over their heads.
Like a bursting balloon the darkness ripped asunder. A dozen flying creatures appeared, screaming with rage. They were the medieval image of demons: reddish in hue, eyes of fire, with blood-red talons extended to grasp their prey, and wings that swept out above them.
The stretcher-bearers ran past Mark and Giorgini, gaining the edge of the grove, just as the demons soared down upon them with cries that stung their ears.
"Fire!" Mark yelled, took aim, and shot. Shrieking, a demon burst into flames and tumbled to the ground, igniting the tall grass.
There was a wild cry of anguish and Mark turned to see Lieutenant Mokaoto fall to the ground, several demons on top of him.
Horrified, Mark watched as one of the nightmarish forms dug its talons into Mokaoto's legs. Mark lifted his pistol to fire―
"Captain, look out!"
Mark was knocked off his feet. Rolling, he found himself staring into eyes of raging hatred, talons raised to slash.
There was a wild cry and a shimmer of reflected light as a sword hissed across his field of vision. The demon fell away, bursting into flames.
A rough hand grabbed Mark by the shoulder, pulling him back up. It was Ikawa, his samurai sword dripping a liquid that smoldered and stank.
Giorgini and Walker came in on Mark's side and together with the Japanese captain they pulled Mark towards the protection of the grove.
"Mokaoto!"
The Japanese soldiers screamed as two demons gathered around the struggling lieutenant, and with wings flapping, lifted him into the air.
Goldberg took careful aim, and his shots slammed into one of the monsters. It tumbled from the sky, but the other demon soared, bearing Mokaoto into the darkness. Above the crack of the rifles and jeers of the demons, the men could clearly hear Mokaoto's screams, which grew fainter as the doomed lieutenant was carried away.
"They're coming in again!" Goldberg cried, slamming off several rounds. The Japanese machine gun opened with a high staccato shudder, catching one of the demons and cutting him in half.
"Something else coming in!" Kochanski shouted, and pointed towards the sunrise. The dot of movement soon resolved into three men flying in formation.
"Jesus Christ!" Mark yelled in astonishment. "Captain Ikawa, hold your fire on those men, there's something about them. If they're a threat, let them make the first move."
Maybe it was the way they were flying around like Superman that made him hesitate. Hell, he was almost past the point of astonishment anymore. Batman and Captain America could show up right now and he wouldn't think twice.
"Can you beat that shit?" Kraut cried in amazement. "In formation, no less."
The demons, seeing the formation, turned as one and pulled back. They attempted to reform into the ball of darkness, but it was already too late as the three flyers closed in, cutting off their retreat. The air crackled as bolts of light slashed into the demons. One tumbled from the sky, wings torn, and the rest scattered. The triad followed two, bringing them down in explosions of fire, while the rest escaped.
The triad came back towards the astounded soldiers, circled the grove, then alighted thirty yards away.
The three human forms stood their ground as if waiting for something.
"Think they want a parley?" Ikawa asked.
Mark looked at him. "With power like that we damn well better hope so. You with me?"
Ikawa nodded. They started out, avoiding the spreading circles of flame caused by the fallen demons. Ikawa stopped briefly to examine the ground where Mokaoto had been taken, then rejoined Mark as they approached their three deliverers.
"What do you think of them?" Mark whispered.
"One thing is for certain; they weren't friends of those things we just fought."
"That doesn't mean that they'll be any friendlier to us. They might be friends of the ones back at the pentagram and blame us for what happened."
Even as they spoke one of the three lifted back into the air and flew over to one of
Like a bursting balloon the darkness ripped asunder. A dozen flying creatures appeared, screaming with rage. They were the medieval image of demons: reddish in hue, eyes of fire, with blood-red talons extended to grasp their prey, and wings that swept out above them.
The stretcher-bearers ran past Mark and Giorgini, gaining the edge of the grove, just as the demons soared down upon them with cries that stung their ears.
"Fire!" Mark yelled, took aim, and shot. Shrieking, a demon burst into flames and tumbled to the ground, igniting the tall grass.
There was a wild cry of anguish and Mark turned to see Lieutenant Mokaoto fall to the ground, several demons on top of him.
Horrified, Mark watched as one of the nightmarish forms dug its talons into Mokaoto's legs. Mark lifted his pistol to fire―
"Captain, look out!"
Mark was knocked off his feet. Rolling, he found himself staring into eyes of raging hatred, talons raised to slash.
There was a wild cry and a shimmer of reflected light as a sword hissed across his field of vision. The demon fell away, bursting into flames.
A rough hand grabbed Mark by the shoulder, pulling him back up. It was Ikawa, his samurai sword dripping a liquid that smoldered and stank.
Giorgini and Walker came in on Mark's side and together with the Japanese captain they pulled Mark towards the protection of the grove.
"Mokaoto!"
The Japanese soldiers screamed as two demons gathered around the struggling lieutenant, and with wings flapping, lifted him into the air.
Goldberg took careful aim, and his shots slammed into one of the monsters. It tumbled from the sky, but the other demon soared, bearing Mokaoto into the darkness. Above the crack of the rifles and jeers of the demons, the men could clearly hear Mokaoto's screams, which grew fainter as the doomed lieutenant was carried away.
"They're coming in again!" Goldberg cried, slamming off several rounds. The Japanese machine gun opened with a high staccato shudder, catching one of the demons and cutting him in half.
"Something else coming in!" Kochanski shouted, and pointed towards the sunrise. The dot of movement soon resolved into three men flying in formation.
"Jesus Christ!" Mark yelled in astonishment. "Captain Ikawa, hold your fire on those men, there's something about them. If they're a threat, let them make the first move."
Maybe it was the way they were flying around like Superman that made him hesitate. Hell, he was almost past the point of astonishment anymore. Batman and Captain America could show up right now and he wouldn't think twice.
"Can you beat that shit?" Kraut cried in amazement. "In formation, no less."
The demons, seeing the formation, turned as one and pulled back. They attempted to reform into the ball of darkness, but it was already too late as the three flyers closed in, cutting off their retreat. The air crackled as bolts of light slashed into the demons. One tumbled from the sky, wings torn, and the rest scattered. The triad followed two, bringing them down in explosions of fire, while the rest escaped.
The triad came back towards the astounded soldiers, circled the grove, then alighted thirty yards away.
The three human forms stood their ground as if waiting for something.
"Think they want a parley?" Ikawa asked.
Mark looked at him. "With power like that we damn well better hope so. You with me?"
Ikawa nodded. They started out, avoiding the spreading circles of flame caused by the fallen demons. Ikawa stopped briefly to examine the ground where Mokaoto had been taken, then rejoined Mark as they approached their three deliverers.
"What do you think of them?" Mark whispered.
"One thing is for certain; they weren't friends of those things we just fought."
"That doesn't mean that they'll be any friendlier to us. They might be friends of the ones back at the pentagram and blame us for what happened."
Even as they spoke one of the three lifted back into the air and flew over to one of
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