by Michael Todd
Sean smirked. “You worry about everything, so I wouldn’t go calling the National Guard yet. It does suck; not on a deadly scale, of course. But when they are rare, you have no idea when to expect them. At least before, we knew it could be any moment. We were on our game all the time.”
Timothy shrugged. “There is obviously something going on, but without a telescope allowing us to observe hell, I don’t think we’ll actually figure it out. Not that I want to look down there. Too hot for me. I don’t do well with sweat.”
Sean laughed. “Yet you live and work in the desert.”
Timothy pursed his lips. “It didn’t start out as my damn choice, but after I got here and became family, well… I didn’t really have a choice, now, did I?”
Sean looked at him with a smile. “No, I guess not. I am feeling that whole thing as we speak. Wasn’t my choice to be Damned or wheelchair bound and stuck in the dust, but now that I have a family, I don’t think I could let it go.”
The phone rang and Timothy winked at Sean, putting it to his ear. “Timothy here.”
Doctor Thorough was nervous as always. “Timothy, glad you answered. I have been buried in my paperwork and research for days. One minute I think I have an answer, the next I am thrown off the rails again.”
Timothy sat there staring at his nails, waiting for the doctor to calm down and get to the point. It had become a regular occurrence. When he finally took a deep breath, Timothy cleared his throat. “And how can I help you on this, doc? You need stats from me?”
He sighed. “No, I need a second set of eyes. Third, really, after Alice. I want to send my stats over to you and see if you can make heads or tail of them.”
Timothy sat up, surprised. “Oh. Okay, well, I can give it my best shot. Why don’t you start by telling me exactly what we are talking about here? Stats for what?”
The doctor took a long, deep breath. “Well, since the Leviathans have been coming forth, I have managed to extract specimens from them to study. I have some from Juntto, Teyollucuani, and Tiamat. I used those specimens to start collecting data and information about the different Leviathans. We ran a multitude of tests, compounded the results, and compared the three of them to find any similarities, although that turned out to be rare. At this point, I feel like there are no more observations I can take from these three samples. I have exhausted my resources.”
Timothy raised an eyebrow. “What about Baylahn?”
The doctor groaned. “If only they could have brought something back. They were unable to get a sample from inside. The sub, having been docked within the belly of the beast, most likely would have brought back miniscule samples, but that was destroyed. Unfortunately, we didn’t get anything from him.”
Timothy pouted. “That’s a shame.”
The doctor scoffed. “You’re telling me! That was one of the strangest Leviathans I have seen so far. No to mention the fact that from the stories they told, he holds another civilization within him. Of course, that could have also been some sort of hallucination from the chemicals within him, but we will never know. Getting a sample now would be too risky, and the Leviathan is constantly circling, with no real indication of changing that. I suppose we have time.”
Timothy listened to him closely, glancing at Sean, who chuckled since he had gotten stuck one time on a call with Thorough. The doctor had a tendency to veer off-track in his monologue, and it was more than a little frustrating. Nonetheless, his work was necessary, if only Timothy could figure out what its purpose was.
He cleared his throat, slightly cutting the doctor off. “I’m sorry. So you have samples of the Leviathans, and you would like me to take a look at them. You know I am not a scientist, right? I don’t think I will be making any new discoveries.”
Doctor Thorough put himself back on track. “Oh, no. No, I don’t need you to look at it for that. We are trying to figure out a way to track the Leviathans. To pinpoint exactly where the remaining ones are.”
Timothy tilted his head back. “Ohhhh. Okay, I get it. Right. So you want me to use my system knowledge to see if there is something in your results that will help us create a tracking system?”
The doctor let out a puff of air. “Precisely. They’re still on Earth somewhere; we know this. Or at least, we are being told this. I guess we really have no perfect way of telling. Either way, we need a way to find them before they wake up on their own.”
Stephanie crossed her arms over her chest and bobbed up and down on her tiptoes. The wind blew wildly and she put her hand up, blocking the sand from blowing into her eyes. She had been standing there since the radar had picked up the signal from the incoming plane. She was more than excited to see Korbin again.
The plane touched down, bouncing on the landing gear as it slowed. Eddie came up next to her, his eyes narrowed, hands clenched tightly together. Stephanie glanced at him, frowning at his worried look. “What’s the matter? They’re finally home.”
Eddie took a deep breath and forced a small smile, eyeing Stephanie. “No, yeah, that’s really exciting. I am stoked for you. Uh, nothing is wrong. I just need to talk to Calvin as soon as I can.”
Stephanie nodded, giving him a side-eye. “Okay. You sure you’re okay? I’m not used to you looking so…serious and determined.”
Eddie forced another smile and relaxed his shoulders. “Yep. Just need to talk with Calvin. Nothing to worry about.”
Brock stepped up behind them and put his hands on their shoulders. “The team is back together again. How about that?”
The plane came to a stop and they stepped closer, waiting for the side door to open. When it did, they all smiled, waving as the steps were brought over and Korbin emerged. He walked quickly down the steps as Stephanie took off across the runway. Meeting in the middle, she leapt into his arms, pressing her lips to his and not letting go.
Brock chuckled as he watched them, and looked up as Katie came down the stairs, her eyes trained on him. He smirked and went forward, not sure what to expect. She walked straight up to him, dropped her bag on the ground, and wrapped her arms around his neck, laying a huge kiss on his lips.
As Calvin emerged, he looked around, shaking his head with a laugh. He had to admit he wished his wife was there to greet him, but he’d had more time with her recently than any of them had so he couldn’t be too disappointed. As he reached the bottom step, Eddie jogged toward him, nodding.
Calvin lifted his eyebrow, leaning back just a bit. “You’re not gonna kiss me, right?”
Eddie chuckled, shaking his head. “No, but can we talk? It’s very important.”
Calvin and Eddie walked away as Pandora stepped into the doorway, putting her arms out, waiting for her welcome. As she looked around, she walked down the steps, pouting at all the couples locked together on the runway. She stopped at the bottom and dropped her bag.
Stomping her foot, she leaned her head back in agony. “Don’t I get somebody?”
She looked around, then thrust her arm out and pointed at a random worker on the airfield. “You. Come here. Give me a hug, and make it a good one.”
The worker glanced around and strode forward, putting his arms out. Pandora stopped him for a moment. “And tell me how much you missed me.”
The guy looked at her, slightly confused. “I don’t really know you.”
Pandora grabbed him, yanking him in and hugging him tightly. “Say it anyway, butt-munch. And be sweet about it.”
He hugged her tightly. “I missed you, Pandora.”
She sighed and laid her head on his shoulder with a smile.
8
Calvin opened the door to his old room and stepped to the side, letting Eddie walk through in front of him. He didn’t like how nervous Eddie was; it reminded him of when he was told that his wife had been infected by a demon. They went over to a small table with chairs and sat down.
Calvin looked at Eddie, who was clenching his hands tightly in front of him. “What’s going on, dude? You look like you are about to drop some seriously
bad news on me. I think you should take a deep breath first, okay?”
Eddie nodded, breathing in deeply and slowly letting it out. His shoulders relaxed a bit. “So, you know that Coco, my demon, is also the same one that infected Sofia.”
Calvin nodded, leaning back and crossing his legs. “I do. It was my idea to hold onto him and give him to one of you guys. He seemed smart enough and easy to control. Are you having a problem with him? I’m sure Pandora could sort that out.”
Eddie shook his head. “No, no. He’s doing fine.”
Coco chimed in. Before you start, please tell Calvin how sorry I am for infecting Sofia. I was following orders, but had I realized she had a little human in her, I would have definitely not done it.
Eddie nodded, putting his finger up to Calvin. “Coco wants you to know he’s very sorry for infecting your wife. He was only following orders. He also said that had he known she was pregnant he would have never done it.”
Calvin smiled. “I appreciate that. I understand what it’s like to follow orders you don’t necessarily want to follow. We will start clean and fresh, or at least you and I will. I can’t speak for Sofia.”
Coco sighed. That’s good. Real good. Okay, tell him the rest.
Eddie bit the inside of his cheek and bore down, mustering his bravery. “Okay, so he told me something a little while ago about that whole situation. Something that will shed serious light on why all of that went down, including the shooting.”
Calvin sat forward, interested. “Go on.”
Eddie sniffled. “He said that he was personally told by Lucifer to track down Sofia and hurt her. After that, he was supposed to do the same to you—hurt you or kill you.”
Calvin furrowed his brow. “What? Why me? Is it because I’m part of Katie’s Killers?”
Eddie shook his head. “No. It’s because, during the incursion at the last fort, you threw a dagger and hit Mania. Mania is his right hand.”
Calvin leaned back in the chair, his mouth open and his eyes fixed in the distance. He was absolutely shocked by this revelation. He’d known there had to be someone behind it. He’d known there had to be some specific reason that they had targeted him and his wife specifically, but this? This had not even been on his radar. He barely remembered the woman from the battle. In fact, until that moment, he had all but forgotten about her, figuring she was a minion of the group who was trying to assert her power over Earth. He had never imagined she was the right hand of Lucifer.
Calvin licked his lips and leaned forward, putting his palms together. “So, you are telling me that I have been marked by the devil?”
Eddie nodded. “I suppose so. That would make sense.”
Calvin blinked. “And Sofia?”
Eddie asked Coco, then shook his head. “Not specifically. He sent us after her because she is your right hand, and her death or injury would make it an eye for an eye for Lucifer, which is all he really needs to be satisfied. So far, they have not been satisfied, because every attempt on her life and health has failed or been headed off by you and Katie. He still has not gotten his revenge like he hoped.”
Calvin stood up, running his hands over his head and pacing back and forth. Eddie sat still, watching him running the entire situation through his head. He held tightly to the arms of the chair, very nervous about how Calvin was going to react.
Calvin turned to Eddie and chuckled, then started to continue pacing, but stopped. He pressed his lips together and pointed at Eddie before erupting in laughter. Eddie pulled back. “Are you losing your mind or are you just coping right now?”
Calvin shook his head. “I tell you what. That is…actually kind of cool. The motherfucker knows my name. Of all the idiots and imbeciles on this planet, Lucifer has taken the time to find out my name because of a little scratch on his fucking girlfriend’s arm. This is wild.”
Eddie lifted an eyebrow. “I have to admit, this is not at all how I expected you to react. In fact, I was waiting for some sort of bodily harm to be pushed through me to Coco.”
Calvin looked down at Eddie and softened his face. “It’s not either of your faults. I am the one who slashed his girlfriend. Trust me, it’s definitely an issue, but I’m just glad that it all finally fucking makes sense. I wonder if any of the latest happenings have anything to do with it.”
Eddie listened to Coco for a moment. “He says maybe, but it’s probably a combination of things.”
Calvin slapped Eddie on the shoulder, still chuckling. “What do you know? I’m a celebrity in hell.”
Pandora walked down the steps, running her hands along the walls. Everyone was in cuddle mode, and to be quite frank, it was nauseating her. She might have forced a soldier to hug her, but she was not down with the whole monogamy thing. That had never been her thing. So here she was, wandering around the building looking for something to do.
She turned the corner into the dungeon and leaned against the doorway, smiling and waiting for Sean and Timothy to notice her. After a few moments, she cleared her throat. The guys turned to the door and grinned broadly. Timothy put his arms out and walked over, kissing Pandora on each cheek. “You have arrived. Sister, it has been far too long.”
Pandora grinned. “I know, right? And I am not cramped up inside someone else’s body. I was getting pretty tired of staring at her kidneys.”
Timothy smacked his lips. “Well, let me just tell you, you look fucking fabulous out here all on your own. You don’t need someone else to carry you, girl, because you are walking that catwalk with some fierce shit going on. Big tits, tiny waist, curvy hips—you have all of it, and more.”
Pandora clapped her hands. “I should come down here more often.”
She tousled Sean’s hair as she walked past him, peering at the large monitor in front of her. “I thought that there were usually a ton of dots rolling across this thing. I don’t see any.”
Sean shook his head. “No incursions on the radar right now. They just don’t seem to be coming.”
Pandora pursed her lips. “So, what are you guys working on then, because I know I would be bored out of my motherfucking mind right now.”
Timothy smiled. “Mmm, no, we have more than enough to focus on. Actually, I am glad you decided to stop by. You might be able to help us.”
Pandora clapped excitedly. “Okay. With what?”
Sean turned his chair around. “We’ve been in constant conversation with Dr. Thorough and Alice in Colorado. We’re trying to figure out how to track down these remaining Leviathans. He has done a shit-ton of research on the others, minus Baylahn, and still has no idea how to even start figuring out a potential tracking system.”
Timothy smiled. “That’s right. But if we can learn more about the Leviathans and had some background on them, maybe that would help us tie the pieces together.”
Pandora nodded. “Okay, I gotcha. You are basically looking for a little history lesson on these bitches, and because I have been around for quite a while and was a demon, you want me to fill you in.”
Timothy smiled. “Exactly.”
Pandora wrung her hands, tilting her head from side to side. “Okay. Let’s see, where do I start? Well, they’re the Seven Monsters of Time. This includes old Juntto, the Frosty One.”
Timothy pulled out a notebook and crossed his legs daintily, taking notes. “So why can’t we pick them up on this radar?”
Pandora shook her head. “Because they aren’t from hell. Hell is just another dimension, like the worlds that these Leviathans come from, but far more protected. Their energy is not demonic, no matter how bad it is, like the Spider Queen. They can feed off demonic energy, they can sense it, and even be pulled toward it, but that energy does not linger in their systems. Kind of like if you eat an apple, it goes through you, and your body takes what it needs and expels the rest. They do that too; it just doesn’t leave a mess behind.”
Timothy tapped his pen on his lips. “Okay, so if isn’t demonic energy, then what energy is it? If we can pinpo
int that, say on Juntto, we should be able to build an identical system using that energy instead. At least in theory.”
Pandora pursed her lips. “No, that won’t work. It’s like a flu shot. It prevents some strains, but only the ones that have been identified. Every single one of the Leviathans is different species with different identifiers. None of them are the same, which was probably noted in Thorough’s work with their samples.”
Timothy sighed. “So, if they aren’t demonic and none of them are connected, then why are they here sleeping?”
Pandora shrugged. “They didn’t come here to specifically sleep, per se. They came here seeking to destroy or to take advantage of or rule over humans. Them sleeping was a punishment, sedating them until it could be figured out how to remove them. Imagine, even as an angel, trying to get Baylahn back to his dimension. That would not be an easy feat.”
Sean narrowed his eyes. “So, they are sleeping because someone did that to them?”
Pandora nodded. “Exactly. The angels, and at one point, even the Almighty, came here and imprisoned them.”
Sean was shocked. “The Almighty?”
Pandora smiled. “Mmhmm. He stays out of it most of the time and lets the angels fight for us, but in that situation, the angels were just not strong enough so he had to come down and help. It was one of the few times, but it was that or watch his humans die.”
Timothy scribbled something. “Okay. So, finding out the locations should be easy. I mean, do you know where they are sleeping? You have been around, sweetie.”
Pandora lifted an eyebrow. “I’ve seen a lot of shit in my time, but I promise you that I don’t know everything. Even as an angel, that information isn’t given to me freely. Why would I need it until something like this happened?”
Timothy sighed and leaned his head back, groaning. “This is starting to look impossible. Where’s Katie? She might have a couple of ideas.”
Katie giggled as she pulled the covers up over Brock, smiling at him. All that could be seen were their intertwined feet sticking out from the bottom of the bed.