Read Online Shedding the Demon by Bill Denise - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Bill Denise
Ads: Link
mostly empty. It contained only a couch and some comfortable-looking
chairs gathered around a coffee table. He didn’t see any of the torture devices
rumored to be used by SecForce, although they could be somewhere else. Despite
his fears, he felt surprisingly safe. This place looked a lot like the common
rooms at 4C.
After a few minutes alone, the door opened and a uniformed
man and woman walked in.
“Hello, son, I’m Captain Remmen and this,” he gestured
toward the woman, “is Colonel Tashus. He held out his hand for Damon to shake.
Damon hesitated before reaching out to shake the man’s hand
and then the woman’s. “Captain, Colonel,” he addressed them politely. Do
they know why I’m here? Are they in the wrong room? Am I in the wrong room?
Damon stood more than head taller than both of them, and
neither one had the look or carriage of a fighter. They didn’t appear the least
bit intimidated or scared, which made Damon nervous. He actually felt better
when two armed and armored guards took positions just inside the door.
“Sit, please, Mr. . . .” the man waited for a name
from Damon.
“Demon. Well, not Mr. Demon, just Demon.”
“Hmm, really? Surely that’s a nickname? You must have a real
name, no?”
“Well, my real name’s Damon, but no one calls me that,” No
one but Andrea.
“Damon, good. And a last name?”
“A what?”
“All right, where are you from, Damon?”
“I’d prefer you call me Demon.”
“Of course. Where you from, Demon?”
“The Ruins.”
“Of course. I meant a little more specifically, where do you
live within the Ruins?”
“With my Family.”
Captain Remmen sighed, glanced over at the colonel, who had
not moved since sitting down, and then continued, “Demon. Don’t be difficult.
We need to know where you’re from so we can get you back home.”
Damon grunted, and then said, “Right. Why don’t you just
drop me where you found me?”
The captain never missed a beat, “We need to contact next of
kin to come pick you up and sign the paperwork.”
“Not buying it, I’m old enough to sign for myself.”
The captain paused and looked thoughtful. “Demon, we’re
trying to help you. Why were you taking on that whole gang by yourself? Why was
there a group of twenty other people rapidly approaching your position, moving
across the rooftops?” He paused, waiting for Damon’s answer. “Maybe you didn’t know,
but there were more than seventy members from the gang you were fighting. We
gassed them and took them down temporarily, but we did not detain any of them.
They are still free to pursue their original plans.” He waited again to see if
Damon would understand the implications of his statements.
“We scared off your friends, and the SecForce soldiers
stayed in the area long enough to ensure the other gang members were not
eliminated while they were incapacitated. Even though you left only fifty-some
members still able to fight, how do you like the odds?”
Damon didn’t like the odds at all. He knew that the Family
had average fighters, other than Andrea, but he wasn’t sure they could take on
a group that size. He also knew that the Family was sorely lacking in weapons.
For these reasons they had adopted the defensive and secretive approach to
security in the first place.
After a long silence, the colonel spoke for the first time.
“Damon,” she said, her voice held an air of command that
reminded him of Andrea.
“Demon,” Damon corrected.
She inhaled deeply, and then continued, “Demon, we have you
on camera killing at least six people, and attempting to kill many more. You
also assaulted four SecForce officers, one with the intent to kill.” She
paused, studying his face. “Do you know what penalty these crimes carry?”
Damon looked her in the eye without wavering, “I have no
idea, please tell me,” he replied coolly.
The colonel’s annoyance was starting to show as she said “Murder
and attempted murder carry
chairs gathered around a coffee table. He didn’t see any of the torture devices
rumored to be used by SecForce, although they could be somewhere else. Despite
his fears, he felt surprisingly safe. This place looked a lot like the common
rooms at 4C.
After a few minutes alone, the door opened and a uniformed
man and woman walked in.
“Hello, son, I’m Captain Remmen and this,” he gestured
toward the woman, “is Colonel Tashus. He held out his hand for Damon to shake.
Damon hesitated before reaching out to shake the man’s hand
and then the woman’s. “Captain, Colonel,” he addressed them politely. Do
they know why I’m here? Are they in the wrong room? Am I in the wrong room?
Damon stood more than head taller than both of them, and
neither one had the look or carriage of a fighter. They didn’t appear the least
bit intimidated or scared, which made Damon nervous. He actually felt better
when two armed and armored guards took positions just inside the door.
“Sit, please, Mr. . . .” the man waited for a name
from Damon.
“Demon. Well, not Mr. Demon, just Demon.”
“Hmm, really? Surely that’s a nickname? You must have a real
name, no?”
“Well, my real name’s Damon, but no one calls me that,” No
one but Andrea.
“Damon, good. And a last name?”
“A what?”
“All right, where are you from, Damon?”
“I’d prefer you call me Demon.”
“Of course. Where you from, Demon?”
“The Ruins.”
“Of course. I meant a little more specifically, where do you
live within the Ruins?”
“With my Family.”
Captain Remmen sighed, glanced over at the colonel, who had
not moved since sitting down, and then continued, “Demon. Don’t be difficult.
We need to know where you’re from so we can get you back home.”
Damon grunted, and then said, “Right. Why don’t you just
drop me where you found me?”
The captain never missed a beat, “We need to contact next of
kin to come pick you up and sign the paperwork.”
“Not buying it, I’m old enough to sign for myself.”
The captain paused and looked thoughtful. “Demon, we’re
trying to help you. Why were you taking on that whole gang by yourself? Why was
there a group of twenty other people rapidly approaching your position, moving
across the rooftops?” He paused, waiting for Damon’s answer. “Maybe you didn’t know,
but there were more than seventy members from the gang you were fighting. We
gassed them and took them down temporarily, but we did not detain any of them.
They are still free to pursue their original plans.” He waited again to see if
Damon would understand the implications of his statements.
“We scared off your friends, and the SecForce soldiers
stayed in the area long enough to ensure the other gang members were not
eliminated while they were incapacitated. Even though you left only fifty-some
members still able to fight, how do you like the odds?”
Damon didn’t like the odds at all. He knew that the Family
had average fighters, other than Andrea, but he wasn’t sure they could take on
a group that size. He also knew that the Family was sorely lacking in weapons.
For these reasons they had adopted the defensive and secretive approach to
security in the first place.
After a long silence, the colonel spoke for the first time.
“Damon,” she said, her voice held an air of command that
reminded him of Andrea.
“Demon,” Damon corrected.
She inhaled deeply, and then continued, “Demon, we have you
on camera killing at least six people, and attempting to kill many more. You
also assaulted four SecForce officers, one with the intent to kill.” She
paused, studying his face. “Do you know what penalty these crimes carry?”
Damon looked her in the eye without wavering, “I have no
idea, please tell me,” he replied coolly.
The colonel’s annoyance was starting to show as she said “Murder
and attempted murder carry
Similar Books
