by Mary Abshire
“Please, don’t take my bag. It’s all I have. The police are looking for me,” Emily said.
“The money is ours now,” Carl said.
Emily took a step closer.
“Emily!” Andrew said.
“Please, it’s all I have,” she said.
“Not anymore,” Carl said.
Emily fought the urge to rush toward him. But she couldn’t risk one of them dead or in a hospital with a bullet wound. Yet, she had to stop them somehow. The more she looked at the two drug-heads, the more her anger raged.
“If you take my money, I will hunt you down and get it back. Do yourself a favor and leave my bag,” Emily said in a stern tone.
Carl found her comment hilarious and laughed. “Do you hear this bitch, honey?”
Nancy held the gun lower, but still directed at Andrew. Her expression was more of concern than humor. “Let’s tie them up and get out of here.”
Emily glared at Carl. “I will find you.”
She took a small step forward.
“Emily,” Andrew grabbed her arm, stealing her attention.
“Find this,” Carl said as he brought the gun down on her head.
She fell sideways onto the bed. Pain radiated from the hit. Before she could push herself up, she received another blow to the back of her skull. All thoughts disappeared. She lay still on the bed while her head throbbed. Voices sounded distant, overpowered by the thud pulsing in her ears. Her vision blurred as she fought to stay conscious. Someone moved her arms behind her. She had no energy to fight or resist. The ache in her head made it seem so heavy. She swallowed and closed her eyes. With deep breaths, she hoped the pain would quickly fade.
Someone tugged on her arms and lifted her. The quick movement magnified the throb in her skull. She tried to stand, but her knees didn’t want to cooperate. They were weak and wobbly as she was forced to walk to the corner. She tried to move her arms, but her strength was next to nothing. Something pinched her skin near her wrists. Someone pushed her to the floor and leaned her against the wall.
The pounding ache in her head began to lessen. She breathed slowly and blinked, trying to clear the cloudiness from her eyes. Someone sat beside her. Andrew if she guessed right. She wiggled her fingers and tried to move her arms again. Something around her wrists held them behind her back. Her vision started to clear. A dark shadow of a figure appeared in front of her. Seconds later, the person put tape over her mouth.
Anger renewed along with the inclination to fight, but she was still weak. She knew she couldn’t do much. Something warm and wet trickled down the back of her skull. She didn’t have to guess what it was. With slow breaths, she continued to blink and clear her sight. She moved her mouth and cheeks, but the tape didn’t budge. Colors returned and she saw a blurry image of Nancy with her pink hair. She switched off the light. In little time, the room fell into silence.
A moaning sound from her right captured her attention. Andrew sat beside her with tape across his mouth. Her vision had yet to return to normal and the darkness didn’t help her to see any better either. Carefully, she moved from leaning against the wall. She was grateful her injured head didn’t protest.
Andrew moved onto his knees. He turned his body so his backside faced her. His wrists were bound and he wiggled his hands. He scooted closer to her, dragging his knees over the carpet. She lifted her legs so he could move nearer. Staring at her from over his shoulder, he groaned and rubbed his cheek on his shoulder.
Emily bent toward his hands. She placed her face near his fingers. They were soft as he rubbed them on her cheek, trying to catch an edge of the tape. When he did, she aligned her movements with his until the tape was removed.
“Better,” she said. “Your turn.”
He crawled on the tips of his kneecaps as he turned to face her. She rolled onto her legs. Dizziness took hold of her and she fell sideways. She tried to move her arms to catch herself, but they’d been bound. Fortunately, the bed was close by to stop her fall.
Andrew moaned repeatedly. She leaned at an angle against the bed while the spinning slowed.
“Stop,” she said.
He moved as close as he could, then bent, placing his face near her hands. She knew what she needed to do and flexed her fingers. His face felt a little scratchy as she sought to grasp the tape. He shifted his position, trying to help her, but it did the reverse.
“Stop moving,” she said, and he did.
Finding the corner, she brought her thumb and forefinger together.
“Pull back slowly,” she said.
He obeyed and the tape peeled away from his face. She twitched her fingers until they were free from the sticky substance.
“Are you okay?” he asked as he straightened.
“I’ll be fine.”
She twisted to lean her back against the bed. Andrew sat across from her and stretched out his legs. Her sight had improved and she could see him clearer in the darkness.
“We could scream for help or I could leave to find someone,” he said.
“No, we don’t want to call attention to ourselves. I can’t be found by the police.”
“So we just wait here tied up?”
“Troy will find us,” she said. “Did they take my bag?”
“Yes. And your wallet too.”
“Fuck.”
She had to get her bag back. Somehow, she had to find a way and she’d beat the shit out of the drug-heads in the process.
“Sorry,” he said.
She sighed. “It’s not your fault.”
“How’s your head?”
“It doesn’t hurt as bad. I’m sure I have a concussion, so don’t let me fall asleep.”
“I can’t believe you did that,” he said in an irritated tone. “It was ballsy and stupid. They had guns.”
“I was hoping I’d scare them enough to leave my bag.” She uncurled her legs and straightened them out in front of her.
“Was it worth risking your life for?”
“It had all my cash in it.”
Defeat settled into her and it tasted sour. With no money and no ID, she couldn’t get a car. She couldn’t do anything. The funds she had in various accounts were inaccessible without proper ID.
“Why are the police looking for you?” Andrew asked.
She stared at the man in front of her. He’d been nothing but kind, even though he continued to lie to her. Maybe it was time to come clean with him. She had nothing else to lose anyway. Troy would show up eventually and free them. If Andrew wanted to take off after she’d told him the truth, then so be it. She doubted he’d go to the cops, so her secrets would be safe.
“Remember how I said I dumped my best friend’s dead body in a ditch?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“It’s true. She died in my arms from a drug overdose.”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Em. That’s terrible.”
“I didn’t want to get blamed for her death. So, I got rid of her body. Troy got me a new identity and worked out a way for me to get a different car. I was heading to visit my ex in Texas and stay there for a while.”
“Your ex being Ethan?”
“Yeah.”
“I see.”
Relief flowed through her, having shared the truth. Now if she could only get him to do the same. “Yeah, my story’s not nearly as interesting as yours.”
“I disagree. What kind of person gets punished in heaven for having sex with too many women? I don’t think it gives me a good image.”
His words were not what she wanted to hear.
“So that’s it? They sent you back because of that?” she asked.
“Well… In all honesty, this was my third sentence. I guess the council had had enough with me.”
“Third sentence?” The story just kept improving.
“The first one I spent twenty years in London. The council thought by sending me away from my family and friends that I’d change. The second time they sent me to a men
’s academy for five years.”
“Is that like some kind of military facility?”
“Something like that, but no weapons or fighting, of course. Female secretaries worked in the office and they took a liking to me.”
“And you’re not the kind of guy to turn a lady down, I suppose.”
“No, I’m not.”
“So everything you said at the bar was true?” She still didn’t believe him. His story was too unreal.
“Yes. They sent me back to kill six demons. An extra year will be added to my sentence for every woman I have sex with while I’m here.”
“That must be hard for you.”
He didn’t respond, but he kept staring at her. Frustrated, she shook her head and looked away. Why couldn’t he tell her the truth? That’s all she wanted.
“How would anyone even know if you were having sex?” she asked.
“Before they sent me back, they injected me with these … fluids. One of them was a way for them to monitor and communicate with me. The other had something in it to knock me out too. I was unconscious within a few minutes of the shot. I’m not sure which contained holy water, but it had to be in one of the two vials.”
“Holy water?”
“So the demon will be destroyed once I touch it.”
“Ah,” she said as she tilted her head back. “So they can monitor what you do?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm…”
“You still don’t believe me. Do you?” he asked.
“No, I don’t. It sounds too unbelievable.”
“So then it has to be a lie?” he questioned.
“Angels don’t exist. God doesn’t exist. If there was one, he wouldn’t let people hurt people.”
“Free will is a bitch to deal with,” he said.
“Yeah, whatever.”
Sighing, she turned her gaze away. She’d had such a good evening playing games with him, but now she was back to her original plan. As long as he refused to tell her the truth, she wouldn’t trust him. She’d help him, but only to save herself from a life in prison. But first, she needed Troy to set her free so she could hunt down Carl and Nancy to get her money back. Drug addicts had caused nothing but trouble for her. She couldn’t wait to claim her belongings and beat the shit out of Carl and Nancy.
Chapter Eleven
Andrew watched Emily to make sure she didn’t fall asleep. He had to keep her awake at least an hour to ensure she survived her head injury. She sat quietly with her gaze directed elsewhere. She didn’t believe him and he wished more than anything he could prove himself, but he couldn’t figure out how. The writing on his arm hadn’t been enough. Maybe if she saw him kill the demon she would believe. He couldn’t conjure any other way to convince her he’d told her the truth.
Sadness filled him after hearing her confession. He guessed Libby had been her best friend, the one who had died. It made sense, especially after Emily had claimed not to have any female friends. He suspected guilt weighed heavily in her heart and mind and that’s why she had decided to run from Chicago. He also believed her colored aura was a result from her actions. She hadn’t killed anyone, but she’d done enough wrong to detour her from going to heaven.
For another matter, he was pleased to hear she didn’t have a boyfriend. Although he couldn’t have sex with Emily, he fancied the thought another man hadn’t claimed her. The woman was smart, daring, fun to talk to and be with as well. He couldn’t deny his attraction to her. Resisting the urge to touch and kiss her was a challenge and it continued to grow. He’d have to be careful. They were starting to trust each other more, but her faith in him was still lacking since she didn’t believe he was an angel. He couldn’t afford to make a move that would give her reason to have less confidence in him.
“What will you do once your friend arrives?” he asked when he noticed her eyelids drooping.
She opened her eyes. “Try to find Carl and Nancy.”
“Got any ideas how?”
“Yeah… The front desk lady picked up the phone after we walked away from the desk. I think she was letting Carl and Nancy know we were on our way. I’d start with her or Henry. One of them has to know where the two are staying.”
Her plan seemed like a good one. He’d go along with it.
“Say you find them. Then what? They have guns,” he said.
“There will be three of us. I’m sure we can find a way to sneak up on them,” she said with confidence. “Besides, Troy is never unarmed.”
“He carries weapons?”
“Yeah, he always carries a gun or knife on him. If he’s traveling or meeting someone for business, he’ll have more with him.” She paused to take a deep breath. “I don’t think Carl and Nancy will go far. I think they’ll use some of the money to buy drugs. They’re addicts, so they’ll want to do the drugs soon after they buy them. That’s typically what druggies do.”
He hoped the receptionist or Henry would know where the two lived. With an extra man and weapons, they had better odds at getting Emily’s belongings.
“So Troy showed you how to fight. Did he show you how to use a weapon too?” he asked.
He’d never seen a girl act as fast as they she had in the bar. He couldn’t stop thinking about it.
“Of course. Where else would I learn?”
Her response shouldn’t have surprised him, but it did. He wasn’t used to women being so macho. “Back in my time, people went to firing ranges to learn how to shoot. And most women weren’t packing lead.”
“That’s right, you said you died in 1989.”
“I did. It wasn’t a lie.”
She drew her legs closer to her and bent them so she sat cross-legged. “I checked out your story when you were sleeping. There was an article on the web about the car accident.”
Ah, so she had done some fact checking on him. Smart girl. He debated if he should tell her he looked at her wallet and the envelope she’d had when she was out. His decision came fast and it was to keep hush-hush. It wouldn’t win him any trustworthy points.
“If you know I’m not lying, then why don’t you believe me?”
“For all I know, you could be hiding from someone, just like I’m trying to hide from the police.”
“Who would I have to hide from?” he asked with a shrug. “I died.”
“You could have stolen his identity,” she argued.
“And I just happen to look exactly like Andrew? That makes no sense.”
“Everyone has a twin somewhere in the world.”
No matter what he said to her, she refused to believe him. He didn’t know how to change her mind.
“Okay, say you’re right. I stole an identity and lucky me, I look like the deceased guy. What’s my purpose for lying in the middle of the road naked? Why would I create a story about heaven and being an angel? Why would I not leave you and go my own way?” he asked in a frustrated tone. He tried to move his arms and the damn strap around his wrists dug into his skin.
“I don’t know,” she said with a shrug.
“Think about it. You’re a smart woman. Why was I naked in the middle of nowhere? How did I get there?”
She shook her head. “Someone dropped you off there.”
“Why would I tell you I was an angel?”
“Because you don’t want me to know the truth. You’re have an overactive imagination and need my help.”
“As much as I’d like to take credit for having such creativity, I can’t. I was never a fan of fiction. So why am I staying with you? I could have robbed you and left.”
She lowered her eyes. “I don’t know why you didn’t. You could have.” Her words were soft as if she didn’t want to admit there was a flaw in her reasoning.
“You’re a good person, Em. I meant it when I said I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you. I think you made some bad choices in your life, but you can fix them. You can make amends. I’d like to help you if I can.”
She met his gaze. “And just how can yo
u help me? You don’t have any money or identification. All you have are the clothes on your back.”
Stymied, he let out a sigh. He understood her point of view since he had no resources to help her hide from the police. But there had to be a way he could be of assistance to her. “I’m not sure yet, but I’ll figure it.”
She scoffed. “Right.”
Her tone confirmed again what he already knew. “I’m going to prove to you that I’m not making any of this up.”
“Oh yeah? How?”
“Help me kill the demon.”
“I already said I would,” she said flatly.
“I have to kill six total. After I kill one, the name on my arm will change. Can you explain how that would happen?”
When she didn’t respond, he said, “It can’t. Am I right?”
“It’s not possible, no,” she reluctantly agreed.
“If that’s the case and you see a new name, will you believe me?”
He waited for her to answer. What more did she want from him as evidence? He didn’t have wings. He wasn’t superman. How much proof did she need to realize the truth?
“I need to see it to believe it,” she finally said. “If the name changes…”
“It will. I promise you,” he said with stern confidence.
“Then I’ll believe you.”
Her words sounded hesitant, but it gave him hope he could change her mind.
Tired of sitting on the floor, he decided to move to the bed. He stayed close to Emily as she rose. She was slow, but she stood and was able to walk without falling. Since one mattress had been covered in clothes, they moved to the one near the window. Leaning against the headboard, he kept her awake by talking about his childhood. She listened intently and asked questions. They even laughed a few times about his juvenile mistakes. After an hour of conversation and several yawns, they decided to get some rest.
