BRIMSTONE
VS Episode #205
"Sin City"
Written by Joel Rauch



Nick Greene had not been a nice guy when he was alive. 

He tried to rob a casino in Las Vegas, but the job went bad.  Two 
tellers ended up dead, their brains decorating the walls where they 
worked.  Even after two coats of paint, you could still see the patterns 
of blood.  One of the tellers, Angie Siest, was five months pregnant, so 
you could actually call it a triple homicide. 

Head of security at Nero’s palace was Carl ‘Speed’ Tryon.  A good 
man, respected by his peers, feared by his enemies, Speed was in the 
prime of his life on that hot day in July 1972.  When he saw Nick Greene 
gun down a pregnant woman, Speed decided that Nick would not be taken 
alive.  Two shots to the back of his head aborted Nick’s thieving days 
as surely as he had aborted the life of Angie Siest’s unborn child.

Speed received many congratulations from his peers on his quick 
and decisive action.  Las Vegas had been part of the Old West, and the 
flame of justice it was famous for still burned brightly in many hearts.

Nick found himself judged harshly in the afterlife.  He was 
sentenced to eternal damnation for his sins.  

Twenty-six years later, which seemed like an eternity to Nick 
Greene, but was surely not, an opportunity arose for him.  In exchange 
for a promise to deliver services at a future date, Nick found himself 
with a virtually unprecedented ‘Get out of Jail Free’ card.  

This is not the story of the escape.  

This is the story of how Nick Greene was sent to hell a second 
time, and the events that delayed this return by many months. 

Our story begins in southern California on a warm June day.  The 
hero of our story is former Detective Lieutenant Ezekiel Stone.  Stone, 
who is not bothered by heat after a nasty stretch of time that he did 
down below, wears his usual coat.  This draws a few odd looks from 
people passing by, but he could really care less.  The only thing on his 
mind is his current prey, the aforementioned Nick Greene.  Nick eluded 
him six months earlier, and now Stone intends to finish the job.

Stone watches from behind cover as Nick drives his car into the 
parking lot of Bud-Jit Inn.  He trains his gun on Nick’s right eye, the 
eyes being windows to the soul.  But a small child chases a ball into 
the parking lot, and Stone waits, wanting to avoid witnesses, especially 
the young and easily traumatized kind.

Nick exits his car, enjoying the air, completely unaware that he 
has only moments left here on Earth.  He knows that Stone is there, 
watching him, waiting to make his move, but feels confident that he will 
be protected.  Nick Green has never been fishing in his life, but even 
he knows what type of creature would be used for bait.  Somehow, he 
fails to make this connection in his mind.

Now that the coast is clear, Stone decides to make his move.  
“Freeze!” he yells.  

Nick, finding himself thrust upon the stage of this little play, 
acts out his role with great enthusiasm.  He runs as though chased by 
the Devil himself, who does not appear until later in the story.  Behind 
him, Ezekiel Stone, agent of the Devil, pursues with his gun drawn.

Nick pounds down a concrete sidewalk past a row of hotel doors.  
At room 112, he thrusts a key into the lock, and leaps inside.  As he 
slams it shut, Stone jams his hand into the door, stopping it from 
locking.

For a brief moment, Stone recalls another hotel door, one that he 
came across six months ago.  Stone has had dreams of halting that door, 
with varying degrees of success.

Stone pushes into the door, and inside, Nick goes flying across 
the room.  He does not land gracefully, but as a tangled heap behind the 
bed.

Stone covers him with his gun.  “Nick Greene.  Thought you got 
away again, didn’t you?”

Nick stands, and brushes himself off.  “Detective Stone.  Think 
you’ll get me this time?”

Stone looks around the small room.  There is no place to go.  “I 
think I’ve got you.  Want to tell me how you got away last time?”

“Sorry, Stone, YOUR time is just about up.”  His eyes flick past 
Stone to the open doorway.  

Stone jumps back out of the door, cursing himself for walking into 
an ambush.  He tracks left with gun, then quickly turns around, 
expecting to find assassins waiting for him.  

Nothing is there.  

He returns his focus to Nick, who has a puzzled look on his face.  
“Wait,” he starts to protest, raising a hand, but Stone, who subscribes 
to the ‘fool me twice, shame on me’ school of thought, cuts him off with 
two quick shots.  

Nick’s eyes explode into flames.  He screams an unearthly cry.  
His hand still raised, he dissolves into the floor.  A dark stain 
remains on the cream colored carpet.  

Stone clutches his right side as the mark upon his soul is burned 
away.  113 names were written there by the Devil himself, a painful 
process he has blocked from his memory.  Flashes of it sometimes come to 
him at times like this.

He inhales deeply, his mission finished for the moment.   The 
sharp ring of the telephone engages his attention.  Should he answer?  
He can’t resist; perhaps it will lead him to another one of his targets.  
He crosses to the bedside table and picks up the faded yellow receiver.  
“Hello?”

A familiar voice comes over the telephone, “Zeke, baby, how are 
you?”

“Hello, Ash,” he replies dryly.



	I was a cop...
	Then my wife was raped.
	I caught the guy who did it, and I killed him.
	(Bang, bang, bang)
	Two months later I died.
	I went to hell.
			(Evil laughter)
	113 of the most vile creatures escaped.
			They think they’ll beat the Devil.
			Nobody beats me.
	So, how am I supposed to send them back?
			The eyes are windows to the soul.
			Destroy the eyes, and the damned get a 
			one-way ticket back home to Hell.
			But it’s not hell you should be scared of...
			It’s losing your second chance of life on
			earth.
	Time to give the Devil his due.



ACT ONE


“So Detective,” Ash asks, “how did you like my present?  Sorry I 
couldn’t deliver him in person.”

“Where are you, Ash?  We should really get together again 
sometime,” he asks.  He is clearly trying to lure her out.

She recognizes that, and laughs at him.  “Poor, predictable Zeke.  
I would like to see you again.  We had such fun the first time we met.  
Do you remember?”

Stone does remember, although his perception of the events has 
altered significantly since he found out Ash’s real name.  But he plays 
along for the moment.

“As I remember, you spilled your drink on me the first time we 
met.  Please don’t tell me you did that on purpose.”

She laughs, not at him, but with him, although he doesn’t know it 
yet.  “It seemed the quickest way to get your attention.”

Stone sits down on the bed, still holding his gun as he switches 
the phone from his left ear to his right.  He can’t help but grin at the 
memory.  “Well, you did.”

                                   #

The casino is buzzing with the sounds of slot machines, flashing 
with neon lights, and filled with the smell of greed.  A million and one 
distractions, but the only thing Ezekiel Stone is focused on right now 
is the stain spreading across his jacket.  

Ash, an attractive blonde woman in a revealing black dress, is 
holding an empty glass and wearing a bemused expression.  “Oh, I’m am so 
sorry.”  She begins to rummage through her purse, and withdraws a fist 
full of Kleenex.  “Here,” she says, offering them to him. 

Stone holds up his hand.  “It’s no problem.  I’ve been through a 
lot worse with this coat.”

“Excuse me,” a voice says.  Stone realizes they are standing in 
front of a blackjack table.  The dealer continues, “Would you like to 
play?”  The table is empty except for a balding gentleman sitting in the 
third base position.  

“Um, sure,” Zeke says, sitting down.  The high table covers the 
stain on his coat.  He pulls out a few bills from his pocket.  “Can I 
get twenty in chips?”

“Changing twenty,” the dealer announces.  He slides four red five-
dollar chips toward Stone.

Ash also sits at the table, leaving a single stool between 
herself and Stone.  She drops two crisp hundred dollar bills on the 
table.  “I’ll take some also.”

“Changing two hundred.”  The dealer pushes the bills into the 
table, and counts out seven green twenty-five dollar chips and five 
reds.  He stacks them and presents them to Ash, adding a smile for good 
luck.  She returns it, and places two green chips in a single circle in 
front of her.  Stone deposits two red chips to the circle at his seat.  
The balding man is playing two ten-dollar hands.

“Okay,” the dealer says, “I’m Jim, and I wish you good luck.  He 
waves his hand around the arc, telling them as he does so, “No more 
bets.”  Jim pulls cards from the shoe with practiced ease, placing four 
pairs of face up cards around the green felt table.  The fifth pair of 
cards is his, one face down, the other a four of diamonds.

Jim turns to Ezekiel.  “Sir, you have fourteen.”

Stone eyes his two cards, an eight and a six.  “Ah, hit me.”

“I’ll need a hand signal, sir,” Jim asks, casting his eyes 
heavenward.  Stone follows his gaze and sees row after row of black 
hemispheres protruding down from the ceiling.  

“Sorry,” he says, tapping his index finger to the table.  Almost 
before his digit leaves the surface, Jim has placed the two of clubs 
face up next to his first two cards.  

“Sixteen, sir.” Stone taps again, and the queen of spades is added 
to the small pile.  “Twenty-six, sorry sir.”  Jim scoops up the cards 
and Stone’s red chips in a single practiced motion before turning to 
Ash.  “Thirteen for the lady,” he says, somehow making the statement 
into a question.

Ash looks at the shoe of cards, rather then at her king and 
three.  She does a quick double tap on the table, and the dealer puts an 
eight in front of her.  

“Twenty-one,” he tells her as he turns to the last player, knowing 
no one would hit on that combination of cards.

“Sorry about your luck,” the blonde woman says, “but thank you for 
burning the queen.  I would have busted if you hadn’t taken it.”

“You’re welcome,” Zeke replies, “Glad it worked out for you, but I 
was hoping I could win too.”

“Maybe next time,” she says.  She extends her hand.  “I’m 
Delilah.”  

Stone shakes it.  “I’m Zeke.”

Jim flips his hole card, a five, and deals himself a jack on top 
of that.  “Nineteen,” he says, matching Ash’s fifty dollar bet with two 
more green chips.  The balding man has won on one of his two hands, and 
Jim transfers the chips appropriately.

“I hope this goes better,” Zeke says to Delilah as he bets his 
last chips.  She lets her bet ride.

“You never know,” she replies, “you might get lucky.”

Jim begins to deal the cards, pausing after the first one is 
dealt.  “Good luck on your ace.”  When the cards are on the table, Stone 
has a natural blackjack showing.  

“See,” Delilah says, smiling.

Jim exchanges Zeke’s two cards for fifteen dollars in chips, then 
turns to Ash.  She again hits on a thirteen, then stays on nineteen.

She directs Stone’s attention to the dealer’s face card, an eight.  
“Hope he busts.”

As it happens, the dealer does not bust, but his eighteen does not 
beat Ash’s cards either.  A small stack of green chips is added to her 
winnings.  

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this next one,” she warns Zeke.  She 
removes her eight green chips and slides two red chips forward.

Zeke places one red chip in the betting circle, keeping his others 
back.  The dealer notices this.  “I’m sorry, but there is a ten dollar 
minimum bet at this table.”  Embarrassed, Stone adds another chip.  

Jim, the dealer, ends up with blackjack.  He clears everyone’s 
cards and chips.  Delilah puts two green chips back in.  Stone bets all 
of his chips, fifteen dollars.

“That’s an interesting name, Delilah.”  

“Thank you,” she responds.  “Is Zeke short for Ezekiel?”   He 
nods.  “I’ll bet your parents were just as religious as mine.”

“My mom was Catholic, but not too much of it rubbed off on me.”

“I’m not a big fan of organized religion either.”

Zeke looks at his cards, an ace and an eight.  The dealer has a 
king showing, but Stone does a sideways flick with his wrist, indicating 
that he will stay.  Delilah stands on seventeen, and they both watch to 
see what Jim has for a hole card.  He flips over a six, and then busts 
when he draws a second king.

Stone realizes he was holding his breath.  He lets it out in a 
relieved sigh.  The dealer matches his bet, then does the same with 
Ash’s and the balding man’s two hands.

Stone’s luck stays good.  The small pile of chips begins to grow, 
and by the end of the shoe, he has over one hundred dollars in chips in 
front of him.  Delilah also is winning on and off, she has increased her 
chips to over five hundred dollars.  

As the dealer shuffles the decks, Zeke and Delilah make small 
talk.  “So, Zeke, what brings you out here?”

“I’m on vacation.  Just passing through on my way to California.  
Running low on funds, so I was hoping to make a little extra money here.  
So far, so good,” he looks at his pile of chips.  He lifts the stack two 
centimeters above the table and drops it through his fingers.  The chips 
click together, and he repeats this twice.  “Maybe I should quit while 
I’m ahead.”

“We could, but what fun would that be?  I’m going to keep going 
for a little while longer.  You should make some bigger bets, if you 
want to win some serious money.”

Stone considers this.  “So, how about you?  Are you out here on 
vacation?”  

”Not really.  I’m here for a convention over the weekend, but I 
did use a few vacation days to come out early.”

Jim has finished shuffling, and presents the yellow plastic card,  
which will mark the end of the shoe, to Stone.  “Ladies first,” he says, 
deferring to Delilah.  

“Thank you, Zeke.  She picks up the card with her left hand, but 
touches the cards with her right.  She rests her four fingers softly on 
the queue of cards.  Her long nails are painted a blood red color, and 
she slowly strokes the six inch length, feeling the texture of the 
cards.  Her movements are very slow and sensual as she moves her soft 
hand back and forth. Jim glances at Stone, raising an eyebrow to ask, 
‘What is she doing?’  

Delilah rubs the cards one last time, and slides the yellow marker 
in.  Jim stares for a moment longer, then takes the cards.  

“I think we’ll have good luck this time,” she tells Zeke.  She 
places four stacks of green chips forward.  

“What the Hell,” Zeke mutters softly, pushing all of his chips 
forward except one.  

Jim comments on their bets.  “Good luck,” he tells Stone, but to 
Ash, he says, “I’m sorry, but there is a three hundred dollar maximum 
at this table.” 

“It’s okay, I won’t tell,” she replies.  

A supervisor appears at the table, as if conjured there by the 
Devil himself.  “Is there a problem?” he asks Jim.

Delilah addresses him directly; “I’d like to bet four hundred 
dollars on this next hand.”

“This is a three hundred dollar table, but,” he glances at the 
size of the shoe.  If it were half empty, he would suspect her of 
counting cards.  Since it is new, the house still has its traditional 
advantage.  “I am willing to make an exception for you on this single 
hand, if you like.”

“I like,” she says, dismissing him.  To Jim: “Deal the cards.”

He does, but instead of his usual speed, his movements are slow 
and deliberate.  A small crowd of people has gathered around, watching.  
The supervisor is still standing there at his side.  He deals a king and 
a queen as Zeke and Delilah’s first cards, pausing after dealing to 
himself.  He drops a single card face up in front of Zeke.

The ace of spades.  Blackjack.

The crowd murmurs at this unexpected bonus.  They wait anxiously 
for the next card...

The ace of spades again.  Blackjack.

The crowd applauds.  Delilah has just won six hundred dollars on 
two cards.  Jim finishes dealing the cards, but people are leaning 
forward, congratulating them on the cards.  People love to see the house 
take a beating.  Several people sit down at the table as Jim stacks 
their winnings in front of them.  

“Congratulations,” the supervisor says to Ash, then to Stone.  He 
disappears.

“I guess you really are good luck,” Zeke says, smiling broadly as 
he rakes in his winnings.  

“Never underestimate what you can accomplish with a good woman by 
your side.”

They look at each other for a moment.  Zeke wonders what she meant 
by that.  How did that old song go?  ‘Strangers in the night, exchanging 
glances...’

“Excuse me, do you mind if I sit down?”  A young man is standing 
there, looking at the only empty seat left at the table, the seat 
between Zeke and Delilah.  Delilah, as usual, acts decisively.  She 
slides her chips toward Zeke, and switches stools, removing the space 
between them.  The young man thanks her, and sits in her old seat.

“Did you want to get in on this?” she asks Stone, leaning toward 
him.  

He says nothing for a moment, then realizes what she is talking 
about.  He places a green chip forward.  “Thanks.”

“No more bets, no more bets,” Jim announces, waving his hand 
around the arc of players.  The table is full now, and he deals out the 
cards, his confidence and speed regained.  To the young man on Delilah’s 
right, “Good luck on your ace.”

Delilah looks over the crowd.  The supervisor who had been at 
their table is watching them.  “Zeke, where are you staying tonight?”  
She pauses just long enough for him to consider it, then continues, 
“That’s not an invitation, by the way.  That guy is going to comp me a 
room, hoping I’ll return some of they casino’s money.”

Jim turns to Stone.  “Eighteen, sir.”  Stone passes his hand over 
the cards, and Jim turns to Delilah, “Fifteen, miss.”  Delilah double 
taps her finger and gets a ten.  Jim scoops up her cards and chips.

She ignores her loss, simply continues what she was saying, 
“Anyway, we can probably get a comp for you also, if you want.”  Without 
waiting to hear what he has to say, she starts a new train of thought; 
“Casinos are one of the greatest inventions of the age.  Everyone knows 
it is a losing battle, that sooner or later the house wins.”  Stone is 
turned toward her, and does not see the replacement dealer who taps Jim 
on the shoulder.  Ash does, however, and recognizes our favorite fallen 
angel.

“It’s almost as if the house was the Devil himself,” she 
continues, “They think they have all the advantages.  But sometimes they 
still lose, especially when they underestimate who they’re dealing with. 
Although, they seem to take it better than the real Devil probably does.  
He’s probably a sore loser.”

“Good evening,” the Devil says brightly, finally drawing Stone’s 
attention away from his blonde companion.  Stone jerks his head as he 
sees him.  The Devil is wearing a pinstriped shirt, and his hair is 
slicked back and thinned.  He wears a green translucent visor, which 
almost makes him look like an accountant.  “My name is Mac, and I’ll be 
your replacement dealer.  Good luck to you all.”  He begins to deal the 
cards.

“I don’t like the look of this new guy,” Stone whispers to Ash.

“He does look like a dork, doesn’t he,” she replies, a little too 
loudly.  The young man next to her snorts as he stifles his laugh.

The Devil ignores her, playing his character of an energetic 
dealer.  “Sir, you have fourteen.”   Stone scratches the table.  The 
Devil flips a six over in front of him.  “Twenty.”

“I’ll stay.”

“Hit me,” Ash says.

“Miss, you have eighteen.”

She scratches her blood red nail on the green felt, exaggerating 
the movement.  “I said hit me.”  The dealer complies, dropping the two 
of hearts in front of her.  “I’ll stay.”

“Good call,” Zeke compliments her.  

“Thank you, “ she says.  

They sit there in silence as Mac works his way around the table.  
Then the Devil flips his hole card over, an ace, and matches it with his 
up card, a ten.  A collective groan rises from the table.  “Sorry folks, 
it’s just luck,” he says as her sweeps all the cards and chips in.

Zeke bets the minimum again.  Delilah bets two green chips.  The 
Devil deals the appropriate number of cards out, and after he has 
stopped, he looks at Stone’s cards, another blackjack.  As he pays off 
Stone, he tells him, “The ace and king of hearts.  I once knew a man 
from Minneapolis, Minnesota who had that exact hand tattooed on his 
right arm.  Claimed it brought him luck in cards, may he rest in peace.  
You don’t happen to have any tattoos, do you?”

“I think you’re paid to deal the cards, not strike up 
conversation,” Stone replies.  He self-consciously pulls his coat 
sleeves down a little further, as if the tattoos that showed on his 
wrists might give him away.  

Mac pays him his winnings, and then turns to Ash.  “And, my dear 
lady, what would you like?”

Ash has an ace and a two showing, but clearly does not want to 
talk to him any longer.  She waves her hand over her cards.  

Zeke leans over to her.  “Want to get a drink or something?”

“Not yet.  I won’t quit on a losing hand.”

“This guy looks tough to beat.”

“But not impossible.”

The Devil reveals his own cards, and once again, he has a natural 
twenty-one.  He sweeps all the cards and chips in again, leaving the 
chips in front of the player who also had twenty-one.  After they place 
their bets, he deals out the cards.  

Mac looks down at his up card, the ace of diamonds, and the look 
on his face is anything but surprised.

“Would anyone like to buy insurance?”



ACT TWO


“So are you really that lucky with cards, or were you cheating?”  
Stone is sitting on the bed in the hotel.  He is no longer holding the 
gun, but it is lying on the bed where he can reach it easily.  

“What do you think, Detective Stone?”

On the surface, it was a simple question.  Either possibility was 
equally likely, and Stone finds himself rephrasing the question in his 
mind, “What do you think of me, detective?  Am I a liar and a cheater?  
Is it so hard to believe that I could win at cards without bending 
reality a little?  What do you think of me?”

‘What DO I think of her?’ he wonders.  Delilah Ash is an 
attractive woman, an intelligent woman, someone who knows more than I 
ever will.  And powerful, let’s not forget.  A woman who, perhaps, could 
be mine.   

But at the end of the day, it all boils down to one thing.  I’m 
the good guy.  She’s the bad guy.  And fraternizing with the enemy 
again, now that I know who she really is, is a big no-no.  So what do I 
think?

“I think you were cheating,” he tells her.

She ignores his answer.  “It should have been my first clue about 
you, when we both got the ace of spades.  The death card.  Something we 
have in common.”

“Didn’t our mutual friend make you curious?”

“Actually no.  He shows up time to time to harass me, as I suspect 
he does with you too.”

That was information.  Stone had long suspected the Devil knew 
where all the escaped souls were, but that he visited with them from 
time to time was news.  

“What does he actually want, do you know?”  he asks.  This was 
turning into an actual conversation, not the interrogation it should be.  
Damn her charms.  

He could hear the smile in her voice.  “I’ll tell you what I 
think, if you do the same.”

“Deal.”

“He’s embarrassed that I outsmarted him.  He wants you to fix that 
mistake for him.  But, I think he likes my goals.  Nothing is written, 
he doesn’t know how far I’ll get with my revenge.  So he wants to stay 
on my good side, for when I win.  Now you.”

“He doesn’t talk about you much,” Zeke begins.  “I think,” he 
considers the idea for a moment, tasting its flavor and finding it good, 
“I think he feels about you the same way God feels about him.  You were 
a favorite of his, right?”

“After four thousand years, I think we were friends.”

“He’s proud to see you taking initiative, and glad to see you 
doing things that he can’t.  But you crossed him, and he can’t forget 
that.  He knows I’ll send you home, sooner or later.”

“Zeke, let’s not talk about that.”

“Delilah, it all comes back to that.  If it weren’t for that, I 
wouldn’t be here.”

“You never called me by first name after we left Las Vegas.”

“It’s not your real name.”

“But you didn’t know that.  Why were you so formal with me?”

Zeke sighs.  “You know why I came back, who I came back for.  In 
Vegas, I almost, that is, we almost—“

“I remember.”

                                   #

“That was slick,” Zeke compliments Delilah.  “Hinting you would 
take your winnings to what ever casino I was staying at.”

“Got you a free room too, didn’t it?”

They are weaving their way through the casino, heading toward the 
bar.  The stain on his coat is almost dry, but he brushes at it anyway, 
trying to make it appear as a casual movement.  She notices, and looks 
away pointedly.  

“Will you excuse me for a moment?” she asks him, looking around.  
“I just need to freshen up.”

“Meet you at the bar?”

“Sure,” she says, giving him a warm smile.  “Order two of 
anything.”  She disappears into the crowd.

Stone slides into a stool at the bar.  The bartender is busy, and 
he slips a dollar into the video poker machine built into the bar.  He 
plays half-heartedly, holding his pairs, but failing to better them on 
the draw.  

“You should always bet five tokens.”

Stone turns to see a young woman seating herself next to him.  She 
continues, “If you hit the royal flush, you’ll feel stupid when you 
could have had ten times the winnings for five times the investment.”

“Thanks for the advice.”

“Are you looking for a date?”

Stone surprises himself with the words that come out of his mouth.  
“I’m here with someone.”  'What the Hell?' he screams in his head.  “I 
mean, I’m married.”

“Hey, no problem.  I’ve got some Viagara, if you’d like.  Makes it 
better for both of you.”

“What’s that?”

“You know, the little blue pill?  Helps you –“ she holds her hand 
out, fingers lightly curled.  She locks her gaze on Stone as she slowly 
raises her index finger so it points upward at a 45 degree angle.  

“No kidding?  Never heard of that before.”

“Fifteen a pop, well worth it.  How many can I get for you?”

“You have a license to dispense medicine?”

“What are you, a –“ her voice trails off.  Stone flips the badge.  
“Crap.  Now what?”

“Nothing.  I’m off duty.”

“Okay, later then.  If you change your mind, I’m Gracie.”  She 
smiles at him again, then moves away.

Stone watches her go, then is finally able to catch the 
bartender’s eye.  “Let me get two screwdrivers,” he orders.  As they are 
made right in front of him, Ash seats herself on his left side.  

“Good choice,” she tells him.  “I love orange juice.”

“Great.”

Stone pays the bartender.  After he leaves, Delilah turns to him.  
“So, was that a friend of yours?”  She gives him an impish look.

“They say it’s the world’s oldest profession.”

“Why did you turn her down?”

‘I’m married.  I’m married,’ he says in his head.  “I was old 
enough to be her father.”  

“What, you don’t like younger women?”

“Not like that.  I like older women.”

Delilah smiles softly.  “I’m definitely older.”

“You can’t be any older than I am.  My birthday is August 9th,” he 
does the mental math quickly, then adds a few more years, “1966.”

“A lady never tells her age.” She turns to face forward, sipping 
her drink.  

Stone looks at her, her exposed neckline.  He notices she has 
pulled her hair back into a short ponytail.  “Your hair looks good like 
that,” he tells her.  His delivery is fumbled, awkward.  ‘I’m married,’ 
he thinks again.

Ash holds up her glass, looking at the color.  “You know, where I 
grew up, oranges were a luxury.  The idea of making juice out of them… 
it seems so... decedent.”  She downs the rest of her drink.

“I never thought of it that way.”

She signals to the bartender.  “Can I get another one, please?”

“I’ll have another also,” Stone reaches into his pocket to get 
money.  He comes across the plastic multi-colored disks in his pocket, 
and sets them on the table.  He pays the bartender again, and clicks the 
chips together. 

“I’ve been doing pretty well tonight.”

“Yes, you have,” Delilah grins.  It takes a second for Stone to 
catch the double entendre, and he returns her smile.

‘I’m married.  I’m not going to do anything,’ he thinks.  He tries 
to call up an image of Rosalyn in his head as he nurses his drink.  The 
silence grows, and Stone becomes more and more uncomfortable.  Ash 
doesn’t seem fazed by it, her manner is calm, almost icily so.

                                   #

“Was that true, about the oranges?”

“Actually, yes,” Ash replies over the phone, “I slipped.  I 
usually stay in character.  Have you every heard of Mary Chaine?  
Underrated actor, but she taught me everything I know.  Or, I should 
say, I know everything that she knew.  I know everything that my 
followers did here on earth.”

Stone’s mind tries to comprehend this concept.  The name sounds 
familiar also, but his attention is on this revelation that she has 
given him.

“It makes thing boring.” Ash continues, “Most conversations are 
people sharing their experiences, so talking to them is very dull.  But 
we have that same background; we know what Hell was like.  Mortals just 
don’t see the big picture.  Not yet, anyway.

“You know, now that I know how much we have in common, you seem 
even more interesting to me.  I don’t know much about you, Zeke, and I 
like that.  Omniscience is over rated.”

“You know everything that all the escaped souls did?”

“How do you think I learned to use computers, drive a car, speak 
English?  I helped out the others that needed it, too.  There is so much 
I could share with you.”

She switches tracks.  “When is your real birthday?  You told me 
1966, you lied to me too.”

“I only—” Stone starts to say defensively.  ‘I only lied about 
being dead?  Yeah, right.’  He answers her question, “August 9th, 1945.”

“I was there.”

“What?  There for what?”

“You have an inner power, I’m sure you’ve noticed that.  Do you 
know why?”

Stone shakes his head, then, realizing he on the phone, says, 
“No.”

“August 9th, 1945 was a busy day in the afterlife.  Your 
government dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan.  It was the last 
time that atomic weapons were used in war.  Forty-five thousand souls 
departed the earth in a very short period of time.  

“There is a psychic balance on this planet.  Back in my day, each 
person had a much larger share of the total.  By the end of this summer, 
there will be six billion people on the planet.  How much difference 
does a newborn make anymore?

“But you were born at a powerful time.  Maybe that’s why you were 
able to defeat Hasdrubul Skaras and Zhang Fei.”

“You said you were there?”

“Oh, that.  One of my followers was in Nagasaki.  Do you know how 
much it hurt?  It was literally Hell on Earth there.”

Stone is silent for a moment.  Now that he is reminded of the 
event, he realizes he had known of the attack.  But he has another 
query; “So you know why I was in Hell?”

The connection between them is strong enough that she answers his 
unanswered question first.  “I should have recognized you, I could have.  
Jax knew you, what you looked like.  But I can’t remember every little 
detail that they have seen in over one hundred lifetimes.  If I had... 
if I had, things would have been different.”

Another question that has been sloshing around inside him since 
the night she revealed her true form; “How could you kill your own 
daughter?”

“How could YOU kill anyone in cold blood?  I did it for love, 
Zeke, the same as you.  Seri was willing; she knew what an honor it was.  
She was guaranteed the highest level in the afterlife.  But then the 
rules changed.  Seri wasn’t damned for her beliefs, like I was, so maybe 
it was worth it.”

“I did it for love, and for justice.  You know what Jax did.  He 
deserved to die.”  Stone’s voice is getting louder.  

“I agree.  I know what Roz went through…”

Zeke jumps up.  “You bitch,” he yells, “I don’t want to hear what 
Jax did to her.”

“Zeke!”  Her voice is full of alarm.  “I’m sorry, that came out 
wrong.  Please don’t hang up, let me explain.”

Stone pauses, breathing hard.  He slowly sits down on the bed 
again.  “Okay.”

The line is silent for a moment.  Stone is almost ready to say 
something when Delilah begins.

“They thought they were God’s chosen people,” Ash says bitterly, 
“They thought they were superior, that we were heathens.  They 
slaughtered the men in the temple, Enok, Draku.  But they saved me for 
last.”

Zeke listens silently.

“Warriors are rarely gentlemen.  When they were done using my 
body, they executed me.  I know what Roz went through, Zeke, only she’s 
had a chance to move on with her life.  I haven’t.  My last hours have 
echoed in my head for four thousand years.”

“Ashur, I’m sorry.”  This is the first time he has ever called her 
by her real name, and that makes his expression of sorrow even more 
powerful.

They sit silently for a moment.  “Zeke, don’t you see what God has 
done to this planet?  Almost everyone believes in one God, but they 
fight over whose is the true God.  Back then, we used to live peacefully 
with other religions.  Seri’s father worshipped Cemak, the Lion God.  
And we didn’t argue about who was right, and who was wrong, because we 
knew we could both be right.  It was better in those days, and I want it 
to be like that again.  Is that so wrong?”

“Your methods are wrong,” he tells her.  “You think burning 
churches will make the world a more peaceful place?  You’re the same as 
your killers.”

“I’m the same as you.  I’m willing to do a little wrong to correct 
a greater injustice.”  

“It’s not the same thing,” Stone says forcefully, repeating 
himself, “It’s not the same thing at all.”  ‘Who am I trying to 
convince,’ he wonders, ‘her or me?”

“Do you remember when you first kissed me?”

“What?”  His mind changes gears.  “That first night...”



ACT THREE


“One hundred eighty dollars, sir.”  The cashier pushes a stack of 
twenties to Stone, and takes his chips.  

“Thank you.”  He steps away from the counter, folding the bills 
into his pocket.  Ash is waiting for him.  “I think I should call it a 
night.”

“Yeah, good idea.”  They walk away from the casino, into the lobby 
of the hotel.  After the noise of the casino, the quiet there is almost 
deafening.  They register at the desk separately.  Stone finishes first, 
and this time he waits for Ash.  They walk to the elevator silently, 
and he hits the button for it.

They step onto the elevator.  Stone hits the button for six.  
“What floor are you on?”

“I’m on six also.”

“Great,” Stone says lamely.  The word echoes in his head.

As the doors start to close, they hear a call, “Hold the door!”  
Stone sticks his hand out to stop them.  The doors fold back into the 
walls, and a balding man and a young woman step on.  “Thanks!”

“Hey, it’s you,” the man says.  Stone recognizes him from the 
blackjack table.  “You should have stuck around, after that pinstriped 
dealer left, the luck really improved.  I’m up twelve hundred tonight.”

“Wow, that’s great,” Ash says.  Stone is looking at the young 
woman.  He recognizes her as the one who approached him at the bar.  

“I’m George, by the way.”  He sticks his hand out, and both Stone 
and Ash shake it, introducing themselves.  “I thought I’d celebrate 
with--” he looks at his companion, drawing a blank.

“Gracie,” she supplies.

Ash giggles.  “George and Gracie, that’s funny.”  Stone looks at 
her, smiling too.  “Sorry, I’ve had a few drinks, I think they’re 
catching up to me.”

The elevator dings as it stops on the sixth floor.  “This is us,” 
Stone says.  He stands aside to let Delilah out first.

Gracie reaches her hand out to Stone.  “It was nice meeting you.” 
Stone gets an odd look as he feels something hard in her hand.  She 
winks at him, then smiles.  

“Good night,” he replies, getting out of the elevator.  After the 
doors close, he looks in his hand.  There is a small blue pill there.  
He chuckles quietly and slips it in his pocket.

Ash is walking unsteadily down the hall, humming ‘Strangers in the 
night.’  Stone catches up to her, and joins in ‘–what were the chances, 
they’d be sharing love?’  He glances at the room numbers.  “This is me.”

“Huh.  I’m right next door,”  

“Great,” Stone says.  He thinks, ‘Why did I say that again?  I’m 
married.  That’s all I have to say.  I don’t have to say anything.  Just 
go inside, and go to sleep.  I’m not going to do anything.’

He looks down at her.  She is slightly shorter than he is, and she 
stands there, just a half meter away, looking at him.  She gives him a 
warm, inviting smile.  

The moment is too perfect.  Ezekiel leans forward, and she does 
likewise.  Stone hesitates at the last moment, making a quick search of 
her eyes before their lips touch.

The kiss began softly.  Fifteen years was a long time, and Stone 
felt himself moving closer to her.  He reaches his hand behind her head, 
feeling the warmth of her skin as he pulls her closer.  She also reaches 
for him, the long nails on her left hand tracing the skin at the nape of 
his neck.  

That was what made his mind slam on the brakes.  That was Roz’s 
technique, she had always touched him like that.  Even on their first 
date, way back in 1980, she had given him shivers with her tenderness.  
Roz, the woman that he loved enough to kill for, was just a few hundred 
miles away.  But here he was in a hotel, kissing a woman he met just a 
few hours before.

The sound of a door opening startles both of them out of their 
embrace.  They pull apart, Ash casually, Stone guiltily.  A man in a 
bathrobe comes out of the room across the hall.  He nods to them as he 
pads down the hall with an ice bucket.

Ash slips her key into her door.  It opens easily, and she steps 
inside.  Turning to Stone, she asks, “Coming?”

‘No,’ he thinks,  ‘I’m married, I have to get up early, I have to 
make some phone calls, I think I’m coming down with something.’  But he 
doesn’t say anything.

Ash steps farther inside her room, heading toward the bed.  The 
door begins to close slowly.  It would lock on contact, he knew, like 
all hotel doors do.  ‘All I have to do it reach out and stop it.’

The door mindlessly continues its swing, and Stone watches it 
closely.  There had been no woman to share his bed in so many years, now 
all he had to do was reach out his hand.  ‘I can still stop it.’ he 
thinks, but doesn’t move.  

The door has only a few centimeters to go when he makes his 
decision.  He reaches out to hold the door, but in mid stretch, the door 
shuts completely.  He stands there, afraid to touch the locked door.

‘What was I going to do?’ he asks himself.  ‘I was going to sleep 
with a stranger?  I was going to cheat on Roz?’

Now, quickly, while he has a shred of resolve left, Stone takes 
his own room key and opens his own door.  He enters quickly and closes 
the door firmly behind him.

Ash opens the door to her room and peers back out into the hall, 
wondering where he is.  “Zeke?”

The sound of his deadbolt turning echoes through the hallway like 
rolling thunder.

                                   #

“Zeke?”

Stone has fallen silent on his end of the phone.  He is resting on 
the bed now, leaning back, his head on a pillow.  Her voice startles him 
from his memories.  “Yes?”

“I’m glad you turned me down that first night.  If I’d seen my 
name tattooed to your chest, I probably would have killed you on the 
spot.  I didn’t suspect anything at all until after you came to visit me 
in LA.  The way you insisted that Da Ming Po couldn’t be dead, something 
about that made me wonder what you knew.

“I was actually hoping you were another escapee, maybe an older 
one.  I know of at least six others who escaped while I was there.”

“How do they escape?”

She laughs.  “Zeke, I can’t tell you that.  You’ll go running off 
to your boss, and he’ll stop anyone else from doing it.  The souls 
you’ve already returned, some might try to escape again.  I wouldn’t 
think they have an actual chance, but it never hurts to try.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“You just did.”

“Ha ha, seriously,” he replies, but he can’t help laughing at the 
joke.

“Go ahead.”

“Out of all of your ‘followers’, hasn’t religion been a positive 
influence in any of their lives?”

“Yes, there are a few.  So?  Either they keep the bargains they 
made when I ask them to, or I send them back.”

“But you’ve experienced their lives.  Haven’t you felt the comfort 
of religion?”

“Religion is for the weak minded, Zeke.  Churches are like 
Alcoholics Anonymous, only the coffee isn’t as good.  If people want to 
live their lives that way, it’s one thing.  But to force their morals on 
other people, and crush those who stand in their way, well, that’s what 
I won’t allow anymore.”

Silence looms again.  This time it is Stone who changes the 
subject.  “Did you know I got a visit the next morning?”

“I’ll bet it was your boss.”

“I wish you’d stop calling him that.”

“Don’t you work for him, and do his bidding?” The words sound 
familiar to him, and he realizes that he used that same phrase several 
months ago.  ‘There’s no way she knows what happened in that graveyard.’

“Anyway...” he changes the subject.

                                   #

“Housekeeping!” A cheerful, feminine voice announces its 
presence outside his door.  There is the sound of a key turning in the 
lock.  

Stone jerks awake on the bed.  He lies on top of the bed, wearing 
only pants.  Sheets are strewn around the floor, evidence of his 
restlessness last night.  His tattoos seem to glow in the morning light 
that covers his bed.  “Wait,” he says loudly, sitting up.  He grabs a 
sheet and whips it around his shoulders.  “Can you come back later?”

But the door is already opening.  The Devil stands there, looking 
at Zeke in amusement.  “Good morning, Mr. Stone.”

“It’s you,” he responds disgustedly.  

The Devil raises his eyebrows in mock concern.  “I’m interrupting 
something, I hope.  The attractive blonde from last night, is she still 
here?”  He peers around the room, looking for any signs of ‘activity’.

“Nothing happened, not that it’s any of your business.”

“Do I need to remind you that your wedding vows expired when you 
entered my warm embrace?  You’re free to fornicate with anyone you want.  
However, if you aren’t too busy doing that, you could get BACK TO WORK!”  

“Yeah, I should.  Got a clue for me?”

“Quite the obedient servant today, aren’t you?  Okay, I’ll help 
you out.  Your friend Gracie, the lady of the evening, she met a damned 
soul yesterday.  Maybe she can give you more information.”

“At least I’ve got some money to get her cooperation.  Do you know 
how frustrating it is to only have thirty-six dollars a day?”  He picks 
up his wallet.  “Hopefully I can make this last…” His voice trails off 
as his searches through his wallet a second time.  Finding nothing, he 
checks his pants pockets, and then looks under the bed.  “What the 
Hell?”

The Devil stands there chuckling, waiting for Stone to figure it 
out.  When he starts his search over, the Devil can not contain his 
mirth any longer.  “You know the rules, Ezekiel,” he explains.  “Every 
morning you have thirty-six dollars—“

“And twenty seven cents, yeah I know.  But where’s the money I had 
last night?”

The Devil repeats himself, chuckling louder.  “Every morning, you 
have thirty-six dollars,” Stone stares at him, horrified, as he 
understands, “and twenty-seven cents.”  The Devil shakes his head, 
chiding Stone, “You didn’t think you could outsmart me, did you?”

“Damn,” he says slowly, rethinking his plans.  “You really are a 
pain in the ass, you know that?”

Stone’s nemesis laughs loudly.  “Nobody beats me, Mr. Stone.  
Remember that.”  He sits down in a chair, watching Stone.

Stone throws his shirt on, and grabs his things.  He exits the 
room, slamming the door behind him.

Downstairs, he passes through the lobby.  He stops in his tracks 
as he sees a sign.  

                         All You Can Eat!
                         Breakfast Buffet
                           Just $3.99!

                                   #

Stone has two loaded plates in front of him, eating heartily when 
he spots Gracie exiting through the lobby.  He bolts from the table, 
jogging after her.  “Gracie,” he calls.

She turns and sees him, smiling warmly.  “Good morning, Zeke.  
Sleep well?”  She laughs at her own wit.

“Fine, thank you. Would you join me for breakfast?  I had 
something I wanted to talk to you about.”

She glances at her watch.  “Okay, for a few minutes.”

They seat themselves, and Stone offers her one of his plates.  She 
picks at it.  “I usually don’t eat breakfast, girls like me have to 
watch our figure.  But George wanted to ‘dance’ with me all night long, 
and I sure am hungry.”

“Did you notice anything odd about George?”

“Odd?  No, not really.  Why?”

“I got an anonymous tip that someone you met yesterday is involved 
in a crime I’m looking into.”  

Gracie goes silent as she hears he is investigating a crime.  “I 
really think I should be going.”

“Gracie,” he says in a firm voice.  “It’s nothing that involves 
you, or has anything to do with you.  Could you just tell me if you met 
with anyone yesterday who... acted out of the ordinary?”

“It’s not good business for me to snitch on clients.”

“Look, I did you a favor yesterday, right?  Just help me out here, 
please.”

She looks around to see if anyone is listening.  “There was this 
guy Nick.  While we were, uh, together, he... that is, his...” She looks 
up at him carefully.  “This is really weird, Zeke.  It was like his eyes 
were glowing.”

“Glowing?”

“Never mind,” she says, embarrassed.  “I’ve got to go.”  She gets 
up from the table, rolling a sausage link inside a pancake.  

“Gracie, where did you meet him?”

“I met him at the bar, same as you.  We went up to his room.”

“Do you remember the room number?”

She looks at him like he was crazy.  “Do you know how many wackos 
are out there?  I ALWAYS see the room key before I agree to do business.  
It was room 417.”

“Thank you.”

“Just leave my name out of it, please.”  She takes a bite of her 
makeshift sandwich.  “Later.”

As she walks away, there is the sound of rapid, angry footsteps.  
“Just answer me one question, Zeke.”  Ash looms over him at the table.  
Around him, people are looking.  

“Good morn—“

“One question,” she repeats, her tone extremely hostile.  “Is that 
where you disappeared to last night?  Did you go to her?”

At the table nest to him, a couple begins to laugh.

“Look, we were just talking—“

“You men,” she says in disgust.  “You’re all the same.”  She turns 
and marches away.

Stone watches her for a moment.  The watching crowd, realizing 
that the show is over, returns their attention to their plates.  Zeke 
does the same.



ACT FOUR


Back in his room, he sits in the chair, collecting his thoughts.  
He had felt been a connection to Delilah last night.  If he’d reached 
for the door just a moment earlier... but that was the past.  Better to 
forget her.  It wasn’t like he would ever see her again.  

So of course she was there when he left his room.  She was 
standing outside her own door, pulling it closed.  The black dress that 
had enchanted him last night was gone, replaced with gray slacks and a 
light colored blouse.  Just looking at her, he found himself remembering 
the even tan that her legs had, how warm her skin was…  ‘These aren’t 
thoughts you should be having,’ he scolds himself.

They are silent in the hall as they walk to the elevator.  Stone 
hits the down button, and Ash stands behind him, staring at the doors.   

Zeke speaks, “I’m a cop.”  She turns her head to look at him, 
ignoring the badge he is holding out, her expression still dark and 
stormy.  “That’s why I was talking to Gracie this morning.”

“I know, Zeke.  I saw you show it to that woman last night.”  She 
fumbles with her purse.  “Here,” she says, flipping her own badge out.

He reads her badge.  “Detective Sergeant Delilah Ash?  Nice.”

“LAPD, that’s right.  But I didn’t want to spend our time together 
talking about the job.   Why did you think I never asked what you did?”

Stone doesn’t know what to say to that.  Luckily, the elevator 
dings, and the doors open.  Stone stands aside to allow her to enter 
first.  

She pushes the button for the lobby.  He reaches out and hits the 
button for the fourth floor.  “Where are you going, Detective?” she 
wants to know.

“Suspect on the fourth floor.  Former client of Gracie’s, I wanted 
to warn him to stay away from her.”

“Need some backup?”

“No, I can handle this.”

“Look, there is still such a thing as professional courtesy,” she 
glares at him as she continues, “even if one of us is lacking in 
PERSONAL courtesy.”

“Hey, I didn’t—“

The elevator chimes, cutting him off.  Delilah strides out first.  
“What room?”

“417.  But let me do the talking?”

“We’ll see who gets there first.”

Ash arrives at the door, Stone right behind.  She pounds on the 
door.  “Nick?  Open up!”  

Nick Greene appears about thirty.  He is dressed casually, his 
shirt unbuttoned, and his feet bare.  “What’s up?” he asks, seeing only 
Ash.  Then, spotting Stone, “What’s going on?”

Zeke steps forward.  “I’m Detective Stone, and I’ve got a few 
questions for you,”

“Sure, no problem.”  He opens the door, “And who is this?” he asks 
Stone.  

“This is –“ Nick pushes Stone into Ash.  As they fall, she grabs 
onto him, and they get tangled up even worse.  Nick takes off down the 
hall.  

“Are you okay,” Zeke asks Delilah, helping her up. 

She brushes the hair away from her eyes.  “This is twice I’ve 
gotten pissed off today, and it’s not even noon yet.  I think he took 
the stairs.”

They jog back down the hall.  Stone draws his gun as they pursue 
him.  Ash looks at his weapon, and then him.  “Don’t let the casino see 
that.”

“Thanks.”

Inside the stairwell, there is no sight of Nick.  There is no need 
to confer with each other; Ash heads up, Stone runs down.  

Stone runs downstairs, bursting out into the lobby.  Nothing there 
is out of the ordinary.   Remembering Ash’s advice, he tucks his gun 
away quickly.  He jogs to the outside door, hoping to catch sight of 
Nick on the street.

He doesn’t see anything there either.  He begins to walk around 
the casino, looking up toward the roof.

                                   #

Ash reaches the top of the stairs.  The door leading to the roof 
is knocked off its hinges, and Nick is standing near the ledge.  His 
bare feet are standing directly on the blacktop roof, which the Nevada 
sun has already warmed significantly.  He appears not to notice.  

“Nick!”  Ash calls.  He turns, then prepares to jump.  “Hey, it’s 
just me.”

Nick looks behind her toward the door.  “Who was that?”  He starts 
walking toward her.  

“Just some cop.  Something about a hooker yesterday.”

“Oh.”

They continue walking toward each other, their manner casual.  
“You got the money, Nick?”

He smiles a greasy smile.  “Always for you, baby.”  He takes an 
envelope from his pocket.  “Here.”

She rifles through it quickly.  It is thick with twenties, 
fifties, and hundreds.  She tucks it away in her purse.  “Keep up the 
good work, Nick.”  She pats him on the shoulder.  “And don’t make me 
come out here after you again.”

“Sorry, Ashur.  It won’t happen again.”

She glances behind her.  “He might come up this way.  You’d better 
take the shortcut down.”

“So what if he does?  Just kill him.”

“I think I’ll let this one live for now.  He might be useful.”  
She glares at him.  “Try to keep a lower profile, Nick.”

“Yes ma’am,” he says meekly.

She turns back toward the door, and he begins to follow her.  
Without turning around, she says, “Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Nick stops, and walks sullenly to the roof edge.  He looks at the 
ground, twenty stories below, and jumps off.

                                   #

Stone has reached a fence in the alley around the side of the 
casino.  He looks it over briefly, and doesn’t see any sign of melted 
links, or anything suspicious.  With a sigh, he turns and walks back 
toward the casino entrance.

As he rounds the corner, Nick lands on the other side of the 
fence.  The concrete sidewalk cracks beneath his bare feet.  He stands 
up and brushes himself off, and then he jogs away.

                                   #

Back in the staircase, Zeke and Delilah meet halfway.  “No sign of 
him downstairs.”

“Nothing upstairs either.  Sorry,” she tells him.

They walk down.  “I didn’t tell you his name,” Zeke says, making 
it a statement, rather than a question.  

But she answers anyway.  “I heard it from your conversation with 
Gracie this morning.  That, Detective Lieutenant, is called good police 
work.”

He grins at that.

“So are you going to stick around for a few days, see if you can 
catch up with him?”  She smiles at him, the warm inviting smile that she 
used last night.  

Stone only hesitates for a moment.  “No, I’ve got to be moving on 
to LA.”

“Too bad.  I’ll be here through the weekend, at the police 
convention.  If you did to stick around, I could probably get you in.”  

He hesitates again.  The police convention was a professional 
event, and it would give him a chance to catch up on advances that he’d 
missed in the last fifteen years.  It was a good solid excuse to stay 
near her.  But, that was really at the root of it, an excuse to stay 
with her.

Best not to risk temptation again.

“No,” he says, “I don’t think I’ll be able to do that.”

“Okay.”  She fiddles with her purse.  “Let me give you my card.  
If you need any help in LA, let me know.”

“Thanks.”  He takes the card and tucks it away.

“Well, at least you came out ahead last night.  That’s something, 
isn’t it?”

“Not really.”  She looks at him expectantly, waiting for him to 
continue.  “I had trouble sleeping last night,” he says truthfully.  “I 
ended up losing all of it.”  Two true statements, but misleading when 
added together.   ‘It’s a better explanation than the truth,’ he thinks.

In the lobby, they realize that this is where they part company.  
“A pleasure meeting you, Zeke Stone,” she tells him.  She starts to lean 
toward him, then switches her tactics.  They end up shaking hands 
instead.  

“I’m sure we’ll see each other around, Delilah Ash.”

With that, Stone heads toward the front door.  She watches him go.  
He reaches the revolving door, and disappears into it.

                                   #

“I’d been wondering if you helped him escape,” Zeke says into the 
phone.  He has his feet up on the bed, relaxed.

“I protect my own, Zeke, as long as they stay faithful. After 
that—“ she leaves the sentence unfinished.

“Ash, it’s been... interesting... talking to you, but I think I 
need to get going.”

“Just a few more minutes, Zeke.  Can I asked how you died?”

He sighs.  “A punk named Thomas Logan shot me in the face.”

“Go on...”

“What’s to tell?  I caught this guy red handed, and he ran.  
Cornered him in an alley, and he pulled out his gun.  Bang, he got me.”

“So you knew who he was?”

“No, Detect-“ Zeke censors himself, cutting off Detective Kane’s 
name.  It was important to protect all of his friends, now that he’d 
seen what the escaped souls could do to his personal life.  “A friend 
told me who it was.” 

“A friend?”  Ash doesn’t buy it.

“A friend, someone who found out for me.  I won’t tell you who.”

“That’s fine,” she laughs.  “One more thing, Zeke.”  She pauses, 
not sure where to start.  “We’re going to meet again sooner or later.   
We both know that.  There’s something I want you to think about for when 
that day comes.”

“What’s that?”

“You’ve proved your prowess in battle.  I was most impressed with 
your defeat of Hasdrubal Skaras.  I just wish he’d told me about you 
before you killed him.  It was really a shock for me to find out like I 
did.”

“How do you think I felt?”

“How did you feel, Zeke, before you found out?  You had feelings 
for me, don’t deny it.  

“I’m going to offer you something,” she continues, “Not today, but 
sometime.  I want you to be my partner in... everything.  We can rule 
this mortal world.  It can be ours.  I can do much of it on my own, but 
there is one thing in particular that I would like your... help with.

“I want you to be the father of my child, Zeke.  Our child would 
reign here for a thousand years, bringing peace and justice to the 
world.  Think of it, the parents of the new God.

“Do you remember what I said to you after we both got blackjack 
the first night?  It’s true.  Which reminds me, by the way, I wasn’t 
cheating at cards.

“Think about it, Ezekiel.”  The phone clicks gently as Ash hangs 
up.

Stone sits there, on the bed.  “That’s crazy,” he says to no one 
in particular.  Parents of the new God?  Maybe Ash really could 
overthrow God.  The phone begins to blare, letting him know it is off 
the hook.  He hangs it up, still stunned by the audacity of Ashur’s 
offer.  

Opening the door, he glances outside.  No one is there.  He closes 
the door behind him.  

Something feels... familiar to him.  The proximity of his door to 
the next one over is the same as his hotel door in Las Vegas.  He 
glances at the room number next to him.  “One thirteen?” he says out 
loud.  ‘It couldn’t be,’ he thinks, ‘she wouldn’t.’

He stares at the door for a moment, then knocks.  His right hand 
steals under his jacket, and draws his gun, hiding it from the door's 
line of sight.

A short, slightly heavy Hispanic woman answers.  “Hola?”

“Whoops.”  Zeke says.  “I’m sorry.”

“Que?”

“I’m sorry, wrong room.”

The woman catches sight of his gun.  “Hay dios mio!” she exclaims.  

“Sorry,” Stone says again, tucking his gun away as he hurries off.  
He does not look back.

                                    #

Inside Room 113, the woman watches him go.  As he moves out of her 
sight, she stands up straighter, adding several inches to her height.  
Her hair and skin get lighter and her extra weight vanishes.  She takes 
a cell phone from her pocket and dials.  A man answers.

“It’s me,” Ashur Badaktu says.  “Let him go.”

She continues to look out the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of 
him again.

“For now.”


                                 THE END