...“He’s still alive,” Craig said to the burly, uniformed Chicago cop.

“Holy…”

Craig shook his head. “There’s nothing holy about this.” Another effect resulting from deteriorating quality of life—people no longer sat on the fence. Now it was full-on war of good versus evil, only those who claimed to be good often didn’t have a clue.

Right behind the Chicago cop walked three paramedics, and the relief Craig experienced was palpable. These cases usually didn’t rattle him, since he’d long ago lost count of the bodies. Then again, the victims normally weren’t alive. There had been only one in the past, and that person had lived only for a few minutes. So far, this one had the record.

Craig had work to do. If the demon who did this left evidence to facilitate his speedy discovery, he needed to find it. Not that he’d had much success in the past, but finding this evil fuck seemed even more necessary with a live victim. It could mean he’d still be targeted.

With someone there to care for the casualty, Craig got down to business. The psychic vibes were strong in the room now that he wasn’t concentrating on helping someone who more than likely wouldn’t make it anyway. He moved over to the blood soaked bed and tried not think about what had happened there.

Psychic vibes, dank and intense, floated about the bed like smoke. Although no one else could see, he did. It was his gift. One he’d willingly give up for a more normal life any day of the week. He didn’t have that option.

Sometime his psychic manifestation was visual and other times olfactory. And on occasion, not often, if a soul reached out…he could hear a person’s inner thoughts.

Craig reached to pull back the sheet. The moment his fingers grazed the surface an otherworldly scream echoed through the room.

“What the fuck!” a male voice said.

Craig moved away from the bed. A second scream turned him in the direction of the victim, who now lay on a stretcher, surrounded by the EMTs.

“What’s happening?” another man asked.

Craig wasn’t certain, but it couldn’t be good. “I never see them still alive. It would be beside the point since the demons are eating their souls. This time it wasn’t successful.” And maybe that was the key to finding a way to stem the flood of chaos. How had this one survived when so many others had not?

“Are you sure the demon’s gone?” one man asked and ducked.

“I’m certain it’s not in the room with us, but it could still be close.”

“What the fuck is stuffed inside this guy’s penis?”

Craig closed the distance fast and bent to closer examine the gold speck he’d seen earlier in the victim’s slit. Maybe this was what he was looking for. A talisman…something. Demons were curious creatures in that they attached themselves to peculiar physical objects. “It’s as if they need to connect themselves to humans with a man-made object, something tangible. If we knew the answers to why they do what they do, we’d be able to rid ourselves of their presence.”

The victim lifted his hand to touch Craig shoulder. “I tried to cut it off.”

“He cut his own cock?” one of the medical techs squeaked.

“What kind of guy would do something like that?”

Craig moved closer. “The kind who knows he has a demon’s talisman shoved inside him. If that’s what I think it is…he’s good as dead.”

“What is it?” one of the paramedics asked and jerked back. “This demon shit is…” His mouth snapped shut and he took another step backward. The crusty old guy obviously didn’t like dealing with demons. Well, who did?

Craig had an idea what might be inside the victim’s slit, but didn’t know for certain. “Can you get it out of there?”

“I’m not a homophobe,” one of them admitted, “but I don’t know…”

“Allow me,” another said. “Just another day in the life for me.”

Craig took a second look at the EMT. Gay, huh? And good-looking, too.

The one who’d already proven to be unreliable gave an angry growl. “You don’t have to sound so goddamned proud of it.”

“Are you saying I should be ashamed?”

This wasn’t the time to have a discussion about sexuality. Another time…Craig would give them an earful, and an ass-full to the cute EMT who’d just come out in front of him.

Craig took the head of the man’s sizeable cock between his fingers and felt around the circumference of his cock-head. And he didn’t like what he quickly concluded. “You got any tweezers?”

“This is ridiculous,” the homophobe said. “We need to get this guy to the hospital right now. Who gives a fuck what he’s got rammed up his cock.”