Dan's Inferno, Book IV: Vengeance

by Jan Stryvant

  "Have they reached their positions yet?" Wrath asked Fawn, who was wearing a VR headset as she flew her drone over the scene.

  "They're just showing up now."

  "I hope everyone buys our cover story," Dan said, pacing back and forth.

  "Don't worry," Fawn said. "I've got the rest of the drone fleet up and running."

  "And the new sheriff is a very old friend of mine." Wrath snickered. "He'll tell everyone what I told him to. Same for that news reporter."

  "Ugh, I hate waiting." He sighed and looked over the helicopter, which was done up with a couple of large logos, and had a few strange things bolted to the sides. The cover story was, they were filming the last few scenes of an action-adventure movie for the foreign market. They were supposed to be a 'superhero' team dropping in to fight some evil villain, and for anyone who checked the records, Weson's building had been scheduled for demolition months ago, until the production company had swooped in and gotten the rights to do it themselves.

  Fawn had gotten the idea from Die Hard, apparently.

  "Okay, they're attacking," Fawn called out. "Weson's people are returning fire."

  "Finally," Dan said.

  "Fire it up!" Wrath called out to the pilot and made a circling motion over her head as they piled into the back and closed the door.

  "I've never been in a helicopter before," Tig said, looking around the inside.

  "Me neither," Rod said.

  "Don't worry," Dan told them, "if anything breaks, it's a lot safer than an airplane."

  "Really?" Tig asked looking at him.

  Dan shrugged, then laughed. "Damned if I know, that's just what I was told, the one and only time I've ever flown in one!"

  "That's not very comforting, you know," Aella told him as she rolled her eyes.

  "Of all the things we have to worry about, this," he said, waving his hand at the helicopter around them, "is the least of it."

  "Here we go!" the pilot called from up front, and they were off.

  In less than a minute, they were hovering over the building at a couple hundred feet, coming down slowly.

  "Anything, Fawn?" Wrath called out.

  "Nope! Nothing! No wards at all!"

  "Great!" Aella said and slid the door open.

  Wrath and Lofn jumped out and dove to the roof below as the helicopter followed them down.

  As soon as the pilot stopped his descent, they piled out the open side to the roof, which was now only a few feet below. The helicopter ascended and left before Dan had even made it back to his feet.

  Grabbing his mace, Dan twisted the base to expose the blades, then checked his pockets to make sure he hadn't lost any of the items he'd prepared.

  "Roof ward's down!" Fawn called out as Aella placed a large black box on the roof, and they took cover.

  "Fire in the hole!" she yelled, then triggered a twenty-pound shaped charge Dan had added a nifty little curse to. The explosion wasn't loud; the curse focused all the energy straight down into the building, adding to the destruction and disorientation the defenders would feel. Thanks to Dan's magical addition, it was also effective against magical defenses. Normally that addition didn't mean much, but when that effect was followed by such a large blast, it would do serious damage to every shield it touched, stunning any defenders in the area.

  They swarmed down the hole before the smoke had even cleared, landing in the center of what must have been a lunchroom on the top floor. There were a couple of people who were already dead by the time Dan's feet touched the floor, Bob, Wrath, and Tig having made quick work of them, while Aella kicked the door open, and they advanced into the hallway.

  "I wonder where the hell the golem is?" Fawn asked in Skarvat.

  "Probably on the first floor, preparing to repel invaders," Dan replied.

  Aella, Wrath, Tig, and Bob were kicking in doors one after the other as they advanced down the hallway. Aella ducked into one as they heard a woman scream, a scream that was quickly cut off.

  "Anything?" Wrath called out as Aella rejoined them in the hall, blood dripping from her black axe.

  "Nope. Think I found his office, though," she said as Tig kicked in the next door.

  "Yeah, I think you're right," Tig said.

  "Hey, isn't that the polearm collection Firreiro wants?" Dan asked, glancing into the room, and pointing at the far wall.

  "Looks like," Aella agreed.

  "Don't forget to grab it on the way out."

  "So far this has been a lot easier than the last time," Olivia said as they moved farther down the hall.

  "Oh, I'm sure we're going to run into resistance soon enough," Dan said as he slapped a large sheet of paper on the door to the south side stairway. The curse on it had taken him several hours to write. Whoever opened that door next would live just long enough to regret it, along with everyone else who was with them.

  "Come on, we need to move to the other stairwell!" Wrath called out, leading them out of the area quickly. Dan had told her what the curse did, and even she didn't want to be anywhere near it when it was triggered.

  The lights flickered as the power to the building went out, taking the elevator out of commission. They ran across a few more unlucky people before they got to the other stairway and started down it towards the second floor.

  They were engaged the moment they stepped out the door. Dan and Lofn immediately cast shield spells on Wrath, Aella, Bob, and Tig, who were leading the charge, as they didn't expect those they already had to last long due to the ferocious fight the defenders were putting up. Dan was surprised that it was the same defense they'd run into last time—a couple of magic users protecting a dozen archers, who were shooting magical arrows at them.

  The girls had doubted they'd try anything different, at least not at first, so the shield spells were set more for missile attacks than melee.

  The archers, however, were set up for defending from melee attacks, and Rod's arrows quickly picked off archers, Tig used a few of her darts to great effect, and Dan and Lofn soon found themselves trading spells with the mage who was trying to protect the archers. When he faltered on a response to one of Lofn's attacks, Dan hit him with a spell that paralyzed him. Without someone to recharge their defenses from the damage the magical weapons were dealing out, the archers didn't last much longer.

  The dart planted in the mage's left eye quickly put an end to him, as well.

  "Someone's coming up the stairs," Rod warned.

  "On it," Olivia said and rolled a couple of magical grenades down the stairs, then closed the door behind them as they moved into the hallway. Dan placed a smaller piece of paper on the door, a curse that made the door an immovable object for five minutes. Hopefully that would buy them enough time. He then turned to deal with anybody who might try to take them from behind, with Olivia and Fawn supporting him, while Lofn and Rod stayed in the middle, keeping an eye on both ends.

  Dan looked over his shoulder once or twice as they moved, checking the battle behind him, but he was a lot more worried about not tripping over any of the dead bodies he was having to move around as he continued to move backwards, and the other four fought and killed the defenders. He could see why Wrath had a lot of respect for Bob; the man was a machine, and he was slicing and dicing like a Cuisinart.

  When they were finally attacked from the rear, Tig joined them, but the attempt didn't last long, as they quickly killed the front line and the rest retreated, not having a mage of any sort to depend on.

  Weson was furious! Where in the hell had Wiles gotten so many people! And why hadn't he heard about it! There were hundreds out there, there had to be! And now there were enemies in the building as well, though how they'd gotten past the security on the first floor, he didn't know. He was glad he hadn't sent his golem down to the first floor like Miles had asked, keeping it up here with him as he surveyed the battle below.

  "What are they waiting for?" he fumed out loud. The forces outside was throwing a lot of magical attacks and magical i
tems at his people on the first floor, but none of them had charged yet.

  "They're probably hoping to lure us out so they can draw us into a trap," Dave said.

  "Where's Yvette and Mika?" Weson asked. "Why aren't they here?"

  "I was able to get through to Yvette, but my cellphone went dead shortly afterwards. She should be on her way. But I can't get through to Mika."

  "Did you try a landline?" Weson growled.

  "Can't, we lost them before the power went out. Warren's downstairs with Miles, and I think Rafferty might be down there somewhere as well."

  "Like that drunk will be any good in a fight!"

  "Jeffery's dead!" someone yelled out.

  "What the hell?" Weson yelled. Jeffery was supposed to guard the team that was up here to protect him. "Order Miles to send somebody up here to guard the room!" Weson told Dave. "And tell him I want to see dead bodies out there! Their dead bodies!"

  Grabbing his staff, he waved for his golem to follow him. He'd show Wiles a thing or two!

  Stepping out into the hall, he threw up a shield spell and sent his golem forward to kill the invaders. It had only barely turned the corner when he heard the sound of fighting. He smiled when it suddenly got quiet. No doubt the attackers were already retreating! It had taken him years to build the damn thing—or rather it had taken the man he'd killed and stolen it from years. In either case, nothing ever…

  He felt it more than heard or saw it, a strong magical pulse. Running up to the corner, he looked around it and saw that bitch Wrath holding a wand, and his precious golem was turning a reddish color, with pieces flaking off of it with every step it took towards her.

  The color was spreading with amazing speed, and larger and larger pieces were falling all around it! That was when he realized his golem was rusting before his eyes! The bitch had summoned a rust monster!

  Raising his hands, he summoned a fireball and threw it at her. It went off when it hit her shield, and the back-blast threw him into the wall behind him, stunning him.

  "Steve!" Dave said, coming out, grabbing Weson, and dragging him out of the line of fire. He could see that Weson's golem was down, quickly turning into a pile of rust, and there were scorch marks on the walls that were still smoldering. The attackers were all down as well, and a couple of them seemed to be injured, but they were quickly rallying and getting to their feet.

  Only one of them was human, and he recognized exactly who it was.

  Swearing, he dragged Weson back into the room and slammed the door closed. All he could do was hope the runner he'd sent downstairs got up here before that kid did.

  "What happened?" Weson said, coming around slowly.

  "Somebody set off a fireball and you got knocked down!"

  Weson looked around, grabbed his staff, then saw that the door was closed, and his people were standing around the room looking unsure.

  "Don't let anybody get through that door!" he commanded as he slowly got to his feet.

  Everyone looked at him, then at the door, then back at him.

  "What are you waiting for!" he yelled, and several of them ran to block the door just as it exploded inward, sending them all flying. Thankfully for him, their bodies protected him from the shrapnel of the exploding door. Casting a healing spell on himself, he looked up and saw Shannon Westridge's bastard standing in the door in a dark duster with a mace in his hand that he was pointing at him.

  "You are going to die," the bastard said with an evil expression on his face.

  Dan was pissed. Wrath and Aella were hurt, as were Bob and Tig—not that he cared as much about them. Olivia, Lofn, Fawn, and Rudy were taking care of them. Only Weson would be fool enough to cast an area effect spell in a tight hallway. At least the bastard's own clothes were still smoking.

  "So you're working for Wiles now, are you, you little bastard!" Weson said, swearing at him and throwing a spell at him.

  Dan deflected it into one of the other people in the room, who screamed as they fell to the ground.

  "No, I don't work for fucking wimps," Dan growled back at him. "I'll give him the same option I gave Dale. Work for me or die."

  "Dale! He killed Dale, you little shit!" Weson said and threw another spell.

  Dan deflected that one as well and dashed forward, thrusting his mace out with all his might, and hitting Weson in the chest, knocking him back and off his feet.

  "Shows what you know," Dan growled, turning to his left and caving in the skull of Dave, who was still trying to get to his feet after the door had knocked him down. He checked to be sure Weson wasn't casting a spell as he scrambled to his feet, then he turned to the handful of others in the room, who were all now cowering against the wall.

  "I curse all of you to cry for the next hour!" Dan said. He could feel the power drain of that one; perhaps he'd overdone it just a bit. But he didn't care, he had his women to support him, so he tapped Wrath, Aella, Fawn, and Olivia, spreading the load out so he didn't take too much.

  "Die!" Weson screamed and threw what Dan could only guess was the most powerful spell he knew. Dan moved his mace to block it, pushing out a deflection spell as he tried to dodge the effect.

  He was only partially successful, and even then, most of his mace disintegrated and his entire body lit up in pain as secondary effects ran all over his body, destroying his shield spell and taking a sizeable chunk out of his power reserves.

  Gasping, Dan took a step forward, dropping the mace and balling up his fist.

  "Ha! Not so strong after all, are you, you fucking bastard! Just another weak wannabe like your limp-dicked old man!" Weson crowed as he raised his staff.

  "Shannon wasn't my father!" Dan growled, and using his tap into Aella, he displaced, leaving an image of himself standing before Weson as he side-stepped unnoticed. Just as Weson triggered an attack out of his staff that blasted through the displaced image, slowly eating away at it, Dan made it smile and give Weson the finger.

  "Punk!" Weson laughed as the image staggered for a moment and then disappeared.

  "Wait…" Weson said and suddenly looked around the room, only to see Dan standing there, already having assumed his aspect.

  "What, what are you?" Weson gasped and swung his staff around, but the kid was ready for him this time. Stepping forward, the creature blocked the staff to the side, knocking it out of Weson's grasp. He tried to cast a spell, but that damn tap those bitches had on him was draining him!

  "I'm a sobek, you stupid fucking bastard!" Dan seized his shoulders. "It wasn't enough for you to kill my stepfather! To drive my mother to suicide! To even try to kill me! No! You just had to fuck with my wives, and you never fuck with a sobek's women!"

  Weson screamed as Dan's crocodile jaws suddenly spread wide and came down over his head and lifted him bodily off the floor. The kid was a Demon!

  Dan tilted his head back as he raised Weson higher and forced the bastard down his throat, enjoying the way he kicked and screamed and swore. Even after Weson's head was well and truly down his throat, and Dan was working on swallowing his upper body, arms now pinned to Weson's sides, he could still hear the muffled shrieks and screams.

  Pausing briefly to divest Weson of his magic robe, Dan continued to swallow, taking more and more down, passing the hips, then the kicking legs, and finally the feet. Closing his jaws with a loud snap, Dan gave one more strong swallow, balling Weson up in his belly. He gave a very loud belch, tightening down on his soon to be dead enemy.

  "Oh, fuck that was hot!" Tig said, drawing his attention. Dan saw that they were all in the room, and Bob, Tig, and Rod were staring at him in surprise, while Fawn, Olivia, Wrath, Aella, and even Lofn were smiling with undisguised lust.

  Everyone else in the room had already been killed.

  "We still have a battle to fight!" Dan growled, snapping them all out of it.

  "Damn, I never get tired of watching that," Fawn said, giving him a wink.

  "Yeah, I bet," Tig said, turning back towards the destroyed door.
<
br />   "He really is a demon!" Rod said, still looking shocked.

  "Points to Captain Obvious," Olivia said with a laugh.

  "Are you all okay?" Dan asked, coming over to the girls as Bob and the other two went back out into the hallway.

  "Lofn healed us," Wrath told him as he gave her a quick hug.

  "But now I'm out of magic," Lofn told him.

  "Let's set this place on fire and get out of here," Dan said, going down the line and hugging each of them."

  "What about the rest of the people here?"

  "They can either burn to death or get slaughtered when they try to leave," Dan said. "I don't really care. But I got Weson; the rest are just peons."

  Fawn took off her backpack and handed it to Olivia. "Throw 'em all over the place; I'll trigger 'em once we get on the helicopter."

  Olivia opened Fawn's bag and passed out firebombs as Fawn turned off the cellphone jammer on her belt and called for their ride.

  "Let's go see who's stupid enough to get between us and the exit," Dan growled.

  "What happen to your mace?" Lofn asked.

  "This idiot," Dan smacked his belly, "destroyed it. Gonna have to get a new one made."

  "Here, take Weson's staff," Wrath said, picking it up and handing it to him.

  "Why would I want that?" Dan asked looking at her confused.

  "Because it's not that different from using a mace? Oh, and when they see you've got their boss's staff, maybe, just maybe, they'll decide they don't want to fight you?" she growled.

  Dan sighed and shook his head. "I'm such a dork."

  "Yes, but I love you anyway. Let's get out of here before Missus firebomb triggers her little toys."

  Grinning, Dan turned and led them back to the stairway. The curse on the door ran out early when he touched his finger to it, and he kicked open the door, caving in somebody's skull with the staff, as Bob and Tig helped him kill a few more before someone noticed whose staff he had, screamed out that 'Weson was dead', and ran away.

  They ran into two more on their way up the stairs. Rod put arrows in them just because he could. By the time they got to the roof, after making a quick stop by Weson's office to get the polearms, the helicopter was hovering nearby, so they waved it over. They piled in and it started to fly away, Dan cast the same fire curse he'd used back in the hotel through the hole in the roof, while Fawn triggered all the firebombs.