by Michael Todd
The commander brought Alice into his office and sat her down in one of his chairs. He handed her a bottle of water and a towel to mop the sweat pouring from her forehead.
He picked up the phone and put it to his ear, not wanting to relay the information he had just heard. “General, Katie and the others haven’t returned yet. The doctor and his assistant are back.”
The general slammed his fist on the table. His voice was cold. “Let me talk to whoever gave you that news.”
“Yes, sir. Her name is Alice,” the commander replied before handing the phone off and leaving the room.
Alice pushed a sweaty lock of hair back and put the phone to her ear. “This is Doctor Alice Cromwell.”
The general could hear the exhaustion in her voice, and he calmed himself before he spoke. “Alice, I’m glad to know you returned safely. Did you get all the data you needed?”
Alice shook her head. “Not all of it. There’s still one very significant test running. It’s almost done, but we picked up a large movement of demons heading right for us. Katie didn’t want to risk human lives, but we didn’t want to take the chance of not getting all the data we could. She told us to come back. From the looks of it, the comm system is working between the two dimensions. We still have data streaming into our programs through the portal.”
The general was angry with Katie, but he was also thankful that she’d had the brains to get the humans out. “When will they be back?”
Alice did some calculations in her head. “It shouldn’t be long. As soon as the timer counts down to zero, they can get out of there. Katie has her team, and she knows how to bring the equipment back. Even if it gets left behind, we have all the data, sir. She and her team are going to hold off as long as they possibly can. The doctor is pulling up the countdown clock right now.”
The general began to pace the floor of his office. “Where is the commander now?”
Alice looked up. “He’s in the chamber with Doctor Thorough. I’ll take the phone to him.”
“Thank you, Alice, and good work out there. That data is imperative to the success of future missions.” The general was sincere, but he was still worried about the others.
Alice ran into the chamber and handed the commander the phone. “He wants to talk to you.”
The commander set the phone down and put it on speaker. “General, you have the doctors here with you, too.”
“Commander, I need you to get the noncombatants out of the chamber and prepare for a quick exit and fumigation. You need to be able to pull Katie and the others out of the chamber, hold back any demons coming through the portal, and then gas the motherfuckers. It is imperative that you do not hurt our people. I can’t make that clear enough. Katie, Calvin, and the four special ops are vitally important to the future of these missions. We need all of them in one piece.”
The commander motioned to his men, and they started moving quickly. “I’m on it, General. We’re clearing the field now.”
The doctor hadn’t been paying much attention. He leaned over the speakerphone and spoke excitedly. “General Brushwood, this is Doctor Thorough. You will not believe what we’ve discovered. Acidity levels are way lower than we expected and the oxygen level is far higher, but the temperatures are crazy. It affects everything in the area. If you look at the raw data, you would think it was a planet like Mars. There’s no source of light, yet it’s never dark there. There was no detection of dark matter, which seems scientifically impossible since dark matter and matter go hand in hand. However, there is life there, as we know. There are geological formations and organic creations.”
The general tilted his head. “I guess that doesn’t shock me much. We are talking about demons and angels here. I expected there to be a scientific conundrum.”
The doctor mopped sweat from his neck. “I haven’t seen anything like this since we started trying to measure the forces at the event horizon. This is even more baffling than that.”
Alice put her hand over the doctor’s mouth. “Which part of ‘Get out of the way’ didn’t you understand?”
The doctor realized he was no longer needed. “Goodbye, General.”
The general laughed. “Goodbye, doctor. I promise we will talk soon. I want to know everything about this place.”
“It’s a fantastical dimension or world or whatever it is, and the data we collected will shine a lot of light on the future,” the doctor replied.
The soldiers ushered the doctor and Alice out of the room and got them safely into the R&D main area. They signaled the commander, and he picked up the phone. “General, the area will be clear as soon as I leave. We will get your people out of there, and I’ll give you an update as soon as anything happens. The IT guys are transferring the countdown clock to your office. As soon as that clock hits zero, we should be expecting action from the other side.”
“I sure as hell hope so. Good work, Commander. Keep me up to date.”
The general hung up the phone and clicked on his television. The screen flickered and shifted until a countdown clock came up. He sat down on the edge of his desk, watching the numbers as they ticked down. He had to admit, it was the first time he’d been this nervous in a very long time. Katie was important both tactically and personally, but the matter was completely out of his hands.
All he could do was sit and wait.
Calvin sat on a boulder and propped his rifle on one leg, surveying his surroundings. “Anyone got a deck of cards?”
Katie climbed on top of the boulders and peered out over hell. “No, but I have a rather large demon coming around the hill.”
Calvin stepped up to look, and his mouth fell open. “That’s one large sonofabitch.”
“Yeah, but this time he doesn’t have any fucking buildings to climb on. Maybe fighting on his turf will be to my advantage.”
Calvin laughed. “You sure do see the bright side of every hopeless situation.”
Katie waved to Brock and his team. Brock nodded and turned to his team. “All right, guys, I need two of you to stay here with the equipment. Protect that shit at all costs. I need you to be ready to launch that fucker through the portal when it opens. Watch the timer. That’s when the experiment ends. Can you handle that?”
Tattoos pointed to the large display. “This hits zero, and we get the fuck back to Earth?”
“Fucking-A right.”
“I love it, boss.”
Brock waved Turner on, and they ran to meet Katie. She dropped from her boulder. “I need you two to prepare a perimeter to protect those machines. You are the first line of defense for this information. It is more important than our lives. This information will give us the capability to fight back on our terms. Without it, humanity faces a dire consequence.”
Turner lifted an eyebrow. “Damn, that’s some heavy shit.”
Brock slapped him on the chest. “We got this, Katie. Just make sure that when the portal opens, you two get your asses back there. We don’t want to leave anyone behind.”
Katie nodded. “And you remember that information is more important than me.”
Calvin and Katie walked back to the boulders. Katie turned to Calvin and grabbed him by the shoulders. “Here’s the deal. This bad boy is going to need some personal attention. Weapons alone aren’t going to do it. I have to take care of this. I’m going to be coming back and coming back hard. I need you to make sure you guys get out if Pandora throws a portal open for you. Then, get everyone out of the building. Who knows what will happen? That chamber won’t contain a bitch like that.”
Calvin understood but grabbed her arm. “If we go through the portal, what will you do?”
Katie looked at him for a moment and shrugged, averting her eyes. “I just need to know I can count on you to make the hard decisions. I need you to get that equipment and those guys out of here. I don’t trust that Brock can make that choice alone. I’m afraid he’ll stay behind if I can’t go through with him.”
Calvin pulled her into a on
e-armed bear hug. “I got you. I’ll leave your ass behind in a heartbeat.”
Katie laughed. “Good to know.”
Calvin flashed her a wide smile and turned back to the guys.
Katie turned to face the demon, adrenaline rushing through her. She watched the beast stomping toward her with purpose. She was the only one who could give the team a chance to get out of there, but she had never faced a demon this huge. Not even T’Chezz was this big, but there was always a first time for everything.
Pandora cleared her throat. So, uh…if they leave us behind, what do we do? I may not have the energy to open a portal.
Katie didn’t answer. She climbed to the top of the big boulder, getting out of the way of the guns. She looked back over her shoulder as Calvin situated himself with Brock and Turner. She nodded at him, and he returned it. Then he pointed at the demon charging full-speed toward them. She could see a swarm of lesser demons running alongside him, trying not to be trampled.
Calvin waited for a moment and then gave the order. “Light them up!”
The sound of gunfire filled the valleys of hell, and bullets flew wildly through the air. The monstrous demon didn’t seem deterred. The lesser demons scattered and reformed, not faring quite so well. Katie lifted her foot and put it on a taller rock, resting her hand on her knee. She watched the demon shrug off gunfire and advance.
She was thinking about the kind of future this mission would give mankind.
Pandora whistled. I don’t think my cooch has ever been this sweaty, and I used to live here.
Katie didn’t answer.
Pandora poked at her. Are you still in there, or have you finally succumbed to the heat? You are just on autopilot right now, right?
Katie didn’t move a muscle. That is a giant son of a bitch.
Yep. They grow em’ big down here. We don’t like to brag, but ours is always bigger than yours.
Katie laughed. He’s eighty feet tall at least. He’s big, but you can have him.
I may have had him once, way back when. I don’t quite recognize him, though. Pugluzz? Shit, is that Pugluzz? I take it back; sometimes yours are bigger than ours. Pugluzz is not exactly well-endowed.
Whoever he is, he’s striding fast, but maybe not fast enough. I don’t know that he’ll beat the clock here. Balls. I hate clocks. All movies end with a countdown for something. It’s ridiculous.
Pandora narrowed her eyes. What was that one movie you showed me where the guy blew up the asteroid, but he was still on it?
Armageddon.
Pandora clicked her tongue. That’s it. Armageddon. Fuck that shit. I would have gotten in my spaceship and blasted the rock with a laser cannon. That’s how it’s done. Why be a hero? It’s only cool until you, I don’t know, fucking die.
Katie smirked and shook her head. Humans have this obsession with being heroes. That’s why you will always find someone willing to volunteer for a suicide mission. They want a school or a library named after them. I don’t know. I guess I can relate, but I want to save my people. I don’t care about the school.
One of the lesser demons charged ahead of the pack, roaring in his own language until he was hit in the forehead by a spray of bullets. He tripped, face-planted, and skidded over the black rock before coming to a stop. His body turned to ash.
Calvin lowered his smoking weapon and turned to the other guys. “That’s right. Give the man a prize. I’ll do this all day.”
“The way it’s going, you just might have to.” Brock switched magazines and focused on the huge demon still lumbering toward them at a crazy pace.
Turner tapped his foot. “Why does this shit always have to be last-second? Why can’t it be, like, there’s a countdown, and it reaches zero a good ten minutes before the demons get here? Why does life always have to have some crazy-ass clock on it? I hate this shit with the passion of a thousand suns.”
Brock snorted. “Wow, Turner, that is some serious hate. Besides, what kind of hero story would that be to tell the girls? Oh yeah, this huge demon came lumbering toward us, and the clock was ticking down. We took our time, played some cards, and then leisurely walked the equipment back through the portal. Talk about a lackluster ending. If I’m going to go down, it’s going to be fighting for the whole fucking world, and fighting against the clock. That’s glory right there. I don’t want to be the guy in the first three minutes of the movie who dies because he was smoking a cigarette in the wrong place.”
Calvin raised his eyebrow. “If it’s all the same to the two of you, I’m against the idea of dying out here altogether. I’ve had enough close calls during my lifetime. I think I want a nice, slow walk off. Easy score.
Brock nodded toward the demons. “Well, that bastard right there isn’t going to let us out of this one with our hands intact. He’s a fast fucker.”
Calvin pulled his weapon up and fired. “Move forward and blow that motherfucker to pieces! Hold the line as long as you can, and for fuck’s sake, aim at the fucking head.”
The three of them moved forward several steps, their fingers steadily pressing the triggers of their guns. Bullets sprayed out as the fastest of the demons lunged forward, making it to them in a hurry. Calvin pulled the trigger on his weapon until it clicked empty. “Oh, shit.” He dropped his weapon and crouched, pulling a knife from his belt. The demon launched itself at him and Calvin dove for his knees. He stuck the knife into scaly flesh and pulled it through, nearly severing the leg. The demon howled, then stumbled forward and knocked Calvin to the dirt.
Brock stood up and lifted his gun. “Motherfucker, you are mine.”
He ran at the demon, taking his time and firing three quick shots. His bullets penetrated the demon’s scales—one in its shoulder, one in its neck, and the last went right through the demon’s eye. It fell in a cloud of ash at Brock’s feet. He swung his gun around onto his back and grabbed a long rucksack. “Calvin’s got a good idea. Close quarters, boys.”
Brock opened the rucksack and yanked a sword out. The blade shimmered in the red light of hell.
Turner couldn’t hide his surprise. “Where the fuck did he get that badass thing?”
“I brought it just in case.” Brock turned as a small, lanky demon screamed and ran at him, leaping over their bullets.
He raised the sword high over his head and let it come down quickly, chopping the demon’s head off his shoulders. It turned to dust at his feet. Brock pointed the sword at the crowd of onrushing demons. “You think you’re tough, but look who’s going to kick your ass right here on your own territory. Me, motherfuckers.”
Turner ran up next to Brock and held his rifle ready. “That was some bad shit there, brother. I— Oh, shit.”
Coming up over the hill were dozens of small demons, making haste to get to them before the big-ass demon in the back arrived.
Calvin holstered his knife and pulled up his rifle. He reloaded and fell in with the others. “Well, boys. It looks like we’re gonna see some fucking action now.”
Back by the equipment, Tattoos watched the timer tick down while his teammate focused his rifle on the huge demon coming toward them.
“Big fucker coming.”
Tattoos shrugged. “We got a clock to watch.”
“We shouldn’t help?”
“It’s pretty far out, and we’re watching this clock. Helpful as a motherfucker.”
“Right.”
Tattoos peered into the distance, measuring the demon. “But if that big bastard gets close, we fuck it up, right?”
“Fuck, yeah.”
The tattooed soldier gave him a thumbs-up and went back to watching the timer.
21
“For mankind,” Turner said, staring at the demons rushing.
“For my brothers.” Brock nodded, and they took off toward the hordes.
Calvin gripped his gun tightly, rushing with them and firing into the crowd of demons. He plowed right into them, firing right and left, taking down demon after demon.
Brock
gripped his sword with both hands. “Come on, fuckers, show me what you got. I’ve been waiting for this.”
A demon lunged for him and he swung his sword, taking its head off. Before it had even hit the ground, another jumped at him. Then another, and another, and another. They piled on top of Brock, scratching and snarling. One by one he threw them to the ground, slashing his sword again and again, separating heads from necks. He grabbed the last scrambling demon off his back and held it in front of him by the neck. His eyes were gleaming red.
Brock squeezed the demon’s throat hard. “You think you’re so tough, but you’re nothing but disgust and sin.”
He stabbed the demon through the body and pulled his sword back out, splashing black oozing blood across his helmet.
Calvin and Turner ran out together, blasting their M16s into the horde. One after another the demons went down, but more swarmed forward. They were tearing at the guys’ suits, fucking them up and causing burns on their skin. Calvin shot the last of his bullets and flipped the gun over to swing at an oncoming demon, knocking his head back.
Turner laughed and quickly crouched and shot the beast in the throat, turning him to ash. “That was pretty badass, I won’t lie.”
A demon screamed and leaped at Calvin, and he pulled his knife and jammed it under the demon’s chin. The thing howled and began to wither, but not before it raked its claws across the forearm of Calvin’s suit. It scratched a long hole in the fabric, and Calvin winced, grabbing at it. His skin sizzled under the heat, and his eyes glowed even redder.
“You good?”
Calvin growled and launched into the horde of demons, taking his anger out on them.
Turner found Brock in the chaos. “That fucker’s crazy.”
“He’s got the right idea, though.” Brock pulled two small knives out of his belt and handed them to Turner. “Here. Go nuts, bro.”
Turner smiled, looking at the sharp blades. “What will you fight with?”