Sit Down Shut Up And Pull The Trigger_A Supernatural Action Adventure Opera

by Michael Todd

  When the tab came Damian grabbed it, paying for everyone’s dinner.

  Damian smiled. “It’s the least I can do for the three of you giving me so much entertainment tonight. Especially you two, with that monster ingestion of cow flesh. You definitely made the steak companies happy tonight.”

  “My arteries are screaming,” Derek remarked. “And I didn’t even come close to these two. I have to say though, Katie, for having just eaten half a cow, you look very calm and relaxed—like it was no big thing.”

  “She is a pro at this,” Damian told him. “I had a feeling she was going to blow you two out of the water.”

  “She only won by one bite,” Eric pointed out.

  “Out of choice.” Katie laughed. “I’m already eyeing my French fries.”

  “How do you do that?” Eric said, shaking his head. “You are so thin, but you eat like a giant.”

  “It’s one of my special powers.” Katie laughed as the waitress brought back Damian’s change.

  “No, it’s yours,” he said, smiling at her. “For having to deal with these buffoons.

  The waitress looked at the hundred-dollar bill in the check folder and her eyes went wide. She thanked everyone and scampered off to the kitchen, not wanting him to change his mind. That made Katie smile, and just showed again how generous and kind Damian could be.

  Derek started working his way out of the booth. “All right, gang, let’s get out of here.”

  Everyone waddled back to the SUV and Katie laughed as she helped push Eric into the car. “Get your fat ass in there!” she huffed.

  She rolled in after him and buckled her seat belt, smiling, and relaxed. Damian drove out of the parking lot and headed back toward the base.

  Oh! Oh! Pandora yelled.

  What? Katie asked in alarm, sitting up straight.

  Donutttttsssss, Pandora said, turning Katie’s attention to the donut shop coming up in three blocks.

  Katie ignored her demon. She didn’t even want to entertain the idea, but she was struggling with how loud Pandora was getting. Pandora was relentless about shit like that.

  Pandora chanted, DoNUTS, doNUTS, doNUTS!

  “No,” Katie finally said out loud. “There is no fucking way I am eating another bite. No way in hell.”

  Damian looked in the rear-view mirror while the other two looked at Katie oddly. Katie groaned, shaking her head and rubbing her hand over her face. She felt like a crazy person sometimes, with Pandora the Ravenous in her head.

  “My demon wants donuts,” Katie explained. “Sorry.”

  Eric looked out the window at the donut shop and then at Damian. Damian did a double-take and glanced at Katie in the rearview mirror. Immediately he started to shake his head.

  “No,” he said pointedly. “I’m not allowing gluttony—or more gluttony—this evening. ERIC! KATIE!”

  Everybody burst into laughter as Damian continued shaking his head. He put the pedal to the metal and the SUV’s engine revved as they peeled around the turn, getting on the I-15 southbound and hauling ass.

  Driving quickly toward the base.

  16

  By the next morning Katie felt as good as new, an improvement on how she usually felt the day after gorging on food.

  Eric had figured he would get to recover the next day, but Korbin had other ideas when he woke everyone up at six in the morning for training.

  Katie laughed silently as she got dressed and pulled her hair back in a ponytail.

  She knew that Eric would be struggling to even walk that morning, but a workout would do him good. He always was livelier after working out, and he needed to train so that things like the day before didn’t happen to him often.

  It only took so many times of being cornered by a demon before you weren’t lucky enough to find your knife at your side. She enjoyed having fun with the guys, but not at the expense of their mission.

  Either way, she was ready to get some training in. She had stiff muscles from the battle the day before.

  That wasn’t something she normally felt, though to be fair she rarely jumped on countertops, spun in circles, or raced demons, so a little stiffness was to be expected.

  She just hoped that getting back into training would help her improve her skills and become better at utilizing the boosts Pandora had been giving her.

  She wanted to be faster, tougher, smarter, and deadlier than the demons, and especially ones like T’Chezz. She hadn’t forgotten about him.

  She knew he was out there somewhere plotting and planning his next move, but she wasn’t just going to sit by idly and wait for him to attack. She was going to prepare.

  When she was dressed and ready she headed out to the main area, grabbed a muffin, ate it really fast, and went down to start the day. When she walked through the door, she laughed loudly. Eric was dragging himself through the arena, holding his stomach. He looked at her and groaned, his eyes slightly glazed.

  She laughed. “Good thing we didn’t get donuts!”

  “God, I don’t even want to think about it,” Eric moaned. “I’m gonna go work on weapons and try not to puke.”

  “Good luck, buddy.” Katie shook her head and patted him on the shoulder.

  Katie looked around the room, trying to decide where she wanted to start. She had been running through quarterstaff moves in her head for days to get better at it.

  She was the kind of girl who didn’t give up when she struggled with something. In fact, she was the kind of girl who would just push harder to accomplish her goals.

  So long as she didn’t have to get up too early. Or at least, earlier. This version of her walked over and grabbed the pole she had made from the dowel and carried it out to an empty area in the arena.

  She closed her eyes and breathed heavily in and out, balancing herself, clearing her mind, and getting ready to repeat her practices over and over.

  When she opened her eyes she bent her knees, thrusting her right leg out to stabilize her body. She had learned the first time that if she wasn’t stable it didn’t matter what moves she learned; she would end up on the floor in two seconds flat. She held the stick in both hands and went through a sequence of movements, swiping it through the air with care and patience. As she turned to complete the sequence, her foot twisted and she stumbled to one knee. She growled, angry that she was struggling so hard with the moves.

  Relax, Pandora said. This art is all in your head. You have to visualize each movement before you move into it. You have to see the power and strength it takes. These moves are just the basics, but they will give you the ability to fight someone else and deflect their actions. You cannot move on until you can complete this sequence over and over without thinking about what comes next.

  Katie nodded and stood back up, starting from scratch. She repeated the motions over and over, closing her eyes and letting her body move through them. She could feel the connection with the staff growing stronger as she pivoted, dipped, and swiped it through the air. When she had finished her third walkthrough of the motions, she stood up straight and bowed before opening her eyes.

  Wow! Katie exclaimed. You were right, it is all in my head. How did you know all that? I mean, you don’t really seem like the kind of demon who just hung around learning ancient fighting techniques.

  Not everyone I possessed was a business student. She laughed. Hell, I was lucky to get someone who could read. Usually the smart ones weren’t too keen on a ride-along unless it meant they were attempting to take over the world. But for stuff like that, long ago I walked freely among you humans, and I met a man who was proficient in the art. It wasn’t ancient then, of course, but I watched and learned almost every day for nearly thirty years.

  Wow, you met a man and stayed with him for thirty years? Katie asked, impressed.

  She laughed. I’m not always about booty.

  What happened to him? Katie asked.

  He went off to war and never returned, she told Katie.

  Katie could detect a hint of
sadness in her voice, and wondered if the big bad demon inside of her had actually loved someone—a human, no less. She wanted to ask, but she knew Pandora would just brush it off to protect her ego. Still, the thought of demons loving was a new concept to Katie. She wasn’t sure if it were even possible.

  I’m sorry, Katie told her.

  Meh. She cleared her throat. It’s a hazard of being human, I guess. You guys are so damn fragile.

  Katie nodded. We are.

  Pandora went on with the lesson. Okay, now this is what I want you to do.

  She launched into it, talking about how to hold the staff, the intention of the motions, and where Katie could take the craft once she had the basics down.

  The entire time she talked Katie closed her eyes, focusing on Pandora’s voice and moving through the motions over and over until they became so fluid she didn’t know where her arm ended and the staff began. She wasn’t sure how long she stood there practicing, but when she opened her eyes Korbin and Damian were standing across the room watching her move. Korbin was rubbing his chin.

  Hopefully they hadn’t caught on to what was going on in her head.

  Eric pulled himself up from the weight bench and sat there, wiping the sweat off his brow. Katie walked over and put up her staff, then smiled at him.

  He shook his head and stretched his arms up, looking less pale than earlier. “I feel a little better. Nothing to write home about, but better.”

  “Good,” Katie said brightly. “So let’s spar.”

  “Ugh. All right, but the stomach is off limits unless you want to see that steak again,” he warned her

  “Ew, bro, gross!” Katie wrinkled her nose. “Please don’t puke on me.”

  He walked onto the mat with his hands in the air. “Hey, I’m just being real. Why is it women want truth…until telling the truth is disgusting?”

  The two of them squared off, taking easy shots at each other. Eric was struggling through it, while Katie was pretty much just trying to get him to move his body a little.

  She wanted him to get past the steak-induced sloth and get back on track. You never knew when a call would come in, and if one did at that moment, Eric would be taken out in a heartbeat.

  Katie blocked a punch and swung around, pulling his arm behind his back. He groaned, feeling the stretch in his shoulder as she leaned toward his ear.

  “Don’t be sloppy because you don’t feel well,” she whispered. “That’s just an excuse.”

  “I disagree.” He chuckled. “I think it’s valid, although it was self-induced.”

  “Exactly,” Katie agreed, releasing his arm and bouncing back into stance.

  “Somehow,” he turned fast and caught Katie in the arm, “I feel like the slow movements help me think more.”

  “And thinking leads to giant claw marks in the face,” Katie told him, flipping through the air. “You have to move without thinking. You have to know what to do next before it even becomes a question.”

  “Oh yeah?” Eric chuckled. “And what is next?”

  “This.” Katie smirked, dropping down and kicking Eric’s legs out from under him.

  He fell backward onto the floor, and laid there rubbing his stomach. Katie stood up and walked over to him, putting her foot on his chest. He looked up at her and shook his head.

  She smiled. “You will get the hang of it.”

  She reached down and helped him up, slapping him on the back. The two walked off the mat and watched as Derek and Jeremy started to spar. They heckled the two on the floor from the sidelines as they rested from their own session. Calvin came up next to Katie and smiled as he watched Jeremy and Derek.

  “What are you going to do now?” Calvin asked Katie.

  “I’m not sure. I haven’t really gotten that far yet.”

  “Why don’t you come to the shooting range and practice,” he suggested. “Buff up those pistol skills.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Katie smiled and reached out to grab Calvin’s hand, and received an assist to her feet.

  She followed Calvin to the shooting range and grabbed a couple of pistols and some ammo. Between clips they talked about the fight at the house. Katie had completely forgotten to ask Calvin how he had done on his first time back out in the field.

  “So how was it for you?” Katie asked.

  “It was interesting,” Calvin replied. “And not because of anything I did.”

  Katie chuckled. “What do you mean?”

  “I was a little nervous at first, sure,” he explained, “but Korbin was the one who was all over the place. First he decided to give me some sniper practice by having me duck behind a bush with the sniper rifle, then he became the bait by running along the house and pulling the demons out for me to kill. It was reckless, really—two demons almost took him out. Had I hesitated at all, I would have either missed and the demon would have killed him, or I would have missed and shot Korbin.”

  “I think he was worried you weren’t completely well yet,” Katie said. “I mean, I won’t lie—I had the same thought. I was worried that you were rushing things with your body. I know I was tight and sore, so I can only imagine how you felt.”

  “Yeah, when I got out there I was definitely thankful that I didn’t have to do more than what I did,” he admitted. “I guess I was afraid to be weak. Thought that if I was weak, then I would never be strong again. It sounds stupid.”

  “No,” Katie shot back, shaking her head. “It sounds human…something that none of us seem to remember. We are human.”

  “You are right, my dear.” He handed Katie another rifle. “Try this one, and then I want you to give the sniper rifle a couple of goes.”

  “All right,” Katie agreed, taking the gun.

  “This is the Avtomat Kalashnikova,” Calvin explained. “More commonly known as the AK-47. This uses a heavier 7.62-millimeter bullet, and fires a little slower than the comparable American M16 automatic, but is one of the most reliable rifles in the world. It is iconic for the Taliban, but the United States also uses these, or used them heavily in the Iraq war. It’s powerful, but reliable.”

  “Okay,” Katie replied, slightly nervous.

  She shot at the target and could feel the sheer power behind it, almost losing her balance. The paper was demolished, pieces flying all over the place as if it had exploded. When she was done, she slowly lowered it and handed it to Calvin.

  “Wow, that was intense!” She chuckled. “I’m not sure I would ever be comfortable with that thing.”

  “We use it in situations where we need to do maximum damage very quickly.” He took the gun and put it on the cleaning rack. “Now, here is the sniper rifle, but you’ll need to move down to the carpeted booth.”

  Katie moved down to the indicated booth and Calvin brought over the gun. She laid down on the ground to give her stability. She wanted to learn how to shoot it before she went all commando, like Calvin the day before.

  “So, the scope… You barely have to put your face up to it,” he told her. “You find your target, decide trajectory based on distance, speed, and wind, let out a deep breath, and fire. In here, you should be able to shoot directly at the target.”

  Calvin pushed the target all the way down the range until Katie couldn’t even make out the head on the picture. She cracked her neck and pulled the rifle up to her shoulder. When she leaned forward and looked into the scope, she could see the target straight ahead.

  She imagined herself perched somewhere waiting to take out T’Chezz, ready to end it all. Slowly she let out a deep breath and pulled the trigger, letting a single bullet fly. She stood up and took off her goggles as she watched Calvin pull the paper target back.

  “Not bad.” He laughed as he stared at the hole in the forehead of the target’s human figure. “Not bad at all. Now all you need is some of those special bullets, and you will be a demon-killing machine.”

  “Oh, yeah, I completely forgot!” She turned to Calvin. “I need to visit that bullet-maker here in Las V
egas. He is the one who can help push this to reality.”

  “Do you think he will be safe enough to work on this project?” Calvin asked.

  “I’m not going to have him work on the project,” Katie said, bending down and grabbing the rifle. “I am going to get as much information from him on how to do it as I can. That way Joshua will know, and can start formulating his plan. These bullets are imperative to our cause. Can you imagine if I could just sit on the top of a building with a sniper rifle and pick off demons? I would be out of harm’s way, they would die almost instantly, and when we faced the larger beasts we could inflict way more pain. Pain takes away from their concentration, which gives us time to swoop in and be that much more aggressive in taking them out. The pain that metal inflicts could be the difference between life or death for us, or for the innocent.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to sell it to me.” He laughed. “You should definitely go take care of that, but I would check out with Korbin first.”

  “All right,” she said, handing him the rifle. “Thanks, Calvin.”

  “Don’t thank me. I still owe you for saving my life.”

  “No, that’s just what we do,” Katie replied. “I’m sure in the future there will be more than enough instances where you save mine. Besides, what kind of team would we be without the famed Calvin?”

  “That, my dear, is the question,” he replied jokingly. “What would the world be like without the famed Calvin in it? It would continue to go on, sure, but would it be a place worth living in? I don’t know about that. It would be a lot darker and a whole lot sadder, that is for damn sure.”

  “You are irreplaceable! Okay, I’ll catch up with you later and let you know what I find out.”

  “Sounds good,” he answered. “Be careful.”

  Katie smiled. “Always.”

  17

  As Katie walked over to Joshua’s workshop, she wondered what research he had done on the rounds for their weapons. She had spoken with Calvin a little on their way back from California after the demon battle in the Inglewood cemetery, and if her memories weren’t completely fucked up due to her having been tired, her original idea of just painting the shells with the special metal wasn’t the fix they were looking for.