by Michael Todd
“Father.” He turned to Damian and nodded.
“I’m Colonel Ambrose, the team leader for the Black Squad,” he continued. “We are a special division of the 173rd Infantry. We are highly classified and considered black ops. We will be working with you today on this incursion.”
“Nice to meet you,” Damian replied. “Have we gotten any more information about what we might be walking into?”
“A little,” he said. “You got here at the perfect time. The team is assembling inside the main building to go over the ops report. That will begin in ten minutes. Your timing couldn’t have been better, at least for us. We were given a go by our command as the wheels of your jet touched down on the runway, which is why I wasn’t waiting for you. My apologies.”
“No problem,” Katie assured him. “Where can we put our gear?”
“Right this way,” he replied, putting on his hat and turning around sharply.
Katie glanced at Damian, who took a deep breath before following the colonel.
She gritted her teeth as they left the hangar and went down a long hallway to a door with a passcode. They waited for Ambrose to plug in the code and open the door before following him.
They walked past the weapons checkpoint and down another long corridor to a meeting room with rows of chairs. The men milling around inside stopped, then sat down as Ambrose pointed to the row in front.
“Those are your seats,” he told them. “But you can put your bags over here. Take whatever you think you’ll need when we leave. Anything else can stay in this room. It will be secured at all times while you are away.”
“Thank you,” Damian replied, putting his bag down. “We tend not to overpack in situations like this. We have our essentials.”
“Perfect.”
Katie put her bag down next to Damian’s and they walked to their seats, She felt the soldier’s eyes on her. She cleared her throat and sat down, crossing her legs and clutching her knee.
Back in the game, Pandora cheered.
Katie rolled her eyes and kept her thoughts to herself.
Chapter 21
“Set everything up in the center of the room,” Trenton ordered, pointing with his right hand. “I want this to go smoothly.”
One of the victims in the group whimpered through the cloth tied around her mouth. Trenton tilted his head to the side and ran his finger down her cheek. He shushed her using a calming melodic tone.
“Don’t cry,” he told her, his voice comforting. “Our master will be here soon…” he nodded, eyes sympathetic, “and he will have you as his afternoon snack.”
Trenton’s eyes lit up and he laughed in a deep tone.
The woman thrashed from side to side, screaming through her gag, as one of the mercenaries pulled her back into the group and sat her down hard on her ass. The others were racing around the room, setting up candles, lighting them, and drawing the appropriate symbols on the carpeted floors of the old hotel.
Trenton walked over to the window and pulled the curtain back slightly, staring out at the mountainous terrain. He snickered at the thought of the invasion and how he would soon be ripping human heads from their shoulders.
When he turned back around, the area had been transformed into something like a deep old dungeon in a European castle.
Trenton smiled and rubbed his hands together as he scanned his troops, who were lined up at attention. As he walked along the line he stared down at each, his eyes bright red in the dark room.
“You have all done well today.” He winked at the woman. “We were able to catch our victims efficiently, and now they will be a sacrifice to Moloch while sending a signal to the military. Once they determine where we are they will attack, which is when we bring the pain. Keep your heads at all times, both literally and metaphorically. I want no casualties on our side, but I want every single one of those military bitches to lie in a pool of their own blood by the time we are finished here. Moloch will let us know when they’re coming, and I expect every single one of you to be more than prepared to jump into action. This is another day of reckoning for these humans. We will let them know just how far they have fallen.”
He looked around with glowing red eyes and beat a fist on his chest. “It is our day and we WILL NOT FAIL.”
“Soldiers,” Ambrose began, addressing the group in the room. “We have been called on another mission, this one close to our hearts. The same group suspected of killing our brothers and sisters just weeks ago is now believed to be setting up in a hotel in the mountains not far from here. Our mission is to go in, kill whatever demon scum we find, and leave unscathed. To help us in this mission we have two of the most successful mercenaries on the teams, Katie and Damian. They will be the first in and will be our eyes and ears before we get there. Katie will be heading things up and will tell us when we have reached our destination. When we are with them we treat them as our own. From what the general has described, these two will be invaluable to us.”
The colonel picked up a sheet of paper from the table. Katie could see a strain on his face and she knew there was more. He sighed and stepped forward again, looking out over the soldiers.
“The people responsible for this have abducted a group of innocents,” he continued. “Foul play is to be expected, since this isn’t their first rodeo. Those innocents are now our responsibility as well, and I want to see as many of them as possible brought back from harm. It will be dark, it will be dangerous, and demons are hard to spot, but trust our leaders and trust your instincts. If you think they are innocent, check their eyes for the red rings. If clear, it is your job to get them to safety. This is a ‘no shit’ situation as in ‘no shit, this is dangerous.’ We will move these people out, but also need to have eyes in the back of our heads. Look out for each other. Make sure we take down as many of these demon mercs as possible. They cannot continue killing our brothers and sisters, hunting our allies, and murdering the innocent of this country. Any questions?”
A red-haired guy raised his hand and nodded toward the two in the front. “Will Katie and Damian be fighting with us?”
“We will,” Katie answered, then blushed, realizing she had spoken out of turn. She looked at the colonel and raised an eyebrow, but he nodded back so she continued, “We are on your team now, and will do everything we can to keep as many safe as possible. We were called in by the general to help reduce casualties on our side and increase them on theirs. That is what he expects of us.” She made a wry face, “And you know how much generals love to be disappointed.” There were a few chuckles from the group.
The phone behind her rang and the colonel answered, keeping his voice low.
“We want you to have one-hundred-percent faith that we are on your side,” Katie continued. “We will enter the facility first and assess, taking down as many as we can to make your entrance smoother. Once we determine their strength we will let you know exactly where we need you to set up.”
“Thank you,” the colonel said. “That was General Brushwood at the main command. There was a massive interdimensional surge in the general area of the mountains, which confirms the presence of a higher demon. The sheriff and the police have been ordered to stand down and move back. During this incursion we will be implementing a new weapon, something that has the power to turn the tide if the battle is going poorly. Katie, would you mind explaining the bullets?”
“Sure.” Katie stood up and stepped over to join the colonel. “You will all be given a ration of rounds. These rounds are to be loaded into your weapons exclusively. They can impair and even kill demons. With enough hits, even the largest ones will go down. There is a specific metal in them that poisons demons when it comes in contact with their bodies, incapacitating them for a short period. These bullets work like any others, except with these if you shoot a demon in the head most of them will die. But they also buy you time in a close situation if you hit them anywhere. Use them sparingly, and please…” she smiled, but it failed to reach her eyes, “watch y
our aim around Damian and me. We may have demons in us, but I promise we are the good guys.”
Katie then produced a real smile and gave the floor back to Ambrose. She sat down in the chair and let out a deep breath, curious as to what the soldiers thought about their presence.
She knew it had to be confusing to fight alongside the very thing they were tasked to take down, but this alliance could bring them a reprieve.
She looked at those men like she did the innocents: they were her responsibility to keep safe. She feared, though, they saw her and Damian differently.
Only time would tell how they truly felt.
“It is time.” Trenton stood in the center of the circle of men and raised his hands.
One of the mercs grabbed the woman by the hair and threw her into the circle. Trenton smiled and shushed her once again, then flipped her around and held her with one hand as he raised a knife high with the other. He cracked his neck and closed his eyes, ready to summon the high demon Moloch.
“Ozz mighty Moloch, la summon esaeu mnaez ya depths aem sazz,” Trenton called in the demon language. “La sowa xnaeuksq o mighty bounty maen esaeun k'aozuna. Baeir uz aes knaoq aera!”
Trenton continued to hold the knife in the air as the others chanted loudly, then lowered the knife to the woman’s throat, gripping her tightly against him. He growled, his eyes growing brighter by the second.
“Baeir uz aes knaoq aera!”
With that he sliced the woman’s throat and released her, and she collapsed to the ground, the deep red of her claret darkening the dirty carpet beneath her.
Trenton raised the knife to his lips and ran his tongue across it, savoring her blood. He breathed deeply as wind began to blow wildly through the room.
A shudder shook the walls and pictures crashed to the floor around them, then a beam of red light brightened the space as Moloch stepped out and gently floated to the ground.
Screams of terror erupted from the victims as two of them were stabbed repeatedly before their bodies were thrown down for Moloch’s delight. He picked up the woman’s body and licked the blood from her neck, groaning in ecstasy and relishing the cacophony of fear and pain exuded by those around him.
This was the ecstasy that orgasmed in his brain, sending his desire to rip and tear into a frenzy. However, as one of the Eight, he was the master of the emotions.
If not his demonic desires.
Trenton stepped back and watched as Moloch devoured the woman in front of him, leaving not even a sliver of flesh at his feet.
Moloch grabbed the bodies in his gigantic black paws and waving his hand. A carved door appeared, and he flung it open, revealing nothing but darkness and screams on the other side.
Before he stepped through he turned to Trenton. “They’re coming, so be careful.”
The door slammed shut and the wind immediately ceased. Everyone let out a deep breath, their spirits and demons emboldened by the appearance of their master.
Each stood taller and felt stronger than they had a moment before.
Their eyes now glowed bright red like Trenton’s. The leader sheathed his knife and stepped before the men.
“See what comes of our everlasting faith?” he yelled. “Our master has come and given us his blessing. The soldiers are approaching, and now it is your job to show Moloch what we are made of. Remind him of our usefulness, our loyalty, and our dedication to the death of the unEnlightened!”
Moloch walked through the door to his home dimension and sat down hard on a large stone, dropping the two bodies in front of him. He growled as he lifted one and took a bite, then wiped his bloody mouth on his arm. He looked at Baal, who was sitting to his left with his back against the stone and puffing on a large cigar.
“So, how did it go?” Baal asked with a smirk.
“Stupid humans.” Moloch chuckled. “They really think I am their god. They will walk through fire for me, even if it burns every last inch of their flesh off their bones. All I have to do is say the word. I now understand why Lucifer loves to be Lucifer. To be in command of so many, able to move them at your will… It’s more than exhilarating.”
“Be careful,” Baal cautioned, removing the cigar from his black lips and using it to point to Moloch. “You don’t want all that power to go to your head. Lucifer will always be the king.”
“But to be next to him, to be his left hand—or his right, or anything in his line of sight—would give me so much power,” Moloch replied. “Today, though, we push on, moving toward collecting more human bodies, shedding more innocent blood, and laughing in the faces of those who scream in terror.”
“Sounds exciting.” Baal chuckled and snapped a limb off one of the humans.
Moloch slapped Baal’s hand and growled at him. “Go to Earth and get your own snacks.”
“You need a vacation.” Baal waved him off with a frown. “This takeover has made you even grumpier than you were before.”
Chapter 22
Katie stared out of the helicopter’s windows, looking at the other chopper carrying the soldiers.
She and Damian rode alone as first-in. They didn’t want to take the chance of landing with the men and facing an ambush before they could settle the tactics to be used for the mission.
Her headset was connected to the other chopper so she could converse with Ambrose when the time was right. Katie tapped the pilot on the shoulder as they crossed into the mountains.
“I want you to make a loop.” She waved her finger in a circle. “Fly around the mountains.”
The pilot gave her the thumbs-up as he spoke into his microphone to the other pilot. The other helicopter followed them, close enough to keep radio contact but far enough behind to get out of the way if they needed to.
Katie stared down at the canopy of trees below, using Pandora to track the area for any sign of demons. The moon was full in the sky and it lit the forest just enough to see the winding road below them.
There was no one traveling the lonely forest, which was good since they didn’t need more innocents involved.
The chopper made several loops through the mountains and slowly approached an abandoned hotel high on a slope. Katie felt that same tingle in the pit of her stomach she had been feeling for days.
She wasn’t sure if it was a sign or because the place looked like something straight out of a horror film.
The courtyards were overgrown, shingles were missing, and the windows were dark and ominous.
That’s it, Pandora told her. They are in the hotel.
Of course they are, Katie groaned.
“I want everyone to land in that open area above the hotel,” Katie instructed the pilot.
He nodded and instructed the other pilot to follow him down.
When they landed Katie and Damian got out of their chopper and grabbed what they needed from their bags. They headed over to the soldiers, who had lined up in front of the colonel to await further instruction.
The choppers took off and headed back to the base.
“They’re in the hotel,” Katie told the group as she walked up. “I can’t tell how many there are, but with a surge of energy like the one witnessed by the general, there is—or at least was—a high-level and dangerous demon here.”
“What’s the plan?” the colonel asked.
“Damian and I will enter first and alone.” She looked around. “You and your men will make a circle around the hotel. That way if any of these rats try to escape, they are trapped.”
Katie turned to the troops and addressed them directly. “Remember, use the ammo I gave you. If they are the demon mercs, the bullets will mess them up like nothing you’ve seen. If you run out of the special bullets team up—use one of the special rounds to mess the demon up and then shoot the fucker right between the eyes with the regular round. That should do the trick. We will try to keep them contained, but again…we don’t know how many we are facing or what weapons they have. They have the same powers as the mercenary teams you have now alli
ed with, so this will not be a normal fight for any of us. As soon as we have secured the hotel we will let you know on the comm. Good luck, do your best, and I hope we all see each other when this is over.”
Katie drew the colonel to the side as she adjusted her gear. She pulled out her pistol and held it tightly in her hand, looking down at the ground. Her emotions were unlike her; she felt for the men, and she could already recognize every single one of their faces. She wasn’t sure why she felt this way, but she had to make sure they stayed safe.
“Be smart out there,” she told the colonel. “Protect these men. If Damian and I are killed, don’t be heroes. Get your men the hell out of here. If we can’t take them, your team will die in seconds.”
He frowned before blowing out a breath. “Understood. And thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Katie smiled kindly. “We’ll see you on the flip side, wherever that may be.”
Katie caught up with Damian at the edge of the woods and they started toward the hotel looming in the distance. They walked silently for several moments, gathering their thoughts and focusing on getting to the hotel in one piece.
“You are awfully sentimental today,” Damian remarked.
“I know,” Katie replied. “It’s gross. I don’t like it. Something must be wrong with me.”
“You’re human.” Damian chuckled.
Pandora snickered. That’s definitely what’s wrong with you.
You keep your comments to yourself, Katie snapped.
Snippy. Pandora scoffed. And I know it’s not your period since I took care of that shit.
“It’s okay to care about these men,” Damian told her. “You have lost a lot recently and it has made you—”
“Softer?” Katie cut him off. “I just want this to be successful, that’s all. Now, if you are done with the heart-to-heart, we have some demons to slay.”
They stared at the hotel with lumps in their throats.