by Michael Todd
Just don’t let him take me with him. Katie chuckled nervously.
Of course not, Pandora said in an almost caring way. Because if you go, I go, remember, Rose?
She sighed. I remember.
Korbin walked over to Katie, then turned and faced the waiting room. He stood there silently for a few moments, and Katie could feel the fear in his chest. She looked at him.
“I can do this,” she said. “You don’t need to be afraid.”
“I’m ordering you to come back in one clean piece,” he said. “I can’t lose anyone else on my watch. It would be inconceivable.”
“Yes, sir,” she said, nodding.
“All right, follow me,” he said, walking toward Garrett.
“Come with us,” he whispered into Garrett’s ear.
Katie smiled down at him and reached for his hand. The three of them nodded at the others and they fell into line, following them into the halls of the hospital.
Nobody spoke.
They just walked quietly, following the signs to the surgical area. Korbin pushed open a set of double doors and flipped on the lights. They were in an old surgical room, one that had yet to be renovated like the rest of the hospital. Korbin turned to Calvin and Derek and nodded, walking them into the separate room with wash basins. They wouldn’t be able to hear anything. Korbin came back into the room and smiled kindly at Garrett.
“What are we doing?” Garrett asked.
“Katie has a way to get you back to your family,” Korbin said. “But it has to be now.”
“What?” he asked, looking between Korbin and Katie in confusion.
“Damian can pull the demon out and give him to me,” Katie told him. “And my demon will destroy him.”
Garrett shook his head. “No, that is insane! It’s too dangerous.”
Katie took both of his hands in hers and looked into his eyes, smiling at the kindness she saw behind the sadness. She was really going to miss him when he was gone, but it was the best thing for him.
“I think you know better than anyone that my demon is capable of this,” she told him, staring into his eyes.
He stared at her, finally understanding, then glanced at Damian and Korbin, who nodded at him approvingly. He turned back to Katie and squeezed her hands tightly.
“Thank you,” he said. “I know I won’t remember you in my mind, but when I die one day, old and gray, my soul will remember.”
“That is all that matters, sweet friend.” She smiled, but a tear glistened in the corner of her eye.
Katie walked over to the table on the right, climbing up and nodding at Korbin. She had to be strapped down, and she didn’t know how any of this would turn out. Korbin smiled at her after tightening her wrist straps, thanking her without words.
She nodded her head and looked over at Garrett. Korbin opened the adjacent door and looked in.
“Calvin, Derek,” Korbin said. “Come with me.”
Korbin walked them out of the surgery room and shut the doors behind him. He stood there silently for a moment before pulling two handguns out of the back of his pants. He handed each a gun and let out a deep breath.
He eyed them both as they checked the safeties and put the guns up. “You are not to let anyone into this room,” he ordered.
“Yes, boss,” Calvin said.
He put a finger up, then pointed to the room. “Also, if Katie comes out of that room before I do, shoot her,” he commanded.
“I’m sorry?” Derek asked. “Did I just hear you right?”
Korbin nodded. “We don’t know what could happen, so if Katie comes out before me you shoot, and you shoot to kill. If you don’t, we might unleash something on this world that no one has ever seen before.”
“Understood,” Calvin said.
“Derek?” Korbin asked.
“Understood,” he said, shaking his head.
“Thank you, gentlemen,” he said, touching each one on the shoulder before walking back inside.
“Are they ready?” Damian asked.
“They have my instructions,” Korbin replied, then turned to Katie. “I want to tell you that I am proud of you. You are strong and caring, and you have the biggest heart I have ever seen.”
“I don’t know, boss,” she said with a smile. “Yours might give mine a run for the money.”
He leaned down to kiss her on the forehead, then turned and approached Garrett with a smile on his face. Garrett reached up and took his hand.
“You are going home, my friend.” He clasped Garrett’s hands. “You were always too good for this life, but I am so proud to have served beside you and have you on my team.”
“Thank you, sir,” Garrett answered.
“I know you won’t remember, but when you get home I want you to go to this hotdog joint on the Strip called Bill’s Dogs and eat one for me,” Korbin told him. “My uncle owns it so I can’t go in there, but man, I miss those dogs!”
“I will do that, sir.” He chuckled and looked at the priest. “And Damian, thank you for your guidance in these dark days. You kept me close to my God, and for that I couldn’t be more grateful.”
“The pleasure was all mine.” Damian smiled.
As they prepared for the ceremony, many other things were happening in that hospital. Far on the other side, surgeons were desperately trying to repair Armani’s wounds and people waited quietly for news of their loved ones that had been injured in a “terrorist attack” at the commune. Just outside the doors Calvin and Derek stood tall and proud, watching the room.
Everyone in the room was warm to Katie, and she had never felt so protected or cared for before in her life. If she did die that day in the dim lights of the hospital, she would die knowing that her life had meant something—not just to one person, but to many.
Just like Armani, who had meant so much to so many.
Calvin and Derek had no idea what was going on, but they were trained not to ask questions. They trusted Korbin, and they never went back on that.
It was a sacred trust; not one promised lightly, but earned by the man who would stand tall and take a bullet or demon for any of them.
Calvin didn’t quite understand his instructions—nor was killing Katie something he wanted to do—but he was prepared to protect the world if that was what it took. Derek struggled, but he was a Killer and he would stay faithful to that—just like Garrett, just like Damian, and just like Katie.
They were all devout to their cause, even if it took their last breath.
THE LIGHTS FLICKERED OVERHEAD in the hallway as Derek paced back and forth, unable to see anything through the frosted door windows. He was nervous, and for good reason. There was much happening, and he was clueless about half of it.
“Don’t you think any of this is weird?” Derek asked.
“Yes, of course I do.” Calvin chuckled. “This is all fucking weird. This whole damn day has been fucking weird. I mean, did you see how Katie jumped out of that helicopter and fell at least three stories, landed on her feet, and took out that demon? I know we have some extended abilities because of our demons, but brother, she is a whole ‘nother level.”
“I saw it before,” Derek said, “when we were out in town and she stopped these two robbers after they shot up a convenience store.”
“Demons?”
Derek shook his head. “No, just run-of-the-mill perps. I’d never seen anyone move like that. Then there was the craziness of today—Armani struggling to stay alive in surgery as we speak, and this…whatever the hell is going on back there.”
“Whatever it is, it must be important,” Calvin said. “I’ve never known Korbin to protect something like this or give orders to shoot to kill one of our teammates.”
“Yeah,” Derek said, running his hand through his hair. “I, uh, I didn’t mean to question him. It just took me completely off-guard. I mean, this is Katie we’re talking about here. She is important to this team.”
“We’re all important to this team,” Calvin rep
lied. “And I know that if he’s willing to give an order like that he is doing it to protect the greater good, not just one person. He cares about Katie. He thinks she’s special. I don’t know in what way, but he wouldn’t want her dead unless it was serious.”
“I know,” Derek said. “Hey, you mind if I take a quick walk and grab a soda? I just need a minute to clear my head.”
“No problem, man,” Calvin replied. “I’m sure we will be here for a bit, but hurry your ass back. Make sure you listen for my ladylike screaming if Katie comes out.”
“Thanks.” Derek chuckled and put the gun in the back of his pants, then pulled his shirt down over it and headed down the hall.
He stopped by the bathroom first, wanting to wash his hands and freshen up a bit. He didn’t even know what he looked like. He walked over to the sink and started running the water, watching the blood run down the sink as he rubbed his hands together. He shook his head and looked at his reflection—and froze, staring at a face splattered in blood and covered in dirt. There were dark circles around his eyes, and wrinkles he never knew he had. He shook his head and leaned down to splash water over his face, rubbing the grime away the best he could. He grabbed some paper towels and dried himself off, avoiding another glance in the mirror.
It had been depressing enough the first time. He didn’t need to repeat the experience.
As he was turning around to throw the paper towel in the trashcan, two men walked in the room. One was consoling the other.
They were father and son, and it was obvious that they had lost someone very close to them. Derek assumed it was the wife and mother. He smiled kindly at the men and left the restroom, feeling less than okay.
It was almost as if everything that had happened that day was spiraling wildly around him. He could hear the horse screeching in his head and feel the stagnant hot breath of the demon that loomed over him.
His breathing picked up, and he could feel a tightness in his chest. Sweat began to pour from his head, and he turned left, making his way down an empty hall and into a room filled with sheets and blankets.
He leaned against the wall, trying to remind himself to breathe; trying to remember why he was doing everything he had done in this fight against evil.
His life wasn’t over, but it was drastically different, and that morning he had seen things that he knew he would never be able to erase from his mind. They were probably going to lose Armani, and it looked like Garrett wasn’t coming back either.
The last thing he needed was to add to that day by shooting his friend to death in a hospital hallway.
Whatever was going on behind those doors better go right, because Derek wasn’t sure how much more he could take.
He knew one thing for sure: he was more than ready to be done with the day.
He wanted to feel the freshness of a new morning; a new beginning, and an end to the pain the day had brought. Unfortunately, he realized, it just might get worse before it got better.
He had already been gone too long. He pulled the door open and traveled the twenty steps to stand by Calvin once more.
22
This should be pretty simple in theory,” Damian said. “I’m going to use an invocation to pull the demon out of Garrett’s body. Now, everyone in this room has a demon, so the only option is for the demon to double up inside of one of us. He is going to be looking for the best spot with the least restrictions.”
“The non-scary and enticing body,” Katie said.
“Exactly,” he replied. “So I’m going to need you to be as prepared as humanly possible to accept the demon so that he doesn’t come running after either of us. Neither of our demons will kick this one’s ass, and combining that one with one of ours could be catastrophic. This demon needs to go to you, no questions asked.”
“I don’t think he’ll much like being stuck in my body,” Korbin replied. “I’m pretty sure that if my current demon could get out, he would have run for the hills a long time ago.”
“I get it,” Katie said. “I’ll be like a juicy steak compared to you two skanky pieces of beef jerky.”
“Very funny,” Damian said, chuckling. “And I like to think of myself more as dehydrated fruit than beef jerky, but whatever catches you the demon and leaves me solo.”
Katie laughed. “Most girls try to make themselves desirable to catch the right man, but not me. I do it to catch a blood-thirsty fire demon.”
“That is way more awesome than catching a man.” Korbin chuckled. “And you’ll have a killer story after the whole ordeal.”
“Let’s hope it’s not too killer,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“Not funny,” Garrett said.
“Just a little?” Katie asked, smiling at him. “No? You’re right. No more jokes like that.”
“Thank you,” Garrett said.
“All right, guys,” Damian said. “You ready to get going?”
“Sure am,” Katie said. “I’m ready to get Garrett home to that beautiful wife and those two gorgeous boys.”
“And I’m ready to go back to that,” he allowed.
Damian looked at Garrett. “When the exorcism is complete, you won’t have any memories from when the demon was in your body. You will feel like you just left the fire at the hotel. These last months will be gone. Just know that when you feel like someone is thinking about you out there somewhere, someone is.”
Garrett nodded once, sharply. “Thanks, guys. That means a lot.”
Korbin dimmed the lights in the room and stood back in the corner, out of the way of the process. On the left bed Garrett closed his eyes, lying flat and nervously clinging to the thin mattress. On the right bed lay Katie, her hands and ankles bound and her body relaxed. She closed her eyes tightly, breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth. She didn’t want to show even the slightest bit of fear. She wanted Korbin to feel comfortable and confident from the beginning of the ritual to whatever the end might bring.
How you doing in there? Katie thought to Pandora.
I’m good, she said. Just trying to make myself look as small and insignificant as I can. It’s a tall order for a queen like myself, but I think I can manage it long enough to lure him in here.
Oh, I’m sure it’s terribly difficult. Katie chuckled. Thank you for doing this, just in case I don’t get the chance to tell you later.
Don’t even think that way, she said. You’ll be fine. I’ll be fine too, and you’ll wake up still stuck with my ass. All will be terrible and hideous again, not to worry.
I love how positive you are for the future. Katie laughed.
You know me, Pandora said. A regular beam of sunshine on a cloudy day.
The two fell into a quiet state, allowing their minds to open and their bodies to seem relaxed and safe.
Damian pulled his bible from his bag and held it tightly in his arms. Working with demons and the devil would be dangerous, but necessary for the task at hand. He took a deep breath and stepped forward, beginning to murmur his invocation.
“Omnipotens enim praesidio sub principe vigiliam noctis Conjuro daemonem superficie ignis. Hinc homine mortali exire alia moveri. Nos autem conhure daemonis, ut sie te,”
he said in Latin, then repeated it with more conviction.
“OMNIPOTENS ENIM PRAESIDIO SUB PRINCIPE VIGILIAM NOCTIS CONJURO DAEMONEM SUPERFICIE IGNIS. HINC HOMINE MORTALI EXIRE ALIA MOVERI. NOS AUTEM CONHURE DAEMONIS, UT SIE TE!”
The room began to shake, and the bottles on the shelves rattled loudly. Damian looked up as the apparition of Garrett’s fire demon rose from his chest and looked around the room for a body.
Damian clutched the bible closer and stepped back, giving the demon room to make his choice. He scanned the room, connecting with each demon he sniffed out to figure out where he should land. He was too dense to question why he was moving bodies.
Though the men couldn’t see what was going on in front of them, there was a showdown of sorts happening within that room.
Th
e demon inside Garrett was searching for a home, one he knew he would have to share with another entity.
He growled, showing muscle as he peered at Korbin and then Damian. Their demons looked out of their host bodies, watching what was progressing. They did not want a roommate, which was exactly what Damian and Korbin were counting on.
All three demons were powerful, but Garrett’s was more reclusive, more willing to take risks and challenges to have his peace and seclusion. He might even be thought of as reckless, making choices without fully thinking them through.
This was exactly what Pandora anticipated—having the demon sense her as weak and moving into Katie’s body without making waves, only to regret it when he arrived.
Luring a demon took more than a comfortable place to live. It took commitment and a desire to pull that energy into you, to absorb it into your center…and then reject it before it could be surprised.
Pandora wasn’t worried about the rejection part. She had other plans for this idiot, which involved claws and the fires of Hell. She wasn’t playing games, and she wouldn’t risk her human body’s safety.
Before Katie could stop Pandora, she put Katie under a spell that pulled her into the dream world, and held her there as she worked against the demon. She would remember only what Pandora wanted her to remember, and for Katie that would be a good thing.
“Steady,” Damian whispered to Korbin, still watching the apparition look back and forth, snarling and growling.
The demon looked at Katie again. Its eyes moved over her body, which looked so frail and fragile strapped down to the table. He squinted his eyes, almost as if he could sense the trick, then turned back to the other two demons and began to bark.
The sound echoing through Damian and Korbin’s ears and was unlike anything Damian had experienced. He pulled his hands up to his ears, his bible still firmly in his hand.
A wind whipped through the room, and the temperature began to drop steadily.
The demon was running out of time. He had to make a choice and he had to make it soon, or he would find himself dead along with Garrett.