by Michael Todd
Ella sat up on the couch and squinted at the television.
“I don’t get what’s going on,” Ella complained. “And I don’t understand why people even watch television anymore. Seriously, everything you would ever want to see is on YouTube. Sure, they’ve censored a lot of stuff lately, made it hard to watch full shows and movies, but if you have the money you can buy them on there too. Cable, in my opinion, is a complete waste of money.”
Katie looked at her briefly and smiled, turning back to the show. Ella shrugged and sank back down in the couch, trying her best to follow the plot. It was ridiculous to her—a bunch of rich assholes and slutty women in weird love triangles.
“So, if she loves him and he loves her, why aren’t they together?” Ella asked.
“That’s Martin,” Katie explained. “He is married to Melissa, but only because their fathers made them get married. They are both in love with other people.”
This is fucking fascinating, Melneck told Ella. Seriously, it’s a total clusterfuck of humanity right there for the world to see…and I can’t stop watching.
Neither can I, Ella agreed, entranced. It’s like the worst train wreck ever, and you can’t turn your eyes away. Do people actually live their lives like this?
I don’t know. Melneck scoffed. It’s been a while since I was last topside, but I sure as hell hope they do because this is the exact reason our kind is doomed to the flames. This, and your ridiculous shady-ass government systems…but that is a whole different topic.
General Brushwood straightened his jacket as he leaned over the maps on his desk. Colonel Jehovivich stood by his side, waiting for him to speak.
They were back in their lair—or office—in the main headquarters of the military incursion base. Behind his chair was a large American flag, beside it the Army’s, and on the other side a special flag designed specifically for their unit.
On the screen in front of them was a live feed of a group of men and women in military garb. They were gathered around a massive oak table in DC, ready to hear what the general had to say.
He was studying the map of the United States on his desk, on which red circles indicated the sites of the largest incursions. Next to him was a world map with the same markings.
He sighed and tapped his finger on Nevada. “There. That incursion in Nevada was the sixth-largest in as many weeks. With one major incursion taking place per week, we are being sorely tested by these demons. The events have increased by one major incursion per month just in the last three years. If you add in the demon who showed up in San Diego and then Los Angeles, these creatures are definitely upping their game—and at an alarming rate. All it will take at this point is for one major demon to be on the news and get shown all over the globe. That will provide the public with irrefutable facts we cannot deny, and our societies will uncover the truth about this secret war that we have managed to keep hidden for centuries.”
“Sir, if I may speak freely?” Colonel Jehovivich requested.
“Go on.”
“There have been numerous eyewitness accounts, including several sworn police statements, discussing a brand of weapon unrecognizable to the public,” she explained. “These weapons are said to do more harm to demons than any weapon we possess—or that anyone else possesses, really. It is rumored that Korbin’s Killers hold the weapons’ patent, and that they have recently been handing them out to the teams. What, if anything, do you plan to do about this new weaponry?”
“At the moment?” He shrugged. “Absolutely nothing, to be honest with you.”
“But sir…” The colonel stopped as the general shook his head.
“Look, it is obvious that they are trying to keep what they know to themselves,” he continued. “If the government needs those weapons at some point, then the government will obtain them. I’m not above seizing them, just to make that clear. That being said, I would like to try using a little honey first. I don’t want to make enemies of these people, and that is exactly what would happen.”
Colonel Jehovivich nodded as the general turned to the screen in front of him.
“As much as I hate to admit it, there is a reason these mercenary groups exist,” he began. “We don’t have enough Damned on our teams to make a significant difference. We recruit anyone we can, but to be honest, those teams are capable of a lot more than we are at this point in time. They need to operate outside the military and political culture in order to do what they do. Recently the President signed off on an increase of more than fifty percent to our research division’s budget. They are giving us the background we need to try to understand our enemy. This information is also pertinent because it offers us the possibility of taking the fight to them in the future—maybe even the near future.”
“I’m sorry, sir.” The colonel smirked. “Did you say ‘taking the fight to them?’ As in, taking our forces to hell?”
“That’s where our military always ends up.” The general glanced at her. “We go to Hell and back for the safety of this country.”
Korbin picked up his cellphone, seeing Eric’s name on the screen. The man was on the roof running security, but things had been quiet all day. They didn’t think demons would come back to the base, but they weren’t taking any chances. They wouldn’t leave the compound unguarded until they could get everything transferred over to the new property. They were vulnerable here; out in the open, not disguised, not shielded—just sitting ducks for anything the demons might throw their way. It was anything but an ideal situation, that was for damn sure.
“How’s it going up there?” Korbin asked.
Eric was lying on the roof with his sniper rifle propped on the parapet. He pressed his earpiece, directing the call through his headset while he squinted through the infrared scope into the distance. It was a dark night, but the sensors on his scope would show him any approaching heat signatures.
“I see what appears to be a gray wolf, sir,” he told Korbin, looking at the animal’s markings. “It seems to be alone, not in a pack like they usually are—though we don’t see wolves around this area very often.”
“A wolf?” Korbin asked. “I’ve heard that they have been creeping in, but all the way out here?”
“It could be a demon,” Eric suggested.
“It could be, but I have never known them to have much interaction with that species. They are too wild and unpredictable,” Korbin mused. “I could be wrong…and I don’t want to be wrong about this, so snuff it. I’ll take care of the reporting later.”
“Yes, sir.” Eric clicked off the call.
He leaned forward, watching the animal as it trotted across the desert with its beautiful gray fur blowing gently in the wind.
It reminded him of his dog back at home, the Husky that had been his first love. He shook the thought from his head, knowing that it wasn’t healthy and would only make killing this animal that much harder.
Eric had seen people die; had shot people before, but he had never had to kill an animal, and for some reason the idea bothered him. He just wanted a sign, something that told him positively that the animal was a threat—and that was when he saw the flash of its red eyes.
Silly humans. The demon laughed. They underestimate us all the time. Isn’t that right, little poochie?
The wolf’s paws pranced through the warm sand as the demon inside him controlled where he went. The lights ahead would normally have scared the wolf off, but he was no longer in there; no longer controlling his own instincts. The demon, though relatively low-level, thought for sure he had found the key to success.
“You’ll never do anything with your demon self.” He snickered. That’s what they have always told me. I wasn’t smart enough to kill a human, much less infiltrate the Killers’ base. Ha! I’ll show them. Sure, it was a little hard to wrestle this one down, but now I have the upper hand.
The wolf stopped for a moment, squinting through the dark before starting to walk forward again. The wind blew from behind him, making it impossible to smell wha
t was ahead. The demon didn’t care, though. He found his vehicle of choice, one he thought would not be detected by the ignorant humans.
This time next week I’ll be sitting in T’Chezz’s office getting the accolades I deserve, he boasted to himself. With these sniffing capabilities, the stealthy way it moves, and the ability to hear anything in the surrounding area, it’s pretty much foolproof. I have this in the bag. I’ll show them who the smart one is.
The demon slowed the wolf down, then came to a stop in the sand. He tilted his head and looked at the compound, pricking his ears at the sound of someone moving. A red beam suddenly flashed out, rolling across the desert and up his body to stop right between his eyes.
Uh oh, the demon thought.
BOOM!
There was nothing left of the wolf’s head, and the demon went straight back down to hell.
Chapter 19
Katie pulled herself out of bed and yawned. The sun was not yet up.
She looked around the guest room they had put her in, which was smaller than her room at home but comfortable enough for her to get a good night’s sleep. She wanted to get some training in, since she wouldn’t have to work out in dust and debris like she had recently at home.
She washed her face and brushed her teeth before pulling on her normal black spandex pants and tank top and the gear they had provided her. As she laced her boots an alarm sounded, and lights began to flash in the hallway outside her room. She smiled and grabbed her knives, slotting them into her vest’s sheaths.
Time to rock and roll, Pandora chirped.
Katie grabbed Ella, who surprisingly was already awake and dressed, and they headed down to the team area. When they arrived they joined Damian and the Jersey team at the side of the room, waiting for the team’s second to appear. All were quiet, standing easily, geared up and ready to rock.
One of the Jersey team approached with some papers in his hands. “Busy morning,” he told everyone. “We have two large events in New York City, and three smaller ones right here in New Jersey. I want two teams of two to go out on two of the incursion calls. I want the fifth man on this team to join them in the City to help out, and I would like Katie and Damian to take the last call here in Jersey.”
“What about me?” Ella shouted.
“You will stay here and man the fort.” He smiled. “You are not quite ready for this one.”
Katie patted Ella on the shoulder and smiled, then caught up with Damian as he headed off to take the call.
Ella kicked at the floor, pushing her hands into the pockets of her sweatshirt and muttering to herself.
“I didn’t want to go on no stinking incursion anyway,” she grumped. She walked over to the doorway and watched the three teams racing toward the SUVs. She knew she would get her chance, but she couldn’t help but be impatient. Fuck it…maybe she would just take a nap or something.
Meanwhile, Katie jumped in the SUV with Damian and inputted the GPS location. They took off out of the base and rolled down the road for about fifteen minutes. When they arrived, they pulled up outside the house in question and looked at each other suspiciously.
The house was obviously party central. There were beer cans throughout the yard, the front door was wide-open, and someone’s boxers were hanging from the tree out front.
“Are those bodies?” Damian asked, pointing to the half-naked men face-down on the lawn.
“There’s only one way to find out, I suppose,” Katie grumped, opening the door and getting out.
She crept across the yard and looked around her, making sure there were no demons in the shadows. Slowly she bent down next to one of the guys and pressed her fingers against his neck. He was alive, and he smelled like he had drunk a keg the night before. She went to all three bodies and sighed, shaking her head.
“They are just drunk,” she told Damian, disgusted. “Not a demon effort, just a seriously badass rager.”
Ella whistled as she walked through the base, trying to get rid of the boredom. She was the only one left in the building, and they hadn’t given her any tasks to take care of.
She thought about working out but passed, figuring no one was there to help her anyway. She went up the stairs to the top floor and down the hall, looking at the different paintings and pictures decorating the walls.
She stopped about midway down.
“Those Who Have Paid Tribute,” she read out loud. “Huh.”
There were rows of plaques, each with a picture, a name, a date (which she assumed was the date of their death), and some words of description. She reached forward and ran her fingers over the engravings, reading some of the stories underneath the pictures. This was the first time since she had gotten here that she was careful and thoughtful.
Some of the plaques—the ones in the top rows—had no pictures, and some of the names were only first names. The dates spanned over two hundred years. She hadn’t realized how long humans had been fighting demons until that moment. When she reached the first picture she stopped, reading the information aloud.
“Ely Holmes, March 4, 1973,” she read. “Ely was born and raised in Illinois and served in the military during some of the toughest battles in history. Ely became a Damned during his last tour in Japan, and joined the team voluntarily when he returned. During the Great Battle of the Plains he fought valiantly but was taken down by a Level-Seven, leaving behind only the memory of his bravery.”
Shivers ran down her spine as she moved on to the next.
“Melissa Overland, June 11, 1999. Melissa was born and raised in the Deep South, playing in the bogs off the great Mississippi. She was the oldest Damned to join the team, starting at the young age of fifty-three. Melissa is accredited with taking down over three hundred demons before her death at the age of seventy-two. She was spry and witty, and her laughter will forever echo the Damned Hall of the Great.”
She raised her eyebrows, picturing her grandmother kicking ass in a demon incursion. She chuckled to herself and moved to the end of the rows. There was one guy and one girl, the most recent deaths. She stared at the boy’s picture, his blue eyes flashing like he was right there in front of her.
“Lyndon Ames, October 14, 2017,” she read. “Lyndon had only been with the team for two weeks, but he showed the strength and honor of forty men. He led the team into a great battle and killed fourteen demons on his own before falling. His death was quickly avenged, and his body will ever lie at peace. He may have only been a whisper in the timeline of events to the Damned, but his legend will continue.”
She shook her head. It all seemed so crazy, so wild, that these people had come and gone so quickly. She looked at the next plaque, a picture of a girl, not much older than Ella, her face innocent, her eyes wide, and her long brown hair cascading over her shoulders.
“Melanie Hanes, January 12, 2018,” she read slowly. “Melanie came to the team as a wild and dangerous girl looking for her place in life. She found it with the Damned, learning, training, and fighting her way to the top of the ranks in record time. As the team heavy she maintained a strict code of always helping her teammates, no matter what the cost. That was how she died, protecting a teammate and saving their life. Melanie will forever be remembered for everything she was.”
Ella took a step back and looked at what she had just read; two men, two women, all valiant, strong, and honorable, from different corners of the world, and all had given their lives for the same cause. Melanie had been just a year or two older than Ella when she died, and Ella took that straight to heart.
She could die too, and very easily—especially given where she was. Suddenly she wasn’t so upset about being left behind.
Do you realize now why you need to train? Melneck asked.
Ella shook the sadness from her eyes and cleared her throat.
Of course, she barked. I’m not an idiot. I just want to train in the afternoon! There’s no reason to begin life before noon.
Melneck chuckled, knowing those plaques had done more
than any training she had received so far.
Korbin stepped out of the car and shielded his eyes from the sun as he looked around the property. It was the second time he had been there, but the first time he hadn’t been able to check it all out. There was a two-story building that was probably the barracks Stephanie had described, and a small building next to a blackened launchpad. In the distance he could see some large concrete pads.
“So, there are two main underground buildings, and they are connected by a hundred or so foot long tunnel,” Stephanie told him, giving him the specs. “The underground areas are reinforced concrete with eighteen-inch-thick ceilings and walls, and a three-foot layer of earth above them. There’s about fifteen thousand square feet of floor space, so we should have ample room. The control room is underground, and is about fifty by ninety feet with about forty-five hundred feet of floor space.”
“How many acres, and is there water and such?” Korbin asked, looking around.
“Yeah, there are wells around the property, and the part you’re interested in is a good thirty acres.” Stephanie sighed. “The US government kept many of these bases a secret, so they could use them for other things.”
“How did you find out about it, then?” Korbin asked.
“I had a couple of connections through my prior business.” Stephanie smiled. “You would be surprised at the power that walked through those doors. Anyway, those connections led me to this place and they sold it to me for cash; no trace of its existence.”
“Sometimes I think I just shouldn’t ask.” Korbin smirked.
“It’s not like I paid for them in flesh!” Stephanie rolled her eyes. “Make the best out of every situation you find yourself in.”
“Very true.” Korbin shrugged.
“I know it looks overwhelming,” Stephanie said. “But this place still has almost everything we will need. It just will require a team to get it fully operational. This will definitely not be a one-man show. Derek won’t be able to handle all of it on his own, so you will want to think about who you can put in here to get things rolling. Of course, if you need help with that, you know I have resources.”
