Agents of the Demiurge by Brian Blose

loss of my sister, I could never
walk away from someone who needed help in the fight against
madness.”
     
     

Chapter 14 – Hess / Iteration 145
    He stalked the
neighborhood on foot for two hours before returning home. Elza and
Jerome sat in the living room, eyes glued to the television. They
fidgeted as he entered the house.
    Hess shook his head. “I'm not interested in
whatever you have to say. Elza – I don't even want to see you right
now. And Jerome – I want you gone from my life forever.”
    Elza pointed at the television.
    “I don't care,” Hess began.
    Then the video caught his attention. An older
man with a bulbous nose flinched as a red-hot poker contacted his
chest, mouth open in a scream as flesh discolored and bled. The
poker pulled away. The man on the screen wept while they
watched.
    “What are you watching?”
    Jerome answered. “Ingrid.”
    Other marks began to fade, blackened flesh
reverting to flawless skin. The poker descended again, once more
glowing an angry red. As Hess flinched in sympathy, Jerome un-muted
the television set, filling the room with hoarse moans and heavy
sobs.
    “The man seen here, one Forrest Clark, has
been positively identified by the Church as an Agent of the
Demiurge,” a voice-over narrated. Ingrid's screams faded into
desperate pleading as the poker pulled away.
    “Turn it off,” Hess said.
    Jerome turned her deep-set eyes on Hess,
emaciated face looking like a skull in the flickering light of the
television. “Why? This is what you wanted, Hess. The people are
punishing Ingrid for you. You ought to watch the entire episode to
take your pleasure in what you've done.”
    “This has nothing to do with me,” he
said.
    “You blame Ingrid and Erik for everything you
think wrong with the worlds. How is it any different when your
darkest wishes are brought to life? You can't have it both ways,
Hess. Either Ingrid is innocent or you are guilty.”
    Hess glared at Jerome. “Then open the sky.
We'll vote next Iteration.”
    “No.”
    “Why not? Your job is to prevent
situations.”
    “Not this time. I collect votes. That is my
only mission. Though I sure as hell don't know how I'm going to get
Ingrid's vote.”
    “Hess is right,” Elza interrupted. “You have
to open the sky. Even if you had a way to find the others and get
in to see Ingrid, this world isn't safe. The people are looking for
us and now they know that identifying us is as easy as performing a
prick test.”
    Jerome's eyes moved between Hess and Elza.
“My present form may not be suited to breaking into a prison, but
if that's what I need to do, then that is what I am going to
do.”
    Elza leaned forward. “Why bother? Considering
what is happening to Ingrid, his decision should be obvious.”
    “You don't know that,” Hess said.
    “Like you care.” Jerome nodded towards the
television. “This is your revenge fantasy.”
    “You really believe I caused this?”
    Jerome hesitated the barest fraction of a
second. “Yes.”
    Hess lifted his chin. “What's your plan for
getting him out?”
    “I can't get him out. I'll have to save
Ingrid for last, break in, get his vote, and end the world.”
    “No,” Hess said. “That will take too long.
The Church will be holding Ingrid at their headquarters in the
city. I can get access to as many personal weapons as we need, and
it shouldn't be hard to improvise some explosives.”
    Jerome raised a brow. “Seriously?”
    “I thought you did research on my cover
identity. Jed Orlin is VP of Logistics at TFK Motors. My
organization moves weapons for the Church.”
    “I'm just surprised you want to help
Ingrid.”
    “Then you don't know the first thing about
me,” Hess said. “I've wished for a lot of bad things to happen to
Ingrid, but I didn't put him in that room to be tortured. And I'm
not leaving him there.”
    Elza sighed. “Pipe bombs won't get you into a
secure facility.”
    “I'll rig some propane tanks or
something.”
    “You need to