by Michael Todd
The general shook his head. “No, Katie. The places were so far off the map that no one picked them up. The portals opened, demons poured out, and then bam, they were gone. There didn’t seem to be any planning. We couldn’t have gotten there fast enough, even on your wings.”
Katie sighed and tapped her finger on the table. “It’s a tragedy, and I’m afraid it will continue.”
The general shut his folder. “I know. That’s why getting you set up as quickly as possible is imperative. How is the move coming?”
“Last I heard from Calvin, they were getting settled in and waiting on the big trucks to deliver equipment. Of course, they will make their changes to the property, but knowing them, it won’t take long at all.”
The general nodded. “Good.”
Katie sat forward. “Look, it’s obvious here, they are eating us a little bit at a time. If we don’t do something to force them on the defensive, we might be done.”
“What are your thoughts? Do you have an idea?”
Katie smiled. “Why don’t we attack hell?”
The general’s eyes grew wide. “As in going down there and going nuts on the bastards?”
Katie tilted her head back and forth. “I think it will have to be a little more structured than that, but in the end, we unleash Earth on hell, angel style.”
The general chuckled, wiping the sweat from the back of his neck. “The idea makes me nervous, but we’re at a point where I don’t see many other ways than to take the fight to them. How will our soldiers fare down there?”
Pandora scoffed. Shish kebobs.
Katie grimaced. “Well, they can’t go down there unprotected. Humans will roast, so we’ll have to come up with a solution for that. We’ll also have to get a deeper understanding of the terrain and climate.”
“Yes, well I think this will be a good time to bring in Research and Development. Those guys are constantly tinkering down in their labs. They’re working up with all kinds of new technology based on studies of the infected that we’ve procured.”
Katie agreed. “I think you’re right. Being an infected, I’ve never been too hot on R&D, but their usefulness may be what we need right now. This isn’t a mystery to Pandora, but she doesn’t know any of the nuts and bolts science of it. To the rest of us, it’s foreign territory and not on this planet.”
“Other realms aren’t exactly something we’ve taken the time to really study. In fact, until recently, other realms were some urban fiction shit. Then again, my whole life seems to be that way. I definitely think this is doable. I just want to make sure I’m not sending these men in on a suicide mission.”
Katie shook her head. “No, I won’t let anyone else go if that’s the case. There’s no point in me taking men out there if I know they’ll come back in an urn. We’ll make sure everyone is safe, and I want this to be volunteer-based. I don’t want anyone down there who doesn’t want to be there.”
The general understood. “That’s not completely out of our realm. I’m sure we’ll have ample brave volunteers.”
Katie slapped her hands on the desk. “You get a team together, and I’ll lead them. We get in, we get information, and we get out. Then we plan our attack.”
The general ran his finger over his lips and then grinned. “I’ve got a team for you.”
“Son of a bitch,” one of Brock’s team members muttered, squashing a bug against the tattoos on the back of his neck.
Brock chuckled. “You okay, Turner? You got one of those bloodsucking birds on your back?”
Turner rolled his eyes, slashing his machete through the thick brush. “This is fucking stupid. If I’d thought I’d be spending my time humping through the jungle, I would have skipped out and been drinking mai tais on a beach somewhere.”
One of the other guys pulled out his gun and pointed it at a huge snake. “Stop bitching. I got snakes on a plane over here.”
Brock took his knife and threw it hard, pinning the snake to the tree. “You know these demons aren’t going to make it easy for us. This time they had to open up portals right over ancient voodoo sites of mass sacrifice. You aren’t going to find those right in the center of New York.”
One of the other guys snorted. “You might. Have you been to New York lately? It’s a wild town.”
Turner groaned. “We’ve all been there, asshat, remember? Or are you still drunk from our trip there?”
They all laughed as they humped through. Suddenly, the sound of cracking branches stopped Brock in his tracks, and he put up his fist. His finger came to his lips, and he signaled for the guys to get low and look around. They all followed orders. They crouched down and began reaching into their holsters and pulling out their guns.
Suddenly, a large monkey leaped straight at Turner. Its eyes were an inflamed red, and its fangs dripped yellow foam. Turner spun and pulled the trigger, hitting the monkey between the eyes. It shrieked and turned to dust, and Turner freaked. “What the fuck? Demon-infected animals? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!”
Without warning, other animals appeared in the dense brush surrounding them. Monkeys and gorillas, panthers and snakes. Huge lizards and small, quick foxes. All of them had burning red eyes.
Brock roared at his team, “It’s showtime, boys!”
The guys moved fast and hard. They quickly fanned out, forming a loose perimeter and blasting the beasts with everything they had. The monkeys and smaller animals went down fast, but the panthers lurking in the bushes took some group effort. By the time they were finished, piles of dust were everywhere, and all the guys were panting.
Brock knew they were close to their target. Someone was attempting to keep them away.
He pulled his M16 around in front of him and checked the magazine. “I bet you the all-you-can-eat buffet at Mr. Fung’s that we find a nice big demon right over that ridge. Who wants in on this?”
“I got you.” Turner chuckled.
The guys moved through the bushes carefully, trying to make as little noise as possible. As they reached a small clearing in the brush, they heard a huge cracking sound. Brock raised a fist, and the team halted.
A large uprooted tree flew straight for them, trailing creepers and dirt. They all dropped to the ground as it soared over their heads and came crashing down somewhere behind them.
In front of them was a monstrous beast, all cracked black scales and bulging fangs. He huffed and snorted, daring them to come into his territory.
Brock swirled his arms. “Line up, and let’s send this bad boy back to hell!”
The men fell into formation and leveled their automatic weapons. Brock gripped his pistol so tightly his knuckles went white. The demon was hideous. “Steady.”
As soon as the beast took one step, they started to blast him. He wailed as he charged them, swinging his arms at the guys even as bullets tore into his chest and shoulders. The team scattered as he broke their ranks. Turner and a few men broke off to try and flank the beast. Brock wasn’t so lucky. He backpedaled away from the demon, but the beast’s fist caught his ankles and flipped him to the ground.
Brock’s weapon went flying into the bush, and he was suddenly alone with a snarling nightmare.
Bullets slammed into the beast and knocked him back. Turner grabbed Brock and pulled him to his feet, then shoved a Desert Eagle pistol into his hand.
Brock leveled the hand cannon at the demon and shook his head. “Okay, one more time. And this time, aim for his fucking head.”
Brock and Turner blasted the beast from the front while the rest of the team flanked him. Every time Brock pulled the trigger, a huge hole opened up in the demon’s hide. The beast growled and tried to leap at Brock again, but Brock’s gunfire took the top of his scaly head off. He fought the special bullets valiantly, stumbling first at Brock and then at the flanking team, but he finally fell to the ground. Turner saluted. “Timmmbeerrrr!”
As soon as the beast hit the ground, it exploded into dust that blew all over Turner. Brock and t
he others laughed as he spat the ash from his mouth. The radio on Brock’s shoulder crackled, and their commander’s voice came over loud. “Hey! Stop playing in the jungle and come back to base. It’s urgent.”
Brock lifted an eyebrow and clicked the button. “Yes, sir, on our way.”
Brock found his pistol in the bushes and they all turned to walk back, Turner kicking the dirt. “Fucking playing in the jungle. Let’s see him take on a panther and a giant ass demon.”
One of the other guys chuckled. “And a fucking demon monkey. That shit was wild.”
Chapter Twelve
Joshua, Timothy, and Calvin stood at the gate to the base. Behind them was a barren desert, before them was a cold structure they had once called home. All of the lights in the armory were off, no cars parked in the garage, and the defenses had been disabled.
Calvin put his arm around Joshua. “Well, this was a nice place to lay my head, at least for a while.”
Joshua nodded with a half-smile. “It was. Next time we move, though, it would be nice if it wasn’t because we were attacked by demons.
Calvin chuckled. “Amen, brother. How about you, Timothy? You happy to be moving on to our next place of residence?”
Timothy shrugged. “I guess. Doesn’t make much difference to me as long as it’s comfortable. I spend a lot of time on my own at these spots.”
“You got Stephanie and Korbin now,” Calvin replied.
“Oh, yeah. Still, it is what it is, I suppose,” Timothy lamented.
Calvin slapped him on the back. “Why do you look so sad then?”
Timothy glanced at Calvin and back at the ground. “They had to shut down my servers for the trip.”
Calvin laughed loudly. “Yeah, man, that’s usually how it works. It’ll be even better at the new spot. Korbin says you’re getting twice the room.”
Timothy perked up a bit. “Hell, yeah, and it better be more impressive. They promised me godlike internet speed. I better not get over there and find out it moves at a glacial pace.”
Calvin smirked. “Look, the big rig is on its way there now.”
The three guys stared into the distance as the rig turned down the road. Timothy held his keys up and smiled. “At least I got a fun ride to get there in.”
The guys piled into Timothy’s Jeep, no top, no sides. They headed out of the base for the last time and made a quick right turn onto the main two-lane highway. Timothy looked in his rearview mirror and sighed. “Why do we always have to live so far away from everything? Now I’m even farther from good shopping.”
The guys chuckled and shook their head. A loud roar blasted over them, and they watched as fighter planes flew overhead. Timothy rolled his eyes. “They better cap that noise near our new place, sister. Girl needs her beauty sleep.”
The mountain sat looming high into the clouds. Jagged rocks covered in ice and snow glistened in the late evening light. The wind blew hard, shifting the powder back and forth, but no one was there to see it. The mountain was far too dangerous for even the most avid of climbers, and only saw action once or twice a year. The rest of the time, avalanches sat perched at the ready, waiting for a shift in the ground.
The only sounds piercing the air were the shudder of the trees in the wind and the random chirp of a bird flying through on its way somewhere else. The ground was untouched, white and sparkling, but the quiet was a dangerous façade. At any moment, that silence could be filled.
As the breeze began to dull a bit, the snow began to shift. Small balls rolled down over the ledges, plunging to the deeper swells at the base of the mountain. The sound of ice cracking echoed across the valley and into the distance. From above, the falling snow began to compound, growing larger and larger as the avalanche began to slide.
Brock’s team saluted the guard at the base and presented their ID to the guards. They were covered in dirt and sweat, and a plume of ashes floated along behind Turner. They took their weapons back to their barrack tents and dusted Turner off outside. The guys laughed as he coughed and choked.
Brock leaned forward and whispered in Turner’s ear. “You owe me Mr. Fung’s buffet.”
Turner groaned. “Can’t this be payment enough? My cinder-covered embarrassment?”
Brock shook his head. “Nope. That’s just an added bonus. A karmic cycle completed because you, my friend, are just too cocky.”
Turner bucked playfully at Brock. “I’ll show you cocky.”
The team stowed their gear and straightened up as much as possible, then headed to the main building where their commander was waiting for them. Brock stepped to the door with the others behind him and glanced back. “Remember, let me do the damned talking. You morons always seem to get us in some sort of trouble.”
They all chuckled quietly as Brock straightened his jacket and knocked on the door. The commander opened the door immediately, and all of the soldiers came to attention. “At ease, boys. Follow me. We’re going to get comfortable in one of the meeting rooms. Too many of you assholes for one small office.”
They all followed him down the hall and to the third door on the right. They sat down around the table and waited for the commander to close the door and begin. He dropped a large file folder on the desk in front of him and stared from man to man, getting a feeling for where they were.
After a few less than comfortable moments, he cleared his throat. “Boys, you’re my best men. Fuck, you’re probably the military’s best men. You’ve been through hell and back and come out in one piece on the other side. I’d venture to say you’re as good if not better than our mercenary squads out there. The Damned can be tricky if they don’t get the right demon, no offense to whoever is infected on this team.”
Brock glanced back and forth down the line. “We’re all Damned, sir.”
The commander lifted an eyebrow. “I forget that. You act so damned normal. Either way, you’re the best of the best. I have an operation being offered to your team and only your team. You were requested specifically, and I can tell they’re really hoping you take the job.”
The guys waited for more information. The commander shook his head and chuckled. “The thing is so stupid. I’m sure you’re going to die doing it. So knowing how much you do for the rest of the teams, you need to think long and hard. It’s a volunteer mission only. No one will be looked negatively upon if they decide not to go. You’ll simply stand by and wait for word your teammates haven’t returned and then join another command.”
Brock narrowed his eyes. “What is the assignment? I can’t imagine it being that much worse than anything we’ve done before. Is it another incursion?”
The commander scoffed. “When you find out, you’ll wish it was an incursion. After those six locations in Europe were hit by the demons, the government and their consorts decided we’re living on borrowed time. We’re getting beaten up little by little, and before we know it, we’ll be hanging out on a limb. We don’t want to get to the place where we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. We don’t want to have to surrender to the demons to keep some of humanity intact. Now, I’m not saying that’s gonna happen right now, but we’re getting closer every day. The government thinks we need to be more aggressive with our approach.”
Turner looked at the others to make sure he wasn’t the only one who didn’t understand. “What does that mean, sir? What’s the mission?”
The commander shook his head. “Boys, your end goal is to go to hell.”
Several of the guys chuckled. Turner chimed in. “If it’s all the same to you, I think we’d rather end up in heaven, sir.”
The commander smiled. “I’m sorry, boys, but no.”
They all fell quiet, and a sense of unease permeated the room. Brock broke the silence. “What exactly are you saying?”
The commander slid the file across to Brock. “I’ve read the operation every which way you can read it. I didn’t believe it at first, but then I remembered what kind of war we were in. The file says that your goal is liter
ally to storm the gates of hell.”
No one said a word. They all sat there absolutely stunned. Sure, many of them had joked about it before, but no one had actually thought it would be a reality.
Brock’s demon laughed loudly in his ear. Oh, this just takes the cake, sweetie pie. There is no way in hell, literally, no way I am marching back into that place.
Brock ignored his demon and narrowed his eyes. “With whom would we be storming these gates, sir?”
The commander pulled the file back from Brock and shook his head. “This is top level secret, but I don’t expect you boys to go marching into hell without knowing who you’ll be working with and for. It’s not a military member, I know that for sure. It’s actually a woman, let me see. Her name is here somewhere.”
Brock and Turner exchanged a glance. Turner mouthed, “You think?”
They looked back at the commander and asked in unison, “Katie?”
The commander flipped through several pages and then found the name. He looked up, surprised. “Yes. How did you know that?”
Turner snorted laughter. Two of the guys high-fived each other. Brock took a moment to look at each team member. One by one, they nodded. Brock swallowed and looked at the commander. “Hell, sign us up!”
The guys all cheered and stood up, talking loudly to each other. The commander was dumbfounded, but pulled out a stack of forms and plopped them on the table. “Okay. Just fill out one of these forms each. It’s liability waivers, next of kin, that sort of thing. I’ll put my John Hancock on it and send it off to the general.”
The guys rushed the stack, pushing each other out of the way to get to the forms. The commander just shook his head. He had never seen any soldier excitedly signing up for certain death. He looked at Brock, who was calmly sitting in his seat waiting for the others to finish up. Brock couldn’t hide his smile. He shrugged his shoulders at the commander.
The commander threw his hands up. “You men are some of the most ballsy idiots I’ve ever met. Either you’ve finally lost your minds, or you really think you have a chance at this ridiculous assignment. Whichever one it is, this Katie lady must be one hell of a leader to get you guys to jump on it like this.”