by D. F. Jones
Miss Manny turned as she held Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park in her hand. “I’m delighted to help, and I can’t wait to see your story on the news. Won’t Daisy Allen be jealous?” She snickered as Sandy left the building.
Sandy said a quick prayer for Miss Manny. The book she held in her arms had killed a man today. She didn’t think he would be the last.
Chapter 3
That’s What Friends Are For
Snow began to fall as Sandy pulled into Everglade Farms. The place looked like a postcard with its old two-story brick house and wraparound porch. Two rockers sat on the front porch next to empty flower containers. Smoke filtered slowly from the chimney on the snow-covered rooftop. Sandy parked down the tractor lane next to the big red barn. She gathered Luc’s Testament and the copies into her arms and exited the car.
Sandy’s teeth chattered from the cold walking up the cleared sidewalk that made passage around the house and up the front stairs less treacherous. Sandy opened the front door without knocking and yelled out, “Honey, I’m home.”
Lee walked from the kitchen wiping her hands with a dishtowel. “Darling, you must be freezing. I have a big pot of vegetable soup on, and cornbread is baking in the oven.” Lee looked at the book, and her right hand flew to her chest. “You found Luc’s Testament. Where?”
Sandy followed Lee into the kitchen while she told her the events of the last fourteen hours. She noticed concern lines etched Lee’s face. Sandy placed Luc’s Testament and her briefcase on Lee’s baker rack. Sandy glanced at a collage of photos of little Joe with Ruby and Reed, a few of George and Lizzie, and one snapshot of Granddaddy Campbell with Harry and Lee.
Sandy went over to the stove and took off the lid and sniffed. “God, that smells good.” She grabbed a bowl of soup and sat down at the table. Lee brought her a glass of buttermilk because she knew it was Sandy’s favorite. Sandy asked, “How are George and Lizzie? I haven’t seen them since Joe was born.”
Lee joined Sandy at the table with a cup of coffee in her hands. “They’ve separated. George hasn’t told me what’s going on, but Lizzie did before she left for her mother’s house in Florida. She can’t have kids and doesn’t want George to miss out. Her depression escalated after Ruby gave birth to Joe. Lizzie thinks she’s doing the right thing. I tried to talk her out of it. Now my boy’s fun-loving personality has turned dark and grumpy. I’ve spoken to Ruby, and she said I needed to stay out of it. What do you think?”
“Ah, lawd, don’t ask me. I’m the world’s worst person for love life advice.” Sandy blew on the hot soup before she sipped it and still burned her tongue. “George and Lizzie have been together for a long time. It doesn’t seem right they should be separated. You know, back in the day, I had a huge crush on George. He kissed me once. Did you know that?”
Lee took another sip of coffee and sighed. “Yeah, I knew you were kinda in love with him before he met Lizzie and they started dating.”
Lee pushed her chair away from the table and walked over to the sink. Looking out the window at the sheets of snow, she said, “I’m having battle dreams. I think it’s the same one Jerry’s message revealed. I believe it’s about Luc coming for his book.” Lee turned and looked at Sandy. “You’re messing with real fire, this time, Sandy D. This isn’t your run of the mill news story.”
Sandy remained silent.
Lee leaned against the counter. “Luc’s book is proof of a supernatural world most humans choose to ignore. It’s not just the fact that Luc will come for you, but the longer you possess the book, the darker your soul will become. It has enormous power and yields destruction. The book will destroy you if you don’t rid yourself of it soon.”
Sandy said, “Mama Bear, Baldric’s already given me a lecture, but I need to do the story on Cole. I know I only have the book for a short time. But Baldric and I agree the story may save lives. It won’t stop Luc or even slow him down. But it’s one more victory for the home team.”
Sandy washed down the rest of her soup with a big glass of buttermilk and wiped her mouth with a red linen napkin. “Um, Mama Bear, I had no idea what the book was until I held it and made copies. The news story should be ready to go live tomorrow evening. I haven’t called Art because I’m afraid Cole has placed people inside the station. I don’t have time to train. I need to work tonight.”
Lee walked over and squeezed Sandy’s hand. “But that’s precisely why you need to train. You need the additional skills if Luc knows you have the book, and I can assure you he does by now. Training will give you the edge on whether you live or die. Put your piece off. Stay here tonight. You can leave in the morning.”
Sandy placed her forearms on the table. “Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to sit on this story? Nick London is dead. We have a councilman missing, and countless small business owners have gone out of business because of Cole. I have to write the story, shoot the scenes, and edit them for air. I can’t do it here.” And that’s if Luc or Cole doesn’t get to me first.
Sandy pushed away from the table and brought her dishes to the sink. She turned and said, “I have to expose Cole’s illegal activity and include those people who have helped him circumvent the system to make millions, and do it in such a way the powers that be will have to investigate my allegations.”
Footfalls thumped outside the kitchen door, and a smile lit Lee’s face. “Aw, I hear my baby boy.” She walked to the back door and opened it. Ruby and little Joe came inside. A clump of snow fell out of Ruby’s hair onto the chubby baby’s forehead making him scream bloody murder in his mother’s arms.
Sandy clapped her hands and went over to Ruby. She grabbed the little boy out of Ruby’s arms and twirled Joe in a circle. “What are you doing to your mama? You precious boy. Man, you have a huge set of lungs.” Sandy glanced at Ruby and added, “You may have given birth to this child, but he’s going to look like his daddy.” The abrupt departure of his mother stunned Joe into silence as he stared at Sandy. Joe’s face began to turn shades of red as he held his breath and then screamed some more. Sandy quickly passed off the explosive package to his grandmother.
Lee placed the baby on her shoulder and began to pat and rub his back. Joe let out a belch of a much larger person. “See there? He just had air in his belly.”
Ruby shook off her coat and hung it on the hook next to the back door. She gave Sandy a hug and kissed her cheek. “Sweetie, how are you? I’ve missed the heck out of you, stranger.”
Sandy whistled and waved her hand back and forth. “Wowzer, you’re back to your pre-baby weight. Dang, motherhood looks good on you.”
“Oh, girl, flattery will get you everything. I didn’t know if you’d make it tonight. Jerry’s battle prediction has Mom nervous. Big training session in the barn. Did you bring workout clothes?” Ruby stepped over to the stove and raised the top of the pot. “Yum, I’m starving.” She reached into the cabinet next to the fridge and pulled out a bowl, then ladled vegetable soup to the brim.
“If I’m staying over tonight, I’ll have to borrow clothes from Lee. Ruby, brace yourself.” Sandy paused for effect, and Ruby stopped and stared. “I have Luc’s Testament. With it, I have the tools to bring down Cole Steele.”
Ruby’s face paled, and she dropped her spoon in the bowl of soup. “Holy moly. That’s why Jerry received the encrypted message. Holy cow. Luc has to be pissed. I’m surprised the house is still standing.”
Anna and Jerry came through the back kitchen door, taking off their coats, grab-assing and snickering like two teenagers. Anna turned from Sandy to Ruby. “What? Can’t I give my husband some sugar?” She went to Sandy and hugged her. “Hey, we’ve missed you around here, Miss Reporter of the Year.”
Sandy kissed Anna’s cheek, and Jerry came over to get into the action. Sandy wrapped her arms around their necks and said, “I miss you guys, too. It looks like the honeymoon is still going strong.”
Ruby began to eat and pointed to the pot of soup. Jerry quickly grabbed bowls for him and A
nna and joined Ruby at the table. Ruby said, “Jero, your message is on point. Sandy has Luc’s Testament.” She glanced up at Sandy and said, “Spill it. Short and sweet please.”
Sandy walked over to the baker’s rack, grabbed the book, and placed it in the middle of the walnut kitchen table. “I have horrible visions from the book. The book seems to be alive. Revelations filled my brain regarding human souls. Luc breaks human souls into categories. The book lists magic spells and Luc’s military strategies for his demon angels. The pages are in a constant state of flux, adding some pages while deleting others. It’s like one of your software programs, Jerry. The book incriminates Mr. Steele, and that’ll be the focal point of my story.”
Sandy quickly told them about Nick and Henry’s Tailor shop. “Nick lifted the book while meeting with Cole. I’m not sure how he did it. Look at that thing—it’s huge. I don’t think Nick had any idea what he was stealing or why in the world Cole left the Testament out in the open in the first place. Nick taking the book signed his death warrant. I have to develop a story and get it on air before they silence me.”
Lee came back into the kitchen with Joe in her arms. He was trying to stick his fingers into Lee’s mouth. She kissed his fingertips and gave him a plastic teething ring to occupy his time. “The guardians are waiting for us in the barn. Harry’s going to babysit. Where’s Reed?”
Ruby stepped over to her mom and kissed Joe on the forehead. “Reed’s mad. He’s feeling a little insecure at the moment. He thinks he can’t protect us. Reed wants to become a member of our team. It’s not my call, but he’s sure as shit acting like it’s my call.”
Harry walked into the kitchen, and little Joe’s eyes lit up for his granddaddy. Harry grinned from ear to ear as he opened his hands and extended them to Joe, who squealed and reached for him. “I remember when I found out about you and your mother. I wasn’t very happy either. I made the decision to accept her position and respect her for it. The responsibility each of you shares is enormous. The least I can do is support you and care for this little guy. Listen to Lee, listen to the guardians. It’ll save lives and souls.” He left the room with Joe in his arms.
Lee stepped over to the stove and turned the burner off. She turned around to face her daughter and the others whom she regarded as her own children, or so Sandy thought. “I’m changing into my training gear. Sandy, I’ll leave you some clothes in Ruby’s room.” Lee paused before walking out of the kitchen. “My prayer has been to keep all of you safe. The guardians called tonight’s training session. It’s serious, so I need you all to be serious, and that goes for you, too, Jerry.”
Ruby, Sandy, Anna, and Jerry exchanged questioning looks, then Ruby said, “Mom, we’re not teenagers anymore. We get it. It’s serious.”
Lee placed her hand on Ruby’s shoulder and kissed the top of her head. “My darling, you don’t get it, but you will when you walk into the barn.” She looked at her watch and said, “We have fifteen minutes. Don’t be late. Erinelle is the senior commander of Campbell Ridge and she is by-the-book tough.” She left the room.
“Ew-whee, someone’s in trouble.” Jerry snickered and slurped his soup.
“I think Mom is scared we’ll embarrass her or something in front of her guardian.” Ruby started cleaning up the dirty dishes.
Sandy pulled out a drawer and reached in for a clean towel to dry. “This will be the first time we’ve seen all of our guardians together. It’s exciting. I mean, didn’t you feel Lee’s electric vibe?”
Anna stood, finished drinking her water, and handed the empty glass to Ruby. “I’ve seen them together. I’ve watched the guardians fight, and I’m glad that they’re finally going to include us. I have a feeling this is why we went to the cave in the first place. How long ago was that? Things happen for a reason, or at least I think so.”
Jerry turned his bowl up and quickly finished his soup. He handed the empty bowl to Ruby. “Look, it wasn’t that long ago I lost Anna and by His Grace got her back. Demon angels are real, and they’re real nasty. If they’re coming for us, then we have to know what to do. Some of the messages I receive I don’t think I’m supposed to understand. It torments my sleep. But the battle message, it specifically said we would fight Luc’s demons.”
Sandy folded the dishtowel and laid it on the counter. “Give me five minutes to change clothes and we’ll go to the barn together.”
* * *
Thankfully, Sandy and Lee wore the same size clothes. She pulled on a pair of black sweatpants and a gray sweatshirt. Running shoes were a tad big, but an extra pair of socks did the trick. Sandy bounded down the stairs, and everyone stood at the door waiting for her. “We have two minutes to get to the barn.”
Ruby said, “Let’s fly.” They grabbed their coats and left out the back door from the kitchen and ran across the backyard, down the hill, and into the barn.
The big red barn had three separate double doors at the entrance, two at the back, and several side doors. Ruby opened the side door of the barn closest to the main house, and they walked inside.
Along every wall and up to the rafters, angels filled the barn. It took Sandy’s breath away. The warm glow of love inside the barn made her want to weep with joy. Unconditional love filled every nook and cranny of her soul. She had a complete sense of peace, and then she locked eyes with Baldric. He gave her a big smile. Baldric, do you feel this kind of peace every day? He nodded and winked.
Sandy noticed that her best friends seemed to be experiencing the same kind of awesome feeling. Sandy wondered what the angels thought of them. Lee stood next to an incredibly tall and beautiful female angel with long, dark red hair, and she was armed to the teeth with weapons.
The female warrior angel said, “Good evening, wards, please join us. As you see, this is a training session for us as well as it is for you. Sandy’s in possession of Luc’s Testament and Jerry’s prophecy states we’ll be joining forces in a battle. It’s time to prepare.” The female warrior angel motioned toward the Campbell Ridge guardians who fell into rank beside her. “To my right, we have Seneca, guardian of Ruby Jane, Baldric the Warrior, guardian of Sandra Daireann, Luwenia, guardian of Jerry Douglas, Raphael, guardian of Anna Faye, and I’m Erinelle, guardian of Georgiana Lee.”
The side door opened again, and all eyes turned to Reed as he strolled inside the barn. He nodded to his friends as he crossed the room to stand next to Ruby. Reed stood tall and proud as he held Ruby’s hand. “I apologize for my tardiness. I just received the phone call from Harry that I was to attend tonight’s session. Is this correct?” Lee smiled at Reed and tilted her head toward Erinelle.
Erinelle stepped up to Reed and at eye level, she said, “You want to fight, human?”
Without wavering and with steady eyes, Reed replied, “I’ll lay my life down for anyone in this room. I’m willing to do what’s necessary to protect my family.”
Erinelle turned and whistled. A boy who seemed to be around the age of ten approached the female angel. She said, “Are you willing to train the human?” The boy nodded and approached Reed.
With reverence, Reed said, “I mean no disrespect, but surely you don’t mean to send this kid into battle?” The boy grabbed Reed’s arm and flipped him to the ground, placing his foot on Reed’s throat. Laughter rumbled throughout the barn.
The boy chuckled and said, “Be careful who you call a kid. I’m three thousand years old, and I’ve seen more battles than most of the angels in this barn. Who do you think taught them?” The boy raised his foot and extended a hand to Reed.
Reed grabbed his throat and choked out, “My apologies, sir.”
After the laughter had died down, the boy said, “Meh, no apologies needed. My name is Simon. You listen and do what I say, and I’ll make you a warrior fit for the AAF.” A roar of whistles and clapping erupted throughout the crowd of angels. The Angel Armed Forces were under Michael’s command and protected all of the known universes, including earth.
Erinelle placed her ha
nd on Simon’s left shoulder, and he fell in rank with the guardians of Campbell Ridge. She extended her arms outward and said, “Tonight’s training session is a crash course for fighting Luc’s demon angels. It’s a prelude to the coming battle. There are no rules, no wrong or right way to send a demon angel to the Eternal Darkness, which is the abyss where one is separated from The Creator forever.”
Erinelle commanded the room as she walked about the straw- and dirt-covered floor. She looked at the wards and the angels in the rafters. “Single combat battles are rare. Most demon angels will try to tag team to destroy the soul of possession. The light of love or The Creator’s light draws the demon angels into the open. The light triggers a memory of heaven. The demons still long to be in The Creator’s presence. The light of love gives our legion the opportunity to descend from heaven and send the demon angels straight to the Eternal Darkness.”
Erinelle approached Ruby and Reed and searched their eyes. “Demon angels are cast into divisions based on personal flaws, human weaknesses. Any act perpetrated on oneself or others that destroys the soul—you can safely assume Luc’s demon angels have compromised their spirit of light. The little voice within you telling you the difference between right and wrong began at creation when humans made the decision to choose for themselves. It’s been a constant struggle between good and evil ever since.”
Erinelle stepped in front of Sandy and placed her hands on her hips. “Demon angels are highly territorial by nature, and it isn’t uncommon for an internal battle between groups to occur. We use their territorial nature to divide and conquer.”
Last, Erinelle faced Jerry and Anna. “Keep in mind as we break up into groups you’ll be fighting a contest of wills and sometimes it’s your free will that may hinder you from victory. Commence to your guardians.” Erinelle waved her hand and walked over to Lee.
