by T S Paul
Agent Smith bowed forward so far as she laughed her headset fell off. “First off, and trust me when I say this, there are no aliens at Conception Base. All the security is to protect the place from cultists. Second, the ‘alien’ found on the moon was an elf. Nasa scientists proved that more than twenty years ago with genetic testing. Of course they never explained how the elf got up there but it was definitely an elf.”
“But…” Jones started to say.
“No buts. Trust me. No aliens. I know this because…” Smith didn’t get to finish because a loud scream blasted the headphones right off her head.
Wide-eyed in shock, Agent Jones zoomed her cameras onto the main balcony of the house. Camilla Blackmore stood there literally howling into the sky, her daughter Autumn groveling at her feet. The woman growled out several words in a monstrous voice and raised her hands into the air.
Holding her ears, Agent Smith muttered to Jones, “can you understand any of that?”
“Not a bit,” Jones replied. “But I’m working on it.” She winced at some of the words being screamed, but in her pain, didn’t understand. Her fingers flew across the keyboard in front of her.
Cameras fixed on the house from all angles were rolling when the woman known as Camilla Blackmore stopped screaming and suddenly made slashing motions toward the city itself. Both Agents had only split seconds to react before the chaos started.
Bubba-blam! There was a sudden explosion that shook the surveillance van. Screams of both horses and humans could be heard through the thin walls.
Blinking her eyes rapidly to refocus her vision, Agent Smith started speaking rapidly. “Pull up the outside cameras! Tell unit two to engage any hostiles and put me in touch with Charleston PD!”
Jones barely paused in her typing. Images of a burning wagon appeared from behind them. Tourists in brightly colored clothing were stumbling about as crumpled bodies lay in the street. Bright red, black, and grey creatures were climbing out of the city’s sewer system.
Blam! Blam! Blam! BOOOM!
Explosions started to register all over the city as sewer grates and access covers were blown. Shrapnel and debris made small plumes of deadly rain as it caught people unawares.
A red light started flashing on Jones’s command console. Looking up at it she frowned and typed a command into her system. A second and third light joined the first one.
“Ma’am, hard line communications are down, as well as cell towers twenty-five and thirty-one.” Agent Jones spun her chair around to face Agent Smith. “Charleston is isolated. Local radios and short wave is all we’ve got.”
“Damn it! Try and contact Charleston PD, ask for Captain Phillips, Captain Gentry Phillips. You got that Alicia?” Agent Smith ordered.
“Phillips, got it. Where are you going, ma’am?” the younger Agent asked.
Agent Smith had the arms locker open and was pulling on body armor as fast as she could. “Civilians. There are innocent people being attacked out there and WE have to protect them. Until the army or whomever shows up this is our job. And I’m doing it.”
“I can help. Let me help, ma’am,” Agent Jones cried.
Smith tightened the strap on her M3 plate carrier. The rig was new to the service, but offered all the protection someone sitting in a van all day would need. But for this job it was perfect. Less people shooting at you. “Finish up here first. Contact everyone on the call list we put together yesterday. They can’t call us crazy now. Explain the situation as best you can. If you have to, tell them there are anti-Demon forces inbound. But do not and I do mean NOT break protocol and the secrecy act! This isn’t target practice Alicia. Load heavy.”
Agent Smith thrust numerous magazines into her magazine holders and grabbed a shotgun. “It’s been nice working with you, Jones.”
Before Jones could answer, Smith was out of the van and firing at a trio of Imps attacking the group of wounded tourists.
Blam!
“Try and take over my town will you!” Smith fired directly into the three small Demons approaching her. The one closest to her went down in a spray of ichor and brain matter. Demons two and three roared and charged the Agent.
<<<>>>
“Military heavy alpha five, descend to ten thousand and come right five-zero-one,” Army Air Controller Jacob Stevens paused as he heard a series of explosions rock the air traffic control tower he was sitting in. The power flickered for just a moment and then came back on. All the monitors in front of him dimmed considerably. “The hell?”
“Tower, military heavy alpha five, can you repeat?” The pilot in command asked.
Jacob shook his head to clear it. “Sorry. Military heavy alpha five, maintain your heading at five-one-zero.”
Ripping the headset off his head he looked left then right. On normal days there were three to four controllers on duty at all times. But today his section had a new commander and he wanted duty reports in person and it was lunchtime. Punching a button on the intercom, Jacob called the security post below. “Sergeant Martinez, what’s going on with the power?”
The intercom crackled for a moment and the sergeant’s voice came over it. “Power just went down all over the city, sir. Ops claims it’s a glitch in the system, but there were sounds of explosions. My department is advising a Case One situation.”
Jacob thanked the security post and sighed heavily. Case One meant some sort of outside attack. It wasn’t affecting the joint base directly. They had backup generators on this side of the field. If he was seeing this, then that meant that the other tower might be worse. He needed help and he needed it right now.
“Military priority zero-one-zero contact Joint Operations on 121.2.” Charleston field announced to the inbound flight.
A voice with an Italian accent spoke, “Going to 121.2.”
The same voice was now coming out of Jacob’s headset as they switched to his control. He quickly looked to see where heavy alpha five was and took control.
“Military priority zero-one-zero maintain your heading and hold position at twenty-one thousand feet,” Jacob ordered.
“Negative Joint Operations. This is a code word flight, we have priority.” The Italian voice barked.
Jacob reached for his commander’s phone as he heard what sounded like gunshots coming from below. Standing up, he was able to look out the heavily shaded windows onto the tarmac and runway. Small dark figures were running in all directions. Creatures he took for Demon Bats were swooping down to snatch workers right off the ground. The security section was shooting as fast as they could. Remembering his training, Jacob grabbed his headset and started issuing commands.
“Joint Ops to all flights, maintain your position and heading. All runways are contaminated at this time. I say again, hold your position.” Jacob checked his screen to see if they were complying.
Alpha five was in a circular turning pattern well away from the civilian aircraft but the priority flight was closer and changing altitude rapidly!
“Military priority zero-one-zero maintain your heading of six-five-zero at seven thousand feet,” Jacob directed.
Once more the Italian voice came on, “Negative Joint Ops, making a short approach on B5. I am declaring an emergency at this time.”
Jacob felt faint. Emergency meant they were to clear the runway and prepare for a heavy landing or something, but there were Demons everywhere. Forgetting everything, he stood up again and looked out at the runway.
The aircraft came down at an accelerated pace, much faster than planes were supposed to. Now that he could see it, Jacob saw it was a KC-10 extended. Wincing, he thought about all that fuel burning if it crashed.
Instead of coming down too heavy and exploding, the plane seemed to hover in the air. Landing gear came down and it gently touched down. Demons scurried to get out of its way as it taxied straight toward the tower instead of the military terminal.
Against regulations the doors both fore and aft on the large tanker opened while it was still in motion.
Men appeared at the rear and began firing at the Demons. From the front a man dressed like a character from a science fiction movie rolled out of the door and onto the tarmac like it was something he did every day. Lightening started shooting from his hands as he danced along next to the plane. A beautiful woman in a tight-fitting outfit followed, but she walked down the air like there were ghostly stairs there.
Jacob blinked a couple of times. Was someone shooting a movie out there?
<<<>>>
“I’m getting really tired of dropping into hot LZs,” Victoria yelled.
Human Mage, Hamilton Sinn chuckled as he opened fire on a group of Demons with his pistols. “I’m the only one that dropped. You sort of stepped down.”
Above them, the plane had stopped and someone triggered the emergency slides. The yellow rubber inflatable slides opened on only one side.
“What’s the status Vic?” Commander Xavier Cedar, the team’s leader asked. He was outfitting the flight crew so they might have a chance against the Demons.
Victoria incinerated a bunch of Imps and responded. “Light. We’ve got Imps just about everywhere, but they seem to be just causing panic. The Bats are the main worry.”
“Understood, local defense?” Xavier asked.
“Almost non-existent. They weren’t expecting this at all,” Victoria replied. Reaching over her shoulders she drew her swords and began chopping Demons up.
Using his telekinetic power, Hamilton created a path. “There’s a small group of fighters at the base of the tower.”
“Affirmative, we’re coming down.” Still armed with the assault guns they picked up in Sicily, Xavier and the rest of the team slid down firing short, but effective bursts.
Tau Jung Lee, better known as TJ, slung his rifle. He was much better hand to hand fighting. Pulling out his butterfly swords he ran to help Victoria.
<<<>>>
As the group fought their way to the tower, Sergeant Martinez was up to his eyeballs in Demons. His team of four were tasked with holding the doors. The tower was important, but he starting to wonder how important. To kill Demons with bullets you needed to hit them dead center in the head or heart and Demon hearts moved around.
“Sergeant, I can’t hold.” Private first class John Wilkes was new to the unit but had done well so far holding his position.
“Hang in there, help is on the way.” Sergeant Martinez fired at another Imp trying to sneak up on the small unit. His orders were to hold the door and that was what he was going to do. The Demons had appeared out of the air with no warning.
Corporal Beaty crouched down beside the private and muttered something in his ear. Wilkes nodded and stood up. He began firing his MP4 at the advancing Demons.
Ammo was running low, so the Sergeant was using his sidearm. “What did you say?”
“To forget about the tower. The more Demons he kills, the fewer that might go after his family,” the corporal replied.
“That’s too hard core for that kid and you know it. But good work.” Both men fired on the Demons running from the strangers from the plane.
“Need help?” A voice sounded from all around them.
Both soldiers looked left and saw a man dressed like a monk, tossing Demons left and right without touching them. He bowed to them. “Hamilton Sinn at your service.”
Martinez swallowed and said, “Thank you Mr. Sinn. I think we could maybe need some help.”
Sinn chuckled darkly as he pulled a short Roman gladius and joined in chopping up Demons. “There is no try, sergeant. You either need or you need not.”
The soldiers could barely get a word out when a beautiful woman in a catsuit stepped into view. She incinerated an attacking Demon with a fireball. “Ignore Hamilton here, he thinks he’s a Jedi.”
Hamilton waved his hand, causing a couple of nearby vehicles to slide forward, creating a barrier the men could hide behind. “I don’t think. I do.”
“Heads up people!” Xavier shouted pointing skyward. A large flight of Demon Bats was circling around toward them.
“Everybody down!” Robert Jenkins yelled as he opened fire. The microgun he’d picked up in Italy began spewing out two thousand 5.56 caliber rounds per minute. He sprayed the attacking flight of Demons, shooting down half of them and accidentally shredding part of the tower at the same time. “Oops.”
The door to the tower opened and a man dressed in pressed fatigues stumbled out. He looked at Sergeant Martinez then over at the motley group. “Who the hell are you people?”
Chapter 4
“You want us to do what?” Ray Winters remarked.
Marcella Blackmore glared down at the woman she once knew as Rayne Snow. She had known the council member for more than a century, and every twenty years or so Snow changed her name. “Don’t pretend you didn’t hear me. I want this council to stop the Mage Storm in California.”
Ray looked up at Marcella and frowned. “What Mage Storm?” From her seat at the small cocktail table, Ray looked at the other members of the American Witches Council. “Do you know what she’s talking about?”
Montgomery, Fitzgerald, and Katherine shook their heads. Bethany, the cloaked and secretive leader of the group, remained silent. Her hooded face momentarily glanced at Kassandra, the newest member of the group.
“I don’t think I believe you. Kassandra? Something like this would be very hard to not see wouldn’t it?” Marcella asked.
Kassandra bowed her head and refused to make eye contact with Marcella. She had been serving as both a psychic and a prophet for more than a century for the Briarwood Coven before abandoning it. Marcella had once considered her a friend.
“None of you will speak to it then? You know nothing of a gigantic Mage Storm threatening this country’s western states? How far the mighty have fallen, then.” Marcella turned toward the entrance she had come from. “Robert?”
Consul Robert Moore stepped into the room, a large flat-screen television under his arm. Crossing to one of the room’s bookcases, he proceeded to install the device.
All the council members were watching his every move. While he might look human, Moore was one of the strongest Alphas on the planet. His reputation definitely preceded him.
Montgomery grunted and spoke. His gravelly voice was harsh in the quiet room. “That won’t work down here.”
Marcella motioned with her left hand. The television came on even as Robert plugged it in. “Hold your tongue until spoken to, Monty.”
“This is the Mage Storm.” Marcella pointed at the television. A picture of a massive whirling storm filled the screen as the voice of a newscaster came on. “...puzzled weather experts across the globe. Now repeating our top story. A massive tornado is roaring its way north from the site of the Demon invasion in southern California. Refugees and residents along the Highway Three-Ninety-Five corridor are being instructed to seek shelter. Now! This storm is being rated at F8 on the Fujita scale, which makes it almost twice as powerful as the storm that destroyed the town of Joplin, Missouri in 2011. Forecasters are predicting it will stay this side of the Rockies, which puts all points north in danger.” The man on the screen traced the potential path of the storm.
“In case you failed to notice, that thing is headed north. Several Fae and Were communities lie right in its path. That doesn’t even include all of our folk in the area. I’m not making a request,” Marcella pointed out.
Bethany grunted and motioned at the screen. “Those communities are not our problem. No part of our charter states we exist to shield them from natural disasters. If, and I do mean if, a Witch did this, then they will be punished. But it’s not our job to stop it.”
“I’m making it your job,” Marcella glowered.
Montgomery snorted, “No.”
Marcella frowned at the man for a moment. “How about I make you a deal, then?”
“What sort of deal?” Montgomery asked.
“I hold certain… items. They either belong to you or if revealed will cause others
to hunt you down. If you do this task for me, I will destroy those items forever. If you don’t do as I ask… Well, you get the picture. What will it be?” Marcella asked.
“You have nothing. Do you really think I’d be so stupid as to allow others to gain control over…” Montgomery stopped talking when Kassandra grabbed his arm. She looked him in the eyes and shook her head.
Marcella gestured toward the woman. “My old friend over there knows that I speak the truth. I have lots of items. Even you, Bethany, grace my collection.”
Ray Winters crossed her legs in front of her body and tried to look innocent. She had changed her name and appearance so many times that very few knew what she really looked like. But Marcella did. She and Marcella were part of a secret project in the 1930’s.
Kassandra’s eyes moved back and forth as she tried to understand each of her group’s futures. Do they trust Marcella? Does she have their doom? Will the Mage Storm do as she says? What of the plan? What will Agatha do? So many questions and futures ran through the woman’s head she suddenly cried out in pain, clutching both sides of her head.
“What did you do to her?” Fitzgerald cried out.
Marcella motioned to Robert and herself. “Us, nothing. I think she was reading all the potential for what I’m saying. Too many choices.”
“Why?” Bethany asked.
Marcella cut her eyes toward Robert for a split second before staring at the Council leader. “Because Agatha asked me to.”
“And I know what will happen if we don’t stop it now,” Marcella pointed at Kassandra.
Bethany looked to the older seer. “And?”
Kassandra winced. Her head felt as if a thousand bees were loose inside it. Her hands shook as she pulled them away from her head. Cocking her head to one side, she gave Marcella a long sideways glance. The seer looked back at her leader and nodded. “She’s telling the truth. The Fae in the north will deflect the storm east. If left unchecked, it will grow and destroy much of the country. We won’t be able to stop it then.”
“And the items she has?” Monty asked.