The Raven Part 4: Devil of the Falls

Chapter 3

Pam sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose as she sat back down across from Beth. They had been up for a little over an hour and she’d spent the last thirty minutes cooking breakfast and avoiding the topic of their trip. Beth had been subtly attempting to unearth details since they had crawled out of bed. It wasn’t her questioning that was annoying her, however, it was the levels of anxiety and frustration that continued to spike within her pet. It had her second guessing even involving Beth, but she couldn’t very well leave her alone in the city. Considering the fact that the last time she had been left alone she’d managed to get herself captured and infected, leaving her unattended seemed like a horrible idea.

“I’m sorry,” Beth said as Pam began making her plate, “I’m just worried about whatever it is you have to tell me…”

“I know, Kitten,” she said as she tapped the side of her head, “Empath, remember? I know you’re on edge, but don’t feel the need to apologize for that. Truthfully, I too am a little anxious about this conversation, but there’s no point in putting it off any longer. Fix your plate, and we can begin.”

Beth blinked and realized that in her nervous haze she’d forgotten to fix Pam’s plate, “Damnit, sorry mistress,” she said as she grabbed the plate that was meant for her.

“For what, Kitten?” Pam asked, genuinely confused.

“I should have gotten your breakfast ready,” she said as she scooped some eggs onto her own plate, “You cooked it, after all, the least that I could have done was get your food together…”

The notion brought a smile to Pam’s face. Times like this, it was hard to believe that this was the same girl who’d gone on a murderous rampage months ago. She glanced at an empty glass beside her plate and said, “It’s alright, Kitten, the sentiment and your sincerity says more than the act itself. I will take some orange juice, however.”

Her smile never left her face as she felt Beth’s emotions raise to a slight level of joy. Beth was on her feet and had her glass in hand in a flash. She watched from the corner of her eyes Beth deftly flung the door to the fridge open and filled her glass. It never ceased to amaze her how easily her girlfriend took to her role, and how much she seemed to genuinely enjoy it. She set the glass down beside her plate and asked, “Anything else I can get you, mistress?”

Pam crooked her finger without saying a word. Beth leaned down and she hooked her finger through the ring on her collar to pull her closer. She locked their lips together in a surprise kiss that had Beth’s body going limp. It was too easy to provoke a reaction from her pet. She pulled away and licked her lips at Beth’s glazed eyes, “That will be all, Kitten,” she said as she released her collar and lightly pushed her back, “Have a seat so we can talk.”

Beth swallowed as she tried to shake off her stupor and walked back to her chair, “O-okay.”

“You are absolutely adorable sometimes,” Pam said as her short girlfriend settled into her seat and blushed, “Now, before I begin I want to make something very clear. I want you to let me talk and finish before you interrupt. I know that you will have plenty to say on the matter, but I need to get my point across. I am willing to hear you out and let you speak, but you need to be patient. Can you do this for me?"

Beth narrowed her eyes but nodded, “Yes mam, I can try.”

“Good girl,” Pam said before taking a deep breath and beginning, “As you already know, Jake had information about a particular grimoire of Rebecca’s from her earlier days as a sorceress. While I dismissed the idea of procuring the book initially, I confess that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. You’ve no doubt noticed that I’ve been struggling with my moods and attitude as of late. The reason for that is because I have felt like I have hit a metaphorical wall with my magical growth. It’s been frustrating me to no end and as a result I’m afraid that you’ve been catching the majority of that.”

“Mistress, I-” Beth started before closing her mouth and meekly apologizing, “Sorry, being quiet isn’t one of my strong suits.”

“That’s alright, Kitten, you managed to catch yourself and that’s something in itself,” Pam replied, “I know that you might not mind it right now, but if this goes unchecked then I could do something that pushes you away or worse hurts you either physically or mentally. That is why I’ve decided that we are going to find this tome. This means that we are going to have to take a trip to Raven Falls. While I don’t know the full extent of what you and Jake went through the last time you two went there, I am confident that with your newfound abilities and my magic we will be more than a match for whatever that little backwater town and this Abigail woman can throw at us.”

She could see Beth tense up at the mention of Raven Falls, and she felt the girl’s anxiety spike to an alarming level at just the mention of Abigail. She glanced down at her girlfriend’s hands to see that she held her fork in a whiteknuckled death grip. She was keeping her word, however, and she was patiently waiting for her turn to speak. “I’m sure you have plenty to say on the matter, Kitten, speak freely, but please try to be at least a little respectful.”

Beth took a deep breath and gave her a pleading look, “Please tell me you’re not serious,” she said.

“I don't see another way, Kitten," she said, "If that book is indeed the one from Rebecca's personal collection then if left unchecked it could be disastrous in the wrong hands. Jake has pointed out that through being with you I've adopted a sort of hero mantle, and while the notion is preposterous to me, I must admit that the prospect of someone using that power to further their twisted agenda is something I cannot abide."

"Pam, you don't understand what Abigail is, though," Beth explained, "She's more than just some psychotic villain, she's a disgusting sadist!"

"That is exactly why we have to prevent her from deciphering the texts," Pam said.

"You said it yourself, though, it's written in a dead language and isn't it enchanted with ward thingies?" Beth asked.

"Yes it is, but that doesn't mean it can't be translated," Pam explained, "If someone is determined enough they can overcome almost any obstacle. Look at you, you're proof of that."

"Pam, please reconsider this," Beth begged, "That woman is a monster, one wrong move and all three of us will be done for! I swore that I would never go back to that sick town after I got Jake out of there."

"What is it about her and that town that frightens you so?" Pam asked.

Beth closed her eyes as memories of her nightmare visit came back, "I don't know what she is, but Raven Falls used to be a pretty prosperous rural town. I did some research after we escaped, and it turns out that Metropolis and Citivlle used to get most of their meat and produce from there. Then, all of a sudden, everything just stopped...there was no record or reports outside of mysterious disappearances of reporters who went to investigate."

"Then Jake got a call from Alexis...stupid fucking foot crazed idiot went and got herself abducted by Abigail and her cult. She used Alexis to lure Jake into a trap and then brainwashed him with her toe jam!"

"Toe jam?" Pam repeated, "How is that even possible? She wasn't on any of Rebecca's manifests of magistrates."

"I don't think it was magic, it was more like some chemical thing," Beth explained, "Jake had serious withdrawals and I honestly thought he was going to overpower me at one point. It wasn't just him, though, Alexis and everyone in that town was under the effects of her foot gunk! I finally got Jake freed from her sludge spell, but he just had to go back to save Alexis...we made it into the main chamber of her home and...oh God the stench, the filth was revolting. The walls were coated in that shit, but that wasn't the worst part. She made these...tentacles or something and buried us in that sick shit."

Pam could see how much this story was affecting her pet. Beth was starting to shake the more she talked and her voice cracked at the end, but she knew she wasn't done. She got up and wrapped her in a tight embrace, "It's alright, Kitten, I'm here," she said in an attempt to calm her, "You're safe, take your time."

She felt Beth nod and take a shaky breath before continuing, "She...she told me what she was going to do to me. She said she liked the fire that I had and that I'd make a good whipping girl. She was going to force feed me her toejam, but not enough that I'd be like Jake. He had enough to where he truly thought he enjoyed what she did to him, but she was going to only give me enough so that my body wouldn't fight back...she said she was going to use me and let her people use me...I'd hate every second of it, but I'd never be able to do anything about it!"

Pam hadn't realized the sheer depravity of this woman until now. The thought had her blood boiling. Even Rebecca had the decency to erase someone's mind, something that until now had seemed horrific in itself. By comparison, however, it was something of a mercy. "How did the two of you escape then?" she finally asked.

"Alexis," Beth answered, "Even with all that mind altering gunk pumping through her, she still couldn't stand to see Jake serving someone else. I guess she had been under the impression that Abigail was going to give him to her or at least share. The last thing I saw was her charging Abigail. Next thing we knew, we were on a bus heading back to Metropolis...I never got the chance to ask her what happened, but Jake and I swore to never go back there. Honestly, I'd thought that Alexis had killed her until the other day. Please, please don't make me go back there. I can't...I just can't."

Pam had only ever seen Beth like this once before, after a particularly awful nightmare. When they'd faced Rebecca last and it had been revealed that she would be caring for Jake, she was more angry than anything. This, however, was fear on a level that she'd never seen her pet endure. She picked her up, earning a startled yelp from her pet, and carried her over to the couch. She sat her in her lap and held her until she finally started to calm down. She rubbed the small of her back and spoke once her terror had started to subside, "I had no idea that such monsters existed beyond Rebecca and those of her court. I know that you don't want to go, Kitten, but if this wretch of a woman can unlock even a portion of that magic imagine what she might do."

"I know it's cowardly, but I just can't do it," Beth said after a moment, "I don't have to imagine, I already know what she'd do. I saw...I saw some of those girls on our way out the first time. I'd never seen such lifeless eyes in my life."

"Don't you want to bring her down once and for all?" Pam asked, "You're not Catgirl anymore, you're stronger and more malicious now. Neither Jake nor I would stop you from putting a bullet in her head."

Beth shook her head, "It's a nice thought, but I am telling you that all it will take is one wrong move. One mistake and we end up as her toys!"

"I won't let that happen," Pam said, "I'll rend that entire town if I have to. All we have to do is find the book and leave, nothing more and nothing less."

"She controls the entire town," Beth argued, "Everyone reports to her, and honestly we have no idea the extent of her powers. For all we know, she could see through their fucking eyes!"

"Then we send her a message to leave us be," Pam said, "I'm not some weak commoner, you're not anyone's toy but mine, and Jake isn't the same man he once was. If she is foolish enough to wage a war against us, then we show her the consequences."

"Isn't there any other way for you to get stronger?" Beth asked, realizing there was no talking her girlfriend out of this.

"Perhaps, but we can't risk her obtaining any more power," Pam replied, "I admit, that I am curious as to how someone can have such power without any magical prowess. A bit of horror and a little mystery, what more could one ask for?"

"A night off with their girlfriend, for one," Beth said, bitterly, "So we're going regardless of what I say?"

"I'm afraid so, Kitten," Pam admitted, "But we aren't leaving until we are fully prepared. You know those accessories you've had your eye on?"

"Yeah?" Beth said.

"Get dressed and collect yourself, we're going shopping," Pam replied with a smile, "We can even stop by Radiant Romance on the way back here, and I'll let you pick out some toys."

Beth sighed, knowing there was no way out of this. At least she was finally going to get some new equipment, and she was getting to pick out new gear for the bedroom for a change. Although if they didn’t make it back from Raven Falls then it wouldn’t matter what toys she picked out. “If we’re doing this, then I’m going to need some harder hitting rounds, explosives, and preferably an upgrade to my hood,” she said as she resigned herself to her fate.

“Is that your way of saying you’re on board?” Pam asked.

“No, it’s my way of saying that this is a terrible idea, and that I am fully prepared to blow up Abigail’s house of horrors,” Beth replied, “I don’t have a choice when it comes to going, but even if I did I wouldn’t let you go alone.”

“That’s sweet, Kitten, but I knew that already,” Pam replied, “We can drop your hood off with Jake, and I admit I’m curious to know where you plan on getting explosives.”

“Got a guy who owes me a favor,” Beth answered, “We’ll have to go by Jake’s after I pick them up though.”

“Do I want to know?” Pam asked, slightly intrigued.

“Best not to ask too many questions, but you’re scary enough that he won’t say anything to you,” Beth said and received a swat to her ass, “Ow, what?!”

“You think I’m scary?” Pam asked.

"I don't, but you scared the shit out of Sam, remember?" Beth pointed out, "You're intimidating, that's all I'm saying."

"Go get dressed," Pam deadpanned.

"Yes mam," Beth said as she trotted off down the hall.

She watched her girlfriend walk away before returning to the table. She pulled out her phone and sent a message to Jake. They would need to sit down with him and talk about the details of this plan. From what Beth described, this was going to be more than a simple grab and go. She would need to make it clear to him that if it came to a fight that there would be blood. She would be damned if she let either of them suffer at the hands of this mad woman. She set her phone down after sending the message and grabbed a pen and paper. She decided to make a few notes about what her and Beth might need for their trip. She was going to see just how far Jake’s company card was really worth by the time they left.

Beth walked out of the alleyway with Pam in tow. She’d taken her hood off and let Pam store it in her ruby. It was a simple enchantment that she had placed on her girlfriend’s equipment shortly after everything with Ashley, and while Beth didn’t understand how it worked she had admitted that it was both cool and handy. “I can’t believe you actually dealt with that man,” Pam said.

Beth shrugged, “He has quality stuff and he’s fucking terrified of me,” she said as she fell behind her girlfriend, “Told you he would be scared of you. I still don’t get why you wore your cloak though.”

“If you’re going out in your little uniform then I’m going to wear something that conceals my identity,” she answered, “And to be fair, I cast a simple illusion spell on him.”

“I never saw you do any magicy stuff,” Beth said as they walked down the sidewalk with a duffle bag packed full of demolition equipment.

“Honestly, Kitten, do you just say these things to annoy me?” Pam asked.

“Is it working?” Beth countered.

“Moving on,” Pam replied.

“That’s a yes,” Beth said with a grin.

“Just wait until we get home,” Pam said, “Anyway, not all spells require a wave of a hand or some grand gesture. For novice mages, yes, but for me simple spells such as that only require a bit of concentration.”

“Huh, that’s neat,” Beth said while shifting the bag to her other shoulder, “So what did you make him see?”

“I just projected images of his deepest fears to my hood,” Pam replied, “I’ve no idea what he saw, but clearly it worked. While we’re on the subject, why do you call this helmet a hood?”

“Cause that’s what it is,” Beth said as though it were obvious.

“It is a helmet, dear,” Pam said, “A hood is either attached to your coat or something that simply covers the top of your head.”

“Can you just let me call it what I want?” Beth asked, “Does Jake know we’re coming and is Rebecca going to be there?”

“Fine, and yes on both accounts,” Pam said and noticed the slight dip in her pet’s mood, “Don’t worry, I have specifically instructed Jake to keep Rebecca civil when dealing with you.”

“Yeah, cause she totally listens to him,” Beth said sardonically.

“Fair point, but if she fails to heed my warning then she’ll deal with me,” Pam said, “I know you’re already worked up over our upcoming trip, and I will not have her antagonizing you further.”

Beth threaded her fingers through Pam’s and gave her a smile, “Thanks, Pam, I still don’t like this idea, but I do feel safer with you around.”

“I’ll make sure that no harm comes to either you or Jake, Kitten,” Pam said as they continued down the street to Jake and Rebecca’s apartment.

Jake had been up early plotting the best route and trying to map out Raven Falls. He’d received a message from Pam saying she and Beth would be stopping by around eleven. He took a break from his work to inform Rebecca that they would be entertaining guests. She had been surprisingly compliant with his request to be cordial with Beth, although that may have been from their talk and Pam’s warning yesterday. He wasn’t sure how long it would last, but hopefully things would be civil for at least a little while. He wasn’t looking forward to going back to Raven Falls, but he knew that what Pam had said about Rebecca finding another way was true.

He heard the knock at the door and stepped out of the study. He saw Rebecca heading towards the door and called out, “Please, try to be nice. Pam didn’t have to agree to this, and I’d rather not have you two trying to kill each other.”

“Calm yourself, Jake, I’m not the one you need to worry about,” she replied, “Elizabeth is more prone to causing a scene than I.”

He bit his tongue before he said something he would regret. She wasn’t completely wrong, but she was far from innocent. Anytime her and Beth were in the same room things usually got ugly. His hope was that they could do the majority of their meeting in the study, but first he had to get them there. He braced himself for whatever was about to happen as Rebecca opened the door and greeted their guests, “Pamela, Elizabeth how nice to see the two of you.”

“Rebecca,” Pam said as she walked in.

Beth didn’t say anything which prompted a slight nudge from Pam. She rolled her eyes as she said, “Hey.”

“Charming as ever, Elizabeth,” Rebecca said which earned her a look from both Pam and Jake, “What?”

“Rebecca,” Pam warned.

“No, it’s alright,” Beth said, “Let’s be honest, neither of us want to be around the other. Why don’t I just go to wherever we are doing this dumbass plan and wait for you two?”

“Beth you don’t have to-” Jake started.

“It’s fine, Jake,” Beth interjected and looked at Rebecca, “It’d be easier for both of us if we were in separate rooms, right?”

Rebecca looked from Beth, to Jake, to Pam, and finally back to Beth, “I-yes, I’m not going to lie, it would.”

“That settles that then,” Beth said before turning to Pam, “Is it alright with you if I go on ahead?”

“If that’s what you feel would be best, Kitten,” Pam replied.

“I’ll show her to the study,” Rebecca said, “I think we can manage a short walk in silence, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Yeah,” Beth said as she walked after the amazonian woman.

Jake scratched the back of his head as his girlfriend and his best friend walked by in an incredibly tense march. He shook his head and walked over to Pam, “That...went better than I thought it would,” he said, “Can I get you something to eat or drink?”

Pam shook her head and walked off towards the kitchen, “I’m not going to complain. Beth did not take the news of our trip well, so the fact that she’s trying to play nice with Rebecca is a pleasant surprise. Let’s see what you have.”

“Play nice?” Jake repeated as he trailed after his friend, “Did you mean to sound that patronizing, or is that just your default setting?”

“Shut up, Jake,” she replied as she opened the fridge, “It’s been a long day and it is barely noon.”

“How pissed was she about going back?” he asked.

“She wasn’t,” she said as she grabbed some deli meat and a beverage, “She was outright terrified at the prospect of it. You didn’t tell me just how sick this Abigail woman is. Beth seems angry now, but that’s just a front to cover her anxiety.”

“She’s still shook up by what happened...:” he said and closed his eyes, “I was afraid that might be the case. Honestly, part of me was really hoping you would shoot the idea down yesterday. I told Rebecca that if you wouldn’t go then I wouldn’t do it.”

“Why didn’t you tell me what the two of you went through?” Pam asked while reaching down to retrieve a drink for Beth.

He shook his head as he recalled everything he went through with Beth years ago, “You want the truth?” he asked.

“I’m not in the mood for beating around the bush or lies, Jake,” she warned.

“Everything that happened...before and after Beth got to me, it still feels like yesterday,” he said, “Everything that Rebecca did to me was child’s play compared to what Abigail did...do you have any idea what it’s like to see and feel something disgusting while your mind is at war with itself? Do you know what it’s like to have no control over your body and feel like you’re losing your mind? The girls that Abigail keeps have it bad, but that doesn’t mean that everyone else under her control has it easy. It’s like being trapped in the deepest darkest recesses of your mind, like being a faint echo in your own head…”

Pam could feel the exact same terror that she’d felt from Beth pouring off of Jake as well. She was seriously beginning to question just what she had signed up for, “You felt this strongly about it, this terrified, and yet you felt it a good idea to withhold this information in lieu of recruiting me for this assignment?”

“What the hell was I supposed to do?” he asked, “Rebecca would have been furious if I didn’t try, and honestly I am sick and tired of being afraid of the past.”

“So you want to face your fears once and for all?” Pam asked, “That doesn’t always work out the way you think, Jake, just ask Beth. After Rebecca threw her into that mental hellscape, that was when she developed those nightmares. The collaring afterwards was merely the cherry on top.”

“It’s not too late to back out,” he offered, “We can call this off and pretend that I never said anything.”

She placed her hands on the counter and looked down for a moment, “I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t considered it,” she said before looking him in the eyes, “But I am not going to let some abomination get her hands on the power within that book. If what you and Beth say is true, which I believe every word, then the power in that grimoire would mean that the entire country, hell possibly the world, would suffer her disgusting whims. Don’t make a comment about this being a heroic thing, either, this is simply me trying to preserve the life I have carved out for myself and Beth.”

He chuckled at the last part, “Call it what you want, as much as I hate it, I agree with you," he said, "I'm not looking forward to going back, but you're right about the risks. Come on, let's get to the study and I'll show you what we're up against."

"You have a study in an apartment?" Pam asked.

"It's a spare room, you helped us move in you know full well we don't have an actual study," he replied, "Try calling it a den with a woman used to living in a castle and see how that goes over."

"Point taken," Pam said as she followed behind her friend.

She and Jake walked into the study where Beth was looking over different gadgets hanging on the wall. She glanced over her shoulder as they walked in, “Hey, you been working on some new toys?” she asked.

Jake walked over to her and smiled, “Just a few modifications to some of my equipment and improvements to our grappling guns,” he said, “I wasn’t sure what you would want since you’ve changed up your methods of dealing with criminals.”

“Stun batons, maybe some electroshock mods for my knives, and I wouldn’t turn down some new grenades,” she answered.

“You realize that my company is paying back damages to the city from whenever you go on a rampage, right?” he asked.

“Yeah, so what about something akin to a hornet’s nest?” she offered, “Something to stun and disorient douchebags.”

“There will be time to discuss your armaments after we cover our plan,” Pam interjected, “As riveting as these little talks are, I think we have more pressing matters to attend to.”

Beth locked eyes with her for a minute before nodding, “You’re right, let’s talk about our suicide mission.”

“I am not going to let anything happen to either of you, you have my word,” Pam said in an attempt to placate her girlfriend, “Any of Abigail’s followers lay a finger on either of you then I’ll show them the true meaning of pain and suffering.”

“We’ll be alright, Beth, Pam isn’t going to be pulling any punches this time around,” Jake said, “Usually I’m against lethal force, but I’m willing to make an exception this time around after everything we went through.”

“Good, because first chance I get I am putting a bullet in that cunt’s head,” Beth said, “I’ll burn that whole goddamn town to the ground before I let her take me and use me for her own sick fucking games.”

“With that lovely image in mind, why don’t we see what Jake has prepared for us?” Pam asked.

“Right, if you’ll come with me,” he said leading them over to a table where he’d constructed a small model of Raven Falls, “I used Blackridge Inc.’s surveillance satellites to build this. This is as accurate a map of Raven Falls as I could make on short notice and with limited tools. The buildings are old townhouses, barns, and remains of pastures with little to no animals on the grounds. Last time we did an investigation, Abigail was planning on using the town to pollute the food supplies of major cities, but after we escaped those plans came to a screeching halt. No idea why, but I’m guessing Footgirl probably threw a wrench in those plans.”

“Alexis,” Beth amended, “If we would have had more time together, then I would have asked her what happened that day. I’m still not sure if she was saving us or serving herself.”

“The dead keep their knowledge and secrets, Kitten, I’m afraid we may never know,” Pam said, placing a hand on Beth's shoulder, “Knowing her, it was probably a mixture of the two.”

“Anyway,” Jake interjected, not wanting to dwell on the past or the fallen, “Things were as quiet as they could have been after that incident. The only notable things were reporters going missing off and on, but those never made the front page. I poured some funds into researching Raven Falls’ past and I did manage to uncover that it was once home to some government facility, but the files are all corrupt and lost. I’m guessing that the only records are paper copies and are probably somewhere there.”

“Not seeing how this is relevant to our deaths,” Beth said, “Let’s get back to recent events and our plan of attack."

"Right, sorry," Jake said as he gestured to the table, "After everything with Rebecca happened, most everywhere fell into a bit of chaos and anarchy. It used to be that everyone who knew about her was kept in Citiville, but after she rolled out the collars the whole tri-state area found out. From what I can gather, there have been several different raiding parties from common thugs to more well known villains trying to bypass and ransack the castle. Most of them just took money, gold, jewels, and the like, but then I got wind that tomes were going missing. Abigail isn't the type to put herself at risk, but she has an entire town at her disposal. My guess is that she sent groups of her followers to the castle in hopes of unearthing the secrets to Rebecca's powers. There's no telling how many she lost, but needless to say she hit paydirt eventually."

“That particular tome would have been in her private chambers, which means that there would have been dozens of wards and precautions in place,” Pam said, “From what you two and Rebecca have told me, there is no way that her minions would have been able to circumvent those. How little does she care for her own people?”

“Everyone who isn’t her is worthless,” Beth answered, “As much as I hate her, even I have to admit that Rebecca wasn’t that cruel. Yeah, being a slave was awful and I was treated like garbage, but she never knowingly sent me to my death. Abigail, however, doesn’t give a shit about who lives or who dies as long as it furthers her agenda.”

“Rebecca sent plenty of her own followers to their deaths,” Pam pointed out, “But, their deaths always served some kind of purpose...this woman sent her people to die without having a way to utilize the power in those pages. It’s both cruel and idiotic.”

“That is the most accurate summarization of that hillbilly,” Rebecca’s voice cut in, “Apologies, I couldn’t help overhearing the conversation as I passed by. I think that might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said about me, Elizabeth.”

“Don’t let it go to your head,” Beth retorted, “It’s a pretty low bar to be compared to.”

“Beth, don’t antagonize her,” Pam interrupted before things could escalate, “Remember, if it weren’t for her then we wouldn’t be together, and Rebecca please give us some space to work.”

“Of course,” the amazonian woman said, “I just came to get my book, if you’ll excuse me.”

They waited for their former Goddess to stride past them and grab a large book off of the shelves. She spared a wicked glance at both Jake and Pam as she walked out of the room. Beth broke the silence after a moment, “Does she have to inject herself into everything?”

“Yes,” Jake answered, “Moving on, if I had to wager a guess as to where the book is being kept it would be in Abigail’s private chambers for safe keeping.”

“Goddamnit!” Beth yelled, “So we have to go back into that disgusting place?!”

“I’m afraid so,” Jake answered, “Now, while most of the buildings haven’t changed there have been some unusual sightings over the last year.”

“What, people wandering around in unwashed clothes and torturing young women?” Beth asked, rhetorically.

“I said unusual, that’s pretty standard for Raven Falls unfortunately,” he replied, “No, shipments of surveillance equipment, sound systems, and other technical odds and ends. The really strange thing is that there have been no changes to any of the actual town’s buildings. I’m not sure what she’s been planning and working on, but there is a safe bet that we’ll be fighting to avoid detection by cameras.”

“What are we talking about, trail cams, CCTV cams, or something else?” Beth asked.

“I’m guessing all of the above,” Jake answered, “We’ll have to operate with extreme stealth and precision if things are going to go smoothly. This brings me to my next point of order, Pam I got your request and they arrived today.”

He reached into a cabinet and grabbed a couple of steel cylinders before handing them to Beth. Beth took them and looked them over, “Silencers?” she asked.

“Yes, Kitten, I know how itchy your trigger finger gets and I placed this order a few weeks ago with Jake,” Pam said, “For our current objective, I felt they would be a necessity.”

Beth looked between the two of them before asking, “Are you two saying I’m not stealthy?”

“No, we’re saying you don’t have good self control,” Jake said which earned him a punch from his friend, “Ow, that is exactly what I am talking about!”

“He’s right, Kitten, you tend to let your emotions get the better of you,” Pam said, “This way, you can use your toys when the need arises.”

“They’re not toys, they’re weapons,” Beth defended.

“They’re very cute, Kitten,” Pam said, enjoying the rise that she was getting out of her girlfriend.

“I know what you’re doing,” Beth said, “This is because of my magic jokes, isn’t it?”

“I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about,” Pam replied, feigning innocence.

“Can you two flirt or...whatever this is later?” Jake asked, “We still have a plan to go over here.”

“Fine,” Beth said.

“Certainly,” Pam agreed.

He shook his head and pointed to a large model home he had placed towards the back of the makeshift village, “That will be our goal. Getting there might be simple enough, but once we are inside the place is deceptively large. There are a lot of twists, turns, and underground floors. There is a root cellar that we can use to get in, but the further down we go the more likely we are to run into trouble. Abigail has two chambers that she uses for herself, there is one master bedroom in the main house and another on one of the lower levels.”

“Are there tunnels that run beneath the entire town?” Pam asked.

“Probably, like I said there used to be a government research facility there,” Jake said, “Whatever they were doing, it utilized the entire town. Beth and I never got to explore the entirety of the tunnel system, but I think it’s a safe bet that the system links up at various points throughout the town.”

“I’m guessing your memory from being under her influence is hazy at best,” Pam said to which he nodded, “Alright, so we can either try to find an entrance at one of the towns folks’ houses, or we can look for the root cellar to get in.”

“That’s about the long and short of it,” Jake said, “When do you two want to leave?”

“I don’t,” Beth huffed while crossing her arms, “I’d much rather stay here and avoid this hellish nightmare.”

“How about at the end of the week?” Pam offered before moving to hug Beth, “I’ll be there with you this time around, Kitten, you won’t have to face this alone.”

“That works for me,” Jake said, “And Beth, I’m not looking forward to this either. You know as well as I do, though, that we can’t risk Abigail spreading her influence further than it has already gone.”

“I know, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Beth replied before sighing and adding, “The end of the week should work, but I need you to improve the respirator and the HUD on my hood. Nightvision, targeting aids, and a stronger air filter since that place is beyond filthy. I’ll also need some new clips, hollow points, dragon’s breath, and additional forty-five caliber rounds before we leave. If we’re going back to that shit hole of a town then I want to make sure I have enough ammo to wipe all those bastards out.”

“That’s fair,” Jake said, “I’ll see what I can do for your hood, and I’ll call around to some old connections to see if we can get you a surplus of ammo and clips. I’ll also start working on those requests for your knives.”

“Great, can we go now?” Beth asked, looking at Pam.

“You’ll have to excuse her,” Pam said looking at Jake, “I promised her a special shopping trip after our meeting, and I think she’s a little eager to get to it. Yes, Kitten, we can go.”

“Awesome,” Beth said as she headed towards the door, “See ya, Jake, I’d say it was fun, but I like you too much to lie.”

He gave a half hearted laugh at her, “You two have fun, and I’ll be in touch with any further developments.”

“Looking forward to it,” Pam said as she followed behind Beth, “Oh, and I’ll be selecting our car for this little adventure. I’ll send you the invoice from the rental place later this week.”

“Wait, what are you going to get?” he asked.

“If we are going to hell, then we are going to do it in style,” Pam replied with a grin, “I’m sure you’ll be able to afford it. Until next time, Jake.”

He watched as his friends left the room. He wasn’t looking forward to anything about this endeavor, but at least they had some semblance of a plan. Having Pam around for backup was an added bonus, but the memories of his time under Abigail’s control were flooding back. He told himself that once he had the book that he’d finally be freed from these awful memories and encounters, but in the back of his mind he doubted that promise. He saw a shimmer of red from the corner of his eye, one that he had seen several times before, but he blinked the image away before he could acknowledge it. He looked out the window and muttered to himself, “I miss you, watch over us through all of this…”