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."