she is feeling. All that is clear is that she is being stimulated in a way that defies description.

A river is pouring from between Erlyn’s legs. We push her on and on, until it is clear that she is going to be unable to sustain much more. I deposit my seed and back off.

The two know the drill. I hear them telling Erlyn what happens next. As they move toward the bedroom, Amelae turns, a bit, to say, We will come out for supper, Master. And then the bedroom door closes.

I set up a trap on both Amelae and Mirafe’s cell phones. It’s not that I don’t trust them. I am worried that Erlyn will grab one and send a text of her own. I need to know it, if she does. If she wants to kill herself, OK, I can’t stop her, but I do not want bad guys coming here.

I continue to monitor the SMS traffic in the network that Erlyn’s family swam in. There is great confusion and anger. Someone is asking where Dany and Erlyn went. Had they set Rykel and his guys up to be killed? It sure seems that way to some of them. Others are saying, why would they do that? The answer comes and it is a story about the packets that Dany lost. They don’t know about Erlyn, but they now connect Dany and his Mom. If those two show up, they are dead.

I text the Mom, spoofing Erlyn’s now dead cell number. All are looking to kill you and Dany. I am in hiding. Do not come back. Never come back! Do not look for me. If you do we all die. Last text! I am removing the SIM and smashing the phone so no one ever sees this. Love you. Bye forever!

The Mom answers but she will not get a reply.

The supper food is laid upon the table and all three girls join me. Erlyn is fidgeting. I gather it is because she is naked. The others tease her. It isn’t helping but I doubt it is hurting. I ignore it.

Po?

Erlyn, when in this house you will call me Master and nothing else.

Master? Are Dany and my Mother OK?

I do not know.

Are they alive?

Yes, for the moment they are alive.

How you know this?

Erlyn, stop asking me questions like that. I am not going to tell you how I know things, or how I do things. All you need to know is that I tell you the truth and if I don’t know something, I will tell you that too.

She is quiet for a bit, but she is far from happy.

The rest of the meal is eaten in silence. There is the beginning of an idea, possibly between Amelae and Mirafe, that it was a mistake to step in. No, it is not that they hate Erlyn. It’s just that we can’t really help her. Erlyn is not fitting in and in the end she will most likely leave and then subsequently die. I haven’t said a word about this. But I can see it in their continence.

After dinner as the girls excuse themselves so that they might watch the teleserye, Mirafe whispers that Erlyn is in no condition for another fucking tonight.

I guess I am not surprised. As it is, I am not wanting any of them at the moment. I retire to a book and the screens that are tracking the SMS traffic.

There is a frantic search going on for Dany and his Mother. One person is asking about Erlyn. Right now, no one else is echoing that.

I am pretty sure I know how this is going to end.

I pick up a book that I have been reading and try to relax. My shoulders are tight, I am edgy and just uncomfortable. I pour myself a brandy and return to the book. But I can’t concentrate. My mind wanders to thoughts about my daughter. How would I feel if someone wanted to kill her? What would I do? Would I violate my own rules and ethics?

I try reading again. Maybe I can relax enough to get through a few pages.

I hear a ping. Mirafe has texted someone. I look at the log. It wasn’t Mirafe who sent the text.

1 - The International Mobile Equipment Identity is a number, usually unique to identify GSM, LTE and other mobile phones. It can be used for stopping a stolen phone from accessing that network. For example, if a mobile phone is stolen, the owner can call his or her network provider and instruct them to "blacklist" the phone using its IMEI number. This renders the phone useless on that network and sometimes other networks too, whether or not the phone's SIM is changed.

Chapter 7