4 comments/ 14828 views/ 2 favorites Descending Ch. 01 By: missmetalhead The endless rain was pouring down in torrents when they dragged the Demon in by her arms, thrashing and cursing them the whole time. Jason watched silently from his post as the woman kicked one of his soldiers in the groin, got an arm free and punched a soldier in the face, and bit into the last soldier's arm as the other two soldiers quickly recovered and body slammed her into the mud. He watched as her head lolled in the muck and she lost consciousness to his men's relief. One man tossed her limp body over his shoulder like she was a saddlebag and they hurried inside to throw her in a cell before she woke up. Jason shook his head as he finished his cigarette. He didn't allow himself that many even though the nicotine didn't affect him much, but he enjoyed the buzz. It had been raining for weeks out in this wasteland and while most of his men were depressed from lack of sunlight, he didn't mind the weather so much. He wasn't here on vacation either way and the weather kept him on his toes. He gulped down his black coffee and flicked the cigarette into the wind. The man couldn't blame the woman for fighting like a rabid animal. His men had just burnt and slain her entire tribe, including her father and everyone else she had ever known and cared for. His men were only following his orders, whom he carried on from the general himself. The only reason this Demon girl was still alive, was because the general wanted this girl for himself as a lesson to all other Demons not to poke at the powers of the Confederate Arms. An overused phrase by higher ranking military officers was that 'threats must be dealt with'. The man spat with contempt of his country and the things he was forced to do. Like all other boys of 16, Jason Griffin was drafted into the military and showed a surprising knack for military tactics, a quick wit that only improved under pressure, and a talent in killing. His parents were quite surprised that he moved up his ranks so quickly, for he had always been such a gentle and quiet child growing up. He began in the army, and transferred over to the marines, where the toughest and most brutal soldiers were bred nowadays. Jason became a hollow eyed mercenary after the invasion of Mexico and the horrors he had witnessed and had been forced to participate in had permanently changed him into a shell of his former self. This problem with Demons was relatively new and he wasn't sure what to make of these people. The rain continued to pound on the iron overhang above him and Jason turned as he heard boots behind him against the concrete. "Sir, the Demon has been detained in cell B6. She is almost ready for interrogation." "Thank you soldier." The soldier saluted, then left. Jason let out a deep huff of breath, gazed at the foggy mountains in the distance, and became the curt and cold lieutenant Griffin. He turned on his heel and descended down the stairs towards the cell block. When Jason turned the corner of the long hallway, he was greatly surprised to see 5 men posted in front of the heavy steel door to the prisoner's cell. When they saw him, they all silently saluted. Lieutenant Griffin smirked at the men. "Does one female Demon, locked behind 5 feet of concrete and steel really need to take 4 men from their posts?" With that said, 4 of the men apologized and went on with their duties while the one soldier assigned to be guard remained. The last man stood silently by the cell door and Jason slid back the tiny window in the door to see what the girl was up to. It appeared that she was just coming to, with a nasty looking gash at her temple, still wet with fresh blood. Lieutenant Griffin ordered the soldier to get a medic to stitch the wound. He had promised the general that she would not receive permanent damage or death before she was handed off to him. Like a fresh canvas, Jason thought When the medic arrived with two soldiers to help, Jason watched as the girl was pinned down on the cement bench. He almost winced as the medic sloshed pure alcohol over the open wound and began to stitch the edges of the raw flesh together. The girl closed her eyes in pain as the alcohol burned her skull, for she hadn't been given any kind of pain relief as the thick thread pulled on her burning scalp. Jason gritted his teeth but didn't want his men to think he was sympathetic to this girl. He remembered that it was because of her and her people that many of his soldiers were dead and their skulls used to decorate spikes on the battle fields. He instructed the guard to bring the girl to an interrogation room where he would be waiting in an hour. The girl didn't look afraid as she was forced down into a chair before Lieutenant Griffin. She didn't look up as he began to address her as the two guards who had brought her began to lock her wrists behind her back in handcuffs. She allowed them to. "You are very lucky someone holds a special interest in you, otherwise you would be dead just like all those other dog fuckers you called family." Jason didn't get the rise he wanted to out of her. She merely looked at the porous cement wall behind his head. The two guards left and closed the door behind them to continue to keep guard outside. Jason was now completely alone with this girl with nothing else but a digital recorder bolted under the table. He continued, "What is your name?" She still ignored him. Jason was already impatient. "Give me a fucking name." Silence still. Jason ground his teeth and decided that he needed to show this girl that he was no one to not take seriously. "One more chance Demon. Answer the questions." He stood up and leaned against the table right in front of her. She still never even looked at him, so Jason darted forward and grabbed her by her matted and dirty hair and forced her to look him in the face. Her black eyes were colder than any human's and Jason imagined the thoughts of gore running through her head, but instead he twisted harder forcing her to grit her teeth and squeeze her eyes shut. "Your name!" "Ane." Jason smirked. Her voice was low and husky with her fury. Her pupils contracted and Jason caught a glimpse of thin golden rings around them. Jason needed to break this defiance. "Are you afraid to die?" "No." Jason let go of her hair and leaned back in his chair. "Do you want to know how we found you?" Silence was her response. "Looking everywhere in the country that would be totally secluded, free of most pollutants, have abundant wildlife, and difficult to reach?" Jason paused for effect. "Do you know how many places are left in this country that fit that exact description?" Ane stared at the wall behind his head. "There are about 5 left. But only one has such an extensive cave network that hasn't offically made it into the network. Did you know that there are 5 platoons of soldiers on their way to those caves as we speak?" Ane's eyes flashed. Then she spoke in a gravely voice, "Each and every one of your men will die with as much pain as their bodies can muster." If she didn't have to remain unmarred for the General, Jason would show her the meaning of pain himself if he could and she'd be begging him to kill her. Jason glanced at his wristwatch. It was almost nightfall, 6 o'clock. It was almost dinnertime for most of the soldiers. His stomach growled in hunger, and he knew Ane had heard it. He heard her stomach growl as well, but he knew she wasn't going to get a bite to eat until somebody caught a rat. Jason almost chuckled aloud at his private joke. "My men watched your cave for 3 days until they had identified the King and you. Then they shot everyone who wandered too far from the cave, slowly moving in until there weren't enough dog fuckers to resist us and you and your so called King-daddy were right in the middle of that bulls-eye. So fucking obvious by the way those mongrels worshipped you two." The Demon's face became weary at the memory. Jason didn't care at this point. What was done got done right for once. A promotion might lay in his future, but Jason didn't care much about rank when there was always someone higher up pulling the strings. The pay was the only incentive at this point. "What do you suggest I do right now?" A slow and evil smile crept across her cherry lips. "Join your men and venture down into our caves. How I wish I could be there to see it." "I wish you could be too, but sadly you wouldn't be able to see a thing because you would be dead. That is because the country's top scientists have just mutated a deadly virus to make it only effective against Demons." "I'll tell you something useful if you take off my handcuffs and give me something to drink." Ane knew perfectly well that any question he asked her would not help his cause at all. Only a Demon would have a chance at using any information Ane knew. It was time the humans learned that their only advantage over Demons was their population and Ane wouldn't say or do anything to get in the way of that ever happening. "No to the handcuffs, but we'll get you some water if you make an effort to impress me." "It's a deal." Jason cleared his throat. "Why do the Demons consider you as their leader?" Ane didn't even have to think about the question. "Because my father is pure Demon and is the son of the true Demon King. All the others are born from parents of half Demon or less. I have the purest and oldest Demon blood running through my veins, now that my father lies dead in a pile of burning bodies like mere trash." Jason nodded. "Can you speak the language of Demons?" "Of course." "Then tell me what this says." Jason pulled a folded piece of paper from his breast pocket. There was a photograph of a cave wall with a Demonic carving of 5 winged beings tearing apart a human before a huge monster with 6 arms, huge ram-like horns and a wolflike snout. In it's hands it held a burning sword and a skull. The human had a look of anguish upon it's face as the beasts tore its limbs off and pulled out its intestines. Below the carving there were 2 rows of hieroglyphics. "I said I could speak the language, but I can't read this. Along with the Demon polulation, most of the language was lost to us as well." Jason frowned. It was very important to certain people that this image was deciphered. "Do you think any other Demons can still read this language?" "No. If there are, I wouldn't know." "Do you know who these beings are in this picture?" Ane studied the picture and frowned. "The 5 with wings are the children of the larger monster. He is a god." Jason folded the paper and tucked it back into his pocket. He looked under the table and made sure the recorder was one. The light was blinking red. "I'm going to ask you a question in English and I want you to respond in the Demon language." Ane nodded. Jason asked her the seemingly unimportant question. She uttered a stream of words in a language that sounded haltingly sharp and gravely, but was captivating by its pure alienity to Jason's ears. It was a language from practically another world untouched by human cultures. It sounded so strange coming from the mouth of a girl who looked so human, except for her pale coloring and obsidian black eyes. Jason had been ordered not to have her translate what she had said for reasons of security, but he couldn't fathom how any answer to such a simple question could be of any significance and why they didn't want him to know. He could probably find out later. He reached under the table and pressed the button that would send the conversation directly to his commander. For now he had no more questions. He had to wait until his commander issued him more after he reviewed her responses. Jason got up from his seat and went to the door. Out of his peripherals, he caught sight of Ane mulling over something as he asked a soldier outside to get a glass of water. He sat down again across from Ane and when he looked up, he caught sight of a thin trail of a tear run down her cheek. Ane's gaze shifted to his face and Jason continued to look at her as her face hardened. The Demon woman looked like she was maybe in her early 20's. She was covered in a thin layer of dirt and blood and the stiched wound on her head would leave a scar, but he could almost picture what she would look like if she were clean. Her hair would be straight and pale as bone, maybe even whiter. Her face was heart-shaped with a sharp jaw and high cheekbones. Her eyes had a small slant to them,with heavy lids and long black lashes. Her nose was thin and straight and her lips were full and curved. Her face looked so somber and smooth, he couldn't picture those lips ever smiling or those eyes ever crinkling with laughter. She drew in a deep breath of air and Jason saw that her teeth were slightly sharper than a human's, but not much different. Ane could defenitely pass as a human if she darkened her hair and wore colored contacts or glasses. Jason snapped back to reality when there was a rap on the door. He realized that Ane had been watching him look at her and he quickly got up to recieve the glass of water his soldier handed to him. After the door was shut, he pushed the glass to Ane and spoke sharply to her. "Can I trust you to not do anything stupid if I uncuff you?" Ane nodded and Jason took a key from his pocket and unlocked the handcuffs behind her back. He realized afterwards that he had already told her he wasn't going to do what he just did. She was defenitely going to think he was going soft for her, which he reassured himself he wasn't. He just didn't want to have to hold the glass for her or watch her lap from the cup like a dog. That was too degrading for his comfort. His ease on her could be to his advantage too, if she learned she would be rewarded for her cooperation with him. Jason watched tensely as she drank the entire glass of water in two gulps. As he expected, she did nothing but drink the water and rub her wrists tiredly. He was finding the act of appearing like a tough and cruel soldier harder to keep up with this girl. That's all she was, Demon or human, just a girl who had lost everything and was being hunted by the entire world for being what she was created to be. Sure the Demons had killed plenty of humans, but the humans had eradicated the entire original population of Demons. All that was left were hybrids and until earlier this morning there had been one full Demon left in the world. Ane was silently watching Jason's stony face, wondering when he was going to slip up and give her a chance to kill him and escape. If she had to choose though, she would just escape and find the rest of her people and take them deeper into hidng. "I need to use the restroom," she murmered, hoping he would take the bait. "Your new cell will have a toilet and cot." Jason informed her. Standing back from the table, he could see that there was no longer a red light on the recorder. He bent to look at it. Ane silently cursed then saw a staple just under the leg of the table on her end. She saw that Jason was still distracted and bent down, pretending to scratch her ankle, darting her hand out to snatch the staple and tuck it under her sock. Her heart hammered as she checked to make sure he hadn't noticed. Jason stood up and walked to the handcuffs still resting on the table. He picked them up and walked around Ane to put them back on. Her wrists looked so delicate, but he saw the tendons under her hands ripple as they pulled the slender muscles of her arms together. Her body looked like that of an athlete's and Jason admired the gentle curve of her waist and the small muscles bunched on her back as her arms were pulled closer to close the handcuffs. To his surprise he saw that her hands were slightly trembling. He shook off the pull of her attractiveness and tightened the cuffs and gently pulled her to her feet. As he led her out the door and down the maze of halls that only a person with a lot of experience in the base should be able to navigate through it, he realized that something in her mood had changed. She seemed suddenly nervous since he had put the cuffs on her. As a soldier unlocked the door to her new cell, he noticed that her eyes were frantically darting around the halls. Jason realized that she was trying to remember their route before entering her cell. He immiediately became suspicious and came into the cell with her. The soldier outside automatically shut the door, but didn't lock it until Jason gave him a disparaging look through the small glass window, then didn't shut the window until Jason jerked his head in a sign to close it. Jason turned back to his prisoner and was shocked to see real fear in her eyes. She stood in the corner of the cell, tense as if ready to defend herself. Jason realized she thought he meant to rape her. "Calm down, I'm not here to hurt you." Ane swallowed loudly and sat on her cot. She glanced around the room as if for a weapon to tear off the wall. There was nothing but a sink and a toilet. "I'm just here to tell you to not try and escape. I know what you're doing and I promise you, that if you somehow escape from this cell, the soldiers around here won't let you. Our government has no problem with eliminating anyone who they think isn't doing their job effeciently enough. They would replace us all with robots if it weren't so damn expensive, so if any soldier catches you, he will make you pay tenfold for your efforts to escape. I'm telling you this for your safety. I can guarantee you will be brutally raped if you are caught outside of this cell." Ane's brow furrowed. "I'm sure either way I will be raped, but thanks for the notice." Jason realized this was true and nodded with a tinge of regret. "I will leave then." Jason knocked on the door and watched as the guard pulled back the cover on the window to confirm it was him knocking and pulled open the heavy door. With a glance over his shoulder as he walked out he saw Ane staring at him in confusion. He shouldn't have said anything to her. She could tell that he was going soft for her, he knew by her face. To his shock she gave him a quick smile. He almost ran into the guard in surprise, but quickly dodged around him before the guard even noticed. The cell door slammed shut behind him as he angrily strode to his quarters. This woman thought she could manipulate him, but he would show her next time she dared to flirt that he was someone to take seriously. He would teach her not to mistake him for someone who could be led around by his dick. Maybe he should rape her and have her really fear him. Jason cringed inwardly. He could never rape a woman. He could do every cruel act his country ordered him to do, but he could never rape a woman for his own pleasure, whether she was fully human or not. He opened the door to his quarters and was very pleased to see a tray of food placed on his desk. He sat down heavily in his chair and opened the tray to behold a heaping plate of mashed potatoes, corn, bread, and a breaded pork chop. His thermos was warm with fresh black coffee to pour in his tin cup. Jason ate heartily, a little guilty that Ane had nothing to eat, but still couldn't help enjoying the meal and cleaning his plate. After he finished he yawned so wide, his jaws cracked and he ambled over to his cot to take a nap. When Jason woke, he grabbed his pack of filter cigarettes and went outside on the porch to have a smoke while he sipped a cup of coffee, just as he had done when Ane had been dragged through the gates of the cement wall surrounding the base. Night had fallen since he had been outside last and he saw that although the rain had stopped, there was a violent lightning storm brewing just above the base. The silence was eery as the sky danced with flashes of light like viens branching across the black clouds. The valley that the base was in was covered in lush fields of grass. He didn't have to worry about lightning setting the valley on fire tonight. Once summer came though, fires spread like a disease throughout the thirsty and dry land. Winter drowned them and the Summer sucked the life out of them with the intense heat and months without a drop of rain. Descending Ch. 01 Just as he was tipping his head back to get the last drops of coffee, he heard a strange sound in the night. It sounded like a choke. Jason wipped his head around, looking for the direction the noise had come from, then heard coughing coming from the watchtower at the corner of the two 20 ft high walls. Jason realized it was just a guard coughing, but couldn't shake off his jumpiness. He watched as he smoked another cigarette to appear casual, that no one was manning the two spotlights pointed in towards the base or outwards. He didn't see any evidence that there was someone there at all. Something didn't seem right at all. Jason went back inside to use his walkie talkie without being heard. "Anyone out there on tower 2? Over." Complete silence for a full minute. Jason was about to order someone over there and then finally, "Leuitenant, I just arrived to swap posts with tower 2 and there seems to be nobody here. Over." Before Jason could respond, the soldier called back, "there is an abandoned weapon on the ground at the base of the tower. I can see it over the edge of the rail. Over." Jason sucked in his breath. "Soldier get backup immiediately! We may have a security breach! Over." Suddenly there was a loud crack on the other end and then complete silence. Jason ran back out to the balcony and drew his M16. He was sure that someone or something had just taken out whoever he had been talking to on the tower. He felt panic rising in his chest as he sensed that there was somone close who had already made 3 of his soldiers disappear. He took quiet and slow steady breaths to still his pounding heart. He couldn't tell where the sound was coming from but he heard a faint cracking. He strained his ears to hear better and to his horror he heard a wet cracking sound like bones being broken and a splash as blood spilled out on the iron overhang above his head. Suddenly there was a ripple in the air above him and as the lightning turned the night white for a split second, he caught sight of an enormous pair of bat-like wings slicing through the air about 20 feet above him and a shriek as if there were more than one beast fighting over something. He heard a loud thunk on the iron above his head and jumped, his heart racing. Then whatever had been on the roof rolled down and fell at his feet where the overhang stopped. Jason's mouth turned dry and he felt like screaming in horror at what lay at his feet. It was the head of one of his soldiers. The head had been ripped from the body, taking part of the spinal column with it. It was the most gruesome thing Jason had ever seen and he felt his dinner lurch in his stomach. He snapped out of his stupor and realized he needed to get the fuck out of there before something came to retrieve the head. He needed to alert all the other soldiers too.Would anyone believe such a thing? Jason pushed back his fear and snatched the gory head off the floor and ran to the door. Once inside he looked behind him and caught a glimpse of claws about to climb off the overhang onto his porch. He slammed the door shut, heard a screech as he startled the creature, and drove the deadbolt into the lock as fast as he could. He locked the other 2 locks as well. He felt like falling to his knees and thanking God for the heavy duty steel door protecting him from that monster. With disgust, Jason dropped the head into his trash bin and tied the plastic bag shut as quickly as possible. Then he ripped his radio off his belt again and yelled into the reciever. "Red alert, red alert! This is Leutenant Griffin and there are unidentified airborn deadly forces outside. Everyone get to safety immiediately and arm yourselves! 2 men are missing and one is confirmed dead. I repeat, arm yourselves immiediately and find safety inside the base!" Jason grabbed the bag and holstered his M16 on his back, also tucking a .22 in his belt. He grabbed the bag containing the head and strode out the door to the hallway as the hinges of his door groaned under the force of something with horrifying strength steadily pushing it inwards. Descending Ch. 02 Soldiers left in the halls looked nervous at the unknown danger outside. His right hand man and the base boss man when Jason was asleep, Captain Barker, strode next to Jason as he made his way to Ane's prison. "What's going on Leutenant?" Jason steadied his frantic breathing and huffed, "I was standing outside for a smoke and I noticed there was nobody on tower 2. I radioed everyone and one soldier told me he was about to head up there to trade posts. He suddenly cut off and then I saw something flying around above me. Then I found this." Jason held up the bag containing the head. "I got the fuck out of there before that son-of-bitch came back for it. He's trying to get through my door as we speak." Cpt. Barker looked horrified at the head. "Ho-lee shit! Is that the spine?" Jason nodded. "Where are you going?" "To make the Demon tell me what the fuck did this." "I'll meet up with you in a minute." Barker looked like he was about to be sick. Jason nodded and turned the corner to Ane's cell. The soldier on guard quickly opened the door for him, after seeing the look on his face. When he stepped inside, Ane quickly sat up from her cot. He noticed that she had cleaned herself up in the sink and she looked beautiful. But he didn't care. She stood up and as she saw the look of fury on Jason's face, she gasped and tried to run around him, but Jason caught a handful of her hair and yanked her head back and threw her back onto the cot. He drew his M16 and pointed it right in her face. Ane cried out and threw her arms over her face. "You are going to tell me right now...what the fuck were those things in the picture I showed you... because they are killing my men and were about to kill me you cunt! Look what they did to my soldier!" He shook the bag right in her face and Ane tried to get away from the disgusting thing, but Jason dragged her back down on the bed and threw the head by the door. Ane slowly put her arms down and stared at Jason's furious face. His pale green eyes seared right through her with a deathly glare and a vein was bulging in his forehead. His face was red with anger and Ane felt like in that instant, he truly wanted her dead. So she told him the truth. "Those monsters in the picture... they're real. Few have ever seen them. I have never seen them, but my father has. The big monster is a deity. He was born in the fire within the core of the Earth. Humans call him Evil and Satan, but no one knew his true name except my father and his fathers before him. But my father died before he could tell me his true name. If you don't know his true name, then you aren't immune to his power no matter what..." Ane's sentence trailed off in thought. Jason's eyes narrowed. He didn't believe a word this girl was saying. "What kind of powers?" Ane saw the disbelief in his eyes but couldn't do a thing about it.. "Unimaginable powers. He could crush the world if he wished. He can possess any soul he comes into contact with. He can change his appearance to be anything he wishes. He can read your mind and kill you with just a thought if you're close enough. He created the first Demons, and the creatures you saw here are those same ones. The same 5 as in the picture. They then raped hundreds of women and created more Demons to populate the Underworld. That is how we came to be. We're the bastard children of Satan." Jason's anger dimmed a little. "That's a funny story. That doesn't explain what they're doing here though." "Isn't it obvious? They're here for me." "Why you?" Jason said with skepticism. "Now that I swear I don't know." "It's your life. Lie if you wish." "I'm answering your question! You've seen them for yourself now! You'd be a fool not to take me seriously." Jason shook his head. "I have to admit I still find it hard to believe. I thought the only reason we called you Demons was because you used to live in underground caves before we started expanding the cities down there too." Ane smirked. "The good old days." "Yeah sure." Jason put his gun back. "But are these sons of bitches going to keep trying to get you?" She shrugged. "I don't know. They obviously want something now and I doubt they will stop until they get it." Jason grimaced. "Great." He muttered. "In that case we will be leaving tomorrow to take you to the General in Sanctuary. Get a good nights sleep, because I doubt I will with those sons of bitches right outside my room. Goodnight." He turned abruptly and left, grabbing the bag on his way out and before he could catch one last lingering glance upon her breasts pressing against her white shirt without a bra on as she lay splayed out on the bed below him. Jason felt like punching himself for the massive hard on she had unknowingly given him. He doubted anyone could tell under the heavy pants and belt he was wearing anyways. He heard her door being closed and locked and thought, "good." She needed to cover herself up a little more around all these soldiers, some of which hadn't had a woman in years. Jason's last woman had been about 2 years ago before he left Sanctuary. Just a beautiful woman he had met in a bar who didn't care for him, but just wanted a good time, so Jason had shown her one. Cpt. Barker nearly bumped into him. He looked a little better but tried to not look at the bag Jason still held. "What the hell are you going to do with that bag sir?" "Give it to the base forensic specialist. I'm sure he can glean some information on what we're dealing with here." "Did the Demon tell you anything?" Jason considered the question. "Yes, she told me she thought they were only myths the Demons told each other. She hadn't heard of any other winged monsters other than in those stories. That was all she knew and I think it's the truth since I had my M16 in her face the whole time." He chuckled jokingly to mask his lie. "Sounds like a bunch of crap, but I guess that's what we thought before we discovered Demons even exhisted." Barker mused. They reached the lab where the forensics specialist was already waiting after Jason had radioed him earlier. He handed him the bag and he took it without flinching. This wasn't anything unique or new to him. Jason wondered at what kind of horrors this man had seen done to the bodies of Humans and Demons alike. In the hallway at the foot of the stairs that led to Jason's quarters, he stopped and asked Cpt. Barker, "Come up to my room with me just in case those devils got inside? One gun might not be enough, but don't worry, I doubt they even got past that steel door." Jason added quickly at the flash of fear in Barker's eyes. He didn't blame him, he didn't want his head ripped off either. They quickly made their way up the stairs, guns drawn already, passing nobody on their way up. They stayed quiet and signalled each other to take position around his door. 1...2...........3! Jason kicked in his door and they swarmed into the room, turning on the lights quickly and making a sweep of the entire room. Jason checked the door leading outside and it was still bolted shut just as he had left it except there was a slight bulge in the steel. He looked out the tiny cracked but intact window in the door and couldn't see anything in the blackness outside. "Alright Barker, it looks safe. I'll put a bell on the door as an alarm, but I think they might've given up. Thanks soldier." Jason gave him a hard and friendly whack on the back, which would have knocked over a smaller man. Barker laughed and listened as Jason instructed him to organize a convoy of 20 men to transport Ane to Sanctuary in the morning. "Make it 4 trucks big enough to carry all the men. We leave tomorrow at dawn and I want one truck for myself, the prisoner, and 3 other soldiers. Get some clothes for the prisoner packed too and make sure everyone has enough MREs for 3 days tops. We need to be heavily armed and we need someone with medical training too. Base all your decisions off of this; speed and defense. I want to get to Sanctuary as fast as possible so I don't have to deal with no monsters killing my men. You will take command of the base in my stead so do a good job so that we can return to our stations. Am I clear soldier?" "Crystal clear sir!" Barker said immitating a cadet's quick salute and rigid stance. Jason laughed at him and shook his hand roughly before Barker turned and left. Jason shut the door after him and left it unlocked for tonight. If those beasts got in here, he didn't need a locked door hindering his backup from saving his ass. He fished around in his dresser and found a bell he used to use to train K9's. He took a shoe lace and tied the bell to the door knob. The slightest movement would produce a ring, and Jason was already a light sleeper. He went into his bathroom, took a quick shower and wrapped a towel around his waist when he was done. He stood in front of the fogged mirror, wiped it clear and commenced in shaving his face. The red-brown stubble was stubborn under the cheap razor but he didn't nick himself once. He studied his hair to see if it needed a trim. He liked to keep his hair close to his scalp and didn't let it grow more than an inch. Jason went back to his room and proceeded to do 100 of each, push-ups, upside down sit ups, and pull-ups. It was his responsibility to keep fit if he wanted to survive in this dangerous career. He dressed himself in his usual brown T-shirt, camo pants, and even pulled on his boots over thick cotton socks. There were monsters right outside his door and he was going to be ready to kill or run if they made it inside his room. He grabbed his gun and laid straight on his back in his cot with his gun at his side and fell asleep. Jason woke at 5 AM out of habit and proceeded to get ready. Sunrise was in an hour an a half and he needed to be on the road leaving the base by then. He grabbed the pack he always kept ready for travel, which contained a gallon of water, 3 MRE's, clean socks, a first aid kit, toothpaste and toothbrush, soap, a big swiss army knife, 2 clips for his handgun and 5 for the M16, a lighter and waterproof matches, a lightweight and compact sleeping bag, rope, a deck of playing cards and a small cooking pot, if he ran out of MRE's. Jason grabbed his camo jacket too and pulled it on, then strapped his weapons on himself and plugged his wire into his ear to keep contact with the base and Sanctuary. Before he left he considered opening the door leading outside. Before he could talk himself out of it, he drew a weapon, unlocked the door, and kicked it open with his M16 ready to destroy anything that moved. There was nothing but a pool of almost dried blood that had dripped off the iron overhang after the bastards had bled his soldiers dry. The silence made the hair stand up on Jason's neck, but he was sure there was nothing that wasn't human on the base. In fact, there didn't seem to be a single creature to stir the morning air. He went back inside and grabbed his pack of cigarettes, tucked them in his pocket and headed downstairs for breakfast. Jason entered the cafeteria and got in line for a tray of bacon, eggs, toast, hashbrowns and coffee. He walked over to the only table of soldiers, approximately 20 whom Jason guessed were the men Barker had chosen for the convoy. Jason sat in an empty seat in the middle and all of the men who had noticed him greeted him heartily As Jason ate he looked over the men. He approved of Barker's picks. All of the men were the best in combat in the base and all had proven to be quick thinking and fast under pressure. Exactly what he needed. Hopefully they would take his orders as quickly. He listened as one man made one end of the table roar with laughter as he described his teenage years and the stupid things he had done out of boredom and idiocy. Tears rolled down one man's face as the narrator stuck in his head the image of a gang of kids torturing 2 cats by tying their tails togther and throwing them over an old powerline to watch the animals rip each other to pieces. Travis smiled but felt his stomach churn at the cruel thought. Everyone at the table was swapping stories about all the things they missed most; women, drinking, the stupid things they did in their childhood, their families, their favorite foods, and funny memories. It was getting late though so Jason stood up with his tray and let all the men know that they needed to leave in an hour. Jason put up his tray and left the cafeteria and walked outside where the convoy was being prepared within the walls of the base. There were 4 forest green Hummers in a row, waiting to be driven off. They were being filled with gas and other liquids and the engines and tires were being checked by mechanics. Jason circled around the trucks, double checking their supplies of fuel and that there would be enough room for all the men. He went to the second truck and decided that this would be his, near the front but not in the line of fire. Jason opened the two back doors and made sure the child lock worked, since Ane would be sitting in here as well. He would sit in the back with her with his two men up front driving and one in the bed in the back to keep a lookout in the rear and sit next to the machine gun. The soldiers were starting to come outside and sat around to clean their guns, check their supplies, and claim their seats. Shortly after, two soldiers pushed Ane outside and she tripped and fell since her hands were cuffed and couldn't break her fall. A soldier caught her and a group of the men jeered. Ane didn't show any emotion as she akwardly stood up. Jason walked over to her and took her from the soldier and led her over to the truck by the arm. Ane kept her head up and stared at the men silently as she passed. Some lost their smirks and looked away from her. Jason opened the door to the truck and put her inside and unlocked her handcuffs. The two soldiers who brought her stood by the truck to make sure she didn't try to escape from the front doors. Jason went around to all of the soldiers and made sure everyone had brought what they needed and even checked some of their equipment and weapons to make sure they were in the proper condition. After he had made his rounds with every soldier, he called everyone to gather around. "In case you weren't suffieciently briefed about this mission, I'm going to clarify it for everyone here. We are safely transporting the prisoner to Sanctuary. The trip should take 2 to 3 days, but I'm hoping to get there as soon as possible. There will be no less than 5 to a truck and we will maintain a speed of 40 miles an hour until we get to the highway, then we will speed it up to 60 or 70, depending on the condition of the road and weather. We will make 1 stop in 3 hours for a bathroom break and a quick meal, then continue until nightfall, where we will stop and make camp off the road. The same will go for tomorrow and we will depart from camp at dawn. 10 men must always keep watch while the others sleep, and we are not going to be loud during these stops. As you all know, once night falls, the danger of an attack will greatly increase, so always be prepared to defend the convoy, even if you are sleeping. Always keep your weapons loaded and within reach no matter what you are doing. As of last night, we were attacked by a new type of Demon that can fly, so keep watch of the skies as well and do not underestimate these flying bastards. Kill them immiediately. Also, if I see anyone behaving in idiotic and dangerous conduct, I will take take swift and serious action to make sure you are sufficiently disciplined and reminded of the seriousness of this mission. Last but not least, no one is allowed to speak to or touch the prisoner unless appropriate for the situation, or else. She is to be delivered unharmed to the General himself, so if any soldier here harms her, you are directly causing failure to this mission. Drivers must keep their radios on at all times so you can be notified of any change in plans. Any questions?" There were none. Jason checked his watch. "Let's head out then." Jason went over to to his truck and opened the back door and climbed inside, making sure to disable the child lock on his side. Ane was staring out the window as the gate opened in front of them. The two soldiers climbed inside the front seats and passed their packs to Jason, who stuffed them behind his and Ane's seat along with his pack. Ane had been given a brown shirt to wear and Jason was glad it did better to conceal her body. It was too big though and Ane had stuffed it in her jeans and cinched the pants below her waist with her belt. Her hair looked like it had been combed through with her fingers and her face and stiches had been cleaned too. Her skin was rapidly healing and she could barely refrain from itching it.. Her Demon blood allowed her to heal twice as fast as humans. The trucks all roared to life and Jason stuck his hand out the window to signal the convoy to head out. They all took off and trundled down the dirt road East. Jason turned to Ane. "Those stitches need to come out." He turned to get his swiss army knife out of his pack and flicked open the scissors. Ane looked a little frightened because his hand was jerking on the bumpy dirt road, but she kept still and he quickly snipped the stiches and pulled out the threads, which came out easily. Ane didn't thank him, but Jason didn't care. He grabbed his deck of playing cards out of his pack and proceeded to play a game of solitaire while he pretended to listen to the digitized voices on the wire in his ear. There was a thick fog veiling the entire valley. Ane couldn't even see the distant mountains through the white screen. The trees they passed were all old and gnarled. Once they had driven through a pass in the mountains, the dead trees became denser. Before all visibility was lost, Ane caught sight of an ancient town reduced to ruins in the distance. The truck hit a bump and Jason dropped some of his cards. Ane watched as he leaned over to pick one up by her foot. His hands were wide and callused and his fingers were long and his nails neatly trimmed short. Ane remembered what it had felt like to feel her hair being yanked in his strong grasp and him throwing her on the bed. She couldn't help it, but in that moment she had felt a strong attraction towards him as he stood over her, his broad shoulders blocking the light and his face looking furious. Demon women liked to be treated a little roughly by their men, but to a certain extent. She was surprised Jason hadn't hit her. If she and Jason had met under different circumstances, Ane wouldn't have paid him any attention, but if she could make Jason fall for her, she could maybe convince him to not take her to this General. Now that she wasn't confined to a cell, she could make this attractive Human fall for her. The soldiers up front were chatting about Sanctuary and the engine roared loudly. If Ane were to do something drastic, they wouldn't notice unless Jason made a scene. Ane looked at Jason's handsome face as he was totally absorbed in his silly card game. She decided she would take the chance and go for it. She leaned over and Jason didn't look up until Ane's face was an inch away from his. She smiled as his sexy green eyes widened in surprise and she caught his mouth in hers and kissed him softly. Jason was still for a moment, then his hand wrapped around her waist and up her back and his other hand wrapped behind her neck and tangled in her hair and brought her whole body even closer. He deepened the kiss and bit her lip and darted his tongue in her mouth. Ane was surprised by his counter attack and felt her insides melt with the heat that spread from her loins outward to the rest of her body. Suddenly, Jason cut off the kiss and pushed her back to her side of the truck. Ane was shocked and out of breath when she realized that she had just been played for a fool. Jason growled under his breath at her with such seething hatred that Ane flinched. "Don't try that again or I'll make you regret it." Descending Ch. 02 Jason glanced at the two soldiers up front, and to his relief they hadn't noticed a thing. He couldn't believe Ane had just done that. She was obviously more experienced than he thought. If he hadn't gotten control of himself, he would've fucked her right then and there, and how could he take her to the General then? This girl was preying on his emotions, and damnit, it would've worked if he was a little more stupid for beautiful women. Jason grimaced. Tell that to the rock in my pants, he thought to himself. He could already feel a serious case of blue balls creeping up. What would he do if she tried that again? Jason tried not to think about it, because his dick was already getting harder at the thought. Ane felt so ashamed of herself. She felt like such a whore, but then she realized she'd deserved it. Had Jason only faked his reaction though? Or had he just barely stopped himself from going any further? By the look of his pants, it was the latter. Ane pushed away her shame. She had to do whatever she had to do to survive. That included giving herself to anyone who would help her. Jason was the only person she knew who might. She was scared to even try to find another soldier who might, and the chances of her getting seriously hurt were too high with anyone else. She could tell Jason wouldn't hurt her. At least not more than she wanted him to. Oh God, she was so turned on right now... Jason's eyes were scrunched as if in pain and Ane realized she had given him pain in his balls. She'd done that before to other men. Although she felt sorry, she knew this was proof she had to try again later. She would wait until they stopped to camp and would make herself so irresistible to him, he would have to fuck her and then maybe he would be more reluctant to sell her into slavery. They spent the rest of the drive in silence. Jason put away his cards and watched the road, a thousand thoughts running through his head. Ane fell asleep with her head against the door, occasionally jolted awake when the truck hit a particularly rough bump. As Jason pondered the outcome of this excursion and if the monsters would return to slaughter them all tonight, Ane began to dream vividly of her own memories buried deep in her subconscious. Ane was a small child again, carried on her father's shoulders down a seemingly never ending stone staircase. She grasped the thick tufts of his jet black hair in her small pale hands and he tickled her bare foot as she laughed quietly in the pitch blackness. Her eyes were too young and untrained to fully adjust to the thick darkness, but her father, a full fleged Demon, had no problem navigating in the bowels of the Earth, completely untouched by the sun's light. Although most children feared the dark, Ane had always welcomed it. She had been born in the dark, and would always return to it, even in death. Today, her father was taking her where few Demons had the chance to visit anymore, although it was the cradle of their civilzation. They had been traveling for 3 hours now, never stopping once. The only things they carried were their clothes, a bag of dried meat, a jug of water, and a stange beaded pouch Ane's father had given her to wear around her neck. He had told her she wasn't allowed to look inside, and that if she disobeyed, he would be able to smell the contents of the pouch if she opened it. Ane knew better than to test him. Suddenly her father stopped on the stairs and asked Ane to give him her hand. He gently pulled her hand to the wall she could faintly see as she got closer. There was a relief carved into the stone of a face. Ane felt the stone and saw that it was just the face of a handsome man, carved so smoothly into the limestone and with such attention to detail, that she could feel the raise of hair on the eyebrows, the gentle slope of the cheekbones, the thin bowshaped lips, and the piercing stare drilling into Ane's soul. The face appeared non-threatening, yet Ane felt a small flutter of fear in her heart as she pictured the eyes staring at her. She drew her hand away from the face and hugged her father's head with her arms under his chin. She felt safer with him, for he was a King. What could possibly hurt her when she was with him? He sensed her fear, but didn't say anything. They continued as if nothing had happened and soon Ane forgot her fears. "Remember everything about this place, for when I am gone, you can visit this place with your own child someday." He told her gently. "What if I forget daddy?" "You could never forget this, even if you think you have. Remember how the entrance is in between two mountains so alike, they are called 'The Sisters' and you can find the rest of the way by yourself." "I don't want to come here by myself." Ane whispered. "Hush. You will never be truly alone. This place may seem threatening, but as my daughter, you will never be physically harmed in this place and neither will anyone who shares your blood." Ane fell silent, her fears calmed a little by his words. "Here we are." Her father descended the last step and Ane sensed that they had entered a very large chamber by the echoing drips of water. To Ane's surprise, her father grabbed her waist and lifted her off his shoulders and set her on her feet. The stone beneath her feet was cold, but it didn't bother Ane although all she wore was a little pink sleeveless dress and the pouch around her neck. "Stand right here." Her father said. He walked a short distance away and hit two stones together and sparked a fire on an ancient torch hanging on the wall. Once the torch began to blaze steadily on its own, he used it to light 3 other torches in the room and suddenly, the room seemed unnaturally bright. Ane gazed in awe. It was a cathedral of stone. There were 20 rows of pews, an altar, and strange gaps carved into the floor. Stalagmites and stalagtites formed towering pillars with intricate carvings wrapped around each one all the way to the ceiling. On the ceiling, there was a gilded dome that spilled the earily warped light from the torches and around this dome were rows of patterns created using mosaics of mirror. Around the mirrored pieces, there were more mosaics depicting scenes of gore and huge frightening monsters eating humans and animals alike while beautiful women watched and cannibalized each other. Above the entire scene, there was that same face Ane had touched on the stairs. The features looked so serene and plain, but the eyes were like pits of hell, opened so wide that the stare followed you around the room. Even if you tried not to look upon the face, the feeling that you were being watched by something older than time and more evil than evil itself couldn't escape your heart. As Ane stared back into the staring face that choked her with fear, she knew that she would never forget that face for as long as she lived.