The Seven Princess and The Gates of Hell

by Steve Wharton

  *****

  Ryan and Maria were back in San Diego three days when Maria made all of the reservations to Europe. They were going to Paris, France. The gate is said to be at the Pere Lactase Paris Cemetery in Paris. Some of France’s notorious figures in its history are buried there. It is said that the evil permeates in this cemetery, there have been many attempts to destroy the cemetery over the years but it is said that an evil force protects it. The cemetery only contains fifty graves and it is no longer used as all of the religions say the ground is not holy.

  The nine hour flight to Paris was smooth and pleasant. When Ryan and Maria deplaned they retrieved their luggage and picked up their rental car. They had received a car as big automobiles like Hummers and SUV are outlawed in France. They went to their hotel and checked in to the Americana Hotel. As French hotels go this was a grand hotel, old but elegant, the rooms were fit for the President or for a King.

  When they entered their room they saw that their crate had been delivered and was sitting by the dresser. They un packed their luggage and decided to find the exact location of the cemetery and just have a look at it. They found the cemetery without much trouble, and parked their car on the street and walked up to the gate. A sign on the gate said “enter at your own risk, evil lurks here.” They pushed open the old rusty gate and walked into the cemetery and they were surprised to see the gate right in the middle of the cemetery. The gate was surrounded by the graves of the fifty people buried there, Ryan took the time to try to read some of the names. Ryan did not know any of the names and most were hard to pronounce as they were French and Ryan neither read or spoke French.

  The gate appeared to be deserted just as the one under the Sphinx was. Now Ryan was beginning to give some creditably to the statement that Maria had made back in Egypt that there might be something going on they didn’t know about. Ryan said, “Let’s go back and get the C-4 and blow this place tonight and get out of here.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yea we can be back home tomorrow.”

  They wasted no time and the round trip took less than an hour, Ryan set the timer to blow the C-4 in half an hour. There was a short comment on the evening news about the Pere Lactase Paris Cemetery having finally been destroyed. Ryan and Maria were on the first plane back to San Diego in the morning. When they arrived back home they decided to take a few days off, there was no doubt in Ryan’s mind that this last gate was going to be the toughest one of all. The cemetery where the Voodoo Queen was buried was a big tourist draw and there would be people around all hours of the day and night. That would pose a problem in its self, how to destroy the gate and not hurt innocent people, the destruction of this gate would take careful planning.

  Maria wasted no time in gathering all the information she find on the final gate. Legend says that the gate is located near the tomb of the great Voodoo Queen, Antoinette Lafeaut. She died in 1867 she is buried in Basin Street graveyard, what they call St. Louis Number one. When Maria showed Ryan all the information she had gathered about the last gate Ryan mad a snide remark “Voodoo – Hoodoo you don’t believe in that junk do you?”

  “Ryan Simpson you of all people should not joke about something like that. With all you have been thru and seen, fighting demons and fallen angels, How can you doubt that voodoo exists?”

  “Well I think magic is just a bunch of bologna that’s all.”

  “Let me tell you something about voodoo in the United States, Oral traditions suggest that the occult part of magic mixed Roman Catholic beliefs, including saints, with African spirits and religious concepts, although voodoo is thought to be a Caribbean magic it has its base here in this country. Just remember many people were burned at the stake in the north east because people thought they were witch’s and warlocks. Magic is practiced in both the white and black version with white being good magic and black being bad magic.”

  “I know and they even do songs about it.”

  Maria just shook her head and walked out to the backyard and wondered what she was going to do with him. She could not believe that he had that kind of view with all he has seen. Ryan walked out and put his arms around her and said, “Babe I was just teasing, you really made a good point and I have to believe that it does really exist.”

  Maria turned around and put her arms around his neck and she pulled his lips to hers and they kissed like they had never kissed before.

  Ryan took Maria by the hand and led her back into the house, and back to the information about the Louisiana gate. “Now please tell me everything I need to know about this last gate.”

  “The cemetery is located in the French Quarter of New Orleans, it is one of the most visited cemeteries in the United States, It is said to have a mixture of good and evil in the cemetery, it has a strong Catholic influence with a cathedral located very close. The main draw for visitors is the voodoo queen’s tomb. The only problem I see with the destruction of the gate is going to be visitors.”

  “That’s what I was thinking myself. I am going to have to visit the cemetery to see the layout and exactly where the gate is.”

  “Do you want me to make reservations for the trip?”

  “If you don’t mind your a lot better at it then I am.”

  “I’ll take care of it, when do you want to leave?”

  “Anytime is good with me, it’s going to be a short flight compared to our last few.”

  “That is so true.”

  Maria went to the laptop and did her magic and in about an hour she said, “all done we leave in the morning.”

  “Good job babe.”

  Ryan spent the rest of the day in his shop cleaning it up. It had been left a mess when he started this last task of the lords, He picked up the figurines he had left laying on the bench and started to put them on the shelf. He knocked over one that was on the shelf and he picked it up and was hit by a massive amount of information about a fallen angel. He could not believe the name of the fallen, it was Lucifer.

  “Maria come here quick, please.”

  “What is it babe.”

  “I was cleaning up and I knocked over this figurine and when I picked it up I was slammed with information about a fallen, you will never guess who it is.”

  “I have no idea at all.”

  “The fallen of all fallen, its Lucifer himself.”

  “My GOD it can’t be that.”

  “I don’t know but that was the name.”

  “I need to know everything there is to know about him.”

  “Really that is easy, many religions think that Satan and Lucifer are one in the same but they are not, Satan was just an angel Lucifer was one of the Archangels. A Archangel is one of Gods heavenly children, Lucifer didn’t like answering to God, he tried to start a revolt against God with the other Archangels, he was very close to Michael and he almost joined Lucifer but in the end he did not. God banished Lucifer to hell where he would rule forever until the final days of everything. He would fight God and as we are taught he loses to God.”

  “Then why would I get his name?”

  “Lucifer has had to have done something that has changed things.”

  A white appeared and the form of an Angel appeared and then became Gabriel appeared to both Ryan and Maria. “My children I see there is much confusion on the fallen ones name you received. I was sent by the Lord Our God to clear this up for you. Lucifer has done the unthinkable thing and he has killed another Angel. He has been stripped of all of his powers and sent to earth as a human. The battle between him and out Lord that has been foretold will not happen. He will battle Gods messenger and Slayer for his fate. Do not take him lightly he is cunning and devious and will do whatever it takes to stop you from destroying the final gate to hell and to destroy you himself. Be aware he may not be alone, though he will not have any other fallen or demon with him.”

  “Gabriel I do not take any foe lightly, I take it that they are just as capable or more so then I am.”

  “That my child
is one of the reasons our Lord chose you to become the slayer.”

  “How will I know who he is?”

  “You already know who he is, you have seen him and helped him once and he still rejects kindness.”

  “Helped him, I would never knowingly help him....Oh my God the man down on his luck back in Jerusalem.”

  “Correct my child.”

  Gabriel disappeared and left Maria and Ryan to make the decisions on how to handle the gate and Lucifer. “How do you suggest we deal with this Ryan.”

  “I’m not sure at this moment. I would guess that anyone with him will be a human and will most likely be bad.”

  “That sounds about right.”

  “I think You and I will be armed to the teeth knowing what I know.”

  “That sounds like a good idea. Do you still want to leave tomorrow?”

  “Yea I do, we will just have to be much more careful about checking the place out.”

  Ryan packed two crates to have shipped to New Orleans, inside them was both MAC-10’s, all the ammo for them, all four nine millimeter pistols with silencer’s and all the ammo for them, his spotter scope, all the ammo for his Marlin and the Marlin that he broke down to fit in the crate along with the silencer for it. He also packed his gym bag with C-4, he put the detonators but not in the C-4 and a couple of timers and put it in the crate. Maria had picked their hotel because it was right across the street from the cemetery. Ryan called the delivery company and the man that had been picking up and delivering all of their crates showed up at their door.

  “My friend be careful this time it will be very dangerous. You are up against the most evil of evil.”

  “Thank you sir I will.”

  “I will deliver after you arrive tomorrow.”

  “Thank you very much.”

  The delivery man left with the crates and he seemed to be taking extra care this time. He was always careful but it seemed to Ryan that he was taking extra care.

  “Maria how do you suppose he always seems to know what we are doing?”

  “Maybe he is just a delivery man from heaven.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “I’ve searched the company and it does not exist. The number goes to a church that does not exist”

  “You’re kidding?”

  “No babe I’m not kidding.”

  “Well I don’t want to dwell on it, it just seems odd.”

  “I think I’m going to turn in so I’m fresh for tomorrow.”

  “I know you will be up early so wake me when you get up.”

  “Will do babe, I love you.”

  “I love you too, goodnight.”

  Ryan woke early as he and Maria thought and he woke Maria, he had already fixed breakfast, after breakfast they left for the airport, they had three hours before their flight left.

  They boarded their flight and settled in for the trip. Ryan laid back his seat when they were in the air and slept most of the way. Maria worked on her laptop seeing if she could find out any more information on the gate or on Lucifer. Search as she may she found nothing more than what she already had. Once they landed they picked up their luggage and car from the rental agency and drove to the hotel.

  They were very careful when they arrived at the hotel as they did not want Lucifer to see them. They didn’t see anyone looking their way from the cemetery or on the street. They checked in and went to their room while they were putting their clothes away there was a knock on the door and Ryan looked thru the peep hole in the door and saw the delivery man, he opened the door and let the man in and he set the crates down in the living area. Ryan tipped him and thanked him for the great service he has provided for the last year. The man just nodded and left.

  Ryan opened the crates and took out the MAC-10’s and loaded them, then did the same for the pistols. He put the Marlin together and screwed the silencer’s on all the guns that took them. He got out the gym bag and inserted the detonators into the C-4 and set one of the timers into the gym bag after setting the correct time.

  Ryan went to the window and moved the curtains apart slightly and looked at the cemetery thru his binoculars, he scanned the cemetery and found nothing out of the ordinary. He would have to keep checking until he found Lucifer. He also found the site of the gate. Ryan thought it was in the perfect spot about twenty feet inside the gate to the cemetery. Ryan spent almost an hour watching the cemetery and still didn’t see anything. He backed away from the window and sat in the big lounge chair, “Babe did you see the car circling the block while you were checking the cemetery?” Maria asked.

  “No I didn’t I was watching the cemetery its self.”

  “It’s a big black SUV, looks like a Suburban I think.”

  Ryan moved back to the window and saw the SUV turn the corner coming right towards the hotel. He watched as it passed and it stopped right after it made a left turn on the first street past the hotel. Ryan watched as they parked and just sat there. They sat there for about fifteen minutes and they pulled away and circled the block six times and parked again. He watched them do this for over an hour and it never changed.

  “Well I think they are watching the cemetery and never saw us come into the hotel, I would guess that they are bad guys.”

  “Can you tell how many of them that there are?”

  “No the windows are tinted pretty dark.”

  Ryan went back to the window and watched for another hour and they were still doing the same thing. Maria took over watching and she watched for almost two hours when the routine changed. They stopped where they had always stopped but this time five men got out and five new men got in. “Babe there are at least ten of them they just changed out five for five.”

  “That’s good to know.”

  Ryan took over watching the cemetery and he spotted a group of maybe tem men walking into the cemetery and they split up and they each walked over and talked to another man and the man that had been there started walking out. The man joined up with the other men leaving and Ryan wondered how he had missed them.

  Ryan told Maria to get some sleep he would wake her in about four hours to take over watching the cemetery. He wanted to keep an eye on it all night. Maria turned in and fell asleep pretty quick. Ryan kept watching the men that had entered the cemetery and they were just sitting on benches or leaning against trees. It was almost four in the morning when Ryan woke Maria and they changed places, Ryan was asleep almost the moment his head hit the pillow.

  Maria watched as the exchange of men occurred half an hour after she took over, she also saw the SUV start to circle the cemetery again at six in the morning. She estimated that there was at least fifty men in the cemetery and another five in the SUV. Ryan woke at seven in the morning and made coffee, he checked with Maria to see how she was doing and told her he would take over. She told Ryan she was doing good but she asked for a cup of the coffee. Ryan brought her a cup and told her he was going to go up to the roof and see what he could see.

  Ryan was surprised at the layout of the roof, he was above all the other buildings in the area and as he looked over the area around the cemetery he caught the glint of sun reflecting off of a scope. They had snipers on the other roofs but they were not very experienced to let the sun hitting the scope to give them away. Ryan went back down and got the binoculars from Maria. He told her that there was at least one sniper and most likely more. He wanted to check out the rooftops of the other buildings.

  Ryan checked out the other rooftops and counted twenty two snipers. That made it close to one hundred men watching the cemetery. Ryan made his way back to his room and sat down in the chair.

  “What’s the matter babe?”

  “They have snipers on the surrounding rooftops. Looking at what we’ve seen so far I put their number at close to a hundred.”

  “We have the fire power to handle that.”

  “I know the first thing I am going to need to do is take out the snipers, then worry about what’s on the ground.”
>
  “What do you need me to do?”

  “Work the spotters scope like you did before, I’ll need distance and wind direction.”

  “I can do that babe.”

  Ryan got the Marlin and loaded it and took extra ammo for it. He handed Maria the spotters scope and they went to the roof. Ryan set the Marlin on a tripod and he took a quick wind direction and a quick look at his first target area. Ryan picked up his binoculars and looked for the first target. He decided to take out the farthest one from him. He found the target leaning back against a ventilation duct and he changed from the binoculars to the scope on the Marlin. Ryan centered the crosshairs of the scope on the man’s head and asked Maria for distance and wind.

  Maria found Ryan’s target and gave the distance of seven hundred feet, she found a flag blowing and centered the scope on it. She told Ryan the wind was out of the north east at three miles per hour. Ryan made a slight adjustment of the scope and squeezed the trigger. Ryan kept the scope on his target and watched as his head exploded spraying brain grey matter on the ventilation duck behind him, the man slumped over dead. Ryan picked up the binoculars and checked to see if any of the other snipers reacted to the first shot, he doubted they would because of the sound suppressor. As he suspected none of the other snipers were aware that one of theirs had been killed.

  Ryan shifted to the next target and Maria gave Ryan the information that he needed and Ryan adjusted and fired again, Though it was a kill shot it was a little off to the left, wind must have changed he thought. Ryan shifted his aim again and Maria gave him a distance of four hundred seventy feet and wind direction of north, north east, “Babe, give me a new wind speed please.”

  “New wind speed five miles per hour.”

  Ryan adjusted the Marlin and slowly squeezed the trigger, Ryan could feel the power of the nearly three thousand foot pounds of energy that the rifle produced. He shifted to the next target and repeated the process. All told Ryan shot twenty three of the snipers that would have done the same thing to him. Ryan also targeted twelve of the men in the cemetery before the rest of the men realized what was happening and took cover.

  Ryan slid the Marlin back and they went down to hotel room after Ryan and Maria picked up all the brass that was ejected by the Marlin. Once down in their room Ryan said, “Let the boys in the cemetery cool off a bit they are a bit jumpy right now.”

  “How many are left I would say less than fifty.”

  “Ryan does it bother you to kill other people?”

  “Babe it would be a lie if I said no, but in fact it does and it always will, but we have a job to do, if it requires that I kill then I will.”

  “This may sound bad but I’m glad it bothers you, that shows me you have some compassion and caring for your fellow man.

  “Thank you babe.”

  “I’m going to go watch the window and see what is going on down there.”

  “Ok I’ll make us some lunch.”

  Ryan moved the curtain just far enough so he could see thru the window. Ryan scanned the cemetery and saw that some of the men were leaving, all in all another fifteen left, that should leave somewhere around thirty. Ryan kept watching and the men were returning to their post, Ryan spotted a limo come around the corner and it stopped where the SUV always stopped. Ryan grabbed the binoculars and watched to see what was happening, a man got out of the back of the limo and he was really yelling at the man that had walked over to him from the cemetery. The man from the limo slapped the other man who just bowed his head.

  Ryan was trying to get a good look at the man from the limo but was having a hard time doing so, the man looked familiar and thinking on the face Ryan remembered he was the man from the cafe in Jerusalem.

  “Babe come over here quick.”

  “What is it?”

  “Here look where the SUV stops and tell me if you recognize the man in the black suite.”

  Maria looked down and said, “sure that’s the man I was telling you about at the Rio airport.”

  “He’s also the man I helped at the cafe back in Jerusalem.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep and that means that that fellow is Lucifer.”

  Ryan cracked open the window and took one of the pistols and took careful aim and fired a shot. It had the desired effect as the bullet hit the left front tire causing a loud pop as the tire blew. Both Lucifer and the man who was talking to him hid behind the limo, Ryan watched to see what they would do. The back door of the limo opened and the limo started to move away slowly due to the blown out tire. Ryan aimed the pistol again and fired taking out the rear tire this time. The limo came to a stop and the driver got out and checked the tires and he walked up to the back door and the window rolled down about three inches, Ryan aimed carefully and fired a round into the limo thru the open window. The driver fell to the ground trying to hid and the window went back up on the limo.

  Ryan guessed that the limo had bullet proof glass and he was going to test that theory. He picked up the Marlin and sighted on the rear door glass, Ryan took a deep breath and slowly let some out and then squeezed the trigger. The glass on the back door exploded showering the driver still laying on the ground with glass. Ryan chambered another round and shot into the door. The passenger got out and started yelling “Coward you have to shoot an unarmed man.”

  Ryan could see he was not unarmed at all the grip of a pistol was clearly seen out of the waistband of his pants. Ryan chambered another round and aimed at the ground at the man’s feet and squeezed the trigger again. The bullet missed hitting the man by a foot.

  “Coward whoever you are come out and meet me like a man.”

  “Get rid of your men in the cemetery and I’ll come out.”

  “You have a deal” Lucifer said.

  “Then do it.”

  “All of you get out, out of the cemetery.”

  Ryan watched as the men started leaving the cemetery he watched a couple of them drop down behind headstones determined to save their boss. “Ryan aimed the pistol and shot at the tree behind one of the men. “All of them.”

  “Fools get out.”

  The two men got up and walked out of the cemetery. Ryan told Maria “keep a gun at the ready and if any of the men showed back up take a shot at them, you don’t have to hit them just get close.”

  Ok babe but please be careful.”

  “I will babe.”

  Ryan walked out of the room and had his pistol in his waistband behind his back. He walked out of the hotel and stopped and stood fifty feet from Lucifer. “Just who are you?”

  “Your worst nightmare Lucifer.”

  “You just keep thinking that.”

  “Lucifer I know you have no powers and you are now just a mortal man, Now get rid of any weapons that you may have and we will settle this like men.”

  ‘Lucifer took off his jacket and laid it on the back of the limo, “now just who did you say you were?”

  “I’m the slayer Ryan Simpson and your time has come to an end.”

  “So you’re the famous slayer who has terrorized all of my followers.”

  “I killed them and I will kill you.”

  “I don’t think so.” Lucifer said, and he charged Ryan.

  Ryan easily side stepped him and allowed him to trip on his foot that he stuck out just as Lucifer went by causing him to fall face first on the sidewalk. Lucifer regained his feet and charged Ryan again and Ryan put his fists together and slammed Lucifer on the back of the neck Causing Lucifer to hit the sidewalk again

  Lucifer was slower getting up this time, Ryan moved in and slammed his fist into the side of Lucifer’s head. Lucifer found himself fading in and out. He tried to get up once more and Ryan slammed his fist into the side of Lucifer’s head again, this time Lucifer did not move, Ryan called up to Maria and said “Bring down my gym bag please and grab that small white rope out of the crate as well.”

  Maria did as she was asked and when she got downstairs she asked what Ryan was going to do
.

  “I’m going to drag Lucifer over to the gate and tie him up, next to the gate then I’m going to blow him hp.”

  Ryan drug Lucifer the gate and tied him up and he opened his gym bag and he broke off a piece and pushed a detonator into it. He then took the piece of C-4 and pushed it into his mouth. Ryan reached down for the gym bag and a bush lit with fire and a loud booming came and said “STOP MY SON!” Ryan froze in his tracks, he knew right away it was the voice of his Lord and God. “Yes my Lord.”

  “This is not the way is must end for him. Release him and send him thru the gate to hell. Give him time to get thru the gate and then destroy it.”

  “As you say my Lord.”

  “My son you had done as I have asked of you, I am proud of you but the task is not over, There are many more fallen. It is up to you and Maria if you wish to continue what has been set before you. Tell me tomorrow what you decide, now do as I ask.”

  “Yes My Lord.”

  The bush stopped burning and Ryan looked at it and not a single leaf or branch was burned, he knew he had just seen God.

  Ryan did as instructed and removed the C-4 and he untied Lucifer, he turned him around and said “now go thru the gate and you will live. You have to the count of two hundred to go thru and keep going.”

  Lucifer looked at Ryan and said, “You and I are not finished, you will pay for what you have done to me and my followers.”

  “Go now before I change my mind.”

  Lucifer ran to the gate and went thru the gate. When Ryan had finished counting to two hundred he set the detonator for five minutes and tossed the gym bag thru the gate. He saw it land about ten feet inside the gate and he turned and walked back to his hotel room.

  “Babe, why did you let him live?”

  “You didn’t see the burning bush or hear the voice?”

  “Burning Bush? Loud voice? Are you ok?”

  “Yea it was God and he told me to let Lucifer live he said it wasn’t meant to be this way.”

  “Oh wow God came to you, that is great and explains your hair it’s a little bit more grey.”

  “Get out of here, that’s what happens in the movies.”

  “Go look.”

  Ryan turned around and looked in the mirror and searched his head for more grey hairs.” Maria started laughing and said “Got you”

  “Ok so you think I’m crazy.”

  “No, no I don’t I saw it all myself. It was the Lord God himself.”

  “Thank God you had me worried for a little bit.”

  Suddenly the ground shook and Ryan turned just in time to see the gate close up. He looked at Maria and said “it’s time to go home.”

  *****

  Ryan and Maria had been home for three months and had not received any assignments for fallen angels, they were at their wedding day. The wedding ceremony was just beautiful. They had almost five hundred guests in attendance between all of Maria’s friends and Family and all of Ryan’s Navy friends. There was going to be one big party in a little while. The exited the church and stood and greeted each guest as they left and they all had one question, “How did you get the two brightest stars anyone had ever seen to stay above your heads? Ryan and Maria looked at each other after everyone had left for the reception at Ryan and Marias house, “What stars were everyone asking about?” Ryan asked.

  “I have no idea.”

  A bright white light appeared and the Angel Gabriel formed and the bright white light stayed. “Our children it was me your Lord God and my son Gabriel over your heads. Your marriage was blessed in heaven long before it was on earth.” And the light and Gabriel disappeared. Maria looked at Ryan and said, “Some marriages are really made in heaven then.”

  Ryan pulled Maria close and kissed her and said, “Come on we have guests waiting for us to arrive.”