Lionel looked between young Ash and the Book of the Dead, then carefully offered his best explanation. "They probably watched you summon several contracted demons in a row and kill every single one of them. Once the survivors realized what was happening, the weaker ones terminated their contracts before you could call them next." He paused, then added, "Honestly, I don't think the Dark Ones ever imagined a situation where demons would become afraid of being summoned into the human world."
Young Ash's expression immediately darkened. "So there weren't many left alive to begin with, and now every manageable one ran away. What kind of supernatural contract lets the other party cancel whenever things stop going their way?" He looked offended on principle. "For supposedly ancient beings trying to conquer humanity, the Dark Ones had terrible contract enforcement."
Lionel opened his mouth, then wisely decided not to argue. From everything he had translated, demons probably once considered a contract granting access to Earth an incredible opportunity, so the Dark Ones had little reason to imagine one would voluntarily give that privilege up. The real problem was that nobody in ancient times had planned for someone like Ash to turn the Book of the Dead into a controlled demon-hunting machine.
Older Ash fought back a laugh. "Don't take it personally, junior. Sometimes you've got to learn how to let things go."
Young Ash slowly turned toward him. "If you don't come up with a useful idea soon, I'm going to find out whether Lionel's bad translation about putting the book 'inside the originator' works literally." He pointed toward older Ash's stomach. "You caused this mess, so technically you're still our best test subject."
Older Ash immediately stopped smiling.
In truth, young Ash had already gotten an enormous return from the brief summoning spree, which made losing the remaining targets even more irritating. Several of the lesser demons had contributed little beyond strengthening his existing Demonic Power, increasing its density, quantity, and corrosive effect to the point where Ash suspected the black energy was approaching the destructive quality of extremely powerful industrial acid. The Flame Demon had been more worthwhile, leaving behind a fire-aspected enhancement that allowed his Demonic Power to carry a much stronger burning component when he wanted it.
There had also been one especially strange successful summon before the contracts began disappearing. Lionel had called a paired succubus contract that brought forth two adult demons linked as mother and daughter, with one presenting herself as soft-spoken and innocent while the other leaned heavily into the traditional seductive act. Ash had ignored the performance, killed both once it became clear they had nothing useful to offer, and unexpectedly gained Succubus Affinity from each of them.
That meant the passive ability had now stacked three times.
The result was far more noticeable than before. Ash's physical appearance had not changed, and the ability did not directly manipulate anyone's mind, but his overall presence had become unusually approachable and naturally charismatic. An ordinary stranger meeting him for the first time would now be inclined to view him favorably almost immediately, which Ash had to admit was an extremely useful trait for a federal agent.
He had deliberately decided not to tell older Ash about the double succubus summon. There was no operational value in sharing that information, and more importantly, Ash was certain the older man would be genuinely upset that he had missed it. Keeping the story in reserve for the next time they argued felt like the more responsible choice.
"I've got an idea."
Pablo and older Ash spoke at almost exactly the same time.
Older Ash gestured toward Pablo. "You first."
Pablo nodded. "My uncle knows this kind of stuff. He's a shaman, and he's dealt with spiritual problems before. If Lionel can't figure out the reversal spell from the book, maybe my uncle can help us find another way to shut it down."
Young Ash considered the suggestion and nodded. "That's actually useful." He then looked toward older Ash. "What's yours?"
Older Ash's expression became more serious. "The cabin."
Everyone went quiet.
"That's where this whole nightmare started for me," older Ash continued. "The first book, the Deadites, everything. If there's some connection between the summoning and the place where I originally found the book, maybe we can learn something by going back. Worst case, maybe we bury the damn thing where it came from and see if that shuts it up."
Kelly folded her arms. "Both ideas make sense. So which one do we try first?"
"Both."
Young Ash answered without hesitation.
He looked between the group members and quickly divided the work. "Older Ash and I take the Book of the Dead back to the cabin. Pablo, Kelly, and Amanda go find Pablo's uncle and see what he knows about the summoning, the Dark Ones, or anything that can sever the connection."
Amanda frowned slightly. "Why split up?"
"Time." Ash adjusted the strap of his shotgun. "The book is still active, and we don't know what else might cross over while we're traveling. The cabin is probably the more dangerous destination because it's directly tied to the original incident, so older Ash and I handle that while the rest of you take the safer lead."
Older Ash looked offended. "Hold on. Why aren't you worried about my safety?"
Young Ash gave him a perfectly calm look. "Guess who opened the book."
Older Ash said nothing.
Ash pointed toward Pablo, Kelly, and Amanda. "You started this. I'm not dragging three people who had nothing to do with your mistake into the most dangerous part of the cleanup when the man responsible is standing right here." His tone remained even, but the meaning was unmistakable. "This is your mess, and you're helping me finish it."
For once, Ashley J. Williams did not make a joke.
He looked toward Kelly and Pablo, then at Amanda, all of whom had been pulled into the consequences of something he had done. The usual smug expression faded as memories of the cabin returned, along with everyone he had lost there decades earlier. "Yeah," he finally said. "You're right."
Older Ash looked down at the Book of the Dead in his hands. "Walking into that cabin was the biggest mistake of my life. If going back is what it takes to finish this, then let's go."
Young Ash nodded once. "Good. Give me a minute to report in."
He activated the tiny AIIB earpiece first and gave the tactical communications desk a concise update about Lionel's findings, the terminated contracts, the remaining high-level demons, and the decision to split the investigation. Once that was done, he pulled out his phone and called Raymond Cross directly.
Hundreds of miles away in Washington, D.C., Raymond's phone began vibrating inside a secure conference room.
The Abnormal Incident Investigation Bureau was still young enough that its national structure remained incomplete, but headquarters had already established the framework it intended to use. Each state would eventually have a coordination branch headquartered in or near the state capital, while major population centers with unusually high supernatural activity would receive independent operational branches capable of responding without waiting for state-level approval. New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and several other strategically important cities had already been placed in that category.
New York State's primary state coordination branch was planned around Albany, while Raymond commanded the independent New York City Branch. Connecticut's coordination branch operated from Hartford, and similar offices were being created elsewhere as personnel became available. Because many branches were still little more than secure facilities, administrative staff, and a handful of investigators, only about a dozen directors had gathered for the current leadership meeting.
The latest agenda centered on major operations and civilian recruitment.
Raymond's New York Branch had attracted more attention than most.
It was, after all, the only branch that had recently requested permission to deploy an automatic grenade launcher during an operation inside a major American city.
Headquarters had approved the request after reviewing security footage from around the condemned apartment building. The recordings showing the fused Deadite mass crashing through vehicles and moving through the underground garage had ended most objections very quickly. Nobody in the room wanted to explain how ordinary rifles were supposed to stop a creature built from more than a dozen possessed corpses.
At the head of the table sat Director-General Harrison Blake, a stern man with a receding hairline, old-fashioned glasses, and the permanent expression of someone who considered wasted time a personal insult. He looked around the conference table and asked, "Where do we stand on recruiting civilians with verified supernatural experience?"
Los Angeles Branch Director Frank Morales answered first. He was lean, close-cropped, and spoke with the clipped confidence of someone accustomed to operational briefings. "Better than expected. Most of the candidates we identified through older incident files have either agreed to join or entered preliminary screening."
Morales folded his hands on the table. "We're still working on our final priority candidate. He has established connections with the Church and doesn't trust a federal organization trying to formalize supernatural investigations. I'd put our chances at fifty-fifty unless headquarters gives me more flexibility."
Blake made a note and looked toward the Connecticut representative.
Edward Caldwell, director of the Hartford coordination branch, spoke next. "Our recruitment pool is smaller. We haven't found many civilians with both credible supernatural experience and the stability required for federal work." He paused before adding, "We have, however, established contact with an experienced husband-and-wife team involved in demonology and exorcism cases. I believe there's a strong chance they'll cooperate even if they don't become full-time agents."
Raymond immediately thought of the files he had seen on similar civilian investigators, but said nothing. Headquarters was already learning that people who had spent years dealing with the supernatural privately did not always appreciate the government suddenly appearing and asking them to fill out employment paperwork. Trust would take time.
Director-General Blake finally turned toward him. "New York?"
Raymond adjusted his glasses. "Our only fully operational field officer at the moment is Special Agent Ash Williams. We have additional names under review, but most require more verification before I'm willing to bring them inside the Bureau." He paused. "There's also a minor with a documented paranormal ability. I don't intend to approach her until we have a clearer policy for handling underage candidates."
Blake tapped one finger against the table. "Williams is the Special Agent who requested the heavy weapon authorization?"
"Yes."
"What exactly is special about him?"
Raymond rubbed the bridge of his nose.
That was a much more complicated question than it sounded.
"Exceptional physical ability, unusually high endurance, advanced mixed martial arts capability, excellent firearms proficiency, and an obvious talent for heavy weapons," Raymond said. "He also learns extremely quickly. He completed the theoretical portion of his onboarding well ahead of schedule with perfect scores."
Several directors glanced toward him.
Raymond continued. "There's one more factor. During the apartment-building operation, security footage captured Williams using some kind of black energy around his body and weapons. Whatever it is, it appears capable of increasing his physical performance and directly damaging supernatural entities."
Blake's eyes narrowed slightly. "An awakened paranormal ability?"
"That's the safest classification for now."
Raymond chose his words carefully.
He privately suspected the energy was demonic in nature, especially after reviewing the way it reacted to the fused Deadite and the reports from earlier missions. But Ash had never formally identified the ability as Demonic Power, and the Bureau's only direct evidence consisted of blurry camera footage, combat aftermath, and incomplete sensor readings.
Until Raymond knew more, he had no intention of putting the word demonic into Ash Williams's official personnel file.