by Michael Todd
Juntto chuckled. “Well, I’m not dead. But only you three know.”
Another one of the guys pointed at him. “Can you do Batman?”
Juntto chuckled, shifting into Batman. The youngest of the group jumped up and down. “What about Groot?”
Juntto laughed loudly as his body transformed into a tree-like figure and then quickly into the shape of Thor, hammer and all. The guys oohed and aahed as Juntto changed, and finally, after glancing at Angie, he switched to the form he came in. “They have nothing on Juntto! Those characters are stories. Juntto is the maker of stories!”
Angie chuckled, shaking her head. “And he has a big head.”
Juntto sat down on the couch and sighed, putting his feet up on the coffee table. His body shifted back into his natural form, but he stayed small so he could fit comfortably on the couch. It already had a slight sag from the last time he took the full Juntto form and jumped on it. Angie sat down next to him and flipped on the news, cuddling next to him.
Juntto put his arm over her shoulder and smiled down at her. “It feels good to be home.”
Angie nodded. “It does. Back in our little paradise. But I have to say, the whole weekend was a blast.”
Juntto smiled. “It was. I have never been to anything like that before. E-Sports knows what they are doing when it comes to conventions. I would have liked to have seen more single-player games, but all in all, it was cool.”
Angie looked up at him. “Yeah, but if there were more single-player, you wouldn’t have met your team. Those three guys will remember this convention for the rest of their lives. They were obviously loners, and you were able to bring them together and create friends. That’s pretty cool.”
Juntto shook his head. “They always had it in them. They just needed that little boost of confidence. You helped a lot, too. By the end of it, they were able to fully talk to you, and the stuttering had almost stopped.”
Angie laughed. “Well, girls will always be scary to them.”
Juntto smirked, giving her side eye. “You’re telling me. Girls are confusing and scary as hell.”
Angie slapped his rock-hard stomach. “Hey, I’m not scary.”
Juntto bellowed. “No, not scary-looking. Girls make men terrified as shit. The old Juntto would have been nervous around you. In fact, the old Juntto had to fall into a coma to be able to handle it all. I feel sorry for humans with all those emotions.”
Angie snuggled closer. “Yeah, but we survive.”
On the tv, a breaking news bulletin popped up. The newscaster came on the screen and adjusted her mic. “We’ve interrupted your regularly scheduled programming to bring you video footage of a new team of demon-fighting warriors, none of whom are Damned. Sources tell us that these vigilantes are actually a secret government group called the DDF, or the Demonic Defense Force. As you can see by this video, they give demons a run for their money.”
A video played, showing Red and Wilson fighting infected, with their team behind them doing the same. Juntto took his arm away and leaned forward. “That woman. She is badass. She is a true warrior like Katie.”
Angie pursed her lips and watched him staring at Red on the screen. She could feel pangs of jealousy fluttering in her stomach, but she kept it to herself. Jealousy wouldn’t help her cause in the least. She took a deep breath and sat back as her phone buzzed on the table in front of her. She picked it up quickly, happy for the distraction.
“Angie, this is General Brushwood.”
Angie nodded, turning away from the television. “General, it’s good to hear from you. What can I do for you?”
The general sighed. “I need to ask you if you or Juntto know anything about the DDF.”
Angie glanced at the television. “Until thirty seconds ago when footage of them came on the news, I had no idea they even existed. Honestly, a team of humans fighting infected? What do they hope to achieve besides certain death?”
The general groaned. “I don’t know, but I don’t like it. Have you guys talked to Katie since all this came out?”
Angie shook her head. “No, she’s been on her own quite a bit. I think she might be going through some stuff. I know for sure the whole meeting with the Council changed a lot of things about her, and about how she fights demons now. She doesn’t talk about it, though.”
There was a slight pause on the general’s end. “I know. I wish she would. We used to talk about these things, but I understand her wanting to break away. I figure it’s easier for her to do so if she severs ties. That doesn’t mean I will, though. I will still check up on her and make sure she’s safe.”
Angie leaned back on the couch. “What can we do to help with this whole DDF thing?”
The general let out a deep breath. “I don’t know, but I want you to stay on standby for now. With all these little incursions happening, who knows when a big one will pop off? We want to be ready for anything, and we don’t want to waste time getting prepared.”
Angie looked at Juntto. “I agree. I will get his bag packed, and we’ll keep the phone next to us at all times. Probably better just to call mine right now. He tends to smash buttons when he is trying to answer calls. The phone already has cracks, and not just in the glass.”
The general chuckled. “That sounds about right. We’re all a little smashed and cracked right now. Anyway, I’ll be in touch, Angie. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Angie replied, hanging up and putting the phone down.
Whatever was going on, it sounded pretty big.
Katie returned to the condo, took a shower, and got ready for whatever the day was going to bring. She knew that at that point, it could be anything. I want to check on my special metal bombs. I know Joshua just got the order a few days ago, but I’m hoping that he can have something at least drawn out.
Pandora sat silent for a moment. Katie stopped. Hello?
Pandora chuckled. Sorry. Didn’t know I was supposed to say something. Why don’t you call him?
Katie twisted her lips, thinking. I should just call, but I really want to go in person. Joshua does much better when you talk face to face with him. You know how he can be. Plus, I think it’s good to let the team know I’m still here and haven’t abandoned them.
Pandora laughed. Like you would ever abandon that ragtag group of mongrels.
Katie shook her head. That’s not nice. You know you love them too.
Pandora grumbled. Yeah, yeah. Well, it’ll be good to practice moving through dimensions, so why not?
Katie smiled and nodded. That’s what I was thinking. Hopefully, we end up somewhere awesome and not in a fireball or something. I don’t need instant death today.
Katie stepped forward and faced the center of the room. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply as she waved her hand in front of her. She could hear the crackling of the portal opening and opened her eyes with a confident smile. She was about to step through when there was a knock on the door.
Angie’s voice came through it. “Hey, Katie? I know you’re probably busy, but I kind of need someone to talk to. Are you in there?”
Katie wrinkled her forehead, instantly worried about Angie. She really wasn’t the type to search out conversations like that. “Yeah, give me one sec.”
Katie glanced at the portal and shrugged, waving her hand again. It slammed shut. She walked over to the door and opened it with a smile. “Come on in.”
Angie gave her a tight-lipped grin and walked into the room. “Sorry if I’m bothering you.”
Katie sat on the end of her bed, patting the space next to her. “You never bother me.”
Angie sat down and let out a deep sigh. “I’ll cut straight to the chase. I’m worried about Juntto. I’m worried that he’s not satisfied with playing video games to feed his need for warrior play. And to be quite frank, I’m worried that he might be getting bored with a human woman. I’m not an alien or a warrior, and I saw the way he looked at that DDF lady Red when he saw her on the news.”
Katie wanted to ask what she was talking about but decided to focus on the issue at hand. It was obvious from the look on Angie’s face she was really worried about everything. Katie rubbed her back and kicked her feet. “We both know that Juntto needs a warrior. He’s a conqueror. He’s used to strong, independent women.”
Angie frowned, looking at the floor. Katie smiled and used a finger to lift the woman’s chin. “Angie, we both know you’re a strong-ass bitch. We both know what you’ve been through in life and work. For Christ’s sake, you are my assistant and best friend. You know I don’t fuck around with weak-ass bitches. I only surround myself with the tough and fierce, and you are both those things.”
Angie’s chin came up farther on its own. “Really? You really think so?”
Katie nodded. “I do. And even more importantly, you do too. You’ve always known that. You’re just overburdened by insecurities right now. That’s not the Angie that I know. The Angie I know would tell those insecurities to go straight to hell. The Angie I know would not let something like this push her out of where she wants to be.”
Angie shook her head. “You’re right. I am strong. I just have to remember that. Thank you for that. I guess I just needed to hear it from someone else.”
Katie jumped up from the bed. “No problem. Now, I am going to head to the base. I’ll be back soon.”
Angie frowned. “You need me to get the jet set up?”
Katie laughed, waving her hand in the air and creating a portal. “Nope. I figured out a shortcut.”
Katie looked behind her as the portal shut at Angie looking through from the other side. She laughed as she turned back around, taking in the scene. It was a dimension of sand and rock. On the ground all around her were snarling and hissing creatures, horns jutting from the tops of their heads. Their feet were like a turtle’s, but their toes had long, sharp claws that tapped the stones with every step they took.
Katie quickly pulled her feet together, making sure not to step on any of them. What in the ever-loving hell? God seriously must have a killer imagination. Why would you create a world of these things?
Pandora gulped. I have a feeling that these might not be the only things. Usually where there are creatures like this, there are bigger versions too. Let’s get the fuck out of here before we end up as one of these things’ dinner.
Katie looked down as one of them crept closer to her, its eyes darting all around. It snapped its jaws and hissed, forcing Katie to scoot to the side. She let out a deep sigh and shook her head. So much for landing in a beautiful place. We really need to get this portal thing under control.
15
A large three-story house drowsed down a long gravel drive in Western Tennessee. The trees swept lightly back and forth in the early evening hours. The sun was already setting, and the stars were visible even through the radiant pinks and blues of the sky. December in Tennessee was usually mild, but this year had been pretty cold. Smoke billowed from the stone chimney jutting from the roof. Through the windows, a soft, warm glow kissed the front porch, and a bunch of people milled in and out of the dining room and kitchen.
“Tom, is the chicken done?” a tall woman with a long floral skirt and button-up sweater yelled from the dining room.
Tom walked out of the kitchen carrying a large tray with a roasted chicken on it. “Yes, dear. It had to cook.”
There were two families there: two wives, two husbands, and five kids. As they began to gather around the table, you could see the red shining in each of their eyes. They were Damned, but they did their best to get through, controlling their demons as well as possible. They had each other for support, something that was vital to their ability to keep the demons at bay.
Tom reached out and took his wife’s hand, looking around at the others. “Everyone bow your head. Lord, we thank you for this feast. We thank you for our health. We thank you for the support you have given us through the joining of these two families in one house. We know in our darkest moments, when the wolf is scratching at the door, that we just have to take it one day at a time.”
Everyone around the table spoke in unison. “One day at a time.”
Tom smiled and everyone looked up, reaching for the dish closest to them. They took turns, passing the food around the table and filling their plates. The other man, Robin, took a bite of his food and looked at his ten-year-old son. “How was school today?”
The boy slouched in his chair and shrugged. “Okay, I guess. They made fun of me for wearing glasses that have a shade to the lenses. They tried to take them off. It was really hard to keep my demon back.”
Robin put his hands together. “But you did, and I’m proud of you for that. If we allow the demons to take over, we are no better than them. They may seem as if they are protecting us, but I promise you it is only for their own good.”
His twelve-year-old daughter Alicia looked up and pursed her lips. “What about Katie’s demon? She helps people.”
Robin smiled. “There is one exception to every rule, but remember, we are not those exceptions. The demons who were put into us tried to kill and did kill many people. They were sent to kill. We don’t need them to be good human beings, and God will see that we get our reward in the next life for doing what we are doing.”
“Everyone move in slow,” Wilson said as he crouched with his team outside the house in Tennessee. “Keep low so they don’t spot you through the window.”
The team rolled forward, skimming the edge of the house and carefully walking up the front steps. They stopped at the door as Wilson and Red came up the center with their guns out and ready. The pair stood up, keeping flat to the door, and looked down at the soldiers.
Red whispered, just loud enough for the team to hear, “We’ll go in first. You guys stay behind us. If we can manage to take them out with our special bullets, we’ll do that first. I don’t want to take any chances, so stay ready. If we need help, then step in. No direction required.”
Each member of the team nodded, pulling knit black face masks over their heads. Each held a special metal knife, and their focus was on the task at hand. Wilson turned to Red. “You ready?”
Red chuckled, swinging her hair back and forth. “I’m always ready.”
Several of the guys shifted their eyes toward each other but went quickly back to the mission. Red stood to the side as Wilson stepped back. He pulled his knee up and slammed his foot into the door, knocking it clear off its hinges. As they ran through, Red snickered. “Mmm, powerful thighs. I like that about you.”
Wilson chuckled as they took the corner, guns drawn. Tom had jumped to his feet, bewildered, as the other man grabbed his kids and pushed them toward the wives. Wilson smirked as he turned, not saying a word. He lifted his gun and pulled the trigger, hitting Tom in the forehead. He flew back, slamming into the floor. Red turned and took down the other man, putting two bullets in his chest.
The women screamed and pulled their children close, begging them to spare the kids. “Please, they are just children. They can be reformed. They can work for the government. They can be exorcised.”
Red sighed as she stared at them. “The thing is, we don’t like the tainted. We just don’t know what the long-term effects are. Sorry. I can’t take that chance.”
Red’s voice was snide and callous, making the two women hugging their children livid. The mothers stood up and Wilson fired, killing both of them with one burst. Red yawned and glanced back at the team. “Go ahead and search the house.”
Red took a step toward the five children. “Just hold still. It’ll all be over soon.”
As the team members raced through the house, they could hear the children screaming, followed by five distinct shots. The house fell almost instantly silent as they cleared each room and made their way back down to the dining room. The bodies were still lying there; none of them had turned to dust. Blood had splattered almost every wall and Wilson turned, wiping some from his brow. He put his gun in the holster and looked around h
im. “Good job, team. Another successful mission.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, flashing blue and red lights hurtled down the drive. Wilson pointed at Red. “Everyone stay silent. Not a word. You don’t tell them your names. You don’t tell them your purpose here. I will do the talking.”
Several cop cars pulled up out front and the policemen got out, shielding themselves behind open doors with their guns pulled. A rotund older cop stepped forward in a flak jacket, bullhorn to his lips. “We have you surrounded. Come out with your hands in the air. Drop all weapons. If you do not comply, we will shoot to kill.”
Wilson sighed and walked toward the front door with his team behind him. “All right, boys and girls. Time for the show to start. They’re not going to be happy that they have zero jurisdiction in this matter.”
Wilson opened the door and put his hands up, the rest of the team following his motions. He stepped out on the porch, his badge in his hand. “My name is Lieutenant Colonel Wilson. I am the leader of the DDF, and I am under orders from the World Council. This is a World Council matter, and all threats in this establishment have been extinguished. This is my team.”
The cop with the horn blinked, looking at another cop and shrugging. “Put all your weapons on the ground securely. I will approach and look at your badge, but if you so much as flinch, I’ll fucking blow you away. Do you understand?”
Wilson smirked. “I do.”
The officer kept his gun pointed at Wilson. He carefully walked up and took the badge from him. He backed away, reaching for the phone on his hip. The contact on the card displayed with his badge was Mr. Belly, who would clear him of the whole thing. Wilson watched as the officer spoke with Belly, his face going from stern to contrite in a matter of seconds. He nodded and put his phone down, glancing at his sergeant. He nodded angrily in their direction, and his partner frowned.
“Just let them all go,” he grumbled to his partner. “This is far above even me or the chief.”