by Michael Todd
“I’m glad you feel that way.” Korbin opened her door. “Now go on, and report to me at least every other day—even if it’s just to tell me you’re okay.”
“Will do,” she assured him, climbing into her car.
Korbin closed the door and waved as she pulled out and left the base.
He really hoped he heard from her again.
Why on earth are you up so early? Pandora groaned as Katie climbed out of bed. The sun was barely up.
Because we have a new vehicle to buy, Katie told her cheerfully.
Oh yeahhh, Pandora cooed, acting as if she had forgotten. What are we getting? A Mercedes? An Aston Martin? A new Ferrari?
None of those. Katie grabbed a tank top off her bed. We are getting a Ford F-150 Raptor.
We’re what? Pandora asked, confusion evident in her voice.
Just hear me out, Katie replied. This truck drove the Baja races through the sand, the rough terrain—everything. It was an 830-mile race, and when they were done they drove it back to base. They had stock tires on it, a stock engine, brakes…everything. The only thing they changed was adjusting the shocks slightly, because they had to put a roll cage on it for the race.
Are we turning into racers? Pandora asked. Because if we are, I’m making sure your zipper busts at the finish line.
No, but we are now going to be living in the middle of the desert. And heaven forbid your brother decides to portal his ass back in. We will have a vehicle in which we can scream across the sand and knock him into the pits of hell without sending the truck along. Plus, we are saving a shit-ton of money by buying it. It’s like less than fifty grand, and it will give us more power than any of the other cars we were looking into.
I don’t know, Pandora griped. It’s a truck!
Yep, Katie agreed, pulling on a sweatshirt and jeans. And I bet we can drive one home today.
Okay, I’ll look at them, but if I hate them we will revisit this, Pandora said reluctantly. It was my prize.
It’s a deal, Katie replied, just glad her demon didn’t completely shut the idea down. I really think you are going to like it, and there is no guarantee that one of those sport’s cars would last, with the amount of sand and dirt blowing around on the new base. It would have sand in the engine the first day we pulled up.
Well, take me to them, then, Pandora directed. I won’t know until you sit your pretty ass down in one.
Katie left the compound before anyone else was awake, not wanting to give away what she was doing.
They took an SUV and headed to the dealership, seeing the Raptors all lined up nice and pretty on the lot. They pulled up just as they were opening, and a salesman came right out. This was definitely a different experience from Ferrari, but she liked the more down-to-earth crowd anyway—even if Pandora didn’t.
“How are you?” the salesman asked. “I’m Tom, what can I help you with?”
“I wanted to look at the Raptors,” she told him. “I am moving to a really sandy area, and I want to be able to travel anywhere I need to, even on sand and high ground.”
“Well, the Raptor is definitely a good choice for that.” He smiled. “We have eight in stock right now.”
He walked Katie across the parking lot to the Raptor section. She wove between the different-colored trucks, finally opening a door and sitting behind the wheel. She definitely fit a lot better in the Raptor, and it felt safer than the vehicles she had tried out to that point.
Tom got the keys and they took it for a test drive, and Katie fell in love with it immediately.
What do you think? she asked Pandora.
I guess it will do. She sighed. But you better show me one hell of a time out there on the dunes. I want to be peeing in your pants with fun by the time you’re done.
Yeah, maybe I should rethink this. Katie chuckled. Or get some Depends.
“What do you think?” Tom asked as they pulled back into the lot.
“I love it.” Katie stroked the steering wheel and turned to him. “Do I need to order it, or can I buy one off the lot?”
“We have several with all the bells and whistles,” he assured her. “Just depends on what color you want.”
“Hmmm,” Katie mumbled, thinking to herself. “How about dark red? That way they can’t tell if it’s bleeding.”
Katie laughed to herself, but the salesman just stared at her with a blank expression. He didn’t seem to get it, but then, he wouldn’t. She cleared her throat and got out of the truck.
“Shall we?” she asked, glancing back at Tom.
He shook his head and lifted his eyebrows as he caught up with her. She smiled awkwardly at him as he held the door for her. He took her to his office and sat her down.
“Man,” Katie mumbled to herself. “This is a tough crowd.”
Tom looked at her. “The race red has almost all the upgrades, including the heated seats and steering wheel, the rearview assist package, sprayed bed lining and bed cover, plus the Raptor logo on the rear. The seats are plain leather, but we can get some with orange accents if you would like?”
“Ah, no,” Katie replied. “Wow, boosted that to seventy thousand. Ok.”
They went through all the normal paperwork, dotting the Is and crossing the Ts. Finally, she opened her briefcase took out a small pile of bills, setting it aside before she slid the case across the table to him.
He lifted an eyebrow and opened it, trying to keep from gaping.
“I don’t like to use banks.” She shrugged. “It should all be there.”
“Right.” He looked at her, then back to the cash. “It’s Vegas. Not like this is the first time someone has won big, then bought a car.” He looked up. “Which casino?”
“Aria,” Katie lied.
Pandora snickered. Wow, that lie rolled off the tongue like it was greased.
I’m already lying, with my completely fake ID, I imagine it isn’t a large penalty on top of that, all things considered.
Whatever. Pandora sniffed. I’m just pointing out I haven’t lost my touch.
Tom interrupted their conversation. “I’ll take this to the manager.”
Katie had guessed they were going to check up on the money in the briefcase, but she didn’t care; it would come back legit. When he brought her the keys she arranged to pick up her SUV later, and he showed her out to her new race-red Raptor with a dark shadow tint. It was all gassed up and ready for her to drive off the lot.
It still had some beads of water from their car wash.
She smiled and waved at Tom as she drove away, thinking about how he was probably happy to be rid of her.
She didn’t blame him all that much. She knew she was slightly strange; even stranger to those outside her inner circle.
Katie drove straight over to the Pinkbox donut shop to celebrate their new purchase. She knew Pandora had been wanting to try their new cupcake donuts.
When they got inside Katie ordered her normal dozen, and two cupcake-flavored ones. She bit into one and decided she liked it.
Pandora sighed.
What’s wrong now? Katie asked.
It tastes like cake, Pandora told her. I don’t like it. If I wanted cake, I would eat cake. These are just lumpy round cupcakes with hard shells.
I know. That’s why it’s great! Katie laughed. Well, we have one left. Waste not, want not, and all that. I’ll eat this one, then we’ll switch over to our normal donuts. Is that okay?
Yeah, I suppose. She sniffed. I mean, people want to eat donuts, right?
Yes, Katie replied.
Then why do they make donuts that taste like other things?
I don’t know. Katie chuckled. That’s a good question. I guess we are all trying to make eating things like cake acceptable during breakfast.
Sheeiit. Pandora scoffed. If I ate cake for breakfast I would not be ashamed.
I know you wouldn’t, Katie griped. It would be a little embarrassing for me.
Get over it! She laughed. Being embarrassed is life-l
imiting in the worst way.
Pandora, can I ask you a question?
Sure, she said, forcing Katie to pick out the crème filled chocolate-covered donut from the box.
Why does it seem like you want to avoid going back to hell at all costs? Katie asked. I mean, it’s your home. You’ve spent centuries there, and while as a human I wouldn’t want to go there, I do know how nice it feels to go home.
Oh, you mean other than the whole dying part? Pandora asked.
I mean, I’m not really sure how you would die, Katie replied.
Oh, it can happen. Pandora chuckled nervously. Typically it’s a heavenly host and a sword you can’t even see, but it can happen. They don’t play fair in those situations, but at the same time, if you’ve got a heavenly host after you, you have done something far beyond the normal demon/devil mischief. You’ve obliterated an entire race, o…or…
Taken over a planet of humans and forced them to do your bidding? Katie asked.
Uh, yeah, that would probably do it, Pandora admitted. Just know that I am not immortal. There are ways to kill us; the secret just doesn’t lie in human hands, that’s all.
Does a heavenly host come from God? Katie asked.
I really don’t want to talk about this anymore, Pandora answered. It’s like us talking about all the ways you can die. It kind of kills the mood.
All right, Katie agreed. She wouldn’t press the issue, at least not right then. What is your favorite dessert?
I like tiramisu the best, Pandora purred.
Oooh, that’s a good one. Katie nodded. I like brownies. Not the crappy ones you get at a restaurant, but like the super-chocolaty gooey ones you make at home. Get them hot, cover them with vanilla ice cream, and I am in heaven.
I like pot brownies, Pandora offered.
You would. Katie laughed.
What about a dessert that isn’t made from a box? Pandora asked.
Oh oh oh, Katie exclaimed excitedly. I know exactly what I like.
It’s about time, Pandora said snidely.
Churros, Katie stated.
Excuse me? Pandora asked.
Oh my God, you’ve never had a churro?
Uh, no? What is it?
Katie went into an entire explanation of how churros were made, where you could get them, why they were so popular, and most importantly, what made them so delicious. Pandora listened quietly, but Katie could tell she was drooling on the inside. She had to figure out where she could get Pandora a churro soon.
So, wait… Pandora said. We are talking about a long shaft of sugary cinnamon-y goodness, with a caramel cream filling that I stick into my mouth and bite off?
Oh God, Katie moaned.
Why have you not talked about this before? Pandora asked.
I’m realizing now that I shouldn’t have talked about it at all.
It’s like you have been hiding the perfectly-designed dessert. It’s the right size, you bite it and cream comes out, the right girth… Wait, how big can they be?
Chapter Six
Katie took the Raptor for a spin around Vegas before she headed back to the first base she had called home.
As she came up to the area where T’Chezz had come out of the portal, she veered off the road into the sand. There was definitely a difference between the Raptor and the Ferrari. In the Ferrari she’d had little to no control whatsoever, but in the Raptor she sped along like she was on the highway. When she reached the area where the portal had been she slammed on her brakes, coming to a halt right where she would have hit that bastard and knocked him into next Tuesday.
But would you attempt that in real life? Pandora asked. I mean, he could have grabbed that bumper and taken you right down with him.
I guess we’ll find out next time he decides to burst out of a portal from hell, won’t we? Katie answered, turning the truck around and heading back to the road.
Pandora sighed. I’m starting to think I created a monster.
Takes one to know one. Katie laughed.
Touché.
Katie drove back to the 15, swerving in and out of the sand, having a blast in her new truck. She realized it was one of the best things she had done for herself since she had bought the Ferrari.
She had been so busy demon-hunting that she hadn’t bought anything for herself besides food, and that was usually for Pandora.
She was racking up the money, but it was just sitting there. The Raptor had cost her one big demon and a few smaller ones for the upgrades, and she was feeling like she was back in the saddle again.
When she pulled up in front of the base she revved the engine, catching everyone’s attention inside. They all piled out of the house, oohing and aahing at her new ride.
She got out and smiled at Korbin, patting her truck on the side. He shook his head and grinned, watching Eric and Derek do circles around the thing. It almost got a better reaction than the Ferrari had, but then again, this was a group of men. Well, and Stephanie. Damian walked out slowly and smiled, looking at the bright-red truck.
“You got a new ride,” he exclaimed.
“Yep,” Katie said proudly. “I had a promise to keep, and with the new base the way it is, I decided to go with something I could do a little more damage with. The Ferrari was awesome, don’t get me wrong, but I think I outgrew that stage. I walked right in and bought it off the lot.”
“We are going to have to go take it out for a sand-dune test drive,” Calvin said, lifting his eyebrows. “Do a little surfing out there at the new place.”
“You are going to have to let me drive this thing,” Eric demanded, eyes bright.
“We shall see, young Padawan.” Katie laughed.
They stood around talking about the truck for about ten minutes, then everyone shut up. The loud thump thump thump of helicopter blades echoed through the compound.
Katie stepped over to Calvin and looked into the distance as a helicopter came rushing toward them and swooped over their heads. Stephanie crouched, and everyone else backed toward the building in alarm. Korbin stayed put, though, standing next to Katie’s truck as the chopper landed.
Katie stepped forward as the bird touched down, the propellers on top spinning just as fast as the two smaller ones on the sides. It was sleek and scary as hell, but as sexy as could be. It moved fast and sharp, and Katie had to admit it was awesome to watch. Korbin put his hands in the air and turned to the team.
“Your new airbus has arrived,” he called.
“What?” Calvin chuckled.
“I figured it was time for us to upgrade.” Korbin jerked a thumb toward the helo. “We can’t keep driving to the airport, hoping to not run into traffic, now can we? The new base is farther away, and this baby will get us to the airport in fifteen minutes flat, if not quicker.”
Everyone started talking loudly, excitement replacing the alarm they had felt just moments before.
They waited until the bird’s blades had come to a complete stop and raced over to take a closer look. Katie stood at the back of the truck, just staring. She was excited, but she felt like Korbin had just stolen her thunder.
They really needed that bird, that was for damn sure, and she couldn’t have imagined a hotter-looking helicopter to chopper the team wherever they needed to go. Korbin walked up next to Katie as the others gathered around the chopper, completely leaving her and her beautiful new truck behind. She looked at the Raptor and petted it like a dog, sticking out her bottom lip.
Korbin threw his head back and laughed, grabbing her shoulder and walking them toward the group. Calvin came up behind her and leaned forward to whisper in her ear.
“Sorry.” He laughed. “That’s a sweet-ass truck, there is no disputing that, but I’m afraid it’s no Ferrari, and it’s definitely not an X3.”
“Is that what that thing is?” Katie asked.
“Yep,” Calvin said, standing up straight and crossing his arms in front of him. “That is the Eurocopter X3, or ‘X-Cubed,’ as they like to call it. As far as
I knew it was still experimental, but hell—Korbin can get his hands on anything. It goes two hundred and ninety-three miles per hour, and man, it can go forever.”
“Why does it have propellers on the front?” Katie asked.
“Those are tractor propellers,” Calvin explained. “Instead of it having propellers on the tail it has those, and they are gear-driven from the main propellers on top. That thing won the Howard Hughes Award, which is huge in the helicopter business. I’m just surprised the man didn’t pick up the racer model, which is insane and uses like fifteen percent less fuel. This one will do just fine, though. It can climb over fifty-five hundred feet per minute. That would have been handy in Los Angeles.”
“Yeah, it would have.” Katie laughed. “I guess if I’m going to lose my fans to anything, it might as well be a badass helicopter.”
“That’s for sure.” Calvin grinned.
Katie’s eyes widened in excitement. “You think he’ll let me fly it?”
“Not a chance in hell.” Calvin patted Katie on the shoulder and headed toward the chopper.
“Well, it was worth a shot,” Katie said to herself, shrugging.
She joined the others at the bird, and they gazed at its glory and took turns sitting in the pilot’s seat. Korbin told everyone he was going to learn to fly it, and when he had his license he would bring another one of them into the pilot program as well.
He wanted to eventually have their whole operation run by members of the team, whether they were there or coming there to help. He wanted to keep the place as safe as possible, which was why he had invested in the chopper and was trying to keep the contractors as minimal as possible.
“We don’t need strangers in our midst anymore,” Korbin told them. “We need to stand united as a team, and we need to not feel the sting of loss anymore. We need to push through our training and get stronger and wiser, and this helicopter is going to be a great tool to help us defeat what’s out there. This is a big step for us, one that will be scary at times, but I promise you it will all be worth it in the end. Now, I want everyone to go inside, change your clothes, and get ready for training.”