Joan took off on a jog as four thousand cavalry troops followed. The field they trained on sat two miles away. She did her best to mimic Heaven’s training grounds. The 13th Engineers expanded the present field to double the original size. The logistics seemed impossible at first until the engineers laid out the plan to accommodate ten thousand troops and support soldiers. This included additional space for buildings, roads, and stables for horses.
Joan ran the troops up a steep hill thick with powdered dirt and sand. The soldiers called out rhythmic cadences to keep their pace. Once they crested the steep hill, the land flattened to reveal four thousand warhorses from Heaven. The muscular beasts, dressed in silver armor, stood in rows and ranks to await their new masters. The troops slowed their jog to an easy trot.
Joan paused for a moment, allowing her eyes to take in the warhorses. Each horse owned its name. A white mare suited in golden armor stood before the herd. The muscular mare turned and cantered over to Joan, its white main flowed from a slight breeze. The warhorse stopped before Joan and placed its wet muzzle against her face. The angel stroked the mare’s thick neck.
“Hello, Basil,” she said.
Joan ran her fingers over the armor and leather saddle. The name Basil carved along the saddle horn teased old memories from her mind. “Captains of the companies find your warhorses.”
The troops moved ahead and the horses broke formation and found their owners. Within minutes the Guardian Cavalry stood mounted and ready.
Joan spent her day with the cavalry and put them through intense training. They practiced battle drills, attacks on a dead charge, flanking maneuvers, diamonds, blocks and how to break an enemy formation. She then led the entire armored cavalry formation on a fifty-mile ride.
She trained until the sun slipped behind the green Virginia hills. Upon their return to camp, she ordered the troops to eat and prepare themselves for the next day’s training. She returned to her room in the Presidential Cabin and removed her armor.
The angel eased into the shower, cranked the spigot to high and allowed water to spray hot needlepoints over her body. Steam built up in the bathroom. She closed her eyes and thought about her family.
Joan turned off the shower, pressed her head against the warm tile and cried. She still loved her family. She missed them, even though she served a higher purpose. The tears made her memories more real, gave her a stronger push to succeed and protect her family in Heaven.
Joan stepped out the shower and toweled off. She dressed herself in Wrangler jeans, a light blue silk shirt, and slipped her tiny feet into blue flip-flops. She went to the cabin’s kitchen, poured herself some coffee, and headed outside into the fresh air.
Joan strode out on the redwood porch with cup in hand. The night sky sprinkled with stars and soaked with music from crickets relaxed her mind. The training went well. She expected General Temeculus to field a large army filled with throwaways, villains not well trained. However, she still pushed the Guardians hard.
She became surprised at who joined General Temeculus’s Black Army. Special Forces units implanted amongst the enemy army delivered dreadful reports. Yet she admonished herself for being surprised about human nature.
A few billionaires and millionaires opted to side with the general, along with some local law enforcement and military personnel. Also, ministers in the handful changed heart and brought their flocks along with them, weak souls too afraid to fight against Hell’s army.
Joan sipped her coffee, savoring the heavy burnt flavor spiced with cinnamon. She still enjoyed coffee. The hot brew brought back sweet memories. Charles, William, love and sunrises, fried applewood smoked bacon, and eggs over easy. After being mortal, she would rather live as an angel, aware and immortal. She wanted to experience all reality, like the dark sense about Okura. Somehow, she suspected he did not escape Hell’s Cathedral unscathed.
53
The angel Maria stretched her powerful wings and flew into the night air. The Army Rangers and civilian soldiers took prisoners from Lord Goth’s fallen band. She considered them cowards who killed women and children along their destructive path. She dared not call them soldiers.
General Orlando recommended the city stand as a border between northern and southern California. This gave those who sought refuge an exact place to escape to, eliminating their blind run into danger. Most, she figured, feared to fight against Hell’s army.
The world fell away from her. Thick black smoke, the scorched earth, all fell away until she floated in dreamy white clouds with the night sky spread above her.
Towards southern California, the unnatural darkness shrouded the area in a deep liquid black. She thought the recent battle a skirmish, a mad fight between groups led by someone blinded by greed and lust for war. She found relief at how Lord Goth charged ahead in rage.
He did not expect an angel to show up among the ones he intended to slaughter.
Maria closed her eyes. The wind blew in her ears as she flew above the clouds. When she opened her eyes, the soft clouds spread over the earth below like a vast pillow tinted blue. Above her the pitted moon glowed silver along with the stars. The sight made her heart beat harder as pleasure bumps rose along her arms. She beheld God’s creations in the sky set against the night.
Her mind turned towards the family who raised her. She missed her grandmother who always made her sweet cakes and told her stories before bedtime until she fell asleep. She inhaled and her grandmother’s overripe perfume tumbled from her memories along with its name, Lavender Roses.
She visualized the woman’s meaty forearms, muscled from long hard work in the American lettuce fields. Homesickness enveloped her. She promised herself to visit her family after the fight in Denver.
She did not understand Joan’s wish to leave their mortal world behind, from family and friends, to good memories spent among those who cared for them. Maria refused to be cold hearted and abandon those who fed her, even if she didn’t need to eat, and who loved her. She made a silent promise to be with them until they passed away into death.
Maria cruised through the sky. Her mind pondered on how much Heaven changed since her last visit. She started her descent through the clouds until the snowy Rocky Mountains formed in the distance. Below, Denver sat in darkness. The sparse glow from a few lights winked at her.
Maria sensed two strong presences within the city. Their light marked them as angels. All angels emitted a distinctive pearlescent glow when they hid from the mortal eye. She banked towards the south and steadied her speed. Both the energies below sensed her and converged on a point near the city’s edge.
Maria slowed her wings to reduce her speed. Buildings, cars, streets became apparent as she neared the ground and came to a gentle stop from heel to toe. She folded her wings behind her. Two figures stood some distance from her in the shadows.
“Who are you?” Maria said. She approached a dead streetlamp and waited for their arrival.
“Juggernaut.”
“Okura.”
Juggernaut reached out and shook Maria’s hand. “I’m glad to meet you again, Maria. The years went by fast.”
Maria smiled at Juggernaut who wore a Marine t-shirt stenciled with the famed globe and anchor. He wore black shorts and white sneakers. His hair, cut close to the scalp, enhanced his angular facial features. “I’m glad you’re here also, Juggernaut. I hoped on meeting you under better circumstances.”
She turned to Okura and reached out her hand. Once his hand touched hers a dead cold wrapped around her heart. She smiled and forced herself not to flinch from his grasp. Their eyes locked, and she thought complete emptiness hung within the irises.
“Hello, Okura.”
Okura smiled and gave a slight bow. He wore his white hair tied back in a ponytail. “Hello to you too, Maria. I’m happy you arrived with your head intact.”
“Thank you.” She released his hand and her inner balance returned. “What are the plans for this city? How are they going to protect t
he citizens?”
Okura shook his head. “The enemy built a large army, Maria. I stepped inside Hell’s Cathedral. My God, the place is immense and the enemy is prepared to fight. I just don’t understand why General Temeculus isn’t marching towards us now.”
“He wants us all here when he attacks Denver,” Juggernaut said. “One huge battle. He also attacked us as we left Camp Pendleton.”
Maria took furtive glances at Okura. “Why did he attack you guys while leaving Camp Pendleton?”
“He wanted to stop us from reaching Denver. The less troops the better, Maria.”
“Like his attack towards San Jose, he needs more numbers. He doesn’t care whether or not the recruits are trained. When they die, Lucifer will own their souls. The army in Hell will grow larger. How’s the leadership here? Are they setting everything up?”
“Their defenses, looks good to me,” Okura said and chuckled. “The leadership is good. But they’re focused on the human aspect of the Black Army, instead of those things Joan’s band will fight.”
“You seem pessimistic, Okura.” Maria canted her head.
“I mean Temeculus’s army is huge.”
“We’re all nervous, Okura.”
“Speak for yourself, Maria,” Juggernaut said. “I want to slaughter those bastards until my hands ache and bleed.”
Okura delivered a chilled grin. His black eyes gave off a dull glow like fresh coal. “Oh and you will, enough for you and everyone else in this city to kill and kill again. So start handing out swords to the fifth graders, because they’re going to need them.”
Maria gave Juggernaut a quick glance. “Let’s get some rest. In the morning, we will reconnoiter the Rockies. We’re all tired, and the past few days tested us.”
Okura’s dark ringed eyes stared at the ground.
Juggernaut smiled. “Yea, good idea. I’ll meet with you two in the morning.” He walked off into the darkness and vanished. Maria and Okura faced each other under the blown street lamp.
Okura chuckled. “Sweet dreams my dear angel. Sweet dreams.” He shot up into the air like a rocket. A strong gale whipped up in his wake. Newspapers and trash swirled up behind him into the dark skies.
Maria covered her face until the gust settled. Fear and uncertainty gathered in her heart. She prayed he would not betray their cause.
The next morning, Maria, Okura, and Juggernaut, dressed in their armor, stood atop Mount Elbert, the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains. The morning sun broached the eastern horizon, spilling golden light over Denver.
High winds whistled in their ears as snow swirled around their armored bodies. The temperature dropped a few degrees below zero and the thin spring air turned their breaths into white puffs. Below the mountain, the rich and green landscape spread out on the plains.
From their position, they studied every road and mountaintop within eyeshot.
Juggernaut eyes fell upon the flat land towards the west. “Their army must use Highway 70 to attack Denver.”
Maria, with her hands on her hips, turned in a slow circle. She absorbed the entire scene lined with majestic mountains. Above her, thin clouds drifted underneath a bright blue sky. “We can slow Temeculus forces on the ground, but what about his army in the sky? The ones who will be traveling with him? I say we should not fight them over the city, but outside Denver’s borders, and cut their retreat from the mountains.”
To her the mountains resembled a wall they would use to their advantage. The Rockies towered into the crisp cold air, with snowcaps and sheer drops formed from cobalt blue stone. The mountains sloped down into deep caverns ringed by crumbled shale at their base. Small wintertime villages dotted the mountains. These now abandoned like dead western towns due to the invasion.
Okura grunted. “Temeculus will not retreat,” he said. His voice came out low and strained against the high-pitched wind.
Maria stopped her surveyor’s circle. Her eyes settled on the angel dressed in white Samurai armor. “What did you say?”
“I said our defeat is inevitable. Did you forget? We’re outnumbered. Also I believe Joan’s faithful Guardians may turn tail and run once those monsters show up.”
Maria dropped her arms from her hips. “We won the battle in Heaven. Why not this battle on earth, Okura?”
Okura hunched his shoulders. His deep-set eyes locked with Maria’s soft browns. “We are fallible to mistakes, Maria. God made mistakes. He made a mistake when he created Lucifer.”
“Blasphemy.” Juggernaut seized his golden hilt and took a step forward.
Maria lifted her hand and stopped the angel in mid stride. “Let me get this straight. You think this battle is a waste of time?”
Okura gazed out at the west. “No, this war is a waste, period.” He let out a long breath and turned back to Maria. Conflict, grief, anger, regrets, all swirled around his dark eyes as he took in the two angels.
Juggernaut frowned, his eyes narrowed. “Keep your head in this fight, Okura, or we can solve your problem now. What did they do to you in Hell’s Cathedral?”
Okura lowered his head and once again stared into the west. Darkness hung along morning’s edge, the stars above paled against the new day. “Nothing…nothing at all. I think though, you can say they woke me up.”
Okura turned his back on the two and walked towards a jagged outcrop. With his back turned he spoke to Juggernaut. “The next time you seize the hilt of your sword, Juggernaut, I advise you to draw it.”
Maria reached out and squeezed her fingers upon Juggernaut’s muscled sword arm. She shook her head. Her eyes pleaded him not to draw his blade. Under her hand, steel hard muscle rippled with raw power, a power she would not be able to contain. Okura deployed his wings and leaped from the ledge to drop from their sight.
Juggernaut relaxed his hand. “They did something to him, Maria.”
“We’ll keep an eye on him until Joan gets here.”
“I suggest he not be privy to our battle plans. What if they turned him?”
Maria’s stomach knotted so tight a sharp pain rippled from one kidney to the other. “I’ll make sure to post him somewhere else until we find out what’s wrong with him. Do you agree?”
“Ok, Maria.”
The angels returned to what occupied their minds earlier, their initial battle plan to move Temeculus into a good spot. And destroy him.
54
Joan woke before dawn, showered, and prepared herself for a day filled with more training. She approached her bed and swept a hand over the covers. Her armor materialized in a neat layout as if a mall bound teen readied an outfit to prance around in. From cuirass, armored skirt, and golden greaves, all sat in order.
Joan dressed by hand and tied on her Roman sandals to complete the ensemble. The troop’s cadences reached her ears as they went out for their morning run.
Joan stood before a wall mirror. She sized herself up. Her black hair hung over her shoulders. Her breastplate gleamed from the light in the room. She stared at the two embossed cherubs who lifted a seven beam golden sun. She admired the six-pack abs etched into the golden armor.
Her silk skirt, plated with gold strips, surrounded her waist. Greaves made from hammered gold covered her forearms and shins, and the leather sandals on her feet fitted her to perfection.
The angel held out her hands. Her helmet appeared in her open palms, golden with a white horsehair plume set on its top and golden lotuses on either side. At her left hip sat her sheathed sword secured around her waist with a leather belt. This allowed the sheath to dangle two inches beneath her slim waistline. She set her sword hilt by her left arm, a perfect spot to unsheathe her weapon and cut with one smooth stroke.
Joan tucked the helmet underneath an arm, stepped from her room, and walked up the hall. She weaved her way through agents dressed in jeans and bulky shirts to hide their concealed weapons. The activity seemed too high for five in the morning. She walked into the kitchen where the cooks made breakfast. One nodded towards her and an
other pointed his knife at the pantry.
Joan’s stomach tightened as she approached the pantry and slid back the maple wood door. The worried glances the cooks gave her warned her angelic senses. She stepped inside the huge pantry lined with canned and dry goods. An armed agent who stood in the pantry pressed a button on the wall and a door slid aside to reveal an elevator. Joan stepped into the box and the doors closed behind her.
Joan decided not to fly the five stories down to the war room. She preferred a more normal approach when around the troops. She wanted them to be as relaxed as possible. The elevator doors whisked open and the angel stepped into a room packed with people. The action within the room moved at a heightened pace.
The angel spotted President Wallace leaned over a table surrounded by people. Someone alerted him to Joan’s presence. He waved her over. Joan approached them and read their minds, an act she promised herself she would never do. What she read frightened her.
“Joan, we need to deploy the troops now. Temeculus is preparing to move his army towards Denver.” He stared at her armor. A faint smile played across his face.
Joan blinked, taken aback. “I wanted to give them another week of training. Can we hold them off for a few days?”
“No,” Wallace said. He led Joan by the arm and pointed at the flat screen table. “They are massing as we speak.”
The table Joan faced displayed Los Angeles in a color 3D satellite image and the real time action in Los Angeles. Several thousand vehicles moved on the screen. Personnel trucks, tanks, jeeps, and civilian type cars sat lined up in convoy formations. Almost every vehicle below came equipped with a machinegun on its rooftop.
Wallace narrowed his hazel eyes. “They are ready to move against us. I say four days tops before they reach Denver, all the equipment they’re moving should slow them down.”
“Sir, they procured planes. LAX is being taken over,” a soldier said who sat before another screen.
Angels of War (Angels of War Trilogy Book 1) Page 22
