Protected by the Damned BoxedSet 2

by Michael Todd

  Everyone groaned but jogged into the building, feeling the excitement of the afternoon. Korbin looked at Katie and winked, climbing into the chopper and looking over things with the pilot. Katie smiled at Stephanie, who had walked up and put her arm around Katie’s shoulders.

  “Hey, at least now we have a badass ride for our hunting.” Stephanie looked at Korbin, then the bird.

  Katie laughed. “I don’t think Korbin is gonna let us take the chopper for that.”

  “No.” Stephanie nodded. “Oh, hell no, he wouldn’t. I mean, look at your new truck. The thing looks angry and ready to hunt.”

  “Hell, yes, it does.” Katie pumped her fist.

  “We can throw a bunch of demon-infested assholes in the back of that thing.” She laughed.

  “Just don’t scratch the paint,” Katie warned. “I’m leaving that for the next time I bowl over a demon and send him plummeting back into the depths of hell. I want to see what Ruby Red looks like on the front of T’Chezz. Maybe with that big-assed FORD emblem embedded in his chest.”

  “Me too, girl. Me too.” Stephanie laughed and went into the building with Katie right behind her.

  The general eyed the scientist.

  “So you see, here we are studying demons’ limits,” the scientist explained. “We want to know their strengths and their weaknesses. Our biggest challenge is that all our demons are inside a human body. We haven’t captured an actual demon yet. They are big and hard to contain, and getting them here would be nearly impossible, so we are working with what we have. Don’t get me wrong—these demons are pretty unfriendly, but they are shielded by their human.”

  “So you are able to study them to a certain extent, but not fully,” General Brushwood mused as they walked through the underground tunnels of Area 61 in northern Louisiana.

  “Right,” the scientist replied, as they approached the labs.

  “What about a dead one?” the general asked. “Would that be sufficient?”

  “It would be,” the doctor agreed, “but as you may remember, when you kill a demon it either evaporates back to hell or turns to ash. We tried testing those, but that didn’t show us anything. It was just ash under a microscope; nothing is alive in it.”

  “Oh, right. Well, I just don’t know how we are going to—”

  Right then a loud crash echoed through the corridor, followed by a scream. The doctor jumped in front of the general and shoved him through a door as a demon broke through the window and tumbled across the floor in front of them.

  “He’s broken loose,” the doctor shouted, slapping the alarm on the wall.

  The general pulled his gun, but before he could aim the guards pulled him to the floor. He looked at the ceiling as red laser beams shot across the hall, spearing the beast. Small guns dropped from the ductwork , and alarms blared. The demon growled and looked at the general with a smile. He took two steps forward to lunge, but before he could complete the action the guns fired wildly. The beast flew back, gyrating with every hit. The guns kept firing, spraying bullets all over the hall and directly into the demon.

  After what seemed like an eternity the alarms stopped, and the guards helped the general from the floor. He stepped closer to the corpse on the floor and watched as what was left of it slowly turned to ash. The doctor shook his head, ordering clean-up crews to take care of the mess.

  “I want the other damned enclosures triple-checked!” the doctor barked. “If this one got out there might be a weakness in the security, and we cannot afford to lose another one.”

  “Wow,” the general exclaimed, putting away his gun and straightening his uniform.

  “I’m sorry, General. Please forgive us.” The doctor straightened his glasses. “This seldom happens, but when it does we are fully prepared for it.” He waved a hand toward the ash pile. “As you can see.”

  “What happens if there is a human in the hallway?” the general asked.

  “That’s why we earn hazard pay, General.” The doctor smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

  The doctor walked over to some of the other staff and start giving orders. The general couldn’t believe they were so nonchalant about this.

  On top of that, he had not been briefed on the security measures at that facility. Had he known, he might not have been so cavalier about pulling his weapon. He stopped one of the staff as they walked past.

  “I’m sorry, I just want to ask a question.”

  “Yes, General.” The man smiled. “What can I help you with?”

  “If there was someone in the hall, maybe trapped between the demon and the wall, they would have been hit?”

  “General, you have to understand the power of these beasts,” the guy explained. “They can do more damage than bullets ever could. The system is made to kill anything in the hall. We can’t be too careful. We cannot allow one of our people to be infected, and we cannot let a demon escape the facility. They are too wild and dangerous, and most are injured in some way. It would be like a rabid dog outside.”

  “I understand,” the general replied. “Thank you.”

  “Sure.” He smiled as he walked away.

  The general took a good look at the hall. The walls were thick metal, everything was covered in some sort of protective gear, and even the security features had a plexiglass shield on them. He hadn’t paid close attention before, but now he started to feel a bit uneasy about the whole thing.

  He wondered if the first base he had gone to had that kind of protection. He was sure they did; they were an even larger facility than this one.

  “Shall we move on with the tour?” the doctor asked, walking up beside the general.

  “Sure.”

  The general followed the doctor down the hall, stopping for a moment to look at the other demons in their cages. They looked like wild animals: chained to the floor, the bars on their cages scratched and rough from their teeth and nails. He struggled to see the humans inside those cages at all.

  “They used to be people.” The doctor glanced at the demons. “We have seen some go from human to completely demon, but others came this way. Still, somewhere in them is the person who used to have that body. They are just too far gone to do anything for. You have to understand that, or you will drive yourself crazy.”

  “When all the humanity is gone, we will have lost,” the general replied. “I damn sure hope that isn’t anytime soon.”

  Chapter Seven

  T’Chezz stood in the great hall, the hood of his long black robe pulled up over his scaled head. His red eyes gleamed vibrantly as he looked at the high arched ceilings. The building was reminiscent of something that would have been found on ancient Earth. The stone beams curved toward the center and had demonic enchantments etched into the craggy surfaces. It was the high assembly gathering place and its halls bustled with demons, some there for sport, others with actual positions in the levels. T’Chezz had been there many times before, but never for a meeting like the one he was waiting impatiently for. The rest of the top eight were away doing the master’s bidding but Moloch was still there, and he had called T’Chezz in for a secret meeting.

  T’Chezz and Moloch had never truly seen eye to eye, but they’d always had the same goal: to overtake the weak, to strive for success, to be the bigger demon. T’Chezz knew this was no peace offering, but his plans were big; huge even, and if he succeeded, Lucifer would take notice. Moloch would want to be a part of that, to work himself up the chain. The higher-level demon had ambitions as well, mostly centered around standing at the left side of Lucifer. Moloch wanted to rule just below the king himself, and have everything that went along with that. Demons were gluttons for glory and power, and Moloch was no different than the rest.

  “T’Chezz,” the demon growled, walking toward him. “Thank you for coming.”

  “Thank you for the call,” T’Chezz replied.

  “Shall we go to my office?”

  T’Chezz nodded, putting his hands behind his back and walking beside Molo
ch. As the lower demons passed they put their heads down, paying respect to the mighty demon. He was feared, which was not the same as respect, but the outcome was no different. He was revered by the strong, feared by the weak, and used as a model for the ambitious. In reality he wasn’t much stronger than T’Chezz, but he was an opportunist, knowing exactly who to schmooze and when.

  “I hope we weren’t too brutal on you during our last meeting.” Moloch smiled, showing T’Chezz into his large office. “Your ideas are big, and we like that.”

  The fireplace was huge. It stretched along one whole wall, and though it looked like flames burned inside, when you looked closer you could see the tiny souls trapped in their own personal hell. They shimmered and flickered like fire, and T’Chezz made a mental note to get one of those.

  “Do you like it?” Moloch asked as T’Chezz peered at the fireplace. “It was a gift from his Eminence himself. I think it’s a bit showy, but who am I to refuse my own personal soul-catcher?”

  “Right.” T’Chezz chuckled, taking a seat.

  “So, you are probably wondering why I called you here,” Moloch began. “I’ll just cut to the chase and not waste too much of your eternity. It is time I receive sacrifices again, and I am willing to offer them to you to support the overthrow of Earth.”

  “That is…unexpected,” T’Chezz admitted. “Thank you. I would accept such help.”

  “Tell me, then,” Moloch continued. “Where and why are you having the difficulties you are facing now?”

  “The hunters have gotten smarter,” T’Chezz explained, after a moment of thinking what the catch would be for accepting help from Moloch.

  Any way he looked at it, the risk was worth it.

  “There are no longer small rogue groups, they have militarized. And they aren’t fighting with fists and swords anymore, our own demons are fighting us. They are called ‘the Damned;’ infected by a demon soul that is too weak to take over the human completely. The human harnesses those powers and fights with them.”

  “They can’t be strong demons, then,” Moloch mused.

  “They aren’t,” T’Chezz replied, thinking of one in particular. “At least not all of them. But the humans have something that I can’t nail down. It is a new weapon forged of magic and steel, and it gravely injures and even kills demons big and small. That, coupled with the training, and the humans have become a bit of a force. My sources say they are no longer just waiting for a fight, either. One of them specifically hunts down the demons in the most influential positions and sends them back to hell.”

  “Well, well, well.” Moloch chuckled, steepling his fingers. “Those fleshy little bastards are getting smart. I have to say, it’s about time, it’s only been a few fucking millennia since they could put two words together.”

  “Yes.” T’Chezz snorted. “But it’s a pain in the fucking ass.”

  “Here is what I’m going to do for you.” Moloch leaned forward. “I will work on a counter-weapon, something that can stop them in their tracks. It can possibly even give them a little taste of their own medicine, and remind them that they are not all that smart.”

  T’Chezz grinned. “I like how that sounds.”

  “Good,” Moloch replied, sitting back in his chair. “Can you get these killer soldiers of yours to show up so we can test this new weapon on them when the time is right?”

  “That won’t be a problem at all,” T’Chezz assured him. “That’s one thing I never had a problem with: getting the bastards to show up.”

  “Excellent.” Moloch nodded. “Then go; prepare. I will do the same. I will help you get over this hurdle so you can continue your siege of the humans. Don’t screw this up.”

  “I give you my word,” T’Chezz responded, standing up.

  He left without another word.

  If Moloch wanted all these idiots in one place, he would make it happen. It shouldn’t be that hard; he would just need to recruit the right demons for the job.

  He was determined to see them dead, if it was the last thing he did.

  The music at Torn Asunder was loud, and the sounds of ripe conversation, glasses clinking, and laughter blasted Katie as she walked back in from getting a breath of air.

  The smell of food and stale beer was familiar and comforting, and she laughed as she watched a fight land in a plate of freshly-prepared nachos to the left of her.

  The fight ended as cheese sprayed wildly into the air and those involved hugged in a gooey embrace, putting their hands up for the crowd to cheer them. Katie just shook her head, realizing that the bar she used to feel lost in suddenly felt like home. She had been doing this demon thing—head down and full speed ahead—longer than she had thought she would.

  When she’d first arrived, there was a big part of her that had figured she would be dead within the first six months. She couldn’t lie to herself about that.

  But here she was, stronger than ever, striding through every day with a renewed sense of self. She walked back to the table and sat down with Stephanie, Damian, Calvin, Derek, Korbin, and Eric.

  They looked like they were having a good time. Eric and Derek were scanning the crowd as usual, Stephanie was poking at Korbin, Damian was reading a book and sipping a whiskey, and Calvin was on the dance floor. He had a whole group around him, jamming to the early-nineties dance music pumping through the speakers. Katie laughed, watching Calvin hanging out like he was a normal dude enjoying his downtime.

  “You guys are sooo boring,” Stephanie whined, dancing in her seat. “Come on, old grumpy Gus—let’s go cut a rug.”

  Stephanie stood up and put her hand out to Korbin, who slowly looked up at her. Katie put her hand over her mouth and leaned forward on her elbow, trying to hide the amusement she felt watching the two of them.

  Finally he sighed and took her hand, letting Stephanie drag him onto the dance floor. Eric joined Calvin, seeing his chance to get in on the horde of women dancing with him.

  “Whelp!” Derek smacked him on the back. “I think I’m gonna play some pool.”

  Katie chuckled. “No wild dance party for you?”

  “Me?” Derek laughed, standing up from his chair and glancing at a sweet brunette in the corner who was giving him the eye. “I think I’ll find my comforts somewhere else. Besides, I dance like Korbin.”

  Katie looked at Korbin, who was swaying side to side and clapping his hands. She burst into laughter, covering her mouth and shaking her head as Derek walked away nodding.

  She took a sip of her beer and let the last giggle out as she looked around the room. Damian hadn’t noticed anything and kept his nose pressed into his book. Katie wondered if he actually read the thing, or if it was a distraction from the evils that threatened his priesthood. She sighed and put down her half-empty glass.

  What’s wrong with you now? Pandora griped.

  Nothing, Katie replied. I was just thinking about how it would be nice to maybe have a guy for something other than a brother.

  Hallelujah! Praise Jesus, a miracle has come to us today, Pandora intoned in her best reverend impression.

  Are you allowed to say that? Katie chuckled.

  Hell, yeah, I am, Pandora snarked. If old priesty-head over there can drink whiskey and swear, I can praise that fluffy guy in the sky.

  I’m not saying I’m ready to go cartwheeling into someone’s bedroom, Katie pointed out. I’m just saying a little romance never hurt anyone. Well, that’s not entirely true, I suppose. Romance is probably the biggest cause of pain for humanity, but still.

  I would say it’s number three on the list, Pandora told her. One being death, because let’s face it—none of us get out of this life alive. Except me, typically.

  Because you’re not alive, Katie replied.

  Pandora brushed her off. Details. Two would be money, because it makes your little world go around, and third is romance.

  You have a point. I’ve come to terms with death and I have plenty of money. Katie laughed. But that doesn’t mean I do
n’t think about that third one.

  You need to do more than think, girl, Pandora commanded. You need to push up those tits, swivel those goddamn hips, and start showing these men who you are.

  I am pretty sure if I push my tits up any more than you already have they’re going to stab me in the eyeballs, Katie replied.

  Pandora kept babbling about picking up men, and Katie instantly regretted telling her how she felt. She tuned her out, staring across the floor at Stephanie and Korbin. They were talking and laughing, sharing the intimacy that Katie was starting to long for.

  It wasn’t just about sex for her. It was about having someone there. Someone to laugh with, cry with, get angry at, and all the other things that happen when you enter into a relationship with someone.

  She wanted to be wanted, and she wanted to want someone back.

  Every single morning Katie woke up wondering if it would be her last rise and shine. She went through her day thinking about the next incursion, not the next date or the next girl’s night out like most of her friends.

  She didn’t sit around and drink bottles of wine at night. She planned out the next demon hunt with Stephanie, eating pizza and wiping her face on her sleeve. She could call herself a tomboy, but it was her life, not her personality.

  Katie sighed and picked up her drink again, figuring that whatever was going to happen, she wanted it to happen organically. She didn’t want to force it. She was not on the hunt; not for a man, at least.

  She had bigger things to worry about, like the demons who were hunting her.

  T’Chezz tapped his large scaly fingers on the desk, shaking the cup of pens on the edge. The underling demon kept his eyes on the floor, the wall, or anywhere else he could put them to avoid staring into T’Chezz’s deep-red gaze. The big demon had a plan; something he had to get done, and he couldn’t sit around and wait to make it happen.

  “You understand what needs to be done, correct?” T’Chezz asked.