by Tim Marquitz
It seemed to me as though there was little else to do but sit back and wait for the big bang. It came two seconds later.
Katon burst into the waiting room, kicking the door off its hinges. It flew across the room and landed in a broken heap of splintered wood against the furthest wall. Furious, his fangs glistening under the fluorescent lighting, he screamed epithets that made even me blush. Had I been brave enough to take my eyes off him and spare Scarlett a glance, I’m sure the color of her face would have matched her name. Rather than do anything to draw his attention to me, I sat back and watched as he gave a row of metal chairs the worst beating of their inanimate lives, thrashing them into tiny pieces and stomping them into the carpeted floor. Even Scarlett took a few steps back, not wanting to get caught up in his tantrum. It was a sight to behold, let me tell you. Once the chairs succumbed to his rage, he whirled to face me. My heart stopped mid beat. I didn’t want to end up like them. I started to sweat.
“I’m going to rip Asmoday’s entrails out through his throat and feast on his treacherous heart.” He stepped in front of me and leaned in to be sure I heard him, his face a wrinkled mess of ferocity. I sat still, like a cornered rabbit, afraid to move for fear he’d take his anger out on me. “I’m going to tear his testicles off and use his seed to write his epitaph. I’ll use his dick as my pen.”
I sensed an opening to remind him I was on his side. “Uh…I’m with you, brother,” I muttered, nodding Page 251 like a bobblehead doll.
My heart started up again when he spun around and put his foot through the wall several feet away. I was more than glad it wasn’t my head. Not satisfied with that small destruction, he began tearing madly at the plasterboard. Clouds of white dust filled the room, settling thick around us. After a few minutes of frenzied tearing, his shoulders slumped and he leaned against what was left of the ravaged wall for support.
“That was our last chance and we blew it.” He turned around and dropped to a seat on the floor, his sad eyes looking up at me. Seems Scarlett and I weren’t the only ones feeling doubt. “Armageddon is coming and there’s nothing we can do to stop it.”
Though unable to cry, Katon’s eyes had no problem expressing his overwhelming sadness. It was heart-rending. Scarlett went to his side and knelt down to comfort him. She was braver than me. His head drooped as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close.
“We have failed,” he whispered, his voice breaking as he said it.
My mind, spurred to life by the adrenaline Katon had stirred up, started clearing the fog of gloom that had stifled its function. I thought back to our encounter with Asmoday as he left to prepare Glorius. Something he’d said rang a bell, but I’d been too distracted, too afraid to recognize it for what it was. It was right there, lurking at the hazy edge of the shadows in my head, but I couldn’t remember.
Grumbling to myself, I leaned forward, looking at the embracing pair as I tried to kick-start my brain. My eyes, as they did every opportunity they got, wandered to Scarlett’s boobs. Katon’s head was nestled between them, safe and secure in the sanctuary of her ample bosom. I watched as her chest rose and fell in steady rhythm, his head drifting along with it, eyes closed. Though I knew he was suffering, Rahim terribly injured, the world about to end, his face had settled into a calm mask. However unlikely it was, he seemed at peace.
A light bulb exploded in my head as I thought that last part. At that moment, I realized something I’d always suspected.
Boobs were the answer for everything.
“There may still be a chance,” I whispered, unable to believe even myself we might still be in the fight.
Katon lifted his head to stare up at me. His eyes were narrow and unfocused as though he’d only halfheard what I said. “What was that?”
I took a second to nail down my train of thought before answering, “I think I know where they are.”
Both of them sat up straight, twin towers of rigid surprise. “Where?” They asked the question in unison. I stood up, dredging through the drift of words Page 253 to find the right ones. “Back when Lucifer was still around, he and I spent a lot of time together in the Ninth Plane going over things. Intending me to take up the mantle of the Anti-Christ, he had confided in me.”
Katon and Scarlett hung on every word.
“After the Fall, when things had settled somewhat, God felt remorse for how he’d handled the situation. He couldn’t take it back though because it would make Him look fallible, so He let the war between Heaven and Hell continue, doing nothing to end it.”
“Where is all this going?” Katon asked.
“I’m getting there.” I waved off any further questions. “Thinking it unfair that He was omnipotent and Lucifer wasn’t, the odds forever skewed in His favor, God gifted a sanctuary to my uncle. Within its walls no one, not even God himself, could see or hear what went on.”
Scarlett gasped, probably finding it hard to believe any such place could exist, let alone that God would provide it for the Devil.
Katon, more logical than my cousin, simply wanted facts. “What makes you think Asmoday is there?”
“Something he said before he ran off. He mentioned he’d be waiting in his sanctum of peace. I didn’t catch it then, but once I had a chance to think, and the proper motivation to get my blood flowing, it all clicked. Thanks, Scarlett.”
Oblivious to why I was thanking her, she just looked at me, one eyebrow raised.
“So this sanctum of peace is your uncle’s hideaway?”
“Yes, I believe so. Inscribed upon the wall just inside the sanctuary was a poem God had written. He’d had a thing for engraving, like the Ten Commandments thing and all that, so He’d weaved the spell into the poem and carved it into the wall himself. Lucifer showed it to me the first time I was there. It read: A boon to thee once Morning Star; Where I and eye cast no sight to mar; A sanctum of peace, carved between; Hell and Earth, thy heart unseen.”
Katon repeated the poem in a whisper, seeming to agree with my logic, however fanciful it all seemed.
“How many other people know of this room?”
“Not many. Baalth, Asmoday of course, Duke Forcalor, and maybe another one or two of Lucifer’s top lieutenants from the old days. My uncle kept it to himself save for his closest allies…and me.”
Katon rubbed his jaw. “What makes you think Asmoday would go there now? It’s not much of a hideout if you know about it. He’d have to presume you’d find him there. It doesn’t make sense.”
“That’s just it. Asmoday thinks I don’t know about it. Lucifer understood I wasn’t a popular choice for Anti-Christ amongst most of the lieutenants. As such, he was very careful to keep what he shared with me, between us.”
“Wouldn’t Baalth realize he’d gone there, making it less attractive to Asmoday?” Scarlett interjected.
“It’s possible, but I doubt it. You didn’t know Uncle like I did. He was a very private man. No one, and I mean no one, entered his chambers without an invitation. You didn’t even cast a glance in their direction without permission. It was second nature in Hell to go out of your way to avoid his quarters. When he left, the lieutenants sealed his chambers out of respect.”
“So you expect us to believe they just walked away from an asset as valuable as this sanctuary, leaving it to rot unused?” Scarlett put her hands on her hips and shook her head. Her earlier excitement had been replaced by doubt.
“That’s the point you’re not getting, its usefulness is limited now. With God gone, it’s mostly just another room. While it still defends against magical eavesdropping, that isn’t a big deal at the level we’re dealing with. All of the lieutenants can shield themselves from even the most talented of psychics with little more than a wave of a hand. To go to the room for such a simple task would be a waste. It’s out of the way and inconvenient.”
“Why would Asmoday go there?”
“Two reasons. The first is because he believes we don’t know it exists. Given that premise, it s
eriously Page 256 lowers our odds of finding him. Thus, it makes perfect sense for him to go there.” I looked at Scarlett to see if she was following me still. She was, so I continued.
“The second reason is the place is a veritable fortress against magic, even more so now it’s been sealed off. So when all Hell breaks loose, he’s in the safest place to watch it all come down.”
“If this sanctum is so well defended, why didn’t he just perform the rituals there?” Katon, while wanting nothing more than another opportunity to go after Asmoday, was ever the pragmatist. “And saying they’re there now, how do we get inside?”I smiled, having anticipated his questions. “Defensive-minded, Lucifer crafted a magical security system in case his lieutenants ever banded together to overthrow him. This system limits the amount of energy directed into the room from the outside. Though he never could shut the room down entirely, he managed to cap the inflow drastically. As such, Asmoday wouldn’t have been able to draw the power needed to charge Glorius. That forced him to do it elsewhere.
“As for how we get there, I have the key.” I tapped my temple.
Scarlett sighed deeply. “If we have to rely on what’s inside your head that doesn’t relate to porn, we’re screwed.”
I sneered at her. “Fortunately, as far as my mind goes, we only need the coordinates buried inside it.
Beyond that, all that’s left is to gate to Hell and mete out some much deserved retribution. That would seem right down your alley, oh destroyer of railyards.”
Scarlett grinned, slamming her fist into her palm. She was ready to go. She wanted her sword back and she no doubt wanted to take a couple of heads home with her as well. A nice angel and demon trophy set for the mantle. I was right there with her. Katon, however, his dark eyes glistening with restrained excitement, only shook his head. “While I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment, I find us a bit lacking in the follow-through department.” He pointed to me, then Scarlett, then to himself. “We three lack the raw power necessary to take on Asmoday and his pet archangel, not even taking into account what minions he might have with him. So even if you’re right about all this and they are there, we’re woefully outmatched.”
Ever the realist, Katon reminded us of what we were looking at.
In my excitement, I had forgotten that disappointing fact. With Rahim down and the rest of DRAC scattered or killed by Asmodays’ fiends, we were on our own. “I’ve an equalizer against Gabriel, but the circumstances have to be right. He has to come after me or I lose the ace up my sleeve.” I shrugged, picturing how things might work out inside my head. All of the endings were grim. “I don’t see we have much of a choice but to do it anyway. What do we have to lose?”
“The whole of creation,” Scarlett answered in a quiet voice.
“Seems to me that’s already lost,” Katon countered. “If we sit here and do nothing, the world ends. If we try to do something about it and fail, at least we die with our boots on.” An Iron Maiden song sprang to mind. “I’m not done fighting. Are you with me?”
Scarlett took a deep breath and let it out slow.
“I’m in.” Both she and Katon turned to look at me.
“I had plans to watch the CSI marathon on Spike but I guess I can put that off. It’s not like they don’t show the damn program often enough. I’m in too.” A cold chill settled over me as I resigned myself to what would probably be the last fight I’d ever get into. I was gonna miss life. “So, what’s the plan?”
“Given we don’t have a wide range of options, I say we keep it simple. We go after Glorius,” Katon answered without hesitation.
I thought about it for a second. While no doubt simple on the surface, the plan held a few twists I don’t think he realized-or if he did, he was keeping it to himself. You see, were Katon the one to kill Glorius, everything would be good. However, were Scarlett or I the one to reach the angel, there would be another issue to consider. The soul transfer. Due to our nature, the killing blow would transfer all of Glorius’s power to whichever of us did the deed. While I certainly wouldn’t argue the sudden Page 259 status increase if it were to work out that way, I wasn’t sure either of us could handle so much raw power all at once. We could be committing suicide and wouldn’t even know it until it was too late. I sighed, unable to think of a way around it, nodding at Katon to let him know I agreed.
Nothing like a good game of Russian Roulette to take your mind off your troubles.
“In theory, it resolves your issue with Gabriel and gives us the best shot at having some small measure of success. If Glorius is gone, Armageddon is off the table, for a little while at least.” He turned to face Scarlett.
“Are you going to have a problem with this?”
She met his gaze, but I could see her eyes were moist. “I’ll do what needs to be done.” She was a trooper.
“I guess that’s it.” He looked to me. “Gather what you need and meet me at the receiving room in twenty minutes.” Without another word, he left to prepare. My eyes met Scarlett’s. “You ready for this?”
She shrugged. “As ready as I can be.” I shared her sentiment.
I waved her to the door and let her go first. I figured if we were on our way to die, I was gonna get one last good look at her leather-clad ass before I went. It’d be the closest thing to Heaven I would see before Hell came to call.
Into the Mouth of Hell
We arrived in Hell, just inside the cavern of Lucifer’s private chambers. Alone in the room, we let loose a collective sigh of relief as our entrance went unnoticed.
Little room for error, I surveyed the scene. With a mixture of trepidation and relief, I noticed the carved archway behind us, which led out into the common area of the Ninth Plane, was open. The massive slabs of stone, which had been used to seal the chambers, were missing, flickering light filtering in from the outside, illuminating the chamber in soft yellows. I gave the thumbs up sign, letting Katon and Scarlett know we were in the right place. Asmoday had to be here. My guns drawn, I led the way.
I felt the tug of emotion as I crept through my uncle’s quarters. Every piece of furniture, every book, even every painting reminded me of the times I’d spent here, listening to Lucifer tell me the way of the world. In my head, I could still hear his deep voice echoing through the rooms as he explained the intricacies of Hell. In his best Pinhead impersonation-he loved the Hellraiser movies-he would tell me of his days in Heaven and of the Fall. He was my own private rock star. I loved spending time with him here.
Now with him gone, the place felt hollow, like a grave that’d been dug up and left open, the corpse long gone. I felt like a thief, sneaking through my uncle’s chambers. For the first time in my life, I felt unwanted there. That was hard to cope with.
But with no time to think about the past, its maddening touch both depressive and bleak, I sped my pace and hurried toward the sanctum. As we traveled the long, circuitous route, I glanced back now and again to ensure Scarlett and Katon were still behind me, that they hadn’t lost their nerve and dropped off. Resolute, they were always there. Strengthened by their commitment, my own wavering with every step, I continued on.
At last we came to the sanctum God had gifted my uncle. The cavernous entryway was like the mouth of a mythical dragon gaping wide, waiting to swallow us whole. Its upper lip disappeared into the shadows that hovered near the roof. Jagged rocks ran the length of it, each a sharpened tooth, circling down to a point that sunk into the floor. Only a narrow corridor running down the center was clear of the teeth, the flooring stained a deep crimson giving the impression of a lolling tongue. The almost imperceptible scuffling of my companion’s feet, which had shadowed me the entire way, ceased suddenly as they looked up in awe at the doorway. I laughed inside. I’d done the exact same thing the first time I saw it.
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Taking advantage of the pause, I focused my attention beyond the entryway. From within, a rhythmic thump could be heard, a deep droning beat that was focused by the door and r
everberated out toward us. Guttural moans drifted along on the undercurrent of the sound. I could hear the misery and torment in their raw cries, their groans a dirge. I had an idea as to who one of the voices belonged to-Glorius-but I was hard pressed to imagine who the other might be. I figured I’d find out when we got inside.
Seeing no point in delaying the inevitable any further, giving my doubts time to fester and sound the retreat, I crept forward, waving Scarlett and Katon along. At the back end of the tongue, I was glad to see Asmoday had set no guards. I thanked my uncle for having the foresight to keep his lieutenants in the dark as I inched closer.
I reached the edge of the door and peered inside, only a tiny piece of the room visible from where I stood. I was shocked by what I saw.
Embedded halfway into the stone wall was The Gray, Henry McConnell. Upright, spread-eagle, and naked at approximately ten feet from the floor, the entire back half of his body was missing as though he had melted into the rock. His face was contorted in agony, mouth and eyes frozen wide with horror. His bruised face, beard, and body were caked in dried blood, which broke off and fluttered down in dark flakes as he squirmed. Wisps of light drifted up from his eyes, nose, and mouth, to fade away within the obsidian cloud that rumbled just above his head, vibrating the walls. His was the other voice I’d heard as we approached. I took a closer look, immediately regretting my morbid curiosity. Sickened, I turned away, trying to expunge the image from my mind. The drifting lights came not only from his face, but from every visible orifice of his body. Tendrils of illumination also leaked from his ears, his nose, and even oozed from the tip of his dick as though he were orgasming a sunbeam in slow motion. Even worse, it was obvious the light had substance, his flesh shifting and stretching painfully to accommodate its passage.