Hell Gate

by Josh Matthews

  “I knew it was Allah’s will that we would succeed when he allowed you to lead us.” Haneef motioned for Slava to follow him. “Come on, my friend. I need a drink.”

  “I thought Muslims didn’t drink alcohol,” said the Russian as he fell in behind his friend.

  “We don’t.” Haneef smiled. “Considering what we have accomplished, I think Allah will forgive me this one indulgence.”

  Neal sighed. “So what do I do?”

  “What do you mean?” asked Jason.

  “With Doc gone, what’s going to happen to me?”

  Jason placed a hand on his shoulder. “You have more medical experience than anyone else here. And you’re the only person who knows how to construct the antimatter device. You’re no longer Little Doc.”

  “So you’re saying I’m the new Doc?”

  “Congratulations,” offered Jeanette.

  Neal sighed again. “I have some pretty big shoes to fill.”

  “Now you know how I felt.”

  He thought about it for a few seconds and shrugged. “I guess you’re right. Thanks.”

  Neal walked off, passing through the King’s Gate on his way to the Abbey.

  When they were alone, Jeanette asked, “What should I do?”

  Jason motioned to the hotel lobby. “Go inside and tell them you’re with me and have them get you a room. I’ll come and get you when I get back.”

  “You’d better hurry.” Jeanette pointed to the young man who paced back and forth a few yards away. “He’s about ready to start climbing walls.”

  When he looked over, the young man stopped and motioned with his hand for Jason to hurry. Jeanette leaned over and kissed Jason on the cheek, and then entered the hotel. She paused to call Lucifer and Lilith, who bolted after her, their tails wagging.

  Jason watched her until she passed through the lobby and then stepped over to his impatient guide. “Come on. Let’s get this over with.”

  Along the streets of Mont St. Michel, people came out of their homes and shops to greet him. Some applauded, while several offered briefs words of congratulation. Others whispered behind his back as he passed.

  “That’s him. He’s the one who closed down the Hell Gate.”

  “Thank God he made it out alive.”

  “He saved us.”

  The irony was not lost on Jason. Several weeks ago the citizens talked about him, only back then, they muttered condemnations about his being the son of the woman who had loosed the Hell Gate on mankind.

  Jacques greeted Jason in his private quarters with a bear hug and a pat on the back. Even Bishop Fiorello seemed uncharacteristically pleasant. For the next three hours, while feasting on roasted rabbit and vegetables, Jason related the details of their journey to and from Paris. When Jason concluded his story, Jacques leaned back in his chair.

  “You’re sure all the Hell Spawn are dead?”

  “I am.”

  “God be praised,” Bishop Fiorello bellowed in between sips of wine.

  God had nothing to do with it, thought Jason as he tamped down his disgust for the fat cleric.

  Jacques detected the animosity in Jason’s mood. “You saved our city from certain annihilation. You saved all of Europe.”

  “We did, sir. And we lost a lot of good people doing it.”

  “Of course you did. And we’ll never forget them.” Jacques leaned over toward the bishop. “Have the town council rename some of the city streets to commemorate those who gave their lives on this mission.”

  Bishop Fiorello belched. “It would be an honor.”

  It was all Jason could do not to punch the cleric.

  Jacques turned back to his guest. “You should be proud of yourself. All of you should be. Thanks to you, we can start rebuilding and making a better life for ourselves.”

  “What about the refugees outside the gate?”

  “Them, too,” Jacques said as an afterthought. “And let me be the first to apologize for underestimating you.”

  “Yes,” chimed in the obsequious bishop. “Fine job, young man.”

  Jacques waved off the bishop with a flick of his right hand. “Jason, I want you to take over as the head of Andre’s unit officially.”

  “What’s left of it,” said Jason.

  “We’ll rebuild it. You pick whoever you want on your team, and Franco will train them.”

  “Franco is dead. Remember?” Jason made no attempt to hide his contempt. “He died in the subway battling the centipedes.”

  “That’s right.” Jacques tried to conceal his embarrassment. “We’ll have Reinhard train them if that’s okay with you?”

  “Whatever.” Jason intended to let the subject drop, but at the last minute asked, “Why do we even need the team if the Hell Spawn are gone?”

  “It’s a dangerous world out there. We’ll need a police force to protect us from those who want to take away what we have. You’re perfect for the job.” Jacques lifted his glass of wine in the air. “A toast to a bright, new future.”

  Jason didn’t join in. It’s amazing, he thought. Some things will never change.

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  Later that night, Jason had a quiet dinner with Jeanette. They didn’t talk about the Hell Gate or their experiences; they concentrated on making plans for the future.

  The hotel concierge had placed Jeanette in Petra’s old room down the hall from his own, saying it wouldn’t be right for two teenagers to share quarters. Jason didn’t argue. Although he cared deeply for Jeanette, deep down he didn’t feel proper having them do anything with the memory of Sasha’s death still so vivid in his mind. He loved Sasha, though not with the same intensity as he loved Jeanette. He only wished he had told Sasha how he felt before she gave her life to save him and the others.

  After dinner, Jason escorted Jeanette to her room. She paused at the door and gave him a long, warm kiss that melted his heart.

  “I love you,” she whispered in his ear.

  “I know.” It was the only sentiment he could muster.

  “I know you had feelings for Sasha, and feel guilty about her death.”

  “It’s not—”

  “Yes, it is. And that’s okay. You need to sort through your emotions. I’ll be here when you’re ready.” Jeanette’s face beamed with affection, yet she could not hide the pain in her eyes.

  Jason wrapped his arms around Jeanette and hugged her tight. “Thank you.”

  As the young French girl disappeared into her room and closed the door, he felt an emptiness and loneliness wash over him.

  Standing in front of the mirror to his bathroom, Jason pushed back a strand of hair. The image that stared back at him was not the teenager he once knew, but that of a man. The youthful innocence had been replaced by a steely determination. His face had become lean and tough. His soft eyes had hardened with the cold fortitude of someone who had made life and death decisions, decisions that more often than not ended in death. He knew he would be making those same decisions in the future, and burying more friends and loved ones as a result. Jason, the man, was up to the task, not Jason, the teenager. All traces of the latter had to disappear.

  Lifting the razor from off the vanity, Jason held it upside down, placed the blades against the hairline above his forehead, and stroked back. Several clumps of hair fell into the sink. He continued the process for several minutes until he had shaved his skull bare. Looking back into the mirror, he nodded his approval. He no longer stared at Bait. He stared at the commander of the Hell Gaters.

  Going back into the room, Lucifer and Lilith were in their usual positions by the window. They sensed a change in him and seemed apprehensive. He knelt between them and scratched each one behind the ears.

  “Don’t worry, guys. My feelings for you haven’t changed.”

  Standing up, the two werehounds gave him a face bath.

  Climbing into bed, Jason pulled the covers over himself and laid his head on the pillow. He still could not get over the narrow-sightedness of Jac
ques. Yes, they had saved Europe and wiped out the Hell Spawn on the continent. However, there were still four other portals throughout the world, and two more continents suffering the ravages of these demons. Those people needed saving, too. Thanks to Doc, Jason had the means to close those portals. He couldn’t let the rest of the world suffer while Jacques and the elite of Mont St. Michel thrived in their glorious isolation.

  Besides, his mother was still alive. If she had survived this long in Hell, the chances were good she could survive a while longer. At least until he found a way to get her out. Someone had to close those other Hell Gates and rescue his mother.

  Jason knew that someone was him.

  A Thank You to My Readers

  I know it’s unusual for writers to thank their fans for reading their book, but this is a heartfelt appreciation. The publishing industry has changed dramatically over the past ten years, and there are now thousands of young adult post-apocalypse novels on the market for readers to choose. I appreciate the fact that you took a chance on Hell Gate. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it.

  If you liked Hell Gate, please tell your friends about the book and review it on Amazon. The review does not have to be long—just a rating and a sentence or two about why you enjoyed it. The more reviews Hell Gate receives, the more opportunity other readers have of discovering the book.

  The Hell Gate saga is just beginning. Future books will take the Hell Gaters to Russia, Asia, and the United States. The locations they will visit will be more exotic. The people they encounter will be more colorful and, in some cases, will pose as much of a threat as the Hell Spawn. And the demons they face will be more fierce and terrifying. I can’t promise that your favorite characters will survive, but I can promise action, thrills, and surprises.

  Please check out my blog Hell Gate Saga (http://hellgatesaga.blogspot.com/) and my Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/HellGateSaga/) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellGateSaga) accounts for the latest information on the next books in the series, upcoming events I will be attending, and other fun stuff. You can also send me an email directly at jossmatthews@outlook.com. I look forward to chatting with you.

  Acknowledgments

  Writing is very solitary and lonely. Getting a book published, on the other hand, is a complicated process involving many people, and they deserve to be recognized.

  A huge thank you goes to Jess Iverson who reviewed the scientific aspects of antimatter and its applications. His input was crucial in making the scene inside CERN as accurate as possible. However, Jess has assured me that antimatter cannot exist outside its containment chamber and that the concept of a portable antimatter device is purely fictional. Without an antimatter device, there would be no reason for the Hell Gaters to travel to Paris; without their traveling to Paris, there would be no book. So the scientific portions of this book that read true are thanks to Jess; the rest is from my imagination.

  I want to thank my beta readers, Virginia Smith and Alison Beightol, for reviewing the first draft of the manuscript and providing their feedback.

  I would be remiss if I didn’t express my appreciation for the staff at Burning Willow Press who are as excited about this project as I am. Edd Sowder, BWP’s Executive Vice President, and I have worked together closely to make this project a reality and are both excited to continue the series until its conclusion. I want to express my appreciation to Michele Thompson for her excellent editorial skills, and for catching those things I missed in the original draft, as well as Loraine Van Tonder, Owner of Ryn Katryn Designs for her cover art and also, Ginny Peebles at Foundation Formatting for making this novel ready for print.

  Finally, a major debt of thanks goes to my family, both human and furry, for putting up with my self-imposed isolation while I write. Sure, it’s hard to maintain my writing discipline when my Boxer is sitting by the desk, his favorite pull toy in his mouth and his big brown eyes pleading with me to play. Yet my family gives me the time I need to write and never holds it against me. I couldn’t do this without their love and support.

  Author’s Bio

  Josh Matthews is a former New Englander who now lives in north Florida with his wife, teenage daughter, and four lovable but exasperating pets. Josh used to work for the U.S. Government where he had the opportunity to travel around the world and be exposed to numerous cultures, many of which will appear in the Hell Gate saga. He has always been a fan of horror novels and monster movies, and sees the Hell Gate saga as his way to share that love with a new generation of fans.