by Michael Todd
Juntto blinked and caught on. “Oh! Yes! Good idea. We will make sure there are no demons on Bourbon Street. You are a smart man. We have to keep the tits, I mean, people, safe from harm.”
The soldier chuckled and clapped Juntto on the shoulder. “You got it, big guy. We will go protect the fuck out of those boobies, I mean, people. It’s been a while since I’ve been there, so it should be a hell of a time.”
Juntto nodded, clearing his throat. “I love kicking demon ass, that’s for sure.”
Another soldier laughed loudly. “Fuck it. I love boobies.”
Baal walked into Beelzebub’s cave, swiping the ash off his shoulder. He snarled as he shut the door behind him. He hated being that far out from his home. He walked into the living room and called for Beelzebub. “Hey. Come out. I didn’t just march through hardened lava, pass all my favorite spots, and get the outer-ring chills for you to hide in the fucking shadows. You’re like the hunchback of Notre Dame.”
Beelzebub was digging through a stack of books in the corner of the room. “I’m over here, you mound of shit and cockroaches. What’s got your tighty-whities in a bunch?”
Baal walked farther in and glanced at the water dribbling across the ceiling of the cave. “I was curious how everything was going. I guess I wanted to know how the meeting with Lucifer went.”
Beelzebub let an evil smirk cross his lips before hiding it and turning around. He shrugged nonchalantly and walked to his bar, pouring a glass of whiskey. He held the glass out to Baal. “Drink?”
Baal shook his head in irritation. “I don’t want to give up halfway back to my home and end up sleeping in some dark cave like this.”
Beelzebub laughed. “Wow, you’ve gotten quite sophisticated. You sound like Moloch.”
Baal growled. “I resent that remark. Moloch was an idiot who got exactly what was coming to him. Tell me, what did you and Lucifer talk about? Was he angry? I don’t see any torture marks on you, so you must have gotten away without it.”
Beelzebub sat down in the chair and took a long sip of whiskey. “He wasn’t angry with me in the least. In fact, Mania was there, and they were showing me the different retro torture tools they had pulled out of storage. He was actually glad I attempted to go after Moloch. That demon was making a mess of everything, and Lucifer appreciated that I had his back. He told me that it wasn’t my fault, and he wasn’t going to punish me for something Moloch had done.”
Baal narrowed his eyes. “Lucifer wasn’t angry with you?”
Beelzebub sighed and shook his head. “When will you realize, dear Baal, that the Dark Lord has never been really angry at me? He is disappointed when I go off the rails, but when it comes down to it, he knows I am really good at what I do.”
Baal clenched his fists, furious. “That’s bullshit. You opened portals of lava and got Moloch captured and beheaded by angels, who are now hot on our tail. How could you just walk into that and not even get reprimanded? I don’t understand.”
Beelzebub shrugged. “I guess after all these centuries Lucifer sees that I am not the threat, but possibly the answer to all this. In fact, he shook my hand and thanked me for the work I have been doing. He told me that I was the epitome of ‘do it right or don’t do it at all.’ Pretty cool, right?”
Baal’s eyes reddened further. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
7
Sofia stood outside Calvin’s room in the main part of the barracks, straightening her lacy top. She had been away from Calvin for a long time. Now she was going to see him for the first time since he’d lost his demon. Nerves fluttered through her stomach.
“Psst,” she heard to her right.
Timothy was standing in the hall. He grinned and gave her a thumbs-up. She laughed as he slapped his ass and strutted off. Twisting the handle to Calvin’s door, she opened it slightly. The door came out of her hand and opened on its own. Calvin stood in the doorway and smiled. “I thought I smelled your perfume. Come here and give me a kiss.”
Sofia beamed and put her arms gently over his shoulders, pressing her lips to his. She pulled away and giggled, but Calvin’s eyes were still closed. He sighed, staying in the moment. “That is exactly the medicine I need.”
Sofia pouted as she eyed the bruises covering his body. “Baby, you look like you got hit by a bus.”
Calvin chuckled and steadied himself on his crutches. “That’s what you get when you lose your demon and then get your ass kicked.”
Sofia stuck out her bottom lip and closed his door. She followed him into the room, helping him into a chair. “Korbin told me you lost your demon. I’m sorry. I know you’ve been with him for a long time.”
Calvin breathed deeply. “Such is the life of the Damned. Or un-Damned, now. It’s strange; everything is so quiet, and I no longer crave tacos.”
Sofia giggled, sitting down across from him and scooting the chair closer. “I’m not so sure that is a bad thing. You never did handle spicy very well.”
Calvin chuckled. “True. You always see the bright side of things. How was your trip?”
Sofia stretched. “It was good. Katie sent the jet for me, so I got to fly in luxury. I just wanted to get to you.”
Calvin just watched her. “You are so beautiful. What can I get you?”
Sofia laughed, shaking her head. “Nothing. Stop trying to take care of me. You have done so much. You have saved my life many times. First from Manuel, then other people and demons after that.”
“I had to. You’re my girl. You have to be safe.”
Sofia leaned forward and took his hands in hers. “I know, and you are my knight in shining armor.”
Calvin shook his head. “Knight in shining bandages atop my trusty crutches.”
“And sexier than ever. Baby, you have been fighting for so long. Before you were Damned, you were fighting. You never stopped. Even on your only vacation ever you saved my life and killed a ton of demons. Maybe you could use a break.”
Calvin’s eyebrows went up. “I wouldn’t argue with a break. There’s no way I can fight anything in this shape. I struggled with brushing my teeth today. When I’m down, I have no problem saying so.”
Sofia snorted. “Yeah, right. The only reason you are saying that now is because there is no way anyone would let you do anything but get better.”
Calvin smirked. “Okay, you got me. I have been forced into a corner on this one, that’s for sure. But what else would I do?”
Sofia shook her head. “To start, you could let me take care of you. Now that your demon is gone, you are on your own, and that’s not okay with me. You deserve to be treated like a king. I grew up with Mexican parents, so my mother taught me a thing or two about taking care of a man. I never thought I would be interested in doing so until I met you. I want to take care of you like you have taken care of me.”
Calvin squeezed her hand. “But who will take care of you?”
Sofia shrugged. “Me, until you are better. Then we will take care of each other. That’s how it works, right? We are there for each other and make sure that each is successful.”
Calvin grinned. “That’s a pretty old-fashioned way to look at things. I like it. Continue.”
Sofia scooted to the edge of the seat. “Well, you can finish getting through the worst of it here, then I can take you back to San Diego and we can share my home. We can spend our days walking on the beaches, watching the sunsets, drinking fruity drinks and visiting Mexico. Just visiting, this time, without the threats we had to deal with before. We can actually spend time together without looking over our shoulders or wondering if you will get called to an incursion.”
Calvin leaned back, hiding a smirk. “So, live like the cluelessly innocent do until we come to save their asses.”
Sofia nodded hard. “That’s right. And you fucking deserve it—you know that. You have been on guard for too long. It’s your turn to live cluelessly.”
Calvin rubbed his chin, looking out at the base. “You know, that doesn
’t sound so bad. I have to admit that I could use some sand between my toes. Even more than that, I could use some time with you. Just you.”
Sofia smiled. “I hoped that you would say that.”
She grabbed her purse, pulling out a black jeweler’s box. She pushed the chair back and got down on one knee, revealing a black ring with a tiny diamond set into it. “Calvin, will you make me the luckiest girl in the world and marry me?”
Calvin grinned. “That’s my line.”
Sofia laughed, shaking her head. “Yeah, but you’re so beat up you can’t get down on one knee.”
A low hum of voices chattered across the main room of the restaurant. The white tablecloths covering each table were held down by a cluster of candles lit in the center. Light instrumental music played in the background as Belphegor sat down across the table from the Romanian president, Dragos. The man was large, with a double chin, very little hair, and a complete disregard for manners when it came to eating.
Belphegor placed his napkin on his lap to cover his expensive suit. He was still in his human skin, masquerading as an important attorney, and he had finally gotten a meeting with the president. Dragos had his cloth napkin tucked into the front of his white button-down, and his tie was thrown over his shoulder. He picked up an oyster and slurped it noisily, then tossed the shell on the tablecloth.
“Ce vrei aici?” Dragos grunted.
Belphegor cleared his throat. “Do you mind if we speak English?”
Dragos shrugged. “Whatever. What are you wanting from me?”
Belphegor tightened his tie. “First, I want to thank you for allowing me to come to Bucharest to meet with you. I know you are a very busy man, especially with everything going on in your country. I am a lawyer working on behalf of the World Council.”
Dragos glanced at him, inspecting his expensive suit. “Council Member Bringham said nothing about a visit from a lawyer. Especially not one like yourself, obviously American.”
Belphegor rubbed his cheek, secretly pushing his skin up. This human skin didn’t fit him all that well. He spent more time pulling the skin into place than he did acting like a human. Dragos didn’t seem to notice, which was good. Belphegor didn’t want to blow his cover so soon. He had always been good with disguises, but this particular human skin had turned out to be an unfortunate fit.
Belphegor cleared his throat and nervously took a sip of his water. “We did not go through Bringham. We are representing the Council as a whole in an investigation.”
Dragos slammed down the last oyster and wiped his mouth, then chugged a full glass of champagne. “I know nothing. I do not know what you want to ask of me. I keep my business in Romania. The World Council could have called me and I would have told them the same thing.”
Belphegor nodded. “I understand. However, this specific subject has everything to do with you. In fact, you are the only one I will be contacting for this case. Your participation is critical to this matter.”
Dragos’s bodyguard leaned down and whispered in Dragos’s ear. The president waved him off, leaning back as a waitress replaced his empty plate with one holding a large steak and mashed potatoes. “I love American food. You make this so good. That is why I come to this restaurant. American-owned.”
Belphegor looked around. “Yes, it feels very much like being at home.”
Dragos sighed at his food and waved his hand for Belphegor to proceed. “Okay, let us hear this. What do you want me for?”
Belphegor pulled out a thick file and set it on the table. “I have been given custody of a file of complaints against mercenary organizations. Though there are several different merc groups listed in this file, the majority of the complaints are against Katie of Katie’s Killers.”
Dragos’s eyebrow lifted as he opened the file. The first picture was of Katie in her black leathers, dressed for battle. “I have heard that she helped us during our recent crisis.”
Belphegor wrinkled his nose. “Let me ask you this, Mr. President. What if you had an assistant you trusted completely? What if he led you to believe that if you turned the gas in your home up higher, you would save money? But, one day there is the slightest spark, and your house explodes from the sheer amount of gas. That’s a tragedy. You would blame your assistant. He might have been helping in one way, but in reality, he was the person who caused you to lose everything.”
Dragos tilted his head, listening. “And you are saying Katie caused the demons to attack?”
“I’m saying something very like that.”
“But she rescued many men.”
“Sure. After the fact, she rescued people, when she could have prevented the whole thing in the first place.” Belphegor made sure he had Dragos’s attention, then continued, “Katie is an angel. Her demon is also an angel. They have been fighting and taunting demons for a long time. Those demons came here to piss you off and to hurt her.”
Dragos’s eyes narrowed, and he gritted his teeth. “This is a grievous charge. I have hundreds of people dead, and now a town full of hardened lava. It is practically hell on Earth there. You are saying that Katie had something to do with that?”
Belphegor nodded sympathetically. “And through all that, what is Katie doing to help?”
Dragos slammed his fist on the table. “Nothing. She came to rescue her people but left even more dead in her wake. She did not come to help us, she came to help herself. Then she left without another word. She is not good, like the American troops. She is a liability.”
“A threat, maybe?”
“A traitor!”
Belphegor could see that Dragos was growing angrier by the second. Belphegor was having the time of his life. “I heard that she took her injured to safety and got them top-of-the-line medical attention. She did everything she could to save them while your troops, your people, lay injured and dying in the streets.” Belphegor poured two full glasses of champagne. “Katie’s a rich woman. She probably fed her friends caviar while your brave soldiers buried their dead.”
Dragos took the glass of champagne and downed it quickly. He grimaced and burped. “She must be stopped. She cannot be allowed to reap the rewards our brave dead have sown. She must be punished for bringing these demons down upon my country. Whatever you need me to do, I will do it.”
Belphegor grinned. “President Dragos, lucky for you I’m an idea man. And I’ve got some ideas about Katie.”
Juntto jogged behind the soldiers. He had to duck as they ran through the tunnel that led from the locker rooms to the open field. When he broke out of the tunnel and brought himself up to his full height, his eyes went wide. People were banding together against demons all over the place, but the demons were pouncing from body to body. Two men hurried past him with a stretcher. Drew Brees gave him a thumbs-up from the stretcher. Juntto nodded and took off across the field. As he ran, his blue skin morphed and became a football jersey and helmet.
He raced toward a demon standing in the center of the field. “Ready, set, hike!”
He pulled his leg back and punted the demon across the field and through the goal posts. He put up his arms, making a cheering sound in the back of his throat. He looked around at the others, who were using their weapons to blast through a half a dozen demons at a time. Juntto wrinkled his nose. A snarling demon leaped for him and he batted the creature away with one meaty fist, sending it to the upper part of the stands.
“I need Juntto-sized weapons,” he grumbled, then shrugged. “I will rack up points in the meantime. Yes.”
He grabbed a charging demon and wadded him up tightly, crushing his bones until he was vaguely ball-shaped. Juntto threw him in the air and punted him downfield. The hell-beast turned to dust between the goal posts, and Juntto pumped his fist. Fucking with demons was fun. He ran down the field, tackling and slamming into any demon he saw. One fat demon hissed at him, and Juntto ran forward and kicked him in his stomach. The beast soared over the field, slammed into the goal post, and split apart. Juntto cackled.
/>
Two security guards came running up with their guns out. “Hey, Juntto, we’re here to help!”
Juntto got down on one knee and shook his head. “You guys have balls the size of the moon, but you shouldn’t be here. Get the innocents to safety. You have no demons in you. No need to die. I am here to clean up the mess.”
The security guards chuckled and tipped their hats to him before running off.
Juntto loved how kind the security guards were. Being in a coma had changed him. He now fed off empathy and compassion, and with every innocent life he saved, he became stronger. He continued to bash demons right and left, ripping some apart and punting others. Juntto chuckled as he grabbed a skinny demon and threw him like he was passing a football downfield. The demon landed on his head and rolled into the end zone. Juntto froze, then grinned and put his hands in the air, doing a victory dance. “Touchdown! Or touchback! I’m not sure. Either way, I score!”
When the last demons were ash, Juntto jumped over to the soldiers, and the ground shook as he landed. One of the soldiers looked at him with a smirk as Juntto shook his fist in the air. “Now we go to Bourbon Streeeet!”
8
Katie leaned against the wall with her arms crossed as Dr. Thorough and his assistant Dr. Cromwell inspected Brock, Turner, Eddie, and Sean. They were all still unconscious, and they didn’t seem to be healing any faster than a human would. In the shape they were in, they desperately needed to heal faster or there was a chance that they wouldn’t make it. Katie didn’t know if the demons inhabiting their bodies were injured, or just not there anymore.
Pandora sniffed. I can’t tell anything at this point. All I sense are injuries. I can’t tell if they are all the guys’, or if the demons are injured too.
If their demons were in there, the guys would be up and around by now. Just from the bruises and cuts on them, you can tell that they aren’t healing fast. Pandora, talk to their demons. Tell them to get their asses in gear!
