The Complete Protected by the Damned Series

by Michael Todd

  “I understand,” the general said. “Your frustration is warranted, there is no doubt about that. I am feeling pressure from across the globe. The other countries are looking to us for support and guidance, and we can’t even take out a little incursion in Middle of Nowhere, Minnesota.”

  “There has to be something we can do. The mercenary teams are great and they are carrying us, but there is only so much they can do with so few assets.” The colonel sighed.

  “Precisely,” the general replied. “But right now, we are between a rock and a hard place.”

  “General Brushwood, Colonel Attlewood is here to see you. He says it’s urgent,” the secretary said over the intercom.

  “Yes, send him in,” the general directed, standing up and buttoning his coat. “We will continue this at a better time.”

  “Yes, sir,” Jehovivich replied, standing up and nodding.

  The door to the general’s office opened and in walked Attlewood. He halted and stood at attention, and when the general nodded Attlewood walked forward in a hurry, carrying a folder in his hands. He nodded at Jehovivich and took a deep breath.

  “There is a large demon incursion happening as we speak in Virginia, sir,” he began. “We don’t know how many or what size, but they are wreaking havoc. The team is ready to deploy, but they are requesting at least a two-person team backup from the mercenaries.”

  “Of course they are.” The general sighed. “Let me make a call.”

  He went back behind his desk and opened his black phone book. He skimmed his finger down the numbers and stopped on John William Smith’s name. If they were requesting mercenary backup the situation was bad, and he knew that the New York team could handle just about anything. He picked up the phone and dialed the number, looking at Jehovivich as she took a seat on the edge of the chair.

  “John,” he started. “It’s General Brushwood.”

  “Sir,” John replied. “What can I do for you?”

  “There is an incursion in Virginia, and from what I’ve been told it is a big one,” he explained. “We have some men preparing to head out, but they are short-handed and are requesting backup. We are tapped out here, so I am calling to request that you send a couple of yours out.”

  “Okay.” John thought for a moment. “I actually have a pair of redshirts who can go. They’re from the Vegas base. They will need transportation. We don’t have a chopper up here, and getting through New York airspace is almost impossible unless it’s government.”

  “That’s not a problem.” The general looked at Attlewood. “We will send a Blackhawk to pick them up. What are their names?”

  “Uh, Katie, who is the Las Vegas heavy, and Damian, their priest,” John replied.

  “Perfect. Tell Katie and Damian to be ready,” he directed. “We are facing the possibility of a major incursion out there.”

  “They will want to bring their own weapons,” John told him.

  “They can bring the head of a chicken for all I care, as long as it will kill a fucking demon,” the general replied.

  “Yes, sir.” John hung up.

  It was going to be interesting.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever imagined something like that,” Katie remarked as Damian drove them back toward the base. “I mean seriously, the thing was like a demon on steroids with a bone in his mouth.”

  “Did you see how he chomped that hole in the fence?” Damian chuckled.

  “Yeah like he had a chainsaw for teeth.” Katie laughed. “I have to give it to him…he bit that chihuahua in half like it was nothing. I really don’t like those little yappers.”

  “Well, he’s in chihuahua hell now, so you can rest assured the world is safe from another Taco Bell dog.” Damian chuckled.

  They pulled up in front of the base and hopped out, opening the back and grabbing their gear. Katie lifted her bag up and over her head, then stepped back so Damian could grab his stuff. They headed for the front door, but Katie stopped halfway up the walk.

  “What is that?” Katie asked, slapping Damian in his stomach with the back of her hand.

  “What?” He grabbed his belly. “You need to learn how to use your strength.”

  “Oh, sorry.” Katie turned back to the yard. “That… Is that a person lying in the yard? Holy shit, is that Ella?”

  They dumped their gear and raced across the yard, dropping to their knees at her side. Katie checked her heartrate, which was on the fast side of normal. She was out cold.

  Katie looked at Damian, who had searched for wounds but found nothing. He shrugged in confusion and picked her up, cradling her in his arms. They made their way inside and down to the med bay, where he laid her on the table and began examining her further.

  “I don’t get it,” Damian exclaimed. “There are no signs of struggle or injury or anything like that. Her vitals are all stable; the only thing odd is, her heart is a bit fast.”

  Just then she groaned, turned her head to the side, and fell silent again. Katie frowned and looked closely at the girl’s face.

  Pandora, can you tell if there is something wrong? she asked.

  I already know, Melneck is restraining her, she told Katie.

  “Melneck!” Katie called. “Let her go.”

  Katie shook her head and turned to Damian, who was looking at her strangely. Katie rubbed her temples and crossed her arms over her chest. She wasn’t sure how to fix this, or even why it was happening.

  “Her demon’s name is Melneck,” Katie explained. “He has her restrained.”

  “Why?” Damian asked.

  “Who knows?” Katie replied. “She could be out for days.”

  Just then the demon released her, and Ella sat up and breathed in deeply. She started to cuss Melneck out as soon as she could speak, and her hands clenched into fists. Katie and Damian just watched her for a moment.

  “That bastard froze me,” Ella growled, looking at Katie.

  “Why?” Katie asked. “What happened?”

  “So…fucking…stupid. He thinks he can rule my life,” she grumbled.

  “Ella!” Katie yelled to get her attention before softening her voice. “Why did he restrain you?”

  “I just wanted to see my mom, okay?” Ella screamed at Katie.

  Katie clenched her teeth and slapped her across the face. Ella grabbed her cheek and gasped. Katie held her finger up and growled.

  “Get over it,” she yelled. “Don’t get mad at your demon. He just saved you from becoming research!”

  “What?” Ella whimpered, tears burning the corners of her eyes.

  “I told you in the beginning,” Katie reminded her, lowering her hand but sticking out three fingers. “There are only three options for people like us.”

  “Perhaps I wasn’t listening,” Ella confessed quietly, looking down at her lap.

  “You think?” Katie growled, turning and pacing.

  “You see, Ella,” Damian said, stepping forward and checking her vitals again. “You can either die, become the lab’s research subject, or work on the teams. There are no other options. Well, except for exorcism.”

  “What’s wrong with exorcism?” Ella asked. “Why can’t I do that? Get this lousy asshole out of me.”

  “It doesn’t always work,” Katie explained. “If your demon fights it and he is strong enough, which he is, it will mess you up really bad. You can end up in hell with your demon or be completely taken over by your demon—at which point we’ll kill you—or even drop into a state of catatonia where you can’t wake up but you can’t sleep either.”

  “It seems worth it to me,” Ella grumped, crossing her arms over her chest.

  Sounds like you have a death wish, Melneck remarked calmly.

  You don’t like the idea of exorcism? Ella asked him. You can be free of me, I can be free of you, and we can go our own separate ways, not even remembering each other. Life can go back to how it was…or it could be better, because now I can focus on school and stuff. We could get away from these people
and back to our old lives.

  You would be back in your old life, Melneck pointed out. I, on the other hand, would not.

  Why? Ella asked. I don’t understand.

  Look, there is no way I am leaving this side, he said. And in an exorcism, I would have no choice. I know what is waiting for me back in hell, and that is not an option.

  What is waiting for you? Ella asked carefully.

  The leader, or one of them. T’Chezz. He is trying to kill me, Melneck replied.

  I thought you couldn’t be killed? she queried.

  I could be sent into the depths of hell, not to reemerge for centuries, or there are others—beings I don’t wish to take notice of me—who might give me a permanent death. I’m told dying with you might accomplish that as well. And permanent death—just disappearing from life altogether, never coming back, poof, my dark and ominous soul lost forever—nope, not happening

  Well, that sounds fun, Ella replied. I mean, can’t you fight him?

  “Oh, sure…fight a demon who has three times my power and a lust for torture and destruction? Melneck shot back. I don’t think I would come out on top. So, stiff upper lip and all that, my dear. Tally-ho. My ass is going to stay right here in your body until he is dead or I can get away safely.

  “I hate my fucking life,” Ella griped out loud, slamming her fists on the table. “Seriously, this is my body and my life. Why can’t I make his dumb ass do what I want it to?”

  Katie lifted her eyebrows. “I bet that was exactly what your parents wondered when you did it to them.”

  “I hate you, and I hate this fucking place,” Ella grumbled. “I want to go home.”

  “You are home,” Damian told her quietly. There was compassion in his voice. “Get used to it.”

  Damian looked down at his phone. John was calling him. He took the blood pressure cuff off Ella’s arm and turned to Katie, holding up his phone. Katie nodded and came over, sitting down next to Ella. She tried to continue the conversation as Damian stepped out of the room and answered the phone.

  “John. What’s up?”

  “A government chopper is going to be arriving, so you and Katie need to pack up,” John told him. “You are headed to Virginia for an incursion with the military.”

  “Understood,” Damian acknowledged and pressed End just as Katie walked up behind him.

  He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, shaking his head.

  “Son of a bitch.”

  “What?” Katie said startling him.

  “Shit,” he replied whirling around. “The government is coming to pick us up to go on a raid with them.”

  Katie stared at him. “I don’t understand. What does that mean? I’ve never been on one before.”

  “Well,” Damian growled, putting his phone back in his pocket, “usually it means that One, we get to be told what to do. Two, they are never in the right place at the right time to help us. Three, our butts are on the line. Four, they don’t have any Damned on their teams. Five, we are the ones who get stuck on the front part of the spear. Six, it just continues to get worse, and seven, should anything work well they will get all the credit. Everything else is on us.”

  “Fantastic.” Katie sighed.

  Chapter 22

  When the chopper arrived, Katie and Damian were already on top of the building waiting for them. They ducked as they ran forward, climbing in and taking the headsets from the pilot. They sat down on the floor in the back and braced themselves as a support person shut the doors and the chopper climbed into the air. Katie looked at Damian and shook her head. They couldn’t even fly to Virginia in a damn seat.

  “I am Warrant Officer Thomas. I will be flying you to the site,” the pilot told them over the headset. “It shouldn’t take long to get there. There will be a strike team of four there to meet you, and your commander on site will be Sergeant Michael McKay.”

  “Thank you,” Damian replied loudly into the mic.

  The pilot flipped some switches on the dash above him and rose higher into the air, flying quickly away from their Jersey base.

  Katie held on tightly, looking out the plastic windows and wondering exactly what kind of hell they were in for.

  She had always been good at following orders as a civilian, but once Damned she was less compliant. She hated taking orders from assholes who had no idea what they were doing. She hated taking orders from anyone anymore, but that was just her demon talking. She knew that, because she greatly respected Korbin…and John, for that matter.

  They were true leaders; always informed, never missing a beat, and fighting for their team every step of the way. Katie appreciated them, because she knew that if she had to answer to the higher-ups she would be research in a heartbeat.

  When they landed the soldiers were standing in the tall grasses holding their helmets on and clutching their M16s in one hand. The sergeant was standing tall at the front with a smug look on his face.

  Katie rolled her eyes, knowing exactly what kind of guy he was before she even exited the helicopter. She was not going to walk his walk, that was for damn sure, and if he wanted her help, he was going to have to damn well earn it.

  She climbed out of the chopper and ducked until it disappeared into the sky. Katie and Damian walked quickly over to the sergeant.

  “Sergeant McKay,” he introduced himself. “The building to your left,” he pointed like she couldn’t figure out what the hell he was talking about, “is the one in question. Three cops were originally called out for ‘funny noises,’ and they are now down. There are more police here, but they will not be engaging. From there…well, we have found ourselves a large group of possessed, and none of them seem salvageable.”

  “’Salvageable?’” Katie repeated, turning to Damian, who shushed her and shook his head.

  She already didn’t like this guy. He was a know-it-all who liked being in charge, and in order to separate his feelings from his duty he referred to people as “salvageable” or not.

  Like they were old fruits and veggies in the back of the fridge that he was trying to decide whether to throw out. It was a disgrace…but at the same time, none of these guys were Damned. None of them knew the trauma and the trials that people like Katie and Damian and the rest of the teams went through on a regular basis.

  He and his team could do their jobs and go home to their families at the end of the day.

  “The cops have the place locked down,” McKay informed them as they walked toward the building. “There is a perimeter around the building, and all the streets are completely blocked. Air travel has been suspended for five miles around the building, so there is no chance of the press getting wind.”

  “Okay.” Katie wanted to say something about priorities, but bit her tongue. She really didn’t give a shit about the press when there were lives at stake, but she tried to understand it was part of his job.

  “We go in, we do our jobs, and we come out,” McKay said to those assembled. “Katie, Damian, you’re Team One. Work the demons between us and the end monster. They always have end monsters, right?”

  Damian and Katie rolled their eyes, although they looked at the ground first. What a complete moron. Katie wondered if this guy had ever even faced a demon before, much less led a group of unsuspecting soldiers into the middle of an incursion.

  “Yeah, sure,” Katie mumbled. “Just like a video game—boss man at the end of the level. Maybe we’ll even find a magic mushroom to eat and grow bigger.”

  Damian elbowed Katie and smiled, holding his laughter in. Luckily none of the others noticed their taunting. Damian could barely keep the smile off his face. Katie knew this was going to be one hell of a ride with this idiot in charge.

  She didn’t know whether to be scared for them or to feel like she had won the fucking lottery with this asshole.

  She was going to go in there with all guns blazing and show them a thing or two about fighting demons, that was for damn sure. None of them, including Captain Crunch there at the
front, were going to be the same when they came back out.

  “So, wait…I just want to make sure I have this straight,” she said to McKay. “You know, just to be on the same page as you valiant soldiers.”

  “Okay.” He smiled, not catching her sarcasm.

  “Your strategy is that we,” she waved a finger between herself and Damian, “me and my partner, kick everything’s ass until the end. Then you guys roll in, fresh as fuck, and take on the bad boss-guy to level up?”

  Damian cleared his throat, trying to hold back new laughter. He had a sudden desire to look the other direction.

  “Yep, though I’m not sure what leveling up means,” McKay replied. “Must be a mercenary term. But sure…you guys roll in ahead of us, so we are ready to take on the big guy. Then we can give you a little break while we take him down and tie up the loose ends. We wouldn’t want to send the two of you into the boss and endanger your lives any more than we have to.”

  “No, no of course not,” Katie agreed, nodding her head.

  “All right, team, let’s make sure our vests are secure and our eyes are peeled,” McKay ordered, clapping his hands.

  Damian grabbed Katie by the arm and led her off to the side, covering his mouth with his clenched fist. As they walked toward the front door of the building Damian took a deep breath, still trying to stifle his laughter.

  Katie shook her head. She still didn’t believe the shit they got into on a regular basis.

  “So,” Damian clarified, “they get all the glory for taking down the ‘boss,’ and then receive the highest payout for the biggest demon. They are playing us hardcore, and that sergeant knows it.”

  Ella walked through the base house and out to the front balcony. She sat down and looked out over the New York City skyline. She used to climb to the top of her parent’s apartment complex almost every morning after a long night of drinking and watch the sun shine through the different glass buildings as it rose. It looked different now; almost more realistic than before.

  Why so glum? Melneck asked.

  I just don’t know how to get used to this, she told him. I mean, I’m never going to be alone again, I can’t go out, I can’t see my parents, and everything I ever wanted to do has been squashed.