by Michael Todd
“You want us to put up anti-aircraft guns around the village?” the sergeant asked.
Korbin nodded, looking around the perimeter. “For now, yes. Ultimately I want a solid perimeter wall around the village, just like a medieval castle. I also want dozens of these guns pointed outward to ward off any incoming attack. In between will be missile launchers with a 360-degree firing range. The missiles can be fired at the portals, forcing them to close. The guns can take care of any riffraff coming from the open portal.”
The sergeant nodded, taking notes. “Okay, but what’s priority right now?”
“For now, I want the guns up and pointed at the town.”
The sergeant was taken aback. “I thought the point was to get people back into the village?”
Korbin nodded. “It is, but right now you still have a demon problem. Those guns can fire at them from a distance. I don’t know where they are coming from, but I will be looking into that.”
Timothy typed into his iPad, clicking through the different tests he wanted to perform on the village. It wasn’t often that he was at an incursion site and able to study it. He glanced at the Romanian soldier standing guard next to him. He was tall and handsome, with arms the size of Timothy’s head.
Timothy cleared his throat. “If demons come, I’m going to need you to protect me. You see, I am no longer a Damned. See the beautiful blue in my eyes?”
The soldier looked at him and tilted his head. “Nu inteleg. Vorbesc romaneste.”
Timothy covered his mouth and giggled. “Aren’t you just the cutest thing ever? You don’t understand a damn thing coming out of my mouth. Why do I feel like you’re just a big dumb sexy man?”
Timothy went back to his work, but his eyes went wide. He typed a few more things and let out a deep sigh. He waved Korbin over. “I need to show you this.”
Korbin excused himself and walked over to Timothy. “What’s going on?”
Timothy shook his head. “I wish I knew. The whole town is reading like there is an actual incursion happening right here and right now, but when you look out there, there is nothing. I thought maybe it was the system, but it doesn’t show that way anywhere else in the world right now. Even the Toronto incursion site is just specks of red now. This incursion ended weeks ago, but it’s still red-hot.”
Korbin scratched his head and looked around. There was something not right about the place. Something was missing, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. “This makes no sense whatsoever. I’ve never seen a town like this. By now things should be back to normal, but there are still demons running around. Just two days ago they claimed that not a single demon still existed.”
Timothy let out a sigh. “It is obvious they were way wrong, or somehow a portal is still open in this place.”
Korbin waved to Timothy. “Come here, I want to show you something.”
Timothy put his laptop down and followed Korbin to the edge of the hill. He pointed down to where the church was. “We spotted them shortly after getting back. I can see them, you can see them, the whole damn recon division can see them. But that’s not the problem.”
Timothy took a step closer and furrowed his brow. “They look like gargoyles.”
Korbin nodded. “Yes! They look like tiny statues standing in the street. They don’t move, growl, snarl—nothing. We have held the troops back. It looks like a trap, doesn’t it? Or worse, it looks like they are literally holding territory. We do this all the time in war. Of course, we tend to move around a bit more, but you get what I’m saying. They are using tactics. They are protecting something or someone down there. I think that is the reason for your readings.”
The sergeant walked up next to Korbin and Timothy. “Are they still down there?”
Korbin glanced at him. “They are, Sergeant, and they haven’t moved a muscle. We even threw in a canister of tear gas, but they stayed at their posts. I’ve never seen demons act that way.”
The sergeant frowned at the strange demons. “I know. The creatures that come out of those portals tend to be dumb as hell, that’s for sure. Why don’t I lead a strike team down there and just waste them? If they are protecting something, they will fight back.”
Korbin shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a very good idea. We don’t know what’s wrong with them, who put them there, or what they are keeping us from. Like I said before, it could easily be a trap. I think we should hold out and try to get more information about that area. I’ve got my guy working on that part of it.”
Timothy waved. “That’s me. The system is capturing real-time footage. Let’s see if we can get any heat signatures. If anything moves, we will know it.”
The three of them stared at the strangely still demons. Korbin squinted at them. “I don’t like this one fucking bit.”
The two would-be kidnappers screamed and yelled as Katie held them by their shirt collars and flew them over downtown New York. “You might want to stop moving. I don’t really have a great grip on you. If one of you falls, I’m just letting the other one go, too. Too much paperwork otherwise.”
The guys attempted to keep perfectly still at her words. They were trying not to look down or cry. Both of them were pretty roughed up. Bruises covered their faces, their shirts were ripped, and blood trickled from their noses. The larger of the two looked at Katie. “Where you taking us?”
Katie smirked. “I figured I’d open a portal to hell and toss you in. You are going there anyway, so you might as well get started on your life sentence.”
The kidnappers whimpered as Pandora cackled. I’m pretty sure the one on the right just pissed his pants. It’s golden showers for whoever is below.
Katie giggled as she spiraled toward the ground. She folded her wings behind her and walked toward the police station, dragging the crooks. A cop at the station opened the door for her. “Thank you.”
She walked inside and nodded at the cop behind the desk. He chuckled and walked to the office door. “Good to see you. Been a while.”
Katie smiled. “I know, right?”
As soon as she walked into the precinct, Travers and Schultz were on their way to her. Schultz looked at the two guys and waited on an explanation. Katie shrugged. “They are two very clumsy guys. Both of them tripped at the same time and fell right into my fists. Craziest thing. Anyway, before that, these two idiots were trying to kidnap two grade-school kids in Brooklyn.”
Schultz whistled to one of the desk cops and waved him over. “Book these two for attempted kidnapping. Throw them into holding. I’ll take care of them when I get a chance.”
Both of the kidnappers were more than happy to get away from Katie, even if it meant they were going to jail for a really long time. Travers put out a hand and shook Katie’s. “Been a while, kid. We’ve been following the craziness on the news. Good job on those monsters in Toronto. That shit looked wild.”
Katie chuckled. “Yeah, there was a fucking three-headed gorilla in there somewhere. Things get weirder every time a portal opens.”
Schultz scoffed. “You’re telling me. We field calls constantly, and we’re seeing some of the craziest shit out there. People are really losing it. Luckily, we had this nice young lady give us some pretty good training.”
Katie laughed. “I hope it’s working.”
Katie’s phone rang, and she fished it out of the top of her shirt. “I gotta take this, but it was good seeing you. I’ll stop by soon.”
Travers put his hand up as she walked from the office. “What about the paperwork? Dammit! She always does that.”
Katie gave the cop at the front desk a thumbs-up as she put the phone to her ear. “Korbin, what’s going on? You in Romania yet?”
Korbin sighed. “Yeah. Things are a little strange out here, and they get stranger by the second. I need you to pack up and get out here ASAP. I am going to need your help with this. I’ve honestly never seen anything like it. Timothy’s readings are off the charts.”
Katie stepped to the side of the
building. “What’s going on?”
Korbin craned his neck at the sky. A massive portal shimmered above the town. “Well, besides statue-like demons just standing there like they’re guarding something invisible, there is a giant portal sitting open over the town.”
Katie was surprised. “What? Is there anything coming out of it?”
Korbin chuckled nervously. “No, not a thing. Even the heat doesn’t seem to be as bad as normal. It just doesn’t make any sense.”
Katie clicked her tongue. “What is the mood like there?”
“Weird. I mean, everything is absolutely silent. There is no more breeze, and the birds are gone. Seriously, it feels like a kettle ready to boil over. The pressure in this place is just building and building, and I don’t know if any of us want to be here when it finally explodes.”
“I spent a lot of time there looking in every nook and cranny of that place when I was searching for Brock. I know the village pretty well at this point. I’ll come and take a look. I want you to call me as soon as anything changes. Like, I mean, if a cockroach runs across the street or a demon picks his ass, I want you to call me.”
Korbin chuckled. “Will do. Are you leaving soon?”
Katie looked at the sky. “Yeah, I just have one thing to take care of, and I’ll be on my way. Be safe, and until I get there, don’t go poking around. Okay?”
Korbin laughed. “Yes, boss. Just be safe getting here.”
Katie hung up and stared at the ground for a moment. What the fuck is going on?
Pandora shrugged. I don’t know, but I bet we’ll find old spider-legs somewhere in this fucked-up situation. Why can’t we seem to get away from that fucking village?
22
The general hung up and cleared his throat, then started flipping through his schedule. A sound outside his office made him pause. He narrowed his eyes as he heard his secretary try to tell someone they couldn’t just walk in. Suddenly the door flew open, and Katie marched into his office.
His secretary huffed. “I’m sorry, General, she didn’t understand that she needed an appointment with you. And she is still armed. Would you like me to call Security?”
He put his hand up. “That won’t be necessary. Thank you.”
The secretary glared at Katie and walked out of the room. Katie chuckled and pointed at the door. “That woman has some serious balls. We need more people like her on our side. She gave zero fucks about shutting me down. I have two guns, four knives, and a sword on me. A sword, for fuck’s sake.”
The general chuckled and leaned back in his seat. Katie sat down across from him. “It’s really good to see you, Katie. I was hoping we would get to visit with each other soon.”
Katie took a deep breath. “As much as I would like to say I’m here for a friendly chat, I’m not. I’ve thought about the whole Council thing. I’m already worrying about everyone else during fights, and I’ve started taking orders when not too long ago I said I was done with that. When it all comes down, it’s simple. I need to be in charge.”
Brushwood looked shocked and opened his mouth, but Katie stopped him. “You know I am dedicated to this war. You know I am dedicated to protecting the innocent, killing demons, and figuring out a way to put an end to this war. I will fight to my last breath, but I won’t be beholden to any government’s authority. It is getting in the way of progress. For me, that equals one big fat distraction. We both know what happens to mercs when they become distracted.”
“Sadly, I know exactly what happens to you when you become distracted during battle. I have laid to rest far too many soldiers in this war. Katie, I made a promise to you the moment you struck a deal with us. I am not your boss. You have every right to fight the way that you see fit. I am not changing my mind on that because some World Council formed two seconds ago wants to stick their noses in. I fully support you in this.”
Katie looked surprised. “Oh. Well, thank you. I was really hoping you would feel that way. I know that the World Council is tricky to navigate and you are taking all kinds of flack for me. I’m sorry I cause these problems.”
He waved it off. “It was my choice to back you, and it is my choice to continue to protect you. I’ll honor the deal we made. I will sit down and speak to the Council. I know that outside influence has caused them to grow wary of you, but that is all because of one man’s rhetoric.”
Katie looked around the office. “One thing I’ve noticed is that when one of them latches on, they all do. They will stand for something they know is blatantly wrong because they don’t want their egos bruised.”
The general chuckled. “And we both know that they won’t win against you. If they lose, they are going to have to face these demons on their own. None of them wants that. They’ll back down before things go too far. Nobody wants to see their cities burn to the ground. Trust me, if rhetoric can sway them one way, it can sway them back. You will have your chance to say your piece.”
Katie smirked. “They might not like that too much.”
The general laughed. “No, but it might be what they need.”
Katie breathed deeply and relaxed her shoulders. “General, I want to fight. Not just for the USA, but for the whole world. This isn’t one country’s fight. This is a war for all humanity. There are no politics in what these demons have set out to do. I’ve put my life on the line for years to help the entire world. I’ve watched friends die, and I’ve faced death. I guess I am having a hard time swallowing the fact that the world might not want my help.”
Brushwood leaned toward her and spoke passionately. “No matter what those fools say, deep down they do want your help. They just might not realize it until they are face to face with pure evil. I have been told you are going to go help Korbin in Romania. I will try to smooth things over with President Dragos. You go get on that plane.”
“I think I’ll take a shortcut.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah. Things are progressing quickly.” Katie walked with the general to his office door. “Thank you. I’m sorry I rolled in here like a bat out of hell. I’ve been a bit high-strung recently. Actually, I have been a bit high-strung for a while now.”
He smiled and gave her a hug. “Things will get better. We just have to have that faith.”
Katie nodded and walked out of his office.
As the general shut his door, his smile faded. Unfortunately, things might not be as simple as he’d made them sound. It was going to be tough to change the Council members’ minds. Still, he was going to do his best. The first order was to call Dragos. He hoped he could get him to soften his tone toward Katie.
Belphegor sat in his small cottage in hell watching his screen. President Dragos doing paperwork. Belphegor tried to keep tabs on all his contacts to make sure nobody needed a push in the right direction. He popped two deep-fried mice into his mouth and chewed. His human skin was hanging from a hook on the door. His scaled body was finally free. He was trying to dry out. An immense amount of sweat accumulated in that damn thing.
President Dragos’s phone rang. Belphegor narrowed his beady red eyes and turned up the volume as the president answered. “This is President Dragos.”
“President, this is General Brushwood. I was hoping to get a moment of your time.”
Dragos sat down heavily in his chair. “Just a moment, yes. I have meetings.”
The general maintained a light, even tone. “It’s about Katie. I know that people like Katie can be intimidating, but you have nothing to fear from her. I promise that the lies you are being told are just that—falsehoods. Just this afternoon, in the middle of saving two young people from a kidnapping, Katie took a call from Korbin. There is some serious stuff going on in that Romanian village. Do you know what Katie said?”
Dragos was interested. “What?”
“That she would be there as soon as she could.”
Dragos rubbed his chin. “To help us figure this out?”
The general cleared his throat. “Yes, President,
and to make sure you are all safe. That’s the kind of person she is. Half-angel, half-human, with an angel/demon inside of her. That’s a hell of a lot to deal with, in my opinion, but she’s still trying to help us all.”
Dragos grunted. “Yes, it’s looking that way.”
“All I am asking is that you reconsider this document you signed. Look at the good she is doing for you and this world. She cares about everyone, not just those in her own country. She is a true citizen of the world. She has told me time and time again that she is here to protect the world from the demons. That includes you, even though she knows World Council members are trying to bring a charge against her. Even with that type of negativity aimed at her, she does not hesitate to come to your aid.”
Dragos nodded. “Okay, I will consider this. Thank you for your call.”
Belphegor could see he was starting to change his mind. He donned his human suit and opened a portal, appearing at Dragos’s door. Dragos was not surprised to see him. He had figured that there was more to Belphegor than sagging skin.
Dragos pursed his lips. “General Brushwood wishes me to reconsider.”
Belphegor scoffed. “The general is unreliable at best. He is caught in Katie’s and her demon’s spell. Besides, it’s not like he is the supreme leader of the world or anything. He can easily be disposed of. There are other ways to get things done.”
“Are there?”
“Of course. And the world is always looking for strong new leaders.”
President Dragos chuckled and gave an evil smirk. “I like how you think.”
Katie took a deep breath and knocked on Juntto’s door. She hoped beyond hope that he was clothed. The door swung open, and Angie smiled at her. She was clothed, thank goodness. “Hey! Where you been? We came to see if you wanted lunch, but you were gone. We’re over here playing video games.”
Katie blinked. “I couldn’t relax, so I went searching for criminals.”
Angie chuckled. “Uh oh, Slut Girl is back at it.”