by Michael Todd
The screen changed to a middle-aged man sitting at a desk with shelves of books behind him. His hair was a mess, and it was obvious from the bags under his eyes that he had been following the attacks every step of the way.
He cleared his throat and pushed up his thick-rimmed glasses, shaking his head. “The demon problem had been relatively restricted to the United States until today. Now the demons have branched out, attacking American allies, ruining families, destroying historical monuments, and ravaging everything around them. The world had been on edge since Incursion Day, wondering when this day would come, and if it did, where they would strike first. We have no real understanding as to why they chose this location, or if there is even any rhyme or reason to it. The smaller demons have been known to be disoriented, not too bright, and easily distracted. However, the larger demons seem to have a good focus on their missions, and we wonder if one of them could be the mastermind behind all this. Either way, the devastation is widespread and continues to increase with every passing moment. If you have family or friends in that area or vacationing, call the number on the bottom of the screen for more information. Just be aware that with this battle still raging, there is little known right now about survivors. Stay tuned to News Channel Eight for the latest updates on the horrific events playing out at Notre Dame Cathedral.”
Angie picked up the remote and clicked off the television, shaking her head. She hoped that Katie was okay, and even more so she hoped she rolled in there and gave them the hell that they deserved. One day she wanted to be there to see her in action, but she knew she would have to grow a much bigger pair of balls to walk into something like that, even as a spectator. She still couldn’t believe that just a month ago she was hiding from her ex, trying not to be beaten too badly, and now she was considering walking into a war.
Brock fired the last round in his gun and ran across the nave, sliding with the rest of his men behind the broken and crumbling short wall next to the tower stairs. Several of the guys sat on their asses, leaning back against the wall trying to catch their breath. Brock took off his gun and set it down, pulling his canteen from his belt. He took several long drinks and poured some over his head before putting it back. He put his hand down on the ground, feeling the heat pulsing from below him. The whole place was teeming with demons, and from the extreme temperatures, there had to be some serious portal action below them.
“These bastards are coming from everywhere,” one of the guys panted.
“I know. I took down seven of them with one spray of bullets. Fucking seven of them, and there were still a dozen standing. They are like a fucking ant infestation. You kill one, and another twelve come running up the stairs.”
“They can’t have an endless supply, right?” the guys asked.
“I don’t know. Think about it,” Brock replied. “How many people die every day on Earth, and how many do you think go straight to hell? That’s a lot of fucking souls to contend with here. Not to mention that I was told when they die they go back to hell, so that means we could be fighting the same damn demons over and over. It’s a fucking nightmare. We need more backup.”
“We need the damn mercenaries! They are the ones who really get through these things, especially the big ones. Did you see that Katie’s Killers chick in New York? She straight-up dropped a demon off a skyscraper. Why can’t my demon be badass and help me out that way?”
Brock chuckled to himself, thinking about Katie. “That woman has been through the wringer, and she has to deal with carrying around one hell of a beast inside her. Yeah, she’s a badass and she can tackle just about anything, but I don’t know whether I envy her or pity her. I wouldn’t want to deal with that every day. Right now, we need the French military on the sidelines to step up or step out. We need everyone fighting if we’re gonna shut down this situation.”
“What are they gonna do? They don’t know how to kill these things, and half of them don’t have the right equipment. Seriously, they need to just let us bomb the fuck out of this place.”
“The city is too close.” Brock shook his head. “We nuke this bitch, and everyone on the island dies too, and maybe the parts of the city right across the bridges. And we don’t even know if a fucking bomb would kill them.”
“Fill that fucker with special metal, and I promise you they go down like drowning rats.”
Brock looked out from behind the wall, spotting only a few demons milling around. He knew others were steadily coming up from underground, but they had managed to kill the ones closest to them. That gave them a moment of respite to gather their thoughts, hydrate, and get their motivation back up. It was hard to go go go without starting to let things slip. They might have demons inside them, but they were still human.
Brock turned back to the others and leaned his head back, but only for a moment. The ground beneath them began to shake, and the wall crumbled slightly behind them. A low, malevolent laugh boomed from beneath them, echoing through the church. The guys lowered their canteens mid-swig and looked around. Brock picked up his gun and tried to see where it was coming from.
“This can’t be good,” one of the guys remarked, swallowing hard.
“I know, right? What the fuck kind of monster makes a noise like that?”
“A really fucking big one,” Brock mumbled.
Immediately the guys grabbed their weapons and starting reloading everything they had. They didn’t know what was about to come for them, but they knew whatever it was, it was going to require a little more than what they had. Still, they weren’t going to go down without trying, and their adrenaline was giving them the courage to see past the blinding fear that tried to seep into their chests.
One of the soldiers squatted, shoving a new magazine into his weapon. “Well, if I don’t see you guys after this one, remember to toast me later.”
Brock looked up at him and rolled his eyes. “Seriously, bro, you need to step up and stop being so melodramatic. We have faced big demons before. Look what we just did. Whatever comes out, we are going to face it together, even if we have to feed your drama-ridden ass to it to catch its attention.”
The guys all laughed and patted the soldier hard on his back. Brock smirked and grabbed the wall as the ground shook again, only this time it happened over and over as the demon’s footsteps shook the entire building. They all turned around and looked over the wall toward the side chapel. Their mouths dropped open as a large demon, one of the biggest they had ever seen, came stomping out. It looked around angrily, its eyes blazing red at the soldiers.
“That is one big motherfucker,” someone shouted.
“I think he’s a she,” another yelled.
“Fine, that’s one huuuuge bitch,” the guy replied.
“Nah, it’s a he,” someone said definitively.
Everyone chuckled to try to take the edge off of the fear that was gripping them. No one on the island knew if they would ever make it off again, and all they could do was stand by and wait for either their ultimate end or someone to come and save them. The guys felt almost the same way, knowing their weapons would never take that thing down but also aware that they had a duty to protect everyone they could.
The sound of helicopters echoed through the air, apparently heading at full speed toward the incursion.
Chapter Twenty-One
Angie sat on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and a soda, figuring there was too much going on for her to actually get any work done. The battle was raging overseas, and the news channels were doing their best to keep up with it. Every channel she watched had some sort of reporter tragedy and most of the stations had switched to aerial shots, the ground being much too dangerous for anyone to actually be reporting. The latest news was flooding into the station, and Angie, like so many others, was on the edge of her seat.
“We have word that there has been a development on the ground in Notre Dame. The following live footage is being streamed in from a News 9 reporter who has managed to make it to a nearby rooftop
and is awaiting rescue there.”
The screen flashed to a shaky but clear view of the top of the cathedral. The camera zoomed in, focusing on a very large demon now stomping out the front doors, then panning around all the people who stood in total shock and stillness below.
Angie leaned forward, narrowing her eyes and watched as the demon seemed to scan the area, looking for something. He took two large steps forward, crushing the pavement beneath his feet, and picked something up. Angie scooted farther forward with bated breath as he threw what looked like a Volkswagen Beetle into a building adjacent to the cathedral.
“Oh, God!” Angie gasped, putting her hand over her mouth.
A group of soldiers had been waiting behind a cop car in front of the building. The Beetle just smashed right into them, pinning and crushing almost all of them into the stone of the building. The blood ran over the broken and battered sidewalk, and people started to panic, screaming loudly and running for cover.
Angie shook her head in horror, leaning forward again as a smirk moved over the demon’s lips. This one was smarter and faster than the others and had complete control of what he was doing. Angie had never seen anything like him, and she wondered if the beast was one of the top demons.
He was actually only a mid-level beast, large in size and with the full capability of carrying out as much wrath as he could possibly muster. However, the demon had no special abilities, only brute strength, which was bad news for the cathedral and the people around it.
The camera shifted to a reporter, dirt-covered and suit jacket torn, his hand trembling in fear. “This beast just emerged moments ago,” he whispered. “He stomped from the cathedral, shaking the ground, looking around for anything to destroy. The flood of smaller demons has slowed a bit, but my suspicions are they are hiding in the many underground tunnels and chambers beneath the church. We are still unsure where the portals are, and no one has managed to get far enough in just yet to see. Even the special ops team was driven back out to the front, taking a respite and reloading for another round. The police aren’t telling anyone anything except that if you live on the other side of the island, hunker down and take cover. Going outside to catch a glimpse or attempting to get off is futile. All bridges have been blocked at this time in an attempt to keep the demons from spreading into the city.”
The reporter stopped and stared at the camera for a moment, his eyes wandering to the side as he heard choppers approaching. He pointed up, and the cameraman shifted his lens to follow a military helicopter that was racing toward them. There were three more behind it, all with their guns lowered in the front. The cameraman and reporter ran to the side of the building as two of the choppers opened fire on the demon. The beast ignored them at first, but as the special bullets sunk into his scaled skin he growled, raising his hand to block the shots from his face.
The demon thrashed, growling and screaming in agony, but although the bullets were penetrating, they didn’t look to be slowing him down in the least. He stepped forward and swiped at the choppers that were causing his pain, but they stayed back and high in the air. The demon couldn’t see where he was swinging since the bullet spray was too thick to see through.
He let out a loud roar, the rush of air from his lungs tilting the choppers slightly, which sent their fire over his head and across the tops of several buildings.
The helicopters stabilized themselves, and a fighter jet flew through the other three and hovered over the demon.
The top blew open, and the cameraman tilted the shot just in time to catch a figure fall gracefully from the plane to land on the back of the demon.
“Who is that badass?” The reporter almost dropped his microphone, and the cameraman swung back to him. He straightened his torn jacket and suddenly looked a little more hopeful than he had just moments before.
“There has been a development. Three helicopters have arrived on the scene. The choppers blasted the demon with...” He leaned down and picked up an empty shell. “With what seems to be the special ammunition that the mercenaries have been working with for a while now. The beast was mostly unaffected by the attack, but the diversion was enough to distract him until a US fighter plane arrived and a lone operative dived out without any apparent support and joined the battle. The mystery operative is battling the demon even as I speak.” The reporter paused while the cameraman panned out to show the demon. Angie could just make out the small figure scaling his back. The shot closed back in on the reporter. “It’s incredible to watch. We are hoping this signals the arrival of the much-needed mercenary troops, although the beast is thrashing so hard it’s hard to tell who dove out of that chopper.”
The camera swung back around to watch the demon attempt to get free of whoever was on his back. Angie wiped the sweat from her forehead, completely exhausted from the drama of it all yet unable to take her eyes away for even a moment. Whoever was on that demon’s back was in for a ride. They clutched his scales tightly as he attempted to reach back and pull them off.
His arms were so large that he struggled to get them back over his head, and Angie couldn’t help but find it comical. It looked like a huge muscular man trying to scratch his back, but his biceps were too large to allow for the stretch.
The other three helicopters backed off, unable to fire since there was a person in the mix. The cameraman moved down the roof of the building, finally getting a good shot of the demon’s back. Angie picked up a handful of popcorn and raised it to her mouth, then let it fall back into the bowl. As the camera zoomed in on the demon, the woman came into focus.
“Holy hell,” Angie whispered. “That’s my fucking boss.”
She looked around the condo with shock and excitement, then realized she was all by herself. Angie shook her head and focused on the screen again, watching Katie slowly pull herself up the beast’s back, her ponytail swinging. Angie scooted to the edge of her seat and put down the bowl as Katie started to make her move on the demon.
“Yes!” Angie cheered, then cleared her throat and put her hands in her lap, trying to hold back her excitement. “Fuck it. Get him, Katie! Rip his fucking head off.”
The reporter came back on the screen, and Angie pouted. “Less of this fool, more of the hero!”
“We have managed to get a close-up view of the person on the back of the demon, and although it is yet to be confirmed, it looks to be none other than Katie from Katie’s Killers, all the way over here in Paris, doing her best to hold on as the massive beast thrashes her from side to side.”
The cameraman switched back to the beast. Katie’s hand had slipped, and she was holding on by one arm, her body being slammed around as the demon tried to get her off.
Angie put her hands to her mouth and shook her head. “Get it together,” she whispered.
As if Katie could hear her, she gritted her teeth and flung her other arm back up, making the push to climb up onto the beast’s muscular shoulders. Angie put her hands in the air in victory but quickly put them back down to her lips, knowing that was only a small victory. She had a hell of a lot to work on from there. The beast was still trying his best to throw her off. He had backed up toward the cathedral and smooshed his back against the front wall. With every move though, Katie was faster, rolling across the beast’s shoulders like an acrobat, trying to get out of the way of the falling statues and carvings the demon was dislodging with his struggles.
Angie looked down at the ground in the video. Just in the corner of the shot she could see a dozen men crouched, their guns at the ready. She recognized one of them as the man who had stood in the center of the terrace in front of the cathedral during the initial footage, one of the special-ops team. She squinted, trying to see the guy since he looked rather familiar, but she couldn’t make him out. The footage was shaking too much, and the men were blurry.
She shrugged and looked back up at Katie, who was now on top of the demon, holding on to his giant pointy earlobe as she rode him like a horse around the cathedral square. The
camera zoomed in just enough to see a flash of Katie’s red eyes and Angie chuckled, recognizing that mischievous smirk on her lips. She wasn’t scared at all. In fact, she looked like she was having the time of her life. Angie knew it would only be a matter of minutes before she sprang into action, and she couldn’t wait.
Brock gathered his team. “Look, guys, we need to get close enough to take him out at the knees. There is no way the rope trick will work on this one. It’s obvious that he’s too smart for that.”
“So what’s the plan?”
Brock turned toward the demon and scanned the grounds. “Our best bet is to move in across the courtyard to that pile of stone and rubble in the corner. Once we are there, we can get a much better shot at his knees. If we can manage to blow out a knee he will fall to one side, and then we focus on the other. Immobilizing him is the only way that we will be able to attack and not be completely squashed when we attempt to take him out. I’m thinking enough shots to the head and eventually he will die.”
“You think?” One of the soldiers chuckled. “I’m sorry, but this might take a bit more tactics than guessing.”
“What would you suggest, huh? We are stuck out here, no more heavy artillery, and we have to get this demon down if we want to have any hope of entering the cathedral and closing the portals before another one makes its way through.”
Just then the sound of choppers overhead vibrated the crumbling walls of the cathedral. The soldiers watched as three choppers approached, opening fire on the demon. They held onto their helmets and ducked, trying not to catch the gunfire. When the shells stopped falling like rain, they looked up to see a fighter plane with the Stars and Stripes painted on the side. The choppers moved to make room and the plane hovered over the demon. The plane opened and a woman swan-dived from it onto the demon’s back.