by Michael Todd
Stephanie sighed. “Well, I’ll hold down the fort for you while you’re gone. Might be watching a lot of soap operas.”
Beelzebub dragged his twisted body through the hall of Baal’s castle and slammed open the double doors to his dining room and office. The demon servants scurried in ten different directions, but Baal sat still with his back to the doors. He didn’t move a muscle, just continued eating.
Beelzebub walked over in front of him and slammed his hands on the table, knocking a Chihuahua head onto the floor. Baal frowned down at the fallen morsel. “That wasn’t nice. Do you know how expensive these things are? They are miniatures. Perfect for an afternoon snack.”
Beelzebub puffed air from his scaled nostrils. “I want to know what the fuck is going on!”
Baal popped another head into his mouth and stared at him, emotionless. “Well, right now I am enjoying a snack, and later I will catch up on the news, beat a few demons, then possibly take a walk.”
Beelzebub growled. “You know that’s not what I mean, Baal. Are you fucking around on Earth? I want the Lucifer-loving truth here. I don’t need any more of your bullshit. You act like you’re not involved, but I know better than that. You can’t bullshit a bullshitter.”
Baal rolled his eyes. “Will you calm the fuck down, please? You are going to give me indigestion. I am not fucking around on Earth. As far as I am concerned, I’m retired. Moloch is dead, and my hands are clean. I don’t want to be the next one called to Lucifer’s chambers. We all know it’s never good to be the last demon called into the throne room.”
Beelzebub sat down, shaking his head. “Why do I feel like I can’t believe you? I know you are up to something here, Baal.”
Baal sighed, wiping his hands. “I am done trying to take over Earth. That’s a fool’s errand. It was not my idea anyway. It started with that moron T’Chezz and spread like wildfire after that. Then Moloch got involved and became obsessed. I’m not stupid. I know where it leads, and I like my head firmly attached to my neck, along with all my other limbs.”
Beelzebub watched him closely. The other demon walked to the bar. He poured himself a glass of whiskey and handed one to Beelzebub, who shook his head. Baal shrugged and drank the first in one gulp. He took the second glass to his large leather lounge chair. He crossed one scaled foot over the other and swirled the whiskey in his glass. “You know what is wrong with you, Beelze? You are too stressed out. You have all of hell to roam in, but you are worried about capturing Earth. Give it to Lucifer, is what I say. He’ll take the worry and stress right off your shoulders.”
“He’ll take the head off your shoulders if he finds out what you’re doing.”
“I’m not doing anything. If you are supposed to be on Earth, he will let you know.”
Beelzebub snarled. They were playing games with each other and they both knew it. Neither of them wanted to admit the plots they had in motion for Earth. They definitely didn’t want to work together in any way, shape, or form. The anger between them was still there and Beelzebub hated the fact that Baal didn’t seem to be afraid of anyone—especially not him.
Beelzebub stood up and marched to his leather chair. “I know you are lying, Baal. Stop holding back from me. You are plotting something, I can smell it. You know how else I know?”
Baal sighed. “Because the crazy voice in your head told you so?”
Beelzebub growled. “No, because the only time you are this calm, you have something in the works.”
“Have you ever stopped to think that my calmness had to do with Moloch being gone?” He took a leisurely sip of whiskey. “I am no one’s errand boy or nursemaid anymore, sewing on limbs when they are sliced or exploded off? I can relax without all the mumbling and roaring in my ears, at least when uninvited guests don’t come throwing doors open like you just did.”
Beelzebub growled louder. “Cut the bullshit!”
Baal sighed and put his drink down. He stood up from his chair and walked to the fireplace, looking at the fire of souls he had taken from Moloch’s office. The souls flickered, casting shadows on the stone hearth. “I will give you a bit of information if you are nice.”
Beelzebub gripped his fists tightly but did not speak. He knew Baal was baiting him.
Baal smiled into the fire. “As we speak, Katie’s entire team, the Damned, that asshole Juntto, and Katie, are all gathered at her base. There is some disgusting human wedding about to take place.”
Beelzebub perked up at this news. He relaxed his muscles. “How do you know this?”
Baal turned toward Beelzebub. “That information is not of any note. No need to give up my sources. I was just saying that it’s a very interesting bit of information that I came across. I figured if someone came along looking for it, I would give it to them. Luckily, you stormed into my life unannounced and angry.”
Beelzebub rubbed his hands together and began to pace the floor. “All of them together in one place? This couldn’t have worked out any better. What are those fools thinking, gathering at that base? Maybe the mercs aren’t as smart as they seem. That sure is a lot of eggs in one basket.”
Baal grinned. “That it definitely is. It would be a mighty shame if somebody came along and smashed them all to hell.”
Beelzebub began to laugh maniacally. “Oh, Baal, you never cease to disappoint.”
12
It had been a long time since Katie had been shopping in Las Vegas. She had tried to talk the girls into letting her fly them to New York, but Angie and Sofia had told her she was nuts. So there she was in one of the high-end boutiques, staring at herself in a deep-blue spaghetti-strap sequined dress. She turned her head and lifted her arm. There was a crazy amount of side boob showing.
Angie rounded the corner with a stack of dresses in her hand and stopped in her tracks. “Holy tits, Batman. I think maybe you should try something with a smidge more fabric in the front.”
Katie didn’t say anything, just plopped into the chair. Angie slowly hung up the dresses. “Hey, or not. You can totally just paint a dress on and be done with it. Can’t pop a boob out if they’re not held down by anything.”
Katie didn’t laugh or act like she heard Angie. Angie sighed and walked over, sitting on the arm of the chair. “What’s up with you? You are not here for this. I know this isn’t your thing, but usually, you at least fake it like hell for your friends.”
Katie let out a deep breath. She slapped her hand on top of Angie’s and nodded. “God, I know. I’m being a total bummer right now, aren’t I? I’m so glad Sofia is at the tailor with her dress and is not seeing this.”
Angie grabbed another chair and pulled it up in front of Katie. “Hey, what’s going on with you? Is it Brock?”
Katie wrinkled her nose. “Yes, and I know that it’s stupid. I know that I need to get my head out of the clouds, but I can’t help worrying.”
Angie shook her head. “I thought he was getting better, and doing it at a record pace.”
Katie swallowed hard and picked at the sequins. “He is, and that’s the problem. I mean, I want him to get better, but I’m afraid that once he does, he is going to dive right back into fighting. His last demon was a piece of shit, but she was fucking strong. She gave him speed, strength, accuracy. His current demon Wormwood is not any of those things. Apparently, he can heal like a champ, but Brock is going to be rolling out in battle with a lesser demon.”
Angie pulled her lips into a straight line. “And you are afraid that he isn’t going to take that into consideration, and sooner or later, he’ll end up in a situation where his demon can’t help him.”
Katie slowly nodded. “Yep. We tend to feel invincible when we know someone is making us bulletproof. His demon is less bulletproof and more like a light rain jacket. I don’t know. I want to protect him, but I know if I focus on that in battle I could get myself killed.”
Angie felt for Katie. It was obvious she cared deeply for Brock. “I want you to know that no matter what, we are behind you. Y
ou have a whole family there for you.”
Katie looked at Angie and smiled. “Thanks, girl.”
Angie shook her head and stood up. “Now, let’s get some fabulous dresses so we can support our friends in their new lives.”
Angie went off to the dressing room to slip into her next dress and Katie did the same. Pandora sniffed. When you’ve stopped being a whiny bitch, I’m going to need you to make sure you pick out two dresses.
Katie scrunched her eyebrow. Two?
Pandora plumped Katie’s breast further and put an extra curve on her hips and ass. Yep. You didn’t think I was going to miss Calvin’s wedding, did you? Put on the next one. I like that one for me.
Katie chuckled and threw on the dress. She twirled a bit in the mirror. This is definitely you.
Pandora sighed. Oh, sweet Jesus, I’m gonna steal the groom. I think you should go with the purple one. It fits your body perfectly, and it’s backless but sweet. I’ll stick with the hot black dress. Oh, yeah.
Katie laughed as she took the dress back off and put it on the hanger. Now what?
Pandora smacked her lips. In the words of the great Timothy, girl, we need some shoes.
The general finished typing his report and sent it. It wasn’t exactly charging into battle, but he was proud of the work he had done. Sometimes it felt like all he did these days was type reports, but it had to be done. Before he could move on to the next task, however, his secretary came over the speaker. “General, you have a call from German Chancellor Schroder on line two.”
The general took a deep breath and picked up the line. “This is General Brushwood. How can I help you, Chancellor?”
The chancellor cleared his throat. “General, thank you for taking my call. I had a rather interesting lunch earlier today with a lawyer from the World Council. He brought up some very interesting points.”
Brushwood frowned. Who the hell was this lawyer, and why was he making his rounds to the different heads of state? He was starting to get suspicious of the fellow. At the same time, paperwork was piling so high on his desk that he could barely see over it. He didn’t have time for the antics of some misled lawyer.
He collected himself. “I’ve heard you weren’t the only one. I have no idea who this man is, nor have I gotten word back from the Council about his duties.”
“No matter. I know who he is, and that is all that is important. What the lawyer did was bring great clarity to a subject I had neglected to put much thought into. I have some concerns about the mercenary Katie and her demon angel.”
The general gritted his teeth. “And what concerns might those be?”
The chancellor thought for a moment. “The first would be a simple question. Who exactly does Katie answer to? You know her well, so does she answer to you? To the World Council? Does she answer to no one but herself? The information has yet to have been presented to us for review.”
The general had had enough. Between Romania’s Dragos and now the chancellor, he was losing his patience. “For Christ’s sake, leave it up to us humans to question one of the few good pieces of weaponry we have. Leave it to humans to turn their backs on the ones who have helped us repeatedly without asking for anything but money in return. Even the money is negotiable. Katie has saved the world a dozen times just this week!”
The chancellor shifted, a strange rustle in the background. “That wasn’t my question. Despite her heroic actions, she still needs to be held accountable for anything she might do wrong. She still needs to answer to someone. This isn’t some rogue mercenary. She works alongside your men in our countries. She also has a target on her back. The demons know that planning an attack will bring her out in the open. She is, essentially, causing them to attack.”
Brushwood narrowed his eyes. “This is not going to turn out well for you, Schroder. You know that.”
The chancellor sat back in his office chair with his feet propped up on an ottoman. “I am shocked and appalled that you would speak to me this way, General.”
The general growled. “And I am shocked and appalled that you would question Katie. Aside from the fact that she has saved countless lives this week alone, she is an American. As such, she is subject to American laws. On top of that, she is both a demon and an angel, which makes her one hell of a tool in the war against the demons.”
Schroder looked at his fingernails. “Not all tools are safe without proper management. This would be one of those circumstances. I say she should have to answer to the Council if she is to continue to work in multiple countries.”
“Chancellor, you are overstepping. If this is such a concern, you need to file it with the Council, and the appropriate people can take it up with me. I don’t know who has been whispering in your ear, but whoever it is, you should tell them to find some other game to play. Katie is the best hope we have for a future on this planet.”
“Very well. I will file my complaint. I will see you at the next Council meeting.”
The general was beyond livid. “What the hell is going on here? I want the name and number of the lawyer you are speaking to. I was not made aware of anything like this.”
Schroder laughed loudly. “You can call the Council. I’m sure they will give you the information.”
Brushwood hung up without saying another word.
Schroder sat there stroking his chin, smirking to himself. He knew the general would not take the bait; he was too loyal to Katie. That was exactly what needed to happen. The Council would be approached, just as the lawyer instructed, and the general would be put on the spot.
Schroder chuckled and shook his head.
“What’s so funny?” a woman’s voice whined from across the room.
His head shot up. “Quiet, you bad dog.”
The girl giggled. She was down on all fours with a full dog costume on. The girl next to her had a full-body cat costume on, and the third a bird costume. The chancellor walked over, grabbed the leash from the floor, and tugged on the dog-woman’s collar. “Come. I have treats for you, my pretty puppy.”
The woman dressed as a cat waved her paw in the air and hissed. He leaned down and patted her on the head. “Shh, nice kitty. You know I save the best for last.”
General Brushwood slammed his phone down on the hook several times until it latched. His secretary came over the speaker. “General, are you all right?”
The general put his head in his hands. “Fine. Thank you. Hold my calls for a while, please. I need some time to think.”
“Yes sir,” she replied, clicking off the intercom.
Putting his fist in his mouth, the general yelled from the back of his throat. He rarely did that, but it always relieved his stress; a man in his position had to do something. Then he dropped his hand and sighed. “It’s always fucking something.”
He pressed the intercom button. “I need my interns, my deputy, and my assistant right away.”
“Right away, sir.”
A few minutes later, six staff members walked into his office and stood in front of his desk. The general tried to breathe deeply to calm his nerves. “Some lawyer is saying he works for the World Council. He has so far visited at least the Romanian president and the Chancellor of Germany. I need you to figure out who this lawyer is, and if he is actually part of the World Council. Then I want you to dig and determine exactly why this man is building a case against Katie. Update me twice a day and when any large developments are found.”
The staff nodded and began to head out of the room. The general stood, clearing his throat. They stopped in unison. “And folks, consider this Top-Secret. Speak to no one. I have a feeling that we really don’t know who we can trust anymore.”
Running below the Romanian villages was an old sewer system. It dated back to medieval times and had been repaired and rebuilt countless times. It was still in use. The water was putrid and brown, and the stone walls dripped condensation. Along the cement edges rats scurried, squeaking and screeching as they foraged for food. Waves moved alon
g the shit-soiled sludge as Sasha crawled through, pushing herself along with her eight legs. A streak of blood trailed behind her.
The smell of sulfur and shit filled her nose, and with every stuttering step, she growled a little louder. She made sure to keep her mouth shut in case any of the water splashed on her face. She might like to suck demons dry, but shit and sewage were not things she enjoyed. Her legs could move her, but she was too weak to stand.
Finding a dry place to lean against the wall, she let out a deep breath. She still held the handle of Brock’s sword tightly. The blade was buried deep in her stomach. With great effort, she slowly pulled the longsword from her stomach, screeching wildly as it left her purple flesh. She let out a deep breath and dropped the sword. Warm blood spilled from the open wound, and she pressed her claws against it and whimpered. She was unable to remember the last time she’d felt pain of that magnitude.
Narrowing her eyes, she inspected the sword. The blade had a strange sheen that swirled and waved in front of her. It was not ordinary steel. It was some kind of special metal. That made sense. It was a weapon for killing demons, and Sasha was fat with demonic souls. She was vulnerable to the metal’s power, as vulnerable as any demon would be. Her wound felt sharp at the entry point and a dull pain radiated out like a wave, affecting her entire body. She tilted her head back, the yellow in her eyes pulsating. Her limbs flinched and spasmed. She knew if she didn’t do something fast, she would bleed out in the sewers. She had no intention of dying yet.
“You will not get the best of me, bitch,” she whispered under her breath. With all her might, she pulled herself out of the water and onto the ledge. Beneath her a pool of blood collected on the ledge, then ran down her legs into the sewage like a trickling stream.
Sasha was frustrated, angry, and alone. She leaned her head back and screamed until her throat was raw.