by Michael Todd
“I can handle that.”
Calvin hugged Katie tightly. “You know he’d have kicked your ass if he’d understood what you were about to do, right?”
“I’m not letting true love die because of this war, Calvin.”
Calvin smiled and put his arm around her shoulder as they walked away, leaving Damian with their former teammates. “Hey, I agree, and for what it’s worth I’m voting for what you did.”
“I guess it’s a good thing he won’t remember,” she replied as Calvin chuckled. They looked at the two of them one last time. “I’m just glad I will. Those two made a huge impression on my life, and right or wrong I will miss the hell out of them.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
The general stared across at the table at Katie. They had been brought back to the base for a debriefing, and to give Eric the best care he could get. It wasn’t home, but they were getting closer. Though they had only been gone for a couple of days, Katie really missed the base and the quiet of her mountainside workout space.
“Katie, first I want to say that I think what you did for Korbin and Stephanie was really good of you. We will make sure they get set up and want for nothing.”
“Thank you, General.”
“As far as the rest of it, I wish I could tell you what to expect. We are now at war—not that we haven’t been for a long time, but now it’s official. This war will change the rules. It will push humanity to its limits, and force us to make decisions that would otherwise seem completely out of the question. In reality I have no idea what it will all mean for us, but we are working hard to avoid any more major surprises.”
Katie chuckled. “Good luck with that.”
The general gave her a wry smile. “I suspect the demons will wait a bit before opening a portal of that size again, but the politics of it all are going to start heating up. I don’t even know what to expect here from my position. What I do know is that you are not in the safest position. None of the Damned mercenaries are. I want you and your team, and the other teams for that matter, to stay as hidden as you can for now. I want there to be a long and prosperous future between us, and I promise that includes your business.”
Katie let out her breath and smiled at the general. “Thank you, General. I appreciate your concern. We have definitely come a long way since the first time I contacted you, that’s for sure. I never thought I would be fighting alongside the military, but I have to admit your men were invaluable to us during the fight. They really held their own, and I want to say that we all mourn the loss of the police officers and soldiers who were killed in the battle.”
“I appreciate that, and we will be keeping Eric in our thoughts and prayers as well. Life has a funny way of forcing people together and showing them the right path—even when they try to resist.”
The general stood up. Katie followed suit and accepted his outstretched hand. They were parting as friends, not just business associates or war partners, but actual friends. That made Katie feel a lot more at ease about the secrecy and the future of the mercenaries. She left the room and made her way to the sick bay where Eric was being cared for. She stood in the doorway to his room for several moments, watching his chest rise and fall, the sound of the heart monitor echoing through her ears. He looked so quiet and peaceful, yet she knew he had spent the last day fighting for his life.
Eric was healing now and in the clear, but it had been a long wait to know he was going to be okay. They were going to allow him to be transported to their base under their care the next day, so everyone was looking forward to that. Katie walked into the room and stood by the bed, looking down at him.
He’s going to be okay, right?
Yes, but his demon is too weak, Katie. He’ll heal, but it’s only time at this point. The demon cannot do anything else to speed it along.
Katie nodded, then closed her eyes. Fuck it.
She opened her eyes as her hand passed into Eric’s chest. She grabbed Eric’s demon and ripped it out of him, casting it back to hell with ease. The demon was so weak it didn’t even attempt to fight back.
Pandora laughed. Well, that’s new.
The team waited another day at the general’s base to ensure Eric was ready for transport. He was still unconscious, and they weren’t sure if his exorcism had taken his memories or if he would still be the same guy who had joined the team with no demon not long before. All they cared about at that point, though, was making sure he was all right after the injuries that he had sustained.
Once they were back at the base, Calvin instructed everyone to take a couple of days to get back into their daily routine and recover from the trauma of the incursion. That battle had been the most trying action they had ever seen. The things they’d seen would be forever burned into their memories. The team was used to traumatic things, but it took some time to get back to whatever passed for normal with them.
Katie spent her two days between training on the hill, sleeping, eating a massive number of donuts, and watching soap reruns. Timothy had originally locked himself in the ops room, but after a day alone he came back out to be around everyone else. He missed Stephanie and Korbin; they all did. None of them felt at home without them there. But by the next day, the team was ready to sit down and talk about the future.
They met around the large wooden table in the conference room and everyone looked at Calvin. He had been the number two, which automatically made Korbin’s seat his. No one had any qualms about that—no one but Calvin.
He stood up from the table and cleared his throat. “I’ve been thinking about this a lot, and I have been the number two for a long time. I made a really fantastic second behind Korbin, and when I think about moving from that spot it just doesn’t feel right. It doesn’t feel like the natural course of action for me or for the team. I would like to suggest that we move Katie into Korbin’s place, and I’ll do what I do best.”
It went around the table. Everyone including Damian more than agreed that it was the perfect place for Katie. She was taken aback by it, not expecting it at all, but she agreed to accept. She was proud to walk in Korbin’s shoes and sit in the place where her friend and mentor once had. Korbin had helped her become who she was as a demon hunter, and his influence had shaped her as a person as she adjusted to her new life.
“Thank you, guys. I hope that over time I can learn to lead this team as well as Korbin did.”
“So…because you are the new leader, you get to choose a new name.” Damian smiled.
Katie thought about it for a moment, running through different options in her head. “I want to keep Killers, so how about we just do ‘Katie’s Killers?’”
“I like that,” Joshua agreed with a smile.
“Me too,” Timothy replied, giving the thumbs-up.
“We are now Katie’s Killers, and may the team continue!” Calvin pronounced triumphantly.
Katie leaned back in her chair and looked at the faces of her family. They were entering a new era for demon hunters. There was a new war, a new leader, and a new attitude toward the way the world was changing. Katie hoped that with the politics came a renewed sense of camaraderie between the mercs and the military. She had worked hard to cement that relationship, and she hoped public knowledge of demons didn’t change it.
All she could do was sit back and wait.
Katie got up from the table and walked over to the counter, picking up a box of donuts and setting it down in the middle of the table. Pandora spoke through Katie’s throat to the group.
“To a new and bright future.”
“To Pandora!” Calvin cheered, grabbing a donut and holding it in the air.
Pandora snickered. “Don’t get all mushy on me now, big man.”
On the other side of the state on a long dirt road in a mountain valley with alfalfa fields on both sides was a small farmhouse. It had bright red shutters, a wraparound porch, and a swing out front. The garden was huge, with rows and rows of flowers and vegetables growing strong in the wa
rm sun. It was early in the afternoon in on a perfect spring day, and a woman walked out onto the porch in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. She stretched her arms over her head and let the sun beat down on her face.
A pair of arms wrapped around her waist and squeezed.
“Korbin!”
Korbin lowered his head and kissed Stephanie sweetly on the cheek, taking in the fresh scent of her lavender shampoo. “That was a good afternoon nap.”
“Yes, it was.” She smiled and turned to wrap her arms around his neck. “You ready to get some gardening done? We should have some veggies ready to harvest.”
Korbin cupped her chin in his hand and kissed the tip of her nose. “Sure.”
“I’m just gonna grab my gardening gloves.”
Korbin nodded and let go, swatting Stephanie on the butt as she passed. He walked down the steps into the yard, staring out in appreciation at fields. Stephanie snuck up behind him, giggling as she leapt onto his back. He laughed as he fell over his tangled feet, taking her down into the grass with him. He rolled over on top of her and stared down into her beautiful blue eyes.
“This is the perfect place for us.”
“I know.” Stephanie smiled. “I still can’t believe that after all those years in that awful apartment, that guy just showed up and offered cash for that useless old base that I owned. What was his name?”
“Uh, Damian, I think.”
“Yes, that’s it. Well, I think that it turned out splendidly for us. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect life than this.”
“Me either.” Korbin smiled, looking up at the sound of a bark.
He rolled over and sat up in the grass as a black and white dog came barreling off the porch. The dog tackled Korbin and licked him all over his face. The laughter from the two of them echoed across the land.
In the distance, Katie stood watching the two of them. She was finally at peace, knowing they couldn’t be any happier. That was all she had wanted for them: a life together, with love and a chance to have the family they both wanted but had never thought was possible. A chance to be more than demon hunters.
Korbin and Stephanie both had done so much for other people throughout their entire lives, and they deserved every ounce of happiness they could get. Damian had set it up, since he knew exactly what they would need to make their lives perfect from conversations they’d had while they were on the base. Part of Katie was envious, but the other part knew she had a long fight ahead of her before she could even consider her own dreams.
Until that day she would be strong and do whatever it took to win the war.
Katie pulled her hood over her head, sending her love to Korbin and Stephanie one last time even if they didn’t know who she was anymore. “I promise I will fucking kill every last demon in hell if it’s what I have to do to keep you two together.”
Pandora voice rumbled from Katie’s throat. “So it is spoken, so shall it be...”
Author Notes - Michael Anderle
Written June 1, 2018
First, THANK YOU for reading through this story to the back, here in the author notes .
Second, I’m writing these notes mere hours from release, so if there are any spelling errors, punctuation errors or just errors in general I’m going to blame the lateness of the night and all sorts of paranormal creatures.
Because I’m in New York City, home of the GhostBusters!
I’m on the downward slope to 51 years old, and I’ve visited New York more in the last 2 years of my life, than the previous 48. Each time I come here, I see a little more of the city, and recognize places I’ve seen in the movies shot here.
So, when it comes time to blame something or someone about my author notes, I can only imagine that little green Slimer has been doing some editing on my luscious prose.
However, we all realize that the paranormal isn’t real
Eight Stories in less than 90 days.
We just finished dreaming up, writing, editing, building covers, JIT teaming, and releasing eight stories in less than 90 days.
Oh, and the first audio book is out, as well! I have it on good authority she enjoyed narrating Pandora.
I would like to thank the fans for supporting this series, the JIT team for last minute edit checks, Lynne and company for editing our stuff, Laurie and team(s) on her side for collaborating (Laurie has her own complete support team for her writing, like I do), Stephen Campbell (Zen Master Walking ™) for building files and working corrections, Jude and Loraine on covers and my other collaborators for supporting me in all ways.
Plus, a SPECIAL shout out for those fans who are in the Protected By The Damned Facebook Group. Your constant fun, donut jokes, and Pandora snark helped keep me sane trying to take on such a large effort.
In the space of just 90 days, we created a new Universe, supplied it with stories and characters, drew together fans who loved this crazy-ass stuff we write and are now supporting us as we dig a little deeper and write more.
Just, perhaps, maybe on a slightly less chaotic schedule and slow down just a bit.
Or will we?
I look forward to seeing you in Katie and Pandora’s next series, WAR OF THE DAMNED.
Ad Aeternitatem,
Michael Anderle
Author Notes - Laurie Starkey
Written June 1, 2018
Book 8. Book EIGHT! Can you believe it? How in the world are we already at book eight?
Time flies when you’re having fun, I guess.
Hey! How are ya? Thanks for reading these author notes. I feel like we’re seriously getting to know each other at this point in the game.
So, this last book was a boob buster. Boobs are rather universal, right?
So many things came out in this story, my FAVORITE one being Pandora’s true identity. How freaking cool was that? I love it.
And the fun isn’t over. Now that Protected by the Damned has wrapped up, Mike and I are pushing into War of the Damned, and I’m not sure if he told you this, but we’re working on three (THREE) top secret projects related to the World of the Damned.
Things are getting exciting over here—in the book world at least.
In other news… Summer is in full effect here in Houston, and we are sweating outside. Inside. On the side. By each other’s sides. It’s hot as Hades here.
Hubs and I have a few more months in the lovely humidity, and then we’re packing up and going Nomad for another year. We thought we were buying in Austin, but decided we wanted one more year on the road, so Northeast, watch out. Here we come.
As this first eight book story arc comes to a close, I just wanted to say thank you again. We appreciate you reading our stories and hope that they give you a laugh, a cry, or a good reason to be a writer—to save the world from us?
Anyway. Appreciate you, and look for a lot more coming from Mike and me. We’re cooking up all sorts of great tales to fill your day with laughter if nothing else.
Slave to Many Stories,
Laurie Starkey
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Books by Michael Todd
PROTECTED BY THE DAMNED
Torn Asunder (1)
Killing Is My Business (2)
And Business Is Good (3)
Sit Down, Shut Up, And Pull The Trigger (4)
Welcome To The Jungle (5)
Metal Up Your Ass (6)
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (7)
For Whom The Bell Tolls (8)
WAR OF THE DAMNED
Resurrection Of The Damned (1)
No Quarter (2)
Dark Is The Night (3)
Dim Glows The Horizon (4)
Waking The Leviathan (5)
Subversive Giants (6)
Juntto (7)
Redemption (8)
Books By Michael Anderle
For a complete list of books by Michael Anderle, please visit:
www.lmbpn.com/ma-books/
All LMBPN Audiobooks are Available at Audible.com and iTunes
To see all LMBPN audiobooks, including those written by Michael Anderle please visit:
www.lmbpn.com/audible
