by Michael Todd
As he took another tentative step, a demon landed in front of him, hissing loudly. Max yelped and slammed his fist into its throat. The beast’s eyes grew wide with surprise, and it grabbed its neck and stumbled back. Max squeezed his trigger three times, shattering the ugly face.
Astaroth chuckled. Whoa, whoa, I think you got him. He won’t smell anything for a long time.
The creature turned to dust, and Max stomped up the rest of the steps. I told you. They like to jump out unexpectedly.
His demon scoffed. You’ll be fine, especially if you keep throat-punching the bitches like that.
The trainee shook his head as he turned the corner and came face to face with a tall, redheaded woman with bright red eyes. He swallowed, lowered his gun, and held the bible open. The woman snarled, and her head jerked spasmodically as she walked toward him. He found one of the prayers and chanted as calmly as he could while she screamed loudly, the sound echoing down the hall.
Her claws morphed into human hands, and she grabbed her throat and thrashed violently. Her eyes went soft, and she looked at Max, one hand outstretched in a helpless gesture. “Please, stop. The demon is gone. Please, it hurts so much.”
Max paused, but Astaroth gave him a jolt. She’s playing you. Keep going.
He nodded and continued. The woman’s face twisted with rage, and she shrieked and lunged at him. He sidestepped instinctively, and her body convulsed before it dropped to the floor. A demon floated free and hovered for a few moments as it writhed and screeched until finally, it erupted.
Max’s shoulders relaxed, and he knelt beside the woman and made the sign of the cross. Her red eyes were blue pools of silent gratitude before she passed out. She’ll be all right.
Astaroth sniffed the air. She’s the only one up here. Head back down to where the bulk of them are. You got this.
Damian eliminated the demons in the kitchen and retreated down the hall, going past the staircase and into the living room. At least a dozen demons crawled in and out of windows and perched on furniture while some fought each other in the center of the room. The priest immediately opened fire, careful to avoid the infected among them. He stepped back and almost fell over another body. Looking over his shoulder, he saw that Max had joined the fray.
The older man reloaded and selected his next targets. “How you holding up?” he asked casually
Max fired a well-placed headshot. “Okay, I suppose. I exorcised one upstairs. You?”
Damian nodded. “Exorcised one, killed a bunch of demons.”
For a long time, they simply focused on the seemingly endless stream of beasts with no time for exorcism. Max fired his last bullet and dropped the empty magazine on the floor. “I’m out.”
His mentor tossed a new one to him. “My coat comes in handy sometimes.”
Max grinned and shoved it home. “There are so many of them.”
Droves of demons streamed toward them from the hallway. There were a few Damned mixed in, but there was no time to even think about exorcising them. A large demon burst through the front door, noticed Max and Damian, and growled loudly. The men looked at each other before they fired in unison at the beast’s head.
The demon screamed and flailed its arms wildly, knocking Max back onto the steps. Before Damian could intervene, something slammed into his stomach. The force of the punch rolled him back into the wall, and he grunted at the impact and slid to the floor. Max narrowed his eyes as his mentor coughed, trying to catch his breath. He pushed up from the steps and shoved the creature aside to give the older man time. Under Astaroth’s guidance, he kicked the demon hard in the side and followed up with a blow to its nose.
It shook its head and stumbled back, giving Damian time to find his feet. He leaped forward, wrapped his legs around the demon’s neck, and flipped backward. The beast somersaulted onto the floor, and Damian shoved his gun into its head and fired. A soft whine cut off abruptly as it disintegrated.
The older man nodded his thanks as several Damned ran toward them, their skin hanging in peeling strips. Max sliced one through the neck with his dagger. He threw the second blade, and it thunked between the Damned’s eyes. Both were so far gone that they turned to ash almost immediately.
They had given themselves a small breathing space, so Damian stepped beside Max and they looked out the door. He replaced his magazine and shook his head. “It looks like between us and the mercs, we’ve cleared out or exorcised at least half these bitches. This is the point where they usually try to make a break for it.”
The trainee glanced to the right as demons crawled through the doorway and spread over the ceiling and walls like spiders. They perched there, hissing and staring at the two men.
“Uh, I think this might play out a little differently,” Max remarked. “What do you think?”
Damian noted the shift in hostility. Normally, smaller ones would attack randomly but were mostly intent on finding food. These, however, were focused entirely on the two priests.
A demon dropped from the ceiling and stood, flexing its black-scaled shoulder muscles. The eyes were set wide apart, and its mouth drooped to reveal rows of hideous sharpened teeth. It scraped its claws on the floor and barked menacingly. Max’s mouth dropped open. “Holy hell, what the fuck is it doing?”
Damian stared, having never seen that mentality in demons before. Without looking at his companion, he tapped Max’s chest. “Language.”
In the same breath, he lifted his gun and fired, striking the fiend in the chest. It looked at the hole and snarled as it lurched toward him. Damian held the weapon steady as he backed away, pulling the trigger again and again. Suddenly, Max launched himself onto the monster’s shoulders, raised his dagger, and plunged it into the skull. The demon thrashed, and Max alighted to land beside his mentor.
Damian glanced at him with raised eyebrows. “Nice.”
The younger man focused on the demon. “Thanks. I wasn’t sure I would actually land on his shoulders. Just kind of winged it.”
The beast howled loudly and fragmented, and the knife dropped. Max retrieved it and gestured out the door at a wall of demons creeping toward the mercs. “I didn’t know they did this.”
His mentor shook his head. “I’ve never seen it before, but it looks like an uprising. Things are completely out of hand. I don’t know where they learned this, but it’s not good news for us.”
Chapter Thirteen
Damian grabbed Max’s arm and pulled him toward the stairwell. Two shots each found a target among the demons creeping down the steps. The trainee glanced at the demons that were inching closer. “Where are we going?”
“I need a minute to think before they all start attacking.”
Once upstairs, they moved cautiously down the hall, alert for other adversaries hiding there. It seemed they were all downstairs or outside, waiting to attack. Damian had never seen demons act like that in any previous incursion. It was obvious that to keep Max safe, he would have to go against the Wise Men’s orders. There was no way he would send his trainee out there on his own and hope he stayed alive. The sheer distraction alone would probably get them both killed.
He stopped at the end of the hall in front of an open closet, glanced at the empty space, and thought for a moment. He wanted to clear his head but knew he didn’t have much time.
Max looked bewildered. “Did I do something wrong?”
Damian’s eyes softened, and he patted him on the chest. “No, you did a really good job. There was no way that either of us could exorcise. We were too inundated by demons to even think about it, and I’m now trying to think about our next plan of attack. Things are intense, and these demons are acting completely out of character.”
Max straightened and puffed his chest out. “I’m ready. This is part of the job, and I want you to know that I can handle whatever comes my way. I got my hands of steel, my wits, and my weapons. If I have time to exorcise I will, but I won’t hesitate to kill these guys. They obviously want to kill us, and they
seem to have some sort of training.”
Damian chuckled and nodded. “That they do, which is why it’ll be incredibly difficult, especially for a newbie. These demons would give Katie a run for her money.”
The trainee stomped his foot. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s take them down.”
His mentor glanced at the closet and smirked. He shifted momentarily and thrust out his palm to strike Max in the chest. The young priest stumbled back, and Damian pushed him to the floor of the closet. Max shook his head, confused, and tried to stand.
Damian shoved the door almost shut and shook his head. “Sorry, kid. I promised I’d keep you alive. Try not to scream, or you’ll call the demons right to this closet. When it’s clear, I’ll come get you out.”
Max’s eyes burned red as he tried again to stand, but the older man slammed the door and locked it from the outside. He stepped back as the trainee pounded the door and yelled, “Don’t do this to me, Damian. This is my job! Dammit, let me out of this closet. So help me God, I’ll knock the damn thing from its hinges.”
A short silence was followed by a loud thud. Max groaned, and Damian chuckled and patted the door. “Just hold tight, buddy. This is not a fight for a newbie.”
He rolled up his shirt sleeves. “All right, demons. You want to fuck around? I can play along with that.”
Ravi hissed with laughter. Oh. My. God. Seriously, how did you ever become a priest, much less stay a priest all these years? I don’t know if they can fire priests, but if they can, how did you dodge that bullet? You are disobeying direct orders.
Damian sneered. Direct orders from a bunch of baboons who don’t know their asses from their elbows. I’ll be nice to their faces and I’ll take the missions, but I’m tired of being pushed around. There is no way I’ll get Max’s ass torn up to prove something to them.
She snickered. The rebel priest, killing demons and throwing up gang signs. I’m sorry, but I’ve never seen a priest do something like that. Normally, they’re very obedient and never question things.
He headed purposefully down the hallway. That’s how people fucking get killed. They mess around, trying to play favorites and good boys, and someone does the wrong thing. I’ll be damned if they test me on this. I’ve been a priest too long, and when God tells me something ain’t right, I listen.
Ravi exhaled a deep breath of relief. I have to say, Damian, I’m proud of you. I know that might not mean much coming from a princess of darkness, but I am. Max is a kid, and while no one should have to deal with this, it’s not worth risking his life. He definitely isn’t ready to face the angry demon mob waiting for you downstairs.
Damian paused at the stairs and glanced at the door. To be honest with you, I don’t know whether this is the right thing or not. I could have set myself and him up for failure, but the thought of fighting these assholes and worrying about him at the same time is more terrifying. That distraction will get me a talon in my chest.
Or one in his, she added.
I couldn’t bear the idea that I was the one to get him killed. If he dies, it’ll be once he’s fully prepared. He will be a master of his craft, and the decision to go down will be on him, not me.
Ravi was surprised and proud. Well, just so you know, if you got killed protecting him, the kid would never survive it. He’s tough, but not tough like that. I can tell. You made the right choice.
Hearing a sudden sound from the room beside him, Damian kicked the door open and raised his gun. A young girl with glowing red eyes climbed the wall in the corner and hissed. He blinked several times, the tune from the amusement park haunting him. Thrusting the memory aside, he raised his hand and repeated the prayer. He lunged forward as the girl dropped from the wall, caught her, and laid her down on the floor as the demon rose and flashed out of existence. She was still alive.
Damian closed the door and shook his head to clear his mind. Ravi harrumphed as they reached the stairs. You know what I think will be hilarious?
He welcomed the distraction from his memories. What?
She laughed. How absolutely livid he will be when he escapes that funky closet. I can already see him sitting in there fuming and plotting your demise.
Damian chuckled as he readied his weapons. Better pissed than dead, in my opinion.
Gunfire from one of the merc’s automatic weapons sprayed the walls in the entrance to the house. Damian stood side by side with two fighters, and they systematically eliminated as many demons as they could. One snatched a Damned off the wall and slammed her to the floor. “Priest, I got one for you.”
Damian raced over and whispered the exorcism while the merc held her down. She writhed and thrashed as the demon rose slowly from her body. As it erupted, Damian nodded to the woman fighter. “Thank you.”
She dusted her hands off. “No problem. I find what you do admirable. I’m only sorry this is so chaotic that you can’t help more of them.”
Damian blasted a demon that lunged toward them. “Unfortunately, that is the name of the game in this business. I do what I can, and hope it is good enough for the church and for God.”
The woman smiled and drew two short swords from her back. “That’s all you can do.”
She ran out the door, the other merc on her heels. Damian killed the last few demons inside and headed to the field out front to help where he could. Demons surged everywhere. They ran through the fields and pounced on mercs, mindlessly focused on the kill. Damian was standing on the porch trying to decide where he was needed when he heard Charlie call his name.
Across the field, the fighter held someone down in the long grasses. “Over here!”
He raced toward the merc and stopped when he saw the infected. Her skin was peeling, and her eyes were bright red. One glance was enough to know she couldn’t be saved and he sighed and shook his head.
Charlie shot her once in the skull, killing her instantly. “Well, it was worth a shot. I haven’t seen many infected that weren’t completely taken over.”
“It seems to be more like that every day, but I do what I can.”
The fighter suddenly shoved Damian to the ground. The bewildered priest saw a demon leap forward and tackle Charlie, and they rolled in a tangle of limbs. The man winced as a claw raked his shoulder. Damian scrambled to his feet and ran to grab the fiend by the head and haul it off. He snatched the knife from his belt and thrust it hard, turning the aggressor to dust.
Panting, he turned to help Charlie to his feet. The fighter grimaced and rubbed his bleeding shoulder. “I’ll be glad when this fucking day is over.”
The field now seemed less overrun than before. “We’re close. Come on, let’s finish this shit on a high note.”
They ran through the field as a unit, blasting demons right and left. Every so often they would find a Damned, but only one could be saved. Damian felt a rush of adrenaline, something he hadn’t experienced since he’d left the Killers. While happy with his choice to rejoin the church, he couldn’t deny it also felt good to be part of a team. Kicking ass and taking names was his past, but at that moment, as he slammed demons to the ground in the Scottish countryside, he felt more alive than ever.
Astaroth chuckled. Look at it this way. Instead of dying from a demon wound, you’ll die from asbestos poisoning—a slow and painful goodbye.
Max had pulled his knees to his chest, and his chin rested on top. That’s why I have you—to heal me of deadly diseases. I’ll keep going until someone has to walk behind me and pick up my limbs.
The demon scoffed. Oh, no. If I’m stuck in here, I’ll enjoy your death. We demons like pain and suffering.
Thanks. Anyway, what does it matter? I’m stuck in a hall closet during a huge incursion.
Look, Damian took a big risk protecting you like this. I’m sure his bosses—those three lost Backstreet Boys—will not be happy about this. Take it as a lesson, and be happy that you don’t have to lose an arm or something. Those demons were well-trained.
Max rolled his eyes.
That’s exactly why I should be out there. If I can kick ass here, I can handle anything. I can get into the thick of it when we have a call.
Astaroth didn’t understand his irritation. Like standing in the center of a cemetery as a ghost tries to smash you with a casket isn’t “the thick of it?”
That was nothing compared to demons. I just… Max paused and lifted his head to listen to a demon snarling outside. Three gunshots rang out, and everything went silent. He put his chin down and continued, I hate being treated like a baby. I’ll start cussing and drinking all the time. I’ll figure out a way to say entire sentences using nothing but cuss words.
Astaroth chuckled. That sounds fun. You’ll come off as a complete moron. Nice. I’m sure that’s the way to get respect.
Max groaned. Doesn’t matter. I’m stuck in here for eternity. Fuck a sack of cock and balls on a shitty-ass Tuesday morning. See, I can do it.
Astaroth grimaced. That sounds like a terrible time.
Damian slammed a demon to the ground and sliced through its neck with his knife. The fiend turned to dust, and the priest straightened to look around. They had killed or exorcised every last threat there. He relaxed his shoulders, cleaned his knife, and sheathed it.
Charlie approached and clapped his approval. “That was some mighty fine slaying, Damian. You haven’t lost your touch.”
He laughed. “I wish that were true. You guys did a great job.”
The fighter tilted his head with open curiosity. “Why are you doing this instead of raising hell with Katie in New York?”
“I have a new job. I do what I can to exorcise demons for the church.”
Charlie shook his head and holstered his pistol. “Personally, I think it’s a waste of your talent. To each his own, though. If you ever change your mind, give me a call. We can use all the good fighters we can get.”