Demon Gate: Beyond the 9th Circle: The Rapture Was Just The Beginning. (18 page)

Spencer moved to the door with four
strides and reached for the emergency release
lever and pulled it, the door didn’t open.
“Why isn’t the door opening?” Jessie
asked.
“I don’t know.” Spencer replied trying the
emergency release again, again there was no
positive result; the handle broke off in his hand.
“Gah!” Spencer exclaimed.
“How are we going to get out?” Gretchen
asked.
“I have an idea,” Spencer admitted
drawing his sword again and sliced the door
open, multiple pieces fell from the shattered glass
and fell to the ground, Spencer resheathed his
sword and lead the way into the tunnel.
“Are we far enough away from ground
zero?” Vince asked.
“I’m not sure.” Spencer asked, then
glanced at Gretchen as though inviting her input,
but she only shook her head.
“I would rather not be in the city when
the bomb goes off. Let’s just never stop moving
until we hear it and then we keep moving.”
Gretchen admitted.

As the final minutes ticked away on the
massive bomb, Captain Merrill approached the
demonic prince.

“Why don’t you fly away?” he asked
sarcastically, pulling his foot back and delivering
a kick to the wounded demon, who then shrieked,
more in anger than agony.

The prince remained silent for a moment
while watching Captain Merrill, finally speaking
he did so with a gravely voice.

“You would rather die than serve my
master?” the demon asked.
“Considering your ‘master’ never gave
me a choice? You’re damn right I would.”
Captain Merrill spat.
Captain Merrill looked up towards the
nuke, then to the prince.
“Your time is almost up.”

As they reached the final station before
leaving the island, Spencer suggested they should
take the surface streets the rest of the way. They
would be able to travel farther now that they had
bypassed the mass of abandoned cars near Times
Square.

Spencer climbed onto the station platform
before pulling Gretchen up, Vince and Jessie
climbed up and they headed for the stairs leading
to a glass door blocking them from Fulton Street.

Heading right they turned onto to
Broadway and then onto the main road that lead
to the Brooklyn Bridge and the way out of the
city.

It wasn’t until the halfway point on the
Brooklyn Bridge that they came into view, pale
as the dead and each wielded a sword that pulsed
with evil. Seven hive queens stood under the
final support tower of the bridge, ready to fight.
Spencer stopped causing his fellow survivors to
stop as well.

“Any minute.” Vince reminded nervously
about the impending deadline.
“All we have to do is kill these seven
demons and we are out of the city.” Spencer
summarized encouragingly.
“Gretchen,” Spencer began looking into
her eyes, “We’re going to need you.”
Gretchen nodded.
Spencer continued walking toward the
seven hive queens, and as he did he drew his
sword. One by one Jessie, Vince and Gretchen
each summoned their celestial sword before
charging into battle.
At the sight of the celestial weapons, most
of the hive queens retreated leaving two to fend
for themselves. When swords clashed, there was
a momentary release of a great deal of energy
before the remaining queens turned to dust.
“We’re almost to safety.” Spencer called
as he rallied his allies and raced the rest of the
way to the west bank of the East River.
“It should be any second.” Vince shouted
as they reached the buildings on the other side of
the river.
And then a blinding light, brighter than
the sun lit up the sky. The nuclear bomb had just
been detonated and a mushroom cloud rose over
the city that would forever sleep.

Light continued to fill the air, growing
brighter.
“Don’t look back,” Gretchen warned.
“Run for cover.”
The only option was a series of buildings
located only fifty feet distant.
Spencer was concerned for Gretchen as they ran;
wrapping an arm across her shoulder, Spencer
did his best to support Gretchen as they took
cover behind a building on the north side of the
Brooklyn Queens Expressway. Seconds later the
nuclear blast wave ripped though Queens
blowing windows out and otherwise causing very
major damage at four miles from ground zero.
After the blast wave passed, it was time to
get moving. They still needed to keep going to
keep exposure to radioactive dust to a minimum.
“We need to get to LaGuardia, there
maybe a plane we can use.” Spencer suggested.
“With the fallout that’s sure to be coming
we won’t make it far with out wheels.” Jessie
commented searching the immediate area to find
that the roads were mostly clear so they looked
toward a nearby parking lot for some
transportation. The first vehicle they came to
was a 2021 Chevy Silverado.
Jessie climbed in.
“Great, no keys.” Jessie said.
“Then move over.” Vince said.
“Didn’t you hear me?” Jessie asked.
“Of course I did, so I’ll hotwire the damn
thing.” Vince retorted as he sat down and reached
under the dash and pulled off the steering wheel
cover and found the wires that led to the ignition,
in no time the truck was running.
“Hop in, that dust cloud will be here
soon.” Vince said.
Spencer, Gretchen and Jessie climbed in,
Vince shifted into drive and slammed on the gas
pedal, smashing through the gate and turning
right and then left eventually passing under the
Brooklyn Bridge before turning on to Old Fulton
Street. Vince continued navigating the nearly
abandoned streets, dodging derelict cars before
getting onto I-278, which practically took them to
the front doors of LaGuardia Airport.
On the approach a large aircraft could be
seen, it was Air Force One.
“Looks like the President never made it
out.” Jessie commented as everybody emerged
from the truck.
“Can you fly that thing, Vince?” Vince
asked.
“It’s no Raptor, but … we’ll see what
happens.” Vince remarked.
“Then let’s get onboard and get airborne.”
Spencer said heading for the terminal.
Spencer pulled the terminal door open and found
the terminal quiet, a little too quiet. Something
was wrong, but he couldn’t put his finger on
what. There was no creaking, no normal building
noises. It was almost like there was something
dampening the atmosphere in here. It didn’t
register until it was almost too late.
A small winged demon swooped down
from the ceiling, shrieking like a banshee heading
straight for Jessie. She dodged taking only a gash
in the upper arm, within seconds three celestial
swords were lighting up the terminal.
The demon remained aloft fifteen feet off
the ground, the calm before the next attack. Then
a light appeared above the demon and fell toward
the ground, a sword pierced the demon’s back
and pinned it to the ground. The demon turned to
dust and then the light faded as Michael stood in
its place.
“Michael!” Spencer called.
“Well done, Spencer. The Prince has
been killed,” Michael said but frowned. “But the
four horsemen are converging on Satan’s earthly
castle; we managed to find the first one, it’s in
Berlin and will be leaving tomorrow at noon.”
Michael explained.
“What are they gathering for?”
Michael solemnly shook his head. “I
don’t have that answer. If he is planning to attack
Heaven then he could be close to launching his
attack.”
“Summoning his generals?” Jessie
suggested.
“If that is the case, then time is short.”
Michael commented.
“Do you think Air Force One could get us
there?” Spencer asked.
“Assuming the engines will start, yes.”
Vince replied before leading the way to the exit.
The group looked through the window to the
abandoned plane that once carried the leader of
the free world.
Vince disappeared out onto the tarmac
with the group on his heels, as they headed to the
plane. Spencer was about to follow but Michael
stopped him and pulled him aside.
“I have to go, but I will try to see you
before you fight Satan if I am able.”
“Thank you for all you’ve done,” Spencer
said and Michael nodded, then vanished in a
flash of light.

After three hours of pouring over the
inner workings of Air Force One, the plane was
ready to start. Vince went to the front where
Spencer, Gretchen and Jessie were checking the
cockpit.

“Alright, take a seat; I’m going to fire up
the engines so we can go.” Vince said sitting
down in the pilot’s seat and strapped in. White
fingers with ragged nails hovered over the
switches for the engines and flipped them all into
the on position, then he pushed the throttle
forward causing the plane to move ahead. Vince
steered Air Force One to the west end of the
runway before reducing throttle and turning
around. Pushing the throttle forward, Air Force
One sped east down the runway picking up speed
as it went until the end of the runway before
lifting heavily off to the sky.

Air Force One climbed up to the sky
leaving the ground and the evils of Lucifer’s
‘recruiting’ campaign behind.

The plane leveled off as it reached 35,000
feet, so Vince switched on the intercom. “We’re
on our way to Germany; we should be landing in
Berlin in about seven hours, get comfortable.”
Vince switched off the intercom and focused on
piloting the aircraft.

They stared out the forward window as
the sun started to peek over the German
landscape below.

The landing in Berlin was rough,
fortunately the runway was clear.
“I always wanted to travel; too bad it had
to come after the world ended.” Vince
commented as they disembarked from the plane.
They secured it as well as they could, all in hopes
they would be making a return journey. Because
they may be rushing from hell hounds when they
left, they all worked on refueling and having the
plane totally ready for airborne status.
Staring across the vacant Brandenburg
Airport there was an odd feeling in the air, not
just cold, but tingly. There were no snow capped
mountains, no tall buildings, just the airport.
“Let’s find a car; I want to be able to
leave when the first horseman shows up, I don’t
want to lose him.” Spencer ordered.
“Maybe we should stop and get
something to eat first; we haven’t had a decent
meal since Utah.” Vince suggested and Spencer
agreed. A supply of MRE’s found onboard Air
Force One was the worst and only option for
food. Not that they minded any more. The only
trouble was building a fire to make the food more
palatable. A rain storm had recently passed
through and soaked anything that would burn,
anything that would burn could only be found in
the terminal. Then they needed a mode of
transportation.
After a forced meal of some nearly
unidentifiable food substitute, Spencer was able
to locate a car near the street that had a half ofa
tank of gas. It was an old Volkswagen that might
as well have been held together with cheap duct
tape and twine and the inside reeked of mold.
Everybody grudgingly climbed in.
“This isn’t going to get us very far.”
Spencer realized.
“It doesn’t have to look pretty, it just has
to run.” Jessie said then noticed the ignition was
a mess, but found a screwdriver, and inserting the
screwdriver Jessie turned it and the engine started
easily. Spencer sighed in relief, the car was
deceptively reliable, at least Spencer thought so
until the engine sputtered to a stop.
“So, this is good old German
engineering?” Vince asked.
“I don’t see any other choices, Vince.”
Jessie chided
“This thing is a giant paper weight.”
Vince cried.
At that moment Spencer’s ears picked up
the faintest clacking sound he had ever imagined,
it almost sounded like hoof beats.
“Quiet, all of you!” Spencer called
authoritatively then listened closer. Yes, it was
definitely the pounding hooves of a horse riding
down the street at a full gallop.
“Jessie, try it again.” Spencer urged.
Jessie cranked the screwdriver again and
the engine came to life, Jessie shifted the car into
gear and hit the gas.
as they were pulling out onto the street, a
man passed them heading south, riding on a
white horse with a red cape fluttered behind him.
They were all slightly surprised to see a crown
atop his head, a bow in his left hand and a sword
at his side.
Staying with the horseman was not even a
close challenge even though the old car was
doing forty-five miles per hour with the gas pedal
on the floor. The supernatural horse and rider
were streaking ahead of them.
The road left the city and stretched out
along the German countryside passing countless
trees and hundred of signs that Spencer couldn’t
hope to read.
The landscape zipped by as nothing more
than a blur as the old car struggled to follow the
man on the white horse.
As the car neared Nuremberg the car’s
gas gauge dipped to an eighth of a tank; their fuel
was running out.
“Can we make it with the fuel we have
left?” Spencer asked.
“I’m not sure.” Jessie confessed, “I
wouldn’t bet on it.”
Spencer watched the gas gauge like a
hawk, expecting the car to expend its fuel any
second. Soon the low fuel light turned on and
Spencer began to worry about running out of
fuel, and never being able to find the secret
castle, and then their hopes of defeating Satan
would be dashed.
Fear turned to reality as the car choked,
signaling the end of this portion of their sacred
quest. The engine died, though they still had
enough momentum to coast another quarter mile.
The coasting stopped near a sign indicating
Munich was less than a hundred kilometers away,
but it made little difference. The first horseman
was riding away and they had no other trail to
follow.
Spencer got out of the car and forcefully
placed a foot into the front right tire of the
Volkswagen, and then he saw it, about fifty
meters away. It was an insignificant group of
small buildings, some houses, sheds, and a barn
or two.
Spencer raced for the buildings hoping
there would be some horses, a bicycle or
something that would allow them to head out
after the horseman as soon as possible so they
might pick up clues or following the hoof marks
or something. Jessie stayed with Gretchen while
Vince got out and ran after Spencer.
Reaching a barn, Spencer pulled one of
the doors open. There was a lot of hay; most of it
was in haystacks more than seven feet high, but a
single object protruded from one stack of
withered hay, it was a wheel for some sort of old
vehicle.
“Help me clear this hay.” Spencer
requested and they went to work pushing the hay
this way and that until a pair of motorcycles
stood among the mat of hay that now covered the
barn floor, each one with a sidecar, the
motorcycles looked to be in good condition, so
Spencer climbed onto one and tried to start it.
The first time the motor didn’t turn over, but the
second time it came to life. Vince tried the
second bike and, eventually it too started.
“Vince, let’s go, we might be able to find
him. This is sure better than a peddle bike.”
Spencer and Vince rode out to the car where
Gretchen and Jessie waited to pick them up. They
stashed a day’s worth of MRE’s and water and
Spencer’s sword in the sidecars—divided
equally. Then Spencer and Vince hit the gas, and
sped down the road toward Munich, chasing after
the white horseman.
The road cut a swath through Munich
before diverting to a minor road that headed into
the Bavarian Alps. The pale rider was finally
within sight again. Had he slowed down to allow
them to catch up?
The minor road turned to country road
near the towns of Wattens and Volders. The road
continued on for another few miles before
turning southwest and heading deeper into the
mountains. Finally, turning off the road onto
what may have been a driveway they switch
backed up the left flank of a dam. The driveway
continued around the perimeter of a lake before
reaching the south end of the water and
continuing the climb toward the summit to the
south. There was one final stretched of road that
almost went unnoticed, it went into a valley on
the other side of the summit. The horseman
stopped at the summit. That’s when Spencer
noticed a storm that was building strength, a
lightning strike lit up the sky for a brief second.
At the other side of the summit, enclosed
in a canyon of grey stone, there was a castle built
from dark grey granite. The cold grey stone was
likely hauled in from a distant quarry nearly a
century earlier, there was a moat encircling the
castle and a draw bridge that crossing the muddy
water. Beyond the moat there was a courtyard
leading up to the main castle. The courtyard was
covered in cobblestone that ended at two rounded
stairs which converged before the massive double
doors which stood closed, barring entry into the
castle.
As Spencer crossed the threshold into the
castle’s courtyard the sound of his footsteps
seemed hollow.
Come to think of it, all the
sounds since we first saw the horseman seem
hollow and devoid of any resonance, even the
hoof beats from that nightmare of a horse.
It
sounded almost as though they all were listening
through water in a thin metal pan. Glancing down
to the moat, he noticed the water was really a
dark red color. Not mud, it was filled with blood.
A single sound rang out about all others,
the sound of a hiss.
“Spencer, I bid you welcome to my
Master’s Castle.” A dark and threatening voice
said; a voice that seemed eerily familiar.
“Where are you?” Spencer shouted,
“Show yourself.”
“In time, I don’t think you should rush
into your fate.” The voice called.
Spencer swallowed as though it were his fear, but
more built up in his throat.
“My fate?” Spencer asked trying to draw
out an elaboration. He then noticed a tall humanlike figure sitting atop the wall that encircled the
courtyard; the figure had dark blue skin, a long
forked tail, yellow eyes and dark hair. Its hands
were clenched around a pair of swords similar to
the weapons held by the hive queens, except a
full foot longer.
The figure leapt from the huge height of
the wall and came to rest on the ground, dropping
down to one knee while placing a closed fist to
the courtyard floor. Gretchen, Vince and Jessie
called their weapons into battle; Spencer reached
behind his back and drew his blade.
“You have all been deemed expendable,
and therefore, must die.” The figure declared,
glancing up at Spencer and company.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t
Nightcrawler!” Spencer exclaimed trying to mask
his concern over the imminent fight, a fight
Spencer feared would be a tough victory, if
victory was even achievable.
The figure stood and got into a fighting
stance, one sword standing ready to strike and the
other guarded his core.
All at once, all four survivors rushed the
demon, but with a butterfly kick, the attack was
deflected and he moved to safety. He wasn’t
going to fight them all at once. A long finger
pointed at Spencer. The demon was going to
fight and kill them one at a time.
Spencer approached holding his blade up
to guard against a sneak attack. Spencer closed to
within striking distance and then the demon took
the first strike, testing Spencer’s reflexes.
Spencer parried the attack.
The demon’s face seemed maddeningly
familiar, but he just couldn’t place it. The demon
abandoned testing Spencer and began
continuously striking at the human trying to back
him into a wall, but Spencer knew better than
that, evading one such strike he slipped around
the demon to strike from behind but the demon
quickly turned and blocked the attack.
Vince, Jessie and Gretchen were helpless
to do anything, forced to watch, hoping that a
window would open that would allow them to
join the fight. Praying it would not be too late.
Spencer deflected another attack, swiped
his sword downward and used the momentary
distraction to strike at the demon, but not with his
sword. In a calculated move, he moved in close.
Spencer placed a well-aimed fist across the
demon’s cheek, then grabbed the demon’s hair
with his free hand. Then Spencer pulled the
demon’s face into his knee and pushed it over.
Spencer raised his sword to finish the fiend when
the demon raised its hand.
“Spencer, stop.” The demon pled, “It’s
me, Rodney.”
Spencer tried to ignore the pleas, but
curiosity won out.
“How do I know you are Rodney?”
Spencer challenged.
“I…can’t prove it, but, when Halley’s
plane went down outside of Newark I left. It was
not even an hour before I ran into Lucifer; he
promised that I could see Halley again if I joined
him.”
“You loved her, didn’t you?” Spencer
asked while Gretchen, Jessie and Vince drew
near seeing the battle was over and something
unusual was going on.
“Yes,” Rodney confirmed “So I agreed to
join him to get her back. He brought her to me,
and when I tried to hold her, she…” Rodney
stopped, both saddened and ashamed. “she was
an illusion, as hollow and empty as his
promises.”
“Please, my soul might still be redeemed.
You have to kill me, do it now.” Rodney pled.
“The demon spirit is trying to take over, and
when it does I won’t be able to stop myself from
harming you.”
Rodney briefly shrieked in anger, his
demonic counterpart was quickly growing
stronger as it realized what Rodney was planning.
“DO IT!” Rodney shouted, more demonic
than human, a tear escaped from his eye, a tear of
regret; not for being deceived, but that he had
betrayed the only one that could have had him
reunited with Halley with no strings attached.
“Please.” Rodney begged weakly just
before the point of Vince’s sword pierced
Rodney’s chest.
The corruption in Rodney began to fight
the purifying effect of Vince’s sword, and then
Rodney stopped breathing and his lifeless body
crumbled to ash.
Spencer looked indignant at the door to
the castle.
“Let’s go finish this.” Spencer said before
marching up to the door and pushing it open.
Walking into the castle was like walking
into another world, the floor, walls and ceiling
were made of the blackest of obsidian. Hanging
on the wall every six feet a torch hung on the
wall with fire as black as night, and yet the hall
was adequately illuminated, as though the torches
were just for show and the light was emanating
from an unseen source.
The hall headed away from the door and
passed a stairwell to an upper level at the top
another hall flanked by windows on one side.
The hallway lead back toward the front entrance
where an archway opened up to a balcony that
overlooked the courtyard.
It was quiet, the only sound that could be
heard was a moaning sound that was carried on
the wind, the moaning was soon joined by the
revving of a car’s engine.
The revving got louder as a classy
looking luxury sports car churning gravel up as it
purred toward the main entrance.
“I don’t believe it.” Vince said, “Is that?”
“Who else would it be?” Jessie asked.
Spencer looked closer.
“What’s he driving?” Spencer asked.
“It looks like a Shelby Cobra.” Vince
replied.
As the car entered the courtyard, details
came into view, including the driver, a charming
man that looked to be about middle age. His car
was the elusive 1969 Shelby El Diablo, top
down, black leather interior, blood red finish,
with an exhaust system setup to be front of center
and spewing fire to match the flames on the side
of the car.