The last of their rifles ran dry.
The gunfire ceased.
Silence descended upon the desert just as Aymun made it to the gate. A demon came through and dropped right front of him, but before it had time to leap at Aymun, Aymun surprised it by leaping at it first. He tackled the demon backwards, their two bodies took flight and disappeared through the gate.
The gate shimmered. The glowing edges warped and bent while the sound of a cracking whip bounced across the desert.
Something was happening.
The next creature through the gate was on fire. It hit the dirt and spun around, clawed arms flailing. Then it slumped to the ground and went still, leaving the fire to consume its corpse.
Corporal Rose stood up and pointed with a trembling finger. “The gate. It’s closing.”
Tony saw it was true. The glowing edges of the gate had twisted and contorted, knotting together like a child’s tangled skipping rope. The translucent centre darkened. Smoke billowed into the air, and the light started to fade. The shimmering centre solidified into the dark, gnarled consistency of old wood, and then it disintegrated into ash and blew away in the wind.
The gate was gone, and so was the black stone.
Tony drifted out of cover and approached the patch of desert where the gate had been. All that remained was a large pile of ash.
“Martyr,” one villager shouted. “Martyr.”
Corporal Rose came up beside Tony and whistled. “Aymun did it. He closed the gate.”
“Yeah,” said Tony. “Not bad for an extremist.”
“He was brave.”
“He was devout,” said Tony. “Never thought I’d ever think it, but we will need more men like him. More men will be needed to sacrifice themselves and close the gates. Aymun’s sacrifice has showed us how we can win this war.”
“We need to make it to the border,” said Corporal Rose. “We have to spread the word.”
Tony snapped out of his shocked daze and got to work. He straightened up and gave his corporal a look of urgency. “See if we can get any of the villager’s vehicles running. We don’t have time for a trek across the desert anymore. We leave in one hour.”
The villagers gathered around the pile of ash and began chanting in prayer. Then they all got down and bowed to Mecca. Tony considered joining them, changing his mind about everything he had once thought about a Lord Almighty. If these gates led to Hell, then somewhere there was a Heaven.
So why wasn’t God helping?
***
Tony, Corporal Rose, and the two remaining privates were ready to go within the hour. They had lost a lot of comrades in the last two days, but each of them knew they were lucky to be alive. That they had destroyed one of the gates would make the sacrifices of their brothers meaningful. The intel could give humanity a fighting chance.
They still needed to reach the Turkish border.
Tony had tried the cell phones of some of the surviving villagers, but getting through to anybody in authority had been a nightmare. Most of the calls failed, and others laced with interference. It left Tony with no choice but to hand deliver the information. Perhaps the military forces of the world already knew how to close the gates, but if they didn’t…
Time was of the essence, so he thanked the villagers who had given him a battered Toyota minivan, and then ordered his three remaining men inside it. The villagers all piled into a Nissan 4x4 like some bad joke—How many Arabs can you fit in a 4x4?—but then they were off, honking their horn in salute as they fled back to their homes. They were simple folk, who had faced an army of evil and lived. They would return to their wives and children as heroes, but it might not be long before they were called upon to fight again.
Tony slid into the driver’s seat and clutched into first gear. It was like a furnace inside the cramped vehicle, and the drive would not be comfortable, but the quiet boredom would be sublime while it lasted. There’d be nothing but scrubland for the next many hours, but after that, who knew? Tony dreaded losing more men over the days ahead.
It was the end of days.
As a soldier, Tony had been conditioned for war, but deep down, a soldier needed to have conviction in his heart to operate. A soldier needed hope—however minuscule—that the final battle could be won. He didn’t feel that yet, and as much as he knew that the information he had to share was vital, it might only buy the world some added time. Things had changed so much that mankind had already lost. Nothing would ever be the same again, and only darkness lay ahead.
Tony took off across the desert with the last of his men.
~RICK BASTION~
Devonshire, England
Rick woke up with a hangover, but it wasn’t caused by drink. He fingered his head at the line where his fringe ended and flinched when he felt a wide-open gash. Blood stained the top of his shirt, and he could feel it caked on his face.
That bastard. His own brother had clocked him with a beer bottle, like some thug at a nightclub. Keith had never been violent in his entire life, so what the hell had got into him?
Rick got up off the cold floor and saw that he was in his garage. The only light was from a frosted square of glass above the side door, but it was enough to see all the stacks of unsold albums with his face on. It was the worst place in the world to wake up with a headache, like being surrounded by a manifestation of his regrets. His own face seemed to mock him from the cover artwork, showing him how stupid his pink and silver-streaked hair had been.
A cross to bear. The past.
Days gone by looked good now, considering the current state of affairs. He had no idea how long he’d been out, but there was no doubt in his mind that demons still surrounded his home. The black haired corpse wanted to finish what he’d started with Sarah.
“Hey, let me out of here,” Rick demanded, banging on the side door of the garage. There was a flicker of a shadow across the frosted glass, but no one answered.
“Come on, man. Whoever is out there, stop acting the prick and unlock this door. This is my goddamn house.”
The jangle of keys preceded the rattle of the doorknob, and the door opened a tad. Someone slipped inside before Rick had chance to force his way out.
It was Daniel.
“You all right in here, pal?”
“No, I am not. I’m leaving.”
“Right you are, but listen to me first, okay?”
Rick folded his arms and let his pissed off expression do the speaking.
“You’re probably planning a little pay back against your brother for bottling you,” Daniel surmised. “Can’t say I blame you.”
“Goddamn right I-”
“But my advice is to cool your jets for now. We’re all under stress. Your brother is just trying to protect you—although he’s a bit of a bastard in the way he shows it.”
“Trying to control me, more like.”
Daniel chewed at the side of his cheek, then said. “Yeah, you’re probably right, but I’m on your side, okay? This is your house, and everyone is alive because of your hospitality. Other people don’t see it that way though. They only look at what’s in front of them. You’ve been out a few hours, but your big brother has been rallying the troops during that time. He’s got everybody onside, so don’t cut off your nose to spite your face. You kick off and your brother will lash out at you again. The others will likely have his back too. The only person who didn’t think you were insane for wanting to leave was Maddy, but she’s gone quiet.”
“I don’t give a shit,” said Rick. “If I want to leave, then that’s what I’m bloody well going to do.”
“Actually, I think you’re better off staying. The problem you will have now is keeping everyone else from leaving.”
Rick growled and pointed his finger, but he let his arm drop and tried to make sense of what he had heard. “Huh?”
“Your brother told me to let you out. He wants to leave before it gets dark.”
“What? How long have I been out? What’s ha
ppened? He was dead set against leaving.”
“You’ve been out less than three hours, Rick, but a lot has changed. Come on, I’ll show you.”
Daniel opened the garage door and let Rick step through. It was still light outside, but the chill in the air told him it was getting late. “Where is he, Daniel? Where’s Keith?”
“Still inside, but wait…”
Rick marched across the gravel driveway towards the house, hands clenched in anticipation of what he would do to his brother. Instinctively, he glanced back over his shoulder at the gate.
But the gate was clear. The road deserted.
Rick stopped so quickly that he tripped and stumbled. By the time he had recovered, Daniel had caught up to him. “They left about an hour ago,” he explained. “Just dispersed suddenly.”
“What? Why?”
“Diane has been checking the web. According to some newspaper in Slough, the demons have assembled into three main armies. Your brother thinks the demons were recalled to go join their buddies.”
“So we’re safe?”
“Your brother thinks so.”
“But you don’t?”
Daniel shrugged. “Maybe, but if we are, then why be in such a hurry to leave? Why not wait a while until we know for sure that all is well?”
Rick nodded. “You’re right. It could be a trap.”
“I know you wanted to leave, Rick, but that was when you knew the demons were crowded around your front gate. Now, we don’t have any idea where they’re lurking.”
Rick thought about it. “We should all stay put. There could even be help on the way.”
“And there’s your problem. Your brother has everybody getting ready to make for the south coast. The nearest demon army is north, so he thinks it will be plain sailing all the way down. Ironic, actually, that he’s pretty much following the plan you laid out.”
Rick looked once again at the gate. Everything Maddy had said was true; they couldn’t stay trapped inside forever, but he had a bad feeling about leaving now. The demons were smart, not mindless monsters. The black haired corpse wanted them all dead. It was personal. Would he just up and leave so suddenly?
Rick decided. “I’m staying here, Daniel, and you’re welcome to join me.”
“What about your brother?”
“He can leave if he wants. I couldn’t care less, to tell you the truth. He’s always been a shit, but to do this…” He pointed at the wide gash on his forehead. “Fuck him.”
“The others will leave with him.”
“So?”
Daniel sighed. “Come on, Rick. You really want a young girl like Diane out there in danger? Maddy and Steve are both good people. They’re just a bit lost and following the loudest voice in the room—your brother’s.”
“What could I do, even if I wanted to? Maddy wants to go home.”
“Yeah, she does, but I think she’d rather do it later, and with friends.”
“I’m not her friend.”
“Rick, all of us are friends now, whether we like it or not. We have mutual enemies, and all we have is each other. You let your brother leave with the others, and you’ll be regretting it this time tomorrow. The television has already stopped, and the phones are working less and less. How long before the lights and water die? You want to be alone when that happens? We need to stick together and stay alive. Your brother has the first part down, but I worry he’s going to fall on his ass regarding the second.”
Rick said nothing else because he was still thinking things through. He went inside the house and found everyone huddled inside the kitchen. They were packing up supplies into a bunch of holdalls that belonged to him.
Keith smiled when he saw his brother. “Rick? I’m glad you’re okay. I’m sorry for what I was forced to do, but good news: We can leave now, just like you wanted.”
“It’s too risky to leave right now. We all need to stay put a little while longer.”
Maddy was the first to argue. “Rick, I told you how bad things will get if we stay here. We have to go while there’s a chance. The demons are gone.”
“But why?” asked Rick. “Why have they suddenly left?”
“Because there are armies forming up and they were called upon to head north. Diane found out all about it.”
Rick shook his head and shrugged. “Called by whom? We can’t be sure of anything right now. You wanted to stay so badly earlier, I can’t believe you’re being so stubborn about leaving. You don’t know why they left; admit it.”
Keith leaned back against the counter and grunted. “Maybe they’re telepathic and received orders. Only thing we know for sure is that they’re gone, and we have an opportunity to make a break for it. This is a good thing, Rick. If I hadn’t subdued you, then you might have been caught right in the middle of them as they left. I saved your life.”
The sudden burst of anger was so sudden that Rick snarled like a dog. “You saved my life? Are you kidding? You smashed a bottle over my head like a fucking savage. Who the hell do you think you are?”
“I’m your big brother, and I’m trying to look after you and everybody else here.”
“Who the hell asked you to?”
“Nobody. It’s a burden I’ve taken on for myself.”
Rick unclenched his fists and tried to calm down. “Look, Keith, if you want to leave, fine, but I’m staying. I suggest everyone else does the same. There’s nothing to tell us that this isn’t all a big trap. The demons can’t get inside because of the iron bars, so they’ve thought of a way to get us out instead. I’m staying here until I know more.”
“Me, too,” said Maddy, moving over to Rick’s side. “He’s right. We could walk right into a trap. Let’s wait until tomorrow and make sure the coast really is clear.”
Keith slammed his hand down on the counter. “If we don’t leave now, there might not be another chance. Do you people not understand what’s going on? There’s a war. We can’t just lie around here hoping help will come. We need to help ourselves.”
“I agree,” said Steve.
Diane nodded. “Me too.”
“And I’m with Rick and Maddy,” said Daniel. “So that splits us in two.”
There was silence while everyone waited for someone to change their mind, but no one did. Maddy had already taken off her backpack and sat down on a stool.
Keith shoved a bottle of water into a holdall and pulled the zip closed. “That’s fine,” he said. “We go our separate ways. When I find help, I’ll send it to come get you. Hopefully, you’ll still be alive.”
“Don’t do this, Keith,” Rick pleaded. His head was still thudding, but he didn’t want to see his brother make a mistake.
“I’m sorry I had to hit you, Rick. I was trying to save your life, but it seems there’s no helping you.” He shouldered the bag and shoved his way out of the kitchen. Diane hurried after him. Steve was a little slower in following and first stopped to speak with Rick before leaving. “Your brother is an arsehole, but I want out of here. It’s safe, so I’m going, but I want to say that it took backbone to stay calm after what your brother did to you. I would have smashed his face in. You’re a better man than he is. Thanks for letting me stay at your house.”
Maddy pulled up a stool for Rick. “They’re not leaving for twenty minutes,” she said. “Might still change their minds.”
“They won’t, but why did you?”
She shrugged. “I keep thinking about my husband, and who he would want me to tag along with. He would want me to be safe, and I feel safest around you. You did come and try to save me outside the pub after all.”
“Yeah, but it was Keith who came out and rescued us in the end.”
Daniel chuckled from the corner of the kitchen. “I suppose it’s the thought that counts.”
Maddy chuckled too. “It mainly comes down to me not trusting a man who can smash a bottle over his own brother’s head. I’d rather follow a good guy to my death, than a bad man like your brother. It was differe
nt when we were all leaving, but if it comes down to you or Keith, I choose you. Because my husband would have chosen you.”
Rick put his hand out to grab Maddy’s, which placed on the counter, but he ended up hovering over it awkwardly. Maddy helped him out by standing up and giving him a quick hug. “You, me, and Daniel will have to think about leaving soon ourselves. If your brother gets out safely, we might end up chasing after him.”
“I hope so,” Rick admitted. “I hope I’m wrong and the demons really have all gone north.”
Maddy nodded and exited the kitchen, leaving Rick and Daniel alone together. “You still sure you want to stay now that everyone is splitting up, Daniel?”
“I’d rather we all stay together, but at least you convinced Maddy to stay. Three is better than two. Plus, if it was just us two dudes hanging around together, it would be weird.”
“Huh, you still think my brother is walking into a trap?”
“I do, yeah. Diane said the demons were forming up in three big armies, but she also said that there were smaller bands dotted around causing havoc. Your brother doesn’t seem concerned about that though. Me, I think that black haired demon has unfinished business here.”
“I can’t make the others stay, Daniel.”
“I know, but at least you tried. God likes a trier. Idle hands and all that.”
“You really think there’s a God? How can you?”
“How can I not? In the presence of demons, one cannot possibly deny the existence of God.”
Rick rubbed at his throbbing head, loosing several flakes of dried blood. “Then why isn’t He helping us?”
“Maybe he was caught as unawares as everybody else. Maybe backup’s on its way. Maybe you should pray.”
“If I live another day, I just might start. Feel like it would be easier to lay down and die right now.”
Daniel went to the fridge. The water had gone into the holdalls, so he was left with nothing to snatch up but a couple beers. He handed one to Rick.
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