by Michael Todd
Angie stood up, slamming her hand to her forehead and snatching the mouse from Juntto. “NO! FUCK! This is not Twitching. This is a fucking virus. Someone hacked into our computer, and you just gave them my social security number.”
Her phone buzzed, and she groaned as she pulled it out of her pocket. There was a notification on her screen that someone had opened up a new credit card in her name. Before she could even respond, she got another one, and then another.
Angie threw her arms up in the air and plopped down in one of the chairs. “Great. Someone stole my fucking identity.”
The semi had passed the sign for Utah a while ago, and they were traveling through the state, not sure where exactly they were. There was no plan to stop there, though, so it didn’t really matter. Not many cars were on the road, which was a good thing since the 18-wheeler wove back and forth across the center line repeatedly.
Inside the cab, sweat was pouring down the foreheads of the Damned guys, and their hands shaking. The driver gripped the steering wheel tightly. “I don’t know, man. There is something not right about all this. It’s a fucking conspiracy, I’m telling you.”
The other guy scratched nervously. “You think so? I should have known, man. We shouldn’t have gotten involved in this. We should have just stayed where we were and enjoyed the spoils of being infected.”
The driver stared at the road ahead for several moments before jumping and scaring the other guy. He reached across and grabbed his companion by the collar. “Dude, did you hear about the angels?”
The other guy whimpered. “What? No. What about them?”
The driver let go of him and shook his head, his voice breaking as he talked. “I heard there’s an army of angels coming to Earth. They’re going to kill all the Damned. I just know it.”
The other guy gasped. “That’s not true.”
The driver nodded, looking at him with wide, scared eyes. “It’s true. Beelzebub told me.”
The other guy shook his head wildly, looking around and scratching the back of his neck. “No, he didn’t. I was there; I was right there with you. He didn’t say that.”
The driver jerked the wheel again, getting back on his own side. The bed of the truck swerved before straightening out again. Inside, calm as could be, Kabbus writhed, his tentacles beginning to move wildly again, slapping the floor of the truck. Suddenly everything on his huge body stopped thrashing and he muttered something under his breath. His tentacles began to move again, and the fog crept to the doors. He let out a deep menacing laugh.
The driver slammed his hand down on the steering wheel over and over. “I’m telling you, man. Beelzebub told me that shit. He said they could already be on Earth and people may not even know that shit. We are fucked, man.”
The guy in the passenger seat froze, looking at the driver and turning his head from side to side. “Uh, bro?”
The driver glanced at him, confused, and then stopped, looking at the angel armor on his arms and chest. He turned his head back to the passenger and froze. Then, with a shaking finger, he pointed. “Dude!”
The other guy looked down at himself, and then over his shoulder, seeing wings sprouting from both of their backs. Their eyes met and held briefly before both started screaming wildly. The driver jerked the wheel again and glared at the passenger, animosity moving through his chest. The other guy slowly lifted his head, giving the driver the same look.
Without warning, the guys lunged at each other, wrestling in the front seat of the semi. The driver left one hand on the wheel, swerving as his foot left and went back to the brake. The driver gritted his teeth. “Just give in to it, man. You aren’t meant to be here. God told me himself.”
The other guy strained against his hold. “No, you’re not supposed to be here.”
They continued to wrestle. The driver finally took his hand off the wheel and got onto his knees in the seat. He pulled his fist up and threw himself at the other guy, punching him until blood ran down his face. The other guy grabbed the driver by the hair and yanked his head back, grabbing his neck with his other hand and choking him.
The truck swerved in and out of the lanes, passing cars honking and maneuvering around it as it sped forward with no one behind the wheel. The driver managed to get his hands around the other guy’s neck and they sat up on their knees, choking each other. The sound of tires on gravel caught their attention, and they both looked through the windshield as the truck smashed through the guard rail and flew over a small cliff.
Both screamed as it plunged into the woods below, turning over on its side and sliding to a halt against a large tree. The men no longer made a sound, the truck’s engine sputtered, and smoke rose from its hood. Trees that had been in the truck’s path tumbled over, and their branches rustled as they hit the forest floor. The smell of diesel wafted through the air.
The back doors of the truck blew completely off their hinges, slamming to the ground. The black fog crept over the edge, followed by Kabbus. Long tentacles extended as he lowered himself to the ground and moved through the debris. Suddenly the passenger door flew open and the two guys climbed out and fell flat.
They were both covered in blood, and they breathed heavily as they tried to figure out exactly what had happened. Kabbus turned and began to slither toward them, and the driver put his arms up and shook his head. “Why? We were helping you! Beelzebub, remember? We are your allies.”
Kabbus gurgled and grumbled as he slithered toward them quicker, finally descending upon them. Both Damned shut their eyes tightly and put up their hands, screaming as his mist completely covered them. Kabbus lingered for several moments before making his way out of the woods. As his large body moved, and the fog cleared, the two Damned sat frozen against the overturned semi, their dead gray faces frozen masks of fear.
17
Sean rolled into the dungeon, wiping the sand off him before he entered. He went to his area and began working again, scrolling through the recent data. Timothy was sitting on the desk to his right, filing his nails. Timothy glanced at him a couple of times before asking, “Turner get his demon?”
Sean nodded, staring at the screen. “Yeah. Real big gnarly dude, but he was actually halfway-intelligent. Didn’t put up a fight either. Turner was fucking stoked.”
Timothy pursed his lips, nodding his head. “Good for him.”
There was silence for a moment and Sean smiled, turning toward Timothy. “No, I don’t have a demon in me.”
Timothy looked around and then back at Sean. “So, were there not enough? Or do you not want a demon?”
Sean sighed. “I don’t want one. I haven’t wanted one since mine left.”
Timothy slid down in his chair and turned toward Sean, putting his chin in his hand. “So, let me ask you this. You’re in the chair, and…”
Sean tapped the armrests of his chair. “Yeah, I am. What does that even mean? I can still kick fucking ass if I need to. You’ve seen me demonstrate that. And I still make amazing Korean fried chicken.”
Timothy nodded agreement. “Yes to both of those. Good. I’m glad you did what was best for you. Your hacker skills need work, though.”
Sean rolled his eyes, turning back to the screen. “Demons don’t hack. I’m learning.”
Timothy chuckled as Doctor Ozu and Sofia walked into the room. Timothy stood up, and Sean spun his chair around. Sofia smiled. “Hey, guys. This is Dr. Ozu. Doctor, this is Sean and Timothy. They’re our tech masterminds.”
He shook their hands. “It’s good to finally meet you.”
Sofia excitedly put her hands out. “So, the doc and I were talking about this tracking problem, and we think we might have found something that could solve it.”
The doctor nodded. “We are thinking that if you do a reverse search, a backward system, then you will be able to find the anomaly.”
Timothy’s eyes shifted between the two of them for a moment. “Reverse search. A backward system. Are those technical terms or…”
&nbs
p; Sofia chuckled, shaking her head. “No, I guess they aren’t. Instead of searching for demons, you go in and search for the Leviathans.”
She put her hands out. Timothy took a deep breath and scratched his head. “So you’re saying the answer to tracking the Leviathan is tracking the Leviathan. Which we aren’t even sure has a chemical makeup originating from this planet.”
They both nodded. Timothy blinked at them and clicked his tongue. “You know, I… Okay, I don’t understand a damn thing you are talking about. What kind of plan is this, people?”
Sofia pulled up a chair and sat down, rubbing her hand over her belly. Timothy looked at her frantically. “Oh, girl, do not go into labor in here. That is a fifteen-hundred-dollar chair.”
Sofia narrowed her eyes at him. “Only twenty-two weeks at this point, buddy. I think you’re safe. So, you are going to use your equipment to check out San Antonio and Sonora, Texas. Pull up the last few days. That should be a small enough sample. Then you want to look at everything. Take all the selections off. Look at humans, deer, rabbits, whatever.”
Timothy stared at them, raising an eyebrow. “The whole damn thing will be a collection of rainbow dots. Now, I am all for painting Texas in the colors of my people, but this is just going to make everything horribly confusing. And if I know what they are, why would I want to look at them?”
Dr. Ozu smiled. “This is good. I like that you ask questions. It’s going to help you work on it when you are ready. So, as you take away the knowns, you are going to notice an anomaly—something that is the same in both locations. Something that is not a demonic incursion, but not registering as Earthly either. It may not be at the same time on both days. It may not even be entirely the same shape, but it will be very similar.”
Timothy sighed. “And what will that be?”
Sofia chuckled. “That will be your Leviathan, Kabbus.”
Timothy leaned back, looking at the ceiling and tapping his chin. “I get what you are throwing down there, human incubator. That is a very simple way of doing it, but sometimes the simplest answer is the best. We were over here trying to reinvent the damn wheel. Hmmm. But… Hmmm.”
Sofia could already see his wheels turning. She pulled a flash drive from her pocket and handed it to him. He took it with two fingers, holding it up and looking at it as if it were diseased. “Is this the virus that got you pregnant? ‘Cause if so, I don’t want it.”
Sofia scoffed. “No, that was the Calvin Plague. Don’t think you can catch it. That is Juntto’s genetic makeup. It might help you to have data on something not from Earth. You know, so you can calibrate your readings.”
Timothy eyed it again and dropped it into Sean’s hand. He shrugged and crossed his arms, giving them both a smile. “Okay, let me think about this a few minutes, and then I’ll write up a plan. Shouldn’t take me too long. You know, since I am a genius and everything.”
Sofia and the doctor laughed. The doctor got up and reached out to shake Timothy’s hand again. “I was told I was coming here to work with the best.”
Timothy flung back his imaginary hair and pursed his lips. “You know, I have fans worldwide. When I had nothing to do as a kid and wanted to not get beaten up on the corner, I turned to computers. They have become my life. You, sir, are in good hands.”
The doctor helped Sofia up and she leaned forward, kissing Timothy on the cheek. “Sometime soon we need to go shopping. I am basically living in stretch pants.”
Timothy gasped. “Yaaassss, queen. Don’t you worry. We will get that taken care of real fast. Can’t have you walking around like you’re doing aerobics.”
Timothy and Sean watched as the two left. Timothy immediately sat down and went to work on the project while Sean checked the other radars, making sure they weren’t missing any incursions or major battles. The phone rang and Timothy sighed, picking up the receiver and putting it to his ear. “Yes?”
“Oh, thank God,” Angie said, letting out a deep breath.
Timothy raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know if he will take the praise for me, sister. I am a problem child.”
Angie chuckled. “No, I need your help. My identity has been stolen. I need you to track down the assholes responsible.”
Timothy rolled his eyes. “I’m busy now, but my protégé can help.”
Timothy held up the handset and yelled for Sean. “Sean, help Angie get her life back together.”
Juntto and Angie sat in the back of a New York City cab as it hurtled through the city on its way to Wall Street. Angie had Sean on the phone, and he was tracking their movements through their GPS. The cab finally came to a stop outside a tall mirror-fronted building and Angie squinted up, looking out the window at the top of the building, which was high in the sky. Juntto, having shrunk enough to fit in the cab, was busy cracking his knuckles.
The cab driver looked nervously in the rearview mirror. “This what you are looking for, yes?”
Angie put the phone to her ear. “Is this right?”
Sean sighed. “Yes. This is the address linked to the IP address that’s linked to the bug that stole your stuff. Eighth floor, end of the hall. That’s as far as I can track it.”
Angie wrinkled her nose. “All right. That’s a lot of links. Thanks, Sean. We’ll let you know how it turns out.”
“Mmhmm,” Sean replied dryly before hanging up.
Angie turned to Juntto and nodded as she handed the driver money. “Thanks.”
They both got out of the car. The driver watched as Juntto grew to his largest size and started pounding his fist into his hand. The cab took off, its tires squealing. They walked toward the tall entry doors, and Juntto ducked as they entered. He snarled at the secretary at the front desk and pushed through a group of stock market bros standing around drinking lattes and comparing their dick…er, wallet sizes.
They took the stairs since Juntto was too heavy for the elevator in this form. On the fifth floor, Juntto stopped and picked Angie up so she wouldn’t die from the climb. On the eighth floor, he put her down and she smiled, straightening out her clothes. Juntto pushed through the door and shrank just enough to not hit his head on the ceiling. He stomped down the hallway, Angie jogging to keep up with him.
They got to the entry of a large office with a bank of desks all through it. Angie caught her breath and gave the people who had turned and looked at them as they opened the door an awkward smile and a brief wave. She really fucking hoped that Sean was right; otherwise, they might just end up in jail.
Juntto didn’t give it a second thought, though. He just burst in, several people gasping and everyone now giving him their undivided attention.
He snarled. “I am looking for the asshole who stole her identity. We want it back. I don’t want you to be her. She must be herself. I make love to her. I don’t want to make love to you.”
Several of the women raised an eyebrow and nodded. Angie scooted forward, tapping his elbow. “Uh, sweetie? Sweetie, they don’t actually become me.”
Juntto furrowed his brow. “What?”
Angie shook her head. “Never mind. Continue.”
They stood there scanning the room when all of a sudden, a guy near the back jumped up from his desk. He grabbed his jacket and stared at them for a few moments before taking off at a sprint out the side door into the hallway. He was obviously scared to death, given the look on his face, and the wet spots on the front of his pants.
Angie chuckled nervously as they backed toward the door. “Thanks for your time. You can go back to whatever it is you’re doing now. Sorry for the intrusion.”
They left the office, turning right and stopping. They stared at the guy and he stared at them, realizing he was in a dead end. Angie and Juntto began to walk slowly forward when he took off again, slamming through a door to his right and running through the office. Juntto and Angie followed, leaping over desks, papers flying everywhere while the people screamed. They burst through the other door and ran after him down the hallway.
; The guy reached the stairwell and hurried into it, Angie and Juntto on his tail. Juntto took four steps at a time, trying to catch up with him as fast as he could. When he reached the top of the next flight of stairs, he dove head-first, tackling the guy to the floor and pinning him down. Juntto breathed deeply and Angie hurried, running down the steps and coming up behind Juntto. She stared at the guy, who was thrashing on the floor.
The guy looked up at them angrily. “What do you want? I don’t fucking know you.”
Angie chuckled and bobbed her head. “Fuck you. Your name is not Angie. Mine is. You stole my fucking identity, opened up credit cards, and took money out of my bank account. Who the fuck do you think you are? Make money the honest way instead of stealing from others.”
The guy shifted his eyes from Juntto to Angie and started to struggle again. “Fuck you two. You don’t fucking have proof of shit. I don’t have to do anything you tell me to do. Let me go before I fucking press charges.”
Angie moved back as Juntto sighed, grabbing the guy by the neck and lifting him into the air. He walked back up the steps and through the door to the fifth floor, then stood in front of a window. “I will personally open up this window by smashing it with my fist. Then, if you do not stop doing this shit, I will hang you out and drop you to your death. Do you understand what I am telling you?”
The guy glanced at the window and peered over the edge at the drop to the ground and swallowed hard, blinking his eyes hard. “Yes, yes. I won’t do it anymore. No more. I’m done. Please. Please don’t drop me out the window.”
Juntto slowly lowered him back down and pushed him hard against the glass. “You have stolen my woman’s identity. You stole her money. She works hard as a mercenary to protect your stupid ass, and you stole her money.”
The guy looked at Juntto and at Angie, realizing who they were. “I know. I know. I’m sorry.”