by Michael Todd
Katie narrowed her eyes. “But who woke her?”
Juntto sat back down. “I don’t think even Lucifer would do such a thing. Ruthless or not, there isn’t a demon out there who would want Teyollucuani free. She doesn’t make deals, and if she does, they are never honored. She might help a demon, but in the end, she would feed on him. Like Pandora said, her hunger is insatiable. When feeding, she is uncontrollable.”
Katie suggested, “Maybe a demon got too close to her cocoon and woke her up?”
Pandora chuckled but shook her head. “I don’t think so. The war between Earth and hell has only intensified over the last couple of years. There are more demons on Earth now than ever before. Demonic energy is flowing freely across the entire world. I think she could sense that even in her hibernation.”
Katie nodded. “And that woke the monster from her dream state. The demons aren’t going to want her here any more than we do. She is an enemy to all.” Katie frowned. “Common ground with the demons; that is very strange.”
Pandora barked laughter. “I wouldn’t read too much into that. You could have a twin who is a demon and they would rarely find common ground with a human, much less an angel. It just means they are going to try to use her against us if they haven’t already. I smelled a very familiar scent when that portal opened, one I thought had been banned to the outer reaches of hell. If I’m right, things are going to get even worse very soon.”
Juntto shook his head. “I think you have bigger problems than that. Once the Leviathans start waking up on their own, the shit is going to hit the fucking roof.”
Katie took a deep breath. “All we can hope for is that we were right and Teyollucuani was mortally wounded.”
Pandora shrugged. “You know what they say: hope in one hand and shit in the other…”
20
General Brushwood finished reading his emails and turned off his computer. He was ready to call it a night. He had been there late at night every night for three months straight. With the incursion in Toronto wrapped up, he felt the need to spend some time at home. He straightened the papers on his desk and stood up, gathering his coat and hat.
As he was about to walk out of his office, his secretary spoke over the intercom. “General, a few of your aides are here to speak with you about their findings.”
The general put one hand on the desk and grumbled to himself. Of course, they were. “Sure, send them in.”
He clicked off the intercom and tossed his hat and coat on the chair. Three of the aides came through the door with files in their hands. The general waved them in. “Close the door behind you.”
The staff members walked up to the desk, and the senior aide stepped forward and set a file in front of Brushwood. “We thought it would be better if just the senior aides came. We figured too many people would make it confusing, sir.”
The general nodded. “Good thinking. So, what did you find out?”
The woman swallowed hard and took a deep breath. “Well, it seems that a lawyer has been talking to the members of the World Council. He’s contacted all but the major leaders. He is telling them he has been appointed by the Council, but we could find no record of his employment. These members and the attorney have been gathering findings and information against Katie. There is some sort of charter or agreement being signed, although we couldn’t get our hands on the specific document.”
“What? You mean to tell me they are building a case against the one person out there saving their asses?”
“Yes, sir. Reports claim that Katie is doing more harm than good. We’ve heard the agreement might even claim she is working with the demons, although we can’t confirm that.”
“Good grief. Are we talking a lot of World Council members or just a few of the shadier ones?”
The senior aide leaned forward, flipping open the file. “It seems that it started with one or two, but the agreement has quickly spread to the other leaders listed here over the last couple of days.”
He closed his eyes. “Thank you, ladies. If you find out anything further, let me know.”
The staff nodded and quickly left the office. The general put his knuckles down on the desk and stood there for several moments with his eyes shut, trying to breathe. He thought about a big, comfy chair at home and a nice bottle of wine he had tucked away. He even had a Cuban cigar he’d been saving. Not tonight. He slashed at his desk and sent his pens flying. “Goddamn it!”
He pulled out his phone and dialed Katie. She sounded tired. “Katie, it’s Brushwood. I need to speak to you about something I’m sure you don’t want to hear.”
Katie sighed. “Great, more sunshine and happiness. What have you got?”
Brushwood flipped open the file to a blurry snapshot of Belphegor in his skin suit. “It seems some lawyer has been posing as a World Council legal team member and has rustled up a very big following. They are collecting information about you that leads me to believe they are trying to take you down.”
Katie growled. “Are you fucking kidding me? I am on a plane, flying back from saving thousands of people from a demon attack in Toronto!”
“I know, I know. I’m going to get to the bottom of this. Until then, keep your ears open.”
Katie was irritated. “I will. I just am not in the mood for these assholes to be Monday-morning-quarterbacking my life.”
The Romanian town was quiet. The lava covering the town had long since cooled. The military detachment was focused on clean-up and load-in. There was no real reason for so many of them to be there. They still had two sectors of the town to search, but that wouldn’t take more than one platoon. In the center of the town, the heat index began to rise.
The ice that had formed on the roofs and sidewalks of the village began to drip, quickly forming puddles. A portal tore open, rattling the remains of the nearby buildings. Beelzebub stepped through and to one side, and several dozen demons scurried onto the streets. He smiled at them like a doting parent. “Remember, do not leave the confines of the city until I tell you to.”
The demons began to run around the city, hungry and looking for prey. The place was deserted. All of the humans who had lived there were either dead or gone. The searching demons did not find any human scent, so they turned back to Beelzebub and awaited orders.
“This is your home now, at least for a little while.”
Several of the demons hissed, letting Beelzebub know they weren’t happy with that. He put his hands up, quieting the crowd. “One of the first duties in your new playground is to make this place home.” He pointed at the tall steeple a few blocks away. “I will not have any churches on my unholy ground. Tear it down, burn it, blow it up—I don’t care. Just get rid of it.”
The demons headed toward the church, and Beelzebub quickly stepped back through the portal. He smiled and shut the portal behind him, leaving them to it.
The demons ran through the shadows of the lava-filled streets. They hissed and cackled as they swung from signs and smashed windows out of storefronts. When they reached the lawn of the church, they stopped and snarled at it. They were intent on tearing it down brick by brick.
Normally the demons had no inclination to follow orders, but they were both terrified of Beelzebub and hungry to destroy things. The smell of rotting human carcasses from inside was like an aphrodisiac for them. The demons ran forward, clawing at the walls of the church and screeching loudly. They tore at the large wooden doors until they opened and hurried inside. The ash and dust from their dead brothers floated up around them as they ran into the sanctuary. The demons in the front came to a screeching halt.
They sniffed the air like wild dogs. All around them were rotting piles of flesh, and along the sides of the church leading to the pulpit were gray, dripping cocoons. One of the demons snarled and scratched at the cocoon, spilling the ooze on the ground. He snarled and ripped through the webbing, trying to get to whatever was inside.
A demon dropped from the cocoon. It was weathered, wrinkled, a
nd gray. The first demon jumped back, hissing at the half-dead one. It snarled at the others for confirmation. Several of the demons got close, sniffing the dying demon and wailing loudly. They flung the goo from their claws and began to get rowdy yet again.
The sound of soft sniffling drew the attention of the crowd, and a hush fell over the entire sanctuary.
Slowly the demons crept up the aisle. They looked cautiously at the cocoons still hanging above them. Some were torn open and empty, while others housed demons too weak to scratch their way free. Standing beneath the leaning crucifix was a scared human woman.
It was Sasha in her human form. She feigned fear, putting her hands to her lips and crying, “Oh please, not me.”
The demons growled and snarled, scratching at the ancient wooden floors. They went wild over what they thought was fresh meat. Suddenly a demon leaped from the pack and charged Sasha. The rest quickly followed behind, running across walls and leaping over pews.
Sasha dropped her hands. “Bad move, fucktards.”
She roared as her skin turned purple. The skin on her body seemed to tear from the bones as she grew into an eight-legged creature that had been waiting patiently for more victims. The demons squealed in surprise, but it was too late—their momentum carried them forward. Beelzebub’s army grew smaller by the second. They never even had a chance to tear down the steeple.
Romanian President Dragos pulled the fur collar of his coat up. Timothy and Korbin walked beside him. They were surveying the small Romanian village from the hills above town. Timothy shivered, wishing he had worn more than just a statement piece as a coat. Maybe even some long johns.
Dragos let out a deep sigh and looked at the lava-filled town. “Such a shame. So many dead.”
Korbin agreed with him. “It is a shame. Our condolences go out to your entire country. But it is time to move forward, to start thinking about how to prevent these kinds of tragedies from happening again. This town was the victim of a terrible tragedy, but together we can rebuild it.”
Dragos nodded. “We need to make sure nothing like this happens again. We also need to make this village secure so people can return to their homes and livelihoods.”
Korbin clasped his binder to his chest. “Absolutely. I believe the best move would be to focus both on defenses and tech installations simultaneously.”
“Very good.” Dragos grunted. “As long as this does not include Katie.”
Korbin was slightly taken back. “I’m sorry?”
President Dragos pointed to the tall steeple in the center of town. “Katie went to that church, and inside she rescued her people from evil. Never in history has evil pierced those doors until she came around. That church has stood for centuries. It was the first building to be built in this village. It was blessed by the Holy Roman Empire and is one of the holiest places on Earth. Or at least it was.”
Korbin wrinkled his forehead. “I hope you aren’t insinuating that Katie had anything to do with that.”
Dragos snapped his head toward Korbin. “She somehow got inside with her filthy demon. Why should I believe she is innocent?”
Korbin tilted his head. “Well, for starters, Katie is not just infected. She is also an angel, as is her demon. They are blessed by the hand of God. You can’t get much holier than that. I have known Katie since the moment she was infected, and she would never do anything to put innocent people’s lives in danger. I give you my word on that.”
Dragos was about to respond angrily when Timothy grabbed Korbin’s arm and pointed to the streets. “Look. Demons.”
Korbin and Dragos peered down, not believing it. Korbin muttered, “All the demons in this village were destroyed.”
Sure enough, there they were. Demons ran down the streets, screeching and hollering. A small squad of soldiers stood their ground in the middle of the street and blasted them full of bullets. The demons burst into ash and blew away with the cold winds. President Dragos narrowed his eyes and looked at Korbin. “Where did they come from?”
Korbin shook his head, getting closer to the edge of the embankment. “I have no idea, Mr. President. This is the first sighting of a demon down there in days. Something fishy is going on around here.”
21
Katie lay in her bed attempting to read a book. The wall shook slightly, and the sound of Angie’s moans echoed through the condo. Katie sighed and dropped her book in her lap. Seriously? How are they still going? It’s been freaking hours.
Pandora snickered. All day fuckathon. Ahh, how I miss those. Maybe you should be taking notes? I’ll start. First, stay hydrated.
No, thanks.
Really. It’s important. Second, make sure you have all your toys, ropes, costumes, and cuffs handy. Like, in a backpack. A sex kit! That’s what you need.
Katie rolled her eyes and reached into her side table’s drawer, pulling out an iPod and headphones. She put the buds in her ears and pressed Play. She waited a moment, then smiled. If there was still moaning, her music covered the sound. She crossed one leg over the other and picked her book up, going back to reading. A few moments later her wall shook again. The picture of her mother over her dresser dropped off the wall and crashed to the floor. Katie narrowed her eyes and pulled the buds out of her ears.
She put a pillow over her face, screaming into it. The sounds coming from Angie’s room, which was all the way across the condo, permeated the thick down stuffing of the pillow. I can’t take it. I mean, good for them, but fuck! It sounds like a porno studio in here.
Pandora snorted. No, those are actually a lot more technical than you would think, and they have soundproofing.
I don’t even want to know how you know that.
Hey, I told you I wasn’t a saint. I may be an angel again, but I was not a good girl in between.
Katie got up from the bed and pulled her dresser open. She grabbed her normal spandex outfit and changed, and quickly laced her boots up. If she couldn’t relax, she was determined to get as far away from the condo as she could.
Pandora looked at Katie’s reflection in the mirror. Do we have a gig?
Katie pulled her hair back in a ponytail. Nope, but I can’t sit around here any longer. So, I guess we are going to go fight crime.
Pandora gasped. Are you serious? Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. More adventures of Slut Girl on the way!
Katie finished getting ready and hurried out the balcony door. She jumped, spread her wings wide, and began gliding upward. She flapped her wings a couple of times and climbed above the buildings. She liked it better up there. There was no one to notice her. She let out a deep breath, listening to the heavy traffic and sirens in the city below. It was definitely better than the sound of Angie having an orgasm every ten minutes.
Katie shivered in the cold air, but it made her feel alive and awake. So, apparently General Brushwood is under some serious pressure from the World Council. They are trying to take us down.
Pandora scoffed. I’d like to see them try. Don’t they get it yet? We are unstoppable.
Katie took a right, flying between two of the taller buildings. I think a room full of fat old men think they can do anything they want.
Yeah, well, they have another think coming. We cannot be under anyone’s thumb right now.
Katie looked down at the people below. As much as I hate to admit it, you’re right. I can’t worry about people dying in battle with me. That includes Brock. And I can’t sit around constantly worrying about people like the World Council second-guessing my every move.
Pandora agreed wholeheartedly. You need to be in control of this. That was the whole reason we maneuvered the team the way we did. You didn’t want to be governed by anyone but yourself. The general understands that, but it seems these douche canoes don’t know what game they are playing.
Katie chuckled. Damn right they don’t. I know it shouldn’t bother me, but it really pisses me the fuck off. I do all this work, lose my men, save many others, and they want to take me out of the picture? If
I left, they would be taken down in a heartbeat.
Katie felt a familiar tug in her chest, and her eyes went blue. Pandora sniffed. Got one. Two blocks down, some jackwads are causing problems.
Katie pushed thoughts of the general and the Council out of her mind and focused her angel abilities on the problem, listening to two young kids telling someone to leave them alone. Katie flew faster. There were kids in trouble. She pulled her wings back and pointed her feet down, falling toward the two asshats below.
The two grade-school kids had backed themselves into an alley. The two older guys were attempting something Katie didn’t even want to think about. She landed softly behind the two guys and put her fingers to her lips so the kids wouldn’t say anything.
One of the guys snickered. “Why don’t you just give in and get in the van, kid? You are going in there, one way or another.”
Kate thrust both hands out and grabbed the guys by the backs of their necks, then slammed their heads together and threw them to the ground. She glanced at the kids. “Go on, guys, go home. I’ll take care of these two asswipes.”
The kids ran and left Katie alone with the two men. A shadow fell over their faces as she spread her wings wide. “You want to fuck with little kids, huh? Well, you’re going to answer to me for that.”
Both of the guys put their arms up and screamed as Katie’s fists flew toward their faces.
Korbin stood at the edge of the town, talking with the sergeant. After the demons had been seen in the town, President Dragos had quickly scurried off. Korbin found it odd but brushed it off. He figured fear had gotten to him, as it had so many others. The man’s negative attitude toward Katie bothered him. That too would have to be handled another day, though.