by J. Ashburn
Micah stared into Caleb’s eyes and saw how serious he was, how much he loved and cared for everyone. The fact that he was willing to put himself in danger to save a friend was the most selfless thing anyone had ever done. It touched Micah’s heart. “Caleb, I—”
Micah’s cell phone rang cutting him off. He saw Nick’s name on the ID and answered it immediately. “What’s up Nick? Is she okay?”
“You tell me… she’s possessed by some shit-eating, ugly…”
“Nick.”
“Sorry. Nicki’s really dehydrated. She probably hasn’t had water or food in days. Her body is going to give up even if her mind and soul don’t. We need to get something into her. We can’t just keep her tied up with no food or water.”
“Shit, you’re right.”
“I was thinking of having Jake examine her, maybe set up an IV or something.”
“Do you think it’s okay to involve him?”
“He’s already involved. He knows all about Caleb and Sebastian and that crazy angel looking for you guys… what’s a little possession on the side, right?”
“If you think he’ll be okay. We can’t let her starve.”
“I’ll go talk to him if you want to come here and watch her.”
“Sure, we’ll be right over. Thanks Nick.” Micah hung up and got off the bed. “We need to get some fluids into Nicki. He’s going to get Jake so we need to get back to Nicki’s.”
“Okay.” Caleb’s voice was soft and he was reserved. Micah knew he was still thinking of searching out Nehemiah.
“We’re not done talking about this,” Micah said with a hint of playfulness.
###
Nick walked into the hospital reception area and texted Jake with his phone. He had barely finished sending his text when Jake appeared in the waiting area. He smiled the widest smile Nick had ever seen.
“So cool, I was just about to text you.” Jake took Nick’s hand.
“You were?”
Jake nodded. “I can’t get you out of my mind. I’ve been thinking of you all day.”
“That’s really nice, Jake but I have something I need to tell you.”
“Sure… come with me.”
Jake tugged Nick along and led him down some hallways. He pushed open a service door with a flight of stairs.
“Jake… where are we going…I have to tell you….ask you…”
“I’ve always wanted to do it at work. Haven’t you?”
“Maybe yeah, but right now…”
Jake ignored him and found a storage room. He pulled Nick inside with him and started kissing him.
“Jake—wait—“
“C’mon baby, it’ll be hot.” Jake massaged Nick’s crotch and ran his tongue up and down his neck.
Nick grew hard instantly. He surrendered to Jake’s passions, letting him go down on him in the storage room. Jake yanked Nick’s pants down and soaked his dick, licking the shaft and his balls, brining him to the brink of climax.
Jake raised his head and kissed Nick again before slipping his white coat off and pulling his scrubs down around his ankles. He stretched a condom over his hard dick and eased Nick onto his lap, gliding inside of him.
Nick moaned as he rode Jake, bouncing up and down, looking into his lover’s eyes. A wave of pleasure spread through him as his heart raced. He felt sweat damping his hair and perspiration sending tingles down his spine. He stuck his tongue into Jake’s mouth and made out with him as Jake thrust harder and faster. Nick yelped, trying to control his cries of ecstasy, throwing his head back and holding onto Jake’s broad shoulders. There was a thrill doing it in Jake’s workplace, the threat of getting caught, the bad boy behavior that suddenly took Jake over, and the secret location.
Nick was struck by how ramped up Jake was and his sudden insatiable desire, especially here at the hospital. Jake was always strictly business at his job, and a bit conservative. There was something totally off about this and the thought suddenly struck Nick. He looked into Jake’s eyes and thought they seemed a bit glossy. There was something heightened about him right now.
Jake let out a long sensuous moan, closed his eyes and held onto Nick. He climaxed as he let out quick breaths and then went lax. He looked up at Nick and smiled, kissing him.
“That was awesome,” Jake murmured.
Nick climbed off him and put his clothes back on, staring at him warily. Jake finished dressing, putting his white coat back on and looked over at Nick. “What’s wrong?”
Jake hadn’t even noticed that Nick did not get off. “What was that all about?”
“I was being spontaneous. I wanted you… I couldn’t help myself. Didn’t you have fun?”
“I did but that’s not the point. This isn’t like you. I came to you for help and you ignored me.”
“I’m sorry, oh God you’re right. Is everything all right?”
“Is everything all right with you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you high on something? Did you take something to make you horny or something?”
“Nick, of course not! I would never do that. Being into you is one hundred percent natural. Jesus baby, I am so into you that I just couldn’t wait.”
“Okay.” Nick bowed his head.
Jake cupped Nick’s chin. “What’s wrong? There must be something wrong if you came to the hospital.”
“There is something wrong. You’re not going to believe this.”
“Try me. After you told me all about Caleb and Micah, I think I can handle it.”
“This is different.”
###
A knock reverberated through Nicki’s front door. Micah ran over and opened it to let Nick and Jake in.
“Jake,” Micah greeted him. “Thank you for coming. Prepare yourself, this isn’t going to be easy.”
“I’m ready, Micah.” Jake carried a satchel of medical supplies. He followed Micah to the closed bedroom door. Nick followed behind them all.
Micah opened the door and Nicki turned quickly to watch them all enter. Caleb was standing at the foot of the bed.
A toothy grin split across Nicki’s face. “Ah, the good doctor,” Sebastian’s voice said. “Or should I say the naughty doctor. Have a good fuck in the supply closet while people died around the hospital?”
Micah looked over at Nick and Jake.
Nick shook his head, unable to look Micah in the face.
“Do not list to him,” Caleb said. “He is trying to divide us. He will speak all manner of lies to us. Ignore him.”
“Fine.” Jake walked up to the bed with some trepidation. He lay the satchel down and took his stethoscope out of it. He put it on and listened to Nicki’s chest.
Nicki whipped her head around and gnashed at Jake with her teeth. Growls and roars escaped her.
Jake jumped up. “Jesus!”
Nicki cackled. “Sorry doctor, Jesus is dead.”
“Jake,” Nick put his hand on his back.
“I’m okay,” he waved Nick off and continued. “Her heart rate is dangerously fast.” He looked at her skin color and her eyes. Her flesh was dry and sallow. “You have to get her medical attention. She needs to be under some care…”
“We can’t,” Micah said. “Not while he’s inside her.”
“This is the demon that tried to kill you all in the diner?”
“I came so close!” Nicki bellowed in Sebastian’s voice. “So close. I should have flayed you alive the second I laid eyes on you all.”
Jake ignored the voices and rustled around his satchel. He pulled out a needle and a bag of saline. He glanced around at the ties binding Nicki to her bed. He sucked in some air and reached for her right arm.
“Oh, stick me good!”
Jake checked for a vein despite the lesions and scratches that marred her flesh. He inserted the needles and got a line running.
“Don’t you have anything bigger to stick me with?” Sebastian mocked and chuckled. “No? Oh yes, I forget. You only like to stick t
he boys. How many patients did you fuck while they were helpless Doctor Jake?”
Jake’s jaw dropped, all color drained from his face. “None… you fucking…”
Micah put his hand on Jake’s shoulder. “Don’t listen to him. He’s trying to rattle you and turn us against you. It won’t work.”
Jake looked up at Micah. “I’m sorry. I’m not used to…”
Loud, shrieking laughter filled the room.
“It’s okay,” Micah called above the shrieks. “Of course you’re not. None of us are.”
“Except maybe Caleb,” Jake said, glancing briefly at him still standing at the foot of the bed.
“Somebody’s jealous… somebody’s jealous,” Sebastian called in a singsong voice.
Jake looked at Nick who had furrowed his brow. Jake switched the conversation quickly. “Ok, the IV is set up. Just need to make sure to switch it out when it’s empty. Anyone can do it. I brought some extras that I can leave.”
“I can’t thank you enough,” Micah said. “I really appreciate all that you’ve done for us.”
“You’re welcome.”
Micah took the IV bags from Jake’s hands. “I’ll put these in Nicki’s kitchen in the refrigerator.”
“We should move into the living room to talk,” Caleb said to everyone.
Everyone simply nodded and headed out of the bedroom.
“Leaving so soon?” Sebastian called. He pushed Nicki’s body against her restraints to no avail. “We were just getting started. There’s so much to talk about. Right Caleb? Right Jake?”
Caleb shut the door behind them, the sound of Nicki rasping resounded through the closed door. The sound of furniture moving around followed it.
“She can’t stay in that condition,” Jake said. “I can keep giving her fluids but she could go into cardiac arrest at anytime. This is taking a toll on her body.”
“We can’t move her from here,” Micah said. “If she ever got away…she’d be doomed.”
“There is a plan,” Caleb said.
“Right,” Micah said. “If you can call it that.”
“Micah.”
“All right, all right.”
“For now,” Caleb continued. “We need to keep her safe and her body from suffering too much. We will get him out of her. I promise.”
“I believe you,” Micah said then hugged Caleb.
A knock came to the front door. Micah opened to find Rick waiting outside.
“I came to stay with Nicki,” he said. “So you guys can work on helping her.”
“Thanks,” Micah said. “C’mon guys, changing of the guard.”
Jake, Nick, Caleb and Micah left the condo, leaving Rick to watch over Nicki as he turned the TV on in the living room.
###
Caleb was doing the best he could to keep his fear buried but found that to be harder then escaping Hell. He and those he cared about were now a target. He wanted to be strong for Micah, especially since Nicki was now possessed by the demon sent to bring him back. All of this was his fault. He struggled with the notion that he should have never come to Earth. He should have accepted his fate and remained in the pit. It was his just rewards after all for siding with Lucifer. Did he not deserve the punishment?
He kept telling himself he was making a difference. He helped humans, he helped their plight in this world. Homeless shelters in the area helped more people than ever. They were totally funded as long as he stayed on Earth. Drugs were nearly gone from Blackstone. Addicts were getting help. Prostitutes were off the streets and reuniting with family. And there was love. More love then ever. His unexpected love with Micah started a movement in Hell. Others like him wanted to do good, they wanted to repent to their former status of holy angels that served the Father and mankind. Changes were happening and it was only the beginning.
There was a lot on Caleb’s shoulders. He hoped he could reason with Nehemiah before it was too late. Deep down he wasn’t sure of anything but he would never let Micah know that. He stared at Micah driving them back to Jake’s home, studying every line of his face, the stubble on his cheeks, the color of his hair. He was beautiful.
Micah caught him staring. “What?”
“Nothing.”
“Okay. So, what’s our plan for communicating with this warrior angel?”
“You are agreeing to my solution?”
“I’m not sure there is any other choice. Besides, I have to trust you, right?”
“Right.”
“Okay then…so let’s think of—”
It felt as if a locomotive plowed into Micah’s car. The wagon skidded across the road and flipped over. Pain surged through Caleb. He grimaced, winced then groaned. He looked over to see Micah unconscious, blood streaming down his face.
“Mi-cah…” Caleb reached for him but was unable to touch him. He turned to his window and shattered it with one blow. He crawled out but before he could even stand up, a hand came down on his throat.
Nehemiah glared down at him. “Your time is at hand, Infernal!” He flung Caleb to the other side of the road. The fallen angel landed hard, his human body taking a pummeling. He crawled to his knees and put up both hands.
“Brother… Nehemiah… please… I need your help.”
His pleas fell on deaf ears as Nehemiah charged him.
Caleb called upon his true form and spreading his dark wings wide, bolted into the air with Nehemiah in hot pursuit.
The demon and the angel soared high up into the clouds. Nehemiah conjured a spear into his hand this time and hurled it at Caleb. The fallen angel dropped out of the sky, the spear sailed over his head, missing him.
Caleb let himself plummet back down to the Earth and then ran off across a baseball field. Lightning crackled and poured from the sky. He looked up to see Nehemiah commanding the elements.
A bolt of lightning ripped across the ground in front of Caleb, sending him down. He rolled as quickly as he could, avoiding more electrical strikes. He managed to scrape to his feet and leap over a brick wall into an old neighborhood.
Dark clouds swirled in the skies, the sun was engulfed and the wind howled. Caleb rushed down a cul-de-sac–old, two story homes with clapboard siding and thatched roofs surrounded him on all sides. It was the oldest part of Blackstone. Caleb had no time to admire it as the wind rolled up the street and battered him.
The wind lifted him into the air. Caleb cried out for Nehemiah to relent, to speak with him but the assault continued. He spread his wings again and tried to fight against the hurricane force winds.
It was like fighting against a tidal wave but Caleb struggled anyway, as fruitless as it was, spinning out of control and landing hard in the middle of a bubbling creek. He coughed and writhed, sensing the rage pouring out of Nehemiah.
“Brother, please hear me!” Caleb crawled to his feet and sloshed across the creek to a thicket of thin trees and brush. Panting, and struggling to keep his balance, Caleb stopped to rest against a tree.
A spear narrowly missed his head, burrowing into the tree’s trunk. Caleb turned to see Nehemiah racing toward him, a mace in his grip.
“No! Stop!” Caleb cried but still no reply. He yanked the spear out of the tree and swung it sharply, blocking the mace’s blow as Nehemiah drove it with two hands.
The two angels clashed again, spear against mace. Metal smashed against metal, thunderous crashes reverberated throughout the thicket. Nehemiah spun around and flung the mace up, catching the spear and knocking it out of Caleb’s grip. The angel kicked Caleb in the chest, sending him off his feet.
Caleb’s wings prevented his crash landing instead he flew into the air, catching the falling spear. He grabbed it with both hands and drove it straight down.
The spear lanced one of Nehemiah’s wings and pinned him to the ground. The angel warrior screeched with pain and anger. He fought to free himself but couldn’t quite reach the spear.
Caleb kicked the mace out of Nehemiah’s reach. “I am sorry. I do not want to hurt y
ou.”
“Spare me your lies, Infernal! You only delay your destruction.”
“Please… I am repenting, my dear brother and I want to make amends.”
“Speak not, cursed one. I will smite thee!” He swiped at Caleb but missed.
Caleb shook his head, a tear rolled down his cheek. Micah. The thought of his hurt lover returned. “I must go. But I will seek you out again for help.”
“You seek your doom.”
With those parting words Caleb sailed into the air and vanished into the stirring black clouds.
Nehemiah screamed.
###
Nehemiah stared at the spear and reached for it again. He was unsuccessful. He looked around the trees, hearing the birds squawk with fear, and the creek bubbling not too far away. He focused on the spear and his wing and prepared himself. He summoned all of his strength and flexed his white-feathered wing, stretching it and jerking it from side to side. The wing fluttered, it flapped once. He focused even harder and pulled with all of his strength until finally it ripped free of the spear.
Agony burned through the angel as he struggled to his feet. The wing curled and unfurled. He’d never experienced this much pain. In his eternal home there was no pain or anger or violence. Only on Earth did these things ravage him.
Nehemiah felt weak as he stumbled over to the creek. He stepped into the ice-cold water, cupped some of it in his hands and let it roll across his feathers. He drank some of the water and shifted into a more human form.
Naked, he started across the thicket and back the way he guess Caleb might head. Normally, human weapons would barely do damage to him and if they did, he’d heal within moments. The spear was a celestial weapon, summoned from Heaven. Those weapons were created to destroy demon or angel flesh, dealing deathblows to their immortal souls. This wound would take time to heal.
Nehemiah managed to stroll through the old neighborhoods without being seen. He headed back to the spot where he first attacked the Infernal and saw something strange. He held back, hidden from view and watched.
“Micah!” Caleb cried, tears flowing. He pulled the unconscious human into his arms and cradled him gently.
