Chapter Eleven
The third degree blister at the back of Peter's neck was driving him crazy. In fact, it was so bad, it was hard to tell which was worse, the pain in his neck or the pain of his shoulder. Yet, he knew if they didn't defeat the demons, the burning mark on his neck would be the thing to eventually lead to his death.
He consciously moved his hand from his neck to toy with the smooth wooden stock of the shotgun he was holding just to keep his hand occupied. The quartet had followed Mitch into the basement without a word, but Peter saw the fear evident on everyone's faces, whether they wanted to acknowledge it or not.
Mitch came to a stop in the center of the basement. The room was still a mess from when the thieves had torn it apart over the weekend looking for the multimillion-dollar booty from a botched bank robbery – a booty that had led to the deaths of the Gables' previous occupants.
Mitch just stood there, staring off into the distance, seeing something the rest of them could not.
TJ pointed to his eyes, then his fingers gestured in a sweeping motion around the room. Peter nodded with understanding, then turned sarcastic. Keep your eyes open, Peter told himself, Like we need to be told to do that.
He sighed with frustration, unable to keep his fingers from flexing his grip of the shotgun, then saw Jody and Kermit were doing the same thing with their handguns.
TJ bent forward and unzipped his duffle bag. He pulled out a small flask of holy water and Peter knew he was about to begin some type of exorcism on Mitch.
Apparently, the demons knew it, too, because they began their attack. The walls rumbled so violently anything touching them vibrated also. A noxious odor wafted from the air vents, as if cued on a choreographed play list of horrors, but it was the shrill assortment of screams echoing within the confined quarters that grated on Peter's nerves the most.
Blinding lights flashed around the room, stunning and disorienting them. When loose objects started flying off the walls, Kermit ducked, then he pulled TJ out of the way of a flying shovel. Kermit's voice had an ominous tone as he said, "Let's just grab her and do the Linda Blair thing somewhere else. I don't like the way things are progressing."
TJ looked around the room and nodded in agreement. He scooped Mitch up in his arms and the group started running for the exit, only to stop short when the escape route became the entrance to a fiery scene from hell. Ghostly apparitions streamed into the room at a frightening pace.
The horrific scene paralyzed Peter with fear, for it was far worse than anything he'd ever seen in a movie or book, or even his worst nightmare. Judging from the terrified expressions on the others they were thinking the same thing.
"Shit," Peter cursed as he looked around for another escape route.
It was going to take a miracle to get them out alive. Unfortunately, he was fresh out of them. He'd been using them all weekend long like he had an endless supply. Now, it looked like it was going to be the final comment of his epitaph. He could almost hear Nicky Elder dictating as he performed his autopsy. "Peter Caine: male, age twenty-nine. Cause of Death: out of miracles."
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"We have to make our stand, right here and now," TJ said, setting Mitch back on her feet, but he kept a tight hold on her. "Kermit, watch her for a sec while I prepare."
Kermit slipped his gun into its holster, then put an arm around her. Mitch had always been a strange child, but one that had wormed her way into his heart. A unique blend of laughter and pathos, intelligence and silliness. Maybe that's why he had always identified with her. He had lived that type of personality blend for many years.
Marilyn liked to say Mitch had an old spirit with wisdom beyond her years, but her demeanor now was nothing of the niece he'd known. Her eyes were empty and devoid of her quirky, loving personality.
Kermit's thoughts went to Marilyn, who was waiting outside for them, and how Mitch's current state would had unnerved her. Hell, it was unnerving him.
As the others prepared a defense, Kermit brushed a stray lock of her hair back behind one ear. She turned to him, looked him straight in the eye, and screamed an unholy wail without warning. She lashed out with one hand, and the impact threw Kermit into a nearby wall, hard.
The demon started speaking through her, its unnatural voice high and wailing. "Weeee havvvve the girrrrl. Noooow, it issss timmme toooooo claimmmm ourrrrr sssssecond prizzzzze. Butttt yoooou havvve angerrrred usssss. Weeee willlll notttt sstop untillll weeeee havvvve yooou alllllllllll."
Kermit groaned in pain, but it was Jody's wide-eyed gaze of disbelief that shook him from his stupor. Everything about her screamed it was time to act or die. He glanced over at TJ and Peter and saw the two involved in a rapid exchange.
TJ began to sprinkle Mitch with holy water while reciting one of the holy rites he'd memorized. "'In the Name of Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, strengthened by the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of Blessed Michael the Archangel, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and all the Saints, we confidently undertake to repulse the attacks and deceits of the devil.
"'God arises; His enemies are scattered and those who hate Him flee before Him. As smoke is driven away, so are they driven; as wax melts before the fire, so the wicked perish at the presence of God. Behold the Cross of the Lord, Flee bands of enemies. He has conquered the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the offspring of David. May thy mercy, Lord, descend upon us. As great as our hope in Thee.
"'We drive you from us, whoever you may be, unclean spirits, all satanic powers, all infernal invaders, all wicked legions, assemblies and sects; in the Name and by the power of Our Lord Jesus Christ, may you be snatched away and driven from the Church of God and from the souls made to the image and likeness of God and redeemed by the Precious Blood of the Divine Lamb.'"
As TJ recited the words, Jody helped Kermit to his feet. When he sagged from a wave of dizziness, she held on to him more tightly and whispered, "What are we going to do if TJ's thing doesn't work?"
Kermit shook his head to clear the darkness shimmering at the edge of his vision. "I wish I knew what to do," he said in a hoarse whisper as he hugged his broken arm to his chest.
The stench coming from the portal had him reeling from its noxious nature. He covered his nose and mouth with his hand, and then remembered the heavy objects filling his coat pockets and he smiled an evil smile. "Then again, maybe I do."
Jody looked at him with a question lingering on her lips. Kermit glanced back at TJ with Peter at his side, then at Mitch who was cowering in reaction to the holy words TJ was reciting. Her skin was an ungodly pale color and she was foaming at the mouth as she shuddered and writhed in pain.
Kermit closed his eyes against the sight, then opened them again to catch Peter's gaze from across the room. The young detective was still holding the shotgun in his arms, ready to shoot at any moment, but he too looked helpless to do anything but be a witness to the unfolding nightmare.
Kermit wiped at the new cut bleeding at his temple, and then glanced back to horrifying scene where the ghostly demons had halted at the entrance. Their angry stream of screams demanding TJ to stop was so deafening that Kermit could barely hear TJ speaking, let alone understand the words, but that didn't stop Kincaid from continuing.
His voice was growing hoarse from the exertion and emotion of the task, but he kept on speaking. "'Be gone, Satan, inventor and master of all deceit, enemy of man's salvation. Give place to Christ in whom you have found none of your works; give place to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church acquired by Christ at the price of His Blood.
"'Stoop beneath the all-powerful Hand of God; tremble and flee when we invoke the Holy and terrible name of Jesus, this Name which causes hell to tremble; this Name to which the Virtues, Powers and Dominations of Heaven are humbly submissive, this Names which the Cherubim and Seraphim praise unceasingly repeating: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord, the God of Armies.'"
Kermit noticed a shift in the gathering demons, as if they were merely waiting for the holy words to end, so they could attack in full force. Kermit fingered one of the oblong sticks in his pocket, wondering how much power remained in the old dynamite.
Probably won't even ignite, he told himself.
TJ was continuing with the centuries old prayer. "'O Lord, hear my prayer. And let my cry come unto Thee. May the Lord be with thee. And with thy spirit.
"From the snares of the devil, deliver us, O Lord. That Thy Church may serve Thee in peace and liberty, we beseech Thee to hear us. That Thou may crush down all enemies of Thy Church, we beseech Thee to hear us.'"
Kermit didn't have any more time for wondering about the potency of the dynamite because with the end of TJ's prayer, Mitch slumped to the floor and the demons attacked.
Peter reacted and fired off the first salvo, a mighty blast from both barrels of the shotgun and the spread of buckshot hit the first four demons crossing over the divide. They exploded in a fiery blast.
"That's what you get for hitchhiking without permission, you bastards!" Peter yelled, but didn't have time for celebration, as more emerged behind them.
Jody stepped forward, joining Peter and TJ in the shooting match, as they tried to keep the horde of demons on the other side.
Kermit stood in place, thinking individual bullets were a waste of time. When the bullets were all gone, they were sunk.
One of the vaporous demons separated from the others to hover in front of him and started singing, "I can't get no satisfaction..."
"That does it," Kermit muttered, as he pulled his Desert Eagle and blasted the demon back to hell. He wiped at his forehead with his gun hand, and then stared at the weapon. Oh yeah, it's definitely time for action, but not by blasting one demon at a time.
Kermit reached into the pocket of his trench coat and pulled out two small sticks of dynamite, already primed with a fuse. He fumbled with it for a moment, trying to reach his lighter. Jody must have noticed his difficulty because she pulled the lighter from Peter's denim jacket she was wearing.
When Kermit looked at her in surprise, she explained, "Peter must have left it in his pocket for some reason," she said as she brought the flame to life. "Are you sure you sure you want to do this?"
Kermit nodded. "Oh yeah. It's our only chance. If we blow this wall, it should give us access to the staircase. And that will give us some fighting room."
Without another word, Jody put the flame to both fuses. Kermit tossed one stick of dynamite into the area he hoped would do the most good, and then turned towards Peter, TJ, and Mitch.
"Fire in the hole," he shouted. "Get some cover, because this is going to do damage!"
Peter grabbed Mitch and TJ scooped up his duffle bag. Together, they ducked behind several large boxes.
Kermit threw the second stick into the fiery scene of hell. "Go back where you belong!" he shouted, and then Jody grabbed him and pulled him behind some heavy furniture.
A mighty blast erupted from both locations, but the one from hell overshadowed everything else. The concussive force threw the furniture and the people against the wall, trapping them in place.
As Kermit lost his hold on consciousness, he thought of Mitch. Hopefully, Peter was still looking out for her.
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