by Michael Todd
Katie watched closely as Calvin went through all the steps from loading and shooting to breakdown and cleaning, and finally it was time for her to test the thing. She stepped up to the counter and looked down the range at the target hanging on the line.
“This is our simple range,” he said. “When you get a handle on the weapon and become a good shot, we’ll go to the live range. It’s a lot more fun.”
“All right,” Katie said, eyeing the range.
“Just get comfortable, and whenever you’re ready, let loose,” he told her, waving a hand down-range. “Preferably in the direction of the targets. Just remember to keep the barrel pointed away from anything you don’t want to shoot.”
Katie stood there with the gun in her hands, squinting at her chosen target. She had never even held a gun, but the feeling of it in her hands was oddly comfortable. She took in a deep breath and gently released it, then squeezed the trigger.
“All right!” Calvin exclaimed. “You hit the edge. Not bad for your first time.”
Oh, come on, for fuck’s sake! Pandora grumbled. Get it together. Do I have to do everything?
“Hold on,” Katie said. “Let me try that again.”
“All right,” Calvin said, stepping back.
She switched the gun into her other hand, feeling the odd comfort of shooting left-handed. Calvin stared at her curiously as she rolled her shoulders and neck before aiming down-range.
She took in a deep breath once again and slowly let it out, this time squeezing the trigger until she was out of bullets. She lowered the weapon and set it down on the counter, turning to Calvin. His mouth was slightly open and he shook his head, chuckling uncomfortably.
“Let’s bring it in and see how you did,” he said, staring at the distance target and pressing the button on the wall.
The two of them stared as the target zoomed toward them and stopped right in front of them. There was a giant hole right in the center of the paper where she had hit the same spot over and over again. Calvin cleared his throat, looking at the remnants of the target as the edge tore and it floated down to the floor.
“Was that good?” she asked, her eyebrows raised and a hint of mischievousness in her voice.
“Uh, yeah.” Calvin scratched his head. “You have one hell of a hand-eye coordination thing going for you.”
Pandora snickered. I got your hand-eye coordination, big guy. Just let me—
Shut the hell up! Katie growled in her head.
Someone needs to take a chill pill, Pandora sniveled. Jesus!
“I think you’ve found your niche with the 9mm,” Calvin said. “All right, let’s just move on to the other weapons. We can come back to more target practice later.”
“All right,” Katie said, taking the gun from the counter and handing it to him with the barrel pointed away from them.
“So along this wall you have every weapon you can imagine,” Calvin said, turning to the back of the room. He pointed top left and then along the wall. “We have your generic bow and arrow, your crossbow for a bit more power, your mallets, which take a lot of strength but do some serious damage, and a varied collection of sharp objects.”
“It looks like a medieval torture chamber,” Katie said, gazing wildly at the tools.
“It’s so much better than that,” Calvin said, moving on. “This wall starts out with your typical medieval-type swords. Then, you have your ninja-type swords, and finally you have your heavy-duty knives, short swords, and the rest. We all carry knives of some sort, but it’s personal preference, really.”
“Okay,” Katie replied. “And guns?”
“Also personal preference. We just ask that you don’t go spraying torpedoes if we can save the Damned some other way or if we’re in a crowded area. That can get messy, and the higher-ups tend to frown upon making a scene. We try to be as covert as possible, since these things aren’t public knowledge. We have silencers on all the guns, and when we leave a scene we take all evidence with us, including casings if we have the time. Sure we can wipe memories, but we don’t like to do it on random people. Nor do we want the local police getting involved, not so much for our safety as for theirs.”
“Got it,” Katie agreed, nodding her head. “Cover my tracks wherever I go, always try to save the Damned first, and don’t spray bullets into crowds.”
“Exactly.” He chuckled. “And always look out for your team. We are your family, so we want to keep each other safe.”
She nodded. “Right.”
“So, we can move on to practice with any of these.” Calvin stopped when red lights started flashing overhead. “Let’s suit up instead,” he told her as he made a quick pass over the guns to make sure everything was in order. “Looks like we’ve got a call.”
“Attention, team,” Korbin said over the loudspeaker. “This is not a drill. Prepare yourselves, and meet at Terminal A. I repeat, Terminal A.”
“Terminal A?” Katie asked, running alongside Calvin.
“Yeah, the airstrip,” he said.
“There’s an airport in this thing?” she asked herself.
She tossed her tennis shoes to the side and grabbed her boots, lacing them up the front. The others scurried around grabbing their weapons of choice and strapping in for the fight. Katie pulled on her belt and vest and headed into the weapons room to stare at the 9mm, but she decided to sit that one out until she had some more practice.
Pussy. Pandora snickered.
Katie grabbed a couple short swords, and headed out to the terminals along with everyone else. She lined up in front next to Calvin and Armani, and waited as the jet pulled down the runway. Her mouth dropped open as a souped-up G5 came to a standstill in front of them and the hatch opened. She had only seen those kinds of planes on social media and in the movies, but now she was standing frozen in front of one.
“Impressive, isn’t it?” Armani chuckled as he looked at Katie’s face. “We have the engines of a fighter and the luxury of a living room. For the short time we are alive, it’s good to be us.”
“Amen,” Calvin said, nodding at Armani.
“All right, team, let’s get this show on the road,” Korbin yelled, holding his sword over his head and walking toward the plane.
At least they got style, Pandora said with a chuckle.
“That I can agree with,” Katie mumbled out loud.
They loaded onto the plane and filed through the posh cabin. All the chairs were leather, the floors were lushly carpeted, and there was a drink station at every seat. She walked lightly down the aisle, then sat down next to Armani. He looked at her and laughed, buckling his seatbelt over his lap.
“You might want to buckle up,” he told her as the plane began to move.
The plane took off smoothly, and Katie looked across Armani as the ground disappeared. She leaned her head back and took in a deep breath, feeling her stomach drop. She hadn’t flown but twice in her life, and this was way different than those big bulky commercial planes.
“Don’t fly much?” Armani chuckled, handing her a water as the plane started to level out.
“Nope,” she replied, easing back into her seat.
Armani took a sip of his water. “You’ll get used to it. Just try to keep your mind off leaving the ground.”
Katie smiled, shaking her head at the life she was living. It was completely different than before, but she had to admit it was exciting.
Armani was an interesting guy with roughed-up blond hair, something of a beard, and that serious fraternity-boy vibe.
Except for the part where he constantly played with knives.
“Tell me your story,” Katie asked, opening her bottle and taking a sip. “I don’t know anything about you.”
“All right,” Armani agreed. “Well, I grew up in Nevada and went to college just like I was supposed to. My parents were really well off, and I was kind of forced headfirst into my father’s fraternity.”
“I knew it.” Katie pointed at him with a smile on her fa
ce. “I thought I could smell fraternity on you.”
“Is it that obvious?” He cringed, shaking his head.
“A little, but only because I came from a college as well—one with too many fraternity brothers.” She smiled.
“Gotcha,” he said. “Well, me and my girlfriend were minding our own business one night when this guy dressed all in black came along with a gun in his hand, only he didn’t want to rob us. Before I could react, he hit me over the head with the butt of his pistol, and me and my girlfriend woke up in some dank basement with symbols drawn on us. Anyway, long story short, they released two demons. Mine I took like a champ, but my girlfriend, she was too fragile. Too sweet.” There was a small hitch in his voice as he continued, “That demon swallowed her before she could even scream for help. The only solace I got from it was the fact that when she died—because she died that night—he died too.”
“I’m sorry,” Katie said.
Armani shrugged and looked at her. “I figure I’m not gonna be here long-term. Eventually one of these things will kill me, but I’m okay with that. I’ll be back with her where I belong.” He smiled. “Until then, I’m gonna have some fun fucking these things up.”
She nodded. “I like that frame of mind. And you have to realize it wasn’t your fault. You defeating these things now is the best way there is to honor her memory.”
“I guess,” he told her, sadness in his eyes. “I’m just gonna do what I can while I’m here.” His eyes got harder, “There’s nothing else I can do, and when it’s all over I will be back in her arms once again.”
Just as Katie was going to say something to lighten the mood, the plane started its descent. Nerves and excitement flooded the cabin, each person on the plane knowing that when they stepped off…
It was game on.
Katie could see the sadness flood out of Armani, but the expression he wore was confusing. She wasn’t sure if he was excited about the mission or for his next chance to be with the love of his life.
Either way, he was sitting on the edge of his seat.
“I like to use my swords,” he admitted, grasping them in his hands. “Get up close and personal with the son of a bitch attacking me.”
He has an incubus inside him, Pandora told her. Given what he said and what’s tormenting him from within, it’s obvious he just wants to die.
Katie didn’t respond, but somewhere inside she knew it was true.
9
Korbin stood at the front of the plane. “All right guys. This is a little different than normal. There are a bunch of religious nuts out here—some Damned, some not—welcoming the end of the Earth like this is something to celebrate. There are also quite a few demons out here. We’re going to have to split up, pull them away from the civilians, get an understanding of whether they can be saved or not, and then do our jobs.”
Armani groaned. “Great, just what we need—more fucking assholes screwing up the night. If they want to go we should just let them, then bag ‘em all and haul ‘em off for research.”
“Calm your tits, Armani.” Calvin put up a hand. “Our job is to try to save the humans, not hand them over to the demons, remember?”
“Yeah, yeah.” Armani sighed, his lips pressed together. “It’s just hard when there are so many fucking stupid humans.”
“True,” Korbin replied, a stern note in his voice. “But, stupid or not, we,” he pointed to Armani and back to himself, “need to keep these demons in check. There is supposed to be a coven of Damned just outside the event, conjuring as many demons as they can and sending them into the bodies close by. Kind of a mass exodus, if you will.”
Damian looked up, interrupting the byplay. “So, what’s the plan?”
“We’re going to split up. Katie and Damian with me, everyone else with Calvin,” Korbin said. “Once we reach the protests, we’ll figure out the best places to sit and lure these creatures to us. We’ll never find all of them if we search. Calvin’s team, I want you to seek out the hive—the ones doing the conjuring—and stop them by any means necessary. This is a big one, gang. One for the record books, but at the same time it’s dangerous. Keep your eyes open and your ears perked, and don’t trust anyone but your team. Remember how sneaky your own demon can be.” He stressed the next three words. “Play. It. Safe.”
“All right, gang, let’s load up,” Calvin said, clapping his hands to get everyone moving.
Everyone exited the plane and piled into the back of a black cargo van that had been parked at the airport for the team.
As they rode along, perched on metal benches in the back of the van, their thoughts all went different ways. Some prayed, looking for courage from an outside source, and some sat quietly, focusing on the task at hand, but Katie was restless.
She could feel the source of demons growing stronger with every turn of the wheel, and her anxiety grew as well. There were no windows in the van, so when it pulled in somewhere and stopped the whole crew was on edge.
Katie put her head close to Damian’s. “Do you think Armani is reckless on purpose?” she asked him quietly.
Damian’s eyes flicked to his teammate. “In some ways, yes,” he whispered back. “He cares about the team, so he keeps his composure, but at the same time he has no fear of death—no fear of losing—and that can be dangerous. It really is a double-edged sword for him. He cares about this family—this team that has given him the will to go on— but at the heart of it all?” He made a face. “He is seeking release from the guilt inside.”
Katie’s eyes narrowed, “Over his girlfriend?”
“Yes,” Damian agreed. “He is a spiritual person. Not religious, but definitely leans on his Catholic past. But when he prays he doesn’t seek guidance or blessing, just courage. Courage to make the hard choice, to sacrifice if it is necessary. Most of us pick up this new life, and we still feel a semblance of our old ones,” he shook his head, “but not Armani. He is lost in this. He will be at peace when the last demon is gone, or when he leaves this world and makes it to his girlfriend.”
There was a pause. “It’s sad,” Katie replied.
“No, not sad,” Damian argued quietly. “It’s life, and we all live it the best way we can until we can’t do it anymore.”
“Right,” Katie agreed.
At that moment, the back door opened and Korbin stood there with his hands full of McDonald’s bags. Everyone lifted an eyebrow as he started tossing bags to them. Katie reached up and caught hers, peering at the thirty-piece McNuggets inside.
Armani chuckled as he pulled a McNugget out and looked at it, then at Korbin with a question on his face. “What’s this, boss? Like a last meal or something?” he asked, smiling.
“No.” The leader chuckled. “Oddly enough, it’s a military tactic.”
Derek chuckled. “Korbin, I know this shit is bad for you, but I don’t think it will take out a demon,” he argued, and raised his bag. “But if it gives them indigestion? Fuck it, I’m all-in.”
“For some reason, demons love this shit,” Korbin replied. “It’s bait. It may sound crazy, but if you put some of these out the demons will come running.”
This guy is an idiot, Pandora said. A world class idiot. World…class… Pandora used Katie’s nose to sniff the air, and she put the bag up closer to her nose. Oh my demon tits, what is that smell? Oh, for fuck’s sake! Damn it, that jackass is right. This shit smells fucking delicious! Her voice changed from strident to ashamed. What simple creatures my kind have turned into, wooed by fake fried compressed meat nuggets. She sighed. I am officially ashamed.
Katie fought a smile as she listened to Pandora’s inner monologue.
Seriously, you would think after centuries of tasting the finest foods the world has to offer we would turn our noses up at this, Pandora continued. But for some reason, the pathetic have taken over my race. No wonder the Seventy-Two don’t want to bring their own asses up here and take care of shit.
“Next time we stop we will be at the scene,” Kor
bin said. “It’s about a ten-minute drive over, so to get us in the mood Armani has prepared a little speech.”
Damian and Calvin whistled and hollered as Armani walked up to the front of the van and took a bow. He cleared his throat, and pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. Everyone quieted and listened with a smirk.
“We all know that I’m not a very creative guy, so I looked to the great Al Pacino for inspiration on this here battle evening.” He looked around with a smirk on his face while a chuckle moved through the team. “So here it is, from Any Given Sunday.”
Calvin put a hand to his face and groaned. “Not this again.”
“I don’t know what to say, really. Three minutes to the biggest battle of our professional lives…” Armani continued to read the speech from his paper, and Katie listened.
The monologue didn’t seem exactly on point. There was a lot of talk of the team needing to heal, which didn’t apply as far as she could tell.
Korbin’s Killers were a cohesive unit, ready to crush the demon threat ahead of them. Despite that, as Armani spoke, the expressions of the men around her went from smiling to determined. Even Calvin, who had groaned at the prospect of the speech, appeared bolstered by it. When Armani was finished, the big man clapped him on the shoulder.
“Let’s go kick some more demon ass,” Calvin said.
“Hell, yeah!” Derek shouted.
Korbin shook his head and shut the doors, then jumped into the driver’s seat, got the van started, and headed toward the battlefield.
The ride was no longer sullen and quiet. Motivation and enthusiasm pumped through the vehicle’s interior as they sped toward their destiny.
No one knew what to expect or if they would make it out alive, but that wasn’t on their mind. The honor, and the connection between them all—those were on their minds.
When they reached their destination, it became all business. Korbin’s Killers were ready for action.
Katie followed Korbin and Damian down a dark and dank alley between two dilapidated buildings. Trash filled the passage, and graffiti covered the crumbling walls on each side.
