by Michael Todd
Hey, calm down there, sister. I’m not complaining. I just know how you are when you get so full you can’t move, and I can’t fix you fast enough. Usually, you’re the one saying this, not me.
Katie rolled her eyes. I’m starving. I was unconscious and dragged out of hell, and then I slept for two days. I feel like I could eat this entire restaurant. In fact, I’m thinking about a piece of pizza right now.
You hate their pizza.
Katie nodded. Good point. I’ll just stick with the donuts.
As she ate, the bell on the door to the pizza place rang. Detectives Travers and Schultz walked in, obviously looking for her. She slowly slid the last bite of a donut into her mouth and grabbed a napkin to wipe the sugar from her lips. Detective Travers looked down at a chair. “Mind if we sit?”
Katie swallowed. “Of course not. Have a seat.”
She turned the box of donuts toward them and opened the lid. Both detectives took a napkin and picked a donut out of the box. It was silent at the table for several moments as they each took a bite of the confections. Noticing how quiet they were, Katie put her hands on her lap and cleared her throat loudly.
Travers chuckled and put his donut on his napkin. “Understand you were at the bank today?”
Katie laughed. “I’m sure there’s a video. I told them where I was going.”
Schultz smirked. “That you did. You told them a couple times. Personally, I didn’t think you were running from it, but you know we had to come down here. You had a hell of a lot of witnesses and it was in a bank, so you know every single second of the incident was taped. Not only that, but we weren’t the only ones to see it. It’s not like we can just brush this under the rug.”
Travers leaned forward. “Katie, we’re just worried about you, as police officers and as friends. We’ve known you for a while now, but we’ve never known you to handle a situation like that. You’re usually very diplomatic, and if you do get involved in a civilian affair, you do it discreetly and contact us. This was quite the opposite. You walked into a busy bank in the middle of New York City and shot three men standing in a corner. You threatened a guard and walked out when they told you to stop. We just want to make sure you’re not overworking yourself. This partnership is great for both the police force and for the citizens you protect, and we want to keep it that way. We want to make as few waves as possible.”
Katie wiped her mouth and sighed. “You guys. I’ve been to hell…literally. I fought monsters that can take out this whole city with one swipe of their ugly-ass tails. I fought droves of demons, more than I’ve taken out on the ground here during an incursion, and I was almost all by myself when I did it. As you might imagine, I didn’t want to dick around with three bank robbers. I could’ve kept walking, but I decided I wasn’t going to let them get away with it.”
Schultz nodded. “And it’s a good thing you didn’t. They had some serious firepower on them, and a couple of them were wanted for murders in other armed robberies upstate. It’s not that we’re not glad you did it. We just want to make sure you’re okay. And for the paperwork, we do have to take a statement.”
Katie agreed. “Easy-peasy. I saw the three guys going into the bank with masks. One little guy had a gun. I walked in. I scanned the room, and I saw him hiding in the corner waiting to attack. When he saw me, he alerted his idiot partners, and they pulled their weapons. Of course, I was a lot fucking faster than they were, so I shot all three of them before they could hurt anyone. When the guard came at me, he caught me all amped up, and that’s why I said what I said.”
Travers wrote down what she said and had her sign the bottom of the statement. When Schultz was finished with his donut, they stood up and stared down at Katie. She kept her eyes on the table. Schultz leaned over her and put his hand on her shoulder, feeling her tension. “If you need somebody, you can call us any time. You’re part of our family, and we won’t leave you out in the rain.”
Katie forced a tight-lipped smile and nodded at them, and they walked back out the doors.
Once outside, Travers stopped and looked back into the shop. Schultz shook his head, looking at her statement. “She’s acting weird. I haven’t seen her be that violent toward anyone in a long time.”
Travers nodded his head. “I think we need to get in touch with her boss.”
Schultz chuckled. “Who the hell is her boss?”
Travers scratched his head. “Good point. Let’s try the general unless you know how to get hold of…God?”
Schultz laughed. “Not fucking likely.”
Pandora held it in as long as she could, but after that showing with the cops, she couldn’t keep her mouth closed any longer. I want to talk to you about something.
Yeah?
It might sound a little strange, but ever since we got back from hell, you’ve been acting a little bit off.
Katie took another bite of her donut. What do you mean by “off?” Shooting three robbers in a bank robbery?
Pandora took a moment to choose her words, knowing she had to keep her cool. No, not necessarily that, but yeah, kind of that. I’m talking about the way you’re handling everyone right now. You’re snappy, quick to point the finger, and you have no problem telling anyone off.
Katie laughed. I feel like you’re describing yourself just a week ago.
That’s true. And it’s not that I have any issues with it. I think telling everyone to go fuck themselves is the proper response. But the Katie I know, she doesn’t do that. The Katie I know handles everything with kid gloves.
Katie closed the empty donut box and wiped sugar off her face. She tossed the box into the pizza place’s trash can and went back to Krispy Kreme. The girl behind the counter smiled. “Back already?”
Katie smirked. “Hell, yeah! You know I can down the damn donuts. Let me ask you a question. Do you like working here?”
The girl at the counter shrugged. “We’re not demon-angel mercenaries saving the world or anything, but it’s not a bad gig.” Two more employees came from the back, cautiously peeking around a rack of donuts.
Katie wiggled her finger at the cashier. “How long have you guys known about me?”
One of the guys hiding behind the rack of donuts laughed. “Probably since the first time you came in here. Maybe the second time, after we saw you on the news.”
The other guy chimed in, “We try to keep it on the DL for you, though, because we knew you wouldn’t want to come in here to enjoy a dozen donuts around a whole bunch of people holding signs.”
Katie clapped her hands. “I like you guys. Now, pack me up three dozen, and I’ll be out of your way.”
They went to work packing up three dozen assorted donuts, and Katie paid them quickly. She took two hundred dollars from her purse and stuffed it in the tip jar with a jaunty wink. Before she left, she flashed her eyes red. She heard the cashier gasp and call the guys over as the door shut behind her.
Pandora cleared her throat. Are you going to answer me?
If you want to know my heart, you have to promise to open yours.
Pandora sighed. Well, fuck.
Chapter Five
“Did you pack up all the tablets from the guardhouse?” Calvin asked Joshua.
Joshua looked down his clipboard. “Yep. All packed.”
“You’re always on top of it, dude.”
Calvin’s phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out. The general’s name flashed on the screen. He turned his back to the group and put the phone to his ear. “General, everything okay?”
The general walked to his office door and closed it. “Yeah, how’s everything going over there?”
Calvin watched as several people carried boxes toward the helipad. “It’s going. A little at a time but we’re getting there.”
“Good, good. And how are Korbin and Stephanie doing? I know they got their memories back, but how are they adjusting to the mercenary lifestyle?”
Calvin took in a deep breath and blew out his cheeks. “
They’re adjusting faster than I thought they would. Korbin’s kind of falling back into things, but he recognizes that it’s been a while and things have changed. He’s taking it one step at a time. He’s using the consultants whenever he can and listening to us about our concerns. He’s good about learning what we know about being mercenaries.”
“That sounds promising. And how’s Stephanie?”
Calvin chuckled. “Loving being a merc again.”
The general sat down in his chair and leaned back, taking a pause. “I’m glad to hear it. I was actually wondering if you had a few minutes to chat?”
Calvin pointed to a group of men and directed them to the next item that needed to be loaded onto the plane. “About?”
The general didn’t beat around the bush, just got straight to the point. “Katie.”
Calvin pointed to Joshua and then to his phone. Joshua gave him a thumbs up, he had everything under control. Calvin walked away from the noise, putting one finger in his ear. “Okay, I’m all yours.”
“Today was an interesting day. I got a call from the NYPD. There was a robbery, or I should say an attempted robbery. Katie took care of things before they had a chance to go downhill,” the general explained.
“And that’s a bad thing?”
The general chuckled. “No, it’s just that the way she did it was a little bit odd. She was aggressive. Even brutal. She threatened a guard after the robbery was dealt with. I guess I’m kind of worried about Katie and the possibility of PTSD after her last fight.”
Calvin was shocked, but he recovered. “She’s been through a lot of tough things as a mercenary. It would surprise me if this was what broke her, but I guess I’ve seen stranger things.”
The general shook his head. “I know that. I also know that I asked her to fight the Leviathan. Maybe I asked too much of her this time. I’m starting to think it might’ve been a mistake. She seems to have come back a bit changed.”
Calvin sat quietly for a minute, thinking about the general’s words. He had not touched base with Katie since she had finished that mission. “Changed how?”
The general put his fingers to his lips. “It’s hard to explain. She’s a lot harder. She’s not the Katie I know.”
Calvin considered carefully before responding. “It’s still Katie. I’ve seen something like this a couple of times. Listen, I can talk to her, but I would have to go to New York to do it. It’s not really a conversation I want to have over the phone.”
The general grumbled, but he had to agree. “No, it’s not a conversation you can have over the phone. At the same time, I need that base moved. The demons know where you are, and there’s no concrete evidence to suggest they won’t attack again, especially now that they know your weaknesses. That armory is what’s going to keep us alive right now, and I can’t have it taken by Moloch and his cronies, not after what I just saw.”
Calvin could tell from the general’s voice that he was extremely stressed. He softened his tone. “General, you trusted her to save the world, so why is this so much harder?”
“I don’t know how to explain it. I guess I don’t have an answer for you. Katie’s become a very important person to me, both professionally and personally. I’ve never seen her act like the Katie I saw today on those tapes. I’ve only seen her act that way when Pandora takes over. To be honest, even Pandora didn’t seem as rough-and-tumble as Katie looked today.” The general hated to say it, but it was true.
Calvin looked at the others, remembering what it was like for him and Katie after Korbin and Stephanie had left the team. “General, I hate to hear that she’s going through this and I can’t be there. However, I’ve seen her ups and downs. I’ve seen the worst and the best, and I’m pretty sure she’s going to be okay. Whatever happened between her and this Leviathan in hell, I’m sure it took a serious toll on her, but I don’t think it broke her. Give her some time to come around. My guess is that Pandora is already working on her. If you noticed it, you can be damn sure Pandora did too.”
The general nodded. “I appreciate you taking my call, Calvin, and I’ll give your words some thought. Good luck with your move. If you need anything, let me know.”
The general hung up, and Calvin stood there in the sand, watching one of the choppers take off. He hoped whatever was going on wasn’t as bad as the general thought.
Katie stood in front of the mirror in her bedroom. She fastened the catch to a long dangling necklace and adjusted the pendant so that it sat in her cleavage. She swished her hair back and forth on her shoulders and tugged the edge of her miniskirt. Her tight black top stopped just above her midriff, and her skirt came up snugly right above her waist, leaving a little bit of flesh showing around the middle. Her breasts were pushed upward by a French lace bra that was a size too small.
Angie walked past her open door and glanced in, stopping in mid-stride. She let out a loud whistle and walked into the room with her hands on her hips. “Somebody’s looking to score tonight!”
Katie laughed it off with a shake of her head. “Just felt like a little sex appeal was in order after being covered in soot and cuts.”
“Well, you hit it right on the head.”
Before Angie could turn away, Katie stopped her. “Angie, did I leave my keys here the other night? You know, the night I…” Katie paused, then continued, no matter how insane it sounded. “The night I went to hell and came back.”
Angie furrowed her brow. “No, you always put your keys on your belt. You took them with you that night.”
“That’s what I was afraid of. I must’ve left them in the other dimension. Would you make me a new copy of the condo key?”
Angie chuckled. “Sure, though I don’t think I’m going to tell the front desk that I need a new key because you left the other one in another dimension.”
Katie smirked. “Probably a smart move.”
Katie breezed through the condo to the front door, pausing when she realized Pandora hadn’t said a single thing, not even one snarky comment about her sex appeal. She shrugged her shoulders and closed the door before taking the elevator downstairs. When she stepped off, the doorman was standing there with his hand out and a smile on his face. Katie let him take her hand and help her off the elevator. “You look lovely tonight.”
Katie smiled. “And you know just what to say to the ladies.”
The doorman led her to the concierge desk and then down the hallway. “I think it’s best that you go out the side door tonight. Maybe we can keep from having another fight in the street.”
Katie looked at him abashedly. “Sorry about that. Oh, do you think I could get a new set of keys?”
The doorman held up a set of keys for her. “Angie already called down.”
Katie took the keys and nodded. “Sorry about losing the other ones, but I wouldn’t worry about it. I don’t think anyone’s going to find them where I left them.”
The doorman gave her a funny look as she walked outside. Almost everyone walking past eyed her, not because they recognized her but because of how hot she looked. She slid on her dark glasses and grabbed a cab. She was on her way to a nightclub, and she was really surprised Pandora hadn’t asked yet where they were going. In fact, it was absolutely silent in her head.
When she reached the club, a bouncer took one look at her and her six-inch heels and immediately pulled the rope from the VIP section, welcoming her in. She didn’t look at the hipsters waiting in line or the doorman, just walked straight up to the bar. The bartender stopped what he was doing and walked to her. “What can I get you?”
She kept her glasses on. “I’ll take a whiskey on the rocks.”
The bartender shot her with a finger-pistol and walked off. Katie turned and leaned against the bar, staring at all the people dancing and talking around the club. The bartender slid the glass across to her and inclined his head. “It’s on the house.”
She smiled and turned back to the crowd. Look at these men. I’m going to play a game. Let’s
see. That one in the corner over there, with the tight jeans and tight black shirt. At first glance, I’d say he’s at least an eight, but after you watch him for a while, it’s obvious he hasn’t gone shopping in about a decade. It’s the same with the guy across from him. I give him longer since he’s gone because he has a dragon on the back of his shirt. They haven’t made those shirts since 1993.
Pandora could hear everything she was saying, but it wasn’t like Katie. Katie didn’t seem to care that Pandora wasn’t responding. She picked up her drink and walked across the room, standing on the edge of the dance floor. Now, that guy, however, is definitely at least a 9.5. Those muscles are huge! Fuck it. I don’t want to be here any longer than I have to, so why not make it an early night and grab him now?
Pandora was torn. This was her scene, but she knew whatever was going on wasn’t healthy. She wasn’t going to let Katie go home with some random guy. She started to fight against Katie’s movement toward him, making her struggle as she walked. I don’t think this is a good idea, Katie. It’s not the night for that, and I can sense he’s not worth it.
Katie pouted. But I want to get some!
Do you really, or are you just being destructive? I think you should go home and think about this. I’m not trying to be Debbie Downer, but seriously, you’re making some very drastic moves here. You know me. I’m all about you getting laid, so you know that if I’m saying no, there has to be something to it.
She stutter-stepped across the dance floor. Katie strained with all her might, but Pandora fought her to a standstill. You want to fight me on this? I’ll make you wet yourself.
You wouldn’t.
Try me.
Katie finally gave in and allowed Pandora to take her back across the club. She wasn’t happy about it, though. You’re such a bitch. All you do is moan because I don’t get any, but when I finally want to get a little sweaty, you throw a fit.
Pandora got her out of the club and onto the sidewalk. Trust me, you’ll thank me for it in the morning.
