by Michael Todd
The two detectives showed their badges and walked up to the bodega, carefully stepping over the sheet-covered body on the ground. Travers squatted next to it, using his pen to lift the sheet so he could view it. He grimaced and whistled. “That was close range. Looks like one of the bullets went through the side of his face.”
Schultz nodded toward Amir, who was sitting on the counter being treated. The EMT glanced at the detectives and nodded. “He should be in the hospital, but he is refusing. I’ll bandage him up as well as I can when you guys are done.”
Schultz nodded back. “Understood. Thanks.”
They stood in front of Amir, who had blood dried in his beard. His face was bruised and swollen. His wife stood behind the counter, holding her two children to her legs, shielding them from seeing the dead guy. Travers flipped open his notebook. “Mr. Aboud. Can you tell us what happened here today?”
Amir sighed. “I was getting ready to close up, and the bell rang. I usually have a few last-minute shoppers. I walked out to the counter and stopped. There were two nasty demons standing there, one with a bat and one with a gun.”
Travers glanced up. “They were wielding weapons?”
Amir nodded. “Yes, and wearing clothes, too. Much different than we see on the newscasts. Anyway, they threatened me, robbed me, and then beat me. But that’s not even the worst. Harold there came in and saw what was happening. He tried to pull out his phone, and the one with the gun shot him three times. One grabbed their bag, and they headed straight out. If Harold hadn’t come in, the one with the bat was going to kill me.”
Schultz and Travers gave each other side glances. “And did they say who they were?”
Amir waved his hands. “No. The red eyes spoke for themselves. I’ve been here almost twenty-two years, and this is the first robbery. Does not happen in this neighborhood. Those bastards got away with money, cigarettes, and a man’s life.”
Schultz could see that Amir was getting riled. He put his hand on his shoulder. “Thank you, Mr. Aboud. Unfortunately, you are going to have to go down to the station to make an official report. You’ll have to tell your story again, so make sure you remember all the minute details.”
Amir nodded, turning to his wife, who was crying. Schultz took Travers to the side. “I ain’t never heard of demons stealing cash before.”
Travers looked around. “Or wearing clothes, or carrying weapons.”
They stared at the broken stuff on the shelves for a moment before looking at one another. “Call Katie?”
Travers nodded. “Call Katie.”
2
Beelzebub put his claws to his head and tilted it back, groaning. “Are you kidding me? That’s what you do? That’s how you handle shit like a boss demon?”
Baal shrugged, crossing his arms and staring at the Eternal Flames. “It was that or end up slain. I was not going to be sworded from existence by those bitches.”
Beelzebub put his hands out in front of him in frustration and whined. “But you ran away from her. You figuratively, and probably literally, shat yourself and hauled ass back through the portal like you were ten years old, watching your mother find dead humans under your bed for the first time. What the fuck was that?”
Baal growled, then stood up and yelled at Beelzebub, “This is all your fucking fault. You were the one who convinced me to do it. You were the one who made it sound like I was too weak to fucking take down that base. You were the one who laughed your ass off as I rolled through the portal, ready to finish the job Mania fucking left behind because of a scratch.”
Beelzebub blinked. “At least she got the fucking scratch before pissing herself and running off.”
Baal waved his hands grumpily at Beelzebub. “Like you have any room to talk. You didn’t even come with me. But I do know if I had been successful there, you would have been riding on my coattails and trying to score points with fucking Lucifer.”
Beelzebub narrowed his eyes. “You are an ass. And I didn’t actually think you would be stupid enough to fall for peer pressure and go running into Katie’s base. You were the idiot who didn’t use enough of his brain to make a sound decision. You can’t blame me. I only used words. I didn’t force you through the portal. You are a damn tool.”
Baal sneered, leaning his arms on the hearth and looking down at the wailing souls. “I should have stayed and just fought her. At least then when I died, I would have gone down with valor.”
Beelzebub sighed. “No, what you needed to do was stick to the shadows, not go fucking around with the angels out on open ground. That was just fucking dumb. They could come at you any which way that they want to and you were powerless to stop them. You might have been in the game for a long time, but it’s been a while since you were actively in front, commanding and watching the action happening around you.”
Baal snapped his head toward Beelzebub. “Only because for the last I-don’t-know-how-long I’ve been tethered to the biggest morons in the group. I knew they were going to fail at some point, but I didn’t care. I just sat back and let it play out in front of me. There was no good reason for me to roll into battle. I wasn’t going to risk my life for one of their ridiculously stupid attacks. Fuck that. I have a life I actually enjoy. So, no, I don’t have a ton of experience in the damn field.”
Beelzebub opened his mouth to reply, but the sound of loud pounding on the front door floated down the hall and into the office. Baal waved to one of the servant demons to get the door but stayed put, drowning in his own melodrama. Beelzebub walked over and poured himself a drink, taking it and standing at the window. He stared out at the lightning flashing across the dark sky and fountains of lava exploding from a distant volcano.
The door to the office swung open and the servant cleared his throat, bowing and stepping to the side. “Calamity, the Lord's servant, is here to see you both.”
Baal immediately stood up tall and turned around. Beelzebub did the same, glancing nervously at Baal. The uppity demon came in, cleared his throat, and scurried across the room, handing Beelzebub and then Baal scrolls.
Beelzebub lifted an eyebrow. “What is this?”
Calamity bowed to the demons. “You have been summoned, of course.”
Beelzebub narrowed his eyes. “Hey, what the hell is the meaning of this? Lucifer doesn’t usually summon you to a torture-chamber event. You just get dragged there.”
Calamity had several scrolls tucked under his arm. “Lucifer is summoning all the ranking demons of the hellish council. Hurry up and get dressed or changed, and head over. Do be on time. We know what happens when you have an issue with time.”
Baal and Beelzebub stood there holding the small scrolls in their large hands as Lucifer’s servant went out of the room, down the hall, and out of the house. Baal waited until he heard the door shut hard before rubbing his face and whining again. “This is just perfect. We just, or I just, fucked things up on the base, and now we are both being summoned to court.”
Beelzebub stared down at the scroll, then used his other hand to magically lift it into the air and hold it in front of him. When he unraveled it, he found the time they needed to be there was just an hour from that moment. “Shit. We are at least two rungs from the Evil Lord’s castle. We need to get our demon asses in gear.”
But Baal was still freaking out, staring off into space and beginning to thank Beelzebub for looking out for him during the last incursion. “In bad and worse you have been there. I won’t forget you, even when they pull my brain out through my asshole.”
Beelzebub rolled his eyes and walked over to him, grabbing Baal by the shoulder. “Get your shit together. This is not going to be our last march into the deepest realm in hell. At least not yet.”
Calvin gripped the arms of the seat and stretched his muscles, letting out a deep breath. He glanced out the plane window to catch a last glimpse of Taiwan as they flew higher. It had been an eventful trip, that was for sure. He had gone from uninfected to infected, participated in a couple of
battles, and set up a group of infected mercs to help run the fort.
Korbin cleared his throat and glanced at Calvin. “You okay? You’re not nervous about leaving Yong there to defend the base, are you?”
Calvin let out a deep breath. “No, not at all. He demonstrated that he was more than capable of handling it. I was happy to see him roll into the position. Most Damned struggle a bit more when it comes to fighting off something that lives inside them twenty-four hours a day. I think he will do very well there.”
Korbin nodded. “I agree. He is someone I would have gladly brought onto our team back in the day.”
Calvin pressed his fingers to his lips. “Remind me again, where are we headed now? I was so busy making sure all the Ts were crossed and the Is dotted that I lost track of our destination.”
Korbin laughed. “That happens when you have to rebuild a fort that many times. We are headed to France. We are going to help the French military set up a new command post across the Seine from Notre Dame.”
Calvin lifted both eyebrows. “Wow, that’s an interesting place for it. Was that their first choice?”
Korbin shrugged. “I am assuming that once they know what to do, they will be building forts all around France. It’s a very targeted location. The area we are going to was leveled when the demons attacked Paris last time. They have cleared all the debris and posted up temporary guards, but they have nothing that would withstand even a medium-strength attack. They are doing just like everyone else, making do with what they have.”
Calvin puffed out his cheeks and shook his head. “I can understand that. I just am hoping we all get to a point where we are doing more than that.”
Korbin smiled and reached across the aisle to pat Calvin’s arm. “That is what we are here for. The fort needs to be strong and reinforced. It needs to be capable of protecting Notre Dame, especially the catacombs beneath it.”
Calvin furrowed his brow. “Why the catacombs? Didn’t they take everything out of there for safekeeping after the last attack?”
Korbin chuckled. “Of course they did. They are French. They protect their art and their historical relics better than we protect our President. It’s just that through the ages there have been portals opened beneath there, and rituals performed. It is a very tempting and powerful place for demons. We need to make sure that they are not able to get to it, and if they emerge from there, they have to be dealt with swiftly.”
Calvin nodded, turning his head and staring out the window for several moments. Korbin narrowed his eyes, watching him. “What else is on your mind? You seem unhappy or unsettled in some way.”
Calvin pursed his lips and leaned his head back against the chair. “To be honest? My mind is on Sofia. Sofia and our baby growing in her belly. I really feel like I need to be with her. I mean, I have always been drawn to her, ever since I saved her in Mexico. But now that she’s pregnant, it’s like my whole being is pulling me in her direction.”
Korbin smiled. “That is love and protection, my friend. I feel that way about Stephanie, even though acting on it has been hard lately.”
Calvin tapped the back of his head against the chair. “I know. And I know we have outside forces pulling at us. It’s just that talking on the phone and catching up when it’s the middle of the night there just doesn’t feel like enough. She is over there on her own, and she has this little life that I am only part of once a day, if that. I want to be in front of her, face to face, comforting her and watching that belly get bigger.”
Korbin looked at Calvin understandingly. “I don’t have any kids, and I doubt Stephanie and I will ever have any, but I do understand that you are struggling with this. The thing that was hardest about falling in love as a Damned was the constant feeling that I had to be there in the moment with the one I loved. I had to take advantage of the time I was given.”
Calvin nodded. “Because all of us still live day to day. I think sometimes we forget that fact. In the old days we were all painfully aware that the next day could be our last, but somehow through all the battles and fights, we have lost that idea.”
Korbin breathed in heavily through his nose and turned toward the window as he let his lungs deflate. He thought about it for several moments before finally turning back to Calvin. “Look, I know you want to go back, and ultimately it is your decision. But I really need you to help me in Paris. I can’t do all of it alone, especially with the demons attacking us every five seconds. They do not like us building these forts; they made that very well known. Whatever town is in construction mode is the prime target at that moment.”
Calvin looked at Korbin. “I know. And that’s why I’m on this flight.”
Korbin felt bad. “I promise I’ll try to make time for you to go home.”
Katie plopped down on the bed, crossing her arms over her chest as Pandora huffed and puffed. She paced in front of her in the spare bedroom, fuming. “You can’t evict a bitch into this cruel and scary world and expect me to just lie down and take it.”
Katie put her hand out. “This is what I’m fucking talking about here. I didn’t evict you. I just think it would be good if you started sleeping in here. We can do a full makeover to make it more you.”
Pandora flung her hands out wildly. “Why? Why do you need me to do this?”
Katie groaned, gritting her teeth. “I don’t know, maybe so I can have some privacy every once in a while? Like, to be alone with my thoughts. It doesn’t have to be every day. I promise you, though, once you have some space to yourself, and a bed to sleep in, you will feel much better too.”
Pandora crossed her arms and huffed. “I have a place to sleep. It’s called Katie.”
Katie was losing patience with Pandora. She was acting like a child. “You are older than any human on this Earth, but right now you’re acting like a spoiled little bitch. Fucking grow up and understand that things can’t always be your way.”
Pandora gasped. “How dare you speak to me in such a manner? I won’t do it, and that is final.”
Katie stood up, slamming her hands against her legs. “That is not final, Pandora. In case you haven’t noticed, it’s my fucking body, not yours. Besides, when you got your angel status back, it awarded you all kinds of freedom. Why don’t you want to take advantage of that?”
Pandora was standing with pursed lips and closed eyes, her body rigid. “Because I like it how it’s been. This is stupid. What do I need a whole room to myself for? I am used to being in a body.”
Katie groaned and rubbed her face. “I know you are, but things change. This should be a good change. You always talk about loving being on Earth so much, but you’ve always had to be cramped up in someone else. Now you have the chance to be free, at least for a little while. There is no reason to have me carry you around all the time, especially when all we are doing is sleeping.”
Pandora shook her head sternly. “Nuh-uh.”
There was a loud knock on the front door. Katie looked up and let out a deep sigh, then stood up and pointed at Pandora. “This conversation is not over.”
Storming out of the room to the front door, she threw it open without even looking to see who it was. Schultz and Travers jumped slightly when they saw how agitated she was. Katie relaxed her angry face and stepped to the side. “Hey, guys. Long time no see.”
They walked into the condo and Travers looked around. “Nice place you got here.”
Katie smiled, closing the door. “Thanks. I like to have a comfortable home base to come back to. So, what brings you over here? You could have called.”
Schultz nodded. “Yeah. We have a hard time getting hold of you on your phone sometimes and we were in the neighborhood, so we figured why not swing through?”
Katie nodded as she showed them into the living room. They all sat down and stared at each other for a moment. Schultz cleared his throat, glancing at Travers.
Travers scooted forward to the edge of the couch and pulled out his notepad. “Sorry to throw this on you, but we
need your help. Kind of why I insisted on coming in person. Makes it clear it’s a bit more urgent.”
Katie tilted her head to the side. “Okay. What’s up?”
Travers smirked as he flipped through the pages. “We have a robbery and murder with a demon connection, and I have to admit it’s a strange one.”
Katie rubbed her hands together. “This sounds interesting. What can I do to help?”
Right then Katie’s phone rang and she rolled her eyes when she saw the Caller ID, then glanced at the detectives. “Give me just a second.”
She stood up and walked out of the room as she answered, “This is Katie.”
“Katie, it’s Brushwood.”
Katie smiled. “Hey, there. What’s up? We got incursions going on?”
The general cleared his throat. “No, not right now, thankfully. I was just calling to remind you that we are supposed to meet today.”
Katie put her hand to her forehead. “Dang, I completely forgot. I got in a tug of war of egos with Pandora and completely blanked on what I was supposed to be doing today. I’ll be there soon.”
Katie hung up and stood there for a moment as Pandora stomped down the hall and jumped back inside of her. She walked into the living room and put up her hands. “So, I forgot I have to meet with the general, but I promise I’ll help you guys on the case.”
Travers stood up. “Okay. Just hit us up when you’re done and we will give you the rundown.”
Katie walked toward the window and opened it. “Thanks for understanding, guys.”
Pandora took over for a second. “We owe you a BJ!”
Katie pushed her back down. “We do not owe you a BJ.”
Travers chuckled. “I figured.”
Katie stepped out the window, glancing back at the guys. “You can let yourselves out, right?”
The detectives nodded and waved, watching Katie’s wings open wide as she leapt from the window and flew away. Schultz turned to Travers, smacking him in the chest jokingly. “See? I told you we could have called.”
