Chapter 21
He's Back
Alex sat in silence on Monday evening. He was absolutely elated that Dar-Raven had been so whipped by what he secretly called, "his feathered friends." What was even nicer, he hadn’t heard or seen Dar-Raven since he left to go to the mountain to get the kids. What a vacation. Although for the last two days, he had been fielding numerous calls from the media while he tried to explain his actions on sending the helicopters and the airmen from Tullahoma. With all the rumors of angels in battle, one soldier seriously injured, and a colossal battle between heavenly Titans, it still sounded extraterrestrial. It was rather confusing and ridiculous sounding. There were some snapshots, but they were fuzzy looking. They looked like feathered streaks of blurred movement. Even Sewanee remained silent, not wanting to give any additional credence to the imaginations of anyone. They didn’t want to encourage the illusions to become anymore real than they were.
Alex believed it all, every bit of it, and relished every scrap of information he got, especially about this final fight between Dar-Raven and this other equally big angel. He wished he could have seen Dar-Raven’s feet sunk into the dirt up to his ankles. The kids were safe for now, and he figured that some of them had to be his car-lot kids. It made him feel better, almost redeemed, at least justified, and able to say again, "I’m not a bad person. See, I’m really not."
The reports from the Arnold AFB were put under lock and key, but the helicopter captain and the lieutenant were speaking openly about their angel experience. The military didn’t like any of it and didn’t want to hear it; and when the other airmen supported their stories, they decided to bury it. They transferred as many as they could to other bases on immediate isolated tours, including Greenland, Guam, Suez, and Croatia. The captain took early retirement while the lieutenant got transferred to the motor pool in Israel. The Air Force just didn’t want to deal with it.
Then, that terrible voice, "Have you missed me?" Dar-Raven spoke from behind Alex as Alex was looking out his suite window into the Nashville skyline.
Without turning in his office chair, he said, "You know the answer."
He didn’t even get a goose bump from Dar-Raven anymore. Why should he? He had a deal with the Dark Father, and Dar-Raven couldn’t touch him. He still had 28 days left to make up his mind to serve the Dark Father.
"I’m not a short-timer, yet," he replied, even-toned, remembering his own military days. He remembered holding up his fingers and yelling to new arrivals at Wheelus AFB in Libya, "Short-timer!" Man, did he love the looks on new arrivals' faces.
"What’s a short-timer?" asked Dar-Raven.
"Forget it, Dar, it’s a human military thing," he replied disgustedly as he spun around in his chair facing him. Alex noticed something different about Dar-Raven. "Dar, you lose some weight? Can’t handle the stress or something maybe bigger?"
Dar-Raven immediately caught the drift and couldn’t believe Alex knew about Aaron. Dar-Raven was rather subdued, not exactly his cocky self. There was definitely something troubling
him. He looked noticeably beaten and haggard, like someone who
had taken a serious thrashing from their boss and knew they deserved it. He wasn’t wearing his own guilt and defeat very well.
"I’ve been working on a plan," said Dar-Raven.
"Well, I hope it’s better than the ones you’ve had so far. I figure you got less time than I do to come across. I bet your Dark Father will put you under lock and key with those long-tailed hordes I saw." Alex didn’t laugh but kept a serious tone, not trusting this rather offish Dar-Raven, not wanting to push all his buttons at once.
Dar-Raven answered flatly, "Worse. I'll be made to feel pain and be thrown into the fire hole. I’ll burn for eternity exactly like you will one day."
Alex was amazed at the stupidity of Dar-Raven and his Dark Father. They both assumed that Alex’s free will was gone. After his experience of visiting Apollyon in hell and still feeling the voice of God reach him, he could change and had been thinking about it. He had been thinking longingly about the quiet, tranquil streets at Sewanee. He was also thinking that if the children escaped there that so could he. He may not have swallowed the “believers” thing yet, but he knew that if he was at Sewanee, Dar-Raven couldn’t get
him. He thought that this Christian deal was really not so bad—there was worse. He kept daydreaming about his own peaceful vacation and knew exactly where it would be.
“Okay, big guy, what’s this new plan of yours?” asked Alex, his face in both hands with his elbows on the desk.
Dar-Raven perked up at the attention and did something totally out of character—he sat down—he never did that. He was always pacing, flapping, strutting, never sleeping or sitting. Dar-Raven grabbed a suite recliner and dragged it out into the middle of the room and plopped down. He kicked off his leather shoes while pulling the
recliner handle. Here was a seven-foot angel of hell sprawling out in a recliner and wiggling his black-socked toes that hung carelessly out
over the foot support. It was if Alex was the counselor and Dar-Raven was looking for feedback. It was humorous, and Alex couldn’t resist.
“Well Dar, tell me about your mother. You can speak freely.” Alex buried his face in his hands to hide his laughter.
“What?” Dar-Raven replied mystified, “I don’t have a mother. I was created. You know that.” He still never got it, and Alex was kind of glad he didn’t.
“My plan is simple,” he spoke slowly and drifted off fading in and out. His mind seemed elsewhere. “I need some good men. No, I need some very bad men. I need a group of mercenaries, real killers, an army of them—no believers, please. I need to get those kids off the mountain. My Dark Father seems to have taken a special interest in this particular Sanctuary. He said the end is coming soon. He’s seen the signs of the fig tree. I’ve heard about that before, but he seems very upset about it. Although, at times, he seems to look forward to it. I do too. I used to be one of the princes of heaven sitting with Apollyon near the throne of God. I made a decision to overthrow God with him. I was promised dominion and glory. What I got was dominion and glory, but on this dirt pile you call earth. Not exactly, what I had in mind. None of us did. You have no idea how beautiful heaven is. It’s those colors I miss, the light, the brilliance of the light. You can pass near the throne, and it makes you feel great. The harmony and peace is beyond description. What a feeling! We live in a place of darkness where it’s discolored, dull, gray, black, but no brilliance. There's a staleness about hell, the air is so polluted with ashes; and even if I decided to sleep, which I don’t, how could I? The screams of those souls go on day and night. Also, I hate having to
listen to the shrieks of those nagging scorpion angels, always begging to be set free. You’ve seen them. They never stop pestering Apollyon
to let them out. We hear them going on and on about it. It’s enough to drive us crazy. Earth is a picnic compared to hell, but oh heaven! We have to win! We have to regain it! This end thing will be a nice change."
There was something pathetic about Dar-Raven. He was miserable; and although Alex despised him, he felt sorry for him at that moment. There was no free choice with Dar-Raven. He made his choice long ago, the wrong one. There was no free will with Dar-Raven, and he was a prisoner of his own making.
Children of the Sanctuary Page 24
