Chapter 7 (Vale)
They separated Matt, Sean and I. I didn’t say a word to the moron that was shouting at me, I asked for my lawyer, and brother, do I have a lawyer, they call him The Bull Dog, he takes no prisoners. Blake Stonewall, aka the bull dog, arrived within the hour, I have not been charged, yet I was cuffed to the table, my left eye was half closed, and my mouth so swollen I had to drink through a straw, before the bull dog would open a case of police brutality, I told him, to please send a car out to the cemetery. I explained that we were visiting a grave of an Aunt, then we came across,the open grave, and Sean was about to call the cops, while I gave the poor woman her Last Rites, I was bloody sure none of these ass holes read Latin. Blake sent a squad car out. I explained to Blake, that I had seen another body, I prayed to God, I was wrong, on our way out of the cemetery, that the cops had not read us our Rights, and for Blake to call in a cop to examine my hands. “Is there, tissue, blood, dirt or flesh under my nails?’ I tried to scream at the idiot that was examining my hands, he shook his head no. He was the one that assaulted me.
The squad car returned, I heard the commotion, and I knew she was dead. I was released, so was Sean and Matt, they corroborated my story to the t. I was mad, nay, I was furious. I went to the morgue. We waited for the ME’s report. Blake insisted I read the report. Maybe he shouldn’t have, something in me snapped. Abigail Mary Marshall died an hour ago, while I was sitting tied up for a crime I didn’t commit. She died of blood loss and hypothermia. Abrux had made small incisions all over her body, the old marks were noted in the autopsy.
I had to get stitches, the wound above my eye kept bleeding, I had two stitches on the side of my mouth. I asked Sean to phone Abigail’s parents. They said they would send a cheque. I was dumbstruck at their nonchalance. Next Sean froze her accounts, and we found her Will, and the name of her lawyer. Blake said he would take care of that for free, all of it, he felt guilty as sin, if he had listened to me in the first place, Abigail would still be alive. Sean made the funeral arrangements, I insisted she be buried in Black Hill. This was her home and her parish. I cannot describe how I felt until the funeral.
I met with her lawyer, Sean accompanied me, as I couldn’t speak. I know Abigail had left Thinker-bell to me, and the first one to Veronica. All debt free. The cottage would be sold, and the money would go to me. I honestly sat in shock, I didn’t need her money, I needed her alive, and that I couldn’t get. She was dead, that is all that went through my mind the entire meeting. Once it was concluded I walked out of the building. Sean was between jobs so he offered to take care of the shop, while I healed, he meant that well. I would never heal, the effing satan spawn killed my cat, yes, he killed my cat before he abducted Abigail. I buried my cat first. I had to wait for Abigail’s body to be released.
Lydiana, Lucille, Veronica and her son, Sam and Michaelus attended the funeral. Oh hell yes, I knew who they were on sight. And I made another connection, one that they had missed, Veronica’s young son, Richard was the fifth Key, I saw it in his eyes, when the light hit it, it had a tinge of red to it, exactly as Abrux’s had. I waited for the woman to leave. I had nothing in common with them. Then I walked up to Sam, and I punched him in the face, yeah, I had to really swing to reach it, and the fucker bled. “Your fault, Sam, that is your fault.” I pointed at the coffin in the ground. Then I walked up to Michaelus. “As for Guardian Angel, I think it is high time you quite your day job, you fucking demented piece of trash, not even your own Father wants you, so get the memo, pal. You are obsolete.” I threw my rose on the coffin and I walked away. I went to the cottage. Called in a few debts, and had the place packed up, and all of it donated to charity. The money I received from the sale, I placed a tombstone on Abigail’s grave, and I bought the entire block of shops, which housed Tinker-bell. I employed Sean full time, to oversee the other shops and to take care of a much larger, Tinker-bell. Then I packed up my home. I told Sean not to contact me, he was old enough to deal with shit as it arrived, to employ whomever he wanted to, I needed six months to sort myself out.
I went hunting, the first name on my list was Kloud. I did my homework, I had to find him outside the Res, my fight was not with his tribe, I had eminent respect for the Yankton’s. So I waited until he took a contract in town. I stopped outside the site and I walked up to the building, it was the first sunny day, we have had in ages. He took off his hat, and dried his face, then he removed his working gloves, we shook hands. “Howdy, if I am correct, you must be Kloud?”
“My name is Thomas Lane, I used to work for Miss Abigail Marshall.” I let my words sink in. Oh he was sharp alright. “Used to?” he asked. I nodded. “Yes, I just buried het two weeks ago.” This really shocked Kloud. He cleared his throat, I knew what the next question would be, so I answered it for him. “Abigail, well I used to call her Boss, was found tied up to her son’s tombstone, here in town. She was naked and sliced up badly, right there in the open for the world to see, the mother of a demon. You told her to f-off and die, so I came here to tell you, your wish has been granted. Now have a good day.” I turned around and I walked away. I followed Kloud to a pub, and I waited in my car.
When he emerged, I made sure he was alone, then I pulled a ski mask over my face, and I beat him into a pulp. I did dial the emergency services. And waited for them to tend to him, then I went to visit him in hospital, told you I snapped. He knew it was me, yet, he was unsure. Hell I can be nice Jack ass any time of the day, I even bought him a fruit basket. “Damn mate, I hope the other guy looks worse, I was on my way out of town, when the locals told me, you had been mugged.” He looked at my hands, not a scratch. “Yeah, didn’t even see the guy.”
I shook my head. “Bummer, sorry, mate. Get well, and be good to those whom are good to you.” The realization hit him like an avalanche, I patted his foot and I left, his heart monitor was going ballistic. Next was Michaelus, from what Abigail told me, he was some protector, so his ward had to be young, oh Google should be named a saint. I found him, of course I found him, he is seven feet tall, for effing sakes. I followed him for days, he walked the children to school and back. I watched how he interacted with them from a roof top, and a pair of binoculars. This dude showed no emotion. If I took him to Las Vegas, he would win in poker, by just using his face, but the children liked him, and he was good to them. I lay on my back looking at the sky. What God created these things, and where is God, now when He is needed?
I turned and watched Michaelus, when the Mom and Dad arrived home. He left, so I followed him, ah fuck, all the way to church. He sat waiting for me on the steps.
“When a person is psychic, I can read their minds, I listened to you struggle with all your thoughts today, Thomas, I have asked God the same questions, I loved her, I was in love with her, hell I married her, then Sam came along with all his threats, and I believed Abi, would be safer without me, do what you feel you have, to Thomas, I will not fight you.”
I cried, yeah, I actually cried, bitter, harsh tears, we were alone. He opened his wings, and he enfolded me with them, I touched his wings through my tears, and a sense of peace came over me, the second he retracted his wings, my rage grew. “I loved her too. I will always love her, I need you to tell me, where can I find Sam, and how do I find Abrux?”
“That is a suicide mission going after Abrux, he has the five keys, Thomas, that makes him very powerful, and if you don’t succeed in exorcising him, he will unleash hell on earth.”
“You know I can’t let this go, the cops, well, I first need to see what the Law does with them, but those responsible for Abigail’s death, they will pay, Michaelus, even if it kills me.”
“Revenge, taints the heart, Thomas.”
“Don’t, I don’t need a sermon from a Fallen, okay, you do you, and I will do me.”
Michaelus was watching me, so I looked up at him. He had the most unusual eyes. “You and I, we are not enemies, I can see how much you loved Abigail, but I will not back off.”
He nodded his head. “I know where Sam is, if you want Abrux, you will have to summon him, and be darn sure he can’t get out of the devils-trap, or you will be a dead man. Thomas, for Abi, if you find Abrux, call my name three times and I will appear to you, then instruct me to help you, give me permission, or my hands are tied, I am not allowed to interfere with mans free will, remember this, or I will stand there like a dummy.”
We shook hands, he whispered an address in my ear, then we parted ways. He really is one of the good guys, and I will need him to take Abrux down, for good.
I put the address into the GPS, and followed it to Keystone, now what is Sam doing in Keystone. I drove to the address Michaelus gave me. Then I watched the place for three days, nothing stirred. I decided to break in, yeah, the ultimate super-moron. I had no idea what I was going to do with Sam when I had him, tea, was not an option.
The back door was unlocked, and the house was in total darkness, so I took out the smallest flashlight I had, and my revolver in the other hand, I silently walked throughout the house, I found Sam. He was tied to an old moth-eaten couch. “Sam, are you alive?” I asked in my head, no need to end up like him, he was in bad shape. “Yes, Thomas, get me out of here, before Abrux and his brood come back, they want to bleed me dry, so they can summon Azazel.” We had this exchange in our heads, I handed him my gun, I had to get the clippers from my tool box, the angel was tied to the chair with barbwire, and buckets were catching the blood dripping from his wounds. I ran and I got the clippers. I had to drag his bulk out, he was too tall for me to fling him over my shoulder. And we left a blood trail all the way to my car, I squashed him into the backseat, and drove as fast as I could away from that house.
We drove for an hour, I needed to fill gas. “Do you need a doctor?’ I asked Sam. “No, I will heal by myself, thank you, can I have a bottle of water please?” I filled the tank and bought the water, he drank too fast and choked. I drove around looking for a Motel. I found one, paid cash, and helped Sam in to the bathroom, shit, he was in bad shape. I tore his clothes off. He bit his lip, and the blood flowed over where he had bitten himself, once the water hit his body. I felt bad for him okay, the enemy of my enemy, and all that. I went to a small store and bought everything he needed for first aid, then to the bottle store. And the clothing section, I bought everything in triple XL. He was still in the shower when I came in, too weak and too stiff to move. I wrapped a towel around him, he might be Fallen, but he is an Angel, his wings were damaged. I lay him down, placed his feet on a couch I pulled over. I handed him the bottle, and a stick to bite down on. Then I cleaned out the pieces of wire, stuck in his wounds. I bandaged him with what I had. Then I dressed him, in briefs, shorts, and a T-shirt. I ordered take out, he ate and slept. I sat watching him the whole night. I had a shower at five. Sam at the food cold, then washed it down, with the rest of the whiskey, he looked better. Not fit enough to go mountain climbing. I asked him what happened.
“Abrux was at the funeral, just not in his normal form, he had the audacity, to pretend he was one of the grave diggers, he noticed what you did in Richard. I cleared my mind, I didn’t want Michaelus, to know any of it. So I left after your chat. Abrux followed Veronica home, and took the boy, then they came after me, they are powerful, together, but we can exorcise them if we can find them alone, do not call on Michaelus, I will help you, you were right, I am responsible for Abigail’s death. I insisted on being a part of her life, I forced that key on her, and in the meantime it was all a rues, to find you, you are the seventh key, you felt strange, after Abigail's death? Well that when you triggered it, your dark-side. Well they over powered me, and I have been stuck in that chair for over two weeks, until you rescued me.”
“What happens to me, if, Abrux, catches me?”
“He will bleed you, to the brink of death, then keep you alive, he needs a blood-sacrifice to complete the conjuring, then we will be fast food, that thing he will release from hell, got sick of eating goats, we will be the sacrificial lambs, or goats or whatever the hell you want to call us.”
I cleaned his wounds, and handed him a bag of take out and another bottle, this time, I had the first drink. “How do we, how shall I put it, how do we kill the five children?”
“We catch them and exorcise them, they are small, in human ages, around two or three years old, but do not underestimate them, they have actual demons inside them, that are all powerful, they are the new-age, Nephilim. Born from a human female, and a Fallen. These bodies are husks, what resides in it, is larger than me, and by far more powerful, I have no super-powers, I fell from Heaven, I am an Angel, that swore to protect, clay-puppets. And that is what I will do, if you give me permission. As for Abrux, it will take two to send him to hell, the thing is, I don’t know for how long their incarceration will last, that prophesy is cast in stone, it will happen, the battle we win, if we win, will not stop the war, others will be born, and one day, Azazel will walk the earth, with 666 of his principles, and those they command, earth will be destroyed, it is biblical, whether by God, whom we call the Creator, or by Lucifer, and his army, but, it will take seven to break Azazel out of hell, then he will have no need for humans, or the Fallen, he wants a pure demonic army, so he can take on the Archangels, so the humans will have two Gods, and they will have to choose their alliance, either to Azazel or to God, whom we call the Creator, all the other Gods will be cast into hell, or killed. This is the real Armageddon, Archangels against the demons, and those caught in the cross fire, are collateral damage, that’s all.”
“Holy Mother.” I said this out loud. My mind was reeling from what I just heard, but why me? Hell I own a shop called Tinker-bell, how bad can I be. Sam read my mind, he told me to sit, and to take a long drink. I did as he said, then I sat at the foot of the bed, and I waited for the truth.
“You are adopted, your Mom, is barren. When she was just seventeen, she got married, and like most women, she wanted a baby, so the doctor that helped with the adoption, his name was Gadreel, you see, Thomas, this was written a long time ago. You see why I call humans clay-puppets, you all get yanked on to the path the universe has destined for you, whether you are good or bad, Abigail repented, and yet she died a gruesome death, where was the God, that forgave her, her sins? You are an innocent, yes, born from a female and demon, but this was not your spiritual choice. Yet here you are, part of a diabolic scheme, to unleash hell on earth. This is why I don’t want Michaelus involved, his halo, might be crooked, but his heart is in the right place, I need to see my brother, enter Heavens Gates, and fight the good fight, I am sacrificing me, not for redemption, but for my brother.”
We needed another bottle, and food, the roads were snowed over, and Sam was still healing. So I went and ordered two good plates of chilli, and I bought two bottles of whiskey, hell I threw in candy bars for desert, I moved the car, changed the number plates, then I went back into the room, locked the door, and salted the shit out of the room. Finally I found the book of knowledge I had sought for my entire life, I had a shower, I needed to stay awake, I dressed in clean clothes, we ate, and I poured us each a clean whiskey in a plastic cup. Then I sat on my bed, and asked Sam about him, how it feels to be cast out?
“They are called Deceivers for a reason, before we took a leap out of heaven we asked the relevant questions, and one of the questions, were, if we decide, we have made a mistake, can we go back home? Oh Azazel assured us, God is all merciful, all we had to do was repent, and He would zap us back to Heaven. It started with seven, then nine, but the seven were the instigators, and the liars. When Michaelus and I saw their true intentions, we prayed to God to forgive us, but it was too late, we had touched the ground, we were defiled by the actions of our brothers, we did not mate, we ran.
Michaelus, faster than anyone. He became part of a group of believers, and he sought his way back home through good deeds, and spreading the Gospel, but nothing he did, made Archangel Michael, or God take notice. I on the other hand, did not pray, not for a thousand years. No I did not mate. Then the prophesy was spoken by Azazel, and I was caught in this cycle, I tried to get out of it, that’s when I started praying. I met Michaelus, and I loved my brother, and then I met Abigail, and I felt what you would call lust for the first time in my life, after that, I lost control, I ate too much, I became lazy. I envied Michaelus, her love, and I broke them up. I forced my seed into her, no I did not rape her, but I made myself a part of her life. I didn’t want to share her, you can say, I became greedy, so I chained my brother up. I was so proud the day Abigail gave birth, and for nine months I believed I had it all. Then Abrux showed his true form, and it all went to hell, I just named the seven deadly sins, this is why I will accept my fate, but I will not send my brother to hell for my sins.”
Sam opened his wings, they were badly misshapen, I tried to straighten them out, so I could clean the blood of them. He was in so much pain. I brought a bucket of warm water, and I washed his wings, one by one, and then I sobbed, and I vowed to get this Angel Home, even if I had to bargain with my own life. I cannot honestly describe, the emotions I felt, washing his wings, they span from one side of the room to the other. I tried to dry my tears, but they kept pooling over. “They are so beautiful, Sam.” The tears ran down his face, “Come here my clay-puppet, he said in jest. Then he enfolded me in his wings. “Brother, I read your mind, I don’t want you to feel obligated to me, I was created to serve you. But thank you, I will not let you down, my brother, I will fight to see you and Michaelus in Heaven, and that is my bond to you.” Well I sobbed like a baby, the day an Angel holds you, you will cry, at the enormity, of their kindness, their beauty, and their forgiveness, it is totally, unconditional. Angels love, because they were created to do just that, love us clay-puppets, even though, we are not remotely worthy of this kind of love.
We left the following morning, Sam was still sore, but after a warm shower, he moved around more freely. He gave me directions, and we were going after the five first, until his strength returned. The first one we found in Boston, it was only logical, that Abrux would return the children to their parents, or it will bring unwanted attention to him. With Sam gone, he had to hunt us first for our blood.
We found the first key, Rodger Brine, we waited and watched, he went to kinder-garden during the week, and his minder was a normal lady. We would exorcise him in his home. That was the best bet, and the child, would be unharmed, and continue its human life, well that is what we prayed for. On Friday night, the parents went out, and the baby-sitter, was a teenager, we waited for her the call her friends, then we snuck in the back door. Rodger was asleep. I exorcised him, while Sam pinned him down with one hand over his mouth and the other on his chest. We watched the demon disappear, the Sam blessed the child, and he embraced Sam, when he saw the wings. This was a success, Sam placed protection, over the house and the boy for five years, then he would be back, and repeat the protection spell. Next was Florida, a boy named Shane Radcliff, a very wealthy family. So while they held a masked Ball, we walked in the front door. And up to his room. Sam gagged him, and I did the exorcism. We watched the demon disappear, the he embraced Sam. Sam repeated the protection spell. We walked out of the front door.
The third one was in Keystone, the family lived in a trailer-park, the dad passed out most of the time, and the mother worked at the dinner. Dennis Wellington, did not fight, he promised Sam, he will be back one day. And that I should watch my back, I waved and said “Bye dick.” Next was Deadwood.
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