“You can’t help us, Klein, but thank you. Don’t stop being you, whatever happens.”
“You have my vord. Goodbye, fräulein.”
“Wait. Klein, there’s one last thing you can do. There’s a team of people headed north in a helicopter. Can you try to radio them? If they need help, give it to them. Whatever they ask.”
The radio crackled. “I can try to hail zis helicopter, but without knowing its exact—”
“I have everything you need,” said Tosco, and he quickly shared the details of the helicopter’s radio frequencies. “Give ’em a call and say hello from me.”
“Consider it done, Commander.”
“Thank you, Commander.”
More demons rushed towards them. They threw themselves against the squad’s shields, pushing everyone back. This time, more than two dozen burnt men attacked. It was too many. Maddy’s shoulders cried out in pain.
We can’t keep this up.
20
The helicopter spiralled in the sky, completely out of control. Crimolok’s attempt to swat it out of the sky missed, but his massive hand had glanced off the underside of the fuselage.
The pilots cursed, veins popping out of their necks as they fought the controls. Everybody in the cabin grabbed a hold of whatever they could. Mass almost went flying out of the open doorway, only just managing to grab a handhold beside the door.
The helicopter spun around twice before the pilots managed to correct it. Mass looked out of the open doorway, but he couldn’t catch sight of Crimolok. Where had the bastard gone? Was he right behind them, about to smash them to pieces?
“Get us out of here,” Mass yelled at the pilots.
“He’s on our tail,” said the pilot. “I can take us up, but our fuel is gone. Our tanks are ruptured and we were almost out anyway.”
“What does that mean?” Smithy asked as he hugged the front bench of the cabin.
“That I can take us up out of harm’s way for a few minutes, but then we’re going back down whether we like it or not.”
Smithy looked at Angela. “Hey, vicar. You think we can power this thing on prayer?”
“I don’t think you understand how prayer works.”
Now that the helicopter was level, Steph dragged herself over to Mass, grabbed him, and looked at him with a pleading expression. “Damien?”
Mass shook his head. “I’m sorry, he’s gone.”
Steph turned away and Harry pulled her into an embrace as she broke out into a sob.
The dead Damien – now the only Damien left – groaned. “Damn it, I liked that guy.”
The helicopter rose up, Mass felt it in his stomach like getting in a lift.
The pilot turned back to the cabin. “We’re out of reach for now but we only have a few— Hang on, there’s a call coming through.”
Mass frowned. “A call? You mean someone is trying to contact us?”
“I’ll open the line.” The pilot turned a switch and static hissed from the cockpit speakers.
“Auklet One, do you read me?”
The pilot pulled a wired handset up to his mouth. “Loud and clear, friend. Who am I talking to?”
“Do I really need ze introduction? This is Commander Klein. Commander Tosco asked me to assist you in vatever vays I can.”
Mass leant over the pilot’s shoulder. “It’s good to hear from you, Klein, but I think we’re beyond helping. I passed through the giant gate but nothing happened. The demons are coming out in their thousands – and Crimolok is here. In a few minutes we’re going to run out of fuel, and then that’s pretty much it for us.”
“Is that you, Mass? You truly are unkillable. I am afraid to report that things are finished here in Portsmouth too. Those of us left are departing by boat to seek safety elsewhere. It pains me to leave these shores. They have become a home to me. If Crimolok is truly there, kindly flip him ze middle finger, ja?”
Mass chuckled, although there were tears in his eyes after hearing that Portsmouth was truly gone. “I’ll give him more than the middle finger, Klein. I wish I could smack the bastard in the face and send him right back through the gate.”
“Yeah,” said Smithy, “and then send a nuke in after him and blow Hell to pieces!”
Mass patted his friend on the back and laughed – but then he fell silent as something formed in his mind. He stared at Smithy until Smithy became uncomfortable. “Um, what’s wrong, big man? You just shat yourself or something?”
Mass turned back to the pilot holding the radio. “Klein? You still there?”
“Ja!”
“I know you’re really protective about those nukes of yours, but do you think you could spare one?”
“Mass, what are you suggesting? The enemy have claimed this place and you vant to burn it to the ground? I cannot do such a thing in good conscience. Not even—”
“No,” Mass interrupted, “I don’t want to scorch the Earth, I want to scorch Hell. The gate is right here. How accurate can you fire your missiles?”
“With perfect accuracy, providing I have prefect targeting. Without precise coordinates, however, I cannot—”
The pilot blurted out, “Commander! We have a laser targeting module on our helicopter. I can paint an X if you can hit it.”
“I can, ja. I hoped never to send my missiles anywhere, but I will trust in you fine men and do as you ask. I hope it helps.”
“It will,” said Mass. “Thanks, Klein.”
“I’ll await your instructions.”
Angela grunted. “Why didn’t anyone mention earlier that we had nuclear missiles?”
“The guy who has them doesn’t like them being mentioned,” said Addy.
Smithy moved up beside Mass and looked at him. “You know I was joking about the nukes into Hell thing, right?”
“All you do is joke, Smithy, but sometimes you say smart things too. We’re going to send a nuke straight into Hell. If nothing else, it’ll stop the flow of demons coming out. How many would die in a nuclear blast?”
Smithy shrugged. “Like a billion-nillion?”
“At least. So let’s paint
