Demons 3 Draft 1 CH 28 (Patreon)

“Do you have any idea the kind of fuck up this is?” Colonel Fallon yells at me.

I don’t react. Her anger is irrelevant. I didn’t cause any of this; Gregg is who will have to answer if the colonel finds out how Amanda died.

“How could you let this happen?” she demands.

“Her newest hybrid was out of control and killed her before I could reach them.”

“What was she even doing in the same room as one of those things?” she glares at me as if I can provide answers. “She knows they are wild when they first wake up. That’s one of the biggest problems with her method, not that other than you the other attempts have been free of problem.” She looks at the papers, Gregg, and the other soldier’s report. I’ve been confined to quarters for the last twelve hours while the others rested and then she questions them.

“Care to explain why you warned that demon we’d blow up the city?”

That Gregg isn’t here to see the annoyance as she looks at me is satisfying. He tried to be part, but she wouldn’t let him. With everything he has gone through, the way she treated him, dismissed him, considered him disposable. It looked like he would strike her, but he saluted and went away.

“I won’t let you just kill them. I can’t stop you from going after them, but I won’t play a part in it, even by staying silent. Rules us All was there because he formed an attachment to the Graves family. Matthew killed Amanda and his son, Jimmy because of her procedure. They were the last humans Rules us All was attached to. Without them, he had no reason to stay there, and without them there, the other demons will disperse.”

“Recon drones show a lot of blood and they’re still a few demons hunting.”

“Rules us All kept them in check.”

She looks at me. “We don’t have anything showing demons can control each other like that. Adam was a hybrid, it was something the process let him do. Demons are wild and solitary.”

“The only demons you deal with are those in the cities, they adapt to that environment. In the wild, they live in peace in family units.”

“And you know that how?”

“Claws told me.”

She snorts. “A demon told you that they are peace-loving family building people.” She rolls her eyes. “Of course you believe that.”

“Demons don’t lie.” I don’t add the rest. I don’t need her angrier. “Those in the city are Rules us All’s extended family. It’s larger than Claws implied they usually are, so I expect that in the wild they’ll break up into smaller units.”

“And they aren’t going to bother us again,” she says sarcastically.

“Humans keep destroying the wild, it’s just a question of time before you encounter one of Rule’s us All’s family.”

“I don’t like they called him that. Makes it sound like it’s planning on taking over the world or something.”

Only if you give them a reason to. “It shows what they thought of them. I don’t understand much about how demons are names, but it’s sometimes picked by others for them. As the elder of the family, it could be how they show their respect.” And why I am using what humans called them, instead of the name demons had for them.

“So in the end, I don’t get my scientist back, and I don’t get to reduce the demon threat by at least a hundred. What exactly am I getting out of this?”

I shrug. “A city? With the demons gone, once this sickness is dealt with, it’ll be safe for the population to return. Not blowing it up give you that.”

“And that last feeding frenzy did remove one large criminal element, too. I guess there’s that, not that the others are going to care. Crime is a civilian problem, not military. Which leave you.”

I smile. “It doesn’t.” She raises an eyebrow. “I’m leaving, and without Amanda, there’s no reason for you to ever come looking for me again.”

“You think I’m just going to let you walk out of here? You are the one success of Amanda’s process. With her gone, studying you is the only way we have to make sense of her notes.”

“The only thing you’ll ever get to study is my corpse, and only after I’ve killed a large number of you. And once I’m dead, keep in mind that Claws in the Dark considers me his son. I told you family is important for demons. He is old, he is conning, and to avenge, I think he’s willing to do a lot of things that a demon would consider wrong. You can start this, I can’t stop you, but I can promise you that the cost will be far higher than you think.”

“I remember you saying you didn’t want to kill people.”

“I also don’t want to die, or to be studied. Amanda saw to it that I would never want to be within reach of scientists again. My own survival outweighs my desire not to hurt humans.” I smile. “Maybe you should also think about that when you consider studying me. Amanda saw me as a failure because I think for myself. I have my own desires. I turned against her rather than let her make me something I didn’t want to be. Do you want more people who are stronger, faster, tougher than you who might not be interested in doing what you want them to?”

Her lips tighten into a line and I know better to think I won, but I have placed enough problems in the path of what she wants I believe I’ll walk out of here without a fight.

“Fine,” She finally says like it’s a curse. “But under one condition.” I raise an eyebrow to copy her previous quizzical expression. “If we ever have a threat big enough and we go to the extent of tracking you down, you’re going to help without argument.”

“Alright.” My easy agreement puts her on edge. It isn’t like I’m going to make finding me easy. Once I leave here, I have no intention of ever being among a large population of humans again.

“Alright,” she echoes, tentatively, then looks at her report. “Then you can go.”

I leave the office, and Gregg waits for me on the other side of the door.

“Still in one piece, I see.”

“A human isn’t enough to break me,” I answer, stepping around him. He grabs my arm and I stop moving and the reflex to strike him. He knows I don’t like being touched.

“What did you tell her?”

“If you don’t remove your hand, Gregg, her anger isn’t going to be something you’ll have to worry about.” He fixes me with his hard gaze, tightens his grip, and then lets go. “I told her what happened. The hybrid she made of Matthew was too fast for me to keep from killing her, and I kill him afterward. She didn’t ask about Cline’s death, so I didn’t volunteer and details.”

“The fact your out of her office and there isn’t a battalion’s worth of soldier between here and the exit tells me you convinced her to let you go.”

“She couldn’t keep me here. You know that better than her. Don’t come after me, Gregg. I won’t be alone if you find me.” I see in his eyes he knows I don’t mean Claws. As much as he refuses to acknowledge out loud, part of him refuses to simply erase who Sarge used to be. Maybe humans can’t do it. They can’t just let go of the past as I can.

“It’s not going to be my decision. I’m a soldier and I follow orders.”

I nod, and when I walk away, he doesn’t follow me. I have a last stop to make, and I find him in the cafeteria talking and laughing with a man a little younger than he is. He leans close to the man, he’s at ease and I decide not to do it. He’s human, and he has someone he is at least comfortable with, if not more. Jason always had an ease at being intimate.

“Derick!” he calls before I turn away. “They finally released you.” He’s across the room and gives me a one-armed hug. I stiffen and he steps back. “Sorry, I forgot, I’m just… I’m happy you’re back.”

“Who’s your friend?”

“That’s Mike, and he is just a friend.”

“You’d like him to be more.”

“Yeah, well, he’s a soldier, and I know too well how that goes.”

I study him, looking for indication he’s putting on an act for my benefit, but that would imply he has an idea of what I want to talk with him about. As good as Jason has been at reading me, I am no longer that person.

“I’m leaving, do you mind walking with me?”

“Of course, lead the way.” He gives a wave to Mike and follows me. “Do you need anything for the trip? Where are you going?”

I wait until we’re outside to answer and he knows me well enough not to press. When there is no one around us, I say. “I’d like you to come with me.”

“Come with you where?”

“I don’t know,” I lie. Just because I don’t see anyone watching or listening, I know better than to assume they aren’t. Fortunately, some of the reasons I can say out loud and not worry. “You and Claws are the only parents I have left. You taught me about being human, he teaches me what being in part demon means. We’ll be traveling together for a while, and I’d like you to be there too.”

“Is he okay with that?” he asks after being silent. “I didn’t ender myself with him.”

“This is about me, not him, and he’s annoyed, not angry. He won’t trust you, but he isn’t going to hunt you or object to your being there. Will the military let you do you?”

“I’m a civilian, most of the reasons for them to use me revolve around you. There are other experts on demon behavior. The colonel will probably not be happy. With Amanda dead I’m the one who knows the most about what she did, but even that’s not much, she never shared her methods. I was just the mind guy.”

“Do you need to get anything?”

“Wait, you mean, leave right now?”

I nod into the distance. The forest isn’t visible yet. Won’t be for a few hours at this pace. “Claws waiting for me. I understand if you’d rather stay. You’re human, the wild isn’t a place you have experience with, and there isn’t going to anyone else for a while, but I will keep you safe.”

“That’s not it. I’m just surprised. When you said you were leaving, I thought you mean at some point later today. If I decide to turn around, you’re not coming back with me, are you?”

“No. This is over. I don’t want to have anything to do with the military.”

“You realize I don’t eat raw meat. I am not an outdoorsman. I know nothing about the wilderness.”

“You can learn.”

He chuckles. “Like you and Claws are any good at teaching someone like me.”

I smile and look ahead.

I see him watch me, study me. He knows me, a large part of how I think is because of him. His breath catches. And he curses softly, looking back toward the military camp, then ahead. He wants to ask. He is shaking with curiosity and excitement.

“Oh, I am so in.”

* * * * *

When we reach the others, Jason can’t contain his excitement and runs to Sarge, then the children. The scientist with them he cautious, but once Jason asks questions, he relaxes, and the discussion evolves behind my understanding.

Claws is unhappy and hurt.

“I’m not choosing him over you,” I say. “I’m not choosing at all. I can have both my parents in my life.”

“He lied to me, and to you.”

I smile. “He’s human, but he tries to be better.”

“Where are we going?”

“Right now, to Protect the Community, but not the direct route. I want to make sure we lose whoever the military will send to track us.” I begin walking into the forest.

“Why there?” Claws follows me and the Sarge, carrying two of the larger children does too, with the others trailing him and Jason a few steps behind, deep in conversation.

“I think it’s a good place for Sarge and the children. Jason might enjoy watching humans and demons interact without violence or sense of threat.”

“And you?”

I consider the question. If Claws hadn’t found me, I’d still be there. “It’s different there. The humans don’t demand things of me, no more than they demand of each other. I want to see what that’s like for a while.”

“But not for always?”

I shake my head. “Only so long as you want to stay too, and then.” I smile, looking over my shoulder at the commotion that is Sarge laughing as more of the children climb over him with agility beyond normal children. “And then I’d like to meet your family, if you still think it’s something we should do.”

His smile is very close to human, and the rumble carrying pleasure entirely demon. “Yes, they should meet the child of Fang in the Light.”

“Your child,” I say, and the intensity of his pleasure nearly bowls me over.

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