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Ash leans over my body and past the front seat to get a good look at the scraps of paper. His body is warm against mine, and for a moment, I close my eyes and imagine us laying together in bed, in another world, a much safer one than this.
But that's just a fantasy, and I have to put it to rest.
"We'll need to find that artist," he tells me.
"The what?" I ask.
"Clyde Grimwald," he says, pointing to an article with an old black and white shot of a man holding a cement mixer proudly. His mustache is so big that it almost looks fake, and he's got the wildest comb over. "He's the man who encased the angels."
"He disappeared a long time ago," Heimdall says.
Ash shakes his head with disagreement. There's another article he is pointing too, now. The headline reads:
MYSTERIOUS OBJECT SEEN FLYING OVER WESTLAKE CEMETARY.
"An angel?" Heimdall asks.
"It's the best clue we've got. If you find a better tip, I'm all ears," Ash says.
"A hotel," I reiterate.
"If it'll get you to stop complaining, I'm all in," Loki grumbles.
I bite my tongue and close my mouth. It's all I can do to stop myself from punching him in the nose.
Ash laughs. "What are you waiting for? Let's go. Pedal to the metal," he shouts and taps against the roof.
We're off, and don't you know it - I'm about to ruin the entire world economy.
Wish me luck.
The motel clerk looks at us like we're the slickest city slickers in all of the country. When I ask about a computer, he doesn't even seem to know what I'm talking about. I clear my throat and ask the question again. "A computer. Do you have one open to the public?"
He's not even looking at us. He can't get his eyes off of the news on the television.
"And another merger has taken place on Wall Street today, as Legalt & Hornsted announce their bid to merge with the big five..."
Ash looks directly at me, but he is quiet. Legalt & Hornsted was the same company that bought out my firm. So that was the plan all along. "I can't believe it," I whisper.
Loki reaches over the counter and grabs the clerk by the shirt. "C'mon, buddy. The lady asked you nicely."
"You've got to pay for that," he says, robotically.
I slam a ten-dollar bill on the counter, hoping the abrupt noise would startle him, but his eyes are still about as dull as ditchwater. He points at the win
dow, and now I can see a side house with a computer shining brightly inside. The holy fucking grail.
"Coin slot is attached. Only takes quarters," he moans.
There's a purple gleam in his eyes, but it quickly vanishes as soon as I notice it.
We get the room keys but abruptly head to the computer. Heimdall looks back at the clerk. He's still pretty inert.
"You think we're safe here?" he asks.
It's hard not to laugh. "Well on one side of the state, we're being chased by Beelzebub and his demons. On the other side, we've got Lucifer waiting for us with open arms. Right now, I doubt we're safe anywhere," I say.
"Things are that messed up," Heimdall says. "Seems like I've been waiting my whole life for the collapse of the world. It's like it's been in the air for some time. But now, it doesn't feel real. It's like we're living inside a dream."
