Oh well. The pistol will have to work.
Leaning around the corner, I aim the weapon at the man on the left, bringing him down with a well placed shot to the back. The other guy, seeing his friend fall lifelessly to the ground, runs into the nearby room.
I signal for Spencer to head outside, leaving me to follow the man. Creeping down the hallway, I keep my gun trained at the empty door. I want to drop this asshole if he so much as pokes his head around the corner.
Reaching the door without incident, I lean in slightly to take a look inside. At first glance, I see nothing other than a few chairs sitting around a large wooden desk. When I don’t find him hiding underneath the desk, I take a deep breath before entering the room.
“Drop it!” I shout with my gun aimed at his head.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he says, nodding his head outside.
“He isn’t the only one who can shoot it,” I say, stepping forward.
“But what if I shoot his arm? He may drop it over the edge.”
The odds of that happening were unlikely, but there was enough of a chance of it happening that it wasn’t worth the risk. But, I couldn’t let him know that.
“Try me,” I say.
When he turns his head to laugh, a single gunshot rings out from the outside that shatters the glass before the contents of his skull decorate the room.
I breath a sigh of relief when he falls to the ground, the death shot not taken. Walking to the window I see Spencer standing on the other side of Bill with his gun aimed in the room. He finally relaxes his grip when he sees my ugly mug.
“All clear,” I say, loud enough for them to hear.
“Finally!” Bill says. “Damn thing finally locked. You two may want to stand back.”
Taking his advice, I walk back to the doorway wanting to get away from the glass. I’m not sure how this missile works, but I’ve seen enough YouTube videos to know they have a nasty back blast.
“Good!” I shout, hearing Spencer shout the same from the nearby room seconds after.
I hear the glass shatter in the nearby room followed by the sound of the missile taking off. As the glass crashes to the ground around the room, I see the projectile heading towards its target.
The three of us cheer when the missile hits the target, the sound of the impact shaking the building violently. Smoke fills the air from the area of impact with parts of the piece falling to the ground below.
Ahead I see the towers of the cranes swinging wildly, trying to control the piece as it swings wildly in the air. I run close to the window, looking down to see the two cranes in front being ripped from the ground as the piece swings in my direction.
Then I hear the loud pop as the top half of one crane tower snaps off from the movement, followed by the other. On the ground the two cranes crash to their sides, crushing the people foolish enough to stand close.
Reaching the end of its swing, the piece swings back in the other direction. The crane on the backside of the portal is holding firm, the momentum failing to send it into a dive.
Then I hear it. A loud pop as the piece crashes into place between two towers of the pillar.
We don’t wait to see the result of our failed blast. We just run down the stairs as fast as our legs will take us to the battle below.
- 11 -
Not needing to defend the cranes anymore, the remaining enemy forces make a hard push at Azrael’s position on the west. It is doubtful, but unless they pulled out a few more fighters out of the rubble in one piece, this battle is going to be over quickly as they are easily out gunned at this point.
Bill, Spencer, and I give it our all, hoping to draw off enough of the enemy to give them a chance. It may not amount to much, but even splitting part them away could make a world of difference.
“This should work,” Bill says, kneeling down next to the concrete railing on the west side of Memorial. “With Az falling back to the camp, we should be able to pick off a few of them.”
Back at the camp, Nal would have a few people stationed to help defend the others, but the vast majority of our fighting force is out there with the angel. If they are pushed back all that way, the rest of them are all screwed.
Including Sara.
“Why do you think the portal hasn’t opened yet?” Spencer says. “I thought it would open right away.”
“Maybe we destroyed the rune enough that it won’t work,” Bill says, swapping out magazines on his weapon.
“I doubt that,” I say. “There’s someone down there near the large stones they put in.”
“You think we should take him out?” Spencer asks.
“I got it,” I say, putting away my pistol. “I won’t be much help here without my rifle, anyways. Just do me a favor.”
“Anything,” Bill says.
“Just watch my back. Make sure I don’t get any unwanted company.”
“We got you,” Bill says. “Just make sure you come back in one piece.”
I nod. “You too.”
Being horrible with goodbyes, I run along the railing until I get to Walnut where I cross the highway. I stop long enough to take one last look at the charred remains of my Expedition next to the old cathedral. There isn’t much of it left to honor, honestly. One tire, part of the rear bumper, and the passenger door is all that’s left of the car that got me here.
Once I pass the cathedral, I see the three stones they have set up in the center of the portal. Each one is about eight feet tall and adorned with runes like the portal, but without as many. Between them is a flat circular stone on the ground with a small rectangular stone on top of it.
A woman walks up from a nearby car holding two glowing yellow orbs in her hands. She doesn’t even bother closing the trunk of the car where I see another half dozen of the orbs glowing bright against the dark blue paint.
Unless I’m mistaken, I’m staring at Abaddon while she handles her own dirty work. After the mishap at the warehouse, I can’t say I blame her.
I try to stay hidden as I approach, wanting to keep hidden as long as possible since I’m still without my knife. Slowly I move between the shattered remains of the trees until I come to the last, leaving nothing but a hundred yard run between me and her makeshift altar. Not wanting to be caught unprepared, I pull the angel blade from my hip and wait for her to make another pass to her car before starting my sprint.
I cover half of the distance before she makes it to her car and another quarter of the way while she pulls out two more of the orbs. Shifting my route, I use the large stone to block her view of me.
I make it to the altar about ten seconds before her, but opt to stay hidden behind the large piece of stone. Quietly, I lean against the stone, waiting for her to make another trip to the car before I strike.
She is talking to herself in Demonic when she walks onto the platform, stopping only when the orbs are in place. When I no longer hear the footsteps on the stone, I give her to the count of five until I strike.
One. I take a deep breath in.
Two. Peeking around the stone, I see she is unaware of my presence.
Three. I envision the combat and how it is going to happen in my mind’s eye.
Four. I exhale slowly while mentally preparing for my move.
Five. I run out from behind the stone pillar silently, sword poised to strike.
The seconds drag on while I close the distance. Five meager yards is all the room she has. I let a smile creep onto my lips knowing this will all be over soon. I raise my sword to strike the woman down, only to slam into an invisible barrier a few feet away. Before I move, the barrier shifts around me. As I struggle to move away, the barrier wraps itself around my body, halting my escape.
“Demontouched,” she says. “So we meet again.” Her long black hair flies in the air when she faces me. On first appearance, she isn’t much to look at with her pock-marked face, but I find her deep red eyes drawing me in. “Did you think you would be able to strike me down from b
ehind?”
“That was the plan,” I say, struggling to move as the barrier wraps itself around me.
“Foolish.” She continues her trip to the car, leaving me restrained.
Lightning strikes, brightening the sky ahead of the approaching storm. As Abaddon walks back with two more glowing orbs, the wind picks up, sending her hair flying to the side. She grins as she passes by, apparently pleased at her small victory.
“They won’t be able to save you from the orbs when I kill you again.”
“I underestimated your power last time, Demontouched. A mistake I won’t be making again.”
“Then let me out of your little trap and let’s find out.”
She tilts her lead back to laugh. “How about I make you watch instead.”
As promised, she leaves me in the barrier while she makes one final trip to her car to retrieve the last pair of orbs. The rumble of thunder gets louder as the sky continues to grow dark. I shield my eyes to protect them from a gust of wind that sends a dust cloud over the riverfront nearly three stories high.
I push and poke the barrier as she carefully places the orbs around the altar. Behind me, I hear the sounds of the battle getting louder, like it is pushing this way. I force my head to turn to the side to get a better view.
Near the remnants of the tree line, I see a group of people wearing the same blue on blue clothing falling back near the southern pillar of the portal. Once they get out in the open, the people in the unit drop one at a time. The last falling a few feet from the base.
“Imbeciles,” Abaddon says.
Azrael leads the charge into the clearing with nearly two dozen of our soldiers falling in behind him.
“Looks like your playtime is up,” I say with a wide grin on my face.
“Hardly.”
The barrier around me fades out of existence, sending me falling into the ground. As I get up I notice Az and the soldiers coming to a complete stop as a new barrier forms about fifty yards away.
“Now I just have to deal with you,” she says, cracking her knuckles.
Not bothering with a response, I grip the handle of my sword tightly before charging in to the fray.
I see the tips of her fingers sparkle with electricity as I get close. With a grunt, she shoots a bolt of lighting, forcing me to twist out of the way.
“Same old tricks.” I swing the blade at the demon, slicing the fabric of her shirt as she leaps back.
As I approach the center of the alter, I can almost feel the souls in the orbs. It reminds me of the ritual down on the farm, but much greater. She doesn’t let me enjoy the feeling for long as she sends another bolt at my head.
“Quit moving you little worm!” She shouts as she sprays the platform with lighting, sending me ducking behind one of the stone pillars for cover.
Rain cascades down the side of her barrier when the storm finally hits. Debris flies in the air as the winds pick up. To the west I notice Az and the others moving the base of the portal, to get a reprieve from the winds and rain.
“Your friends run from my glory!” she says, laughing.
“They run from the storm, moron,” I say, quickly running between stone pillars. “Drop your shield and see how fast they come back.”
She hisses and sends another wave of lightning into the platform.
I wait for a break in her attack before making my move, grabbing an orb from the edge of the platform before hiding behind my rock.
With the orb in my hands, I swear I hear thousands of voices asking me to release them. If I knew how to do it, I would in a heartbeat to end this once and for all. Too bad for them, Eunie never taught me how to do that trick.
“Bastard.”
I look up in time to see Abaddon’s fist hit me in the gut. I double over in pain from the force of the blow, dropping the orb on the ground.
“You will not shatter this one,” she says, picking it up. “Or any of the others.”
I don’t get a chance to look up before the pain truly begins. Electricity flows through my body from head to toe, sending me to my knees.
“Now, you die.” As she walks closer I can feel the pain intensify until peaking out when she picks me up. I open my eyes, but struggle to see the woman through the constant flashes of electricity both around her and above her barrier.
Through the buzzing I hear a thud when she drops the orb to the ground, placing her free hand on me shortly after.
“Any last words?” she asks with a laugh.
I nod my head.
Through the electrical impulses, I place my hands on the side of her face. I only smile as I step down on the orb before giving her my response.
“Exorcizamus!”
My vision returns as the constant flashes of lighting are replaced with the light emitting from my hands. Abaddon’s jaw trembles as the force of my blast enters her face, penetrating her eyes and mouth. She lets out a muffled scream as the power melts her eyeballs.
Her skin turns black as I continue pushing power into her body. Then suddenly, the flow of power stops as quick as it started.
I let go of her body, expecting it to drop to the ground, but instead she stays upright. She shuffles to the nearby pillar, using it to hold her weight.
“How are you still alive?” I ask, confused.
She laughs. “You haven’t seen my true power.”
“And he won’t.” Blood squirts out of the front of her chest as the tip of an angel blade juts from her chest. I see Nancy walk out from behind the pillar, holding Abaddon close with one hand while twisting the blade with the other.
When Abaddon seizes, I run forward to place my hand over her mouth. I’m finally able to take the soul when her body gives up its fight.
“It’s over,” I say, collapsing to the ground.
“You did well, Mitch,” Nancy says. “All that’s left is to destroy the portal.”
I smile at her when she offers her hand to help me up.
Looking on the ground, I see the once yellow orb now crystal clear. The souls inside long gone. When I pick the orb off the ground, it is empty except for a small glowing red ball.
“What is that?” I ask handing the orb to Nancy.
She shrugs her shoulders. When she hands it back, I have my answer.
- 12 -
The heat from the portal causes the rain to sizzle and steam as it falls to the ground. A glowing red light bathes the area as far as my eyes can see.
Before I can move away from the stone pillar to get a better look, Nancy’s head flies into my hands. Her body stands upright for a moment before collapsing to the ground. I don’t get a chance to retrieve her soul before I see the culprit.
“You must be the demontouched.” A man, nearly seven feet tall walks from behind the large piece of stone, sliding his hand through his slick black hair. He is wearing a black trench coat over a pair of black slacks with an enormous angel blade in his free hand.
“Who the hell are you?”
“Samael,” he says, walking close. “Second in command around here.”
“Who’s first?”
“Don’t you worry. You’ll meet him soon enough.”
I step away from the man as he approaches, wanting to stay well out of range of that massive sword. Looking at the platform I notice all the orbs are clear, the souls inside long gone.
“Back away from him Samael,” Uriel says, running up from behind.
Samael grins when he sees the angel. “Look who finally came out to play. Tell me, are you done hiding behind these humans?”
“She wasn’t hiding,” I say, squaring up to the man.
“She just needed some help.” Nal walks to my side, my demon killing knife in his hand.
“The odds are even, I see.” He laughs before creating a large black spear in his outstretched hand.
“How about now?” Azrael says, lending his sword to the fight.
“Fighting on the wrong side, are we Azrael?”
He shakes his head. “
I didn’t leave to torment humanity.”
“But you left.”
“Enough talk!” Nal tosses the knife at the demon, sticking the knife in his leg.
“So you are the first to die.”
Nal doesn’t react before the spear hits him in the chest, sending him flying in the air away from the portal.
My jaw trembles as I try to keep it together. Just like that, Nal was gone.
“You going to cry, little human?”
With those words I charge in, the angels are close behind me.
Time seems to slow after he parries my blade. Sensing an opening, I do a counterattack that he blocks by creating a new black spear. He returns the favor, sweeping his long angel blade at my waist. I try to get my sword in the way, to parry, but it gets caught on the ground as I move it over. Thankfully, Uriel threw a barrier in front of me to catch the blade.
With his attention on me, Azrael circles around to attack him from behind. I feign an attack, hoping to keep his attention, but he senses my diversion and faces Az right in time to parry his sword.
“As much as I want to play, I have an important detail to attend to.” Samael says before throwing his new spear into Azrael, pinning him into the ground. “I’ll take care of you soon, brother. After I kill your pesky little friend.”
Azrael’s hands turn black the moment he touches the spear. He screams as he tries to pull it out of his body, but it doesn’t move an inch.
And like that, we are down to two.
“Which one should I kill next?” he says, creating another spear. “Perhaps the baby angel.”
Uriel creates another barrier to block that blow before creating a white spear of her own.
“Try me,” she says, changing into an adult.
Without a hint of hesitation, he leaps at Uriel. The angel blocks the first set of blows by parrying the spear and creating a barrier to stop the sword, but she can’t mount a counterattack before he brings another weapon to bear.
Not wanting to see another friend die today, I let out a savage roar when I leap into the fray. Without hesitation, he blocks my blow with his sword before sticking the tip of his spear through my shoulder.
Risen: The Demontouched Saga (Book 6) Page 6
