the service door about a hundred feet away.
Cole slowly felt his way forward with his walking cane. “Virgil? What are you yelling about? How’d you get down here? What’s happening? Where’s Crystal?”
“No!” Thorn called. “Go back inside! Shut the doors!” A small faction of the demon horde broke off from the main vortex to sweep down toward Cole.
Cole stopped walking and seemed about to heed Thorn’s warning, but then Crystal yelled: “Cole, help!”
Pain blossomed in Thorn as a demon grazed him from above. He jerked his head sideways and ducked down in front of Crystal to dodge two more of them. “I said stay back!” Thorn called to the demon army, this time with only his spirit voice. “I can’t kill all of you, but I’ll be damn sure to take a few of you with me!”
At least Marcus seemed to be having trouble approaching. He certainly wanted to kill Thorn himself, but dozens of the African demons now heckled him over his campaign against Shenzuul and latched on to his limbs, screaming “Imperialist!” and “Elitist!” and making every step difficult for him. Still, Marcus kept hobbling closer on Heather’s broken leg, and despite the demons buffeting him, he stood only a dozen yards away now.
Cole, too, continued his advance. “Hey, Virgil, the cops are coming, you fuck. Let her go.”
The wind’s gusts against Virgil’s body continued, unyielding. Thorn drew even closer to Crystal, and bellowed one final, desperate plea. “STAY BACK!”
But it did no good. The demons surged everywhere now, all around them. The cacophony became earsplitting. Thorn couldn’t even see the palm trees anymore, and he could only scarcely make out the smaller group of demons that was nearly on top of Cole. The main horde contracted even more tightly around Crystal and Thorn, so close that they brushed against him as they flew past. Any second now they would kill him.
This is the end, then. This is how I die. Thorn had always hoped that if this day came, he would go out in a blaze of glory. But now that Hell’s gates yawned before him, he didn’t feel brave or glorious. He felt just as scared as the timid little human girl beside him.
“I’m sorry, Crystal. I’m so sorry.”
Tears streamed from her eyes. Thorn clutched her, closed his own eyes, and braced himself for darkness.
And then, cutting straight through the chaos like a chainsaw through cake, came a raucous, grating, magnificent voice…
“Which one of you cocksuckers wants to die first?” said the Judge.
10
Thorn opened his eyes. The vortex of flying demons slowed, then gracelessly stilled as they realized a Demon Judge floated among them. Fear and confusion bloomed on the thousands of faces hovering in the air in front of the condo. Just as hesitant as the rest of them, Marcus had stopped his approach with Heather. He glanced back and forth between Thorn and the Judge.
When the wind subsided, Crystal looked up at Thorn. “What happened?” She must have noticed the hopeful expression that had seeped from Thorn’s face onto Virgil’s, because she asked, “Are we safe?”
“I said,” the Judge repeated, his usually glib voice replaced by a thunderous bark, “which one of you cocksuckers wants to die first?”
Nearly every demon in the horde looked around at his peers as if to say, “Not me.”
“You idiots think you can interfere with my punishment for Thorn? I get to decide his fate. Not you.”
More than relieved to still be alive, Thorn felt a sudden pang of his old vindictiveness at the awkward standoff. I may yet beat you all.
But then he took another look through the horde at the Judge. Only the Judge. The demon in sunglasses and a V-neck suit floated by the guard’s gate beside the main road, his feet positioned just above the asphalt, his arms splayed wide and ready for a fight. He looked every inch a gunslinger.
But he stood alone.
The demon army seemed to realize this too, and its demeanor slowly changed. They
Cole slowly felt his way forward with his walking cane. “Virgil? What are you yelling about? How’d you get down here? What’s happening? Where’s Crystal?”
“No!” Thorn called. “Go back inside! Shut the doors!” A small faction of the demon horde broke off from the main vortex to sweep down toward Cole.
Cole stopped walking and seemed about to heed Thorn’s warning, but then Crystal yelled: “Cole, help!”
Pain blossomed in Thorn as a demon grazed him from above. He jerked his head sideways and ducked down in front of Crystal to dodge two more of them. “I said stay back!” Thorn called to the demon army, this time with only his spirit voice. “I can’t kill all of you, but I’ll be damn sure to take a few of you with me!”
At least Marcus seemed to be having trouble approaching. He certainly wanted to kill Thorn himself, but dozens of the African demons now heckled him over his campaign against Shenzuul and latched on to his limbs, screaming “Imperialist!” and “Elitist!” and making every step difficult for him. Still, Marcus kept hobbling closer on Heather’s broken leg, and despite the demons buffeting him, he stood only a dozen yards away now.
Cole, too, continued his advance. “Hey, Virgil, the cops are coming, you fuck. Let her go.”
The wind’s gusts against Virgil’s body continued, unyielding. Thorn drew even closer to Crystal, and bellowed one final, desperate plea. “STAY BACK!”
But it did no good. The demons surged everywhere now, all around them. The cacophony became earsplitting. Thorn couldn’t even see the palm trees anymore, and he could only scarcely make out the smaller group of demons that was nearly on top of Cole. The main horde contracted even more tightly around Crystal and Thorn, so close that they brushed against him as they flew past. Any second now they would kill him.
This is the end, then. This is how I die. Thorn had always hoped that if this day came, he would go out in a blaze of glory. But now that Hell’s gates yawned before him, he didn’t feel brave or glorious. He felt just as scared as the timid little human girl beside him.
“I’m sorry, Crystal. I’m so sorry.”
Tears streamed from her eyes. Thorn clutched her, closed his own eyes, and braced himself for darkness.
And then, cutting straight through the chaos like a chainsaw through cake, came a raucous, grating, magnificent voice…
“Which one of you cocksuckers wants to die first?” said the Judge.
10
Thorn opened his eyes. The vortex of flying demons slowed, then gracelessly stilled as they realized a Demon Judge floated among them. Fear and confusion bloomed on the thousands of faces hovering in the air in front of the condo. Just as hesitant as the rest of them, Marcus had stopped his approach with Heather. He glanced back and forth between Thorn and the Judge.
When the wind subsided, Crystal looked up at Thorn. “What happened?” She must have noticed the hopeful expression that had seeped from Thorn’s face onto Virgil’s, because she asked, “Are we safe?”
“I said,” the Judge repeated, his usually glib voice replaced by a thunderous bark, “which one of you cocksuckers wants to die first?”
Nearly every demon in the horde looked around at his peers as if to say, “Not me.”
“You idiots think you can interfere with my punishment for Thorn? I get to decide his fate. Not you.”
More than relieved to still be alive, Thorn felt a sudden pang of his old vindictiveness at the awkward standoff. I may yet beat you all.
But then he took another look through the horde at the Judge. Only the Judge. The demon in sunglasses and a V-neck suit floated by the guard’s gate beside the main road, his feet positioned just above the asphalt, his arms splayed wide and ready for a fight. He looked every inch a gunslinger.
But he stood alone.
The demon army seemed to realize this too, and its demeanor slowly changed. They
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