Mirissa grabbed her favored FN 5.7 pistol. It was expensive and, yes, the ammunition was expensive and harder to find, but it was a beautiful weapon. First, it was unbelievably light, weighing less than a pound and a half unloaded. Second, it had almost no recoil, so it was incredibly accurate and allowed for much quicker shooting. Third, it was the only pistol that shot rifle bullets that could pierce a Kevlar vest. Fourth, it had a twenty round magazine and, obviously, more bullets are just better, period. That was why it was the weapon that Secret Service agents carried.
Greco was waiting for her at the middle lane and, after they both donned ear protection, Mirissa fired off eight rounds at the target suspended twenty-five yards away. When Greco pushed the button to bring the target to where they stood, he couldn’t hide his satisfaction. The black silhouette had five holes dead center in the chest and three in the head. Her dad deserved more credit than Greco had given him, and Mirissa enjoyed proving that.
The rest of the morning they spent firing, dismantling, and cleaning each of the pistols in the lock-up. Although she enjoyed the rush she felt when firing a weapon, Mirissa was relieved when Laura called them in for lunch. It was her brain, more so than her body that needed a break.
Lunch was, as she had come to expect, delicious. The table was covered with platters full of breads, lunchmeats, cheeses, and a variety of garnishes. Mirissa made a mile-high sandwich and scarfed it down in record time, thanking the Baxters, again, for their hospitality.
When she’d had enough to eat, they were out in the barn again, this time in the gym. The treadmill held no interest for Mirissa after their long run this morning, so she opted for strength training, heading straight for the racks of free weights and starting her routine.
Once she felt she had given her muscles a good workout, she did her stretching to ensure flexibility and flush out some of the lactic acid build-up that happens during training. Grabbing another bottle of water from the fridge, Mirissa sat and waited for Greco to finish his workout. She figured she’d done pretty well for her first day and was ready for it to be over.
“One more run and you can call it a day.”
“Fantastic, just what I was going to suggest.”
After only five miles this time, Greco officially called an end to their first day of training and Mirissa couldn’t have been happier—until the next day when he put her through even more, adding in swimming laps in the pond, and classwork about Kakodaemons and Amazons.
Every day for the next three months, Mirissa pushed herself, both physically and mentally, further than even she thought she could. Every week Greco would test her abilities to ensure that she was improving. If she didn’t improve enough for his liking, he would push her harder.
Her only reprieve was the amazing meals Laura cooked three times each day, and her nightly telephone calls with her father. Without those things, Mirissa was sure she would have lost it within the first two weeks.
She did have to admit, though, that she was in better condition now than she had ever been—stronger, leaner, faster, and sporting rock hard abs—and was actually quite proud of herself. Of course, she wouldn’t tell Greco any of that.
Now, according to him, it was time for her to join the real fight and go to work kicking Kako ass.
After a tearful goodbye with the Baxters, who had been like grandparents to her for the last three months, Mirissa got in the car with Greco for the ride back home. Back to her father and, presumably, the Kakodaemons.
Chapter 13
Nine Months Ago
When Greco made the turn into Mirissa’s driveway, her father burst through the front door, running to meet them. Stepping out of the car almost before it stopped, Mirissa jumped into her dad’s arms for a long hug that she hadn’t realized how much she needed. Although the Baxters had made her feel very welcome in their home, it just wasn’t the same as being with her dad.
She grabbed her duffel bag from the back seat, and the two started toward the house, chatting non-stop about everything that had gone on since Mirissa had left three months ago. They were both so engrossed in each other that they momentarily forgot about Greco, until he not so subtly cleared his throat behind them.
“Can you give me a second, Dad?”
With a nod, Steve went inside the house, leaving Mirissa and Greco alone on the front porch.
“Take the rest of the day with your father,” Greco said. “Then tomorrow we’ll go on patrol. I’ll pick you up an hour before sunset.”
With that, he turned around and started back to the car.
“Hey!” Mirissa yelled at his back. When he turned, she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a hug, whispering, “Thank you” in his ear.
His arms still hanging limply by his sides, Greco answered, “Uh, you’re welcome.” Visibly uncomfortable with the show of affection, he twisted himself out of the embrace and clumsily made his way back to the car, tripping on his own feet twice along the way. His cheeks reddened with embarrassment when Mirissa giggled behind him.
When she figured that she’d tortured him long enough, she waved goodbye and went to join her dad. It occurred to her that she had actually grown fond of Greco over the last few months, unexpected as that was, and would miss their time together.
Once inside the house, her first stop was Henry’s habitat. She pressed her face to the glass to watch him swim and waited for him to do the same. This had been their routine for eleven years and returning to it after her three month absence warmed her heart.
Over the next three hours, Mirissa and her father sat in their living room, where this whole ordeal had begun, and brought each other up to date on the happenings in their lives. Mirissa told him everything about her training, the farm, and Walter and Laura Baxter. Her dad showed her the changes he’d made in the house since her departure: new paint on the walls, refinished kitchen cabinets, and a beautiful new deck off the back of the house. Apparently, he’d needed something to keep himself busy while she was gone. She shouldn’t have been surprised, though. After her mother left he’d chosen not to start a new job, having more than enough retirement income, and spent all of his time being a dad. She should have realized how difficult these last months without her would have been for him.
When it came time for dinner, Steve ordered pizza and laughed when Mirissa scowled. She was definitely going to miss Laura’s cooking.
“So, what’s next in your new super hero life?” Steve asked.
“I’m not really sure. Greco’s coming by late tomorrow to take me out on patrol, so I guess I’m going to get to go up against my first Kako.”
She was having mixed feelings about that, if she was to be honest with herself. On the one hand, she was excited to put all of her training to use and see, once and for all, what fighting a Kakodaemon would be like. But, on the other hand, she was nervous. What if she wasn’t good enough, strong enough, fast enough? It wouldn’t be like it was at the farm, where Greco would pick her up off the mat, tell her what she’d done wrong, and have her try again. Out in the real world, if she fell short, someone could die—she could die.
Reading her mind, as he’d done since she was a little kid, her dad moved to the couch and put his arm around Mirissa’s shoulders. “Don’t worry,” he said. “You’re going to be great. And I’m going to be right beside you the whole time to make sure of it.”
“What?” Mirissa whipped her head around to look at her father. Was he crazy? He couldn’t go with her! What if he got hurt? What if he got killed? No way, she thought. “Dad, no. It’s too dangerous.”
“Navy SEAL, here. Remember? I wasn’t always Mr. Mom. Not to mention that I’ve actually fought Kakos before.”
She couldn’t argue with him there. His SEAL training would have prepared him for almost anything, and he did have more experience with Kakos than she did, but she was still worried about him.
“It’s not up for discussion, sweetheart. I’m going with you. All you need to do is figure out how to break the news
to Greco,” he said with a smile. Oh, crap, she thought. That’s not going to be pretty.
And she was right. Greco was none too pleased when he came to pick her up the next day and her dad informed him of his plan to join them. After a few moments of wasted argument, Greco relented and gruffly agreed to let him come along.
“So, where are we headed?” Mirissa asked once they were on the road.
“We’re going to Jacksonville Landing. The Kakos tend to hunt in places with lots of people and lots of places to hide.”
Mirissa couldn’t believe it. She spent a lot of time with her friends at Jacksonville Landing. It was a huge place on the St. John’s River. Tourists and locals alike flooded there to enjoy the restaurants and bars that populated the area and she had a hard time imagining it as a killing ground for ancient demons.
“If Kakos look just like us, how will we know one when we see one?”
Greco let a rare smile cross his face and simply said, “Oh, you’ll know.”
Cryptic much?
For the rest of the ride, Mirissa sat quietly, contemplating what she would do when she finally went up against a real Kakodaemon. She had spent the last three months training for just that, but she couldn’t shake the nerves that were creeping in. What if she wasn’t ready? What if someone got hurt or worse because she failed?
As they pulled into a parking space, her father put a hand on her shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze, and said, “Don’t worry, sweetheart. You are going to be fine and we’ll be right beside you the whole time.”
With a small smile that was mostly faked, Mirissa nodded, took a deep breath, and exited the car with her dad and Greco at her side.
For the first half hour of their patrol everything was quiet. People were everywhere, coming and going from whatever social gathering they were attending, and Mirissa watched every one of them as closely as she could, trying to find some sign of the evil she knew had to be there.
A particularly large group of people turned the corner just ahead of them and caught her attention. They all looked to be in their twenties, the age range that Greco had taught her Kakos appeared to be, and they stayed in a tight formation, just as Greco said the Kakos would. She watched as they laughed and talked, pushing each other around and getting louder as they walked.
Mirissa found herself walking faster, closing the distance between them and the carousers ahead. Patting the small of her back to check that her blade was still safely in its sheath, she readied herself mentally for the fight that was to come.
Now only a few feet away, Mirissa looked to Greco for any last minute instructions he might have, but he said nothing, apparently waiting for her to do her job. Stepping forward to get in front of the group, she was suddenly overcome with a powerful sensation. She couldn’t quite pinpoint it, other than to say that she felt inexorably pulled to her left. Trying to stay focused on her targets, Mirissa shook her head and stepped again in front of the oncoming enemies. This time, along with the powerful need to go left, her right ring finger started to tingle—just the tiniest of vibrations.
As the large group of carousers passed by them, Mirissa looked to Greco for an explanation.
“It’s your ring, Mirissa. It will tell you when a Kakodaemon is nearby. Just focus your mind and you’ll know where you need to go.”
Taking a deep breath, Mirissa closed her eyes and centered herself. Once she felt in control, she opened her eyes, turned to her left, and walked toward where she was absolutely sure she needed to be. Crossing the street, with her father and Greco right behind her, she came to a narrow path that ran between two buildings. Winding their way around the garbage cans and upturned crates that littered both sides of the darkened alleyway, Mirissa began to wonder if she was leading them on a wild goose chase. She couldn’t hear anything—no footsteps aside from their own, no voices, not even the scurrying sounds of rats. Mirissa turned around to ask Greco if she could possibly be misinterpreting her ring’s instructions, but before she opened her mouth, a slight shadowy movement about fifteen feet ahead caught her eye. Moving silently forward, she followed the shadow as it slid behind an overfull dumpster.
Mirissa paused at the far end of the dumpster, readying herself. With one last deep breath, she burst around its corner and found herself face-to-face with her first Kakodaemon.
Her ring’s earlier tingle became a full-blown vibration running up her arm, momentarily distracting her. The Kako took full advantage of her lack of focus and landed a lightning fast right cross to her exposed chin, causing her to stumble backwards into the open alleyway. As she regained her balance, she saw Greco holding her father back, stopping him from coming to her rescue.
That was all the motivation Mirissa needed. After the last three months of training, she just couldn’t fail. Not on her first night of patrol and not with Greco and her father watching.
Gathering herself, she took in the whole scene and sized up her opponent. He was about two inches taller than her and well-muscled. Not huge, but definitely athletic. His reach was longer than hers, so she decided on a plan of attack that would take that advantage away from him. Letting him come in close for another right hook, Mirissa lowered her hips, leaned in and drove forward with her own fist aimed at his throat. His momentum pushed him into her strike as she used her legs to power her punch. Those two opposing forces would allow her to crush his larynx, effectively incapacitating him within seconds.
Except the Kakodaemon wasn’t following her playbook.
Reading her intentions as easily as she had read his, he swiveled on his front foot, turning his body and head to the left, as her fist sailed past without making contact. With her body fully exposed and open to attack, the Kako unleashed a barrage of punches, landing blows on her abdomen, chest, and chin.
“Focus!” Greco yelled, still holding Steve back.
OK, Mirissa thought, pull yourself together and take this guy out.
When the Kako threw his next punch, a left jab, Mirissa used her right hand to block it to the side, grabbing his wrist and pulling him down and in close. Reaching her left hand around his head, she pulled his face down as she drove her left knee into his nose. The crunch of cartilage spurred her on. Releasing his wrist and head, Mirissa planted her feet, bent her knees, and powered up into a 360-degree roundhouse kick that landed squarely above his left ear. Pressing her advantage, she shuffled forward and struck out with a sidekick that succeeded in firmly planting the stumbling Kako on his butt, followed by a straight kick to his chin that knocked him unconscious.
Breathing deeply from the exertion, Mirissa turned to see her father fist pumping the air in celebration and Greco smiling proudly as his student passed her first test. She couldn’t help but laugh at the two of them acting like she’d just won a spelling bee instead of a fight with a demon.
Pulling her blade from its sheath, she looked to Greco. He simply nodded his head and waited. All of the joy drained out of Mirissa at the thought of cutting the Kakodaemon’s head off. She knew, intellectually, that he was a demon and the only way to kill him was to remove his head, but that still didn’t make it easy for her. He looked, and felt, human.
She knelt beside his prone form and held the blade across his neck, working up the courage to push it down. Her father came to her side and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, silently lending his love and support. She looked up into his eyes, trying to feed off his strength, but couldn’t make herself drive the knife through the Kako’s neck.
Just then, the demon opened his eyes, saw the knife, and grabbed Mirissa’s arm, pushing the knife to the side and pulling her down next to him. Opening his mouth wide enough to flash his elongated canine teeth, he lunged for her neck with an animalistic growl.
Steve pushed forward to put himself between his daughter and the demon determined to kill her, but just as he reached the pavement, the Kako let out a short scream and exploded into ash, leaving Mirissa holding her knife where his neck used to be. She’d beheaded her firs
t Kako.
“Are you all right sweetheart?”
Mirissa looked at her father sprawled on the pavement, knowing he’d been seconds away from sacrificing himself to save her. “I’m sorry, Dad. I shouldn’t have hesitated like that.”
“Are you kidding?” Steve said with a huge smile plastered on his face. “You did great! I’m so proud of you.” Then he wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug.
“Thanks, Dad,” Mirissa whispered as she reveled in the safety of her father’s arms.
Exiting the alley onto the busy street a few moments later, Mirissa was struck by the complete lack of fear in the crowds of people wandering around her. They had absolutely no idea what just transpired only a few yards away and were gleefully ignorant of the dangers that surrounded them every night. It occurred to her that she had been just as ignorant only a few months prior.
It was then that the reality of Mirissa’s situation finally sunk in. She was responsible for all of these people. Their safety, their gleeful ignorance, was dependent on her. She made a decision right then and there that she would absolutely never hesitate to kill a Kakodaemon—ever again.
Chapter 14
Present Day
Myrine simply sat in her chair behind her desk, speechless, as she stared at her daughter. They looked so much alike. Mirissa had the same long chestnut brown hair waving down her back, minus the gray streaks that had crept into her own over the last few years. Her hazel eyes and high cheekbones were an exact match to Myrine’s, and the expression on her face was one that Myrine had seen in the mirror many times.
She’d imagined this reunion with her daughter so many times over the years, and dreamt about the warm, loving hug they would share. She had played out this scene in her mind and practiced everything she’d wanted to say, but now that it was finally happening for real, her mind went blank. She said the only thing she could think of. “Happy birthday, sweetheart.”
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