by Michael Todd
The general scoffed. “I wish I had that kind of news for you. This bitch is turning out to be a bigger pain in the balls that I thought. I have good news and bad news. We found Tiamat swimming in the depths of the ocean. The bad news is, she seems to be heading in the general direction of the eastern US seaboard. I don’t think I need to tell you why that’s a bad thing.”
Katie wasn’t surprised. “Any idea where she’s heading?”
The general chuckled. “I have a feeling you already know.”
She’s coming to New York. Our Big beautiful Apple, Pandora growled. I’m pretty sure it’s those cockholsters Moloch and Baal.
Katie relayed that message as best she could. “Pandora thinks it’s the two main demons, the fuckwits causing all the other problems.”
The general pulled up the last email he’d gotten from the men working on Katie and Pandora’s plan. “That doesn’t surprise me at all. I received the clip of the smack talk we’re going to use on the Leviathan to get her to come to the island. Here, I’ll play it for you.”
The general pressed play. “Tiamat, get your fish-fucking face over here. We’re waiting for you. You think you’re so big and bad? You’re fucking nothing. Come out and face us! You’re not even scary. You look like a mountain of pubes floating in the ocean.”
Pandora cackled loudly and took over Katie’s voice. “That shit is fucking hilarious! You don’t tell a Leviathan thousands of years old she looks like a bush mountain. Here.”
Pandora screeched out one sentence that neither the general nor Katie fully understood, then another. She made some very strange sounds come out of Katie’s throat. Her words were a jumbled mess, a combination of English and demon.
Katie cupped her hand over her mouth, trying to stop Pandora from doing whatever it was that she was doing. “Oh, my God, Pandora. You sound like a fucking dying seal.”
The general tried to hold back a chuckle. “We can’t understand anything you’re saying. It’s not making any sense.”
Pandora growled, “Fine, fuck you both in the ear holes. You guys just cannot hear nuance. Can you record something over the phone?”
The general typed on his computer for a moment and then responded, “Yes, if you can make it so at least the demon can understand it.”
Pandora smirked. “Perfect. Press Record. Tiamat esaeu xik ozz fucking lizard. Kaq esaeun fucking scaled ozz aewabbi sabbia oth moya ya juaar aem ya Damned. Gaer'q zota za fucking ztir esaeu ohiwa.”
When Pandora stopped talking, the general pressed the stop button. “Okay, got it.”
Pandora had lots more to say, but she figured that was a good start. “Tell her that. Toss the speakers into the water and see if she takes the bait.”
The general got nervous. “Aren’t you going to be there?”
Pandora scoffed and shoved a bunch of bacon into Katie’s mouth. “Why would we want to fight her? I’m a vigilante now. She’s not even a demon. She’s something else. She’s probably killable. Well, that is a hypothesis at the moment. No one has ever killed a Leviathan. Fuck, she may be unkillable. Yeah, you’re fucked, and no amount of donuts is going to change that.”
Katie just sat inside of Pandora, not jumping forward. The truth was, she really didn’t want to do this. Katie knew that she could take care of the Leviathan if she really wanted to, at least she hoped that she could. On the other hand, if the beast could be killed by the military, she would rather leave it to them. It was a huge task to take on, and something she wasn’t looking forward to it all.
Pandora could sense that the general wasn’t exactly pleased. “No offense, but I’ve got enough going on trying to kill normal demons. I’m not too fond of being on an island when you guys start throwing around those big-dick A-bombs or whatever.”
The general grunted. “Good point, maybe we let you sit this one out. We’ll blow the bitch up the old-fashioned way.”
Without giving Pandora a chance to say anything else, the general hung up the phone. Katie hoped beyond hope that Pandora had given him good information. You think they will get her, Pandora?
Pandora mused. Maybe. I mean, perhaps she hasn’t aged well, and she’s ready to die? I’m sure her centuries of sleeping were just horrible.
You don’t think they can do it, do you?
Pandora let out a cackle. Hell, no. We need to enjoy our bacon right now. Mark my words, they are going to come back and ask us for help.
Are you sure?
Pandora let out a deep sigh, realizing that she had to tell Katie the truth. I’m sure. It was a heavenly host of angels that put her down the last time. You want to galaxy-size a can of whoop-ass, get a bunch of angry angels and let them really cut loose. The only reason she isn’t dead is they didn’t want to kill her. Bleeding heart liberals, every one of them. If I had been there, I would’ve cut her head off and sent her straight to hell. For some reason, angels have no problem killing each other—or killing humans, for that matter—but you put a giant lizard in front of them, they get all weepy-eyed. You would’ve thought that the angels created PETA.
Katie didn’t understand that, but then again, she wasn’t a full angel. She just had angel powers. She had put down a lot of demons in her time and never had it crossed her mind to leave one alive. She couldn’t even imagine standing in front of Tiamat and letting the beast go free. After all, you could see how well that worked the last time. Now there were hundreds of dead humans, and no angels to answer for it.
Katie punched at the bag hard. Sweat poured down her forehead. It had been a long time since she had been at the gym. She wanted to get some time in to get her body back in shape and improve her endurance. The more Pandora joined the fight, the less she was able to keep Katie’s energy up, and that was really important during a battle.
She exhaled out of her mouth and breathed in through her nose. Her fists flew at the bag, one after the other. She followed the striking sequence her trainer had explained. He gave her tips on training as if she were a boxer, knowing full well she had no intention of getting in the ring. She had other battles to fight.
An hour after she got there, a couple of guys walked in. They weren’t in training gear. They wore shirts decorated with both angel wings and devil horns. She recognized them immediately. They had been following her for weeks.
Katie ignored them and headed back to the changing room to shower. Several of the regulars gathered at the edge of the boxing ring. A bald boxer whispered, “You ever seen those guys before? They look like they’re trying to sniff Katie out.”
A boxer missing all but three teeth nodded. “I’ve seen them outside. They’re fucking groupies.”
The bald guy approached the groupies, flexing his arms to emphasize his point. “You don’t belong here. This gym is by invitation only. We don’t allow outsiders.”
One of the groupies was taller than the other, and he looked down at the bald man. “Maybe we want to join. Get us one of those invitations. Unless the owner wants to tell us to leave, we’re not going anywhere.”
The bald guy brightened and clapped the tall groupie on the shoulder. “Oh, yeah? Okay. You want to be part of this gym, we gotta see your stuff. You gotta get in the ring to become one of us, the trusted twelve.”
The members of the gym snickered as the two newbies got pumped up to become one of Katie’s twelve. They thought they were tough boys from the Bronx, but it was obvious before they even stepped into the ring that they’d had zero training. It became even more obvious when they got inside and had their asses kicked six ways to Sunday.
The nearly toothless boxer beat each groupie to a bloody pulp. They ended the rounds hanging off the ropes, their face protection twisted all the way around.
The bald boxer rang the bell, then gestured to the battered groupies, letting the members know to get them out of there. The toothless boxer pulled the groupies to their feet. “Sorry, guys. I guess you need to work harder.”
The two guys grumbled and stumbled toward the door. The tw
elve men stood around laughing until Katie came out, showered and ready. They all went back to working out, acting as if nothing ever happened. They were the twelve for a reason, and they didn’t want to worry her with small stuff. They wanted her to feel comfortable and safe in the gym. It was one of the few places Katie could be herself.
Several sailors walked across the small island that they would be using to lure in the Leviathan. They were nearly through setting everything up. The only thing they had left to do was run an equipment check. They had to make sure the new system was properly functioning. There could be no problems and no distractions when it was time.
One of the sailors chuckled as he connected the cords. “We’re going to catch the biggest fish of them all. The Navy’s going for the Guinness World Record.”
The sailors laughed. They knew this was a serious situation, but they were trying to keep the mood light. Another sailor shook his head. “I don’t get it. Why don’t we just nuke the bastard?”
“Where we gonna nuke her? We can’t find her when she’s out in the middle of the ocean because she’s so deep. And when we do track her, she’s too close to shore to stop. The whole point is to save the human race, not blow them up. Besides, with our luck, the bitch would catch it and throw it right back at us.”
The sailors laughed, but it was forced. In some ways it was funny, but at the same time, none of them put anything past this new threat.
24
Tiamat swished her scale-covered tail, roiling the sea and scaring any fish in the area as far away as possible. She had been feeding out in the depths of the oceans, scooping up sharks and squid everywhere she went. The wounds on her sides were starting to heal, but she still wasn’t at full strength.
The beast had followed the warmer current, enjoying that water and the prey she found there far more than the Arctic. She was on her way to New York, following an order sent by Moloch and Baal. As she swam, she began to slow down. She heard vibrations ripple through the water. The energy was familiar. It was something she had heard and sensed before, but not for a long time.
She changed directions and began to swim toward the surface, curious as to who or what was making that sound. As she breached the tumultuous surface, she could hear Pandora’s voice coming from a small island across the water.
“Tiamat esaeu xik ozz fucking lizard. Kaq esaeun fucking scaled ozz aewabbi sabbia oth moya ya juaar aem ya Damned.”
At first, Tiamat began to swim away. She was not interested in Lilith or her taunts.
“Gaer'q zota za fucking ztir esaeu ohiwa.”
That last part stopped her. She looked back at the island, annoyed. The beast snarled and snorted air out of her nose, blowing bubbles in the waves. She was arguing with herself. Should she continue in the direction she was supposed to be traveling, or go after Lilith?
The voice came again. “Tiamat esaeu xik ozz fucking lizard.”
That did it. She could no longer ignore Lilith. The Leviathan began swimming in the direction of the island.
Miles away, an aircraft carrier tracked the beast on its sonar. The captain of the ship watched as the beast appeared on screen. “Holy fuck! That bitch is huge.”
Air support roared overhead, keeping their distance in case she was capable of taking them down. One of the pilots made a loop around and watched Tiamat move quickly through the water toward the island. “We have visual. It’s like the Loch Ness Monster on fucking steroids.”
Off to the side of the main island was another smaller island. Several sailors were at the ready, waiting to give the signal to fire. The sailors looked through their binoculars at the beast as it swam along, their mouths hanging open. They didn’t say a word. They had been told the thing was huge and horrifying, but in real life, it was much, much worse.
One of the sailors stood up and dropped his binoculars to his side. He could see the Leviathan fine without them. “I’ve never seen anything like that.”
They watched as Tiamat slowly rose from the water. Scaly legs crept onto the shores of the island, and the Leviathan looked for her prey: Lilith.
The explosions could be heard for miles, and the roar of the fighter jets echoed across the water. Missiles shot from the planes, whined through the air, and slammed into the Leviathan’s back. When they hit her hard-scaled body they exploded, cascading fire down her back and over her tail.
Still, she moved forward. She barely even noticed the planes attacking her. She lashed out with a claw and caught the wing of a plane flying too low. It swirled out of control, spiraling down into the ocean. The pilot ejected, and the wind caught his parachute. He never saw the strong green tail rushing at him. He was swatted out of the air like a fly.
One of the battleships fired a missile from their Aegis system and the missile struck the Leviathan in the back of the neck, enveloping her head in smoke and flames. She roared angrily and stopped dead in her tracks to look for the culprit. The fire from the planes might not have affected her, but the missiles coming from the ships were starting to piss her off.
The captain stood on the deck of the battleship, watching her reaction through his binoculars. “Give her everything we’ve got! Tell everyone to take this bitch down!”
As Katie walked from the kitchen back to the living room, there was a knock on the front door. She put her glass down carefully and stared at the door. She was on alert. Nobody had called to let her know she had a visitor. She opened the door with one fist cranked back, ready to fight.
The general put his hands up defensively. “Don’t hit me. I come in peace.”
Angie walked up, shocked. Not only was the general at her door, but the doorman had not called to let her know they had a visitor.
Katie sputtered for a moment, trying to get her wits about her. “I’m sorry. Come in, general. I’m just shocked to see you. Usually, the people downstairs let me know if someone is coming up.”
The general walked in and took his hat off. “It helps to have a weapon and implore your doorman not to announce me. Sorry to be that way, but this is top-secret, and it’s urgent.”
Walking behind the general was one of his aides. Katie greeted her. This was one she hadn’t met before, but at the same time, he had about a dozen working for him at all times. The general walked right into the living room. “May I use your TV?”
“Of course. What are we watching?”
Batman!
Not now.
The general took a disk out of his coat pocket and put it in the DVD player. “It’s from the most recent assault on the Leviathan. It didn’t go quite as we thought it would.”
Katie watched the video, leaning forward with interest. The footage began from the air and showed the beast creeping through the water and making its way to the shoreline. Several jets were buzzing around, and there were a few battleships at the edge of the frame. As the video went on, missiles shot from the planes to slam into the beast. Explosions rocked the small island and fire, and smoke were everywhere.
Nothing seemed to be working until the battleships fired. When those missiles hit the Leviathan, flesh flew off in scaly chunks. The beast roared so fiercely that the trees on the island shook. Smoke clouded everything. The entire island looked as if it were going to crumble into the sea. The trees were on fire, and there were deep craters on the beach. Tiamat still stood.
Katie stuffed a handful a candy into her mouth as if she were watching a movie. “I hope nobody uses that island for summer vacation.”
The general glanced at her. “If they didn’t before, they will now. You know how crazy tourists can be.”
Katie rolled her eyes. “The stupidity of humanity still baffles me sometimes. Sure, let’s take little Jeannie and Bob on summer vacation! Let’s go where the military bombed a giant lizard thing. We can take pictures of the beach, and the ocean, and with the pieces of rotting flesh and bone.”
Pandora thought about that. Sounds like a perfectly pleasant afternoon.
The general snickered and po
pped some of the candy into his mouth. The aide stood by, waiting for instructions from the general. She was slightly taken aback by the way the two of them joked. It was her first time around Katie and Pandora, and she was having a hard time following them—not to mention the fact that she had never seen the general act so chummy toward anyone ever, especially not a demon.
They watched the video with bated breath. For several moments, the camera plane flew around but was unable to see what was below. The remnants of the missiles had left a thick fog over the entire place, but the planes were reluctant to fly any lower in case the beast tried to knock them out of the sky. The smoke began to clear, revealing Tiamat. She was beaten and bloodied from the attack, but still moving. She was leaving the island, lumbering back into the water.
Not a soul on the island made a movement. The only sound was the hum of the camera plane. Even the Leviathan was quiet, barely pulling her body down the sandy beach and into the surf. Blood streaked the sand behind her, but she kept moving. The Leviathan pushed into the safety of the waves. The last piece of the beast the camera saw was a torn and tattered tail, with some broken scales hanging off it as it slipped beneath the surface.
When the video was over, the room was silent for several moments. They were all trying to digest what they had just seen. The general had seen the video before, but the enormity of the battle still struck him hard.
Pandora immediately took over. “Oh, that’s not good.”
The general looked at Katie and lifted an eyebrow. “How much time before she heals?”
“My best guess? A month. You could hope for two months if she doesn’t find enough food right away. Do they know where she is now?”
The general shook his head, frustrated. “They were able to keep up with her for a couple hundred miles, but then she went too deep. As soon as she does that, we lose her. When she resurfaces, it’s hundreds or even thousands of miles away. She doesn’t seem to have to come up for air or anything like that. She’s been swimming too deep for our subs to follow. The pressure down there doesn’t seem to bother her a bit.”
