Haunted Angel- Part 1

Here is the start of my Dead Set spinoff series entitled Haunted Angel. Like the last story I put up with the handwriting to text app, I feel obligated to inform you that the app likes to put in extra spaces and doesn’t always get the punctuation correct (mistaking commas for periods, etc.). I probably should go through and fix those things before I publish these chapters, but I’m feeling lazy right now. Maybe I will on the later ones.

What do you see when you’re in the dark and the demons come for you? I see all the pain and suffering that I’ve caused in my life. It’s come back to haunt me, and I’m not sure that I will live through it.

My name is Eric Brazelton. Right now, I’m in the top ten of the F.B.I.’s most wanted list. I’m not in the top five yet. If they knew how many people I’ve actually killed, I’d probably be higher on the list. Not that I’m complaining. I don’t want to be the most hunted man in the world.

After being dishonorably discharged from the Army (apparently they don’t like it when you beat the crap out of your commanders), I stuck with what I knew best. I became a sniper for a mercenary outfit. The pay was much better, plus my first target was the bastard that got me kicked out. He’s longer with us. All in all, it’s a pretty nice job. I get paid to kill people. At least, that’s what I thought.

Our final mission was coming up. Once completed, we’d all have enough money to retire to some island country. The six of us met to discuss the battle plan. We were breaking into a government weapon depot and setting our “findings” to the highest bidder. while the plan had some flaws, it easily doable. Now, it’s time for action.

***** ***** *****

Two silenced shots went out and two men fell dead. ” Two down,” I crackled into the headset.

“Confirmed,” came the reply from our leader. “Group B, excecute. Angel, position shift.”

I, being Angel, replied, “Affirmative.” Grabbing my gear, I ran to my secondary location and quickly set up for my next shot. For the next few minutes, it was deathly quiet. Something was wrong, I thought to myself. Sure enough, about two seconds later I heard the call on my headset.

“Granger is down. I need cover, Angel.”

Shifting my sight, I saw my troubled teammate. He was pinned down by gunfire. In rapid succession, I took down three of them. The rest of them dove for cover. ” You have a window. ” Get clear now. ”

As he ran away, gunfire erupted on the other side of the complex. Without being ordered, I shifted position again, heading for the source of the fire. ” Lead,” I asked. “Status report?” No answer came.

I should help them get out of there, I thought. Wait a minute, to hell with them. I should get myself out of there. They’re probably all dead anyways, ” Team, ” I said through the headset, ” if you’re still alive, abort. Fall back to site B. If you’re not there in the next few minutes, you’ll be left behind. I turned around and ran. A voice in my ear stopped me in my tracks. It was Lead.” Angel, execute Swoop.”

Swoop was the order to go down there and rescue them, I quickly turned around, switched from my sniper rifle to my assault rifle, and ran down to the fence. Pulling out a canister of liquid nitrogen, I made myself entrance. After avoiding a few patrols, I found two of my dead teammates. Quickly putting them out of my mind, I kept going to where Lead was supposed to be.

Finally, I made it to the vault. Dead bodies were all over the place. Nobody was left alive, not even the remainder of my team. I knelt down over the body of my fallen commander. ” I failed you, Lead,” I said, ” I should’ve gotten here sooner.”

“You’ve failed everyone who ever trusted you, ‘Angel’,” I heard from behind me.

Turning around, I saw Lead standing there. How the hell was that possible? I was still touching his dead body. “What the …, ” I stuttered.

“Surprised to see me? Not as surprised as I am seeing my corpse, I bet.”

I stood up and backed away. This was the freakiest thing I had ever witnessed.

“I bet you’re wondering how I’m standing here even though I’m dead,” it said to me.

“The thought had crossed my mind, ‘ I replied, after regaining some measure of composure.

“It’s quite simple, really. In death, I have joined a new army. Unlike the one we were in, I’m no longer in charge. I’m a simple recruiter.”

“What are you talkin about?”

“I recruit people into Death’s army and the next target is you.”

With that, his body began to change shape. His appearance was now quite frightening, almost demonic. Horns grew on his head, talons on his hands, ” Now,” it hissed with its forked tongue, “it’s time for you to get what you deserve.”