The voltage began to increase and the channel abruptly opened fully. Yet no horned and screaming demon rushed through it from the far reaches of hell. Instead a silvery mist rose gently and Jonny detected a sweet cloying scent on the air that began to mask the bitter brimstone. A figure shimmered within the darkened room, glowing within a gentle rosy light, whilst a sighing sound whispered once; this was an unexpected manifestation. The mist dissipated and Jonny found himself staring at a face, both solemn and happy, beautiful beyond any human face. The clear blue eyes were curious in their regard, studying him closely then roving about the room briefly before returning to gaze at him.
“Where is this place ?”
The voice was honey sweet, soft and very alluring.
“Are you the one who called me here ?”
The figure moved a little closer, her merest movements both graceful perfection and sexual seduction; a little upturning of the perfect lips inviting him to her.
“I am your summoner.” Jonny pronounced ritually. “I called you forth to do my bidding.”
The woman dropped her face slightly so that she looked up through her long eyelashes at him, a gesture of obeisance and seduction.
“And what would you bid me do lord ?” She asked, her body an open invitation for him.
Despite his rigid self control Jonny found his pulse quickening at this display, little wonder this demon had ascended so high in the hell hordes, it bypassed the rational mind and played directly on the most powerful human drives of pleasure and reproduction. He stood up as if to step into the inviting arms of this angelic she devil.
“Tell me your name.” He commanded her, but delivered it as though it were a breathless request.
Jonny knew that no demon would ever reveal its real name but they often used elements of it in their pseudonym, the trick was in decoding those real elements.
“I am Bathsephael-Ra.” She replied in a subservient tone. “Command me lord.”
The way in which she placed her slender hands upon her breast, emphasising her generous cleavage, was another overt sexual invitation.

Artemesia stirred in her dark corner, her jealously betraying her.
The she demon flicked a sharp glance at the cowering shaggy form and the perfect lips drew back in a savage silent snarl at her, betraying her true demonic intent.
Jonny tapped the enter key and the voltage dropped to zero, the channel snapped shut.
Bathsephael-Ra looked innocently back at Jonny.
“Why does my master shut the portal to eternal pleasure, do I displease you so much ?” She asked in hurt tones.
“Oh, you’re good.” Jonny murmured.
Her perfect face began to darken slightly and the clear blue eyes were no longer soft or inviting as they stared back at him.
“But it ends here, tonight.”
“So. A demon hunter.” Bathsephael-Ra sneered at Jonny. “I shall harvest your soul and still return unhindered.”
She began to reach out with her perfect right hand towards the pentangle medallion that Jonny wore and was now clenching in his own right hand as though it were a protective talisman. She knew that his defence was not complete, she would capture this arrogant human so easily.
“Mesi.” Jonny said softly.
Artemesia straightened up from her crouch and with a slight smile on her hideous face drew out her sword with a single fluid sweep.
“You think that will hurt me ?” Bathsephael-Ra laughed raucously. “It is but a pinprick to such as I.”
She lunged at Jonny, but he twisted about so that her raking claws missed him completely, leaving her back exposed to his strike as he stabbed the medallion into it. There was a terrible scream from the demon as it clawed at the four pointed star that protruded from her back, Jonny had tripped the mechanism that sprung the medallion into its new cross shaped configuration. In her pain Bathsephael-Ra let her guard down momentarily allowing Artemesia to slice her flaming sword down and cut deeply into the left leg. Another scream rent the air deafeningly as the she demon retreated from the pair clutching her wounded leg, her perfect figure beginning to dissolve and an altogether more vicious and brutal shape emerge.
“You shall suffer greatly for that insolence.” She growled at Artemesia, her voice deepening and becoming harsher.
Jonny read the bluff, Bathsephael-Ra was about to make a run for it, he flicked the switch and a little ultra violet lamp glowed weakly. But the demon looked about in growing panic, every inch of the walls, the ceiling and even the floor was covered in biblical texts that now seared into her.

“Your turn Artemesia.” Jonny bade her with small wave.
Bathsephael-Ra watched in pained awe as Artemesia straightened her posture completely and shed her demonic disguise to reveal her angelic form.
“You cannot….” Bathsephael-Ra screeched. “You are fallen !”
“And I raised Artemesia back up.” Jonny replied.
Now the she demon realised the terrible trap that she had fallen into, but even trapped she now knew the name of her attacker, she had power over him.
“Raphael.” Artemesia said clearly, stunning the demon into silence, she knew this other fallen angel well.
“Raphael, by the book I bind you.” Jonny intoned.
The demon was unable to lunge forward at him now, but Jonny wanted to destroy as much of the power it had amassed and that meant a dangerous hands on excoriation and expulsion. He picked up the tube of clear liquid and poured it into his left hand then rubbed both hands together before firmly grasping the now semi-demonic head, which screeched back at him in agony.
“By these holy and blest waters I wash you Raphael.”
Smoke and acrid fumes rose about the demons head as the water burned into it, leaching away the sin hardened layers of protection it had acquired.
Removing his hands Jonny picked up another tube and spread its viscous contents on his hands.
“I anoint you with holy chrism Raphael.”
Jonny rubbed his hands all over the rank and horrible form that writhed and screeched under his ministrations, robbing it of yet more power and protection, but the binding spell was wearing thin.
Raphael abruptly broke free and the viciously clawed hands came blurring at Jonny only to be sliced off by a burning blade that flashed between victim and demon. Jonny ducked and rolled to one side to allow Artemesia to make more aggressive cuts to the now maimed creature, further weakening it. Beating it back from her beloved.
Jonny stood up and held out both his hands towards the demon as it crouched at bay beyond Artemesia’s sun bright manifestation.
“Raphael, by the book I bind you, by the bell I drive you from this world and by the candle I burn away your sinful form, begone !”

Silent flames burst from the ravaged form and consumed the demon in a few moments of blistering conflagration. Artemesia still shone and the myriad words glowed on in eerie silence, the only trace of the demon were piles of black rank dust. The room still stank of brimstone, but it was over.
“Thank you my love.” Jonny said as she turned about. “That one was wickedly fast.”
She shone radiantly, basking in his praise.
Jonny stood still for long languorous minutes facing her, he freely let his love for this fallen beauty flow. That act of love had doomed him all those years ago but he had never relented of his decision.
With a deep breath he broke the spell and surveyed the STM room; not bad, the damage from some fights was difficult to put right, but this time it was just a cleanup job. He carefully swept up the black dust and placed it in a small sweetly scented wooden box. Then he swabbed the floor with water that he had blessed and stuffed the dirty tissues into a bag for disposal by fire, there must be no trace of the demon left in this room to attract others to the spot. Finally he took a white candle out of his cupboard and set it in a simple silver holder on the bench. The flame that burned with a pale blue radiance released a subtle aroma into the air, slowly erasing the bitter smell of the demon’s breath. He crossed himself and began to murmur a litany of cleansing, dispelling completely all traces of the demonic invasion into the room, leaving only a scent of fresh mown hay. He let the candle burn as he cleaned the dark and eldritch substances from the five points about the STM head and returned the bench to its former pristine cleanliness. Only when he was totally satisfied that no trace of the episode remained did he extinguish the candle and put it away in the ornate wooden box that he placed at the back of his cupboard, he was not quite finished with its contents yet.

Jonny extracted the puck carrying the mutant channel proteins from the STM and held it up before him, this was destined for the waste. He dropped it into the yellow burn bin and closed the lid on it. Then made a note in his lab book. Mutant N65C, inactive.
He deleted the IV files from the computer and substituted flat traces from another inactive mutant channel protein; no-one would ever use that deadly gate again. He disposed of  all the stocks of the protein so that it could not be accidentally used. As a final precaution he thawed all the cell stocks of the mutant and injected 1M trichloracetic acid into them before returning them to the deep freeze.
“Lets go home Mesi.”
On his way to the flat Jonny took a detour into a churchyard and stopped beneath a cross that had been erected to the dead of the two world wars. The crescent moon was descending towards the western horizon and Rigel was no longer precisely caught in its horns, the demon moon was over. He brought out the little wooden box, opened its lid, then slowly tipped it over to allow the black dust to fall. Out of the still night air a sudden gust of breeze caught the dust and sent it whirling away from the churchyard, not one grain was allowed to touch hallowed ground.
“You’re an unforgiving bastard Gabriel.” Jonny whispered.

With the defeat of the demon Jonny knew that the clock was running on the other matter that kept him here, the possessed head of department. The demon within David would learn of the exorcism and either flee or cause its possessed carrier to leave, Jonny could not permit either outcome. He had one more test to apply. A demon could not walk within the bounds of sacred grounds.
“If the demon won’t go to the church….” He mused. “The church must come to the demon.”
He was standing in the corridor watching one particular door, it led into Professor Oryzca’s office. He knew that there was another route in and out of the office, via the connecting door into the secretary’s office and then out onto the corridor from there, but David rarely used that route. Satisfied of this fact he tapped his chin idly, how to apply the test ? Sanctify the door and the demon would have to use the other way, excuses could be made but then Jonny would have proof positive. Artemesia stood beside him, her attention upon the door, like a lioness stalking her prey.
“Tonight, my love, we lay our final trap.”
Her face turned towards him with an almost demonic look upon it, the line between using her power for good and evil was so very thin, but she had never transgressed it during their time together.
“Come away.” He bade her.
The lab was quieter than usual that Monday, Don did not put in his customary appearance, he did not come into work at all. This did not perturb Jonny and he enjoyed the luxury of the STM room to himself, allowing him to begin measuring another mutant channel protein, there were four more to analyse and eliminate as possible demon gates. As was now customary Jonny was still in the building after most other people had left for the evening. The lack of general electrical activity and vibration of people moving around, doors slamming and so on always led to better data after hours. It also allowed Jonny the perfect cover for being nearly alone in the building to set his demon trap.

“He is gone.” Artemesia announced at a little after eight o’clock.
David was one of the late workers, apparently working on papers and reports but this took little effort when his demon took a hand to coerce the students and postdocs that worked for him to produce near faultless manuscripts. Jonny didn’t know what David got up to in the privacy of his office, he didn’t want to know, demon’s had unsavoury appetites. He just wanted him out of the building so that he could work undisturbed and undetected.
He carefully laid the ornate box down on the floor and extracted a light green glass bottle, wytch hazel oil, he would have preferred to use holy water but its potency was lost after a short time beyond sacred precincts. No, the oil would suffice very well. Pouring a little out onto a tissue he began the process of anointing the entire door surface and the surrounds with it to leave a clean slightly antiseptic scent in the air. He left the door handle uncoated, the demon would have no warning as it attempted passage through the doorway, no excuses this time.
“Can you pass through the door Mesi ?” He asked her.
She looked at him solemnly, this would hurt her.
“I must have total confidence Mesi.”
“Yes Jon.”
Steeling herself she tried to pass the barrier but its merest touch sent her back with a hiss of pain, the way was closed.
“Sorry Mesi.” He consoled her.
She hung close beside him, seeking union or at least to be as close as she could to him.
“Later my love.” He whispered.
Putting his first finger over the end of the glass vial he upended it one last time and then traced a cross on the door with his fingertip.
“I bless this door and close it against Lucifer and all his demon hordes.” He intoned as he made the two strokes.
The trap was set, the morning would bring the answer he needed.

Nor did Jonny have to hang around in the corridor waiting for David to arrive for work, Artemesia gave him a running commentary on where the target was right up to the moment that they both entered the corridor at the same moment.
“Morning Jon.” David waved to him cheerily as he approached his office.
“Morning David.” Jonny acknowledged, as he came the other way along the thoroughfare.
David grasped hold of the door handle inserted the key into the lock, turned it and went to go inside. But he could not open the door, the demon within was repelled by the blessing and the oil.
“What the…?” David spluttered.
“Something the matter ?” Jonny asked as he was passing.
“There’s…” David began.
His demon was now fully aroused and searching for clues. David’s eyes alighted upon Jonny and narrowed.
“Door stuck ?” Jonny suggested.
“No…its….”
David sniffed the air and caught the scent of the oil.
“Contamination.” He breathed angrily. “Someone has put something on my door !”
“What ?”
“There’s something on my door.” David stated and stepped away from it as though it was radioactive. “Someone is going to pay for this stupid prank.” He growled and strode into his secretary’s office demanding that Safety Services be called out to test his door for poisons or worse.
Jonny quietly walked away, the demon had failed the third test.
“When ?” Artemesia demanded at his shoulder. “It is dangerous now.”
Jonny sighed, she was right, they could not delay for long.
“Tonight.” He resolved.
“Yes.” Artemesia hissed exultantly.
It was predictably, an unproductive day. Jonny was too tense prior to the showdown to settle to the demanding rigour of STM measurements and he was still tired from the showdown with Raphael just two days before. He made up some fresh stock solutions and read papers instead, valuable enough endeavours but just time filling in his fidgety state.

“You going to stay here all night reading ?” Jenny enquired cheekily at the end of the day.
“Sometimes a mans gotta do.” Jonny sighed melodramatically.
“Oh sure.” She laughed. “You aren’t paying enough attention to Domi.” She added more seriously.
“I know.” He nodded. “I’ll call her tonight when I’m done.”
Jenny gave him a look that reinforced her message before turning away and leaving the lab. Jonny sat silently for a few minutes, mulling his situation over. He enjoyed his time with Dominique, especially when they were alone together in a big soft bed, but it was doomed to be a short liason. A sharing of bodies but not love. He was grateful that she would be leaving to return home within the month, it allowed a gentle separation, no deep and painful emotional attachments to be severed; how could he love a mortal woman when his life went on and on ?
“It is time.” Artemesia told him sternly an indeterminate time later.
“Okay.”
Jonny picked up his bag, checked its contents and then went downstairs to the final confrontation. He saw a student walking unsteadily down the stairs three floors below, he recognised her as one of David’s post graduates, tonight’s entertainment he suspected. His appearance in David’s office via the secretary’s door caught David by surprise, he was still re-fastening his tie.
“Ohh. Hello Jon, didn’t hear you knock.” He smiled winningly.
“That is because I didn’t knock.” Jonny said coolly. “Not decontaminated yet ?” He enquired jerking his head at the plastic shrouded door to the corridor.
“No.” David said with a hint of suspicion. “But what can I do for you Jon ?”
“Have you considered your future David ?” Jonny asked him in return.
David looked genuinely perplexed by the question.
“My future ?”
“Beyond the department.” Jonny said.
“Goodness, I’m not ready to retire yet Jonny, plenty of life in me yet.” He grinned.
“Artemesia, guard the door.” Jonny ordered as he laid his bag on the desk and removed a heavy book from it.
“Who are you talking to ?” David demanded, looking around jerkily, his demon suspicious.
“My guardian angel.” Jonny replied and removed a golden crucifix from his bag to hang around his neck.
“Guardian….angel.” David said very quietly as his demon began to panic.

“Show yourself Mesi.” Jonny bade her as he removed the last object from his bag, a flask of holy water.
“Oh my god !” David uttered hoarsely, his eyes bulging wide.
The one easy escape route was now blocked by an angel, her white wings widespread and her gaze icy. He made a move towards her, the demon was testing this angel’s resolve for it was ages crafty and very strong, strong enough to intimidate an ordinary angel. The blazing blade that Artemesia drew in response sent a wave of fear through it, that was no angel’s blade.
“You.”
“I am your nemesis.” Jonny pronounced with the bible held in his right hand and the now opened flask in his left.
“You vanquished Raphael.” David’s lips uttered even though he had not spoken the words.
“And now it’s your turn.”
David turned aside and rushed at the window, even though it was a sealed double glazed unit, but Artemesia was far quicker than he and was before it in an instant.
“Nooooo.” David wailed.
“Easy or hard ?” Jonny asked him.
The demon knew it had no real choice, this was the demon hunter, he could not be corrupted or bought off.
“I will kill the human.” It snarled through David’s mouth.
“Wrong answer.” Jonny retorted and flicked the flask.
Just three drops of the water landed on the cornered academic but he screamed in agony as it burned the demon within and he collapsed on the floor in a writhing fit.
“By the powers vested in me.” Jonny intoned over the twitching form. “And in the name of Jesus Christ I command you to begone, begone, begone !”
At each order Jonny dropped more holy water on him in the shape of a cross and David was caught in a rigor that had him on his back, his arms and legs stretched out as though nailed to a cross. His mouth was stretched wide open in a strangled scream and Jonny stepped over him to hold the flask over it.
“Bye.”
The water cascaded down into the open mouth and seared the demon away from inside the ‘crucified’ man in a single awful scream of pain and loss.
Artemesia sheathed her sword, looking a little disappointed that she had not had cause to use it on the demon.
“It is ended, he is free.”
David looked up from the floor, his eyes darting about the room wildly.
“What…what am I to do ?” He whispered in anguish as he recalled all that he had done whilst possessed.
It had all been so easy then; no guilt, just power. A catalogue of black deeds. Deeds that would now exact a price.
“Consider your future beyond the department.” Jonny replied with callous indifference.
The man had been a willing participant in his own possession, he was damned, but at least now he could not exert further evil over those under his sway.
“You must help me.” David whined, still lying on the floor wringing his hands together.
“I just did.”
Jonny replaced the bible, crucifix and flask in his bag, closed it up and walked to the door.
“You can’t just leave me like this.” David pleaded pathetically.
“Bye.”
As he left the building he pressed the speed dial on his phone and held it to his ear.
“Hi, Dominque. Ca va ?”