The Book of Doom - By Barry Hutchison Page 0,77

keep breaking him until he does exactly as we say.”

“Then you’re doing just what Heaven did,” Zac said. He ducked as Angelo’s Boa Constrictor-like tail whistled by above his head. “You’re only letting him be one thing – but now you’re bottling up his angel side.”

Haures snorted. “So once in a blue moon he’ll lose control and do some really impressive charity work. I can live with that.”

The demon duke feinted left as Angelo’s tail snapped down at him. “He’s already learned some basic commands,” said Haures, recovering quickly. “Watch this.”

Haures stabbed a clawed finger in Zac’s direction. “Angelo!” he barked. The Angelo-demon’s ears pricked up. It gazed down at the much smaller demon, unblinking. Haures smiled. “Kill.”

Slowly, like a shadow at sunset, Angelo’s gaze went to Zac.

“Don’t,” Zac said. “Don’t do this, Angelo. You know me. Try to rememb—”

A guttural howl drowned out the rest of Zac’s words. The Angelo-demon charged, claws swiping, fire spewing from his cavernous throat. Zac rolled, ducked, turned, ran. All around him was the crackling of the flames and the cackling of demonic laughter and the steady boom boom boom of footsteps chasing him down.

The crumpled jail cell stood just ahead. Zac powered forward. If he could make it there, he could buy himself a few seconds. If he could buy himself a few seconds, he could come up with a plan. And if he could come up with a plan, then maybe this wouldn’t have to go down as the most botched rescue attempt in the history of the human race.

The pointed tip of Angelo’s tail streaked by him. There was a nerve-splitting screeching sound as the tail tore through a metal wall, and then the entire cell was jerked up into the air.

Zac saw the shadow of the metal box grow larger around him. He hurled himself out of the way just as the cell was brought smashing down against the floor.

Clambering back to his feet, Zac swung the large water gun into his hands. “I didn’t want to do this,” he said, taking aim. “But you’re not leaving me any choice.”

He squeezed the trigger. A jet of holy water hit the Angelo-demon square in the chest, but the monster didn’t react.

“Immune to the effects of holy water,” roared Haures. “This just gets better and better!”

Angelo brought a foot stomping down towards Zac’s head. Zac avoided it, but only just, and with each miss he made, Angelo became angrier and more aggressive. If Zac was going to take the demon down, he had to do it now.

He ran from the giant demon, not trying to escape, but trying to make space. As he ran, he dug in his pocket and pulled out the little black bag Argus had given him. He heard the footsteps of the Angelo-demon thudding after him. He stopped. He emptied the bag into his hand. And then he tossed the contents towards the oncoming beast.

The eyes rattled like marbles on the hard floor. They began to roll just as one of Angelo’s feet came down on them. The foot slid sharply forward and the demon became horizontal in the air. All ten circles of Hell shook when he hit the ground.

Zac and Haures exchanged a glance, then they both set off running. Zac reached the fallen Angelo first. He leaped up on to his bare chest and fired a spray of holy water towards Haures, forcing the duke to duck for cover.

“Get away from him! What are you doing?” Haures demanded, but Zac was no longer listening to him. He scrambled along Angelo’s chest until he could look him in the eye.

“Angelo, it’s me. It’s Zac,” he said. “I know you’re in there. I hope you can hear me.”

He paused to scoosh more holy water at Haures, keeping him at bay.

“This isn’t you, Angelo,” he said. “Not really. This is what they made you, up there and down here. This is what they turned you into.”

A low growl rumbled from Angelo’s throat, but he wasn’t yet moving to attack.

“Up there they tried to make you an angel, and down here all they want you to be is a demon, but the real you is somewhere in the middle.” He shot more holy water backwards over his shoulder. Haures gave a yelp of panic and leaped out of harm’s way.

“Don’t listen to him, boy! Listen to your Uncle Haures.”

“I thought we were nothing alike, but I was wrong, Angelo,” Zac said. “You’re exactly like me – not perfect, but