CHAPTER III: DEVILTOWN
The other troopers were using the long flight to catch up on some much-needed sleep, yet Hicks was awake, looking through the tactical report once more. They were heading towards unfamiliar terrain somewhere in the southeastern region of the Balkans. Reinforcements were quite unlikely – the only other Phobos detachment in this hemisphere was far to the north, in the Kola Peninsula – investigating demonic activity near Kirovsk. The nearest CnC team had just finished their mission in Sarajevo and were about to move towards Trieste to handle recent demonic sightings. If things went bad, help could not arrive within 24 hours.
The target area was some mining town called Pernik. The infested zone appeared to be a complex of abandoned industrial buildings – just the kind of hideout that the demons liked. Most of the locals had fled, yet some remained, fighting to contain the Hellish threat on their own. These people had a reputation for being very tough and they had done an impressive job holding the invaders back. But now something far stronger and more sinister had made its presence known in town. It was time for the boys with the big guns to move in.
Preliminary readings were hazy, yet they seemed consistent with powerful demonic artifacts. Priority one was to secure this object. And if that turned out to be impossible – destroy it and collect any remaining pieces for further study. And, of course, the sweetest part of the assignment – exterminate any encountered demonic life forms. With extreme prejudice. "My kind of party," thought Hicks.
A subtle sensation in his sternum was the only indication that the dropship was starting its descent. He looked out through the viewport but saw only the night sky and heavy clouds shrouding the pale moon. One could hardly see a thing, yet the marine was aware that the pilots did not need eyes to see. The ship had already been locked onto the beacon that had placed on the ground by the scouting team. A red light turned on and a metallic voice awakened the other troopers. "Phobos team Theta-2, five minutes to target area. Gear up!"
10 minutes later
They had barely unloaded the last of their equipment when the dropship sealed all hatches and took off abruptly. Safety protocols took priority – the risk of demonic stowaways was not to be underestimated. Hicks took a brief look at the team – apart from Jones and Ryan that he already knew from boot camp, there were six more Phobos troopers that appeared to be more experienced. Their combat armor already bore the scars of demonic encounters, whereas the three new recruits' suits were still pretty clean, which made them feel a little awkward.
The squad leader, designated by a black triangular symbol on his helmet, made a gesture for the others to gather around him. It was time for a quick briefing.
"Alright, men, listen up, especially you – rookies. All our intel comes from the locals – they know the area perfectly. Individual demonic encounters have been detected through the entire town and the surrounding hills, yet the highest concentration is near the old foundry. Sightings have become considerably more common over the last two weeks, so we have to assume the situation has changed – we may have a nasty visitor on our hands. We'll do it the classic way – break up into three smaller teams and sanitize the perimeter. We will breach the supposed artifact zone together. All clear?"
A silent nod was the confirmation. The guns were loaded, the helmets secured and the maps memorized – it was time to kick butt!
Two of the rookies, Hicks and Ryan, were teamed up with the squad leader, Captain Brendemann. He had surprisingly long hair for a soldier, yet he could easily hide it under his helmet. There were rumors that he used to be the singer for a death metal band before he volunteered to join the Space marines. How he made it into the Phobos trooper program was a topic of many debates among the new recruits. The older troopers just smiled knowingly and said nothing.
Lieutenant Hicks felt uneasy – this was different from the environments he was used to. There were signs here and there, yet he could read them, as they were in an unfamiliar language with Cyrillic letters. Luckily, this problem could be easily solved – the new helmets had a built in translation software that worked most of the time. The eggheads back at base even claimed it could interpret demonic speech, yet they had not had any real chance to test it thus far. He turned the translation module on and the signs started to make sense. Apparently, they were somewhere near the factory's coal warehouses. Just as they had planned.
"Over here," whispered the Captain, "We'll pass through this residential building. I don't like that big courtyard. We'll be exposed too much." Then he gestured towards a decrepit apartment building nearby. The local "resistance fighters" had knocked down a few walls during the initial demonic invasion and used it as a concealed passage. Supposedly, it was still safe to use.
The three men approached the building entrance. It all seemed perfectly quiet – the air was stale and very warm. It reminded Hicks of the simulator back at the base, except that it usually featured Hellish environments instead of hallways with broken mailboxes along the sides. They climbed the stairs slowly, careful not to make any noises. The passage they were looking for was on the second floor, accessible from the middle apartment. His hands were sweating, just as they did before. It was an unpleasant sensation, yet he could not let this distract him. A few more meters – there was the door. He really hoped it would not creak. It opened quietly; good. Beyond it was a gloomy apartment, and to the right he was the passage itself – a series of walls had been knocked down in a straight line, creating a shortcut to the opposite side of the building. They just had to pass through about ten or so rooms.
They walked even slower now, trying not to step on a piece of crumbled masonry or broken furniture. Any of these could make undesirable noise. The silence was really starting to irritate Hicks now because it made him feel like he was walking into an ambush. He wasn't so sure anymore if this old building was the preferable route, compared to the open courtyard. He felt boxed in between the Captain and Lieutenant Ryan. The first half of the passage was behind them, there was just a little more.
And then he heard it – a gurgling. A very specific gurgling that could not be mistaken. He quickly raised his shotgun and yelled "IMPS!" The Captain reacted instantly and took cover behind a broken wardrobe, while the younger recruit hesitated for a second, yet managed to take a position behind the remains of a couch. Hicks's thoughts were rushing as he feverishly tried to remember what he knew about imps. Humanoid in appearance, yet stronger and more resilient. Sharp claws – lethal from close range. Also, the ability to form and throw fire projectiles – their mechanism was not yet fully understood. So, as long as he kept his distance and dodged the fireballs, he would survive this, wouldn't he?
They were coming from several directions. Hicks aimed for their glowing eyes and took the first one out with an accurate headshot. The second one was shot by Ryan, yet his aim seemed a little shaky. "Don't panic now, kid," Hicks thought. In the meantime, Brendemann had already taken care of three others – he was shooting quickly and confidently, while also dodging a fireball. He was laughing and shouting at the demons:
"Come over here, freaks! Daddy's got enough hot lead for all of you!"
The he turned towards the young recruits and gave them a gesture to keep advancing towards the end of the passage. An imp's claws nearly got hold of Ryan's leg, yet Hicks noticed this in time and blew the demon's arm off. A second later, the creature's brain was splattered all over the faded wallpaper.
"Go, go! Move!" – The Captain's voice rose above the din of the battle. He pointed his shotgun backwards and shot without even looking. None of his shots missed. The three men ran down the stairs and finally emerged out of the building. The few surviving imps retreated and did not pursue. All of a sudden, everything was just as quiet as it had been before the ambush. Hicks was trying to catch his breath and struggled to realize what had just happened. He was no stranger to dynamic battlefield conditions but this was quite eerie. He didn't want to think what could happen next.
Captain Brendemann did not seem at all shaken by the recent events. He cleaned the dust off his uniform and gave the two rookies a hearty pat on their backs. "You did well, boys," he said. "I can see you have what it takes to become Phobos troopers. You just need a little polishing – a few more fights like this one and you'll be just perfect."
The perilous trip through the old building had not been in vain – they were much closer to the factory now. There were just a few fences and an old railroad between them and the warehouses now. The Captain made a beckoning gesture and the marines started moving – as quietly as possible. They were not going to make it any easier for the demons to detect their presence again.
They slipped by several abandoned cars that were rusting by the concrete wall surrounding the warehouses. A minute later they were on the other side of the wall, surveying the area with wary eyes. It seemed safe, yet this only made them feel more nervous. "Hicks, take point," the Captain whispered. "And take this little friend with you," he added, pulling something shiny from his backpack. The Lieutenant grabbed the plasma gun and stared at it with veneration. He had dreamed about having one of these ever since he had joined the SMC. It was fully loaded and ready to fry demons!
A ruined truck was the only solid object nearby, so he naturally took cover behind it. Hicks slowly peeked around it and activated the zooming function of his helmet. The warehouses seemed deserted. There were no footprints in the dust or any other signs of life. Under any other circumstances, Hicks would have thought the coast was clear, yet that building had also seemed safe, right until the imps swarmed upon them. They were supposed to be close the infestation's heart, so things simply could not be so quiet.
The confirmation came mere seconds later – in the form of a series of shotgun blasts. The truck's thick metal plates shielded Hicks from the pellets. He felt the comforting hum of the fully loaded plasma gun in his hands. He already knew what he was up against, even before seeing their bald heads and glowing red eyes – Former human sergeants. Advanced form of zombified human. More aggressive and relentless, with better accuracy and coordination than ordinary formers. Preferred weapon – shotgun. And they were quite proficient with it.
Captain Brendemann and Lieutenant Ryan were already returning fire. A sadistic smile crept onto Hicks's face. "Leave that to me." He jumped up and fired a few quick salvos of burning hot death. Some of the formers tried to take cover, yet the plasma easily tore through the warehouse walls and tore them apart. The disgusting smell of roasted undead flesh filled the air. The last of the formers had clustered together, which was their last mistake. One final salvo of plasma took them out for good.
Now that the coast was really clear, the two other marines joined Hicks by the remains of the truck and tried to assess the situation.
"Two ambushes, and both of them seemed planned pretty well," Captain Brendemann began, "A greater demon is controlling these minions. And it must be somewhere very close by."
"What kind of demon?" Ryan asked.
"Well, if we're lucky, it will be something easier to kill, a Hell Knight, perhaps," the Captain answered, "And if we're not so lucky, it could be something worse – like an Arch Vile or even a Cyberdemon."
There was no need to say anything else. The two young recruits were quite familiar with the sight of the colossi with the metal legs. They were aware how much destruction even one of these monsters could cause.
The Captain tried to contact the other teams and recall them to their current position. He listened to their status reports for a few seconds and then frowned. "The other teams have been pinned down by squads of Former Commandos – more ambushes. We could either wait for them to break through them, or we can try to take out the big bad guy on our own. This will surely disrupt the demons' attacks, but it will be very risk. Are you up to the task, rookies?"
They did not need to be asked again. "Sir, yes, sir!"
They slowly crept under the thick shadows of the warehouse. They quickly gathered some extra shotgun shells from the scattered bodies of the Former humans. The place seemed unusually quiet and Hicks suspected that whoever controlled the demonic forces had spread them too thin, attempting to hunt down and eliminate all Phobos teams. However, this unseen fiend had not taken into consideration how tough these troopers really were. It had not anticipated that they would survive the ambushes and make their way into its lair. Now all the three men had to do was find the demonic commander and take care of it... yet, there was a little complication.
The building was large and split into three large sections. They did not have time to search through all three. The Captain said what was on everyone's minds:
"We need to split up. It's risky, but hey – this is what this job is all about. Advance slowly and keep your eyes open. The first of us to spot the demonic S.O.B. must immediately give the rest a silent signal via the commlink. And when this happens, just stay put and wait for the others to arrive. Then we take it out together. Understood?"
Hicks and Ryan nodded silently. And so, they split up – Hicks took the right corridor. He was quite tense, yet focused like never before. This was no simulation. This was the moment his training was put to the test. His helmet's night vision mode had difficulty adapting to the gloom within the huge room he had found himself in. The black piles of coal around him did not really help as they seemed to absorb all light. Using a flashlight was out of the question – it would give away his position immediately. Demon eyes were more sensitive than their human counterparts.
Hicks froze in place – he heard something up ahead. It sounded almost like two conversing voices. Maybe it was the other two troopers? The disturbing thing, though, was that these voices did not quite sound human. The marine felt a shiver run down his spine – could he be the "lucky" one to find the demon? He gripped his gun even tighter and slowly made his way in the direction of the voices. He would not give the signal until he was sure.
A red glow was emanating from behind a stack of old wooden crates. Hicks slowly peeked behind the corner and was stunned by the sight that was revealed before his eyes. Ahead he saw a strange construction of human bones with a glowing red sphere on top. Behind this strange object was a large creature, though he could not yet discern its features. And within the orb itself was an image... something like a horned demonic head that was turned towards the other creature and seemed to talk to it. Just then Hicks heard a quiet "beep" in his helmet and the voices of the demons started to make sense. The experimental demonic speech translator – it was working! And now the creature behind the artifact was talking to the demon in the sphere:
"Lord Gatekeeper, we have scoured this place and found no trace of the object you seek. It must be somewhere else."
Hicks barely found the willpower to press the small button and give the other marines the signal. He was too amazed by the fact that he could actually eavesdrop on a conversation between demons. At this point the creature from the red sphere responded – a voice as cold as ice and as harsh as a jagged steel blade:
"I sense that it is close, so very close. I see a human town nestled in the foothills of a mountain, though it is not this one. Move your forces east and await further orders once you reach..." The demon in the orb suddenly stopped and remained silent for a few seconds. Then it slowly turned around and its baleful eyes were now looking straight at Hicks. "We are not alone."
The other demon uttered an angry howl and stepped forward. Hicks could see it clearly now – large and muscular, minotaur-like, horns, cloven hoofs, and bright crimson skin. A Baron of Hell - very strong physically, practically capable of tearing a human body apart with its bare hands. Also capable of manifesting and throwing powerful plasma projectiles that easily burned even through the thickest marine armor. An encounter with such a creature was often deadly.
The evil face in the red orb was examining Hicks carefully through its glowing eyes. The creature seemed peculiarly interested in him. But the marine had a more pressing matter at hand right now – the Baron was approaching him slowly, apparently savoring the horror of his prey. "Move! Come on, just move," thought Hicks, yet his legs seemed to be stuck to the floor.
The Baron was towering above him now. The marine could see the eerie green flames in its eyes. Then his eyes moved to the cawed hands. The same green light was already dancing around the fingers. Hicks tried to raise the plasma gun, yet his hands felt cold and lifeless. He closed his eyes.
Just as he expected to be cut down by the enraged demon, he heard a powerful blast. In a haze, he saw the Baron staggering backwards, green blood oozing from its chest, and Captain Brendemann emerging from behind the crates, with a smoking double-barreled sawed-off shotgun in his hands. Ryan was right behind him, spraying bullets from his chaingun. The sight of his comrades pulled Hicks out of his stupor – the plasma gun was humming gently in his hands; now he squeezed the trigger and unleashed a stream of searing plasma towards the fresh wound in the demon's thorax. The creature was thrown back and fell on the floor. The upper half of its body was nearly melted, yet it still lived, its eyes glowing with hate. The Captain approached it, spat into its face, and then finished it off with his sawed-off.
The demonic face in the red sphere was still staring at Hicks. It had a very strange expression, just as if it was... smiling.
"A most interesting specimen. I can understand why They are so interested in you..."
A moment later the red glow faded away and the orb became black. Then the three men saw tiny cracks appearing all over its surface, which started to spread all over the structure of bones as well. Before they could react, the whole artifact crumbled into dust.
"Oh great, just great," Captain Brendemann sighed, "The artifact is gone, but at least we took out the big ugly guy. The other teams have already reported that the demonic forces holding them pinned down are in full retreat. At least this part of the mission is complete. Ryan, be а good boy and collect this dust. Perhaps the eggheads will be able to glean something from it."
The Captain then turned to Hicks – "What was this thing? Did you get a chance to observe it while it was still working?"
"Ummm, well, I think it was some kind of communications device," Hicks said hesitantly, "The Baron was talking to someone through that orb. I think he referred to is as a Gatekeeper, though I haven't heard of such a demon species before."
"We'll get to the bottom of this," said the Captain, "And you did a great job. You had almost wasted that freak. I hope you don't mind my jumping in and helping you."
The Captain winked and walked away. Hicks just stood still and said nothing. The Captain had not noticed his stupor. He did not realize what had actually happened.
30 minutes later
Back on the transport ship, the entire squad was in high spirits, though Hicks was still somewhat brooding, sitting silent in his seat and trying to figure out just what had transpired. Freezing in place before the enemy was bad enough, but being addressed by a powerful demon was something no one could have prepared him for.
"You all did an excellent job today, marines," the Captain was still congratulating everyone, "And the rookies performed superbly as well – especially you, Hicks."
Everybody thought he was the hero of the day. Yet, deep within, Hicks knew things were not always what they seemed.
