Chapter 16

Josette felt the tightness of the bonds that now held her supine and on her back upon the sacrificial alter. Her sensor jumpsuit had been removed and she lay in the fine wispy material of a white gown that did little to cover her body. Her hair had been curled and lay fanned out around her head and she looked up at the ceiling of the room that now held her bound and ready for a blood offering.

Baal entered the chamber and smiled. Baal stopped and took a deep breath and inhaled with a self-satisfied feeling of victory moving to the alter and looked down upon the woman he had come to hate.

"So, my dear how does this day find you? Oh wait, you look a bit distressed, would you like me to loosen those bonds for you?"

Josette never let her gaze drift from his face she studied the hateful smile on the face of a man she had come to hate. "I really don't think it would do me any good to ask you to do untie me and make me more comfortable."

Baal sighed dramatically and leaned over putting his face right next to her face and he smiled. "You really are a clever girl. So how do you like my new room? I had it designed specifically with you in mind."

He moved about the room waving his arms expansively pointing out the various features of torture. "Now here we have the gallery so that all my minions may watch you die, and here I have the phylactery that I I intend to house your heart and your soul just so I can torment you for the rest of time."

Moving about flamboyantly he smiled. "You will not I fear enjoy your eternity here with me and my other faithful followers but I shall endeavor to make sure you are as miserable as you have made me."

Josette closed her eyes and would have looked away but her neck was bound to the table that prevented much movement and the only way she could get away from the hateful features of the twisted dark lord was to close her eyes.

"Open your eyes and look at me Josette, or so help me I shall order Rathor to cut your eyelids off." Swallowing hard she opened her eyes and looked past him. "Now, very good, I see you take instruction well my dear so that will be very beneficial for me to see that you are kept uncomfortable and near madness for the rest of time."

Josette gritted her teeth and glared past Baal. "You know once Camron finds that I am here he is not going to be very happy with you."

Baal turned as if in mock fear and she watched his body begin to shake and she wondered if the reality of his situation had finally come to his thick head. Then he began to gasp and gulp she realized that he was hysterical with laughter that he had tried to hold back.

This truly gave her pause for if he had gone so mad to not fear Camron she knew she very well might be in trouble. "Rathor," He cleared his throat and his laughter was still being held somewhat as he turned back to look at her.

"Bring my bother in please."

Josette was now very much afraid, if he had Camron and Camron was under his control then this was her time and she would be doomed. Glancing to the deepening shadows of the far corner of the room she watched the shadows move and form and stepping into view was Camron, now dressed in a black robe with a hood, which was pushed back enough that she could see his features.

She looked upon the face of the man that she had chosen to give herself to had offered her heart and love and now the visage of that man was gone and in his place stood a man with cold dark eyes that shifted to a glowing red intensity to shift back to the blackness of his pupils.

"What have you done to him!" Josette looked over to Baal with anger and fear edging her eyes.

Baal was struck by another fit of gleeful laughter he watched and could smell her fear so intense that it was very palatable to his taste. "Oh now you tease me my dear, you tempt me with your wide innocent eyes and your soft heart and show me that my brother took his whore to bed and she now hopes to save him from a fate worse than your death?"

Baal moved to his brothers side and handed him a sharp blade. "Go say your last goodbyes to your charming whore Camron, then prepare her for the death you will deliver to her when you cut her heart out and give it over to me."

Camron acting to what she surmised was a command only he could hear and understand took the razor sharp blade in his hand and moved to the lovely young thing that lay on the sacrificial table. He impassively looked down upon the figure before him and then took the blade in his hand and pressed it to her throat.

Gasping in pain, Josette felt the prick of tears as the sharp blade found her tender nerves and she could feel the blood beginning to flow from the minor wound he had made with his cut.

Looking to the blood on the blade in open fascination he smiled and brought the blades bloody tip to his lips and kissed the blade then licked the blood from the tip and looked down upon her as if she did not exist as anything other than the method to get back into his brother's good graces.

With fingertips that bore with pressure to her breastbone he moved his fingertip down her chest to press to where he could feel her heart beating beneath his fingertips. "There is where I shall make my first cut, then here and I will reach in and pull forth your beating heart so you may see if before you pass over and your soul is trapped there." He nodded to the phylactery and Josette felt her cheeks grow wet with her tears and that heart he threatened to take was no more alive for him than her life would be in this reality.

Once more she felt the need to close her eyes and not see the man she had thought she loved, who had protected her many times over from the darkness that now seemed to stick so cloyingly close to them that it was starting to suffocate her. "You know brother she gave me her virginity before we came here."

Now her humiliation was complete. He had kiss and told and that was heart breaking listening Baal laughed and moved to pat his brother on the back. "Very good this makes my revenge so much more sweeter. You see Josette blood is thicker than love or water, I have my brother back and now as a bonus I have you to keep and torment from now until the end of time."

Baal looked at the tear soaked face of the woman and frowned, "Do not waste your tears my dear the time for that is coming sooner than even you realize. Once I have gained your sister and brother and your mother here, then I shall see my world complete and ready to rule the upside of this world"

He continued to grow closer to her face with each word he spoke. "The hell mouths over the world will spew forth all the darkness and hate and demons that the upper world would have ever imagine and there is now nothing that your pathetic group can do to contain our onslaught."

He was lying over her body while Caan stood impassively letting his brother have his moment. "Once the cascade failure erupts and the worlds implodes and we are all reborn into the new darkness that will rule this earth; then I will know my true power and my dominion over those up worlders."

With fingers that were abnormally gentle he brushed her tears from her face that was now drying on her cheek and making them feel tight. "Now you rest my dear. I am sure you are anxious for some alone time with your beloved Camron but he has work to do above world. Now Camron be a good lad, kiss your beloved bye for now and go fetch me the vixen's sister and brother."

Logan hugged the wall of the cave and frowned, he knew there was an issue but was not sure how he was going to handle this new situation he watched what just transpired with the shape shifter that just took Josette. Feeling that the world was beginning to go off kilter he frowned deeper and folded time to head back to Headquarters.

Appearing in operations dressing room he hit the door at a dead run and moved towards the command room. Logan began to send out the red alert on a level three, the highest alert that the agency had ever perceived could be a major threat.

Level one dark power breach was nothing compared to what he just witnessed and suspected was about to happen. The whole world was about to come cascading down on them and there was really nothing they could do, alone. He would need Jeanette, JB and the other teams to fix what was about to happen. If Camron had gone to the darker side of his nature than they were screwed.

Feeling a panic of hopelessness he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. This would take a construct of the entire SHADOWS Operations group to right what was about to happen and he need to think clearly. He needed his team and he needed them whole and ready to die if need be.

Pacing back and forth he watched the command panel start to light up with acknowledgements from the other teams from around the world and they all began to appear on the multiphasic screens that lined the room in a 360 degree angle, many of those faces that now appeared with the look of fear, confusion and concern were known or not known to him but he knew that they were the elite of the elite and that they would be there to help no matter what.

Taking a deep breath a glimmer of hope began to form with the plan he was now designing. The room became a buzz with the chatter of various accents and languages from the team members he waited he knew now was the time and it was time to chew bubble gum and kick ass and he knew he had nothing but juicy fruit in his pocket so that meant it was ass kicking time.

Aden entered the room followed by three other men that Logan did not readily recognize. Aden nodded to Logan and then turned to the newest arrival that had entered the room and Logan knew him immediately, "Mr. Secretary, this way please."

Logan watched Aden lead the Secretary of State into the room and to a desk that centered the command center. Randy Bremerton had been the unfortunate operation tech that had answered the call and he now took up his position at the complicated control panel of buttons and now flashing red lights.

Moving his fingers with adeptness for which he had trained. He began to get the view screens under control as more view screens came on line. Those view screens held faces that had been world-renowned by their status as dignitaries or men and women of great power in other countries.

The secretary of state stood from the desk and faced the panel and awaited permission to speak. "Ladies and Gentlemen I believe you know we are at the hour of our greatest need. The world is coming under attack and we feel that the opening of all hell mouths are about to spew forth one of the most foulest evil demons that were ever designed in the nine hells."

He took a deep breath and continued to relay what he had been briefed was about to happen. "We here have been compromised and I fear that others in your departments may easily have been infiltrated. We are announcing a level three red alert and putting all on notice that we are about to face the biggest battle of our entire lives. I would request you cancel all further vacations and call your people in to the nearest safe house and brief them and have them prepare to do battle."

He paused he heard the Russian Ambassador speak in rapid Russian and waited while the screen translator started translating his words into English. "Vat iz siz doomsday you are trying to frighten us of?"

The secretary looked to Logan who stepped forward. "The Dark Lord of the ninth hell Baal has compromised our master arch mage and now holds one of our top time folders captive. It is believed that Baal is drawing on all forces to breach the hell gates. I don't know about you Mr. Ambassador but I ain't going to wait around while some devil hound uses my bones to chew on."

Logan knew his words had been translated for the ambassador and he waited there seemed to be a flurry of activity across the board and soft whispers were made and then the ambassador turned to look at the Secretary of State. Apparently his words had caused a flurry of anxiety among his staff and they were in a deep hotly contested debate on their next course of action.

The translator unit was picking up some words and allowing them to filter into the room which an occasional,

"preposterous"

"Do not trust,"

"Then we will all die if we do not help." Were the last words that came across the room's audio. Of course with these words now being transmitted world wide the others on the screen were moved by various emotions over the hysterics of the Russian Ambassador.

Logan could hear an occasional chuckle to a snort to another translated word with some degree of disgust, "Politicians." This brought a tense smile to Logan's lips while he patiently waited.

Looking over to Aden, Logan folded his arms over his chest when Randy signaled him that his attention was needed to a section he had now isolated and transferred those images into a single group.

Handing Logan an earpiece he nodded. "Go ahead."

The very attractive young lady that seemed to have been designated as the speaker for this group smiled at Logan. "Logan it has been a while."

Logan knew her and was touched she had remembered him. Her voice with its almost lyrically sweet Scottish tones filtered over his earpiece. "We are a go for your next move my dear Logan just give the word and we will breach our hell mouths as you would expect."

Logan smiled and nodded, "Thank you Shabaugh, we will be planning our operational moves over the next two hours and will be prepared to move at that time, I will scramble our operational moves so that we can coordinate them together so we assault the hell mouth at the same time."

He watched the dancing blue eyes of the girl in front of him and could tell she was excited for the action they were about to be involved. Taking her fingers to her lips she kissed them and pressed them to the camera so he could see she was sending him a kiss.

He in kind returned the gesture and smiled. "Keep yourself alive please and see you on the other side."

She winked and smiled. "Today is a good day to die me love." She blinked off the camera along with her sector and once again another section was isolated and Logan found himself receiving the plan of actions as well as advising what their plan of action would be.

Aden turned when Radu and Jeanette entered the room and moved to stand next to Logan. The secretary of state was immediately aught by the exotically dressed sexy looking female that just entered and nodded to her. Aden leaned over and taped the folder on the desk.

"Page sixty-six full bio."

He got a nod from the secretary and smiled then they were once again caught up consulting the other dignitaries that were coming on line. The room became less chaotic, Jeanette sighed and looked around. "Anyone seen JB?"

The door slid open and the handsome young man entered the room. "Yeah, I am here." JB moved to his sister's side and smiled and winked. "So, what is the hub bub bud?"

He laughed at his own joke, which elicited a strange look from his sister. "JB?"

He winked and put his arm around his sister's shoulder. "Yah?" She had not seen him act this way. Radu studied the young man and moved towards them both.

"Nettie, may I speak to you a moment?" Jeanette began to pull away from her brother she felt his hold tighten around her.

"JB, you are hurting me."

Radu did not hesitate he dove towards JB and shouted to Logan, "Breach!"

Radu reached and found Jeanette's hand and tugged but too late, the man that had appeared as JB now held onto Jeanette with a very lethal looking blade held to her throat. "Stand back all of you."

Radu held his position but did not let go of her hand the man that now shifted to that of a handsome looking youth held Jeanette against his body.

"One move and I will sacrifice her to the darkness that will claim you all!" From behind the youth felt his body lifted and suspended overhead forcing his hold on Jeanette to loosen. Radu jerked her to his body and watched the room now filled with two more individuals wearing the same sensor suits that all SHADOWS operatives wore.

The grey hair man frowned as he studied the figure over head. "You know Dom, you should not listen to your father, he has a tendency to be wasteful with his relatives and now we have you and do you think he will care that we have you? No, he will not he will say he made you and he can make another like you."

Jeanette clung to Radu and watched and then peered curiously at the grey haired man that bore a strong resemblance to Camron only older and more mature Logan seeing the arrival of this man was for once happy to relax and shake his head.

"Well it took you long enough to hear our plea for help Damon." All eyes had fixed to the man and the two that now stood at his side.

"Yes, I know but I had my own problems to attend. It seemed my grandson wanted his grandfather's attention and who was I to deny it."

Logan snorted, "The world is in chaos and our very existences hangs in balance and you wanted to play patty cake with your grandson."

Damon moved to Logan and smiled his amusement over the dramatics that was not usually Logan. "You know Logan you need a vacation. You should know if I came that all would be happy and peaceful with the world again."

Logan thrust out his hand and grasped the man's hand and gave him a firm shake. "I was not sure if you would come. Now shall you tell us what our plan of action will be?"

Damon laughed and clapped him on the back. "Our plan of action will be as it always was intended to be, we go and bring out our people, find the errant Miss Winters and teach that young man up there that he should not go against his grandfather's dictates and find my two sons and I strongly feel I may have to spank them both for being bad."

That is when it dawned on those present this was the father of Baal and Camron. The secretary of state leaned to Aden and asked, "When did we recruit a dark god as a member of this operation?"

Damon hearing the question chuckled and turned to see the secretary now huddled behind his two secret service guards. "My dear Mr. Secretary, they did not recruit me, I recruited them. Who do you think began this operation so many years ago? Who else could find and train such specialized agents?"

Aden was the first to show his surprise. "You mean we were or are not a part of a government sponsored operation?" Damon laughed out right. "Oh my goodness Aden, are you kidding do you honestly think the Untied States Government or for that matter any of the other countries represented here could afford an operation like this?"

He had a point and Aden was not about to argue it. "It is run with my permission through one of your covert designations but it is financially and completely run through my auspices."

Moving to the now suspended young man that had assumed the appearance of JB looked with complete amazement at the man that now peered up at him.

"Who are you old man and what makes you think you can defeat the great Baal. "

Damon laughed and shook his head. "Just like your father arrogant and full of yourself."

Logan moved over and stood looking up at the less than graceful looking youth that now dangled haphazardly from the ceiling.

"Boy have you not been taught that you should respect your elders?"

The young man growled down at the man snarling. "I only respect those of more power."

Damon shook his head. "I guess I have myself to blame for this, I was too light handed with my boys when they were growing up."

It began to dawn on the young man the quipping words of sarcasm made their meaning known to him. What do you mean old man?"

Logan smiled and nodded to Damon "Hey kid time to meet your Grandpa."

The struggling youth's body went slack and he hung shocked to the core he now peered down into the face of a man he had only heard his father hint about. The man his father loved but resented because he always felt his Uncle Camron had been the favorite.

"You lie old man." His words were said half-heartedly peering into his eyes that reminded him so much of his Uncle Camron.

"Now young man if you do not wish to have Grandpa discipline you, you must promise me that you will behave and I will lower you to the ground."

The young man twisted and spat out at the old man before him. "You will lower me to the floor and I promise I will not kill you."

Damon looked over at Logan and shrugged. "Oh well, I tried. With a flick of his fingers he began to spin the boy in the air like a spinning top, faster and faster and faster until the boy screamed out and begged for it to stop. To which Damon then flipped him over and with hand motions began to swat his bottom with one resounding thump after another until he had the boy lying limp and docile beneath him. "Now you going to play nice Dominic?"

Aden immediately alerted to the name and frowned, "Is this one of the twins that was born to Victoria by Baal?"

Damon nodded and sighed, "Unfortunately yes, this is my grandson by Baal, he is very rude and in serious need of some manners."

Damon stood aside and then lowered the now still form of the boy to the ground and waited while he stood up and glared with a hint of respect in his gaze.

"Now then, your father needs the same thing if he intends to sacrifice one of my agents to his phylactery and use her as a toy. I assume that since you came here as JB that he now has him as well?"

Dominic nodded, "He is in the fourth hell being held with Lydia." He muttered softly.

Damon sighed deeply. "My children would be the death of me if it were possible. As I do not plan to allow them to be, I will need to set things right before the lighter more powerful powers decide to end us all."

Turning Damon looked to the two men that had joined him when he entered the room. Transmitting orders to them telepathically he nodded to them and watched them folded time and disappeared from the room.

"Now as for our plan of action this is what I feel needs to happen and the timing on this must be precise and on point. It will require a three-prong assault along with an assault by the other guardians of the hell mouths worldwide."

Moving his hands he watched the monitors shift and show him the gathering of the demons at the hell mouths. I would see by doing it this way we could easily rescue those in the fourth hell, restore Camron to the power of the light and bring Josette home."

He turned and smiled charmingly to those in the room. "Hopefully the cascade has not erased the signature of Vicki so that we might be able to track her into the other universe she has fallen into. Now this is how we will do this."

Everyone in the room along with those on the monitors watched as Damon began to outline his plan for assault and for the first time in a very long time, Logan relaxed and felt all was right with the world.