by Michael Todd
Joshua rubbed his hands together proudly. “We have a specialty weapon that will only be harmful to those in an atmosphere like hell’s or Damned standing nearby. You launch this sucker straight into hell and walk away. Preferably, you aim it and know where it’s going, but firing blindly would probably work too. It would just be less dramatic.”
Katie examined the thing. “And it does what?”
Joshua smiled evilly. “Well, the bomb has a liquid H2O core with an emulsified powdery substance mixed in, none other than my special metal. When the bomb hits, the core will break, spilling its contents into the streams of lava. Special metal mixed with simple water will create a steam cloud.”
Katie let her head fall slightly back, and her shoulders went slack. “We’re going to kill demons with steam?”
Joshua laughed. “Not just any steam, my friend. This is going to be a steam cloud of death. The combination of chemicals in the lava will interact with the special metal particles, and the cloud will spread through hell. Anything that breathes it will ultimately suffer a terrible and very painful death. It’s probably the most amazing thing this armory has ever created.”
Korbin looked at it nervously. “And probably extremely fucking dangerous in the wrong hands.”
Joshua nodded reluctantly. “Which is why I only made one. We’ll make sure this baby goes off when it hits the lava. Once it’s broken open and airborne, there’s no way they’ll be able to replicate it. The sheer heat of hell will evaporate the water almost immediately.”
Katie smiled and slapped Joshua’s back. “Well done, Einstein. Well done.”
Korbin leaned across a dining table toward Katie, Stephanie, and Calvin and waved his hands as he told a story from when Calvin was new to the team. “I swear, he looked like his whole body was going to explode right then and there. It was amazing.”
Calvin’s cheeks were red and hot, and he shook his head. “Hey, I was new to all of it. That fucking demon had three heads. Three not-so-attractive heads, I might add.”
Katie laughed and patted Calvin on the shoulder. “It’s okay. We’ve all had at least one piss-your-pants moment, like Juntto with the ice cream man demon.”
Angie and Juntto were whispering in the corner, not realizing they were being discussed. Everyone stared at them until they looked over in confusion, and a roar of laughter filled the room. Katie looked at her friends, remembering what it was like to be together with a team so close that they were family. Except for Brock and his team, of course. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she couldn’t shake the sick feeling in her chest.
When the laughter died down, everyone went sullen, remembering reality. Stephanie took a deep breath and grabbed an empty tray that had once held a dozen donuts. “Well, we’ve still got an hour of light outside. We could all go out there and enjoy the fall breeze. I think I have a couple of bottles of wine in the fridge.”
Korbin scoffed. “Try like ten, but okay. I need to build this woman a wine cellar.”
Stephanie spun, almost losing the tray. It flipped in the air and she clapped her hands together, sandwiching it in between her palms. “Finally, you catch on.”
The door to the dining hall flew open, and Timothy raced in with his tablet. “A portal. There’s a portal.”
Everyone stood up quickly, Calvin’s chair falling over and hitting the floor. Korbin held up a hand. “Okay, calm down. Tell me where.”
Timothy put one hand on his hip and breathed in and out repeatedly. He could barely get his lungs to take in air, much less speak. After a moment of everyone staring at him with confused looks on their faces, he pointed straight up. “The sky. Above us.”
Korbin ran to the door, hitting a red button on the wall. Emergency lights started to flash, and sirens howled overhead. “Everyone, grab your weapons and gear up. We want to be on top of this one.”
Timothy stepped quickly over to Korbin. He tapped him on the shoulder and held up his tablet. “Everyone obviously should be in place regardless, but why don’t we try out our new anti-aircraft guns first? Let’s see if we can send them back before they hit the ground.”
Korbin bit the inside of his lip and stared at the screen. “They can be aimed where the portal is being detected?”
Timothy nodded. “Yep.”
Korbin ran his eyes over the room and everyone paused, looking at him. “Okay. Gear up and meet me outside, but no one fires until I give the word. We spent a shit-ton of money and time on these guns, so let’s see exactly what they can do.”
The whole team hurried to grab their weapons from the training room, then ran out the side door. They swerved around the corner and came to a stop next to Korbin. Their defenses included six anti-aircraft guns, all remotely controlled from Timothy’s tablet. Katie stood shoulder to shoulder with Calvin and Juntto, holding her pistols in her hands. A huge flash of light tore across the sky, and a portal appeared above them.
Timothy pressed his tongue between his lips as he adjusted the position of the guns. “Ready and in position. Tell me when to fire.”
Korbin narrowed his eyes, watching the dark hot abyss swirling above the main building. As soon as the first demons began to drop, he pointed at Timothy. “Fire!”
Timothy said a prayer and pushed a button on his tablet, and the guns instantly started firing round after round. They rotated slightly, sprayed bullets from one end of the portal to the other. As the demons fell, they turned to dust, disintegrating before they could hit the roof of the building. The guns continued to fire for another three minutes.
Korbin waved his hand at Timothy. “Okay, hold off.
Timothy turned the guns off, and they watched the portal with bated breath. The flow of demons had stopped.
“Let’s see what’s next.”
The portal wavered and flickered for a moment before slamming shut. Everyone jumped into the air, cheering loudly. The soldiers behind them cheered as well, holding their guns up over their heads. Korbin hugged Stephanie tightly and kissed her on the cheek. “Nice work, Timothy. Nice fucking work.”
Pandora sniffed the air. Don’t start celebrating just yet.
Katie’s head snapped toward Timothy. “Check your radar.”
Timothy’s smile fell as he switched screens. His eyes went wide, and he spun around, looking across the field. “Another one. There’s another one coming just on the other side of the base. These guns can rotate, but they can’t do a one-eighty.”
Korbin hefted his assault rifle and nodded at the others. “This one we blast from here. Men, when that portal opens, shoot it with everything you’ve got.”
The soldiers got into formation. A line of men got down on one knee and steadied their rifles. Katie gripped the thick handles of her pistols. Her eyes found Juntto, who was already looking to Katie for orders. The same deafening crack echoed across the marsh, and a hot wind blew across the base. The portal split wide open and was met with a shower of gunfire from everyone on the base.
Juntto fired at the portal with a borrowed rifle, but he scooted closer to Katie. “We should be out there. We can take those bastards.”
Katie fired one more bullet. “You read my fucking mind.”
She holstered her guns and found Korbin. “Keep firing. Juntto and I are going to flank them. You guys hold the line in case any of the demons get past us.”
Calvin ceased firing. “I’m coming too.”
Katie squeezed his shoulder. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
The three of them took off to the right, going around the gunfire to avoid being shot. The last thing Katie wanted was to end up with a bullet in her back. She had way too much to do to worry about that. Juntto roared loudly as he raced forward, ready to take down demons.
The beasts poured out of the portal, angrier than Katie had ever seen them.
They were small but ferocious, jumping in groups and piling on top of one another to get at the three of them. Katie fired with deadly accuracy, shooting as many as she could as
Juntto ripped through the horde throwing heads all over the place. Calvin was a bit taken aback by their anger and danced in and out of the demons, slashing his short sword through their skulls.
Korbin put up his hands. “Hold your fire. Let Katie, Calvin, and Juntto do their thing for a minute. We don’t want to accidentally hit any of them.”
Angie wiped the sweat from her forehead. “Please. We’ve had enough of that lately.”
Stephanie frowned and slid her hand into Korbin’s. They stood watching the demons rage, slashing their claws violently. Whenever one would break the line and head toward the base, a soldier would light it up, blasting it into dust.
Stephanie’s face was contorted in horror. Timothy stood there with his tablet pressed to his chest, his mouth slightly open. “I’ve never seen those baby demons move like that. It’s like someone filled them with caffeine, shook em’ up, and let em’ loose. Damn.”
“They’re getting stronger and fiercer,” Stephanie agreed. “I haven’t seen a battle rage like this one in a very long time.”
Korbin’s breath caught as he took it in. “I know. Everything about these demons has been drastically evolving.”
He relaxed his brow and squeezed Stephanie’s hand tighter. His eyes shifted down to hers, and he brushed his other hand across her cheek. “We knew one day the war would really kick into high gear. I’m not worried, though. We have a good leader and everything we could need to fight them. Let’s just hope those three can handle themselves out there. They’ve moved in front of the target, so unless we want to shoot them, we can’t fire as a group.”
Stephanie gulped and glanced at the long scar that went up her arm, a relic from her first fight after Katie had brought her back. She would never sacrifice her friends to fight off the demons, but she sure as hell wasn’t looking forward to hand-to-hand combat.
Timothy scooted closer to Stephanie and took her other hand. She tried to give him a reassuring smile.
He stared at Katie, Juntto, and Calvin, who were fighting the wave of snarling beasts. Behind them, the sky was growing darker by the second. “Maybe we should go out there and help them. You know, give them backup?”
Stephanie tightened her grip on his hand. “Our leader gave us orders, and we’re going to follow them. We’ll be okay. They’re just a bunch of ferocious little bastards this time around. But then again, when are they not?”
Timothy smacked his lips. “I think all they need is a week-long spa retreat and some really nice shoes. That will make anyone happier.”
Stephanie’s lips curled into a smile. “You’re so good in these situations. You could make me laugh if I was holding a head in my hand.”
Timothy shook his head, his eyes closed. “No, ma’am. You are not ruining that manicure.”
A loud bang sounded, and everyone turned their attention to Katie. She was whaling on a medium-sized demon. They watched as the three bodies fought valiantly in the night, stomping out as many demons as they could. Timothy pulled his tablet back and started pressing buttons. “I should turn on the lights out there. That might help.”
As soon as he pressed the button the great spotlights flashed on, blinding the soldiers for a split second. Stephanie’s hand flew out and grabbed Timothy’s arm. “What the fuck just happened? A moment ago we had three people fighting those demons out there. Then you flipped the lights on.”
“So?”
“Look. Now there are only two.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Located in the southern part of Kangding in Sichuan China, Minya Konka towered above the clouds. Better known as Mount Gongga, the Chinese mountain was white from bottom to top, and the weather was always cold and rainy. The air was thin and quiet on the seven-thousand-meter peak of the mountain. Very few ventured to these parts, and only twenty-four humans had ever reached the top.
On that rainy October day, the clouds sat below the peaks, and the horizon was a zigzag arena of mountainous terrain. On the tallest peak of the range, a loud snap echoed, sending a heat wave down the ice-covered slope. A large demon stepped out onto the icy ground, the snow and slush immediately melting beneath him. Steam rolled off his shoulders and back as he looked out over the horizon.
The muscles in his back began to twitch as he turned, revealing Baal’s furrowed brow and snarling lips. He shivered, patting both sides of his arms. “Fucking nonsense. It’s cold as fuck up here.”
His hands went to his hips as he scanned the top of the mountain. Slowly, he pulled a rolled-up map from the fanny pack around his waist, then zipped the pouch again and unrolled the map. He ran his finger down the parchment but glanced up from time to time, trying to figure out where the hell he was. A strong burst of wind swirled around the mountaintop, and he lost control of one side of the map. He grumbled as he caught it and turned his back to the wind.
He looked up again, seeing two slightly shorter peaks across from him. “All these damned mountaintops look alike. Why can’t the assholes who make maps smarten them up a bit?”
Grumbling as his feet sloshed through the mud and stone beneath him, his eyes narrowed as he squinted into the distance. His eyes moved from one fixed point down to the map, back up to a mountaintop, then to the map one last time. He snorted loudly, the air rippling the map. He lifted the paper and turned it from side to side, finally nodding and flipping it over. “Ahh.”
He pointed to one place on the map and glared to his right. Sighing, he shook his head and rubbed his nose on his arm. “Well, that might be the right one.”
He rolled the map back up and shoved it into his fanny pack. Zipping it again, he shivered, all the scales on his body vibrating against his flesh. He swiped his hand down diagonally, and a gate opened with a loud crack where he stood. “Well, here’s hoping.”
Baal disappeared into the gate, and it slammed shut behind him.
Calvin was buried in a swarm of snarling demons. He slashed and cut, and still they came.
His short sword bit into a demon’s skull, and it burst into dust. More demons pushed against him, and he leaned back as a demon’s claw flew at his face. He snarled and narrowed his eyes. “You fucking ass, you almost cut this beautiful face.”
The demon roared loudly, spattering spit all over Calvin’s visage. He closed his eyes and wiped his hand across it. When he opened them, the demon was charging again. “Oh, that’s the last straw, motherfucker.”
He struck out hard with his right leg, planting his foot right under the demon’s chin. Its whole body flew back and Calvin pounced, swirling his sword in a circle and slicing the demon’s head off its shoulders. Katie was a few feet away and looked down as the head bounced to her and turned to dust. “Nice one.”
Calvin took a bow, stabbing a demon behind him as he did. “Why, thank you. I’ll be here all week.”
Katie laughed as she grabbed a demon by the neck and flipped over him. She landed and pressed her forearm to his throat, then placed her palm flat on its forehead. With a quick snap, she broke the thing’s neck. The demon crumpled to the ground, turning to dust. Calvin nodded. “Not a lot of flare but I like it. Simple and to the point.”
They both looked at Juntto. He raged, ripping his shirt open and then grabbing two demons. He slammed their heads together until they went limp in his hands and finally exploded into ash.
Calvin grimaced, but Katie giggled. Calvin hadn’t seen him fight like that before. “Yo, your boy is scary as fuck. Just thought you should know.”
Katie took off at a run toward Juntto, giving Calvin a thumbs-up. She soared through the air, slamming her foot into the neck of one of the demons sneaking up on Juntto. Juntto whirled but stopped in his tracks when he saw Katie. Pandora tilted her head. Aw, you calm him like Betty Ross calmed the Hulk.
Katie slammed her fist into another demon’s face, breaking its nose. Yeah, except she died at the hand of Hulk’s arch-nemesis.
Pandora cleared her throat as Katie shot the demon in the face. True, but as we learned last week,
she’s been resurrected.
Katie shook her head, backing up toward Juntto as more demons approached. I don’t want to be resurrected. If I die, leave me dead, please. At least then I can sleep.
Katie pulled out Tom and Harry and fired into the oncoming horde. Pandora sighed. You would think that, but the afterlife comes with a lot of jobs and responsibilities. If you’re looking for rest and relaxation, look elsewhere.
Great. More missed sleep. Wonderful.
A loud hum reverberated throughout the courtyard, and all of the demons began to turn. The portal was closing, and they made a mad dash home before it did. The demons had started to learn that when they were left on Earth, very few returned unscathed. In fact, most who returned were banished to the depths of hell for failing.
Juntto swung around as Calvin jogged up. “The portal is still open.”
Calvin turned to watch. “It’s doing something weird.”
Katie pulled out her knives and moved her eyes from right to left. “What do you guys say we kick some of these demon’s asses? Make it harder for them to come back here.”
Calvin raised his short sword and nodded. “Hell, yeah. Been a while since I got to fight with my girl.”
Pandora giggled. My black hero. Swangin’ dicks and breakin’ legs.
Katie tried not to make a face, but Calvin noticed. “I miss you, too, Pandora!”
Juntto chuckled at the two and raised his arms, stretching. “You know I’m always down for a bit of massacre and fear. I mean, hell, it’s been quite a while.”
Juntto clapped his hands and took off through the demons, coming to a sliding stop about seven feet from a medium-sized beast. It froze, its eyes wandering over Juntto’s body. It could tell what Juntto was. It was just trying to decide what to do with him. Juntto yawned and snapped his fingers to wake the demon up. “Are we going to fight here, or are you going to ogle me like a fangirl?”
The demon snarled and ran at Juntto, who took a knee and flipped the demon over him. The frost giant swirled around and slammed his fist into the demon’s head, crushing its skull. Juntto shook the blood off his fingers, wrinkling his nose. “Fucking gross.”