Divide and Conquest (Grimm's Reapers Book 4)
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Authors: Jack Crosby
Divide and Conquest
By Jack Crosby
Two Dudes, Brews, & Books
First Edition
© 2016
Please do not re-distribute this book
in any way or format for
commercial purposes
or change the content.
This book is a work of fiction.
All of the names, places,
and events that occur are from
the author’s imagination.
Any resemblance to an actual
person, alive or dead, place,
historical event, or business establishment
is purely coincidental.
Cover image by
67 Studios Production
Chapter 3 – Upstairs Influence
Chapter 4 – The Missing Horseman
Chapter 5 – Well this is Awkward
Chapter 6 – Speedy Ain’t so Speedy
Chapter 7 – Oh Canada, You’re not the U.S.A.!
Chapter 10 – Unleash the Kraken!
Chapter 14 – A Parade of Weirdos
Chapter 15 – Attack of the Gnomes
Chapter 16 – From the Mouth of Dragons
Chapter 18 – Someone Stole the Liberty Bell?!
Chapter 20 – Divide and Conquest
Chapter 21 – Field Trip to Eden
Chapter 22 – The Original Sinners
Chapter 23 – An Army Retrieved
Chapter 24 – Questions and Answers
Chapter 25 – From Eden with Love
Chapter 26 – The Infiltration Squad
“Damnit Oz! Pay attention to the road!”
My kid just looked at me like I was toilet slime. “Dude, I got this.” Then he addressed the car. “You won’t let me die, will ya Khloros?”
My horse’s voice came through the stereo system in the car. “Of course not Master Oz. As for your imbecile of a father, I should have years ago.”
I should probably back up and answer a few questions. Last time we spoke, Oz here was just a wee little guy who had just lost his mom and I ran away with. Now the little asshole’s sixteen and is getting ready to get his driver’s license. God bless the examiner the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation gives him.
Yep, we’re back in south Philly too, at the old detective agency Roxanna and I started. We had hopped around the globe a bit before settling down back here a few years ago. Roxanne said it would be good for Oz to have some stability in his already unusual life.
The poor kid was the son of the Horseman Death and a Lust demon. And yes, I told him what happened to his real mom, Jecella. I thought he was going to be pissed at me about it, but he took it in stride. He listened to the entire story and didn’t make any judgments until I was finished. Turns out he’s one tough kid, which is good because of the life he’s going to have. Especially since he doesn’t know about his brother…
What really helped is when he said he thought of Roxanne as his mom. This was amazing to her because her only other daughter was a complete bitch. I’m pretty sure she cried for two straight hours.
The past sixteen years have taken their toll on me though. For the first time in my very long life, I feel old. The running and hiding from the inevitable has done a number on Derrick Grimm. It’s hard to sleep at night and it’s even harder to trust the world. I haven’t seen any of my brothers since that fateful night years ago and contact from Upstairs has been minimal. Only Veronica, the angel, checks in on us once in a blue moon.
What scares me is that Sabrina, the Hell witch spawn of Roxanne and Beelzebub (don’t ask – celestial family reunions are a total clusterfuck) is still out there. Plus she has my other son, Jacoby. I tried so hard to find him, but they’re like ghosts in the wind. Whatever small leads I find here or there just lead to dead ends. Plus, I didn’t know just how strong Sabrina’s gotten. She might be on par with Lucifer for all I knew.
The car swerved again, breaking me out of my thoughts. “Whoa! What the hell are you doing Oz?”
“Sorry, I got a text from this hot chick at school.”
I looked on at him incredulously. “You can’t text and drive you dumb fuck! Sweet mercy, do you have shit for brains?”
He just rolled his eyes at my outburst. “You’re one to talk. Whenever mom texts you, you take it.” Then with added zing, “Hypocrite.”
“I’m an adult! If I want to risk my life, I will!”
“To be fair Grimm,” great the horse had to chime in, “you are both immortals. A car accident would only do lasting damage to me, not either of you.”
Yep, Oz was gifted with my special ‘talent’ of immortality. I mean he was half a Horseman and half a Lust demon, it only made sense. “See Oz, you should think of your Uncle Khloros before you go texting said girl next time.”
He dropped the phone in the cup holder and hit the gas, sending me head back into the headrest with vigor. Let me tell you, I was so happy when he pulled up front of our little slice of heaven in the city so I could get out. I practically ran from the car and kissed the ground. “I can’t believe Roxanne talked me into this shit.”
Oz tossed me the keys as he walked by towards the door. “Don’t be so melodramatic.”
I put them in my pocket and followed him in. We were greeted by our former Lust demon and one-time angel friend, Roxanne. We’d created a little family unit for my kid and she deserved a lot of the credit. Michael had blessed her with a second chance and she was basically Oz’s guardian angel; much more than that actually.
Gone was her tan skin, replaced by a more Death appropriate pearl white and her hair was long and sleek. She maintained her curves and as always had that devil may care smirk that got me. We’d had our ups and downs, but the Almighty kept bringing us back together. Even after all of my dalliances and a bit of rejection towards her.
She’d taken well to life back in the city and was dressing the part too. When I asked her why she always dressed like she was going to the club, her response was, “To feel good, you must look good. Something you desperately need to do.”
She gave Oz a big hug and kiss before sending him on his way. Once he ran upstairs to his little apartment above us, “So, how did he do?”
“He’s a terrible driver! I don’t even know where he picked up half of those habits!”
Her black heel tapped the ground. “I know exactly where he picked them up – you.” The way she said it with that impish grin was actually quite cute. “Whether you like it or not, you’re his father and his role model. You could do a better job at both if we’re being honest.”
“Always with the honesty huh?”
“That is why you still love me after all these years.”
It certainly wasn’t the love story they try to hawk women in the grocery store, but somehow we made it work. I guess being two celestials with checkered pasts made it a lot easier to forgive and forget. “Be that as it may, sometimes a nice white lie would be cool.”
“And a diamond tennis bracelet would also be cool, but alas we don’t always get what we want.”
Loud stomping shook the house. Oz was on his way back down. “Yo, parental units, can I go over to Jesse’s house to hang out for a bit?”
It was a Saturday afternoon and what kid wanted to be stuck in the house with his supernatural parents? “Yeah, just don’t be out late okay?” He gave me a salute and ran out the door.
Roxanne was looking at me like I had three heads. “You sound like such an old man.”
Having looked in the mirror before I took Oz out for his lesson, I knew I still looked like an awesome early twenties guy. “The only thing old on me is my soul baby.”
Just as I was getting ready to seduce this hot little piece of ass, my phone rang. No one really calls me, they know the best way to get in touch with me is through Roxanne. I pulled it out of my pocket and saw it said unknown caller. Roxanne and I shared an odd look before I answered. “Hello?”
“Derrick Grimm, your life is forfeit.”
The speaker, who was trying to sound intimidating, failed as soon as his voice cracked. “Is this some sort of prank?”
I heard a harsh cough, as if to try this again. “This is a deadly serious matter; you won’t live to see another of your son’s birthdays.” The guy’s voice on the other end squeaked again on the word birthdays.
I couldn’t help it, I just started laughing. “If this is one of Oz’s friends, you’re doing a piss poor job of scaring me. You should try this again when you’re not going through puberty.”
Roxanne was smiling and mouthed, “I’m going to the bedroom. Be naked when you finish.”
With that to look forward to, my attention went back to the phone call. Muffled voices seemed to be arguing on the other end. I waited patiently as this was becoming a fun game. When the voice returned, it was trying so hard to sound deep and manly. “You don’t know the forces you’re mocking! I’ve been to the depths of Tartarus and back!”
My smile faded. None of Oz’s friends knew about our family secrets and wouldn’t have known anything about Tartarus. “Who is this?”
A second voice, one that sounded hauntingly familiar took control on the other end. “You will get the answers soon Horseman. In the meantime, take this as a courtesy and prepare yourself for combat.”
I reached into my pocket and felt Leviathan, my scythe. I hadn’t used it in sixteen years. “Picking a fight with Death isn’t the smartest thing the two of you buffoons could be doing.”
“Balrog, King of the Minotaurs, does not fear you!” Then the phone cut off.
I dropped it right where I was standing. Roxanne must’ve heard and walked back into the main room in nothing more than her silk robe. Her breasts were practically hanging out, begging to be fondled, but now wasn’t the time. “My dear, what’s wrong?”
Focusing from the phone lying on the ground to the half-naked woman standing in front of me, “I think that was Jacoby.” I still couldn’t believe it, was that really my son? “What have they done to him?”
She gasped and ran forward, holding on to me. “How can you be so sure?”
“Balrog was with him, the Minotaur King.” Her mouth dropped open, just as shocked as I was. “This can only mean one thing.”
Her voice filled with venom and hatred, “Yeah, that my bitch of a daughter has come to die.”
**Oz**
“Jesse dude, don’t be a little bitch. It’s not that hard.”
My best friend was looking down the ramp, not really sure he wanted to go through with this. “C’mon Oz, just give me an R and let’s move on. I can’t do the trick.”
We were playing horse at the skate park and I nailed a pretty sweet three-sixty. “You don’t know if you don’t try. Where’s that sense of adventure at man?”
He looked down the ramp and back at me again. “I lost it when I saw you nail the landing. You’ve never been able to hit that trick before.”
“See, if I can do it, so can you!”
“Fine, but if I bust my face, this is your fault.”
Tired I waiting, I gave him a little kick to help and down he went. He got himself into position and as he came off the other side started spinning. It looked like he was going to nail it, but at the last second, the board fell out from under him. He crashed epically into the cement.
I skated down to make sure he was okay. “Dude, that was an awesome wipeout!”
He groaned, but was otherwise fine. “Your definition of awesome has always been off Oz.”
To make him feel better, “Look over there. Candy Tripston thought it was pretty awesome too.” The tall blonde sitting on the bench was looking over at us. She gave the two of us a small wave.
That made him smile. “I’ll gladly take my R if she’s the prize.”
If only that was the case for him. Little did he know I was using some of my mom’s Lust demon instincts to grab her attention. She was getting hot alright, but it was because of the juju I was sending her way. But being the good friend that I was, that’d just stay kept away as my secret. No one needed to know what I really was.