The fleet of SUV's glided through the rain; we ran convoy speed, tearing through Berlin just after three in the morning. After Lucy and I had cleaned up, she'd made some calls in rapid-fire German. Not long thereafter, we'd been met by a group of some bad looking dudes, all sharply dressed, all armed to the teeth.
Now I was riding in the back of a behemoth of an armored Benz, dressed in a suit Lucy had picked out for me, a black blazer over a dark red dress shirt, black pants and dress shoes that probably cost more than this convoy and all the hired guns in it, the icing on the cake was Lucy's sigil on my lapel. It was a far cry from my usual blue jeans and a t-shirt, but I had to admit I looked pretty damn good. I shifted in my seat, adjusting the Glock I'd insisted on carrying in a leather shoulder rig.
I kept my eyes fixed on the rooftops, every now and then flicking my gaze through the windshield to the next vehicle in line.
The one carrying Lucy.
Procedure, her guys had said, no two VIP's running in the same vehicle.
To say I was uncomfortable with the arrangement would be an understatement.
Something about the oath I'd sworn, Lucy and I had swapped pieces of ourselves, she'd told me under the hot spray of the shower, I could feel her now, like a warmth that didn't abate no matter the temperature outside.
The hopeless romantic in me was tap-dancing.
We pulled into the parking lot of a darkened warehouse; the radio crackled with German voices as our escort fanned out.
"Alles Klar."
"
Verstanden, Bewegung.
"
My door popped, the hulking German gave me a nod as I stepped out, another guard rotated in, opening an umbrella to shield me from the rain.
That level of deference was gonna take some getting used to.
We moved quickly across the parking lot; Lucy was out ahead of me, striding through the rain like the force of nature that she was, her guards hurrying to keep up.
With a screech of metal on metal, the massive bay door opened wide, revealing the interior of a broken down warehouse. Umbrella guy rotated out, replaced by another as we walked across the expanse, the clack of Lucy's heels echoing off the walls. One of our escorts moved ahead, pushing aside some debris to reveal a well-concealed door, complete with a keypad. Lucy stepped up and punched in a code; the door slid open with a hydraulic hiss.
A flight of stairs wound down into the dark. The guards stepped to the side, and Lucy gestured over her shoulder for me to follow. The journey into the darkness beyond was probably some kind of metaphor for our relationship if I stopped to think about it.
But I was too busy watching the way her slacks hugged her ass.
Step after step into the inky blackness, I could hear voices from below.
And the operation showed its face.
The place was huge, easily extending under city blocks in every direction, but it was the assembled force that held me awestruck.
Hundreds of soldiers milled around; some smoked, some checked weapons, others still chatted idly.
Not one of them were human.
A hulking, bearded demon, easily over eight feet tall, horns and wings visible, dressed head to toe in jet-black Crye gear, offered me a fang-filled grin.
A woman who's features seemed to shift with the light sharpened a wicked-looking blade; her eyes glowed blue as she worked, a scorpion-like tail curled around her feet. She nodded and smiled as Lucy, and I passed.
A four-winged female demon checked what looked like chemical gear over a pair of reading glasses, marking a clipboard as she moved down a line of crates.
And finally, Ari stood at the far end, keeping a watchful eye on the rest of my world.
"Mom," I breathed, stepping it up, blowing past Lucy. She caught sight of me a second later, flying out of her chair, Jen close behind. We crashed into each other; I wrapped my arms around them both, pulling them in tight.
"Hey," trying to keep my voice from shaking and failing hard.
Mom sniffed, "When they came for us...we thought..."
"I know," I whispered, "I'm okay."
I gave Jen, tucker under my right arm, a squeeze, "Hey, kid."
She buried her face in my shoulder and shook.
The relief was overwhelming.
We'd lost enough already.
All eyes were on our little reunion, Lucy stood back, giving us space, but she still washed over me; it felt like a warm embrace to match my family's.
After a long moment, I reluctantly let them go, clearing my throat and wiping my eyes, "Guys, um, this is Lucy."
I stepped to the side and glanced at the Princess of Darkness herself, wringing her hands gently, her body language tight, and her face neutral.
She might as well have been screaming.
Mom was the first one to move, closing the distance and grabbing ahold of her, wrapping the surprised Devil in a tight hug.
Lucy looked at me over Mom's shoulder, bewildered. But her hands crept up, returning the hug. I could hear Mom whispering something to her; Lucy nodded and held her tighter, answering with whispers of her own.
Jen grabbed my hand, "She's...something else."
I squeezed her hand, "Yeah, she really is."
Lucy and Mom separated, smiling at each other. My heart sped up at the sight, a smile blooming across my face.
"I gotta get in on this," Jen whispered, walking up to Lucy and offering a hand; Lucy pulled her into a hug. Whatever she said to Jen dragged a grin out of my baby sister. Jen nodded, and they separated, Jen shot me a thumbs up, and I let out the breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.
Lucy gave me a million-watt smile, lighting up like a Christmas tree, the lights around us glowing brighter at her unrestrained happiness.
All the blood and death over the last twenty-four hours and I was in a twist over whether or not the family would like the new girlfriend.
Some things remain constant, I guess.
From the look of things, I had nothing to worry about.
Ari, who'd watched the whole scene with a smirk on her face, walked up and side-hugged me, "Alright mate?"
I wrapped an arm around her in turn, "Now I am..." I squeezed her tight, "Thanks for getting them out."
She shook her head, all business, "I wasn't about to let those mutts hurt them."
I let her go, nodding, "It stands; glad you're along for the ride Ari."
"Nowhere else I'd rather be."
Lucy took that moment to address the hundreds of assembled soldiers in a booming voice that caught me off guard, echoing off the walls and into the distance.
"My children, none of us are under any illusions about our undertaking; the enemy we face is not of Heaven or Hell, not of Humanity, but the three combined. They seek to disrupt the balance that we have kept for eons, to wipe clean the realms over which we hold dominion, they will stop at nothing."
She looked at each of the assembled faces, the hand by her hip gesturing for me to join her.
Time to step up.
