Demon Gate: Beyond the 9th Circle: The Rapture Was Just The Beginning. (6 page)

whispered something into Major Walters’ ear, the
look on his face was the look of a man who is
about to die a brutal death.
“We have incoming, ETA ten minutes.
What do you need?” Major Walters asked as the
soldier left to join the troops getting ready to
fight.
“A radio and a few things from one of the
Hummers outside, and as much time as you can
give me.” Gretchen confidently requested. “I’ll
also need every last one of your claymores
positioned between us and the demon horde.”
“Captain, get on it use whoever you
need.” Major Walters directed.
Captain Huddleston grabbed a passing
marine. “Gather everybody that isn’t fighting and
set up all claymores on the southern perimeter,
MOVE IT!” Captain Huddleston ordered and
then racked his weapon and escorted Gretchen to
one of the hummers outside where she retrieved a
broken detonator, a tool kit and a soldering kit
from the back of the Hummer before heading
back inside
The main lobby had been all but cleared
out except for three soldiers who were sealing the
door against intrusion before joining the fight
that was minutes away from hitting the south
perimeter like a tsunami breaking against the
shore.
Captain Huddleston reached for his radio.
“Claymore team, what’s your status?”
The transmission was a little garbled,
“In…..gress, give me….minutes.”
“Please repeat, did not copy.”
“Four min…letion.” The reply came, still
garbled.
Captain Huddleston took Gretchen to the
south side of the hospital where Spencer was
armed with an FNP-90 and a flak jacket.
“What are you doing?” Gretchen asked.
“They’re going to need every man
they’ve got, so I volunteered.”
“They already know about the hive
queen.” Gretchen complained.
“I know, I even gave them a detailed
description of the hive queen, but…” Spencer let
his voice trail off.
Captain Huddleston noted a concern in
Gretchen’s face that told a very peculiar story, so
he distracted her with the task at hand. “Alright,
let’s get to work on that detonator.”
It was not hard for Gretchen to focus on
rebuilding the detonator.
Two dozen soldiers entered the hospital.
“The claymores have been set up.”
Captain Huddleston looked back at Gretchen.
“We’re just waiting on the detonator.”
“Give me three more minutes.” Gretchen
said as she finished prying open the radio and
started pulling wires free, twisting them together
and soldering them to the circuit board.
“Major, I see something on the street,”
one of the soldiers reported.
Another soldier reported similar movement.
Major Walters walked over to the window to see
for himself. It wasn’t long before he, too, saw the
demons approaching.
“It’s too late.” Major Walters declared
turning to Gretchen. “Is it ready or not?”
Gretchen looked up at Major Walters. “Not.”
Major Walters turned back to the window
and reached for his radio. “All units, open fire.”
Major Walters ordered.
“Wait, sir.” Another soldier said and
pointed at feminine figure entered a parking lot to
the southeast. Her sword was not drawn, the
figure’s hands were up.
As she drew closer, a terrible feeling
began to grow like a dark spot in Spencer’s mind,
dark and menacing.
As the hive queen cleared the parking lot,
she stepped into the silent street and stopped. She
paused briefly before raising her voice to the
hospital’s occupants, her voice sounded like three
different voices blending together into a
frightening mixture of mismatched chords trying
to play in unison.
“You are surrounded, Mortals. My
Master’s army stands poised to take you all to
Hell. You can join us willingly or endure eternal
torment before succumbing and joining his
unholy army.” The queen said before turning and
looking at the sun, it would be down within six
hours. “You have until sunset to decide,” she said
leaving the soldiers to think on what could be
their last hours before the inevitable
dismemberment, and then walked away.
Spencer stared at Major Walters, as
though waiting for him to give an order, but that
order never came.
“It looks like we have more time to fix
that detonator.” Major Walters said, breathing a
sigh of relief, but there was a great deal of
turmoil in Major Walters’ eyes. But why?
Spencer wondered.
“Major?” Spencer briskly whispered. His
eyebrows went up showing the silent question.
“There were too many, we need a better
strategy.” Major Walters said.
The sun lowered quickly as the hours passed,
many of the soldiers spent much of that time
cleaning their guns, as though it would increase
their efficacy. But many were just preparing to
die knowing that no rescue was coming, and
there was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.

Spencer found Gretchen in a discussion
which included Captain Huddleston and Major
Walters. Sunset was mere minutes away.

“Scouts have confirmed it, we’re
surrounded.” Major Walters reported.
“Can we make it to the west parking
garage?” Spencer asked.
“Are you suggesting we run?” Major
Walters demanded.
“Are you suggesting we stay and die?”
Spencer shot back.
“If your girlfriend can’t rig up a
detonator, then we may have no choice.” Major
Walters said.
Spencer couldn’t believe what he was
hearing. But on the other hand, he did have a
point.
“With all due respect, Major. Our chances
of surviving another assault are not looking good,
we can’t get everybody away in time and even if
we could there’s no guarantee those things won’t
pick us off.” Captain Huddleston summarized
pointing toward the demon army that had them
surrounded.
“Are you suggesting we just surrender to
the enemy?” Major Walters demanded.
Captain Huddleston paused.
“You know, that’s not a bad idea.”
Captain Huddleston commented.
“What!?” Spencer asked as though the
captain had lost his mind.
Captain Huddleston smiled as he revealed
his plan. “We take out the queen and the rest will
be easy pickings, so we just take her out.”
“With what?” Major Walters demanded,
“We don’t have a sniper rifle that could take her
head off, and we can’t get close enough to do it.”
“Unless you were surrendering.”
Gretchen surmised, realizing what Captain
Huddleston was planning.
“But even if you managed to get close
enough there’s nothing you could use to kill her
and that’s assuming you could get away at all,
it’s a suicide mission.” Spencer argued.
“Especially if she figures out what we’re
up to.” Gretchen commented.
“If we do nothing we’re dead anyway.”
“But who would kill her, and what would
they use?” Spencer demanded.
“We still have a small stash of C-4; I
could get close enough to use four pounds of it;
that would take her head off and leave behind
little more than a messy smudge.” Captain
Huddleston offered.
“You?” Major Walters asked.
“It can’t be you, sir. But we need one of
our best if this is going to work, and we need to
do it now or we’re all dead,” Captain Huddleston
commented. “We don’t have a choice, sir. It has
to be me.”
“Good luck, Captain.” Major Walters
reluctantly agreed, offering a heartfelt salute
which the Captain returned before he left to
prepare to die.

The sun finally set when Major Walters
met Captain Huddleston just inside the entrance
nearest the hive queen.

“Are you sure we can’t talk you out of
this?” Major Walters asked.
“If you’re asking if I want to die, the
answer is ‘no’. But it seems fate has other plans
for me.” Captain Huddleston replied,
disheartened.
“We’ll wait for your signal to detonate.”
Major Walters assured before saluting Captain
Huddleston one last time. Captain Huddleston
returned the salute before heading out the door
with his hands held high. Major Walters headed
back to the forward command post they had
established several hours earlier.
“I surrender!” Captain Huddleston cried
as he emerged from the exterior door. Within
seconds he was set upon by dozens of demons,
but none of them attacked him, they seemed to
escort him to the hive queen.
As Major Walters arrived in the forward
command center he took up a position by a
window and watched as Captain Huddleston
reached the hive queen under heavy guard. For
several seconds they seemed to talk before she
turned away, apparently convinced of the
Captain’s change of heart.
Captain Huddleston reached into his flak
jacket and pulled out the C-4 and tried to plant it
on the queen, the demonic entourage shrieked as
they realized what Captain Huddleston was up to,
the hive queen wheeled around and shrieked then
she drew a sword on her back and slashed at the
Captain’s forearm at the mid point, the limb fell
to the ground and Captain Huddleston screamed
in pain as he grabbed his severed limb as he
quickly started bleeding, then the queen raised
her sword and sliced across Captain Huddleston’s
neck, severing his head which fell to the ground
along with his body.
“LIGHT HER UP!” Major Walters
shouted. Gretchen flipped a single switch on her
jerry-rigged detonator and the C-4 erupted into a
concussive blast of heat that enveloped the
queen.
For a brief minute or so everything grew
deathly quite except for the crackling fire that
consumed the hive queen. Then a shape emerged
from the fire which as it subsided. The hive
queen survived, stepping from the fire which was
her closest ally, she raised her sword to the
darkening skies.
“Fools.” She hissed, “Now we will take
you by force.” The hive queen paused, slightly
lowering her sword as she took a deep breath,
then thrust the tip skywards as she unleashed a
terrible shriek.
The darkness seemed to come alive as
thousands of shapes emerged from all sides into
the light of the waning fire still smoldering
around the ruined body of Huddleson. This
seething dark forms flew at the building, spraying
millions of shards of broken glass as they quickly
entered the hospital and seized everybody they
could, and as quickly as they came, they were
gone.
When the dust had settled Major Walters,
looked around to see who was left. All he could
see was a young Lieutenant, Spencer and
Gretchen. Spencer’s ears burned with the
screams of the soldiers outside, dying as they
were dismembered.
As the last of his men’s screams faded
into the night, he heard a single terrible voice.
“You will pay the price for your treachery, dawn
will bring you no respite, survive if you can.”
The queen spat, and in a moment she was gone.
“I don’t like the way she said that.”
Gretchen said.
“Major, what are we going to do now?”
Spencer asked.
Major Walters reached for his radio.
“This is Major Walters, anybody still
alive regroup in the main lobby immediately.”
Major Walters said then lead the way
back to the main lobby where he met two other
soldiers. Both were Privates First Class.
Spencer looked around, not giving his full
attention to Major Walters’ strategy, he expected
that the demons would be breaking down the
doors, why hadn’t they already?
“I thought I heard someone as we passed
radiology.” One of the privates commented,
almost as though he did not want to, like he was
restraining an urge.
“Did you see anybody, Private?” Major
Walters asked.
“No, sir, I just heard footsteps.” The
private replied.
Major Walters turned to the Lieutenant.
“Lieutenant, take these privates and go back, if
there is another survivor we’ll meet you at the
access corridor to the west parking garage.”
Major Walters instructed, “We’ll wait there for
five minutes and then we get the hell out of
dodge.”
“Understood, sir.” The lieutenant saluted.
Major Walters, Spencer and Gretchen
headed for the west parking garage, cutting
through the dead bodies that would never be
buried.
After the hallway turned the Major’s dead
soldiers vanished from sight. But Major Walters
still looked back.
“Major?” Spencer asked, “Is something
wrong?”
Major Walters turned back to Spencer.
“Could we have done something different?”
Major Walters asked.
“I don’t know.” Spencer consoled.
“Maybe this was a long time coming.”
“You think…” Major Walters stopped
himself. “I thought I lived an honorable life, I
went to church, helped out in the community,
served my country. Maybe
I
could have done
better. Maybe that’s why God is … allowing this
to happen.”
Finally they reached the door that lead to
the west parking garage and they waited, the
seconds quickly turned to minutes when finally
several gunshots echoed down the empty hospital
hall breaking the fear-filled silence.
Major Walters grabbed his radio,
“Lieutenant, what’s going on?”
There was no reply. “Lieutenant!”
Major Walters received no word from any
of the three men that were searching for
additional survivors so he headed back down the
hall. As he came to the turn he was met by one of
the privates, he was bleeding profusely from a
gash in his upper arm.
“Private, what happened?” Major Walters
demanded.
“They’re in the building, sir.” The private
revealed.
Spencer found a door leading to a linen
closet and pulled everybody inside. Major
Walters pulled out some sheets so he could
fashion a heavy bandage for the private’s wound
before heading out for the garage.
As the door to the garage came into focus,
Spencer and Gretchen stopped and stared in
horror at what they saw through it. A large,
demonic frog-like thing; a class of creature they
had not yet seen. A clattering sound drew the
attention of all four to the rear.
“She’s coming.” The private said in
horrified apprehension. Major Walters pulled
everybody into another room that boasted a large
sturdy metal door. The room was filled with large
industrial washers and dryers; Major Walters
closed the door and pushed a washer into position
to keep the door closed for as long as possible if
the hive queen arrived and was looking for them.
For the next hour they sat in dreadful
silence, knowing that the private needed medical
attention that he wasn’t going to get while they
were hiding in the laundry room.
“Sir.” the private began.
“Hold on, private, we’ll get out of here.”
Major Walters assured.
“I’m sorry, sir.” the private said, and then
slumped over in a pool of his own blood; he was
beyond help and slipped into death just that
quietly.
What seemed like days passed, but was in
fact only seven hours later, a sound entered the
room through the barricaded door, a scratching
noise.
“She knows we’re in here.” Major
Walters assumed, and by so doing realized that
the door wasn’t going to stop her, and barely
slow her down.
“We’re going to have to try and kill her.”
Spencer said. Gretchen jumped when the door
shook as the queen struck it trying to force her
way into the room.
Suddenly a light more brilliant than the
sun spilled under the door and into the laundry
room, the scratching and knocking ceased, it was
replaced by a shriek, maybe it was a battle cry
and the clank of metal on metal, and then silence.
For several tense minutes nobody dared to move,
and scarcely to breathe. Finally Spencer
approached the door and put his ear to it to listen.
Then he turned to Gretchen and Major
Walters. “I don’t hear anything.” Spencer said
and began to move the washer out of the way.
Seconds later he was joined by Major Walters
and Gretchen.
The door creaked as it opened, a pile of
dust that resembled volcanic ash lay at Spencer’s
feet, there was no sign of the queen and they also
could not see the demonic frog.
“Where did she go?” Major Walters
asked.
Gretchen looked at the ash on the floor.
“Do you think she…” Gretchen paused searching
for a word to describe her thoughts.
“Died?” Major Walters asked, “It would
make sense.”
“Let’s not stick around to find out.”
Spencer said glancing at the outside of the door;
there were several deep gashes in the metal coat
that protected the door. Sword marks? Or were
they from a set of nasty looking claws?
Spencer moved swiftly down the hall.
The door to the west parking garage drew near
and opened automatically as Spencer approached.
The last to go is the automated robotic stuff,
great.
The door opened on the overhead passage
into the parking garage where Spencer found
more of that fine dust on the ground. Spencer’s
GTO was only thirty feet away, and yet
something screamed in his mind.
Again a
warning, something helping me?
“Weren’t there two hives?” Spencer
asked.
Spencer decided to err on the side of caution and
retrieve the sword from his nearly empty trunk.
As he closed the trunk, the tip of a darkened
sword appeared in the middle of Major Walters’
chest then protruded more than twelve inches
further, the tip of a hive queen’s sword.
Realizing death was here with no escape
now, Major Walters grabbed the tip of the sword
and held fast trying to give Spencer a few extra
seconds to grip the sword well and rush forward
to kill the second hive queen. Spencer took those
extra seconds and used them well. Dodging
around the doomed Major Walters, Spencer
swung his sword and decapitated the hive queen.
The hive queen crumpled to the ground
pulling the sword out of Walters’ back. Spencer
caught the major, who then stared with
frightening intensity into Spencer’s eyes.
“Get out of here; get out while you still
can.” Pushing Spencer away, the major fell to the
ground where his life quickly slipped away,
blood oozing out into a halo around his body.
Spencer retreated to the exterior wall of
the parking garage and looked around. Most of
the demons were breaching the hospital; they had
one slim chance to get away. The demons
gathered around the dead queens, giving the
couple precious moments in which their run for
the highway went unnoticed.
Spencer and Gretchen got into the GTO
and sped along Louisville Avenue and up to 19
^th
Street where he had direct access to the Marsha
Sharp Freeway and the Texas Tech Parkway,
which merged onto Highway 84 heading for the
New Mexico border. They crossed into New
Mexico at about eleven in the morning. The heat
of the desert made them wonder if Hell was
coming to earth or if they were just unlucky
enough to be trapped in a million acre sauna.
They passed a sign indicating the small
town of Clovis and they decided the town was
small enough that there would be minimal
danger. They pulled off of Highway 60 to look
around. The town was much like all the others
they passed though, except there was no sign of
occupation, nor were the streets littered with
corpses of humans or demons, there was nothing
but quiet and undisturbed buildings. It seemed
like a good sign.
Spencer and Gretchen agreed not to stay
too long, so they opened up a couple MRE’s and
ate what they could washing it down with stale
water from the large canister. Spencer realized
that there would be a long drive ahead so he
looked for a gas station.
There were a series of gas stations along
East 1
^st
Street. The first one they came to was not
viable, as the gas station had been burning for
some time, possibly several days. Any fuel still in