by Michael Todd
Korbin chuckled as he laced his up. “Hell, they might’ve been yours.”
Stephanie pulled on a double holster and grabbed two pistols, putting one in each side. She walked over to the daggers and chose four of them. “I feel like I could definitely do some damage with these.” She stuck them in sheaths on her Kevlar vest and flexed, testing her range of motion.
Korbin was staring at her. “I feel like you probably could.”
She shrugged her shoulders and grinned. “Do as the Romans do.”
Korbin laughed and stuck a long fat-bladed knife into a sheath on his side. “Damn right.”
Calvin passed the elevator and skidded to a stop in the IT room. Timothy was wheeling his chair around the room. He was a one-man whirlwind, typing here, checking a screen there around the room. He stopped and looked at Calvin. “The weapons production building should be completely locked down. Josh is inside, ready to fight if he needs to, and many of the girls are working their way through to the bunker. As soon as they clear the doors, I’ll lock it down.”
The merc nodded. “Good. Keep checking with us, just in case we need anything from down here. I’m pretty sure we have all we need up there, but you never know. There could be more demons than we know what to do with. It might be a little while before the military shows up.”
Timothy tapped his ear. “My earpiece is good to go. I’m just waiting for everybody to turn on theirs. I made sure Korbin and Stephanie had one this morning. For some reason, I just had a bad feeling. I’ll run communication from in here. I can seal the room if I need to be locked completely inside. Get to it. I’ll flip any switches you need, just let me know.”
One of the guards came over the loudspeaker. “The first wave is over, but we can see the rest coming. I’m not sure how many more waves there are.”
Calvin grabbed the walkie on his shoulder and pressed the button. “Ten-four. We are on our way up to the surface. Just hold them for us and we’ll help you as soon as we get there. Have you taken heavy casualties?”
The guard replied. “Just one. These demons aren’t the brightest.”
Calvin chuckled. “They never are. Hold it down, buddy. We’re coming.”
Calvin turned to leave the room and ran smack into Korbin and Stephanie. They were all decked out in their battle gear. It made Calvin think of old times, back when they’d headed into incursions together, and he couldn’t help but smile. He shifted his eyes to the floor.
Korbin walked over to the security monitors that pointed at the yard. “They said they’re coming in waves?”
Timothy took a deep breath and pressed a button so he could see the entirety of the grounds. “They say the first round is over, but they don’t know how many are coming. From the size of the portal and its proximity to us, we could be looking at one of the largest incursions to date.”
Korbin shook his head. “I don’t think they’re here to attack, or at least they’re not here to take anything from us. They’re testing us. I’ve seen it on the battlefield a hundred times. They want to know our defenses, so that when they send in the big guns, they’re prepared.”
Timothy typed a command into his computer. “I’m not going to let them get through. I don’t care what kind of demons they send. We spent countless man-hours working on the defense plot you set up with Calvin. It’s impenetrable. Well, it’s at least really good at keeping the demons away from what’s important. I’ve made some adjustments and added some technology so I can control everything from this desk.”
Korbin looked at all the keys and buttons. “Is this the only place it can be controlled from?”
Timothy let out a puff of air. “Please, bitch, there is no way I would leave all the controls in one spot. I know I’m a hacker and not a soldier, but I do have some brains. Everything can be controlled from here, yes. I also set up an emergency control room at the guard station, and one in the armory. Those two rooms are a lot simpler; they just have basic controls. From here I can adjust height, power, and even reload anything that needs it without having to actually go down there and do it.”
Korbin was impressed. “Nice job. I’m sure you were an asset to this team even when I was here. It looks like you guys have things under control.”
Calvin chuckled and patted him on the shoulder. “We have things locked up tight, now that you and Stephanie are here with us. We know what kind of badassery the two of you can put out. Each of you fights like a dozen civilians. Now all we need is for the military to get here and help us out, especially with the air assault.”
As if in response to the comment, the whole bunker shook, and dust rained from the ceiling. Calvin squinted against the dust and grinned at the others. “The planes are dropping bombs on the incursion area. That’s good news because it means the military’s close.”
Near the portal, a squad of sleek bombers roared overhead. Missiles fell onto the mass of demons below, killing hundreds of demons at a time. The bombers turned and made another pass, but the demons kept coming. No matter how many they killed, more came out.
Moloch leaned out the gate to watch as another plane flew by. His elbow jostled his chalice, and he grabbed the cup of blood so it wouldn’t tip over.
Baal took a sip from his own chalice as bombs blew the lesser demons apart and chuckled, causing bright blood to spill down his chin. “Well, it looks like the military has arrived.”
Another explosion hit, this one rocking the ground beneath Moloch’s and Baal’s feet. Dirt and rocks pelted the two demons through the gate. They both howled, furious that they were being disturbed as they tried to relax and watch the fight. They took a few steps backward, pulling the table with them, and sat back down to continue watching.
Moloch flicked a stone from the table and leaned back in his chair. “I have to admit, this is much more resistance than I thought we would see.”
Baal nodded his head. “True. But I think when we pull out the Big One we won’t have any problem taking down most of this.”
Moloch glared at him and then back at the gate. “Just remember, she’s not here yet. We don’t know how much damage she’ll do when she arrives.”
Baal flicked his large claws dismissively. “I know she’s a tough bitch, but we are tough, too. We will not make the same mistake that we made last time.”
The portal was opposite the landing pad. The demons continued spilling out at a rapid pace and spread over the entire killing field. They knew what their target was, and they knew they had to be fast to get where they were going. What they didn’t realize was that the mercs had already thought out every possible battle scenario.
A grizzled guard pointed to slits in the metal blast shield surrounding the production building. “Take a hole, men, and aim well.”
The men stepped to the slits, resting their guns on the edge of the blast shield. There were over thirty of them high in the production building, and when the grizzled guard roared, “Fire!” they rained their own brand of hell upon the killing field. Dozens of demons went down one after another, squawking and howling before they crumbled into dust. The grizzled guard had been practicing his aim, and every bullet he fired found a grotesque face and turned a demon to ash.
They went through a massive number of bullets, but they had more than enough to keep firing. The reports of their guns could be heard for miles. It sounded like a war zone right there outside Las Vegas. As the second wave began to slow, so did the shooters. Piles of dust floated in the wind toward the mountains.
A few straggling demons scrambled through the dust clouds that had been their comrades and skirted through the gunfire, still intent on making their way to the armored building.
The grizzled guard peered down at them, reloading as they spat and growled, scratching the blast shield that protected the building. He removed his combat helmet and tipped it over the edge and it hit a snarling demon in the head. The thing looked at him with its beady red eyes and roared, and the guard aimed between those red eyes and pulled the trigge
r.
The demon went down is a burst of dust, and the grizzled guy laughed and pulled back from the slit. He shook his head at the other soldiers. “They’ve made it to the building, so I need you to take down as many as you can before they start climbing. They may be dumb, but they can see that there is a way in. We cannot let a single demon into this building. We also can’t let them know there are ways in even when the shield is active. This is what we’ve been waiting for, boys, so let’s get it done!”
11
Timothy took a deep breath and pressed the phone to his ear. “The portal is huge. It stretches hundreds of feet behind the landing pad. The demons are coming in waves, and Korbin believes they’re testing us, or testing our defenses, at least. Calvin, Korbin, and Stephanie are out in the field taking down demons before they can get to the weapons building. The shield is active, and it’s holding for now. The building guards are at battle stations, picking off demons in the killing field, but several have gotten through. They’re now at the production building, trying to figure out how to get in.”
Katie was worried that she wasn’t going to get there in time. “And they can’t pick those off too?”
“No, they are out of their line of sight because of the shield. They’re doing their best, though. As soon as one starts to climb, they take it down. The next wave should be coming soon. We have air support now and they’ve started bombing the portal, but it doesn’t seem to be making any difference. The heat is so intense that it’s fried some of the circuits in the field, and we’re experiencing some malfunctioning. Nothing major, though. Yet.”
Katie had never even thought about that part of it. “Shit. Okay, I’ll be there as soon as I can. We are close.”
Katie hung up and let her mind settle for a moment before looking at the cockpit door. She unbuckled her seatbelt, hurried through the cabin, and knocked once before opening it. The pilot looked at her. “We’re almost there, Katie. I’m going as fast as I can.”
She put her hand on the pilot’s shoulder. “I know you are. Apparently, the portal is really close to the landing pad, so you might need to… Shit. Actually, you can see it ahead of you in the distance.”
The pilot leaned forward and narrowed his eyes. The great portal that stretched across the horizon hung directly over the landing strip. “Well, that’s unfortunate.”
Katie agreed, but there weren’t a lot of other options for her to get close fast. “I know it’s close, but do you think you can land? You don’t even have to completely touchdown. I can jump out as you taxi in. Just slow down, and then you can take right off again. The only thing is that you have to slow down enough for me to jump. Even with my wings, if you’re going too fast, I’ll tumble and possibly even be sucked into the engine.”
The copilot grabbed the information booklet on the landing strip. “We wouldn’t want that to happen, now would we?”
He immediately started doing the calculations to figure out the best speed for them to come in at so she could jump out and survive the landing. Katie waited patiently. Ahead, the lights on the landing strip near the base grew larger and larger. It almost looked like they led right to the portal and on into hell. The copilot finished writing and tapped his pen against his lips, then showed his work to the captain.
The captain looked at the figures for a second and then at Katie. “We’re not sure if we can slow the plane enough for you to get out safely. I’m sure that I can do a dip and take off again before I hit the portal, but like I said, I don’t know about the speed.”
Calvin had come back inside to check on Timothy, but he had only made it into the training area. The weapons and ammo cache had caught his eye, and he decided he could use a reload. He sighed as he put several clips on his belt and grabbed another dagger. He had lost his somewhere out there, fighting in the sand. He needed to get back outside. Fighting was his forte, and he was at his most effective when he wasn’t cooped up inside.
He grabbed a short sword and stuck it in the sheath on his leg. He checked his weapons one last time and shook his head, muttering, “Sure wish I hadn’t told Katie to stay in New York.”
The intercom overhead crackled and squealed. It was Katie, and Calvin could hear the urgency in her voice. “Hold on tight. Pandora and I are on the way. ETA ten mikes.”
Calvin put his head back and laughed. “I should have known Katie wouldn’t listen.”
Calvin took the staircase up to the emergency hatch on the surface, since at that point, none of the elevators were working. He slowly lifted the hatch, sticking his gun out first. He swiveled his weapon around the opening, making sure none of the demons were going to jump on it or him. He was lucky he had looked before he leaped. Three demons were standing just ten feet away with their backs to Calvin. He very slowly and quietly lifted the lid.
He rested his gun on the edge of the emergency hatch and pulled the trigger. Adjusted. Pulled the trigger again. The last demon was just turning around when Calvin’s third shot separated his head from his body. The three demons became dust in the wind. “Guess you should’ve found another place to hang out.”
Calvin grunted as he pulled himself out onto the platform, then stood up and dusted the sand off his pants. He pulled his bandanna up around his nose and mouth. The wind was wicked, and the last thing he needed was to choke on sand while trying to kill demons. The guys in the production building were still shooting, and in the killing field demons were still dying. The stream of demons had slowed down to a trickle, but they definitely weren’t done.
One of the guys on the top of the building waved his arms at Calvin feverishly. Calvin stepped forward and squinted his eyes, following the guard’s finger to the bottom of the building. Below the blast shields, a demon was trying to scratch his way through the cinderblock walls. “Oh hell, no.”
Calvin walked forward and held the trigger of his weapon down, filling the demon with bullets. Calvin gave the guy up top a thumbs-up, and the guard returned it. The guard went back to taking out whatever came out of the portal. Before Calvin could get too far from the emergency hatch, it flung open. He leveled his weapon, his finger wrapping around the trigger.
Stephanie popped her head up, yelped, and put a hand in front of her face to make sure Calvin didn’t blow it off.
Calvin lowered his weapon and helped Stephanie out of the hatch. Korbin and five guards followed her. They had obviously gone down to reload, since they were bristling with fresh weapons, ammo, and blades. Calvin stared thoughtfully at the seven of them and then at the demons. “Who else is there?”
One of the guards stepped forward and shook his head. “They got a whole lot of us. We were at the front gates, and they just kind of swarmed us from behind. Everyone else is inside the production building.”
Calvin glanced briefly at Korbin and then at the portal. It began to spark and shimmer. “It looks like another wave of demons is coming. It also looks like it’s just the eight of us, plus the guys up top. We have to hold on until she gets here.”
Korbin nodded his head and pulled out his guns. “I think we can handle this. What do you think, dear?”
Stephanie gave Korbin a peck on the cheek and pulled her knives. “I think we can, and afterward, maybe I’ll make one of those casseroles you like.”
Calvin just gazed at the two of them and started to laugh. “I swear, it’s like Commando meets Leave It to Beaver. One of these days I swear I’m going to see Stephanie rolling through a bunch of demons, blasting their heads off while wearing an apron.”
Stephanie winked at Calvin. “Actually, Korbin’s the one who usually wears the apron.”
Calvin shook his head at Korbin. “We’ll have to discuss that when this is all over.”
Korbin watched Calvin walk away, and Stephanie patted him on the shoulder, laughing. Korbin yelled after him, “What? I don’t like to get food on my pants.”
They spread out and prepared themselves for the next round of battle. The trickle of demons became a monstrous flood as th
ey began pouring through the portal again. They scrambled over one another and rushed to the killing field. Calvin, Korbin, and Stephanie were there to meet them. The other guards stayed behind to cover them and man the traps.
Even without a demon, Stephanie was ungodly fast and insanely agile. She went sprinting toward a line of demons, firing. When she met the line, she dropped and slid through the sand, gliding right between two scaly horrors. It reminded her of playing Red Rover as a child. She popped up behind the line and opened fire, and demons howled and exploded into ash. Red Rover had never ended quite like that.
Calvin stopped and stared at her with wide eyes. “That was some shit, right there.”
Stephanie slammed another clip into her gun and smiled. “I told you I didn’t need a demon. Just wait until I get warmed up.”
Calvin laughed and leaped to his right, raising his gun and pulling the trigger without looking. A demon was lurching toward him, and the bullet went straight into the demon’s head. It turned to dust in mid-air and blew away with the wind. Stephanie looked impressed.
Calvin shrugged nonchalantly. “I’ve been known to kick an ass or two myself.”
The level of showmanship that Korbin and Stephanie brought to the table when they joined Calvin on the battlefield was impressive, but there was no way they could keep it up. The battle sucked. Hundreds of demons flooded the base, fighting with teeth and claws. There were only three mercs and five guards to fight them off. The guards on top of the production building did what they could, but they couldn’t chance firing at the killing field and hitting their own men.
There were too many demons.
A huge rush of demons pushed the mercs back and made an opening, then scrambled past the guards to the production building. Calvin doubled back, spraying the demons with bullets as he ran to the base of the building.
“Whoa, back up you beady-eyed bastard,” Calvin roared as he bent backward to avoid a demon’s slashing claws.