by Michael Todd
Pandora forcefully cleared her throat. Soooo, are you going to do it? Pleeeease. Just that one thing? Make this outing at least a little bit more fun.
Katie rolled her eyes and reached into her side pocket to take out a black ski mask. She pulled it over her face and looked out through the eyeholes. Fine, but only because it’s fucking cold. This is not a Slut Girl type of activity. I don’t want you getting too used to it.
Got it. Pandora smiled, breaking into song. Nanananananananana, Slut Girl!”
Katie chuckled as her phone vibrated on her hip. She reached down to retrieve it and held it in front of her face. Calvin’s calling. I should take this.
She flew back down and landed on top of one of the higher buildings in the center of the city, shivering as the wind whipped across the top. Pandora whistled low. Told you. If you had worn the cape, you would be that much warmer.
Katie ignored her and put the phone to her ear. “Hey there, partner! How are you and the new demon doing?”
Calvin groaned. “He’s fine. Hungry all the time, but that’s normal.”
Katie smiled. She moved to the edge of the roof and looked out over the city. “Wait, aren’t you in France right now? It’s like ass-early over there.”
Calvin sighed. “Yeah. I couldn’t sleep. I got too much on my mind.”
Katie frowned and turned around to walk back across the roof. “What’s going on? You don’t sound like your normal upbeat self.”
Calvin chuckled. “You read me so well. Actually, I was calling to ask a favor of you.”
Katie nodded. “Anything. Well anything in my abilities, of course.”
Pandora broke in through Katie. “Fine, Calvin, I’ll let you stick it in, but when your Latin lover comes knocking on my door, I am handing you over to her.”
Katie pushed Pandora back down. “Sorry. Pandora has no filter.”
Calvin laughed. “That is not news. And no thank you, Pandora. Actually, what I wanted to know was whether you could come to France and help Korbin with the new fort?”
Katie hadn’t even thought of that. “Oh. You need to get home, don’t you?”
Calvin had known she would get it. “Sofia is pregnant, and I am out here fighting demons and getting my ass infected again. I just really need to be with her for a little while. Work on protecting her, get some baby furniture set up, rub her damn feet. You know, the stuff I am supposed to be doing at this point.”
Pandora sneered. Good God, that sounds fucking boring as hell. Who knew our Black Rambo would become a whipped homemaker?
Katie ignored Pandora’s comment. “That definitely sounds like something I would love to do. Right now, though, I am stuck on this case. There is some really serious and odd demon shit going down here in New York. I will have to take care of this, and then I will get back to you. If I can solve this and no one throws me another curveball, then I don’t see why not. I want you to get home to Sofia too.”
Calvin let out a deep breath. “I totally get it. Take care of what you need to. I appreciate you trying to make it happen, though. This is really important to me.”
Katie smirked. “Hey, it’s no problem. I am going to be this child’s guardian angel, after all.”
Calvin laughed. “Hell, yeah you are.”
Baal and Beelzebub moved their giant legs as fast as they could, hurrying down the corridor toward Lucifer’s throne room. Baal narrowed his eyes and whispered to Beelzebub, “Is that Azazel in front of us?”
Beelzebub nodded. “Indeed it is, which is never a good thing.”
Baal shook his head. “No, it is not. If you’re later than Azazel, you’re in trouble.”
Beelzebub and Baal whipped through the large open doors, which slammed behind them. Baal glanced back, almost jumping out of his scales. They slowed their pace as they walked forward, seeing some of the servants eyeing them from the sidelines. Standing in the center of the floor were Belial and Asmodeus, who didn’t even glance over when Azazel scurried up beside them. Lucifer was tapping his claws impatiently on the skulls at the ends of his throne’s arms. He stared Beelzebub and Baal down as they moved to join the others.
They both swallowed hard, and he kept his glare locked on them for several moments. Baal was starting to think they were both going to spontaneously burst into flame at any moment. However, after the long standoff, Lucifer let out a deep, steamy breath and looked at the others.
He pulled his long dagger claws up to his chin. “So you all got my summons. This is an informal meeting of my top Eight. My High Council has been remiss in having meetings recently.”
The others glanced around at each other and Beelzebub stood tall. Lucifer waved his hand and started to chuckle. “Of course, there are only four of you remaining…and Beelzebub, who has no status.”
Beelzebub’s shoulders hunched and he looked down at the floor. The other demons chuckled. None of them were very fond of Beelzebub or his antics over the centuries. He tended to bring them more trouble than good.
Lucifer swiped his hand in the air. “Silence!”
Everyone fell quiet and lowered their eyes to the foot of his throne. Lucifer curled a nail through his long, thin black goatee. “I have made a decision. And if you violate my orders?” He pointed a finger at one of the demon servants, who went up in a flash of smoke. The ashes drifted slowly to the floor. “Any questions?”
Lucifer laughed, tilting his head back. He opened one eye, saw that no one else had joined in, and went back to telling them his thoughts. “I have decided that for the time being, going to Earth will be forbidden. That is why Beelzebub was summoned with the Council. He has a tendency to meddle in things on Earth that he should be keeping his scaled snout out of. We have expended far too much energy on this war as it is, and it has brought us nothing but bombs and embarrassment.”
The other demons gave Beelzebub a side glance and growled low in their throats. None of them were happy with the decision, but what could they do? Question Lucifer? Not if they wanted to keep their heads firmly attached to their necks.
Lucifer yawned and picked up his glass, waving to the Council. “All right, get the fuck out. I’m done looking at your pathetic faces. Trust me, though—if you break the rules, you know what will happen.”
All of the demons quickly turned and headed out of the throne room as fast as they could. After they had all exited, the servants closed the doors to the chamber and scurried off. Lucifer stood up and walked down the steps, stopping in the center of the room.
The sound of soft footsteps approaching drew his attention and he looked up to find Mania walking gingerly and abashedly toward him. She was wearing a mask to cover her shame, the edges of the black domino twisting like tree limbs up and over the top of her jet-black hair. Her eyes pointed down and her fingers clung to the sides of her cape, making sure it did not blow back to reveal the scars on her arms.
Lucifer put out his hands. “Ah, Mania, you have returned. I was wondering when you would be back.”
Mania stopped in front of him and curtsied, keeping her eyes on the floor. She was super-bummed that she had not only run from war but been injured and then reprimanded by Lucifer. And all the while she could not turn to her precious crows since they had been cut down in the midst of battle. Lucifer eyed her up and down and stepped forward. He reached up and untied the string at her neck, pushing her cape down and off her shoulders. It fell to the floor at her feet, revealing the scars and the long tight black dress that clung to her curves.
Lucifer put his finger under Mania’s chin. “Do not be ashamed of your battle scars. They show you are not only fallible but that you can learn from the mistakes you have made. They are now a part of you, and you should be proud of that.”
Mania’s eyes came up to meet Lucifer’s, a glimmer of dew in them. She didn’t say a word since nothing came to her mind. The last thing she wanted to do was disappoint him again or make him even madder than before.
Lucifer smiled at her, showing his gruesome fa
ngs. “Don’t you worry, I am going to get revenge against the man who cut you and killed your crows. He will regret the day that he ever pointed his blade at you.”
Mania spoke quietly. “My Lord, I can go to Earth and take care of him. Get retribution for his acts of violence against you and me.”
Lucifer shook his head. “No. I just declared that no more demons are to go to Earth.”
Mania tilted her head. “How, then?”
Lucifer smiled mischievously. “I said no one could go to Earth. But the demons who are already there? They have been given the go-ahead to fuck shit up royally.”
Katie swooped down to the roof of a building adjacent to Amir’s bodega, and after she had landed safely, she folded her wings and shook the frost that had collected out of her hair. Her teeth chattered and she wrapped her arms around her body, trying to keep what little warmth she had. The wind blew wildly, piercing through her clothes and freezing her from the inside out. Even Pandora began to shiver, trying hard to force Katie’s temperature higher.
Pandora sighed. We need to get you a suit lined with fur or something with a heater in it. I am trying to help, but it’s difficult with it being fucking Alaska outside.
Katie raised her hands to her mouth and blew hot air into them. Yeah, I’m thinking like fleece-lined and a heating system. This is fucking ridiculous. How am I supposed to focus when it is this fucking cold?
Katie glanced around the neighborhood for any sign of the punks, then walked over to the corner of the building, looking down on the next block over. On the corner was a pawn shop, the open sign still lit in the window. From the right two large demons lumbered toward it, their bodies hidden in the shadows.
Katie narrowed her eyes. Since when did demons wear Timberlands? And when did they start walking around like humans without human bodies?
Pandora sniffed. And somehow they have managed to cover their stench. There is something fishy about this.
They watched as the two entered the pawn shop, and a couple of seconds later, screams rang out from inside. Katie gripped the ledge with her hands and bent forward, her eyes narrowed. There was the sound of breaking glass, and several people yelled loudly. A couple of moments later, the two demons emerged, both clutching duffel bags. They took off down the street.
Pandora roared inside of Katie. Those fucking punk-ass bitches. They robbed those people! Come on, let’s kick their motherfucking asses. I have some serious rage to get out right now.
Katie bit her lip and stood up, rubbing her arms. The demons disappeared down an alley, and the alarms on the pawn shop began to ring out through the neighborhood.
Pandora sighed. What are you waiting for? You have a cramp in your wings or something? This is no time to freeze up.
Katie shook her head. While I am physically freezing, that isn’t what I’m doing. Come on, Pandora, you have got to start thinking a little more methodically about this stuff. If we are going to be doing cop work again, we need to put on our detective hats and our angel black ops hats.
Pandora went silent for a moment. What the fuck does that mean?
Katie spread her wings and took off. It means we wait. We go down there and get more information, then we sniff them out. We follow them. Why get one when we could nab all the assholes involved in this? Send them to the nothing that awaits them.
Pandora perked up. More demons to kick in the balls? I’m all for it, chief. I’ll follow your lead.
Katie snickered as she landed in front of the pawn shop. She pulled open the door and folded her wings as she walked back to where the counter was. There was broken glass all over the floor. An older gentleman stood behind the case, comforting a young girl who was obviously an employee. He looked up at Katie, and his eyes went wide. He patted the girl on the back and sent her to the office.
Katie looked at the broken case and back at the old man. “Everyone okay?”
He clenched his fists. “Everyone is fine, but those fucking pricks took the rings and the coins. They knew exactly what they were after when they came in here. Since when did demons start fucking robbing people?”
He suddenly remembered he was talking to a woman. “Sorry for the language, ma’am.”
Katie smirked. “No problem. Trust me, I’ve heard a lot worse and usually from myself. If you guys are okay here, I’m going to go knock some dicks in the dirt.”
The man smiled and nodded. “We’ve got the cops on the way.”
Katie reached out and shook his hand. “Good. If Detective Schultz or Travers shows up, tell them Katie was already by.”
She turned to walk out the door, but the old man called after her. She stopped and turned around, pulling her mask off her face. He put up both thumbs. “Fuck ‘em up, ma’am.”
Katie smiled and winked at him, spreading her wings after she walked back outside. Pandora was impressed. A little cheesy at times, but that seems to be your signature. He was definitely impressed by your badassery though. That was something I needed to hear.
Katie chuckled. You need to start stroking your own ego instead of relying on other people to do it for you. You know that both of us are badass bitches. We don’t need some old shop owner to tell us that.
Pandora laughed. No, you’re right, but it sure as hell feels good when they’re stroking it. Or anything else they might want to stroke.
Katie wrinkled her nose. Even if they’re old?
Pandora shrugged. Hey, I’m not a chooser at this point. A stroke is a stroke, and a dick is a dick.
Katie shook her head and took off. Seriously, you need to start getting laid. That’s another reason for you to have your own room. Then you don’t have to wait for me.
Pandora thought about it for a moment. You may have a point. Bring on the dicks!
5
General Brushwood stood at his bookshelf staring into space. He reached down and pressed the surface, waiting for a small wet bar to rise out of the case. Picking up his snifter, he held it to the light, making sure there was no dust. He pulled the glass stopper out of the top of the carafe and poured himself a few fingers of seventeen-year-old Suntory Hibiki, a gift he’d received from some of the guys in the office when he’d hit his thirty-year mark.
He walked back over and sat down in his office chair, dimming the lights with his remote. He snipped the end off of a cigar and chewed the end of it for a moment. Lighting a match, he puffed on it hard, letting plumes of sweet-smelling smoke waft into the air. Technically he wasn’t supposed to smoke in there, but he gave two shits about stupid minor rules like that—especially with the threats they were facing on a regular basis.
He smoked his cigar, his chair tilted back, and let his mind wander. He couldn’t lie; he was incredibly freaked out by the fact that Baylahn was still floating around the ocean swallowing God knows what. He reached down and clicked the remote, pulling the underwater sensor drone fleet’s constant surveillance of the Leviathan’s movement up on his multi-screen setup on the wall.
The experimental blue-green laser systems they had deployed to keep a watch on Baylahn showed a slow movement every once in a while, black dots disappearing into what he assumed was the mouth of the beast. It sent a shiver down his spine. And why shouldn’t it? To be fair, the whole damn idea was a freaky one. Knowing there was a beast whose body held multiple civilizations, entire eco-systems, and many lost sailors and airmen floating around in the very oceans they relied on was terrifying. Not to mention that if the beast decided it was tired of being down there and wanted something new to munch on, there would be very little defense against it. They would be helpless to stop the thing from ravaging other countries, and possibly even their own.
He clicked off the display and raised his cigar to his lips again, taking a long draw, then leaned his head back and blew smoke rings at the ceiling. “Get it together, Brushwood. You can’t let these things fuck you up, or you just might lose your nerve. You’ve come too far to lose your fucking nerve.”
He put his cigar in the ash
tray and picked up his drink, taking a long sip. Smacking his lips, he focused on the warmth cascading down his chest. As he set his glass down on the coaster, his phone began to buzz, and he leaned forward to look down at the number. It was Korbin.
He put the phone to his ear. “Korbin. Please don’t tell me you have an incursion problem already. From my intel, you’ve been in France for two seconds.”
Korbin chuckled. “No, General, we are all good on the base. Everything is really nice, too. The French have definitely given us a nice welcome.”
Brushwood leaned back, picking up his cigar. “Yeah, they tend to go above and beyond for people who are there to help them. So what can I do for you?”
Korbin yawned, turning away from the phone. “Sorry, it’s been a long couple of weeks.”
The general smiled. “Yes, it has, son. And you are doing one hell of a job.”
Korbin grinned. “Thank you, General. Now, I was calling about the French fort. My thoughts were to do it in a very similar way to the others. It will still be a fort but reinforced with the materials the government here has requested and provided for us to use. I am also hoping to recruit a few Damned folks to man it, or at least help man it.”
The general rolled the cigar in his fingers. “And this is something that will work out?”
Korbin nodded even though Brushwood couldn’t see it. “I think it will. We hadn’t really considered it until Taiwan. When the infected, Yong, came to fight, he showed that Damned mercenaries could be a real asset in fighting off attacks. The guns are great and the missiles even better, but to have Damned there to roll out in the field? That is the golden ticket. We find a really strong one, train them, and leave them to run the system with a team, just like we did with Yong.”