by Michael Todd
Ashton groaned as he pushed the lever, moving the submarine forward, barely missed by the falling stones. Pandora leaned between the two of them and tilted her head to the side. “Uh, I hate to be the bearer of bad news here…”
Katie whipped her head toward Pandora. “What? Just spit it out.”
Pandora pointed forward. “Those aren’t rocks. Those are fucking teeth.”
The naval base was bustling as the sun rose and everyone came to work. No one in the comm room in the top-secret sector of the building noticed. They had all been there for hours, tracking and monitoring every single movement of the little submarine as it moved closer and closer to its destination. Everyone was downing coffee every chance they got.
Due to the secret nature of the mission, no one was allowed to leave, and no one not there from the beginning was allowed to enter. That meant no shift changes for those on duty, but they were trained for that and tried their best not to complain. They knew one moment of distraction could mean the team’s life.
The general had taken a seat in the back, unbuttoning his jacket and waiting. He leaned back, rubbing his face hard, trying to stay awake. The dim lights didn’t help, that was for sure. Then again, he didn’t think he could sleep even if they put him in a king-sized bed with the most comfortable blankets on Earth. All he could do was picture Katie, Pandora, and Juntto in that tiny submarine heading straight for the deadliest Leviathan they had yet encountered.
Suddenly there was a drop in the beeping sounds, and the general lifted his head and scanned the room. Several of the guys jumped from their seats and began pressing buttons on the different boards. The general popped up and walked forward, not sure what was going on. The rear admiral had taken a break in the other room, so the general was the highest ranking official there.
One of the sonar techs hurried over to him. “Sir, we have lost all sign of Katie’s submarine. They just dropped completely off the map. We aren’t sure where to go from here. It went dark, like Wilson’s sub did after we were finally able to find a signal from it.”
The rear admiral ran back into the room, buttoning his coat. “What’s going on?”
The general looked at him with fear in his eyes. “We’ve lost their signal, just like we did with Wilson. It was there one second, then all of a sudden it completely stopped. I heard it myself.”
The rear admiral raced over to the computers and printed out the sonar readings. Sure enough, they went from a steady slow rise and fall to nothing. It was a flatline, the death of the signal from the most important mission they had yet sent out. He balled up the paper and threw it on the floor. Racing for the door, he stopped and put his hand on the general’s shoulder. “I’m going to go make some calls and see if I can’t get to the bottom of this. They don’t just lose signal like that. Even during an explosion or a loss of power, the signal steadily drops off. This isn’t how it is supposed to happen.”
The general swallowed hard and took a step back, pulling his phone from his pocket. He skimmed through the numbers, pressing Send.
“This is Timothy.”
The general cleared his dry throat. “Timothy, it’s Brushwood. I need you to take a look and tell me if there have been any strange occurrences in Katie’s general area of the North Atlantic.”
Timothy seemed a bit surprised. “That’s a mighty big area, but let me plug it in.”
He started typing. Brushwood sat back down in his chair and stared at the blank sonar screen. The little red dot was no longer blinking.
Timothy came back on the line. “No. No portals or anything in that entire area.”
The general sat motionlessly. “I don’t understand. Where the hell are they?”
9
Ashton gripped the steering controls as the submarine rocked wildly. A red light flashed on the board, and he frowned. Flipping the switch, he turned off the sub’s engines. “How can that be?”
Katie looked at him curiously. “What?”
Ashton looked out the window. “We seemed to have run ashore somehow. We are no longer submerged. I had to shut off the engines.”
Katie shook her head. “Do you have any better lights on this thing?”
Ashton ran his fingers over the board. “Uh, yeah. There are floodlights for tight spaces.”
He flicked on the lights, and everyone looked out the window. Katie couldn’t understand what the hell was going on. “It looks like we’re in some sort of huge cavern or something, but how can that be? There is no way that we came up that fast. We would all have died from that kind of pressure change.”
Pandora locked her helmet. “Well, there’s no better way to figure it out then to get the hell out of this tin can. We definitely aren’t going to know until we do.”
Juntto grew back to his normal size and latched his helmet. “I’m just glad to be on dry land again.”
Ashton put on his helmet as Katie latched hers. He equalized the pressure in the chamber and reaching up, he flung the hatch open wide. One by one they climbed out of the sub and slid down the side to the soft, almost mushy ground.
Katie, Pandora, Juntto, and Ashton took out their flashlights and looked around the cavern. The walls were ribbed and combed at the top. Katie stepped forward, shaking her head. “This looks more like a cave than a cavern.”
Pandora rolled her shoulders, feeling her wings ready to pop out. “I am rolling down here like an angel. My body isn’t giving me much of a choice.”
Katie stretched, rubbing her back. “I’m in the same boat.”
Juntto lurched forward in full frost giant form. Ashton ran his flashlight over the ceiling of the cave. “Where the hell are we?”
Pandora thought about it for a second and chuckled to herself. “Well, shit. We’re in Baylahn’s belly or throat.”
Ashton’s eyes grew huge. “What?”
Pandora shrugged. “Fuck, don’t get mad at me. I tried to tell you.”
Just then, Baylahn began to rumble, and the floor beneath them shook. They turned toward a dark opening in front of them, shining their lights in unison. As the rumbling got louder, a small flood hit the sides of the enclosure. A whale called out as it floated up, slowing and rolling into the standing flood before them.
Ashton shook his head and began to back up. “This is… No fucking way. This can’t be fucking real. There’s no way this is real.”
Katie tried to calm him, but he pulled away from her. Pandora stopped her. “He is freaking out right now. You just have to let him go through it.”
Ashton looked at Katie and Pandora. “This is fucked up, and I’m not going to sit here and believe this bullshit. I’m out of here. This is too much for me to handle. I’m a fucking sub driver, not Captain-fucking-Ahab.”
Panicking, Ashton took off, heading farther into the cavern. Katie threw her head back. “Fucking perfect. He is the only one who can operate the sub.”
Juntto kicked the vehicle. “You mean the tin can stuck on Leviathan Island? It’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Still, that human just lost it. We should probably go after him. Sticking together is our best bet.”
Pandora rolled her eyes. “Frosty has a point. Come on, let’s go find the freak before he ends up in the bowels or something. He would never forgive us for that one. Personally, I like Cue Ball.”
Katie climbed back up the sub and grabbed Juntto’s spear, tossing it to him. She hopped back down as he grabbed his machine gun as well. “We can’t carry everything we brought, so we will have to rely on our individual strengths here. Let’s move out.”
Pandora and Juntto followed Katie as they slowly entered the cavern. The darkness was all around them, but the headlamps on their suits helped illuminate the space. About three hundred feet into the darkness, a small hunk of metal sat to the side. Katie narrowed her eyes and hurried forward, shining her flashlight inside it.
She looked at Pandora and Juntto. “This is the sub Wilson and Red stole. They aren’t in it, of course, but that means they made it to thi
s point.”
Pandora walked up and took a deep breath. “But where did they go? It’s not like this is a good place for a nice romantic stroll.”
Katie furrowed her brow. “Yeah. If they had died, their bodies would probably still be inside.”
Juntto smacked the top of the submarine. “I mean, it’s smashed as hell, but they could have survived it. They probably ditched it to figure out how the hell to get out of here. I bet you we’ll find them creeping around in here somewhere.”
Katie pulled her sword from the sheath on her back and held it in front of her. “Then we need to be careful. There is no telling what that asshole will try. We are in completely new territory.”
Pandora looked around. “Where do we go next? I mean, there really is only one direction at this point, but this is a living creature. He should have some sort of anatomy. Do we continue down into this thing’s guts?”
Juntto pouted. “That does not sound nice. And who knows what we’ll find in there? This thing seems to swallow anything and everything that comes near it. There could be sharks and stuff.”
Katie rolled her eyes. “Juntto, sharks can’t live outside water. If they are in the intestines, they are already dead, buddy.”
Juntto narrowed his eyes. “I don’t know. I saw Sharknado…One, Two, Three, and Four. Sharks can be tricky motherfuckers.”
Katie groaned. “Look, if we go deeper into this thing, we should be able to avoid the guts.”
Juntto put up his hand. Katie blinked. “Yes, Juntto?”
Juntto rubbed his chin, glancing at Pandora. “And the bladder. I don’t want to wade through piss.”
Katie opened her mouth and then shut it, shaking her head. “I agree about that one. Let’s definitely avoid the bladder.”
Korbin and Calvin walked through the double doors of the government building in downtown Taipei. From the outside, it looked like a lavish historical building from back home. Its stone was aged, but it seemed to be relatively well taken care of. On the inside, though, the colors were vibrant and alive. Bright reds adorned the walls, and flowers were placed on every desk and table along the way. Guards stood at the entrance and the checkpoints; Korbin and Calvin had purposely left their weapons in the Humvees the military had escorted them in.
Their Damned soldier, Yong Ming, walked carefully behind them, keeping his sunglasses firmly on his face. Everyone knew that people in China acted much differently to random infected than they did in America. Even Calvin wore his glasses out of habit.
All three of them went through the security checkpoint, allowing themselves to be searched. The guards left the glasses alone, mostly because they recognized Korbin from his many meetings with the heads of government. They knew he was Damned, but no one really talked about it. He was an ally, and with what they were facing, that was all that mattered to them. Once searched, one of the guards escorted them up the stairs and down the hall to the main chambers.
The doors creaked loudly as they opened. Korbin, Calvin, and Yong walked quietly into the room. The three men stood in front of the heads of government and bowed slightly. Korbin had made sure to let Calvin know the customs beforehand.
Korbin cleared his throat. “Thank you for seeing me before we go. I have spoken with the World Council, and we have an idea to keep your already fortified city even safer. The World Council has agreed to support you if you choose to train Damned troops for further protection.”
The members of the government whispered back and forth, then the speaker looked at Korbin. “But they can be dangerous.”
Korbin nodded. “Yes, but like me, they can be saviors as well. I would like you to meet Yong Ming. He came to me, showing his loyalty to the people of Taiwan. He is Damned, but with some physical training, can be a mighty warrior and ally to you in times of crisis.”
Yong bowed to the men. “I would like to offer myself as a member of the Taiwanese defense in this war, laying down my life to protect you and this great city.”
The government members stared at him, and Korbin could feel the pressure in the room. He stepped forward, putting his hands out. “We want to make sure the country has the best, most sustainable defenses possible. You have seen what kind of help the mercenaries can be. The problem is, with so many incursions and demons around the world, we are struggling to meet the demand. My team, including Katie, are drawn in a hundred different directions. If you face an attack, it is not likely that we could get here in time to assist. But if you had your own team, they would be ready and waiting in the wings as a second strong line of defense against our common enemy.”
The members of the government were silent for a moment and then whispered back and forth again. The leader nodded to the men before turning back to Korbin. “You have shown us that the Damned can be trusted in many situations. The mighty warrior, Katie, has gone above and beyond to protect the world. We agree that this line of defense is not only beneficial to our safety but necessary. Take Yong to the administrative offices and get him registered. He will become the leader of our new mercenary branch.”
Korbin smiled and bowed. “Thank you. And good luck in the future.”
He turned and pushed Calvin and Yong out of the room into the hallway. Yong let out a deep breath and grabbed his chest. “I am to lead them? Can I do that?”
Korbin placed both his hands on Yong’s shoulders and grinned. “You will be more than a leader. You will be a hero to the people, and you will put your life on the line to save everyone. This is the first step toward the future freedom of this world from the tyranny of the demons. Take hold of that future and move with it. You can do it; I know you can.”
Yong smiled and hugged Korbin tightly. Korbin chuckled and patted him on the back. “Let’s go get you registered, shall we?”
Yong nodded in excitement and took the lead, heading to the administrative offices. Calvin looked at Korbin and narrowed his eyes. “That was one hell of a speech. Do you really believe he will lead them to greatness?”
Korbin shrugged. “I sure as hell hope so. All people really need is confidence to be a successful leader. Everything else can be taught.”
The guys laughed as they walked into the admin offices and stood to the side, waiting for Yong to fill out his paperwork. Korbin leaned against the desk, thinking about the next place he was scheduled to go. On the one hand, he really loved doing what he was doing. He was protecting the people from the demons before they struck. On the other, he really missed Stephanie and their warm bed.
He took a deep breath and looked at the flowers on the desk, which were a beautiful and bright blue. He ran his finger over the soft petals and glanced at the woman behind them. “I’m sorry, excuse me. What kind of flowers are these? I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in the States.”
The woman smiled. “They are not from the States. They bloom here, on the outskirts of the city. They are called gentians.”
Korbin repeated the name. “Thank you.”
Yong finished his paperwork, and the three of them headed back out of the office. As they walked out onto the street, Calvin nudged Korbin with a smirk. “What, are you going to start a flower shop now?”
Korbin looked at him for a moment, realizing he’d heard him asking about the flowers. “I liked them. They reminded me of those Japanese trees that have bright purple leaves. Stephanie always wanted to have one, but they wouldn’t grow well where we lived.”
Calvin shrugged his shoulders. “Right, sure, sure. Because hey, who gives a fuck, right? I can go save the world all by myself while you grow tulips or something.”
He laughed, and Korbin pointed his finger at him. “I like flowers. I’ve always liked flowers. Don’t mistake that as a weakness, though. Don’t think for a second that I won’t beat your ass.”
Calvin grinned. “Right, and then hand me a beautiful rose and a cup of green tea steeped from organic tea leaves.”
Korbin shook his head. “Threatened by my masculinity. It’s okay, buddy. One day you’ll
grow up.”
Calvin thought about it for a second and looked at Korbin. With a laugh, they said in unison, “Nah.”
Baal and Beelzebub stood uncomfortably looking around Lucifer’s chambers. The walls were dark and hung with large torches. The flames weren’t normal, but similar to those that burned within Baal’s fireplace. Tiny little souls on fire, screaming and writhing as the inferno grew hotter around them, never going out. If you listened closely enough, you could hear their screams from across the room.
To their left Mania stood, her long dress flowing across the floor. It was snug to her perfect body, with a draped neckline revealing her perky breasts. A snake slithered at her feet and her crows perched on the rafters, letting out soft caws each time she moved. In one hand she held a golden staff, and in the other, she twirled her whip wildly. An evil smirk lingered on her lips and the trees continued to sway on her smooth tanned skin.
Baal cleared his throat and elbowed Beelzebub, who was staring at Mania. Very few, demon or human, could take their eyes off her beauty. That was her enchantment and her curse. She could pull the soul from any human with a glance. She didn’t, though. Her job was to take the souls to their final destination. In hell at Lucifer’s side, however, she was able to let loose.
The two demons looked curiously at a collection of ragtag demons. They were all less than worthy of their place in front of Lucifer, yet he didn’t seem to notice. Instead, that same giddy, childlike grin was plastered to his face, and he bounced lightly around on his large taloned paws.
Lucifer gained his composure and stood tall, grasping his claws behind his back. He sauntered in front of the group like a general, holding his head high. “Who here would like to stay in hell and endure an eternity of pain? And who here would like to go to Earth to experience the deepest pleasure possible? Hmm? Shall you make a choice that you never thought you would be offered? And by your highest master, no less.”