Undead Demons

Tsi Luen City Outskirts, Cheena, Earth

***

Officer Sho laid out a map on the table, and across him were Dreygo and Elaine. There were a lot of empty chairs in the pub which allowed them to discuss matters without possible prying eyes. Hanging lights gave illumination to the place and four ceiling fans gave little air circulation.

Each one of them had a beer in their hand - a simple celebration of a successful attack. They were sure that Zi Lok's operations had made uncomfortable adjustments to compensate for their loss and lost a significant number of slaves. Human trafficking was hard to come by.

The officer could imagine Chien Sung, Zi Lok's leader, face upon the knowledge of his major moneymaker burned to ashes. There were possibilities that they had to move their operations to another city but it would take time for them to recuperate.

Viriel had to be present in Palpines as to avoid suspicion from the higher-ups. But at the same time, monitor Azakiel's movement if possible.

Officer Sho explained the new information he got from his comrades in the police department.

The horrors of facing demons and angels turning into demons freaked the hell out of him but treading toward a noble cause. He was now a target of the Triad and going back to his old life was an unwise decision.

"This is where we intercept," Officer Sho grazed his fingers towards the map. "Three trucks on a convoy carried slaves." Officer Sho believed that Zi Lok Triad was now reinforcing their slaves to revitalize their numbers for the operation's relocation.

"Where are these slaves coming from?" Elaine asked.

"From nearby poor countries," Officer Sho replied. "They exploit these people with fear and with the promise of money."

"How many slaves again in your estimate?" Dreygo asked.

"About a hundred or two."

"Are you sure about this information? Do you trust the source?" Dreygo asked.

"Yes, I trust the guy. We are friends in the force for about three years now," The Officer assured.

"When will the convoy arrives?" Elaine asked.

"This dawn. We have seven hours to prepare," The officer mused.

"Then we have no time to waste. We have to drive there earlier than the expected time," Dreygo suggested.

***

Ever since the harbinger had garnered fatal injuries, it pushed him to be cautious. His wild and direct approach to any conflict had only given him chances of dying. Such an endeavor would only lead to Elainee patching him up.

They had finished their beers and hurried out, headed directly towards the interception point of the convoy. The interception was planned to execute outside the city borders of Tsi Luen, Southern highways connected to the neighboring poor countries. If the convoy reached the city, they would face the magnitude of the Triad's force.

***

Tengzu, Tsi Luen Outskirts, Cheena

***

Their vehicle bounced off against the rocky terrain, challenging the vehicle's compression shocks. The place was outside the City of Tsi Luen but on the outskirts of a small town called, Tengzu. A rural town where most illegal citizens settled.

The place was poor and dangerous. Small gangs were frequently formed and unmanaged. Small houses crawled the majority of Tengzu and deteriorated by the immense consumption of illegal drugs. A dreadful and lawless place as Sho had defined.

Local authorities were mostly under Zi Lok's employ and had made drug operations made look legal. Perfect also for illegal transportation towards the city. Zi Lok made all their clandestine routes pass through this place as it was the shortest route from the neighboring regions into the heart of Tsi Luen, with minimal military presence and comprised of corrupted local authorities.

"We are ten minutes early from the interception point," Officer Sho mused.

Early to intercept but not enough time to conduct a thorough perimeter survey. The small roads provided by the small town impeded their vehicle's speed and various turns just to arrive at the interception point.

They arrived in a vast empty land where one could see directly the tree line from afar and the silhouette of mountains. The moon was high and cloudy. There were only a few streetlights, spaced farther from each other. A total blackness blanketed beyond the reach of their car's lights and street lamps.

Obscuring themselves was an advantage given by the environment. Elaine glanced at her watch and it said 2:00 am. The number of armed hostiles was unpredictable but the officer was certainly close to the number of slaves.

The wind was expectedly cold and caressed their skins and it flew freely without obstruction. Dreygo heard the flapping sounds of bats that flew overhead under a half-crescent moon.

He remembered the first time he landed in Marina. Nostalgia kicked in, remembering his first impression of Earth as he entered from Hell. But this time was different. He carried only his killer instincts in Marina, now he was more of a human, fearing that harm would be inflicted not on himself but on Elaine.

The container trucks, three of them, were now nearing their positions on a single file along a constricted rocky road. About a hundred meters away, Officer Sho stepped out within the street light, wore his standard police uniform, and stood in front of the road. The trucks decelerated until a full stop at an arm's width from the officer. They almost intended to run him over as Dreygo assessed.

'They are demons.' Dreygo mused.

The Harbinger sensed them but it was unexpectedly strong for only a few demon thugs. Beyond the grasp of the street lamp and where the blanket of darkness started, Elaine and Dreygo sneaked at the last truck and left Officer Sho questioning the driver.

Elaine held her silenced handgun and turned to the other side of the truck. She emerged on the other side of the truck's passenger seat window and Dreygo on the driver seat window at the same time. Elaine aimed his handgun at the demon's temple.

Without hesitation, Dreygo buried his blade in the driver's neck, and demon ether flowed toward his body. Elaine pulled the trigger before the demon made a move. The demon was unconscious, quickly Dreygo reached and stabbed the former in the heart. The small shrieking sounds of demon ethers did not alert the other vehicles in front as they were spaced enough to conceal the commotion and the almost deafening sounds of the trucks' engines.

Unnoticed, the two transferred to the center truck and did the same and sneaked carefully again to the last truck which was still apprehended by Officer Sho.

"What you are transporting is illegal! You do not have documents to show me that you are approved by territorial customs." Officer Sho's voice was stern.

"Where are the other police officers? Are you alone in the area?" The driver responded with a raised voice.

"Watch your tone, mister." The officer reprimanded, "You may turn back to where you belong and come back if you can provide me with the proper documents."

"It cannot be, Officer. Don't you know who owns these cargoes? Huh?" The driver taunted.

"Yes, I do!" Dreygo interjected. He suddenly emerged to the driver's side and caught the demon with a quick stab to his head. On the passenger side, Elaine squeezed the trigger and shot the second Demon's head. Right after, the Harbinger delivered his quick demise.

All the Demon thugs were dead but Dreygo was unease. He still felt a strong demonic presence. He had been doubting his senses ever since the vehicles arrived. It could have been that these container vans carried demons, not slaves.

Suddenly faint growls appeared. It grew louder and louder in unison. They heard footfalls as the slaves forcefully destroyed the hinges of the container's door, disembarking the vehicles. Their faces were still obscured but their eyes, white as the moon, glistened against the faint street lamp's illumination.

Numerous figures appeared behind the trucks and numerous steps that grazed the rocky ground loomed. The growls continued, like hungry dogs. The silhouettes were mostly women and their faces were unseen.

Dreygo's heart jumped. Sudden gooseflesh had crept under his skin even without the slaves' identities were still obscured. He glanced at Elaine, also surprised.

They were tricked. These were not common human slaves. These were humans possessed by demons forcibly and it erased their human essence. They walked like zombies and their faces were insanely disturbed, and grimaced, not by insatiable hunger, but by longing for a kill. They could not talk, all they do was growl and cry.

"They are undead demons," Dreygo said.