CounterPoint

by Daniel Rafferty

  “Johnny, I need you to promise me you won’t get involved in this fight,” urged Mary gravely.

  “We need as many troops as possible,” countered Ariel, willing to use any backup that was presenting itself.

  “Of course I’m gonna get involved, Mary. You know that. I’m not going to stand by while you fight these self-appointed ‘guardians’ of this world,” he replied with disdain, leaning forward to emphasise his point more. He had no concern that Ariel was present while he was insulting angels.

  “Jonathan,” Mary only ever used his proper name when trying to stress a serious point, “you’ll have your hands full when this war starts. You really think they’re going to stop with us? For whatever reason, and I hope it’s in this book, they need us before they can proceed. But they’re bound to know those of us who could make their job that little bit more difficult. You’ll need to get the library moved, get all the artefacts to safety and then round up everyone else and disperse up north. You have responsibilities and you need to fulfil them. Ariel, I don’t want to hear it. This is our fight, not his.”

  Knowing she was right, as always, Johnny acquiesced. There would be so much to do, they always suspected something like this might happen but it was thought to be hundreds of years away. Now they sat in a cottage discussing their fate, with him agreeing to abandon his best lifelong friend for books and antiques. They were critical to the future teachings of those who were gifted, especially if none of them were to survive the oncoming battle.

  “Before I leave, I will secure the house with as many enchantments that I can muster. It may not give you much of an edge, but ….”

  “Thank you Johnny, as usual you’re always there for me,” said Mary, emotion encompassing her voice. They embraced firmly for what seemed like ever before she broke away sharply, looking him up and down. They both looked a lot older now, compared to the young fresh memories they had of battling demons across Europe. She motioned him to leave, knowing she’d be overcome with emotion and now was not the time for that.

  “Mary,” said Ariel, watching as Johnny left, “may I seek that book?”

  Mary nodded, and offered it up to him from her chair.

  “Thank you,” he said gravely, walking quickly out of the room.

  Chapter 22

  This small cottage situated in the Welsh highlands seemed like a century away from the bustling cities of England or the angelic Headquarters in Scotland. Ariel and Amber had drenched the house in every anti-demon and anti-angel protection they could muster. With Amber’s speciality utilising martial arts and swordsmanship she patrolled up and down the length of the cottage eager for anyone to dare try and breach its defences. The large invisible perimeter shield that expanded into the tree covers surrounding the house promised no angel or creature could use their powers once inside that field. Ariel was thankful the shield would also absorb incoming angelic bolts and bursts of lightning. He knew some of his more powerful colleagues would crash through his protective measures. The only hope was to hold them off long enough until Pravuil found what he was looking for. Whatever it was about this family Michael wanted them. He suspected a specialist hit squad trained in ratting out high ranking demons was on its way.

  Looking out the window behind the black straight curtains, Ariel was waiting for the inevitable. That untitled book had unnerved him greatly. As soon as he touched it, he knew it was of ancient origin. As soon as Pravuil returned they would have much to discuss in private, no doubt much to the chagrin of everyone else.

  The Bassett family sat around the quaint country kitchen table. Fatigued but determined from the previous day’s events, they waited for what Ariel had told them could be a ‘blood bath’. David stared blankly out the kitchen window into the darkness. Mary sat in the middle of her family, holding a large mug of tea and wanting nothing more than a nice chocolate biscuit while reading the book with no title. Might as well make the best of the situation, she thought. Thinking back to what her father had told her all those years ago she wondered if he had any foreknowledge of these coming events. Her anger slightly rose to think that he might have. And now, tonight, in this little cottage, they could all meet their end. Truth be told, she didn’t place much hope in the ability of two renegade angels and the family to hold off the forces of Heaven. But she was determined to go out fighting – she was taking chunks with her! Naturally, these views weren’t aired to the family. They needed strength and optimism, though she was starting to feel her age. Defeating the Behemoth had drained her.

  In a bed and breakfast called The Stalkers Establishment a half hours drive from the cottage, Johnny was trying to coordinate a mass evacuation of everyone on the ‘list’. He also needed to call upon closer friends to help him begin moving the library and everything else they had to shift up to their hideout in Scotland. Standing in the underground library, he knew they would need at least two big lorries, maybe three, to move everything. Above ground, the vault operated under the guise of a local bed and breakfast. On an isolated country road, the establishment wasn’t even registered by the council, thanks to some well-placed ‘friends’ within the local authority. The old bulbs dimmed out as he walked up the creaking wooden stairs out of the library. There was a considerable crowd in the bar tonight, those he had asked to come help with the emergency evacuation.

  “Listen lads, the odds are stacked against those folk out there,” he heard one say loudly, while thumping his pint of beer on the table.

  “Angels, you say, Johnny?” shouted one, finishing his bottle of beer, noticing Johnny walking into the room coming up behind the antiquated beer pumps.

  “What’s this about guys?”

  “But we can’t kill angels!” another pointed out.

  “When’s that ever mattered to us?” laughed Sandra, finishing her glass, and bottle, of wine. Her response elicited a cheer round the bar. She whipped her long red hair back and popped out a pocket mirror, touching up on her lipstick. She wasn’t going to stand by and allow those folk to stand alone. That was not their way, ever!

  “Come on Johnny, you don’t think we’re gonna leave them high and dry out there, do ya?” said Martin, an elder patron of the bar and considered one of the most talented in the group.

  “Listen guys, I’m acting on behalf of Mary. She told me to do this.”

  “And when did Mary, or you for that matter, ever care about simple things like that?” shouted another guy in the corner, surrounded by a group of four who all looked related.

  “The library has to be...”

  “The library is not as important as our people. Our friends and family are up in that cottage. We’re not gonna just abandon them. We’re not asking permission here Johnny, we’re wondering if you’ll join us,” interrupted Martin.

  He and Martin had always been close friends, and Johnny respected his forwardness. Truth be told, he never liked the idea of moving books up North while others fought for their lives.

  “Well said darling, well said,” replied Sandra, agreeing wholeheartedly with Martin. If only he was younger, she thought wistfully.

  “What do you propose, Martin?” asked Johnny, accepting that one way or the other, they were going back to the cottage. He poured himself a pint while Martin stood up and made his way over. “We can’t kill them, as we know.”

  “Well what do we know?”

  “We have two angels on our side. They’ve defected in a matter of speaking. Ariel, he seems quite senior, and his assistant Amber. They’re going to be leading the defence. David, Mary Bassett’s grandson, says we can send Angels back to Heaven right and quick if we stab them through the centre of the chest with one of their blades. This strikes at their divinity, whatever to Hell that is. It fractures it momentarily and they are pulled back to Heaven right before your eyes. The damn problem will be getting close enough; they’re quick, strong bastards as some of us already know. We’ll need to bring gallons of holy water and make sure our weapons are drenched in it.”

 
“Good stuff” shouted Sandra, now examining her long ribbed blade with extra scrutiny. “Shall we move gentlemen? Time is most certainly of the essence this fine evening.”

  Both the men and women in the room began to rise and finished their drinks. Martin and Johnny looked at each other and raised their glasses. Words were not needed. A motley group by any standards, this collection of middle to old aged people comprised those from all walks of life. The diverse, ragtag force was widely considered the best in supernatural solutions. Mostly dressed in washed out jeans and long worn out coats, they certainly illustrated they had been in their game a long time. Bouncing into their vehicles, the laughter was heard all around. The sense of camaraderie spliced with a faint detachment from reality and a hint of insanity formed the perfect mix for their line of work. Their arsenal of old, battered cars drove off into the pitch dark distance, ready for anything.

  Chapter 23

  Back in Scotland at angelic Headquarters, a meeting at the highest level was taking place between Michael, Raphael, Uriel and Nuriel. Michael and Raphael had been discussing the extraordinary events that had occurred only hours ago and decided to call in their two top specialists to end this situation once and for all. As if an all-out assault on Headquarters wasn’t enough, an angel from old had come back with some interesting things to say. Word of his return had spread throughout all angelic existence, which could cause problems for Michael’s leadership in these already fraught times. The level of dissatisfaction among the administration was mounting; action had to be taken before the return of Pravuil knocked the ship off course entirely.

  “Stern leadership is required now more than ever if we are to keep our course steady,” said Raphael. Department directors had all approached him asking if Pravuil’s return was true. The return of Pravuil had offered a glimmer of hope to the rank and file, perhaps God was going to return?

  “We move forward with our plan. Wavering is not an option,” replied Michael with complete confidence. “You two are to neutralise the rogue angels whatever the cost. Destroy them and bring me the Bassett’s. If you fail, all may be lost.”

  Uriel agreed with Michael. He wanted vengeance to placate his huge ego and was more than ready to destroy these rebellious traitors. He personally wanted to see to Ariel himself. Nuriel, a specialist in the elements of fire and the leader of Heaven’s ultimate warrior squads had promised immediate results as soon as the location of their whereabouts was revealed. Michael assured them that this information was due to them any moment now. In the meantime, he ordered Raphael to begin the process of total mobilisation. The demon scourge was going to be ended once and for all. Uriel and Nuriel left Michael’s grand office, waiting on intelligence to arrive.

  “Have you given consideration to the human leaders?” asked Raphael.

  “They shall not be informed,” said Michael, knowing Raphael would not agree with this. “Raphael, humans cause enough problems as it is. They have allowed evil to proliferate on this planet and put us in the position where we must now cleanse it. I’m not prepared to forewarn presidents and prime ministers of the upcoming war. To do so would make our task even more difficult. We don’t need human armies and weapons helping to destroy the planet.”

  “The world will never be the same after this; a war in every city on Earth. The destruction and death toll will be unimaginable even to us.”

  “I can imagine it Raphael, trust me on that,” said Michael seriously, “but we have no other option. This experiment is on the verge of collapse. If we don’t act now, humanity will end up destroying themselves. Proceed to full mobilisation.”

  Across Headquarters, each level began to increase in activity considerably. In the armouries, staff began unlocking huge stockpiles of weapons from their glass encasements which covered every wall. The Ministry of Defence began preparations. Hundreds of troops, comprising almost 75 per cent of all manpower available to Heaven marched through each section of the Ministry. First they reported to debriefing and then onto collect their assignments. From here, they were able to ascertain which battalions they would be in and what armaments they were being provided with. Regional offices on every continent, which looked like ordinary office buildings, sealed up. Every angelic location on Earth would increase its defences and only perform the most vital of operations from this point forward.

  The Strategic Room, a massive circular dark room with white lights was packed full of Heaven’s finest lieutenants, commanders and generals. Well planned and rehearsed battle tactics were about to be put into effect and they now simply argued of minute details, from who would command each squadron to who was better suited for different regions of the planet for deployment.

  Near the bottom of the massive underground complex, the Ministry for Earth began its momentous task of summoning its primary angels. This Ministry was supposed to regulate the key elements of Earth – Earth, water, air and fire, but in truth these elder angels were hard to control. They considered themselves above angelic politics. They believed in their truer calling of serving God and therefore the experiment. It was difficult to summon them, let alone get them to stay around and answer the call of the Generals. Water and Earth were particularly uninterested in Earth politics and were infuriated over the centuries by the gradual encroachment of it on their purpose for existing. Nevertheless, even some power over these forces of nature allowed the Ministry to ensure that the Generals had perfect battlefield conditions in each engagement. Each Ministry was preparing itself now for the inevitable war that lay ahead. Their vast resources and huge manpower numbers contrasted starkly to what David, Ariel and the rest had to utilise. The war to end all wars and perhaps even planet Earth was about to get underway.

  ***

  Over two hours had passed since the defences and enchantments were erected in preparation for the onslaught. Ariel and Amber still stood guard at the front section of the house as this provided the best vantage points down towards the blackened fields and encroaching forest. The Bassett family remained secured in the rear of the house and Ariel had specially used more elaborate, energy consuming methods to protect them. Some Amber did not even know. He discussed with her how long it could take to track them to this little cottage and they agreed they were already on borrowed time. He knew the way intelligence worked with the system and that only tactical, highly specialised angels would be dispatched. These would not be normal angelic troops.

  Thankfully, with their new perimeter field in place the moment any angelic being crossed it they would be instantly alerted. The only question was when. He instructed Amber that if it came to a point where they could not hold them off any longer, she was to take the family and go anywhere she could think of. Preferably somewhere remote, like in South America. She was bitterly angry about this, but standing together looking out from the small window beside the front door she knew the stakes were higher than either him or her. They were ultimately expendable. Ariel only hoped Pravuil would get back soon. He didn’t know what particular powers he possessed but his presence alone would certainly be enough to make ground troops think twice. It was and still is assumed if there is one person who still had contact with God, it is Pravuil. Explaining to Amber a hideout he was aware of in the Argentine Aconcagua Mountains, he quickly stopped speaking. Dimming the lights throughout the house with his thought, he peered out the window gently. A large blue luminous flame circle had engulfed the cottage just around the edge of the clearing. He had seen many figures now standing in the darkness below the tree line, vaguely illuminated by the dark blue haunting flames. The time had come. They were here. The blue circle of fire highlighted the perimeter he had placed around the house. He had imbued its energy within the special medallion Amber had provided him with. It was said to contain the divine energy of a hundred angelic beings; enough to keep the house from instant obliteration. The time was now. If it was here they were to make their last stand, he was determined it would be his finest hour.

  “Uriel, sir. This defence line
has another power source; possibly located within the structure itself. We’ll need to wear it down first or they can stay in that building indefinitely.”

  “I can see that,” replied Uriel to his lieutenant through gritted teeth. This perimeter line would instantly vaporise any angelic being that crossed it. He hadn’t seen one used since the War in Heaven. It engulfed the whole house so an aerial attack was also out of the question. It would come down to old-fashioned siege warfare at the beginning. The sooner he was able to duel with Ariel the better. He wanted nothing more than a fight to the death, on his terms. Standing in full battle gear – a black three robed suit with black shirt and black tie – he looked menacing against the blue illuminations of the fire. The light glistened off the huge angelic sword he held firmly in one hand.

  Encircling the house were just under one hundred of his finest angels. Attachments from the department of defence, siege, armaments, Special Forces and more waited to pounce. Without a moment’s hesitation Uriel gave the order to begin attacking the cottage. He would blast the power right out of it. All around him, angels began shooting bolts of white energy from their right hands. Deep penetrating indentations could be seen all across the cottage as its skin tight protection struggled with angels attempting to punch their way through. Sparks and smoke thrashed the area around where the indentations were forming. The shield itself, because under full attack was now visible in its entirety illuminating the cottage. Uriel, and Ariel, knew it was only a matter of time.