“Yeah, well, I’m about to die.”
The helicopter came in to land. The defenders on the walls ducked, holding on as a huge downdraught assaulted them. Mass climbed down from the ramparts, desperately curious and also grateful to have something to occupy his mind before the endless hordes of demons reached the walls.
Wanstead appeared with a pair of guards at his side. He stared at Mass as if he expected answers; he clearly had none of his own.
The helicopter hovered a few feet above the ground then dropped down on its skids. It had grey and blue camouflage, reminiscent of the sea. The windows were tinted, but two people were visible in the cockpit, illuminated by the dashboard lights. A mechanical whir sounded and the beating of the propellers slowed to a rhythmic whomp whomp. The searchlight dimmed, allowing night to close in a little more.
The sliding door at the side of the helicopter slid open and a small group of people hopped out. They looked like sailors, all wearing the same blue overalls, but amongst them was a young girl, a teenager.
“ALICE!”
Mass turned to see a woman sprinting through the floodlights. She was vaguely familiar, and he thought she might have come in with the group who had appeared from the gate. The young girl saw the woman and screamed, “Mom? Mom! Oh my God, Mom!”
The woman almost took flight and flattened the young girl when they collided ten feet from the helicopter and hugged each other.
Wanstead approached Mass and leaned in to speak. “Do you have any idea who these people are?”
“Nah, but they’re idiots. Portsmouth’s finished.”
Wanstead sighed. “Yes, I fear it is. I’m going to order a mass retreat. If we move quickly, we can get everyone on the boats. We’ll head for the States. If anybody has made a go of this, it’ll be the Yanks.”
“It won’t matter,” said Mass. “I don’t think Crimolok needs to kill us all. He just needs to kill enough.”
“And then what?”
“Then he wins and the entire universe loses.”
Wanstead frowned, his large gut expanding with an inward sigh. “All the same, I’m going to order a full retreat. What else can I do?”
Mass nodded. He agreed with Wanstead, even if he saw no outcome other than their eventual extermination. Better to let people do what was natural and flee. It would be cruel to make them stand and face their end.
The woman embracing the young girl finally stepped back. She shook her head in disbelief. “What are you doing here, Alice? How did you get here?”
“We went to the forest to search for our people, but all we found were thousands of dead demons. There was a man and woman still there, though, and they told us everyone had gone to Portsmouth. I came to find you, Mom.”
The woman looked at the helicopter, and then at the armed men gathered in front of it. “You did this? You came here for me?”
The girl shrugged like it was nothing. “You’re alive, Mom. I can’t believe it.”
Mother and daughter embraced again.
Wanstead and Mass exchanged glances. Somehow a soap opera had unfolded in the middle of mankind’s annihilation. There wasn’t time for it, and yet no one stepped forward to interrupt the reunion.
Another stranger emerged from the helicopter, a middle-aged woman. She approached Mass and Wanstead. “You two look like you’re in charge. General Thomas?”
Wanstead cleared his throat. “Alas, no. I’m afraid you won’t be able to meet the late general. I’m sorry if he was a friend of—”
“The bugger’s dead then? Good. Not a nice fella from what I’ve heard.”
Mass frowned, noticing the woman was wearing a dog collar. She didn’t act very Christian. “Heard from who?”
“I met a man who said he had come from Portsmouth. I tried to keep him alive, but I’m afraid he died shortly after we got him onto the helicopter. He told us about this place before he departed. We brought his body with us. It felt right to bring him home.”
Mass didn’t know who the woman could be referring to, so when she beckoned for him to follow, he did so curiously. She led him to the helicopter’s sliding door and pointed to a flat area in the back behind the two rows of seats. Mass hopped up into the vibrating aircraft and slid to the rear. There was a body on the floor secured by nylon straps.
Mass groaned. “Shit, Tony. I’m sorry, mate.”
He’d barely known Tony Cross, but he had liked the guy a lot. In fact, he was only alive because Tony had gone out of his way to help him. It felt wrong to outlive the man who had saved his life.
“He died in peace,” said the woman, peering in through the sliding door. “It might sound impossible in these strange days, but he did. He was okay at the end.”
Mass turned to the woman. “Thank you for bringing him home. He did a lot for the people here. This is where his body should be.”
“That’s what I assumed. I’ll help you carry him out. I’m Angela, by the way.”
“Mass. You came at a pretty bad time, Angela.”
“Yeah, it’s all over, I can see that. Crimolok can’t be harmed and the demons are bloody endless. Tell you the truth, I always suspected it was a lost cause, but what can I say, I’m a fighter. Also, it beats being in Hell.”
“You came from Hell? I have friends who’ve been there. It’s good that you came here, Angela. I’m glad.”
“Why is that?”
“Because a helicopter is just what I need.”
“It isn’t mine, but I’ll ask if you can borrow it.”
Mass nodded. “Ask nicely, because if I can’t borrow it, then I’m stealing it.”
It hurt Damien’s heart. All of it. Nancy was finally back with her daughter, meaning the woman he loved was finally happy, but in twenty minutes she would be dead. There was no denying what was coming their way. They had levelled a chunk of the city, and their enemy had risen
