by Dirk Patton
“Didn’t expect to see you,” Liam said. “How’d you even know this was where we were coming?”
“Some old dude visited Jimmy,” Jimmy said. “Said the pooch belonged to the lovely lady and Jimmy should deliver him. Told Jimmy where to meet you.”
“Really tall, wearing an expensive suit?” Katarina asked.
“Yes!” Jimmy cried. “That’s the dude! And he said this is a Cane Corso. Jimmy looked them up and they’re real bad asses. Oh, and he likes ice cream.”
The dog came forward, nuzzling Katarina’s hand until she began rubbing his head.
“Oh!” Jimmy said, waving when he spotted Baldwin. “Hi, Samuel L. Jackson!”
Baldwin grunted and glared at him as he shook his head.
“And he told you to bring me a dog?” Katarina asked with a frown.
“He gave Jimmy this note for you.”
He held out a folded piece of paper. She slowly read it while petting the dog.
Katarina,
You are doing well, as I knew you would. I have sent you a gift that will protect you to the death. Stay true to what your heart tells you is right in the dangerous times ahead.
Z
She glanced down at the dog then reread the note. For a moment she was hesitant, then knelt and checked the tag dangling from its collar.
“His name’s Cerberus.”
“What?” Liam asked in surprise and she repeated it.
“Terrific,” he said, tentatively extending a hand for Cerberus to sniff. “First demons, now the guardian of hell. Not sure I want to know what’s next.”
Epilogue
The Sheriff looked around and frowned. The ten FBI agents who were near the spot where Pettigrew’s body had been found also turned with puzzled expressions on their faces. Six two-and-a-half-ton Army trucks had just rolled into the pasture.
Each immediately disgorged twenty-four soldiers in full battle rattle with rifles at the ready. As the Sheriff and senior FBI agent hurried toward an NCO that appeared to be in charge, the men quickly formed a perimeter around the area and began herding all the forensic and law enforcement personnel into a tight group.
“This is an active crime scene!” the FBI agent yelled at the Army Sergeant. “Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?”
The man looked at him and didn’t say a word, turning away when a Black Hawk helicopter swooped in for a landing near the back of the pasture. An Army Colonel and four men in dark suits jumped down, hurrying forward.
“Where is it, Agent?” the Colonel asked as he strode up.
“What the hell is going on? What are you---”
“Sheriff,” the Colonel said, turning away from the FBI. “The thing. Where is it?”
Stunned, he pointed at the tree line where a large group of people were gathered around a blue plastic tarp.
“Sergeant!” the Colonel barked. “Clear those people out and keep the area quarantined.”
“Listen, what do you think...” the FBI agent began but was ignored.
Ten soldiers ran to the group and quickly moved them away from the spot. The Colonel and the four men who’d arrived with him headed for the trees. Anger splotching his face, the FBI agent started to run after them but was intercepted by a squad of heavily armed soldiers.
“Sir, you’re gonna want to stay where you are,” the Sergeant said, his voice making it clear this wasn’t a request.
Pushing into the tree line, the Colonel knelt beside the blue tarp, which was covering something very large. The four men watched closely as he reached out and pulled it aside, revealing the corpse of the demon Katarina had killed. Standing, he looked at one of the men with a concerned expression on his face.
“Second one this week, Doctor,” he said. “The alley in Seattle, now this. The frequency is increasing.”
The oldest man in the group came forward and peered down at the creature. He stared for several minutes in silence then turned to survey their surroundings.
“The people,” he said, pointedly looking at the large group of local and federal officers that had been rounded up.
“It’ll be a tragic accident and fallen heroes,” the Colonel said. “Not at all hard to believe since the house was being used by a terror cell to manufacture sarin gas.”
“I don’t need the details, Colonel. Just get it done. If word of the existence of these creatures gets out, we will lose control of the situation.”