by Michael Todd
Katie stood there for a moment, looking out over the cityscape. It felt different than before; not vibrant and exciting, but deep and ominous.
She no longer thought of the world as a safe haven; a place where people fulfilled their dreams, lived their lives, and died old and happy.
To her it was now a battleground—a place where the dark corners, locked closets, and shadowed undersides of beds were truly places to be feared. The boogeyman might not be exactly what she had thought when she was a kid, but he existed. There were thousands—more than that, really—lurking and looking for their next victim.
If the demons could walk freely it would be one thing. You could face your enemy, recognize him. But this was silent, hidden beneath the faces that you looked at every day.
A shiver ran down Katie’s back as she thought about it.
The demon could be your mother, your brother, your neighbor, or even your priest. She eyed Damian. Okay, maybe not this priest.
No one was off-limits to these creatures, and the ending for most would be death. If God were real, this was how she imagined the apocalypse beginning, and now she was part of a group hellbent on doing everything they could to stop it.
Perhaps it was futile, and maybe it was naïve to think she could change a fucking thing. It wasn’t like her mad volleyball skills had prepared her for this, but she had seen those demons in action and she wouldn’t just stand by and let it happen to people like Garrett or Calvin. People with lives. People with love in their hearts.
Katie climbed into the SUV and looked across the street as people started filing out of the bar. She wondered what secrets lay behind their eyes, and if she could save them.
That was the moment Katie decided to become a killer.
7
The morning light burned through the windows into Katie’s room, pulling her from a hard sleep.
She groaned and rolled over, covering her head with the pillow. She knew it was time to get up, but she wanted to ignore it with every fiber of her being.
She missed the days when she could sleep in, not that she had done it much in her old life. Between classes, volleyball, and taking care of her mom, she had been pretty much tapped for time. Still, her muscles ached from the training, and her body was just plain tired.
Wakey, wakey, princess, Pandora said. You can’t sleep all day. You have a body to protect.
So I’m just a shell to you, Katie joked, pretending to cry. A walking meat puppet. I thought we were so much more.
Enough of your games, woman, Pandora chided. I smell breakfast. Up, up, up!
Fine. She groaned and threw off the pillow, then rolled herself out of bed. I hate you even more right now than normal.
Aww, you say such sweet things to me, you putrid slime of annoyedness, Pandora gushed.
Katie jumped up from her bed, flinching right before her legs hit the floor.
When she didn’t feel the pain from her torn and stretched muscles, she opened one eye and looked down at her legs.
She stared for a moment, amazed.
They looked so much better than they had the previous night. The bruises were gone, and the muscles were shapely and strong.
“Wow,” Katie said aloud, looking in the mirror. “My legs are, like, better than the original.”
Yesss, Pandora hissed. I know. The better for you to kick ass with, my dear.
Well, I won’t complain, Katie retorted, grabbing her bra and pulling it around her.
For once. Pandora chuckled.
Huh. Katie’s eyes narrowed and she tugged on the cups of her bra. “Damn dryer shrank my bra. This was my favorite one, too.”
What are you muttering about? Pandora asked.
Nothing, Katie answered, still annoyed about her bra. What did they have here, industrial dryers? The dryer hadn’t looked abnormal to her.
She finished dressing and headed to breakfast, smiling as she turned the corner to cheers from her coworkers.
They were all very lively that morning; she just couldn’t understand what their secret was. Calvin nodded to the empty seat next to him and Katie wandered over, sitting down and smiling as she took the plate of bacon being passed around.
“Looks like the newbie hasn’t mastered the early morning routine yet,” Armani said, flipping his knife in one hand while shoveling eggs into his mouth.
Garrett laughed. “We should give her the icewater bath you guys gave me when I first arrived.”
“Or the shaving cream one we gave Daniel.” Calvin chuckled.
Daniel, one of the few Katie hadn’t conversed with yet, glanced up from his phone and snarled.
She just shook her head and laughed, hoping they weren’t serious. She was likely to try to kill someone if they did that.
Everyone chuckled and talked amongst themselves, enjoying the quiet before the storm. When Korbin entered the room everyone whooped and hollered for him, but quickly settled down when they saw the seriousness of his expression. Katie sat up straight in her chair. She could feel the nerves bubbling in her stomach.
“Good morning,” Korbin said, not looking up from his papers. “Last night was a success for all of us. Not just here, but in several places around the country.” He grabbed a glass of orange juice, took a sip, and continued. “DC, which has its own team just for that city, was successful in tying down seven demons and saving a young boy from being Damned.”
“How young?” Garrett asked.
Korbin looked up. “Thirteen.”
“Those dirty motherfuckers,” Armani replied. “It’s not enough that they attack adults. Now they’re aiming for kids.”
“Times are getting worse,” Korbin said. “There’s no safety from these demons, no person left untouched in the war. It’s a free-for-all everywhere we turn. We can’t drop our guard. Despite the many victories last night, New York saw a dark day.” He looked around, “They lost three members last night in a raid in the Bronx. They managed to apprehend four Damned—all too far gone for the teams—but the rest were killed. Bittersweet victory.”
“How can you even call that a victory?” Daniel growled. His eyes flashed a red ring. “They got us. They always get us in the end.”
“Not always,” Damian told them. “The righteous will be saved. Even when the body is gone and the demon is exposed, the soul will be saved. At least, the innocents’ souls will be.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t subscribe to the ‘Glory of God’ speech,” Daniel replied. “And I don’t think any of us are that innocent. Still, that team had our brothers and sisters on it. If it can happen to a team like New York, it can sure as hell happen to us.”
“You are right about that,” Korbin said. “That’s why you train, so train fucking harder, Daniel. We work as a team, and we always take the safe route when we are out there hunting. I would rather watch a demon get away than my team fall.”
“Hear, hear,” Calvin said, lifting his cup of coffee.
“That being said, you all know as well as I do that you are not bound to this team or any other,” Korbin told them. “New York is a prime spot. There are calls every day, money to be made hand over fist, and Damned to be saved all the time. If you’re interested in transferring there, let me know. I’ll get you set up with our team contacts in the boroughs. They would be proud to have any of my soldiers, and I would be proud of you for stepping forward.”
“I think I’m good right here with my family,” Calvin said.
“Me too,” Garrett said.
Everyone else nodded as Katie sat there listening. Korbin smiled and patted Daniel on the back before turning to her.
He looked at her and smiled. “And how about you, Katie?” he asked. “You want to rock and roll over to the city that never sleeps, or are you okay here in the city of lights?”
“What? Oh, I’m good where I am,” she answered, glancing at the others. “Does this happen a lot? You know, losing team members?”
“Sometimes, although one team member is too many,” Korb
in told her, putting his empty glass down on the table.
“That’s true,” Damian added. “But this is our role—we die or we’re research or we’re on a team. You don’t have too much to worry about as far as losing team members. We are all highly trained, and those of us who aren’t…” Katie could feel that mantle on her shoulders. “We get them there as quickly as possible. If the situation does arise though, there are usually one or two Damned standing by who can be brought into the club. Either we find them, or they are doing well enough after research to be rehabilitated into the teams.
“We are never-ending. We are always coming back, and those of us that get out of this life, either through death or exorcism—we think of them as the lucky ones. They are free to be whatever they want without the burden of this hell on their shoulders. So, yeah. We may lose somebody along the way, but there will always be another waiting for redemption and a chance to fight back.”
“And if not,” Calvin added, “there’s always the volunteers.”
A collective groan moved through the group.
Katie pulled her eyebrows together and stared at them, wondering what could be so bad about volunteers. After all, they were basically volunteers—although the other options weren’t very appealing.
“And they are?” Katie asked.
“The select group of morons who have their freedom but choose to give it up,” Daniel grumbled.
“A few highly-testosteroned people who know too much and want a chance in the ring,” Garret answered.
“Someone with too much pain looking for a way out,” Armani answered.
“I thought you could only fight a demon successfully if you had a demon yourself,” Katie said.
“Usually,” Korbin replied. “But there are a select few out there who think what we do is sexy; glamorous in some way. They volunteer to be on a team until death or Damned.”
“How many of them actually make it?” Katie asked.
“I know of one who has managed to kick some serious ass and not get Damned,” Korbin said.
“Or killed,” Calvin replied.
“But he is something different,” Korbin said. “A diamond in the rough, I suppose. The rest have ended up dead, even if they are Damned. They are tired and weak from training, and end up succumbing to whatever demon latches onto them. None of us advocate for volunteers, and I frankly believe they can bring danger to the group. They are reckless, and can put the concentration of the rest of the team at risk. We don’t turn them down, but we don’t go searching for them.”
Katie’s mind wandered into the distance, thinking about how absurd it sounded to volunteer as a normal human being to do this kind of work. She couldn’t imagine going from the volleyball court to the field, fighting demons at night and taking finals during the day.
She would have been toast in about two seconds.
“You ready to get some training done today?” Calvin asked her, interrupting her thoughts.
“Yep,” she said. “I woke up feeling as good as new, although I was a bit groggy. Never really been the morning kind of person. In college, they used to throw me in a cold shower to get me pumped for an early-morning tournament.”
“That sounds like a good excuse to whup some ass.” Calvin chuckled.
“Nah,” Katie replied, smiling to herself. “They meant well and it helped a lot, no matter how miserable the process was.”
“You miss them?”
She nodded after a moment. “Yeah,” Katie said, picking up her plate and standing up. “But there’s no sense in dwelling on it, right? That life is over. This is my life now, and you guys are my new family.” She took her plate and silverware to the sink. “It is what it is.”
“You know, it’s okay to look back sometimes,” Calvin said. “Maybe not like some, but remember what it is you’re fighting for.”
“I know exactly why I’m fighting,” Katie said. The bitch wakes me every morning.
Hey! Pandora exclaimed. I represent that remark!
Katie waved to Calvin. “Anyway, I’m gonna go get changed. Meet you downstairs in a bit?”
“Sounds good,” he said, saluting her with his glass. “Take that cold shower, because we’re starting with laps this morning, my dear.”
“Oh, joy,” Katie said, rolling her eyes as she went down the hallway.
When she got into her room, she walked over to the windows and looked across the desert.
The weather was changing, and it would be hotter than hell before she knew it.
She leaned against the glass and crossed her arms over her chest, letting out a deep sigh. She had lied back there. She did think about her old life, more than just once a day. It was an ache in the pit of her stomach, a sadness and loss unlike anything else.
She was still herself, but her life out there was gone—even though she could still see it far in the distance. When she had first arrived she couldn’t imagine ever getting used to being on the team, but now she was having trouble comprehending what it would be like to be back in her old life if she still had her memories from this one.
She turned away from the window and shook the thoughts from her mind. She needed to concentrate on the day, get through another training session, and be prepared for that bell to ring at any moment.
She pulled out a pair of black spandex pants and a tank top, laying them out on the dresser.
What do you think? she asked Pandora. Another ride in my kicking-ass outfit?
Katie smiled as she waited for Pandora’s smart-ass comment, but she heard nothing. She could feel her sitting idly by, but she wasn’t her normal vibrant sarcastic self. Katie wasn’t sure whether to be thankful or concerned. She had kind of gotten used to the voice in her head, always and forever giving her shit.
Hello? Katie sent. Earth to Pandora. You still in there, or have you decided to set me free?
Unlikely! Pandora scoffed. I’m here; just taking some time with my own thoughts. You go all melancholy looking out the window, it fucks with the head sometimes.
That’s not fucking fair, Katie said. I never get any privacy. You’re constantly up in my personal space.
That is too true. The demon chuckled. But this morning, I guess I just preferred to listen.
Katie shrugged. Have it your way, but don’t come butting in later when I’m in training. I need to focus.
That is also unlikely. Pandora snickered. Besides, you wouldn’t be such an amazing example of female fortitude and fuckery if it wasn’t for me, so I guess you’ll just have to take the good with the bad.
We’ll see. Katie chuckled.
She finished getting ready and headed to training, feeling suddenly more energized. Maybe it wasn’t going to take a cold shower to get her going. Maybe she just had to understand that this training would save her life—not just win her a volleyball tournament—to motivate herself.
Or maybe you could thank your resident demon for juicing you up a bit, Pandora whispered, her thoughts insinuated throughout Katie’s synapses. You know, a little “thank you” occasionally might go a long way.
Uh, it’s the least you could do for crowding my insides with your demon body. Katie chuckled to herself.
Bitch, Pandora grumbled.
I prefer “Katie,” but whatever helps you sleep at night, she said, getting off the elevator. Now let’s get to work.
8
Deep breath in, deep breath out. Katie repeated this to herself as she took long strides around the indoor track. She stared down at her feet, watching them glide smoothly. She couldn’t remember the last time she had run this long and this far without losing it and sputtering into a pile of exhaustion and dry heaves.
She felt like she could keep going for as long as she needed to.
She glanced at the others on the sidelines, pacing back and forth with their arms over their heads as they tried to slow their breathing. She and Calvin were the only two left on the track, which made her feel good about her progress.
“That’s pr
etty good stamina,” Calvin said, breathing heavily as he caught up to Katie.
You’re welcome, Pandora said.
“Thanks,” Katie replied to Calvin, ignoring Pandora. “I think I could do a few more laps.”
“Well by all means, show everyone up then.” He chuckled. “Though I have to warn you, this group might take it out on you during hand-to-hand combat training over the next few days.”
“That sounds painful.” Katie smirked.
“It depends how pissed they are.” He smiled. “Did you work out a lot back in your old life, or was it just volleyball?”
As if, Pandora said in a hurt tone.
“My coach was pretty much hell on wheels,” Katie explained. “She woke us up at the butt-crack of dawn, made us run laps until we dropped, gave us a break, then started all over again. During summer practice, I concluded that I was either going to run the whole time or die of heat stroke by the end of it. Turned out I was stronger than I thought, but not by much.”
“I can see that, and your workouts here have been building you a stronger body,” Calvin said, huffing and puffing. “The definition in your stride has already improved greatly.”
“Thanks,” Katie said, slowing down as she reached the end line where the others were still recovering.
You’re welcome yet again, Pandora pouted.
“All right,” Calvin said, huffing as he turned off the track. “Let’s get you trained with weapons to give you even more of an edge.” He surreptitiously grabbed his back, not letting Katie see that he had made damn sure he didn’t stop before she did.
For a moment it had been close. He was a half-lap away from leaving the teams due to death by running.
Katie followed Calvin to a room off the training center. It was a weapons training hall, and Katie couldn’t help but feel intimidated by it all.
The first section was for knife throwing, and it was stocked with what looked like every kind of knife ever made. There were four dummies at different ranges, each bearing white bullseyes in the appropriate kill zones.
“We’ll get to that in a bit.” Calvin looked over his shoulder as she eyed the toys. “That’s Armani’s favorite spot.”