Anna swallowed back her sob, as she faced her own mortality, all the while glaring at the two men in front of her. No matter what happened, she had to make sure they weren't given the opportunity to impregnate her.
She felt a wave of regret over Shayne. He had given her the best moments of her life. She hadn’t expected it to last, but she wasn't ready for it to end. She hoped wherever he was, he was alive and safe, and that he would remain that way.
“We’ll see about that,” the man said, as he interrupted her musings. He turned back to her. Anna couldn’t help but flinch. He laughed, taking power from her fear. Instead of striking her, though, he grabbed her hair and yanked her out of the chair.
“Wait,” Jesse said, breaking his silence. He had watched it all, without a word. “Should I take the erection drug now?” He gestured towards the front of his pants, his eyebrows lifted high.
The man that held her sneered at Jesse, his nails digging into Anna's scalp. He snorted and replied, “It's amazing to think that such a great weapon for the dark one will be bred from something as weak and whiny as you are. You disgust me.” He turned his back to Jesse and pulled her toward the wall before saying over his shoulder, “Take two, you limp piece of flesh.”
He forcefully led her to a row of cells before selecting one to stop in front of. Nothing was visible, and Anna feared what was hiding within the dark. The unknown made her heart beat harder in fear. She now understood the term scared to death and wondered if it would soon apply to her.
He used the hand still wrapped in her hair to slam her bodily into the thick pane of glass. Blood began to run over her good eye, but surprisingly the glass didn't shatter. He kept her body pressed tightly against it as a single overhead light came on in the cell.
Anna gasped in fright. A face stared right back at her, its cold black eyes just inches from her own. His head was smooth, except for the two horns protruding from his skull, and completely hairless, his skin a deep reddish brown. Anna fought to free herself, but the man holding her was supernaturally strong, as he held her in place.
The being in the cell wore a black robe, and when her eyes dropped, she realized he had hooves instead of feet. He didn’t move, didn’t blink, as she gasped in fear in front of him. Their eyes met and held. She tried to look away but found she couldn't. His eyes turned red and he hissed, revealing fangs, while Anna grew weaker and weaker. The creature was secure in its own abilities, and he knew exactly what he could do. It was death, and she was just inches away from it.
An evil chuckle came from behind her. “Only a thin sheet of glass separates you. All it would take is a push of a button for me to throw you in. I can see you’re still not convinced, though.” He proceeded to drag her from cell to cell, repeating the same process. Anna saw demonic creatures that would give her nightmares for the rest of her life, however long that might be.
“These creatures were created solely for the purpose of tormenting and killing humans. We brought them here from Hell, a place where they were happy, simply to starve them. They have been locked up for centuries, living for the time they will be released. Now, Armageddon is swiftly approaching, and they don’t have much time to wait. They’re anxious for the taste of human flesh. They're ready to get out and play. Which one shall I put you in with?” he asked, in her ear.
The horror inside of her ran unchecked, and she didn’t know if minutes had passed or hours. Horrible pains shot through her heart, and her left arm began to grow numb. These were the creatures people saw in their last few minutes of life and never lived to tell of.
Her mind broke, not able to cope with what she was seeing. In her last moments of clarity, Anna realized it was exactly what the demon wanted. He wanted her broken and compliant, unable to fight back against the inhumane way they planned on using her. A final sharp pain tore through the left side of her chest before her mind went completely dark.
Anna collapsed on the floor at his feet.
SHAYNE AND IAN RACED down the hallways of the warehouse, frantic to reach Anna before it was too late. Each level wound its way further underground. Hell had many gateways, and this was just one of hundreds, if not thousands.
After losing her, the endurers had killed off the demons. All of them except for one. The demon had held out until the very end before finally giving away Anna's location. Luke and Nate were still in pursuit of the runaway driver. Shayne hoped they found him. That one had a lot to answer for.
With each level, it grew colder and darker. Thankfully, each one of them had been blessed with the ability to move faster than the average human and were able to see in the dark. Although it was chilly, the cold didn’t bother them like it would a mortal.
“According to the source, we’ll find her in Level 31,” Ian reminded him. “We’re almost there.” They each drew their weapons as they neared the doorway.
“On the count of three,” Ian said, holding his sword with both hands wrapped around the hilt. His long hair was gathered in the back, his arm muscles bulging.
