“Can the Mages stop it?” The scientist asked. Magick was outside of his understanding.

  “At this level? I doubt it. It would take someone much stronger than who we have in our employ to do it. Pray it stops at the Rockies, or we’ll have a much bigger problem than Demons on our hands,” Michael explained. “Is the rescue chopper en route?”

  The communications tech looked down at his console and responded, “The Coast Guard is delayed but will respond as soon as possible. A fully armed MS-60S Knighthawk is on its way from the Navy. ETA is thirty minutes.”

  Michael directed the Keyhole satellite back towards the base scanning the wrecked buildings.

  “Tell them to hurry. If the way Team Theta is moving that bomb is going to go off soon,” Michael directed as he watched four small figures stumble through the wreckage of the base.

  <<<>>>

  “Ouch!” Nadya grabbed her leg as she collapsed onto the concrete. She’d tripped over a body when she stepped around a gun mount.

  Knives at the ready, Alexander stood over her. “Are you ok, Nadya?”

  “I think it’s broken!” She gripped her leg as pain shot through her system. The young Mage mumbled a healing cantrip to herself that alleviated some of the pain.

  He looked towards the hole and then back at his teammates. “I’ve got her. Get moving towards the chopper. We’ll catch up.”

  “All together or not at all, Alex! You can’t play the hero all the time.” Amber glared at him as she tried to pull rank.

  Shaking his head, the sergeant replied, “Someone needs to be there when they arrive. You know this. We’ve less than forty minutes. Go. Trust me when I say I don’t want to be a crispy critter this late in life.”

  Amber stepped closer and laid her hand on his shoulder, “Alex…”

  “Time’s wasting Amber. Just go. Please?” the man pleaded as he leaned down to scoop up the Mage.

  Grabbing Sheldon’s arm, Amber ran with the tech toward where the chopper was supposed to pick them up. Alexander looked backward toward the hole. The massive tornado was gone, but the wind hadn’t died down yet. Demons were starting to pour out of the hole once again.

  <<<>>>

  “Firing!” Corporal Kim yelled as the tank fired another round of M1028 at the advancing horde. The massive anti-personnel round hit the Demons at 4,626 feet per second causing an enormous amount of damage. Some projectiles went through three or four bodies before slowing down. The four tank formation was very effective against the oncoming Demons, but leakers were slipping through in ones and two and attacking the tanks from behind.

  The tank crews were firing their internal M240 machine guns at the Demons but were burning through ammunition at an accelerated rate. More than half of the ten thousand rounds had already been fired.

  “Watch for bunching up and fire at will, Kim. I’m going topside to man the .50 caliber,” Sergeant Huckleberry announced.

  “Sergeant, it’s too hot out there! Stay in here with us,” Corporal Kim asked.

  “I’ll forget you said that ‘Faith.’ You only live once.” The sergeant unlatched the hatch and climbed up to man the gun. Pulling his pistol, he shot several Imps and a Cambion Demon off the sides of the tank. Checking the bolt latch release, he locked it down so he could fire single rounds.

  Firing one round at a time the sergeant started to get a feel for the weapon. In training, the recoil is off just a bit when firing blank rounds. He really wanted to go full-automatic. But they had only brought nine-hundred rounds for the gun, and there wasn’t anything resembling a resupply depot out here.

  Looking to the sky, Sergeant Huckleberry could see the approaching storm. He was awestruck by the size of it. “Huckleberry to all units, lock down your tanks and prepare for hostile…”

  The sergeant was cut off in mid-word. Grimacing he tried to say the word weather but couldn’t! Feeling a sharp pain in his chest, he looked down to see a massive clawed hand sticking out of his chest. The Demon that got him from behind ripped out his voice box before killing him!

  Unit Three’s commander heard the command and tried to respond but to no avail, “Gunner, track right. I want to check the command unit.”

  The M1’s turret swiveled around to the right but was blocked by the small hillock they were sitting on. Cursing, the sergeant in command popped the hatch and stuck his head out. He saw the Cambion Demon on top of Unit one and the now headless body of Master Sergeant Huckleberry in its bloody hand. Drawing his own sidearm, he started screaming and firing away at the Demon that killed his friend.

  Ping! Ping! Ping!

  Corporal Kim looked up at the sound of small arms fire bouncing off the tank, “Who the hell is shooting at us?” She glanced up and over at where Huckleberry should be and could only see blood dripping downwards.

  “The commander’s down! Avery get up there and man the fifty! We’ve got incoming!” Kim yelled at the driver.

  Chuck Avery pulled himself out of the driver’s slot and climbed over the gunner's position. The M1 tank was roomier than the tanks of old, but it was not a place for someone claustrophobic. Gripping the commander’s station, he pulled his hand away suddenly. Fresh blood was everywhere. Telling himself to ignore it he slipped into the command seat and stuck his head out the hatch.

  “Why is it so windy out here?” Avery asked as he looked around. Less than a quarter mile in front of him were hordes of screaming Demons and a wall of a black storm! “Corporal Kim, we need to get out…”

  Like the sergeant before him, he was cut off as the Cambion Demon yanked him out of the cupola and into the air.

  “Don't’ eat me!” Chuck screamed.

  The Demon bit forward teeth extended but the tornado had other plans. Both human and Demon were lifted off the tank and pulled into the deadly swirling mass. All four tanks were pulled in as well. Like the hand of God, the storm continued north destroying everything in its path.

  <<<>>>

  “Knighthawk Four to command we have the objective in sight,” Nathan Howe the SH-60s commander commented. They had skirted the coast watching for Demon Bats and other dangers on the way to the LZ. Picking up four special operators from enemy territory seemed a bit too much of a risk for his multimillion dollar helicopter, but orders were orders.

  The landing zone was supposed to be just to the right of the old lighthouse ruins on what used to be the tourist parking lot. They’d come in heavy for this operation with both rockets and side gunners.

  “Permission to fire on Demons sir?” The gunners had already asked several times.

  “No. Wait for our objective. If they show you can give them covering fire,” Commander Howe replied. He didn’t expect anyone to show up.

  “Movement at eleven o’clock!” The copilot exclaimed.

  Howe swiveled the bird around, so the gunners could shoot if necessary. “What do you see, number two?”

  The copilot pulled out a pair of binoculars. “Looks like two humans and a ton of Demons!”

  As the crew of the helicopter watched one of the humans turned to face their pursuers. Flames shot from her hands and immolated the Demons. The woman grabbed her companion and ran towards them.

  “Any sign of others?” Commander Howe asked.

  “That’s a big negative Commander,” the gunners in the back responded.

  “Understood. Hold on back there we’re going down.” Commander Howe brought the big helicopter down onto the parking lot with a light touch that showed his many years of flight time.

  Commander Amber with Sheldon in tow ducked low to avoid the blades and approached the side of the craft.

  “Get on board. We need to go!” The side gunner yelled.

  “No! I’ve got two more team members out there, and I’m not leaving without them!” Amber shouted.

  “What the hell’s going on back there? Get them aboard!” Howe yelled at his crew over the command circuit.

  “Sir! They say they have two more members inbound. The woman refuses to get on the bird!” The gunner replied.

  “Dammit! Tell them our orders were to pick up and go. Either they get on board or stay here! She’s got ten seconds, or I’m leaving,” Commander Howe yelled.

  Time suddenly stopped. Howe could feel himself breathing, and he could move his eyes, but everything else including the SH-60 was frozen. A voice came over the headset. “Never piss off a Mage, Commander. We’re waiting.”

  Amber dropped the headset in her hand and looked at Sheldon, “Can you fly this thing?”

  Sheldon looked into the cockpit and shook his head, “I can fly a Huey, but this isn’t one of those.”

  “No, it’s not. And if you think I want you crashing us into the sea, you have another thing coming,” A familiar voice sounded in their ears.

  “Alex!” Amber turned to see the bedraggled weapons specialist toss Nadya’s still form onto the deck of the chopper. “Nadya?”

  “She passed out. Casting got too much for her or something. What’s the holdup here?” Alexander asked.

  “They were going to leave. I stopped them,” Amber replied.

  Jumping up into the rear of the craft Alex disarmed both gunners. The familiar grip of guns gave him a smile. “Let them loose, I’ve got this.”

  Time started up again as the chopper was suddenly moving along with the crew, “Stop right there gentlemen. Let’s not have any accidents now.”

  Commander Howe gripped the control stick. He could move again! A strange man’s voice echoed in his ear. “Get this thing moving! There’s a nuke going off in less than ten minutes!”

  “A nuke? Who the hell are you people and how dare you take my men prisoner!” Howe protested.

  “Nine minutes. Get this thing moving or I will!” Alex commanded.

  “I’m reporting you and this incident to higher just as soon…” Nathan stopped talking when he felt the cold tip of a pistol touch his cheek. Glancing to his right, he could see a scarred and bloody man holding a gun to his head.

  “Eight minutes. Do you want to die so badly?” Alexander asked.

  Howe shook his head and gripped the control stick. Two seconds later they were in the air, over the side of the cliff, and skimming the waves toward CV-35 Reprisal.

  <<< >>>

  The backpack nuke came to rest after a long fall just beneath the edge of the active portal. Demons came to Earth just inches from where it sat. Carved into the walls were inscriptions and incantations allowing access to this plane of existence. Silent numbers counted down on a small LED keypad. “3, 2, 1, 0. Boom!”

  Fifty kilotons is a small explosion compared to some used against the Demonic hordes over the years, but when it’s compressed into a rock shaft strengthened by Magick the effect can be unbelievable. A massive column of flame shot straight out and upwards. Thousands of feet higher than any test, a mushroom cloud formed over Southern California. With an earth-shattering crack the portal was destroyed, and the inscriptions melted from the rock that held them.

  Miles from the explosion electronics supposedly hardened by the military winked out of existence. The electromagnetic effects of the ground burst melted wires and erased circuit boards. Thousands of Demons exposed on the ground were incinerated or blasted into oblivion.

  The SH-60 shook from side to side while electronic alarms hooted and screamed as Commander Howe brought the craft down onto the deck of the elderly aircraft carrier in an unannounced emergency landing.

  <<<>>>

  “Broken Arrow! We have a nuclear detonation at Point Conception!” Everyone in the ARCANE bunker looked at the main screen. A massive fireball and mushroom cloud was climbing over what was left of the base.

  “They did it,” Michael commented. Looking left towards the communication tech he commanded,” contact the Navy. Find out what happened to Theta Section. Inform Mr. Right that the mission was a success and that he needs to brief President Talbot before the Pentagon does. Spin is everything. What are they saying on the ground?”

  “Demonic forces are scattered but still engaging troops on the ground. The hole appears to be sealed. No new entities have entered our world from that point according to satellite information,” the techs reported.

  Michael switched the view of the area on the big screen, “The tornado?”

  “It’s on a northwestern course. Tracking says it’ll sideswipe Fresno and head West. Science station says it’s holding at an F6,” the tech replied.

  Michael sighed and ran his hands through his hair, “Send that information to Mr. Right as well. Better to head this off at the pass. That was the hard part, kids. Now comes the cleanup.”

  Suddenly alarms started sounding again.

  “What now?” Michael asked.

  “Demonic incursion detected! The signal is off the charts, sir.”

  Turning, Michael looked over the tech’s shoulder at the map in front of him. “California?”

  “No, sir. Charleston, South Carolina. We now have a third front open.”

  Author Notes

  Wow! So much is going on with this book it’s not even funny.

  The Federal Witch Universe has grown tremendously since I first put words to digital paper back in 2016. Through all the books I’ve had a singular story main arc in mind. Watching Agatha grow and become the Witch she was meant to be.

  It has been said that it takes a village to make a person who they are but for Agatha, it’s been the stories. The ARCANE books are a mini-series off the main line that I created to explain the hows and the whys of this particular story arc. It’s been building for a while. Camilla is the big bad that has dominated Agatha’s entire life. She’s Aggie’s version of the Wicked Witch of the West.

  In the book, Darkness Revealed, I tried to explain that she, like many others, was duped by the Dark Gods into becoming evil. But that’s a small lie. Camilla was given ideas and access to power not normally given to one so young. It was a choice. She chose to become the person that Agatha knew. In my Universe, it’s choice that rules all things.

  Amber is someone else that had to make a choice. Tampering with the weather is never a good idea. Even for someone who has had centuries to learn, like Marcella. Amber chose to use a spell that would save her friends but possibly alter an entire state’s weather patterns for years. The same goes for the use of the bomb. There were reasons they never used it in the gap of years between Demon hordes.

  Some of the characters seen in the past two books will return in Book Three and some will not. That is the nature of writing. Dixie Strike will be written from Camilla’s point of view and will explain the Demon’s goals and what drives them towards Earth.

  The Battle of Charleston will be epic. It will spread out across two books. Dixie Strike and Child of Darkness. Each will cover their own niche in the war. Many of the things I’ve hinted at for two years will come to fruition, and we will finally see what Agatha is truly capable of. So much fun!

  My wife and I took a trip to Charleston, so I could get a feel for the “Holy City” and find ways to describe the narrow streets and buildings. My fondness for history dovetails nicely into the upcoming stories.

  Author Introduction – T S Paul

  I’m now into my second year as a published author. With over 25 works under my belt already my pace is relentless. Writing was never a goal of mine growing up. I really did fall into this accidentally. My wife and family knew of my love of books and urged me to try writing. It wasn’t until an author i befriended gave me a short push off a long pier that i really gave it a go. And what a go that was!

  Athena Lee and Agatha Blackmore have given way to over 50 short stories. I write a lot. The future is in books and I’m in it for the long haul. Keep your eyes peeled for new and exciting things coming from me this year. Don’t forget to check the Blog every week for a new Wilson or Fergus story.

  I welcome comments and questions on my blog. Follow me on Facebook or visit my Amazon author page. I have an author page with BookBub too.

  I’m excited, are you?

  The Federal Witch

  Born a Witch Drafted by the FBI! - Now Available in Audio!

  Conjuring Quantico - Now Available in Audio!

  Magical Probi - Now Available in Audio!

  Special Agent in Charge - Now Available in Audio!

  Witness Enchantment

  Night of the Unicorn

  Invisible Elder

  Blood on the Moon

  Child of Darkness - TBD

  A Draft of Dragons - TBD

  Cat’s Night Out, Tails from the Federal Witch - Audio Available

  Serpent Con

  Darkness Revealed

  The Standard of Honor

  Shade of Honor

  Familiar Trials - Fledgling

  Coven Codex -October 2017

  A Confluence of Covens -TBD

  Conflict of Commitments -TBD

  Standard of Honor -TBD

  The Mongo Files

  The Case of the Jamaican Karma -TBD

  The Case of the Lazy Magnolia - TBD

  The Case of the Rugrat Exorcist -TBD

  Cookbooks From the Federal Witch Universe

  Marcella’s Garden Cookbook

  Fergus Favorites Cookbook

  Marcella’s Summer Bounty Cookbook

  Marcella’s Autumn Harvest

  Read and Eat Cookbooks

  Badger Hole Bar Food Cookbook

  Athena Lee Chronicles

  The Forgotten Engineer

  Engineering Murder

  Ghost Ships of Terra

  Revolutionary

  Insurrection

  Imperial Subversion

  The Martian Inheritance - Audio Now Available

  Infiltration

  Prelude to War

  War to the Knife

  Ghosts of Noodlemass Past

  Athena Lee Universe

  Shades of Learning

  Space Cadets - Coming Soon Late 2017

  Short Story Collections

  Wilson’s War

  A Colony of CATTs

  Unicorns are Short

  Box Sets

  The Federal Witch: The Collected Works, Book 1

  Chronicles of Athena Lee Book 1-3

 

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