by Michael Todd
The monkey hissed and lunged at Pandora. She screamed like a little girl and swatted at its belly, knocking it hard to the ground. The others looked at their friend and turned to Pandora, snarling and showing teeth. Katie’s eyes opened wide, and she slowly reached for her sword. “I think you pissed the thing off. Now it’s going to kill you and then do God-knows-what with that big hairy dick.”
Pandora shuddered and raised her sword. “Not if I chop it up first!”
Katie pulled her sword and they went to town, slicing down several at a time. They didn’t seem to understand what a sword was until they watched their buddy lose a mouth and its shaft. The rest of the monkey creatures took off into the canopy, screeching at them as they disappeared. Juntto swatted at a couple of them who’d stayed behind. They were messing with him, thrusting their hips and jumping before he could hit them with his fists.
Every time he swung, he almost fell over. He reached up and rubbed his head. “I’m fucking dizzy as hell. The whole jungle is spinning.”
The monkey snickered and jumped on his leg. It started humping him, screeching loudly for the other animals in the forest to hear. Juntto shook his leg to try to get the thing off of him and finally, he was able to kick hard enough, sending the animal flying off into the jungle.
He put his foot down and wobbled. Katie and Pandora ran over to him, and one got under each arm. They steadied him and moved his huge body back against a tree. They propped him up carefully, making sure he wasn’t going to slide down. They couldn’t afford to have an unconscious Juntto, and they couldn’t leave him there.
Katie tapped him on the chest. “You okay?”
Juntto took a deep breath and pushed forward off the tree, standing up. “I’m okay. Must have been something on the arrows. Let’s keep moving.”
Korbin and Calvin stood in front of the troops. Anyone who wasn’t hospitalized had gotten cleaned up and bandaged and came back out to hear it. Calvin started, putting on a pair of sunglasses. “When I stood on the top of that fort looking down at you fighting with all your might, it was one of the proudest moments that I have ever had. You were thrown into the mix, you lost a lot of your brothers and sisters, and yet you continued fighting, marching harder every step of the way.”
Korbin nodded. “I agree. I watched some people out here that if I were in their shoes, at their age, I would have thought of running. But not one of you did. You served your country and yourselves proudly. I have to tell you, your new Damned mercenaries gave their lives, all but two, to protect you and this great city. They marched in without a lick of training and fought as hard as they could, so when you stand beside a Damned in battle, don’t ever look down your nose at them. They may very well be the one that takes a scratch or a bite or gives their life for yours. Calvin and I couldn’t be prouder of you all.”
Calvin clapped his hands. “And now I can say you are battle-tested, and you passed with flying colors.”
The Taiwanese government members were there, standing behind Calvin and Korbin as they spoke. When the speech was over, they shook every person’s hand there. The troops were released, and Calvin and Korbin went over to talk to them. One of the men put out his hand and shook Calvin’s and Korbin’s. “You have done us a great service here. You protected us, and you fought with us as if you were one of us.”
Korbin nodded. “We are, sir. We are all of this planet. Doesn’t matter to us what country you reside in.”
The official nodded with a smile. “I think the only thing we are a bit skeptical about is the new Damned unit.”
Calvin could see Korbin tensing, so he stepped in. “Sir, if I may. I watched the Damned who arrived here just this morning with no training and no education on what to do fight their asses off. Many perished saving your country, your city, and your soldiers. These mercenaries are fearless, and you need them as part of your team. Your soldiers can only do so much. When it comes to the really big badass demons, that’s where your mercenaries will shine. They will be equipped to handle the strength, ferocity, and even injuries that one sustains fighting those big guys. They will be able to kill them when your guns aren’t working and your soldiers are dying.”
The official looked at Calvin for a moment and then at Korbin, who had calmed down. “Sir, I stood next to the mercenaries today. I fought beside them. I watched as all but two were ripped apart so badly you won’t be able to put their bodies back together. They did that without fear in their eyes, without question, and without any thought of the sacrifice.”
The official rubbed his chin. “And you believe all mercenaries will do this?”
Korbin smiled. “If they are volunteering and they check out, then yes. I haven’t met one yet who would think differently, and I will go so far as to say that without those mercenaries today chasing down demons, Taipei would have fallen.”
The communications tech stepped in, clearing his throat. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but we finally have all the communications up and running.”
Korbin nodded. “I’ll be right there.”
The official shook his hand again. “You have given us a lot of hope, and I think you are right. A Damned mercenary unit might be exactly what we need to make sure that we have all lines covered. Thank you for your service, both of you. I won’t keep you. I know you have a lot going on. I’m sure the council will be happy to hear from you as soon as you can get in there.”
Korbin nodded. “Right after this call, I will head over there.”
Korbin waited until the officials had climbed into their vehicles and headed back toward the city. He looked at Calvin and smiled. “We get to call Timothy. Well, I do.”
Calvin patted him on the back. “Good luck with that. I’m going to go sit down and rest for a few minutes.”
Korbin chuckled as he walked into the building and over to the desk. He picked up the phone and dialed the comm room at the base. Timothy answered with, “I am so glad you are calling. Holy crap, we have been shitting ourselves over here wondering if you are okay.”
Korbin laughed. “I’m okay, I promise. I wanted to thank you for sending us the information to get things up and running. Of course, the government fixed the city while we were mid-battle and then brought your instructions to us at the end, but better late than never, I suppose.”
Timothy groaned. “Gotta love politics. Do you want me to get Stephanie?”
Korbin looked at his watch. “I’ll call her in a bit. I have to go tell the Taiwanese and World Councils that they need to rebuild the fort here…again.”
Timothy hissed. “That should be a fun conversation. Do it now while the freshness of your victory is still on their minds. That might lessen the blow for all of them.”
Korbin smirked. “You are reading my mind, dude. Tell everyone I am glad they are okay. We will make headway on this. We’ve just got to keep our heads up.”
Stephanie leaned back in her office chair and tapped her pen on the desk. She had to write up a report for the general, but she couldn’t get her mind off of not having everything up and running. She was worried there would be another attack and they wouldn’t be prepared. The phone began to ring, and she picked it up. “Yep.”
Timothy cheered in her ear. “We have communication back up between all the bases, and our security is one hundred percent go.”
Stephanie let out a deep breath. “Good Lord. Thank you, guys. I was freaking out over here.”
Timothy smacked his lips. “Girl, please. You know I got your back. Now put down whatever you are doing and go take a walk. It’ll help you realize that everything is almost back to normal. Then take a damn shot, because you are too stressed.”
Stephanie laughed. “Those are both great ideas. I’ll see you for dinner?”
Timothy sighed. “You know it. Well, if I can get through all these double system checks. Call me when it’s time.”
Stephanie smiled. “Will do. Great job to Sean, too. You guys are a good team.”
Stephanie hung up and headed
outside, taking Timothy’s advice. Sand was lightly blowing around the base, and voices could be heard from all directions. She walked gingerly toward the shooting range to her left, seeing Eddie inside. She leaned against one of the wooden poles and listened to him instruct one of the new soldiers.
Eddie stood behind him, looking down the barrel of the gun. “You are adjusting for that wind too much. I know it seems like you should be shooting at a ninety-degree angle sometimes, but the wind is not kicking it that hard. I promise. When you are sitting there and that breeze hits you, you have to feel it out. A lot of this will come with experience. I don’t even have to check the mph of the wind. I know it when I feel it. Then I know how far I need to aim in any direction to make up for it. Right now, you are feeling it out, buddy. Just take it nice and slow.”
The guy shifted his gun and let out a deep breath, pulling the trigger. The bullet hit the bullseye of the target. Stephanie smiled and moved on, not wanting to disturb them. Over by the helipad, Brock stood with his nine-man assault team at ease in ranks in front of him.
Brock looked from one man to the next. “What you saw out there was pure chaos, a surprise attack with surprise weapons. But you also saw a group of people using their strengths to push them back. That was the true beauty of it. We pushed them back and destroyed them because we trusted each other…”
Stephanie turned with a peaceful grin and casually walked in front of the armory. She moved to the side as a group of soldiers ran past in ranks. A guard was running next to them, shouting at them with every step that they took.
“Move it, maggots! If you run this slow on the field, I can promise you that a demon is going to run right up your asshole!” He glanced at Stephanie and grinned.
Stephanie laughed as she meandered along, turning left by the armory and walking out by the fence. She looked out at the sun beginning to get lower in the sky. Reaching in her pocket, she pulled out her phone and dialed Korbin’s number. She knew he was okay, but she didn’t want to wait any longer to talk to him.
The phone rang once, and he picked up. “Hey there, beautiful. I was just about to call you.”
Stephanie smiled. “You made it!”
Korbin chuckled. “You did too!”
Stephanie took a deep breath. “Yeah. We made it through in one piece, although I heard you sustained some heavy casualties.”
Korbin sighed. “Yeah. I hate it, but that is war, I suppose.”
Stephanie smiled, looking at a single flower on the desert floor. “This is definitely a long way from our garden.”
Korbin laughed. “That’s for damn sure. I mean, I know none of this is going to stop for me. Or you, for that matter. But I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I miss the hell out of you.”
Stephanie ran her finger over the fence. “I miss you too. And dammit, the war should stop for us.”
They both laughed. Korbin took a deep breath. “You know, I’ve been thinking about it. I decided that when I get back to the base, I am going to plant us a big garden.”
Stephanie raised an eyebrow. “In the sand?”
Korbin snickered. “Well, it might be above ground or in a greenhouse, but we will have the beauty we have at our house. If we are going to be at the base for a long time, then I want to have a little of that peacefulness and beauty with us.”
Stephanie grinned. “I love that idea. What will we plant in it? The temps out here are definitely different than home.”
Korbin cleared his throat. “Well, I’ve been thinking about that too. I’m going to be bringing home some gentians. They are these beautiful blue Taiwanese flowers. The lady in the admin office said she would tell me everything I need to know about keeping them alive in any climate.”
Stephanie was glad to hear his voice. “That sounds perfect. Now all we have to do is get you home.”
20
Katie and Pandora held Juntto under the arms as they pushed through the last section of the jungle. Katie looked up at the trees as they walked through, watching them sway. It was almost like they were following them, bending with them as they moved. She shook her head and grunted, helping get Juntto over the last of the fallen logs.
Looking at Pandora, she sighed. “This is one majestic place I never want to come back to.”
Pandora glanced back at the trees. “Uh, yeah. Not really vacation quality. I say keep it simple. Beach, other humans, tequila…done.”
Juntto slowed, forcing Katie and Pandora to do the same. “Guys, look at that.”
Katie and Pandora looked up to find a crystalline waterfall tumbling into a pool of clear blue water. The sound echoed through them, only catching their ears once their eyes were fixed on it. The pool of water flowed gently into a small river that moved out of view. The grasses and moss around it were the same vibrant green as the jungle, and Katie got a knot in her belly, wondering if it was an extension of the place.
Juntto wasn’t going any farther like that. Katie nodded toward a stump to the right and Pandora grunted as they got him over there and slowly lowered him to the ground. He leaned against the stump and let out a deep breath. “Thank you. I am… I don’t know.”
Katie furrowed her brow. “What the fuck was in those arrows?”
Pandora put her hands on her hips. “Whatever it was, it would have killed you or me. Thanks, Juntto, for taking one for the team.”
Juntto slowly lifted his arm and gave her a thumbs-up. “I’m sure the poison will begin to dissipate soon. I know we can’t just hang out here.”
Katie knelt next to him and tapped her helmet to his, sending his information to her screen. She looked at his heart rate and stats for a moment. “From what your suit is saying, your vitals are off but not in the red zone. That’s good. Do you think you can go forward?”
Juntto tilted his head side to side and flexed his muscles. “I can definitely give it a try.”
Katie nodded and stood up, turning around to look at the beautiful waterfall again. “Maybe you should eat something. This seems like a decent spot to stop.”
Suddenly the water began to shake, and three beings rose from the pool. They hovered over the water, their black cloaks covering their faces. Not a single drop of water fell from them, as if they were completely dry. Pandora jumped back, pulling her sword from its sheath and holding it in front of her. “Who the fuck is that?”
Katie shook her head, stepping in front of Juntto. “I don’t know, but I don’t have a good feeling about it.”
Pandora nodded. “Spidey senses are tingling something fierce.”
The figures put their arms up and in one voice, sang, “Why have we come to great Baylahn?”
Katie lifted an eyebrow and glanced at Pandora. She was about to answer, but before she could, the three figures spoke again, answering themselves. “We have come to die in his belly.”
Their voices were shrill and echoed through Katie and Pandora’s heads. Katie pulled her sword and covered one ear, grimacing at the tone in which they spoke. She shook her head. “Fuck that.”
Pandora growled, narrowing her eyes and crouching. “There is no way I’m dying here with these cousin-fuckers. Think again, creepy assholes.”
Juntto reached up, pushing Katie slightly to the side to see what was going on. His eyes grew wide, and he used the stump to get to his feet slowly. Katie put her arm around his waist. “Just rest. I think we can handle these three assholes.”
Juntto shook his head. “I’m not sitting down during a battle. Where’s my spear?”
Katie glanced around, grabbed it from the ground, and handed it to him. “Seriously, you need to take it easy.”
Juntto grunted, putting on a warrior's face. “I am not dying in this non-Hygge atmosphere. I want my fucking fuzzy slippers.”
The three figures hovered, slowly moving closer to the edge of the pond. They kept their heads low, shadowed by the hoods of their capes.
Pandora put up her sword. “Reveal yourselves if you choose to threaten us.”
The three figures stopped, and all of their hoods flew back. Their cloaks slipped from their bodies and Katie’s mouth dropped wide open. She inched closer to Pandora. “Uh, are you seeing what I’m seeing?”
Pandora stared for a moment. “Those three look familiar.”
Floating above the water in front of them were three shadow versions of themselves. Their skin flickered and shook as if they were animated, but their eyes shone bright blue, and their armor was the mirrored image of the angels’.
The figures shifted, reaching back and pulling their swords, while the mirror of Juntto pushed his spear in front of him. Juntto tilted his head to the side. “I’m actually a handsome guy.”
Pandora grunted. “Not the time, Frosty, not the time.”
Red stumbled forward, putting her hand on a tree on the edge of the pathway. She breathed heavily for several moments and then flipped her head back. Her red hair swirled and hit her back in a mess of tangles and twigs. “What the hell did we get ourselves into? We could be walking for years. Decades, even.”
Wilson limped up beside her, putting his hand on her back. “It’s here. We just have to have faith and keep going. This is our calling, and we’ve been through enough bullshit that stopping now would be a waste.”
Red groaned and turned around, pressing her back to the tree. Her face was gashed, and there was a large purple lump on her forehead. Wilson was in no better shape, his leg cut at the knee and calf and his body covered in bruises.
He pulled his bag around in front of him and took out some gauze. He pressed it to a puncture wound on her arm and sighed. “Thank you for taking the arrow. I would not have survived the poison.”
Red coughed into her hand, a bit of blood spattering out. “I’m not sure I will either.”
Wilson glanced up at her and tossed the gauze on the ground. He pulled down his tattered and torn shirt and put his hand on the butt of the dagger strapped to his hip. “We have no guns, just knives. We don’t know where we are going, but I tell you this will all work itself out in the end.”