by Michael Todd
Calvin made a face. “What?”
“Nothing. It’s just nice to have you back.”
“Yeah, well, I’m sure Pandora has other thoughts on the matter.”
Nope, damn glad to have Long-Schlong Silver back with us.
Katie choked and covered her mouth to hold back her laughter.
“She called me some weird name, didn’t she?”
Katie couldn’t talk through her tears. “Long…Schlong…Silver.”
Calvin grinned. “I think she just wants me to shiver her timbers. Not happening, P.”
That’s because Calvin’s in looooove. Pandora snickered.
Katie looked at Calvin. He did seem different; more assured in some way. “I concur.”
“With what?” Calvin asked.
Katie winked. “Come on, we gotta get to the airport. The car should be downstairs.”
Calvin nodded and slung his duffel over his shoulder. Angie came in and hugged Katie silently, too full of emotion for words. They hurried down to the elevator and out the front doors of the building.
As soon as they stepped out, bulbs flashed and the paparazzi went wild.
“Katie, Calvin, are you on your way to an incursion? Are you going to fight in England?”
“Katie, can you confirm that the United States is converging on a massive portal in England?”
“Katie, are you dating the leader of the Damned Military Unit? Former rock and roll star Brock?”
Calvin looked at Katie. She rolled her eyes and climbed into the Humvee that was waiting for them. She slammed the door and stared out at the reporters, wishing they would just disappear. Every time she saw them, it was another reminder to her that her life was not her own. She was tired of feeling that way, but short of disappearing and hiding out there really wasn’t anything she could do about it. The public was curious, and the reporters were vicious.
Calvin and Pandora could immediately tell that the reporters had gotten to her. Her mood had sunk and fast, which was not what they wanted when she was headed into battle, a battle that sounded bigger than anything before. Calvin cleared his throat and looked at her.
“Long-Schlong Silver would like to know if you let Brock swab your decks?”
Katie giggled.
He grinned and pointed at her. “That’s why Pandora is being so nice. You two got some!”
Okay, fun’s over. He’s going to get some in a minute.
Katie started laughing.
What happened to the innocent young woman who blushed at so much as the mention of a penis? You’ve changed, Katie. I was totally threatening violence.
Calvin held up his hands. “Hey, I’m just glad your dry spell is over. You two deserve some fun. Pandora still isn’t getting her claws on me, though.”
Pandora and Calvin went back and forth, doing everything they could to make Katie laugh. Calvin shrugged and put up his hand.
“High five! It is about time you smiled, dammit—though I don’t know how much fun it was. I totally picture Pandora in your head shouting orders like a drill sergeant.”
Damn straight. You gotta twissst those hips, lady. None of this...two wet seals slapping it together. There’s an art to it.
Katie laughed. “Okay, you two, enough.”
Oh, oh! Holy shit! You have to tell him about the magazine.
Katie giggled. “So, there was a magazine in the train station that was an authentic reproduction of what I would look like as a pin-up doll. It was mortifying. Seriously, it looked like they took a tire pump and just inflated my tits to a G, left my waist where it was and did the same to my hips. My head was soooo tiny on my body. I looked like a tick about to explode. If that was real and I popped a tit, someone would die.”
Calvin laughed loudly. “’Popped a tit.’ I’m gonna start saying that every time I get hurt. Dagnabbit, Katie, I popped a tit.”
“Oh, my God!” Katie gasped. “You sound like my grandpa Joe.”
“Oh, so now I’m another old white dude.” He laughed. “You’re really hitting those comparisons today.”
They pulled up to the private entrance at the airport and got out of the Humvee. They went around back and grabbed their bags and pushed through the five or so news reporters trying to get footage of them heading out. This time it didn’t bother Katie as much, remembering that whatever they thought they knew about her life, they had no idea. She had her secrets, ones that even they would never get their hands on.
“Katie just one question...”
“I’m sorry,” she said going inside. “We are in a hurry.”
They raced through the airport and out onto the airfield, stopping and watching as the military planes landed and moved toward them. They were fast—hella fast—but luckily this time not as tiny as the ones when they went to France. Calvin nodded and let out a deep breath.
“Thank God. I was thinking I would have to close myself up in that plane again like a fucking can of tuna. The guy had to tell me three times to take my hand off the red lever.”
“Was it on the red lever?”
“Fuck yeah, it was. If we were going down, I was pulling that shit and floating off with my parachute. I am too young to be going down like Hollywood stars in some tragic plane crash in the ocean.”
“I always think about Goose from Top Gun. I’d pull the handle, and my ass would slam right into the lid of the plane. I know it.”
“Yeah, but you are made of demon ash and angel dust. That fucking plane top would crack into a million pieces, and your wings would come bursting out and you would make a fucking dive right into the water and come out looking like a supermodel. The whole time I would be holding on and screaming my ass off. I can take a big-ass demon, but don’t drop me from heights. Nope. I was made for the ground, thank you.”
Exactly what I have been saying about your damn wings.
Katie rolled her eyes. “Great, you just got her going on the damn wings again. She is not a fan.”
“Me either, Pandora,” Calvin yelled.
Katie laughed and rubbed her ear. “She can hear you just fine with inside voices.”
“Not as dramatic.”
The planes taxied to a stop and the crew started toward them, bags in their hands to load onto the planes. Katie lifted her eyebrows thinking about how fast-paced her life was. She rarely had time to think about anything before she made a move.
“I’m starting to think I should have probably negotiated a higher rate for this shit. We are flying into possibly one of the largest incursions in history, and I let them lowball me because I was in a hurry. Those bastards are good at that. They know exactly when to hit you with it, too. When you are panicking, trying to get your shit together, and just want to get moving.”
Calvin chuckled and patted her on the back. “Yeah, but sometimes it ain’t all about the money.”
Katie thought about Brock’s team and how they pushed through any demon situation, any time, on military pay. They had been given a small increase on the regular military rate because of what they faced, but didn’t get even a tenth of what Katie and Calvin charged to go out on incursions. She nodded at Calvin, acknowledging that he was right. Sometimes, and actually even more than not, it wasn’t all about the money. It was about securing freedom, killing demons, and keeping their world a safe place. It was about using the tools and gifts she had been given to do something more meaningful than a game of volleyball or getting the right degree in college. Becoming a Damned hadn’t just changed her outward life, it had changed the woman she was at the core.
An eldritch air hung over the sleepy English night. The moon was hidden by the clouds, and deep rumbles rolled through an uncharacteristically dry sky. The heat from the massive portal had filled the atmosphere with heat and gasses, and the unearthly pressure change sent random streaks of lightning that went from the ground to the sky.
The mood among the military and police surrounding the field was tight.
They’d set a wide perimeter around the
field, and watched the portal from that safe distance. There hadn’t been an incursion on British soil previously, so the only ones who had seen anything like this had been present at an incursion overseas.
The police were barely armed, and even the firearms units were only equipped to deal with humans. The British military didn’t have access to the special bullets that the U.S. Military had been using for months. They didn’t have mercenary teams like the U.S. had, and hadn’t made the most of the intel that had been shared.
They were now realizing what a serious situation they were facing.
As the police and military moved from their vehicles and checked their weapons to ensure they were loaded the gate pulsed, sending out a wave of heat and energy. The people surrounding the field could barely breathe, the heat was so bad, and it only increased as the portal became more and more active.
One of the army officers was on the phone with his commanding officer, trying to figure out what the hell to do. “I don’t know what to tell you, Smythe. Hold the perimeter until the Americans turn up. The mercenary Katie and her partner Calvin are heading this way as we speak. I had a call from one of the US generals. Their intel picked up the portal before we knew what was happening.”
“Sir, what if those things come out of there?”
“Then shoot them in the head and stay alive as long as you can.”
“That’s hardly a plan, sir.”
“It is what it is, Smythe. I only wish I could be there with you instead of dealing with the logistics of transferring Her Majesty and the rest of the royal family to the safe house. It’s been testing, to say the least.”
“I can only imagine, sir. What does this Katie do that we can’t?”
“What does she not do? I’ve only seen footage, but I promise you it’s nothing your body is capable of—not unless you’ve grown wings since the last time we saw each other.”
“Wings? No, I don’t have any of those, but if she does, I sure as hell hope that I make it long enough to see that. First demons, and now angels. What else is on the way, Bigfoot?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, man. Bigfoot isn’t real.”
“Of course. All right, sir, keep safe. We’ll do what we can to hold it down here until the backup arrives. If I don’t make it through this, it’s been a pleasure serving with you, sir.”
“Today is not the day you die, Smythe.”
Smythe hung up the phone and looked at the gate, swallowing hard. He grabbed his comm, reaching out to the others preparing for whatever was about to happen next.
He steadied his breathing and gave the order a little less bluntly than he’d received it. “Attention all units. We have backup incoming. Until the mercenaries arrive we will defend that gate to a man. Our orders are to shoot anything that comes through in the head. Make every shot count.”
One of the officers cut in over the comm. “So just point and shoot until the cavalry arrives? Sounds simple enough. You’d think they’d give us a challenge of some sort.”
Smythe’s smile reflected in his voice as he replied, “Sorry, ladies and gentlemen. No challenges today, I’m afraid..”
“I signed up for the stellar dining experiences, sir,” one of the squaddies shouted.
The mood lifted, but only for a second.
Suddenly the portal began to vibrate.
Smythe dropped the comm and grabbed his rifle. He braced the stock in the hollow of his shoulder and took aim at the center of the rippling. It was so huge that no one really knew where to look or where to aim. Tongues of flame shot out from the gate, heralding the demons. They erupted from the portal and spilled out onto the burnt grass. They hissed and barked as the police officers stared wide-eyed. They weren’t trained for this.
The soldiers jumped into the back of their armored vehicles and spun the gun turret around.
With the drop of the sergeant’s hand, they unleashed a hail of bullets at the demons. Several of the demons were taken out in the first barrage. However, they weren’t deterred, and new limbs grew to replace the ones the soldiers had shot off even as they dragged themselves toward the humans
“All right, then. Take this, fucker,” he whispered as he pulled the trigger.
The bullet whizzed through the air and struck the demon right between the eyes, dropping him to the ground. Everyone stopped shooting and watched that one demon until finally it exploded into ash. Cheers went up around the perimeter and the guy shook his head, raising his weapon for the next shot.
“One down, infinity to go. I can do this.”
The gunfire began again. This time all of the firearms officers aimed for the heads while the military sprayed the demons with higher-caliber bullets. They watched the hordes of demons spilling out, realizing that none of them were attacking the perimeter. Instead, they were running forward and diving down, digging through the ground, trying to unearth something. They looked like a bunch of rabid hairless dogs, scratching and crawling through the dirt.
One of the police officers turned to his partner. “What in God’s name are they looking for?”
His partner shrugged with wide eyes. “I have no id...”
Just then a demon jumped across the car and sank its teeth into his partner’s neck. The officer brought up his recently-issued service weapon, and as soon as the demon looked up with a mouthful of flesh, he shot it right between the eyes. The cop backed up, shaking his head and still pointing his gun. The other demons were busy digging, but he had never experienced anything like it. His fight-or-flight response was engaged and he wasn’t sure whether to jump ship or stay put.
“Rodgers,” another officer called with his hand up. “It’s okay, mate. Just aim and shoot. Keep doing it until we tell you to stop. You’re gonna be okay.”
Rodgers shook his head. He started firing over and over, hitting demons right and left. He wasn’t sure if he was killing them, but he was trying to make the best dent he could in the situation. He knew one thing: that backup better get there, and it better get there fast or all they would find would be a big hole in the ground and a bunch of dead coppers. He didn’t want to be one of those dead coppers.
His gun clicked and he looked down, realizing he was out of ammo. He reached in his pocket to pull out more, but instead, he pulled out a picture of his wife and brand-new baby girl. He ran his finger over their faces and closed his eyes for just a moment. He had to protect them no matter what it cost, even his life. He couldn’t help his partner, but he could avenge his death. What two better reasons to fight were there? He grabbed more ammo out of the car and gritted his teeth.
“Okay, you sodding bastards, you want action? I’ll give you some damn action.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Katie and Calvin held tightly to their seats as the plane made its descent into the base in England. The thing moved fast, both in the air and as it headed toward the runway. The wheels hit the ground hard and Calvin looked at Katie, shaking his head.
“I’m telling you, just pull the red handle and freedom is mine.”
“No red handle in this one, big guy.”
“No, but you have wings, which is the next best thing.”
“Very true, though Pandora might disagree.”
The plane came to a stop outside of the hangar bay, and the doors opened. Several English soldiers stood by, waiting to show Katie and Calvin to the helicopter. There was no time to waste. The trip there had taken long enough.
The officer running alongside them shouted as they ran. “The portal has continued to grow. We had men on the scene, but they have slowly been chipped away by the demons. The demons are digging into the ground. We don’t really know what they are doing. All we know is we need you guys there.”
They stopped at the edge of the helipad, and the officer saluted Katie and Calvin. “Good luck out there, and may God be with you.”
He means Pandora. May Pandora be with you.
Of course.
Katie and Calvin threw their bags into the chopper
and climbed inside, nodding as they slid the door shut. They situated their bags and put on their headphones since the pilot was wasting no time. Three other choppers lifted off at the same time, and they all took off through the air in formation. The pilot clicked the button on his mic and looked back in the mirror hanging above him.
“I am Sergeant Hudson, and I’ll be getting you to the scene. It’s about a twenty-minute flight, so hold tight.”
“Thank you, Sergeant,” Calvin replied, nodding.
“Oh, and Sergeant?” Katie added. “When you start to get close, definitely take it up a notch, and by that I mean get us higher into the air. Those fuckers can take out helicopters. I’ve seen it over and over, and I’d rather make it to the ground in one piece than die in a giant flaming ball of metal.”
“Me too, ma’am. I’ll make sure we are above their line of sight and far enough away to dodge any incoming projectile.”
Katie nodded, then glanced at Calvin and shrugged. “Korbin would have said the same thing.”
Calvin smiled. “He still would.”
I have a strange feeling about this. Pandora sighed. I don’t know what it is, but there is something different about this incursion.
Yeah, it’s fucking massive. We’ll find out just how big in about fifteen minutes.
No, there’s something more, but I can’t pinpoint it.
Well, let me know when you figure it out. All I feel is the angel burn in my chest, and it’s like heartburn times a thousand. You would think early warning signals wouldn’t make you distracted, but sheesh.
Sorry, I can’t help you with that one. My powers do nothing on their magic.
It’s the thought that counts.
Really?
Katie chuckled. No, but it sounded nice didn’t it?
Touché, my friend, touché.
They flew over the quiet English countryside. Katie would never have guessed there was something so massive ahead of them. After about ten minutes, the pilot switched on his microphone again. “Um, ma’am? You might want to look straight ahead. I’ve never seen anything like this.”
