by Michael Todd
“And you saw no one else?” he asked. “He couldn’t have maybe jumped hosts to one of the Damned?”
“The only ones I saw were infested with low-level demons,” the servant replied. “No one else.”
“Pity. “T’Chezz sighed, twirling his black brittle goatee around his finger. “That means he didn’t accept our offer. The Killers, even the weakest ones, have more self-control than most humans, which I find both disgusting and interesting at the same time.”
“Occasionally they are cunning, Your Grace,” the servant sniveled.
“Yes.’ T’Chezz reached up to pull a piece of lunch out of his teeth. “Remind me to torture that Damned for a significant amount of time when I get Earth-side. Oh well, no use in crying over spilled humans. Let’s pick another. I can’t believe they are all as moral and incorruptible as that ass. Someone on those fucking teams can be turned; they are humans, after all. If they can be convinced to buy expensive jewelry and little boxes for their human bodies when they die, they can be convinced of this. I offer more than just jewels. I will find my human, even if I have to go there myself.”
T’Chezz turned back to the servant and found him eyeing the ball of metal.
He had kept it there as a daily reminder of the hatred he had for the human race—and for his sister, whom he hadn’t forgotten about for a moment. He needed to find the weapons, and he knew that when he found them he would find her. There was little doubt in his mind that she was connected to all of it; her and that pathetic useless body she had attached herself to.
“I kept it,” T’Chezz answered the unasked question. “I was told that it was a Ferrari California T model, a very expensive car on Earth—at least it was before it hit me. I crushed it in my frustration, as you know.” His smile was all teeth. “I’m saving it for my sister, so I can shove it up her ass without lube. I do hope some of the jagged edges rust before I do that.”
He smiled and turned toward the window, a happy feeling taking him over as he thought about the horrible things he would do to his sister when he found her.
He still hadn’t decided if he would do it to her human too, or wait until he got her back down in the depths of hell. Either way, it was going to be a very good day when he finally had that bitch back in his claws.
“Will they kill demons?” Amy asked, looking at the blade of a sword.
“They kill just like any other weapon of that quality,” Korbin replied. “The difference is, one slash from one of these and the demon is temporarily stunned and screaming in pain, which provides you the opportunity to deploy more tactics. Now, we also use a cross made from this metal, and it melts the head right off the demons, but they have to be weakened first. We are also working on turning this material into bullets.”
“That would be fantastic,” John exclaimed, holding up a sword.
Initially the idea was to give the first weapons to the other teams, but as he watched them, he realized there was no reason to pass up a profit.
Korbin grabbed a piece of paper from his pocket and reviewed it quickly; it was the markup on the weapons he had been working on with Joshua, Stephanie, and Katie. It was the price-point at which he was willing to sell to the other mercenaries, but it still gave them a profit.
“I obviously have to have these,” Amy told him. “But what are the prices?”
“The weapons are priced between $35k and $55k if we keep government out of it.” Korbin shrugged. “If they get involved, the prices will go up and the quantity will go down.”
Amy nodded. “Sounds fair.”
“Indeed,” William agreed, shaking his head. “I’ve paid more for normal swords that snap when pushed into a tough demon body. There aren’t many weapons out there that give us an edge on these beasts—and until recently that was okay. We had our soldiers, but now things are changing. Normal tactics aren’t enough to get us through these encounters anymore. The demons are getting bigger, and the infected humans we can save have gotten thin on the ground, since most of these demons are taking hold of them too deeply to get them back.”
“I’m not bullshitting you on this,” Korbin warned, stepping forward. “If the government so much as sniffs around, all these goodies are going to stop being available. Higher-ups control most things, but in the end we are mercenaries, not slaves.”
“It hasn’t been so bad lately,” Brian commented. “In fact, we have been working with the police and the DEA on a lot of things.”
“Us too,” Amy added. “And wasn’t it the CIA or the FBI or one of those organizations that helped get your men to Los Angeles during that last incursion that flattened that cemetery?”
“They did,” Korbin agreed, “but do not forget that they have to take orders. They would turn around and shoot us in the back of the head if they were told to. We take for granted that we are family; that we help each other first, and voluntarily do the right thing. The government is not like that, and I don’t want you to fall for their kind words and amazing gestures. They need us right now, but when they don’t they will turn on us. They have before, and they will again.”
Korbin picked up a sword and examined the blade closely.
“I don’t want to become a vassal to the state,” Korbin continued. “I know how much the international budget for fighting demons is, and we know the US government has their own teams doing it too. There is no other way to produce these, and I’m not going to share. I don’t trust the government to have my best interests or the best interests of my team at heart—or yours, for that matter. We are the ones out here doing the back-breaking work, losing people and finding answers. When is the last time you saw or even heard of one of the government teams taking out a horde of normal demons, much less one or two of the larger bastards? Where were they when we needed them in Los Angeles? They were nowhere, and sure as shit they weren’t jumping on any backs cutting demons’ necks.”
“He’s right.” William looked at the other leads. “I haven’t heard that any of their teams has ever made a big catch. It’s been all small stuff, and when it matters and shit goes down, they never seem to show.”
“Yeah.” John sighed. “You may be right. We might be mercenaries, but we have the lock on the demon-slaying thing. If the government finds out about this stuff they may try to seize the weapons, and getting some back will be like pulling teeth. They will equip their men first, and then throw the bones to us—even though we are the ones who have kept shit in the W column for decades.”
“You won’t hear a peep out of me,” Amy agreed. “This is too important. I’ve seen the destruction, I’ve been to the ceremonies, and I know what your team and all the others do to keep ourselves afloat without the government’s help with anything besides money.”
“That’s why they pay so well for demons.” Brian chuckled. “They aren’t giving us any money to operate without quid pro quo, so they know we will have to spend our own.”
“I’ve heard there is a new general in place over the government teams,” William shared. “They say that he has a better attitude about working with mercenary teams; that he recognizes the importance of what we do, and were doing long before the government was as focused as they are now. I don’t know if that means anything, but I am hoping we can get some assistance when we need it. Give the tools to those of us who actually do the job.”
“Sounds better than the last guy, who actually tried to shut us down.” Amy shook her head. “I was convinced the bastard was a demon himself.”
“Yeah.” Korbin nodded. “I’ll believe that the general is on our side when it happens—and continues to happen through more than one incursion. Maybe five ops in a row will change my mind. I’ve been around a long time, and I have to say that it’s complete bullshit; how they keep bringing us in and pushing us back out. We are the ugly stepsisters of the demon war, and it’s time that changed.”
“Preach it!” Amy waved the knife she was holding in the air and the metal shimmered in the light.
“I hav
e to be honest, though: it would be a lot easier if we did have a good relationship with the military side,” Korbin continued. “I mean, at least then we would be given the tools to protect each other, instead of selling them to those who are going to be on the front lines. It feels almost demeaning, in a way. ‘We know you are going to save our asses, but you have to buy the weapons from me to do it.’ It’s total bullshit!”
“Ah, the American economic system.” William laughed. “It’s so fucked up that it is backward; no one can fully understand it. Nothing changes, which makes it difficult for me to continue to watch it happen. I mean, did no one notice that Armageddon is here? Demons on Earth? Sorry, that shit just gets me going.”
“So far, all the government and military folks have wanted to do in the past was throw their weight around.” Korbin sighed. “And I don’t have time for ritual dick-measurement events.”
Amy chuckled. “Nor do I.”
Brian pointed to her. “You have the biggest one of all!”
“Very true,” Amy agreed, putting her choices on the table. “All right, I will take these. Ring me up, sir.”
“Two long swords and a dagger,” Korbin tallied, writing up a receipt. “That will be $145k.”
Amy pulled over a briefcase she had grabbed from the SUV and opened it, revealing the large amount of cash inside.
They couldn’t write checks because that would alert the government, so they bought everything with cash. She always carried a couple hundred thousand with her. Just never knew when you would need it. It was kind of ridiculous, like a bad mobster movie, but it worked.
The rest of the team leaders made their selection, until all the weapons had not only been chosen but paid for as well.
In the end, Korbin racked up over half a million dollars from this one sales effort.
He put the money into a large bag and put it back into the safe, where he knew it would be secure. He closed the vault door and locked it, then turned back to the others. They looked excited; all were holding firmly to their weapons, staring at them with awe and excitement.
“Now I just have to figure out who to let use these. “Amy chuckled.
William shook his head. “Shit, these bitches are mine.”
“I second that,” Brian argued. “They will get the second set.”
There was a knock, and Calvin stuck his face in. “Korbin,” he called from the doorway, “the SUV is here to pick up the team leads and head back to the airport.”
“Right,” Korbin replied. “Perfect timing, actually.”
“Good thing we rode the private jet,” Amy joked. “I don’t think they would let me carry these on the plane.”
“Probably not.” Korbin laughed. “Thank you, all, for coming. You all know how to reach me if you need more weapons. As soon as the bullets come out I will let you know, and if the groups’ priests are interested in the killer cross, have them contact me.”
The team leads shook Korbin’s hand one at a time and headed out of the conference room single file, holding their new purchases high and proud. Korbin sat down and wiped his face as the leaders got into the SUV and headed for the airport.
He knocked on the door next to the conference room, and Stephanie and Joshua came out.
“How did it go?” Joshua asked.
“We sold every piece,” Korbin confirmed.
“We decided to sell the pieces, not give them away?” he asked.
“I figured, why not? We made over half a million dollars,” Korbin answered. “We can’t fund this for everyone.”
“Wow,” Joshua exclaimed, his eyes big. “Well, I-I w-w-wanted to stop by and see how it went, but I know you two have business. I’m gonna get started on the next batch.”
“Thanks, Joshua.” Korbin waited as Stephanie hugged the younger man.
After Joshua had left the room and headed back down to his working space, Stephanie sat down in the chair in front of Korbin. She stretched her arms over her head and smiled, forcing a smile from him as well, then yawned and put her hands in her lap.
“The two of us have an appointment,” she reminded him. “We are meeting a worker out at the land to lay some concrete.”
“That was fast,” Korbin admitted. “A lot faster than I had hoped.”
“I told you…I don’t mess around.” She smiled. “You said you wanted to get out of here as soon as possible, so the girls are going there tomorrow to start cleaning the buildings at the new site.”
“What would I do without you?”
“Sleep in a pile of rubble and go belly-up on your business?” she answered. “Anyway, we need to head out there now. He’s probably already waiting for us.”
“All right.” Korbin groaned as he stood from his chair. “I only have one thing to say about the concrete: make it twice as big as you think it needs to be.”
She nodded. “That can be arranged.”
The two of them walked out of the conference room, looking around at the dust and debris that had fallen during the fight.
They were lucky they still had that side of the building to do business in, given how the empty buildings looked. Korbin was just glad Katie had decided to push the demon in that direction and not the other. It had probably been luck, but he had to start putting his confidence in her.
“This place looks terrible.” Stephanie laughed and headed to the SUV.
Korbin opened the car door for her. “We are going to fix that problem really quickly.”
8
After reluctantly deciding not to stay at the hotel in LA because the team leads had already left and hours of driving, Damian and Katie got back to the base.
Their place looked even spookier in the dark, like some lost and ruined civilization out in the sands.
There hadn’t been any more sparking from the downed lights since the electricity had been cut to most of the buildings to avoid fires, but the moon’s glow across the tumbled stones sent a shiver up Katie’s spine.
She thought about that night. About losing a teammate, and about how everything had changed for her. She had found out new things about her powers, Korbin had started trusting her, and the team now looked to her for answers. She had never figured herself a leader, but that was what she was slowly turning into.
Damian parked the car and the two of them got out, then he went around back and opened the back doors.
“You going to do anything tonight?” Damian asked, grabbing his bags.
“Nope,” Katie replied. “I am exhausted. I’m grabbing a shower, then heading to bed. You?”
“I have to update Korbin on the happenings of the day,” he told her. “But first I will grab a shower too. I can still smell that disgusting robber’s body odor on my hands. I swear, nobody takes showers anymore.”
“They do.” Katie laughed. “But unfortunately we only deal with the foulest of the bunch, so we may be out of luck finding a clean one.”
“That’s true, and yet sad at the same time. I mean, if I was a bad guy, I would still take a damn shower,” Damian argued.
“I can see it now.” Katie laughed. “Your description on the news is: tall, dark glasses, smells like Irish Spring.”
“Damned right, but I guess I will see you in the morning.” Damian waved and walked toward the door, but stopped. “I think I might get Korbin over with first. He is going to want to hear every gory detail of today’s event, and update me on how things went with the leaders. I’m sure we will talk about it at the meeting, but you know how he is.”
“Probably a good idea to talk to him now, and yes, I know exactly how he is.” Katie smiled. “You are like the piece of paper he keeps notes on.”
“Very true.” He laughed and headed inside to make his way to Korbin’s office after dropping his bag by the stairs.
Katie grabbed the door handle, but paused when she heard a voice behind her.
Stephanie, who was also coming back in for the night, was jogging across the lot to meet her.
She looked tire
d, but excited. Katie was glad to see her adjusting so well to her new life. Katie had worried about her at first, with so many changes going on: getting out of her business, taking over managing theirs, and becoming one of the Damned.
She looked completely different with her torn jeans and pink Chuck Taylors, but Katie liked it. Those clothes suited her a hell of a lot better than silk robes and too much makeup.
“Hey, girl!” Stephanie called. “Did you have a good trip?”
“Sure did.” Katie nodded. “How about you? How was your day in hiding?”
“Good. We nailed down the details of the new base,” she told Katie as they walked up the stairs. “We are getting the old building cleaned up to move into, and have already set the details to start pouring concrete for the new part tomorrow.”
“Damn.” Katie stifled a yawn. “That was fast.”
“I know, but we really want to get out of this rubble and into the new place.” Stephanie smiled. “Oh, and I am having an event at the old house tomorrow, for the transfer of the deeds. Will you come? You’ll get to see some of the girls. They’ve been dying to see you.”
“Absolutely.” Katie smiled back and walked into the main area. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“Great!” Stephanie gave her a hug. “I will see you in the morning.”
“Night.” Katie watched as Stephanie headed to her room.
She walked the other way and breathed a sigh of relief when she walked into her bedroom.
It was good to be home; she had missed her bedroom. She put down her luggage and didn’t even unpack, heading directly into the bathroom and turning on the water. She stripped and stepped into the deluge as soon as it got hot.
The water rushed over her, and she felt the aches and pains from the day washing down the drain. She had worked hard almost every day since she had been Damned, and this day had been no different.
She had managed, with the help of Damian, to save fifty souls, including an injured cop and about twelve children—not to mention that the thieves had been arrested and were being charged with a slew of things.