by Tim Marquitz
“Already?” Even knowing how effective Katon was, I was surprised at how fast he’d broken McConnell. I’d apparently given the wizard too much credit for being a tough guy.
“The nursery rhymes softened him up, no doubt.” He winked at me while he passed a handdrawn map to Rahim. “This is the site of the next power transfer. Asmoday and Glorius are currently there, according to McConnell. He also said Asmoday intends this to be the final ritual. It would appear even angels have an upper limit of power that they can absorb, and Glorius is nearing his. To go beyond that line would kill him with no one being the recipient of his magical energies.”
“Is that the reason why the last ritual was so subdued in comparison to the rest?” Rahim asked. Katon nodded. “In part, but it was mostly due to Asmoday’s concerns we might be closing in on him. He rushed the transfer to take advantage of the distraction provided by his fiends. He also performed it alone, as McConnell had other obligations.” He motioned toward me. “I think we’ve spooked him a bit.”
“Now is the time to go after him while he’s still weak,” I urged.
“We too are weakened and there is yet the matter of Gabriel,” Rahim argued, “but I think you’re right. Now is the time.”
“Don’t worry about Gabriel. I’ve a surprise for him.” I smirked like I had it all under control, despite still needing to find a way to meet the terms of Forcalor’s agreement. I figured knocking down Asmoday’s door would be as good a start as any.
“We’ll need as much assistance as we can muster, especially now that Asmoday’s fiends have wounded or killed most of our heavy hitters.” Katon turned to me.
“Can you reach Scarlett? We could use her.”
No doubt we could. No doubt at all. The temperature in the room rose ten degrees as I agreed with Katon’s words, if not his intended sentiment. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Katon looked at me with exasperated eyes and shook his head. I imagined he knew what I was thinking. I’m an open book most times. Well, more like an open porno mag, but you get my point. Once you’ve seen the cover, you know what’s going on inside.
“Then we’d best prepare. It won’t be long before Asmoday misses McConnell and realizes he’s failed in his mission to kill Frank. Our window of opportunity is no doubt closing fast.”
I nodded to Rahim. At long last we had some real direction. I ran off to call Scarlett and find some replacement guns.
It was time for war.
Best Laid Plans
Rahim, Katon, and I crouched in the shadows near the location McConnell had drawn on the map. The cowboy lay on the ground behind us, gagged and bound and looking forlorn. I’m not sure what Rahim’s plans for him were, but I didn’t imagine they were nice. Myself, I was thinking human shield. In silence, we surveyed the weather-battered barn situated on a small farm a few miles out of town. Out of the way and unassuming, it was the perfect place for an ambush.
At least it wasn’t a warehouse.
I couldn’t feel the overwhelming residue of magic as I had at the other locations, but I could feel something. More correctly, it was a lack of something. My senses drifted out, encountering nothing. It was a subtle nothingness, like reaching into the void of space. I looked to Rahim to confirm what I felt. He nodded and whispered, “Dampeners.”
I gave the thumbs up sign to McConnell. It seemed he’d given us the right information. He glared back, less than pleased to have been dragged along. I’m sure he thought we’d leave him at DRAC, locked away safe and sound, far from the demon master he betrayed. That’d be getting off too easy.
I smiled and returned my attention to the barn. Though the main doors at the front were closed, a small entrance to the side sat open. A gentle, flickering light shone somewhere inside, creating dancing shadows just outside. I didn’t see any security devices, but we stayed out of sight just in case.
I mouthed the word “trap?” as I glanced at Katon.
“Probably, but who knows?” He shrugged, not bothering to lower his voice. “It doesn’t really matter. He’ll know we’re here once we enter the barn so it’s not like we can sneak up on him. The dampeners keep him from sensing us the same way they do us from him, but inside past the barrier we’ll light up like flares. The only thing we can hope for is that he’s not prepared for us to show up.”
“Why are we sitting out here?” I gestured to the barn and the field surrounding it. “There’s no one out here waiting for us. If he’s set something up, it’s inside where we’re going anyway.”
Katon answered, “I was hoping your cousin would make an appearance before we went in. The extra angel power would be nice.”
I agreed. I’d tried to get a hold of Scarlett before we left DRAC, but she wasn’t answering. I’d even sicced the telepaths on her, but for whatever reason, she couldn’t be reached. I wasn’t worried so much as I was irritated. Scarlett had her own agenda and it rarely conformed to my own. It wasn’t the first time I’d been left in a lurch because she couldn’t be bothered. I just hoped it wouldn’t be the last.
I shrugged. There was nothing more I could do.
“If she was gonna show, she’d have done it by now. I think we’re wasting our time waiting on her.”
Rahim nodded. “You’re most likely right. Let’s go.” He stood and pulled McConnell to his feet. He dragged the other wizard along as he headed toward the open door.
Katon took the lead and motioned for me to take it up the rear. I debated being offended. I didn’t swing that way even for a sweet-talker as smooth as him. It took me a second to realize I’d misunderstood his hand signals. With a flustered smile on my face and my cheeks burning, I dropped behind Rahim and followed the group through the door.
Inside was a short hallway, which led to the main barn, the walls covered in framed photographs of what must have been the farm’s prize winning cattle. I had a sudden craving for a T-bone. Rahim nudged my shoulder and motioned for me to follow Katon through the inner door. I wiped the drool from my mouth and did as I was asked. I had a feeling I was gonna regret itWhen didn’t I?
As we walked into the barn, all the lights in the room flashed to life, the sudden glare blinding. At least it would have been to a human. Katon and I blinked a few times and our eyes adjusted. It’s good to be a devil sometimes. Apparently it’s not so bad being a vampire either.
Rahim lingered in the hall for a few seconds, his eyes adjusting slower, before following us in. Katon and I surveyed the room, looking for the trap we expected to be sprung. Turns out, we didn’t need to. In the center of the room, surrounded by a handful of Dread Fiends and the three surviving angels from my earlier encounter, Asmoday stood waiting for us. A broad, white smile appeared above the blackness of his thick beard. Glorius was nowhere to be seen and there were no signs of any ritual preparations.
“Do come in,” he called us forward. So much for the element of surprise. He’d known we were coming. Since it wouldn’t change anything in a tactical sense, as we were already inside the killing field of the barn, we obliged him. We did keep back a few extra yards, just to give us breathing room when the shit hit the fan. No point in getting too cozy with a guy who intended to kill us.
“You’re turning out to be quite resourceful, Triggaltheron.”
And again with that damn name. I shook my head and looked to Katon and Rahim. They were busy taking the lay of the land, so to speak, and preparing themselves for the confrontation to come. That left me to deal with the ass hole. I encouraged Asmoday to continue, giving them time to plot.
“I have my moments.”
“That you do. First, you survived my angel companions here.” He gestured to the three who stood glaring at me with murder in their eyes. “Oh, and let me introduce you since it appears I was remiss the last time. Silly me.” He pointed to each in turn. “Malis, Rafal, and Urtel. You of course knew Israfil, their companion, the one you killed. Quite impressive, I must admit.” The angels didn’t look impressed. They just looked pissed. “
After that, you managed to defeat my Dread Fiends. And to top it all off, you captured my wizard whom I knew couldn’t be trusted to carry out his duties alone.” He glared at McConnell with fury in his eyes. The Gray stared at the ground, unwilling to meet his master’s gaze. There was nothing happy about this particular reunion. “It seems I’ve underestimated you, Triggaltheron.”
“Don’t worry about it. It happens all the time.”
I waved off the underhanded compliment. “It’s the combination of charming good looks and my midseventy IQ that throws people off. It’s hard to cope with a complete package like this.” I ran my hands down the length of my body seductively slow, posing while I winked at Asmoday. Gay men everywhere cringed, I imagine.
Asmoday shook his head, not amused. “You should have taken me up on my offer. It was your only chance to escape the coming Armageddon alive.”
“I’m not sure what you find so exciting about ruling over a smoldering ruin, but to be honest, I’m not interested in surviving Armageddon. Especially if all that’s gonna be left is you and your flunkies. I’d rather be dead.”
“Rest assured, you’ll get your wish.” His dark eyes met mine. Fire danced within them. His servants, apparently feeling the tension ramping up, crept forward a few steps. “You are a disgrace to your uncle’s memory. Fortune smiled upon us when you refused the mantle. It would have been a dark day in Hell had you inherited Lucifer’s throne.”
I could feel the building current of Rahim’s power as he readied his defenses. Katon tensed beside him, his hand creeping toward his blade. Me? I did what I do best. I provoked. “I might not have inherited Hell, but I did inherit Lucifer’s trust. He sure didn’t offer you the job of Anti-Christ, did he?”
I could see the anger creasing his face, but surprisingly he remained in control.
“Why would I want to be the Anti-Christ, when I could be God?” A triumphant grin lit up his face. “I will raze the whole of creation and remake it in my image. It’s too bad you won’t be around to witness the glory of my new genesis.”
“You still need to contend with us,” Rahim told him, stepping forward. “We know your powers have been exhausted by the rituals, and since your accomplice, Gabriel, isn’t here to defend you, you might want to put away your delusions of grandeur.”
Asmoday reared his head back and laughed. A chill ran down my spine at hearing it.
“It’s no wonder Baalth holds your organization in such high regard, you have proven to be worthy adversaries. He gives you too much respect, though.”
Asmoday signaled to someone out of sight behind him. Through a door, hidden in the shadows at the rear of the barn, a Dread Fiend ambled out. A long, thick chain, clutched in its claw, ran behind it into the darkness. With an impatient hiss, the creature yanked the leash hard and a figure stumbled into the light. My heart rate spiked.
It was Scarlett.
Bound by the same type of manacles, which held McConnell’s power in check, the fiend tugged her along easily. In addition to the magical cuffs, her arms were pinned to her body with thick chains that ensured no movement of her upper body. To add insult to injury, the scabbard at her hip was empty. To top it all off, she was gagged. Her eyes burned like fiery stars above the gag, locking onto mine as she was led toward us. Under normal circumstances, seeing Scarlett tied up like that would have produced an erection so hard I would have passed out due to the lack of blood to my brain. Today, it just made me angry. If anyone was Page 229 gonna introduce my cousin to bondage, it was gonna be me, damn it. I growled and started forward.
“Let her go.”
Asmoday’s bully squad moved to intercept me, forming a wall between us as Scarlett was delivered to his side. The fiend handed her over, then withdrew a narrow, rune-covered blade, passing it along as well. Asmoday wrapped an arm around Scarlett’s chest, pulling her into him. He slid the blade under her chin, pressing it hard against her throat.
“I’d say her death would provide me with more than enough power to defend myself, don’t you agree, wizard?”
Rahim glowered, his fists clenched into tight balls of fury. But despite his anger, I saw him back down, his shoulders slumping, his hands trembling but opening. I could tell by the look on his face he wasn’t happy about it, but he must have felt it best, otherwise he wouldn’t have done it.
More than anything, Rahim was a man of conviction. He had vowed to save the world and he intended to keep his promise. It didn’t matter to him whether Scarlett lived or died, or any of us really, all that mattered was the cause. He would kill Scarlett himself if it advanced DRAC’s agenda. That was the depth of his conviction. His tentativeness meant he understood her death would tip the balance against us. He wasn’t willing to risk that when he thought there was still some chance, however slim, we could pull off the win.
“While her death might provide you with enough energy to fend us off, it would also weaken you at the worst possible moment,” Rahim countered. He might not have wanted to start a fight, but he wasn’t cowed. Asmoday’s eyes narrowed, the blade staying put. He said nothing, but his eyes implored Rahim to go on.
“Do you truly believe your lackeys can hold us off long enough to complete the transfer? Ten seconds is an eternity to place your life in the hands of renegade angels and thick-skulled Dread Fiends.” Rahim exuded confidence, taking a half step forward, seizing on Asmoday’s hesitation. “Are you willing to wager your life just to find out how resourceful we truly are?”
Asmoday raised his upper lip into a snarl. Rahim had gotten into his head, but the demon hadn’t come this far to fail. “What do you propose?”
“A trade.” Rahim pointed at McConnell. “The wizard for the angel and you walk away.” I wasn’t sure what angle Rahim was playing, but I figured he knew what he was doing so I kept my mouth shut. McConnell, however, didn’t seem to care what Rahim was doing, he just knew it wasn’t gonna end well for him. His eyes sprung wide as he spewed muffled complaints into the gag, thrashing against the restraints. Asmoday looked him over with cold eyes, as if weighing his value.
Rahim continued his pitch. “Though it’s true Scarlett’s strength is considerable and her death would provide you with the means to fight us off for a short while, that course of action comes at great risk. Fail and you and all your grand plans end here in an inauspicious grave.” He gestured to the ramshackle barn. “What I offer is a way for you to avoid that risk as well as provide you with the opportunity to address the failure of your would-be assassin.”
While Asmoday didn’t appear to understand Rahim’s motivations any more than the rest of us did, he had to know the wizard had some kind of trick up his sleeve. He didn’t seem to care though. He must have had one hell of a hand himself.
“I believe I’ll accept your offer, wizard. We exchange the angel for my incompetent servant, followed by my departure and nothing more.” He didn’t bother to wait for Rahim’s acknowledgment. He motioned to his minions. He passed Scarlett over to one of them and it led her past the line. The creature stopped a few feet from us, still holding the leash. Another of Asmoday’s fiends stepped forward and grabbed a hold of McConnell, watching us the whole time. The Gray’s eyes screamed to us as he was dragged back to his master. He found no sympathy. Once he’d crossed the line of Asmoday’s minions, the fiend which held Scarlett released the chain and backed away, its arms raised to show it posed no threat. I jumped and pulled her behind us, fumbling at her binds. It was all too easy.
Asmoday latched onto McConnell, smiling all the while. “Thank you. I needed the wizard far more than I did your angel, at this point.” His grin grew even wider. “Now, as per our arrangement, I shall depart. But let me leave you with this…”
I knew it. Never trust a demon.
“The end is but a dawn away. I go now to prepare Glorius for his final moment.” He backed away slowly, pulling the reluctant McConnell along. “His sacrifice shall usher in a new age where the followers of light shall be scoured from existence, the f
irmament lashed to scarlet shreds. From my sanctum of peace, I will watch as humanity breathes its last and the heavens are burned to blackened ash.” He pointed at us as he reached the shadows. “Do what you must to prepare for you have precious few moments left. Farewell.”
Darkness welled up beneath them, blurring the forms of Asmoday and McConnell. They were washed away by an obsidian wave, a column of blackness that streaked upward to disappear from sight. The angels and fiends left behind, smiled in malevolent unison and advanced. I redoubled my effort to free Scarlett as they spread out to encircle us. Katon and Rahim moved to defend while I fidgeted with the chains.
Though I’d thought of Scarlett tied up more times than I should probably admit, I never pictured a scene quite like this. I cast a quick glance at the approaching minions as my adrenaline-charged hands shook and fumbled with her binds, working way too slow. I sighed and tried to focus.
In even the most wild of my fantasies, I’d never imagined a gang-bang this perverse.
A Tragic Hour
Like fireworks on the fourth of July, sparks of magical energy flashed all around me while I struggled to free Scarlett. I flinched as an explosion erupted right behind me, blocked by Rahim who’d thrown up a hastily crafted shield at the very last possible moment. The heat of the blast filtered through and raised goose bumps along my skin, singeing the hairs on my neck. Determined, now more than ever, to get Scarlett loose and join the fray, I blocked out everything else and focused on the manacles. I traced the silver symbols on the cuffs, hoping my memory worked and I could keep my hands steady enough to get the right order. I got lucky.
As the symbols lighted up in my finger’s wake, a shimmering red glow tracing their outlines, I heard a metallic clank and the cuffs popped open. Scarlett’s power flooded back to her, the mystical restraints no longer neutralizing it. Her eyes shined with renewed energy. She howled, though it came out sounding like a strangled cat through the gag, and flexed against the rest of the chains. The links snapped as though they were made of glass. Metal shrapnel hurtled in all directions as the bulk of the chains dropped to the floor at her feet. She tore the gag away and gave me a grateful smile, wicked intentions swirling in her fierce eyes. Her manner feral, she spun and zeroed in on the closest of the angels, her former brethren. “Traitorous whores!”
