Chapter 19

The stench of death was nauseating to Lydia she paced the room off and tried to figure out how to escape this depressing room that permeated with the desolation and hopelessness that was this hell. Moving back to the bed, she sat on its edge and then felt the movement of the child.

He kicked and it startled her. "Oh,"

She put her hand over the movement and looked down at her stomach to see the foot press against her hand and then retract. Sighing softly, she would have felt elated at the thought of being a mother. Originally, when she had first met him and felt her affection growing for him, she did the school girlish doodling of his name and hers as the Mrs. Gerard Stiles on a sheet paper.

Then feeling foolish and applying herself to be more directed to her job and her life, she had wadded that slip of paper up and thrown it into the waste can. She should have shredded it. Thom had found the silly doodle and he had teased her unmercifully for a week over it even threatened in typical brother fashion to reveal her silly act to the man in question on the slip of paper. That would have done her in and she would never have shown her face in public again. Least of all be alone with him in a room.

Now she had nothing but a sickening feeling of hopelessness. She was not so sure how Hell was suppose to look but she had never imagined it would be all mahogany beams and dark oak wood furniture and a plush carpeting on the floor with lovely antique accents to grace the huge room.

The only things she had imagine and they obviously could not keep out was the smell of death. It hung in the air like a cloying lover, it seemed to permeate every pour ever nook and every cranny that was hell. Closing her eyes she thought she would go mad if she were not let out of this place soon.

If it were not for the fact that a part of her believed that the SHADOWS Ops group would be bursting through the door at any moment to rescue her she would have been tempted to make a deal with the demon that was Gerard. Closing her eyes she said her silent little prayer and tried to relax.

In the last level of hell's release Josette felt the bite of the bonds that held her tightly secured to the slate slab that was to be her sacrificial alter. She kept her eyes closed and tried to remain calm. She had tried to fold time while held there but found she was blocked by something that Camron must have done.

Her heart broke at the thought he was in the grip of something so dark and evil that his soul would be damned and he would have to die for his traitorous actions. Forcing her body to relax she tried to redirect her thoughts to something more positive.

The only thing she could come up with was that with her mother out of time and sync with the flow of time that the worlds would fold into and on top of each other and they all would cease to exist. Not a very positive thought but one she could cling to and in her time of turmoil her prayers were for her family and sent out her love you and miss you silently around her.

She lay with her eyes closed she felt the touch, a gentle stroke, then followed by another stroke. Opening her eyes she peered in the eyes of the man she had taken as her lover. He was bent over her and for a moment she allowed herself to think he had found his control and he was back to rescue her.

He tilted his head and stroked her hair then gently traced her face and then a fingertip to her lips. Slowly he lowered his head and pressed his lips to her lips. "So lovely, so sweet tasting, so much goodness and light in your soul it is a shame you have to die."

With those tenderly spoken words her world was now crashing down around her and she felt the sting of tears that began to form. "Oh no." He said softly leaning in to watch her cry, "Don't cry, your soul will be with us forever and my brother will have a lot of fun playing with your soul and making the pain much more exquisite when it comes. So you must not cry but embrace it."

Josette looked into his gaze and tried to find the Camron she had spent the past ten years with, and there was nothing there. Feeling her throat thicken with her emotions she sniffed and said softly, "I love you Camron."

Those words were having a more profound affect on him than he realized. For a moment the old Camron's eyes filtered into view and he smiled and said as softly, "I love you too Josette." He leaned down and pressed himself to her body and spoke softly against her lips. "But that Camron died last night and is no more. He did love you very much."

Josette closed her eyes and tensed feeling him take liberties with the tender part of her body. Then he frowned, "Oh now this will not do at all. My brother must know of this."

Josette looked confused as Camron pulled away from her and looked around the room. "Who is there?"

The room shimmered and from the darkness that began to shift and form into that of a figure. The legs emerged first, and then the body took form and standing before Camron was Logan.

"You know Camron, you have been a very bad boy and you know we cannot let you hurt Josette."

Camron laughed, "I will sacrifice her when the time is right but the time is not right she is with child."

The words were said and Josette was filled with horror, one night with Camron and he had impregnated her? Camron turned to throw a fireball towards Logan he blinked in surprise when the fireball fizzled out and dissipated in a hiss of steam.

"Now that was not nice Camron, you know I have the same powers as you."

Camron frowned, "How is that possible, you are in my domain and you are not my equal."

Logan smiled and nodded slowly, "True but I did not come alone."

He stepped aside and the tall commanding figure that seemed bigger than life itself moved into view. "Hello son. I hear you have been a bad boy."

Camron frowned. "Father?" He nodded to the question and Camron growled. "Then I guess I just will need to kill you both!"

Turning he summoned forth lightening sending the jagged bolts hurtling towards Damon and Logan. Damon lifted his hand and redirected the lightening away to crash with a resounding boom into the walls of the chambers.

"Well that should get your brother's attention, he should be here when I met out my punishment for you both."

With a lift of his fingers and directing them to Camron, a charge of tremendous energy shot forth and nailed Camron in the chest sending him flying back to land with a sickening thud against the wall. The front of Camron's chest now smoked and sizzled while the energy coursed through out his body.

"Now, for you son." He turned and looked at the white rage infused face of his second son. Baal screamed out in anger and frustration.

"NO! YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE!"

Logan quipped without taking his gaze off of Baal, "I don't think

he is happy to see you. Oh well so much for the family reunion."

Damon smiled, "Yes, well that is what happens when the child thinks they can be the parent. Logan why don't you go release Josette, then head down to the fourth hell you will find Lydia there. I believe JB and Jeanette are about to launch their assault on the mouth and I need to teach my son a lesson."

All this said treating Baal like he had never entered the room. Baal looked near apoplexy with his anger glaring at his father and then in disgust as his brother's smoldering body.

Logan moved to the dais. With the movements of an expert he reached down and pulled out his skinning knife. Keeping a watchful eye on Camron and then Baal, he made quick work to cut her bonds. He could only imagine how weak she might be for the time she must have spent tied to that damn sacrificial alter.

With tenderness and care he helped her from the room. Baal shouted out his anger and began to summon his own legion of the damn. This annoyed Damon. "You know Baal, I should have allowed you more time with your mother. She might have taught you to respect your elders."

Baal snorted, "Who do you think was the first one I killed for annoying me. She taught me to disrespect you not respect."

With a dramatic rise of his chest and then a slowly released sigh, Damon nodded. "I had forgotten. Well I should have spent more time with you both."

Baal had timed his movements to allow his demons to get into place. He noted them shuffled in to surround Logan, Josette, and Damon he shouted. ""Kill them all now. Lock their souls in hell forever!"

The charge was not so much unexpected or the ferocity of the assault, what had surprised them had been the shear force that now rushed in trying to over run them. Logan had used his body as a shield against the swinging arms with fist full of razor sharp claws that seemed to want to rend his flesh from his body.

Chanting off a quick spell on Josette, Logan sent her to sanctuary so that she could not be harmed. From that point on he locked in two more spells, the first one after he had been distracted when a nasty claw nicked his arm and sent a hot shock of pain through his body.

Summoning forth his flesh of steal armor he then summoned forth his best-kept secret, chanting again he summoned forth flame blade. The fiery image of a blazing scimitar appeared to extend from his hand and he smiled. "You want me bubba, let's dance!"

Standing back to back with Damon he heard Damon's comment, "Nice blade."

Logan smiled, "Yeah, something I just picked up."

Baal watched the fight between his father and his demons with anxiety and trepidation, he knew the old man was getting up in years and there was the possibility that his age had slowed him and perhaps he would die this night and then Baal would rule unhampered and supreme taking this victory when he claimed the world of light for darkness.

He looked over at the unconscious Camron, now that was not a good sign. He wondered if his father had killed his favorite son. Looking back he was amazed at the agility the man displayed as he danced back and called forth lightening and fireballs to land and consume his demons.

The room was beginning to smell of burnt and dying demons and Baal could only think of how this place would have to be fumigated and cleaned from top to bottom to get the demon matter off the wall and then he saw a head fly past him and he sighed.

The head hit the wall and splattered brain mater on the ceiling. Moving back out of the way as an errant arm fly past him he folded his own arms over his chest and waited patiently. "Surely you must realize the odds are very much against you old man. Give up already!"

Damon smiled, "When I am done with your little playmates son, I am going to spank you. Something I should have done more when you were growing up."

Baal looked at his fingernails and shook his head. "I see now you want to apply the spare the rod and spoil the child philosophy?"

Damon spun around hooking an arm to Logan and lifting him up so he could throw a kick and knock back two more demons. Then Damon shot more lightening into their bodies and they lay writing on the floor. "Not a philosophy son, a fact and in your case I was way too lenient. Its now time for you to face daddy."

With those words said, he turned, cast Logan into Sanctuary and then rained down a firestorm of molten lava rocks on the room. He had done it just about the time he saw Camron begin to wake up and crawl back into a nook. The room erupted into a fiery blast. The screams were horrendously loud and Baal watched as all his demons all were blown apart and body parts were sent flying all over the room.

Damon had teleported to Camron's side and bent over to look into his eyes. There he once again saw the man he had come to respect and love as his son. "Time for you to join poppa to teach your brother a lesson in humility. Are you up for it?"

Camron smiled and nodded. "When ever you are ready, he needs to be taught a lesson."

The flames and smell of brimstone and smoke cleared the room, father and son stepped out side by side and looked down at a very singed Baal now wearing tattered and burnt clothing.

"I would say that about makes us even brother but for the fact you wanted me to hurt the woman I love and now carries my child."

Baal moaned and rolled his eyes. "You had to sleep with her? You stupid fool!"

Damon turned and smiled, clapping his son's shoulder. "Congratulations son, you are going to marry her?"

Baal moaned and slowly stood up and dusted what clothing he had off.

"I suppose you think we will be expected to come to all the holidays and be one big happy friggin family?"

Damon looked at Camron. "Has he always been this annoying?"

Camron nodded and waited he knew it was coming and it came with a suddenness that Baal did not expect it to happen. Damon with amazing dexterity and strength backhanded Baal. The strike was quick and it sent Baal flying back across the room to land with a thud against the wall then to slump to the floor.

"That is just a part of what I plan to deliver to you son, do not be flippant and do not expect me to forgive you for not treating your brother's fiancé with a little more respect."

Damon moved over and with one hand lifted Baal off the floor and brought him to face him. "There is a reason that there are parents and then there are children. You are about to get a lesson in humility you spoiled brat."

Damon turned to face Camron, "You need to bring Josette and Logan back from sanctuary, and then go and get Lydia in the fourth hell, you will not meet the resistance that you met the first time and you can get in and out with relative ease."

Damon let Baal dangle by his hand showing no signs of tiring from the weight of his burden. "Lydia will need to be taken to the hospital ward at SHADOW headquarters so they can extract the demon baby. Then we will deal with the father of that child. For now you need to do that while I deal with your brother."

Camron moved to his father and gave him a huge hug and whispered, "Thanks Dad, see you later." He turned waved his hands and the images of Josette and Logan appeared next to him. "Come on we have a rescue operation to handle."

From the mouth of the cave, Jeanette stood and flexed her hands and then turned to Radu, "If we don't make it back from this there is something I want you to know."

Radu grabbed her and held her close then pushing her back he planted the deepest most passionate kiss she had ever experienced since they became lovers. "We are going to come out of this fine and you my love, my dearest one will marry me."

Josette wrinkled her brow put a quirky smile on her lips and quipped, "Um is this a marriage proposal?"

He laughed "Damn right it is." JB had listened half-heartedly to the two as they bantered back and forth with each other and then he heard it, the rush of wind and the appearance of a hoard of demons rushing to the surface.

"Incoming!" He shouted and turned with his weapon and took aim.

Jeanette spun around and used Radu's back to roll over grab her weapon from her boot holster and she took aim and began to fire. The rush of demons was the first wave and the group of operatives that had set up a perimeter around the mouth were protected enough that they had minimal casualties with the first rush of the demons to freedom made it known that they intended to make it or die and kill them along with their assault.

Radu shifted to wolf form charging forward to attack and rip a few throats out to reform and turn and fight using his own form of a bastard sword that flamed in his hands like a holy avenger. Jeanette could feel the hot rush of putrefied flesh and air that surrounded their onslaught and held her position she systematically and in a well precision format began to stack up a few bodies her self thinking that they might use those bodies to block the entrance which might slow the demons down a bit and give them a chance to pick them off I smaller numbers.

Reports were coming in that similar assaults were happening all over the world and that the number of casualties was growing for their group and this only leant to a more determined battle for the group that fought for the power of the light. From his monitoring station back at Headquarters Aden watched and had Jeffrey keeping track of the dead and injured operatives.

The Secretary of State and Aden watched grimly while the news and the tallies started to rise and then slowly began to fall to a level they could feel comfortable. Though they agreed that no death was acceptable but with the odds of what they were facing anything on the upside was preferable at this juncture.

Feeling the shift in the atmosphere, Lydia stood up and looked around and then she cried out in relief and happiness seeing Josette stepped through the fabric of time fold.

"Oh my God! Jo! Thank God you found me!"

She rushed to Josette and then saw Logan and she hugged them both and found her face was wet with her tears as she stood holding onto them.

"Come on Aunt Lydia we gotta get you back to Shadows Headquarters."

Holding tight to her niece, she felt the room shift and fold and she was standing in the admissions room of the medical floor of Headquarters. A group of surgical clad personnel surrounded them and escorted Lydia away from Josette and Logan. "Come on cutie, time to head back to your sister and see if we can help."

Josette shook her head. "I got to find my mother. Then I will help."

Logan sighed and shook his head. "Josette, we cannot find your mother someone is shielding her. We need to take care of this and allow her whatever she is involved in to resolve itself and then see if she is returned to us."

Josette did not like the sounds of that nor did she like the idea of her mother being out of sync and in another timeline having god knows what happening to her.

"You know she is shit magnet if she is in trouble, she has need of us."

Logan held onto her. "She is a shit magnet and she is a big girl and can protect herself and find her way back. Our thoughts are that whatever reality she stepped into they are the ones preventing us from finding her and there has to be a damn good reason for it. Now come along, time to dress out grab some weapons and go help your sister so she does not get herself killed."

From the very air that was now filled with scorched bodies of dead demons and some casualties of the shadows teams members Josette and Logan appeared with a plasma gun and more ammo for the fighters. JB rubbed the soot from his face and smiled at his sister.

"Glad to see you made it back sis. Thanks for bringing the ammo we were running low."

Josette looked around and wrinkled her nose at the carnage of the dead demons. "Glad I am not on clean up on this one."

Jeanette tumbled into view and turned shooting another demon as he tried to crawl through the wall of dead demons blocking the entrance. "Hey great idea, which one of you thought of it?"

Jeanette bowed, "Thanks it was a bit creative thinking but it seems to be working and we passed it along to the other hell mouths. I hear we have taken heavy casualties over all." Josette nodded and noted her sister for being in the fight of her life seemed to be glowing with a happy radiance.

"What is up with you sis? You seem to be very happy."

Jeanette laughed and nodded, "I am Radu asked me to marry him and I said yes."

She finished giving her sister the great news she frowned then said, "Damn." And fell forward. The long trident of a demon was sticking out of her back. Josette screamed covered her sister with her body and folded time transporting her to headquarters and the emergency bay.

Once again when Josette appeared a surgical team surrounded the two. They rushed Jeanette into surgery and turned to send Josette on the way. It had happened so fast and Josette could only see the life ebbing from her beautiful sister's face as she slipped into unconsciousness.

Radu must have sensed something had happened because as the medic team rushed Jeanette into surgery, a white wolf jumped thorough the tear of time and landed at Josette's feet and reformed to that of Radu.

"Where is she? Is she still alive?"

Josette felt the rush of tears and sobbed. "I don't know."

Radu formed to mist and disappeared into the surgical room. When he reappeared he bit his arm and moved to push his way between the medical team working on Jeanette, pressing her lips to his bleeding arm he commanded. "Drink Damnit drink! Don't you die on me we are going to be married!"

The surgeon at first was about to object until he realized what Radu was doing and motioned his team back from Jeanette and waited. The life signs, which had looked bleak and were weak and fading suddenly, began to grow stronger. Jeanette opened her eyes she looked up with a glow of love and a shine of renewing life and smiled. "I love you too."

Dr. Angler then moved into the surgical room and smiled, "We have figured out how we are going to save our operatives thanks to your quick actions Radu."

Turning he moved to the control panel and brought Aden up on the view screen. "Order all Vampires to help with the others taking damage, if they taste the blood they will be renewed and healed. This is one way we can cut our losses and bring up our numbers in this fight."

Aden frowned, "What if they die? Will they not then be reborn as vampires?"

Angler nodded, "We will deal with that after this crisis, I am sure we can get it under control just as Julia Hoffman did for Barnabas Collins we can do it for our people, right at this moment we need to save lives!"