Dark Is The Night_A Supernatural Action Adventure Opera

by Michael Todd

  “Is he nice?” She wrapped her arms around him again. “I don’t know about sharing with a guy.”

  Calvin nodded. “Yes, and he is not a threat at all, not that anyone on my team is. I meant that he won’t hit on you because he’s into guys.”

  “Oh.” Sofia laughed. “We will have a good time, then. How long do you think you will be gone?”

  He shrugged. “As long as it takes to make sure you’re safe. Let’s get packed, and we’ll leave before the sun comes up.”

  She giggled and wriggled out of his arms. “Yes, sir!”

  He bit his lip, transfixed by the way her ass peeked out from the bottom of his shirt as she sashayed out of the kitchen into her bedroom. He took a steadying breath and leaned back against the counter. These men were dangerous, and he couldn’t even imagine what they would do if they got hold of her. He couldn’t fail at this, not for anything in the world. Sofia had become extraordinarily important to him, and he found that he needed to take care of her. It was no longer a want, but a necessity.

  Sofia waited by a security guard in the hangar while the flight crew prepared the jet for boarding. Calvin had rushed off to catch his flight to New York and left her with one of the mercs who was still on the West Coast. The guy was quiet, which was just fine by Sofia. She was ready to get on the plane and get in the air. At least up there she knew she was safe, and she was headed toward a place that Calvin trusted enough to send her on her own.

  The sooner she left San Diego, the better.

  She’d never intended to get into so much trouble or to put other people in danger. She’d been in so far over her head that she’d despaired of ever finding a way out, but then she’d met her dark knight. Calvin had ridden in and saved her life. On top of that, he was incredibly sexy and funny, and she had never dreamed that sex like that existed. It was like her life was finally turning around; like everything was falling into place since she’d met him.

  Across the runway, Calvin’s plane lifted into the air. Calvin buckled his seatbelt and leaned against the window, staring down at the hangar where Sofia would be boarding the jet. The last month had flown by at super-speed. There was no way he should feel this strongly, but he knew it was real. He’d found something with Sofia he thought he would never have again, and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure that was never taken from him. With Katie and Pandora’s help, he knew that by the end of his return trip she would never have to look over her shoulder again.

  With or without him by her side.

  11

  Katie rolled her shoulders and rubbed her neck. She had slept too deeply in her new bed, and woken up with stiffness in her neck that she hadn’t been able to get rid of all day. Pandora refused to help until Katie fed her some dinner, so she called down to the front and requested that they send out for donuts and a California Burrito. Pandora tried to protest the burrito, but Katie was getting tired of all of the sugar. In the end Pandora let it go, figuring she was at least getting her donuts in for the evening.

  Angie was roaming around on the phone with the designer, discussing where to place the most recently arrived pieces. She didn’t think it was worth the designer coming all the way out there for a few items of furniture, especially since Katie had dedicated the evening to stuffing her face with burrito and donuts. Besides, it was only one picture and two small end tables, so they were easily managed without Katie being disturbed.

  When the doorbell rang, Angie answered, and she took the food from the doorman and tipped him well. Katie had made sure to give her some petty cash for things like that, and anything else she might need on a daily basis. Angie was grateful her boss was so thoughtful. She’d worked for tips during her year in college, and it gave her comfort to pass some of her good fortune along to hardworking service people who might rely on them too.

  It was a strange new life and she loved it, even if she didn’t always fully understand what the hell was going on around her.

  Angie walked into the kitchen. “Your food is here.”

  “I ordered extra. Just fix yourself a plate.”

  “Thanks.” Angie loaded a plate with a burrito and some chips.

  “No donuts?”

  Angie cringed. “No, thank you. We’ve been hitting Krispy pretty hard, and I don’t have the benefit of a demon to help with all the calories. I think I might be on a donut hiatus for a while.

  Pandora scoffed. Weak.

  Not weak, Katie corrected. Smart.

  Katie took a bite of a donut to satisfy Pandora and sat down to eat her burrito. It wasn’t quite as good as the ones she’d had on the West Coast. It was a little like it had been constructed by someone who only had another person’s description to go on. But she was in New York, she didn’t really expect authenticity from the Mexican food in the area.

  Just then her phone rang and she answered it, recognizing the number from the police station. “Katie here.”

  “Katie, it’s Travers and Schultz. You’re on speaker.”

  “Good evening, gentleman. What can I do for you today?”

  “We have another club situation that could benefit from your touch. We have a bunch of rich guys whose demons have taken over. They’re wreaking havoc.”

  “Nice,” Katie replied. “When are we meeting?”

  “As soon as you can get there.” Travers hesitated a moment. “Katie, this time it’s the Sixteenth Precinct on duty, and they are hell-bent on not ‘pulling a Nineteen.’”

  “Is that what you guys are calling it?” Katie laughed. “Those poor guys. They’ll never live it down, will they?”

  Travers snickered. “Yeah, well, that’s part of the job.”

  Katie glanced at her half-eaten burrito. “All right, let me finish my dinner, and I’ll get my ass over there. Someone text me the address.”

  “We can pick you up,” Schultz offered. “Just text us when you’re ready.”

  She smiled. That would save time. “Cool. I’ll hurry.”

  She hung up the phone and took a huge last bite of her burrito. She wiped her mouth and smiled her apology to Angie.

  Angie rolled her eyes and put down her fork, then got up and packed a bag of donuts, knowing Pandora was not going to last the night without them.

  Katie went to her closet and selected a pair of wide-leg dress pants and a low-cut button-up blouse. She left the top three buttons undone to give a glimpse of the black lace bra she wore underneath. She hated not wearing her fight gear, but she was going into a club and they would make her from a mile away if she rolled up on the dance floor wearing head-to-toe leather with her knives as deadly accessories.

  She pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail and put in a pair of hoop earrings. Pandora helped her do her makeup since Katie had little patience or talent for it. Katie sat down on the end of the bed and pulled up her pant leg to lace her boots up and fill the hidden sheaths with knives.

  She strapped on her shoulder holster and stuck her small pistols inside, then grabbed her dress jacket and slipped it on to cover it all up. There was no place to conceal Tom or Harry in this outfit, much less her staff, so she decided that the smaller pistols would just have to do. She was hoping that the demons would be extractable, but her hopes weren’t that high.

  Angie handed Katie a bag as she walked out of the condo. “Here you go. Be safe out there.”

  “Yes, Mom.” Katie giggled and held up the donuts like a trophy as she made her way into the elevator. By the time she got down there, the detectives were waiting out front. She slid into the back seat, and they were off. There wasn’t as much traffic as usual downtown, so they reached the club within twenty minutes of leaving Katie’s condo. They parked down the block and got out.

  Katie ran her eyes over the street, picking out the undercover cops milling around in front of the club with ease.

  Could they be any more obvious? Pandora groaned.

  I know, right? It’s like they don’t get that people actually know what undercover cop
s look like. I hope I don’t look like one.

  Uh, no. Not unless female cops have turned into supermodels.

  Aw, thanks, P.

  Whatever. Just make sure you get this shit done with minimal bullet holes.

  I’ll do my best, and Angie packed us a bag of donuts for when we are done.

  I love her.

  Katie smiled and walked up next to the detectives. “I don’t recognize these boys.”

  “They’re from the Sixteenth Precinct,” Travers told her. “You probably haven’t worked with any of them. When the President was in town, they were doing surrounding-block duties.”

  Schultz turned to Katie and nodded. “You ready to get this going?”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Do they know the protocol?”

  “Sure do. We made sure they were aware.”

  “All right, then I’m on it.” Katie's heels clicked on the concrete as she made her way down the block. Unlike the other clubs in the area, there was no long line out front and only a single doorman to check her ID. It was one of the less swanky New York clubs, but packed nonetheless.

  Once inside she made a quick sweep of the club, mentally noting her surroundings and any exits she would have to watch. She didn’t sense any demons on the dance floor like last time, but the burning sensation in her chest told her that the demons were somewhere in the club.

  All along the center of the club were large platforms with girls dancing on poles to the aggressive house music the DJ was playing. There was no specific dance floor; the club was open all the way to the VIP curtain at the back. Katie allowed the sensation to lead her through the long gallery.

  She worked to get through the crowd, not easy when everyone around her was dancing to the beat. The women wore tiny leather skirts and torn fishnets, or tight Lycra bodywear that called attention to every perfect line of their bodies. The guys were either shirtless, their sweat-sheened muscles glistening under the strobe lights, or they were dressed in tight tees and low-riding jeans.

  Dark makeup and piercings were the name of the game, and Katie was glad she’d let Pandora give her the smoky-eye look before she left. Otherwise, she would have stuck out like a sore thumb. People had already begun to stare at her as she moved toward the lush velvet curtains at the back, and she didn’t want to draw any more attention.

  When she reached the VIP curtain, the bouncer took one appreciative look at her and opened it. Katie ran her hand across his chest and gave him a seductive wink as she walked past.

  The beat coming from the VIP area was a little slower and more intimate. People lounged all over the furniture, and there were half-naked women everywhere she looked. There were arched brick doorways leading to private rooms spaced around the main room. Katie worked her way through the kissing couples toward the archway on the right.

  She felt the heat in her chest intensify as she neared it, so she pushed the beaded curtain aside and stepped into the private room.

  The room was lit with a soft red glow. Katie paused in the shadows and assessed the situation. She counted ten men with glowing red eyes sitting on low couches surrounding a podium in the center of the room, where a pair of dancers did impossible things on a pole. The men were surrounded by yet more women, all dressed to kill, all giggling and hanging breathlessly on their every word.

  Pandora cackled. So this is where demons go to get away from their wives. This is going to be really fun.

  Katie rolled her eyes. Let’s see how happy they are when the kitties leave the room.

  Katie crossed the room and mounted the podium in one easy spring. The dancers dismounted and looked at Katie in confusion. She flashed the red in her eyes at them, and they both froze in fear.

  Katie leaned in through the cloud of perfume and sweat to whisper into the nearest woman’s ear. “It’s about to get nasty in here. If you value your lives, get your girls and get the fuck out before it starts.”

  The woman nodded and clapped her hands. “Fun’s over,” she called. All of the women jumped up from the couch and filed out, ignoring the complaints and demands of the men. The two from the podium looked fearfully at Katie as they started to follow them from the room.

  What now? Pandora asked.

  Did you see how they were treating those women?

  Total Grabby Garys. You want to play with them?

  Katie smirked. Hell, yeah.

  She smiled lazily at the ten pairs of glowing red eyes that were focused on her, then licked her finger and ran it down the pole.

  Just don’t put that in your mouth until you’ve washed your hands. Pandora snickered

  Two of the men growled and sat forward.

  “Who the fuck do you think you are? You can’t just crash our party and send the entertainment away! You’ve ruined our fucking evening,” one snarled. He got up and stormed over to the podium with one of the other men at his shoulder. “You’d better be the fuck of the century if you want to keep that pretty fucking smile on your face.”

  The other guy laughed and elbowed his friend. “She might be. She’s pretty fucking hot.” He looked up at Katie and leered. “Come on, doll, shake those tits for us. Maybe we won’t be so mad.”

  You’ll still be a slimy fucker, though, Pandora snarked. It’s a good thing this dude has money or he’d still be a fucking virgin. Hurry up and get close so we can be rid of him.

  Katie smirked. Don’t make me laugh! I’m trying to be seductive here.

  You’re doing fine. They can’t take their eyes off your cleavage, so use it!

  Katie ran her finger down the front of her blouse and shook her shoulders, letting her breasts bounce around a little to keep the guy’s attention on her black lace bra. She giggled and unbuttoned another button, then smiled at the others, who were on the edge of their seats in anticipation.

  Katie beckoned the men with a finger and they leaned in, their eyes glazed with lust. Katie reached out to them as though she wanted to touch them, then at the last second she ripped their demons out. She stood up with a demon’s throat clutched in each fist, and her eyes blazed red as she crushed the demons and sent them back to hell. The two dazed men in front of her swayed for a moment, then crashed into each other on their way to the floor.

  Katie brushed her hands together, jumped off of the podium, and glared around the room. “All right, assholes. Who else wants a piece of me?”

  Katie couldn’t believe how perfectly that had worked, but at the same time the eight remaining infected looked ready to bolt. One guy inched toward the door, and Katie snapped her head in his direction and shook her finger at him. The guy backed against the wall, both he and his demon obviously scared shitless.

  Katie folded her arms and tilted her head at the men. “Now, boys, we can do this the hard way or the easy way. It’s totally up to you.”

  Holy shit! This is the best exorcism I have been to in my entire life. Seriously, Damian would be fucking proud of you. These dudes were so blinded by your body that they didn’t even notice I leashed their demons.

  Katie shrugged. It was too easy. Guys like these always think with the wrong head.

  You got that fucking right. How simple men are. You’d think that we would rule the world by now. At least women don’t freeze at the sight of a nicely-filled banana hammock and a set of washboard abs.

  Katie snickered. I don’t know, you did miss that shot the other day...

  Pandora snorted indignantly. That was a fluke. These walking clap factories wouldn’t have noticed if you set the building on fire around them as long as your tits were out.

  You know, it kind of makes me wonder, actually. Don’t we already rule the world? Just because we don’t seek out positions of power, it doesn’t mean we aren’t there pulling the strings in the background, correct?

  Pandora stopped laughing. Holy shit, you’ve seen the light. I’m serious, the human race would still be scratching their asses in caves without war and women to drive progress forward. You know how they say that behind every succe
ssful man is a woman with her foot up his ass? Well, I wasn’t the ruler of the Underworld, but when I needed something done it got done—and there was no questioning me. Half the time Lucifer sat around on his bone throne while I made all the decisions.

  That’s what I’m talking about. How many world leaders find the solutions to their problems during pillow talk? They pass them off as their own, but in reality, that little whisper from the woman was what sent them down that path in the first place.

  Oh, totally, Pandora agreed. The problem is that even today women are relegated to a passive position, and when they do take the reins, they’re vilified for being bitches or some stupid shit like that by insecure guys whose dicks are too small to even keep a woman. Even worse, if it isn’t some backward-thinking mansplainer, women are more than happy to tear each other down. But if women were to raise each other up, all standing together, we could literally take this fucking world. Not by force, but with persuasion and…and—

  Uh, Pandora—

  This is important shit, Katie! Seriously, I never thought of women as allies before. It’s blowing my fucking mind.

  That’s all good and great, but there are eight demons in front of us that need to be taken care of. Maybe we can figure out female world domination after we finish here?

  Huh? Oh, shit, yeah. Sorry, you just seriously blew my mind. Boom. Okay, I’m here. Let’s get this shit over with. Start with the two idiots trying to make their way to the door.

  Katie was pretty sure all of them could be exorcised. She darted over to the exit to block their escape, grabbing a standing lamp as she ran toward them. She swung the lamp as though it were her staff, taking the men out at the knees. Both of them collapsed to the ground with cries of pain, and she came to a stop between them and dropped the lamp, then reached into their chests and pulled out two snarling mid-level demons,

  The demons snapped at Katie. She disposed of one by slamming it down against the ground to crush it out of existence then she twisted the other demon’s head from its shoulders with a practiced jerk.