Free All Hell by Allan Burd

and he pauses. Joe starts forward then I train the rifle back on him and he stops. “All my ammunition is silver,” I shout. “Which one of you bastards wants to make me prove it first?” I can see the gears turning in Joe’s brain. He’s thinking all of them. They’re all thinking all of them.
      “There are two ways this goes down,” I shout. “We can slaughter each other to pieces right here, right now. Or… you can join me”
    Silver Joe looks baffled. But only for a split second… then he’s all leader again. “And what makes you think we would ever… join you ?” he spits out with a snarl.
    “Quite frankly ,” I start. “You never struck me as the type to be anyone’s bitch.”

    Chapter 15
     
    “I know the devil who created you,” I shout out to the lot of them. “Only he’s not the real devil at all. His name is Balzuzu. He’s a lesser demon who likes to make himself appear more powerful than he actually is. Silver Joe’s snarling, but I can see his entire demeanor has changed. I’m guessing the words lesser and bitch hit him right between his oversized alpha nuggets. I push it. “You go out there and do Balzuzu’s bidding… that doesn’t end your service to him. It begins it. You want to truly do what you were born to do. You were born free .”
    Two werewolves try to break through the lines to attack me. I could shoot ‘ em, but I don’t have to. Silver Joe grabs one by the scruff of its neck and commands the other one to get back.
    “See that, Joe,” I prod. “They’re already listening to Balzuzu instead of you.” I make sure I say Balzuzu instead of the devil to take the stigma away.
    Joe approaches, slowly, unthreatening. “The devil made us,” he insists.
    I keep my gun pointed at him, holding onto my position of strength. “Balzuzu made you. That doesn’t mean he owns you. You aren’t his pets ,” I throw in, another zinger to help change their minds. “I can’t see you…” I look to the entire pack and raise my voice “…I can’t picture any of you living as his slaves.”
    There’s a long pause. Silver Joe paces back and forth, looking into the eyes of his clan to gain a sense of their take on my words. I try to do the same , but I can’t get a feel for them.
    One of the wolves comes forward, a large black one with eyes of stone. He’s almost as intimidating and powerful looking as Silver Joe. I believe he was the one that carried Scout’s body back to the fold. “Balzuzu…” he snorts, mulling over the name. “Balzuzu may be a lesser devil, but he is still a powerful one. What is your plan?” he asks, the words dripping from his tongue like saliva.
    “Balzuzu’s raised an army of zombies. They’re heading into town to rip us to shreds. I say we get there and rip them to shreds first.”
    “And what of Balzuzu?” he asks.
    I narrow my angry eyes. “You leave that big red fuck to me.”
    The black one and I lock eyes. He knows I killed seven of his kind by my lonesome just last night, an act he views not with resentment, but with respect. Now he wants to take my measure for himself. I make sure I give him everything he’s looking for.
    Silver Joe says, “You’re asking us to fight for you.”
    “We’re going to war either way. The only question you have is, which side do you want to be on?” I respond.
    The black one approaches me again. “The winning side,” he snarls.
    “Do you really think we’re going to let him win?” I ask. “Even if he takes over Los Agros today, do you really think we’re going to let that stand tomorrow? That’s when our military gets called in; battalions of trained men, attack helicopters, fighter jets, missiles. We have nukes for…” That’s when it dawns on me. My voice becomes a whisper. “…god’s sake. Hell on earth.”
    All of a sudden I’m Sherlock fuckin’ Holmes and Balzuzu’s master scheme unravels itself before me. My expression changes from awe to shock and they notice.
    “ Hell