Protected by the Damned BoxedSet 2

by Michael Todd

  They were there for the weapons or the intel and gave no real signs of cooperating.

  “GO!”

  As before they started to plow through the demons, fighting hard and fast and feeling the energy that came from winning.

  “DAN!” Jeff called. “Upside!”

  Dan, who was on the floor, rolled to his left. He aimed up and shot three times into the demon trying to drop in on him.

  Dust caked his face.

  It had been a long time since they had gone into an incursion and everyone had come back out.

  “They taste like chicken.” He spat out the dust. “Very dehydrated chicken, but chicken.”

  The chuckles on the line gave way to the command to “keep your focus.”

  “Whoop!” Fists went up in the air.

  Jeff, their lead, began to clap but stopped quickly as the main door flew open and a group of Damned walked in. They were dressed in tactical gear and their red eyes shone.

  Jeff stared at them. “What team are you with? And why the hell did the general call you in?”

  The mercs’ leader walked up to him, smiling like he owned the place.

  Jeff fucking hated the Damned sometime. Cocky sonsabitches.

  “Let me try this again, perhaps a little slower. What. Are. You. Doing. Here?” He smiled and gestured behind him. “We didn’t call any of the mercenaries out, and we already got them all. No money for you here.”

  The mercs’ leader leaned in, waving Jeff a little closer. “We are here,” he licked his lips, one hand casually resting on his knife handle as he whispered, “because we aren’t on your side.” Trenton smiled.

  “What? We just…”

  Jeff froze, then looked at his stomach.

  “Name’s Trenton, by the way.”

  Jeff coughed, spraying Trenton’s face with blood, and grabbed the sword in his gut. Trenton yanked the sword out and watched as Jeff’s body crumpled to the floor. There was complete silence for half a moment—the kind that is barely measurable, but if you asked those who were there, they would swear it had been minutes long.

  Battle cries erupted from both groups.

  The Enlightened released the demons inside them and fired at the soldiers. A few took hits to their flak jackets, and one got his ear shot off.

  One by one the human team were shot down, although a few were killed by machetes and two by Trenton himself.

  By the time the ambush was complete, the Enlightened had killed the entire tac team. They stared around the armory.

  They had come for the weapons and they weren’t leaving without them.

  “You two,” Trenton called, pointing at two of the Enlightened. “Grab the duffel bags and start filling them.”

  “Why aren’t there more weapons?” Wilson asked from the doorway. “There should seriously be more weapons here.” He looked around.

  They had hit an armory, but not just any armory—a National Guard Armory. There were a few guns and some other weapons to play with, so they would pack what was there and load it into the cars they had hidden out back.

  “Seriously, we could have hit a gun store and had more luck than this,” Wilson continued, shoving a grenade in his pocket. “Don’t get me wrong; I’m glad we found weapons and everything, but I hate it when we waste our time.”

  “We took down an entire Special Operations team and you are bitching because we didn’t get enough guns?” Trenton asked. “The enemy has…”

  Trenton looked down to see he had kicked a disembodied head and lobbed it out of his path.

  “Sorry, sir.” Wilson watched the head bounce off a wall a couple of feet away. “I apologize.”

  Trenton waved a hand. “Just do the job. I’m sure things will get a bit more exciting in the days to come.”

  “Also, about the gun shop,” Terence interjected. “Those are civilians, and we could have easily hit a fellow survivalist by mistake. We don’t want to do that; it would royally suck.”

  Trenton shook his head. “Terence, you need to get that pack mentality out of your head and remember—survivalist or not, if they get in our way? We handle it,” Trenton told him grabbing the full bag from him and throwing it over his shoulder.

  Terence nodded, “Got it.”

  “How are things going with the new guys?” Calvin asked. He and Korbin were sitting at the table eating.

  “I think they just got here a little while ago. We’re trying to give them some space and time with Joshua,” he answered.

  “Is that smart?” Calvin asked. “To leave them alone with him?”

  “I don’t like it,” Korbin replied. “But at the same time, we agreed to have them here to help. They are going to be here for a while, so we’ll have to work on trusting them. The first time they fuck up though…that’s when I’ll step in and let them know who’s boss—which is everyone except them.”

  “I feel bad for Joshua. You know how nervous he gets around people.” Calvin took a bite of his sandwich. “Wish we had Pringles.”

  “Add it to the grocery list,” Korbin suggested. “But yeah, he has gotten a lot more confident lately. These guys are regulars. They are there basically to work with and for Joshua. He knows that, so I think he will be fine with it all.”

  “How are you and Stephanie doing?”

  “Oh, is that how it goes?” Korbin laughed loudly. “We’re talking about government help, and then oops! We roll right into my love life.”

  “Sorry, man.” He laughed. “I just saw Miss Stephanie covered in donuts talking about a forgive-me gift once upon a time. I never got to ask what happened with Part Two.”

  “Oh, yeah.” Korbin grunted. “Forgot about that. I guess I’m just still getting used to the idea of having a woman in my life again. It’s a slow process for me.”

  “Understandable.” Calvin smiled. “I think you deserve it, though. You’ve sacrificed for everyone else for so long that I think it’s about time you do it for yourself. Have a little happiness in your life.”

  “I’ll be happy when we stop talking about my love life.” Korbin chuckled and pulled his beeping phone from his pocket.

  Calvin watched Korbin’s face as he read the email. It went from a sunny smile deep into the shadows of anguish.

  Calvin shifted in his chair and took another bite of his sandwich. He got uneasy when Korbin was upset. He had seen that face before, so he knew that it wasn’t anything good.

  “What’s going on?” Calvin asked.

  “Apparently there was a government raid in Washington State last night,” Korbin explained. “It was a National Guard Armory. All the government soldiers died.” Korbin looked up. “There wasn’t one single survivor.”

  “What happened?” Calvin said, his heart beating fast.

  “I don’t know for sure. It doesn’t say.” Korbin looked back down. “Hopefully I can get some answers when I call in later, but I’ll tell you what—this does not have normal demon raid written on it.”

  “I don’t know,” Calvin argued. “I wouldn’t jump to conclusions. I’ve seen those guys fight, and a big incursion could have done the trick.”

  “Yeah.” Korbin exhaled and put his phone on the table. “But a mercenary demon group could also have rolled in and killed everyone. We know they are on the loose, so now comes the job of finding those fuckers.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Katie gripped her truck’s steering wheel as she plowed through the sand toward the mountains at the back of the property.

  She hadn’t been out there since she’d spread Derek’s ashes, and although it was hard for her, she knew that she needed to just do it.

  She hit the gas harder, cresting a ridge and going airborne for a moment. When she crashed back down she smiled, thinking about the time she and Derek had run wild through that very desert.

  It was one of her best memories; something she would hold onto for a very long time.

  When Katie reached the mountain, she didn’t head up in the truck.

  Inst
ead she parked at the base, deciding she could use the exercise.

  She got out, grabbed her bag, threw it on her back, and stretched her arms into the air. The morning was beautiful and the sun was just coming over the horizon.

  Katie had made sure to leave before anyone else was awake or mainlining caffeine. She needed some time to herself. She started up the mountain and felt the burn in her thighs and calves as she climbed.

  Pandora didn’t juice her, but instead stayed quiet, letting her get in the cardio she wanted.

  When she reached the flat area where Derek’s ashes had been spread, she stopped and knelt to run her hand across the sand. She still couldn’t believe he was gone. She remembered all the times she’d find him waiting for her, holding out his phone to show her some stupid meme.

  She sighed and stood up, looking out over the desert. It was beautiful up here. If she’d had the time she could stand there all day, but that wasn’t what she had come there to do.

  Katie had come there to practice with her new weapon. She had played around in the training area, but with the blades being special metal she didn’t want to accidentally hurt anyone so she’d held back, not really able to give it her all.

  Out here on the mountain plateau in the quiet of the desert morning, she would be able to concentrate; really open up to Pandora and just let things go for a while.

  Just fucking go.

  She had this amazing weapon, but one didn’t just run into a building swinging something like her new staff around at her leisure. You had to be in control, to have it move with your body, not have your body move it.

  Pandora knew a lot about it too, and she was ready to school Katie on the correct body stances and moves she would need to master her new quarterstaff.

  You there? Katie asked.

  I am, Pandora replied. Just waiting on you.

  Katie pulled out both pieces and locked them together, tossing her bag to the side. She placed herself in a starting stance and rotated her body, slicing the staff through the air. She stood up straight and did it again, this time moving her feet farther.

  That’s good, Pandora told her, but you are still fighting it. You need to relax and make the staff an extension of your body. You need to—and I know this sounds corny—become one with the weapon.

  It’s hard. It feels so strange, and I know what is in it, Katie explained.

  Why don’t you let me show you?

  Katie took a deep breath and allowed Pandora to inhabit her whole body.

  She could still feel the movement of her muscles and the way the wind blew across her face—and exactly how hard she needed to grip the staff.

  Pandora moved her through the motions, showing her the stances, the way that the staff was designed to cut through the air, and how to push with maximum force. Once Katie’s body was rolling through the motions like they were natural, Pandora amped up her speed and skill.

  Katie twisted and pulled the staff apart.

  She whirled quickly and sliced the sticks through the air, then whipped them back to her sides. She jumped and kicked her legs out, slamming the tip of the staff into the dirt as if she were striking an opponent on the ground in the chest.

  She knelt for a moment as Pandora gave her time to catch her breath.

  That’s unreal, Katie exclaimed. No one sees fighting like that anymore. No one has the discipline to learn how to do that.

  You’re right, Pandora admitted. Practice isn’t the same as it was when we did it thousands of years ago. Then there was nothing but you and your weapon. Everyone gets so comfortable now in the fact that they have guns and crazy knives, and other things that make being a lazy fighter much easier. When you have nothing but you and a wooden pole you learn to use that pole the best way you can. You learn to be disciplined. You learn that your health, your physique, and your strength play more of a role in fighting than the weapon itself does. Eventually you learn that your mind is really the controlling factor.

  I can see that, Katie agreed, walking over to her bag and grabbing a bottle of water.

  Think about how you felt when you first got here, waving the pole through the air and trying to find your steps. You were timid, but once you let your mind go—once you were confident in your grip, and trusted in me—you were unstoppable. It all connects, and it is much more than just aim-and-shoot. That is why you will survive long after the others—because your mind is there.

  Katie sat down on a rock and sipped her water, letting the breeze hit her sweaty cheeks and forehead. It cooled her, and she loved the way it felt.

  Pandora had been serious all morning. She wasn’t used to that, but she figured that since she had her in that mood she might as well take advantage of it. She had been thinking a lot lately, and Katie, though most of the time she ignored it, had taken notice.

  It was hard not to notice when your loud friend suddenly grew quiet.

  So, what’s been on your mind lately? Katie asked. You’ve been really quiet and contemplative.

  Honestly? Pandora said. I’ve been thinking about getting a divorce.

  Katie choked on her water. Wait, what? From who? I didn’t know you were married.

  Yeah, I’ve been married for a long time, she admitted. It’s not love, really. It was a marriage of convenience more than anything. He’s a complete asswipe, and it’s not like he doesn’t have at least a dozen or more concubines. It just so happens that I am the biggest bitch of all.

  That’s not hard to believe. Katie giggled. Where did you meet him?

  Friend. Which should explain everything.

  Do I know him? I mean, have we met him?

  Yeahhhh, I don’t think so. Pandora chuckled. I would have noticed if we had, I think. To be honest, he is a monumental asshole. There is really no one worse. He even outshines my PITA brother, and to do that is a serious feat.

  So you’ve been thinking about that this whole time? Katie asked. You could have talked to me about it. Not that I’ve had much experience with that kind of thing, but I could have given you some sisterly solidarity. You know, agreed with you on everything, called him a douchebag a few times, and plotted his death with you.

  That sounds nice. Pandora laughed. But to be honest, that’s not the only thing that’s been on my mind. I’ve also been thinking about my future. It’s all a lot of nothing since we will probably die together soon, but hey…a girl can dream.

  I hope we don’t die soon, Katie ground out. That’s why I am out here mastering my tools with you.

  You need to master some other tools too, Pandora told her. If you know what I mean.

  Katie laughed and shook her head, noticing that she had changed the subject and gotten feisty again. She wanted to ask what she thought about her future, but she didn’t want to push it—not when Pandora had made the effort to say that much.

  Katie took another sip of water, acknowledging what a big deal it was that Pandora had spoken with her. Normally, she didn’t open up at all to Katie, unless of course it had to do with food or sex. Still, it was a good start.

  So let me ask you this…what could you do with me if I trusted you completely? Katie asked.

  Pandora didn’t answer for a moment, and Katie looked out over the desert. It was coming to life as the sun hit it.

  Why don’t we find out?

  Two Weeks Later

  The base had been so quiet. Two weeks had gone by with not a single call. It was practically unheard of, especially in that long a period of time.

  On one hand the teams needed the break, but on the other hand they were incredibly wary about what the hell the demons were doing out there.

  Stephanie had offered to chase some down, but Korbin had said no. They would need the rest and he wanted them to train more if they were going to walk into something big soon.

  They didn’t need to be running all over putting themselves at risk. Things were different now, mostly because of the new demon merc team that snuck around and took down anyone they could.

 
; This new team concerned Korbin. He knew they were good, and he knew they were getting stronger by the day.

  What he didn’t know was where they were and who the hell was running the operation. The last thing he wanted was to find himself unprepared and have his team face a squad that harnessed powers his team did not.

  These survivalists had a leader training them; his side just hadn’t nailed the details down quite yet.

  So for two weeks the team spent their time finishing up little odds and ends around the base, training if they weren’t sleeping, and enjoying their evenings off together.

  It was almost like old times, but there was an air of caution floating around; one that made your skin crawl if you really thought about it.

  It was early afternoon and training was complete. Eric was at the table eating his lunch and listening to the radio.

  He jammed to the music, not paying much attention to anything going on in the world or on the base, for that matter.

  When the song stopped and the commercials started he almost turned it off, but he paused when he heard an announcement for donuts. A local radio station was putting on a donut-eating contest in Las Vegas and the prizes were awesome, but even more awesome was the prospect of free donuts for the next year.

  That sounded like it was right up Katie’s and Pandora’s alley.

  He jumped up and made his way through the tunnels to Katie’s room, but when he knocked there was no answer so he turned to leave.

  “Lookin’ for me?” she asked as she came up.

  “Yes,” Eric exclaimed excitedly, his eyes alight. “I just heard the single most awesome thing ever on the radio.”

  Katie looked at him funny, wondering what the joke was. “Prince came back to life?”

  Eric shook his head. “No, but that would be awesome too.” He smiled. “A donut shop in Las Vegas is having a donut-eating contest and it’s being sponsored by a local radio station. It is right up our alley, so I think we should stop being so serious and go sign up for it.”