She could feel his resolve strengthening. The affirmation of her love was the catalyst; she sensed that much. But she was also certain that he already knew everything she said to be true and just needed someone close to remind him.
This very intimate insight into Alex’s thoughts disturbed her a little. She wasn’t sure if this was a new power she was gaining that connected her to her lover, something he was doing accidentally or not, some ability of the child she was carrying manifesting itself through her, or something else completely. It definitely struck her as an unintentional invasion of Alex’s privacy though.
“I can feel you,” she confessed.
“What do you mean?”
Liz explained this new phenomenon, and Alex listened intently. When she had finished, he looked a little worried.
“I hope it’s not something I’m doing,” he said.
Placing a hand on her stomach, Elizabeth replied, “I don’t think it is.”
“I suppose it’s about time to tell everyone anyway,” Alex reasoned. “Abbie may be able to tell us something if we let at least her in on it. But we may as well come out with it. When you start showing--”
Without warning, Alex stood rigid and closed his eyes. Then, with a voice that sounded like his, only far away, he told her, “I’ve waited too long. Call Catherine Harper, and tell her to evacuate anyone she can. I’ll summon the Elder Prophet Council. Metatron is preparing to strike.”
***
When Garrett and the Elder Prophet Council had assembled around the dining room table, Alex stood up to bring what might be the last Council meeting to session.
“Metatron plans to attack very soon,” he announced. “He’s in the process of positioning his forces as we speak.”
“This land is powerful,” Garrett noted. “We could fortify it to hold out against demons for a long time. We should draw up a map, outlining strategically defensible locations as well as possible weaknesses. We can assign hunting parties to guard duties in shifts. And when the demons come, we will strike them down as a unified force.”
“Kingstone stands between us and Kansas City,” Alex reminded everyone. “There is no question in my mind that Metatron would kill innocent mortals to get to us, so we’ll have to move out as many as possible before he gets there.”
“I sent Lonny Talbott and Nisus to help Mayor Harper get as many people out of downtown Kingstone as possible,” Abbie explained. “I’m aware that what I asked of him is an enormous task, but one I’m confident Lonny has the ability to organize. Nisus is, after all, in the business of moving the hearts of the masses.”
Alex sighed and nodded his head. “One way or the other, I think this battle will be over before most of Kingstone can be evacuated anyway. Nevertheless, I would like to thank you, Abbie, for taking a personal interest in my friends’ and neighbors’ welfare. It means a lot.”
“I am, as always, at your service,” Abbie replied with a slight bow of her head. “So, what’s the plan now?”
“Marla, any word from John?” Alex asked hopefully as she walked into the room to join them. “He’s a pretty critical part of this.”
Marla shook her head. “No. I’ve been trying to reach him since you called the meeting. He’s not answering his cell. And as we are talking about someone who can teleport, he could be anywhere at the moment.”
“We can’t wait for him,” decided Alex. “Garrett, give us the plan.”
Marla handed the hunter some paper, and he started scribbling frantically on it. He etched out the general layout of the property exceptionally well from memory. Explaining his proposed course of action took fifteen minutes, and afterward everyone moved to complete their assigned task without question, even Nathan, though he grumbled a great deal about missing an infomercial on rotisseries.
***
“We are in desperate need of help here, Governor,” Catherine Harper pleaded over a telephone in her office. “My people are starting to panic, and we have word from the prophets that an attack on us is forthcoming. You have to do something.”
Hundreds of miles away, in Jefferson City, Governor Parks leaned back in a very comfortable leather chair in his own office and considered the ramifications of what he was about to do. “Years of political life have made me skeptical of miracles, Mayor Harper. However, when I was a boy, my mother taught me that they were very real. She would say that it is mankind’s lack of vision that fails to perceive them. We need a miracle right now, Catherine, and that is something I cannot provide.
“When O’Riley mobilized the National Guard, under orders from President Rose—quite unconstitutionally, I might add—and then left, I chose not to divert them. They should be in Kingstone within the hour. Do what you can to get your people out. Help is on the way.”
“Okay,” Catherine replied hoarsely. “Thank you, Governor Parks.”
She replaced the receiver as the Governor was saying goodbye and wishing luck to the beleaguered mayor. The enormous task before her left her wondering where to get started. She felt helpless, coupled with a strong sense of responsibility for the well-being of those who had put her in office. Staring at her phone in a trance, she missed the first knock on her door.
Catherine was a little annoyed. She had explicitly told everyone in the office to leave immediately and see to the evacuation of their loved ones.
“Who is it?” she queried with a little bite in her tone.
“Mayor Harper,” a male voice announced from the other side of the door, “my name is Lonny Talbott, and Abigail Martin sent me to help you.”
She was accustomed to having to beg others for help. In her profession, getting any one side to agree to work with or help the other was akin to convincing children to share their toys. She was almost at a loss on how to even accept this offer.
“Come in,” she said finally.
***
Frank McKern looked wearily across the field at his pregnant heifer, Diane. When he bought her seven years ago, he named her after his mother-in-law, earning him about a week of dirty looks from his wife. Diane had chosen to lay down at the foot of a hill, when all the rest of the herd knew it was feeding time. The thermometer on the side of the barn said it was below freezing. Frank knew what she was doing out there, and quietly cursed her for the timing.
The new overalls he’d gotten for Christmas were so warm. He didn’t want to tell his wife that he may have found a new brand after fifteen years—just in case they turned out to be less durable—but he was quite impressed at the moment. He knew, however, that the test was coming up.
The thought of calling Phil, the Kingstone Animal Hospital veterinarian, crossed Frank’s mind briefly before he dismissed it. It was too cold to call Phil out for this. Frank McKern had delivered plenty of calves without the help of a vet. This would just have to be another one of those times, even if Diane had chosen a very awkward position.
A faint whistle was the only warning Frank had before sharp talons dug into his shoulders and violently lifted him off the ground. He screamed in agony and looked up to see what could possibly have attacked him. It looked almost human, despite the wings, blue-gray leathery skin, and huge legs that ended in the razor-sharp talons which were tearing into his flesh.
It took him very high, at least seventy-five feet, and he saw two other demons running toward his house beneath him. As he screamed a vain warning to his wife, his captor let him go.
Patheus arrived at the house minutes later and, after surveying the carnage, nodded his head in approval. “Yes, this will be suitable. We’ll stage our assault from here. Assemble the rest of the horde.”
***
An hour after Abbie sent the telepathic message for all prophets in Kingstone to report to the compound, almost five hundred had gathered there. The Elder Prophets and hunters worked furiously to group people based on abilities, as well as form hunting parties. In the end, the decision of how many groups and the number of people in the group was decided by the number of individuals w
ho had some ability to heal or a working knowledge of medicine. Within each of the twenty-five groups that were formed was also placed a prophet who had fought demons previously or a hunter who could serve as a commander, eight to twelve well-armed mercenaries, and fifteen to twenty prophets. Hundreds of guns of varying size and caliber were distributed to any prophet who wanted to rely on more than his or her power to stop a demon.
Alex watched the sorting continue from a distance until the sight began to pain him. He looked at his feet disgustedly. This wasn’t what he wanted. Prophets arming up to fight demons? It was madness. Moreover, they seemed to be content, and some were even positively happy about going to war, perhaps to their own demise. Was this what he’d united the world’s prophets for, to get kicked around by demons until Heaven decided to intervene…if it ever did? He, the hunters, and the Elder Prophets were more than a match for any demon, but the fiends would be attacking in waves and from every direction. There was no way to stop them all, and if even one got to prophets who couldn’t defend themselves as well, it would be a slaughter.
His attention was directed to a flash of light to his left. John stood there, except he looked different. There was a calm acceptance on his face, broken only by a smile when he put his hand on Alex’s shoulder.
“Will you help me fulfill my destiny?”
Alex bowed slightly. “Of course.”
John closed his eyes, and they both vanished with another flash of light.
***
“What do you want them to know?” Lonny asked.
Catherine looked befuddled as to what they were doing on the corner of Bridge Street and Main and why there were so many people out. It was snowing and below freezing, but for some reason it looked like they were already trying to leave town.
“That they’re in danger, and that they should leave town immediately, but only for a short time. I’m not sure why we’re out here instead of making phone calls; it would be much faster.”
Lonny smiled and nodded at Nisus’s bass guitarist. “Mars and I can be pretty persuasive when we work together.”
“And I’ve taken the liberty of making a few phone calls on your behalf,” a feminine voice announced as she approached.
Lonny’s eyes lit up as he recognized Elizabeth from the concert. “Did Abbie send you to help?”
“Actually, Alex did,” she answered a little bitterly. “He says it’s important that I’m here, but I think he’s trying to protect me. Anyway, like I was saying, I called…a friend and asked him to call every phone registered to a resident of Kingstone and explain to them that they’re in peril, and to give them instructions of how to evacuate to best avoid traffic.” She motioned to the unusually busy streets around them. “I hope that’s where everyone’s going. We told them that Kingstone is sitting on an unstable fault line, and that going north was advisable. I even had a few websites made up to make the story look legit.”
“Cool,” Lonny said, bobbing his head. “Well, I’m sure there are those who need further coaxing, so Mars and I are going to do our thing and see if we can’t get a few more people to join our exodus. I’d love company,” he added, winking at Liz.
She blushed and smiled. “Mars might take offense to not being considered ‘company.’”
“Nah, I’m used to it,” Mars confessed. “Everyone knows how Lonny gets around beautiful girls, and I’d like the company too.”
Elizabeth chuckled softly. “I remember what happened the last time I was around the two of you while you were using your gifts.” Grief assaulted her as she recalled the last time she and Matt had done something socially, an event that didn’t have anything to do with demons.
“No,” she concluded finally, “I think you two can probably pull that one off on your own. I’m going to help get Mayor Harper and her family out of Kingstone, but I’ll be back as soon as I can be.”
Lonny forced a smile and nodded. “I’ll be looking forward to it.”
After she’d gone, Mars clapped a hand on Lonny’s back and laughed. “C’mon, lover boy. We’ve got work to do. Did she ever technically mention having a boyfriend?”
“No,” Lonny replied, “but it’s pretty obvious. And, though it’s fun to play around, I don’t think I’ll be pursuing that one. She’s too classy for me.”
They laughed and walked down the road to spread the word.
***
“Alex,” Metatron observed, unperturbed, as he turned around to meet his unexpected visitor. “How have you been since the last time we spoke? Well, I hope.”
Alex’s eyes narrowed as he walked toward the demon on the opposite side of a room cluttered with maps, plans, and blueprints. He saw a satellite picture of the safe house with notes drawn into it. Key locations in Kingstone were circled in red on several different maps hanging on the walls. Pictures of many of the people he had come to know as friends and allies were posted around the room. Two had black Xs drawn through them.
Matt’s picture froze Alex where he was. Of course he’d always known who was responsible for Matt’s murder, but this display was almost more than he could stomach.
Alex closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and replied, “After today, you won’t hurt anyone else.”
Metatron chuckled. “I’m afraid that isn’t a promise you are strong enough to keep. Though you’re quite impressive despite your youth, we’ve seen what happens when the two of us fight. Basically, it’s a whole lot of nothing.”
John appeared next to Alex, and Metatron’s expression changed.
“As you can see,” Alex said with a nod of acknowledgement to John, “I don’t plan on having a repeat of our last encounter. This time, I’m a little more aware of prophecy.”
Metatron shifted his mind in an attempt to teleport himself away, perhaps to the battle in Kingstone, perhaps to his home in Vienna, but nothing happened. His eyes locked on Alex.
The young prophet shook his head. “I took it from you once. What makes you think I’d let you just walk out on us?”
There was fury in Metatron’s eyes, and he bellowed, “I command you to release me.”
“I think not, Enoch. John, this would be a great time for whatever it is that you have planned.”
“It’s simple,” John replied solemnly. “Enoch, I’ve come to take you back to Heaven, where your lapse in judgment will be analyzed, and you will be reformed into a perfect servant of God once more.”
Instantly, Metatron transformed into a cloud of consumption, and his bellowing voice demanded, “What makes you think I would ever submit to His will again?”
A soft, feminine voice answered, “What makes you think you have a choice?”
Everyone’s attention turned to the modestly adorned and rather plain-looking, middle-aged woman who now stood behind the prophets.
“Anapiel,” Metatron acknowledged. “It makes sense that He would choose you to bully me into compliance. You’ve always been there, haven’t you? You were there when I ascended, and you were there when I fell. Now, you are going to try to make me ascend again.”
“You’ve gone too far,” Anapiel retorted sharply. “We left you many liberties, even restoring your life on this planet when you should have been driven to Hell, along with the demons you had taken as ‘brothers.’ You abused all of those liberties and never once repented. But it all played into the plans of the Almighty, so it was ignored.
“Your tantrum is at an end. The Voice of God will be needed again soon. This time, however, it will be stronger. With the help of another prophetic soul, you will herald the arrival of mankind’s savior.”
“Forgive me,” Metatron replied venomously, “but I would rather die.”
“That isn’t an option available to you anymore,” John stated. Then, quickly, he added to Alex, “Can you hold him?”
“For a time,” Alex affirmed, his voice deeper than normal, somehow very distant and dark. “But you need to hurry.”
John nodded and looked back to the cloud. “It’s time to go
home, Enoch,” he said as he walked toward the demon in its battle form.
The cloud expanded and contracted as John walked closer, as though trying to escape the hold Alex had over it. Thunder rumbled outside, and the ground shook violently. John had to steady himself, but Alex didn’t even seem affected by it.
“Nancy?” John prompted when he turned around to find her gone.
“I will always be with you,” her voice replied all around him.
He looked back to the cloud, which was pulsating in anger only a foot from his face. He nodded silently and stepped into it.
The force from the shockwave that followed knocked Alex to the ground. An inhuman sound escaped the cloud. It began high-pitched but gradually fell to a low hum that felt like it was vibrating the fabric of reality around him. The building shook so violently that Alex wondered if it would fall down around him. As if in answer to his concern, Raphael appeared, steadying his nerves. He knew that this was an event he was meant to witness.
Alex was reminded of the description Jeremiah had given for the sound that accompanied a host of angels coming to Earth. He had said it was like reality exhaling in discontent. Many compared it to a trumpet, but Alex knew it was the sound he was now hearing. Whether the sound signaled the entrance of angels outside his perception or if it was coming from the clash before him, he couldn’t tell. It was clear, however, that something big was happening.
After a burst of light, the cloud was gone, and John was gone. The struggle was over. The floor was scorched beneath where the fight had been. Otherwise, there was little evidence that this room had housed the most important battle in this war.
Legends (To Absolve the Fallen Book 3) Page 30
