by Siegel, Alex
Harlow entered the church. The nave was a big, empty room with a hardwood floor. Bolt holes showed where the pews had been removed. White walls helped the space feel a little brighter despite filthy windows.
Colonel Knox was standing in the center of the room, directing traffic. He seemed to have a clear idea of where everything should go.
Harlow walked up to him. "A church, sir?"
"It was available," Knox said.
"I'm not sure about the symbolism."
"What symbolism?"
"Never mind," Harlow said. "How did you find this place so quick?"
"I already had it lined up. I wanted a backup headquarters ready in case the primary one was compromised."
"That was good thinking, sir."
"Thank you," Knox said. "How did it go with Ms. Penn?"
"I pleaded my case, but I don't think it made any difference. She is flying to Washington now. We'll see what happens after she talks to the President. What are you planning to do with the, uh, prisoner?"
The colonel looked down at the floor and pursed his lips. "That's a difficult question. We really don't have the facilities here to deal with an extraterrestrial. It's a shame she refuses to help us. I'll have to ship her off."
"That would be my recommendation, sir. She obviously needs to be handled with extreme care and under the tightest security. The Army must have someplace suitable."
"I have made inquiries. It turns out the Air Force has the perfect place for her. Once I make my decision, she'll be gone within the hour."
Harlow nodded, but he was still nervous. He wanted Sara gone now.
"Did you just abandon the old headquarters, sir?"
"I left a squad behind," Knox said, "just in case the other aliens appear. Captain Kyle knows that location, after all, and he might talk."
"What if your squad is captured? They could lead the enemy here."
"Those men don't know where here is, and they're under orders to treat any intruders as hostile. We're done playing nice. We bagged one alien, and that might be the only one we take alive."
Harlow smiled slightly. "You've thought of everything, sir."
"The Army doesn't give full birds to dummies." Knox tapped his rank insignia. "But without help from the aliens, we can't proceed with the experiments."
"Let me worry about that, sir. I'll come up with a plan." Harlow looked at the activity swirling inside the church. "I know I should help unpack, but to be frank, I'm too tired. I can barely stand. I'd like to get some sleep back at the hotel."
"Permission granted. I'm also planning to knock off in an hour or so. Oh, but you have to change hotels. Kyle knows about the old hotel. Find a new place and don't tell anybody."
"Wonderful," Harlow said bitterly as he walked off.
* * *
Rena Penn was starting to doze off when a whistling sound got her attention. It didn't sound like a noise an airplane normally made.
She stood up and turned her head until she located the source. After a little hunting around, she discovered Dr. Harlow's leather briefcase in a coat closet. He had left it behind.
She grabbed the briefcase, and the weight surprised her. It felt like it was full of bricks.
She smelled smoke. She opened the briefcase and found it crammed with electrical components and batteries. Warm air touched her face. A couple of wires were glowing red and had burned the leather.
The briefcase produced a loud bang which startled Penn. It sounded like a gunshot, and she dropped the briefcase. Copious amounts of smoke were pouring out.
Every light in the jet turned off at once. Then the engines died, and the aircraft slewed to one side.
She ran to the cockpit. The pilot and copilot were fighting with the controls. The entire control panel was dark.
"What happened?" Penn yelled.
"I don't know," the pilot said. "The whole system suddenly went dead. No power, no hydraulics, no radio. Buckle yourself in. This could get rough."
She ran back to her seat and pulled her seatbelt tight.
She looked out the window. The terrain below was all forests and mountains which offered no good places to land.
More smoke and even a little fire was shooting out of the briefcase. Penn grasped what had happened. Dr. Harlow is murdering me, she thought.
The jet nosed down into a steep dive. The only sound was the wind rushing past the fuselage. At least her death would be quick and painless.
She thought about her successes and failures in life. There was so much left to do, so many promises that would never be kept.
In her final moments, she had only one thought. I hope there is a place reserved in Hell with Harlow's name on it.
She hit the ground at four hundred miles per hour.
* * *
Virgil, Alfred, and Captain Kyle were walking through the Aladdin's Castle amusement park. Virgil had come at night before, and daytime was an entirely different experience. Kids were laughing and yelling on all the rides. One little girl was wailing about a fallen ice cream cone. A foolhardy boy was chasing a goose. Parents were watching with expressions varying from amusement to boredom to frustration.
"Strange place for a rendezvous," Kyle said.
"It's a familiar location," Virgil said.
"You have kids?"
"Not quite."
The group went down a narrow dirt path which snaked between trees. They finally arrived at the "Rocket to Heaven." Virgil wondered if children ever used the ride. It looked too intense for kids even when it wasn't flinging passengers to another celestial plane.
Virgil looked around but didn't see Sara or Lisa. He checked his watch and saw it was noon. He became worried.
The old man with wild gray hair came out of his shack. "You again. You need another ride?"
"Not this time," Virgil said. "Just meeting friends. I never got your name before."
"I don't have a name. Everybody calls me Old Man." The old man sniffed at Kyle. "You're human."
Kyle raised his eyebrows. "So?"
"I'm surprised to see you hanging around these other two. Aren't you afraid?"
"Why?"
The old man glanced at Virgil. "They could take down a Nephilim. Human souls with bodies made from...."
"That's enough," Virgil said. "Information about us is on a need-to-know basis, and he doesn't need to know."
The old man frowned.
Kyle pointed at the shack. "You live there?"
"I exist there."
"Does that mean you're not alive?"
"Yes, thank God," the old man said. "Living is such a messy, complicated, painful process. I don't know how you can put up with it. Of course, having a soul is a nice perk. Those things are limited edition. You must feel very blessed."
"That's enough!" Virgil said. "Please, shut up."
The old man made a sour face.
Virgil turned at the sound of footsteps. Lisa had arrived, but instead of Sara, Mei was accompanying her. Virgil was pleasantly surprised but deeply concerned at the same time. There was no good reason for Sara to miss the meeting.
Mei ran over and kissed Virgil on the lips. He gathered her in his arms and gave her a big hug.
"Another human." The old man sniffed with disdain.
Lisa pointed at Kyle. "Who is this joker?"
"Captain Dirk Kyle," Virgil said. "Army Special Forces. We took him prisoner and convinced him to switch sides."
"That's not exactly true," Kyle said. "I won't betray my oath to the Army and the Constitution of the United States. I'm just helping find a peaceful resolution to the conflict."
Lisa raised her eyebrows.
"Where is Sara?" Virgil said. "And why is Mei here?"
Lisa grimaced. "Mei was scared. She wanted to see you one more time, and I couldn't say no."
"That's sweet. I ask again. Where is Sara?"
"We ran into trouble and had to leave her behind. She was probably captured." She looked down.
"What?!" Virgil r
oared.
"It was a bad scene. We were at a truck stop...." She described the events of the night.
He rubbed his hands together out of anger and anxiety. "How did they find you?"
"I don't know. I used all my tricks for shaking tails. Nobody was following."
"We planted a homing device on your car," Kyle said. "We saw you arrive in it, and then you just walked away. You should be more careful."
Virgil felt foolish. He should've known somehow or at least suspected. He was doing a bad job of taking care of his team.
He looked at Kyle. "Where would they take Sara?"
"I have no idea." Kyle shrugged. "The Unit doesn't have a good place to keep prisoners."
"Theorize."
"I really can't. Is she dangerous?"
"Not as dangerous as the rest of us," Virgil said, "but still pretty tough."
"I have an idea!" Alfred said. "I bet Barachiel can see Sara."
"Who is Barachiel?" Kyle said.
Virgil rolled his eyes. "Is there some kind of gas in the air that makes everybody blab secrets? Captain, it's clearly not safe for you to be with us. Please, go back to the car. We'll meet you there in a bit."
Kyle drew back. "You're just letting me go without anybody to guard me?"
"You agreed to help us, and I believe you're a man of your word. You may go."
Kyle shrugged and left.
Virgil turned to Alfred. "You have to be more careful."
"Sorry," Alfred said, "but I trust the guy."
"You trust everybody," Lisa said with disdain, "even crooks."
"Nothing wrong with always starting with trust. The world would be much happier if there was more trust."
Lisa sniffed.
"Kyle is OK," Virgil said, "but we can't forget his loyalties are fluid. Now, let's make contact with Barachiel. Old Man, we need that silver tray again."
The old man went into his shack. He came out a minute later with a highly polished silver tray in his hands. A half-inch of clean water covered the bottom. He set the tray on the ground.
Alfred leaned over it. "Barachiel! Barachiel! Are you there?"
The angel materialized. An island in the background was in the middle of a calm, blue ocean. Souls were playing on the beach and in the water. Dolphins were giving free rides to anybody who wanted one. Virgil knew the dolphins were just decoration though. According to the Celestial Contract, animals had no souls and couldn't go to Heaven.
"Yes?" Barachiel said in its heavenly voice.
"Sara was captured," Alfred said. "Where is she?"
"I wasn't aware. When did this happen?"
"Late last night."
The angel appeared anxious. It stared into the distance with a fixed gaze.
"Well?" Alfred said impatiently.
"I can't see her."
"Is she dead... uh, deader?"
"No," Barachiel said. "I would definitely know if her soul had left the Earth. She is... hidden."
"How is that possible?"
"I have no idea. This is deeply troubling." Barachiel's eyes were just glowing orbs, but they still conveyed anxiety.
"I have another question," Virgil said. "It turns out the military has been using a passage to Heaven in McCormick Woods, North Riverside."
"There is no such passage," Barachiel said.
"You're sure?"
"Absolutely." The angel's voice lacked its usual confidence however.
"I don't mean to be rude, but you're not helping us much."
"I do have one suggestion. It is... distasteful."
"What?" Virgil said.
"I don't want another member of your club to get lost. I know a way for you to track each other, so you'll always know where your teammates are."
"Sounds incredibly useful. Why didn't you suggest this before?"
"The act is abhorrent and unclean," Barachiel said. "Virgil and Lisa will go first. Cut off a piece of your flesh and insert it into the other's body. The eye socket would be best. Push it in deep, at least two inches, so the different kinds of flesh merge."
"Nasty."
"Use a sharp knife."
Virgil looked at Lisa. "You want to do this?"
She grimaced. "Let's just get it over with."
She drew a sharp combat knife from a sheath under her jacket. Without hesitation, she pulled up her shirt and cut out a chunk of her belly. The lump was the size of a quarter and dripped black sludge.
She walked up to him. "Hold still."
"Make it quick," he said.
Lisa stabbed her knife into Virgil's eye. He felt no pain, but the sensations were disturbing, and he was suddenly blind in that eye. She jammed her own gob of flesh into the wound and pushed it deeper with her finger. He didn't like the feeling of her poking inside his skull.
She stepped back. "That should do it."
He cocked his head. "I don't feel any difference, except my eye is messed up."
"Give it a moment," Barachiel said. "The two must become one."
Virgil waited. After a short time, he began to see something strange. Lisa was glowing with a black light. He closed his good eye, but the shimmering silhouette was still visible. He turned around, but he could still tell where she was standing.
"I think it worked," he said. "That's amazing."
"Do me," Lisa said.
She gave him the knife. He dug into his belly and cut out a nice, round piece of black meat. He thrust the knife into her right eye and yanked the blade back out. He shoved his flesh into the slit, forcing it through the tight opening. He pushed hard with his finger until it was covered with slippery black slime.
"You OK?" Virgil said.
"I think so. That felt really weird."
"Just let the magic happen."
Lisa stood still. He could see the eye wound already starting to close. She would be healed in a few minutes at this rate.
She smiled. "That's cool!" She put her hand in front of her face. "It's like X-ray vision."
"I'm glad," Barachiel said, "but now we come to the hateful part. Do the same with Alfred."
"Why will that be hateful?"
"Demon mud blends easily with demon mud. Alfred's flesh is divine. There will be strife."
"Oh." Virgil looked at Alfred who appeared uneasy. "Do you want to give or receive first?"
Alfred gnawed his lip. "I'll receive from you."
"I'll do it fast."
Alfred clenched his jaw and held still. Virgil repeated the procedure he had used with Lisa, going as quickly as possible. White fluid oozed out of Alfred's eye socket instead of black. After the task was done, Virgil moved back.
Alfred was shivering.
"Are you OK?" Virgil said.
"No. It hurts. It hurts a lot."
Alfred dropped to his knees and moaned. He clawed at his face, gashing his skin with his fingernails.
"Just hang in there," Virgil said. "It won't go on forever."
He looked around to make sure there were no witnesses. Mei was standing off to the side with a frightened expression. He went over and gave her a hug.
Eventually, Alfred calmed down and stood on unsteady legs. His face was still lacerated though.
"Did it work?" Lisa said.
"Yes," he replied in a hoarse voice. "I can see Virgil's black ghost. It's disturbing. I understand why Barachiel was reluctant to suggest this."
"You do me." Virgil handed over the knife.
Alfred repeated the procedure on Virgil. As soon as the white flesh went into his eye socket, he knew something was terribly wrong. Pain exploded in his head as his body struggled to reject the foreign element. His demon nature could not accept something so angelic. He clenched his fists so tightly, one of his finger bones snapped.
"Negotiate a truce," Alfred said. "Your human soul can overrule your flesh. You're neither angel nor demon. You are something else."
Virgil tried to reassert his humanity by remembering his former life. He had spent twenty-five years proudly servin
g as a U.S. Marshal, eventually reaching the rank of inspector. He had caught enough fugitives to fill a prison wing. Along the way, he had married a beautiful Japanese woman. He had never met anybody more patient and understanding.
Those memories gave him the strength to calm the war in his head. The pain gradually subsided.
Virgil was blind in both eyes, but he saw Alfred as a ghostly white shape made of light. Virgil wondered if that was his true form.
"Lisa," he said, "I don't think you should do this."
"Why not?" Lisa said.
"Your self-control isn't the best. It's an extremely intense experience. I'm concerned you might do something foolish."
"Are you calling me a fool?"
"No," Virgil said, "but you must admit you are impulsive."
She paused. "I can handle it."
"That's pride talking."
"No, really. I've fought through plenty of tough times."
"This isn't about fighting," he said. "It's about being calm."
"This is important. I want to be an equal member of the team. Don't you trust me?"
Virgil sighed. "At least wait until I have one good eye to watch you with."
After a few minutes of waiting, he began to see out of the eye which Lisa had damaged. His vision was blurry but adequate.
"I'm going to hold onto you," he said. "It's for everybody's safety."
"You really don't trust me," she said.
"Not with this."
Virgil stood behind Lisa and wrapped his arms around her athletic body. He squeezed as tight as he could.
"Oof!" she said. "Good thing I don't need to breathe."
Alfred performed his surgery. Even before he was quite done, Lisa began to thrash. Virgil needed all his considerable strength to hang onto her. She was bouncing so hard, she lifted him off the ground. She let out screeching noises which reminded him of a crow.
"Lisa!" he barked. "Show me your control. Think about your proudest moments from when you were a Chicago cop. Connect with your humanity."
She stopped jumping, but he could hear her teeth grinding together. Bit by bit, she settled down until he finally felt it was safe to release her.
"That was horrible," she gasped. "It was like a burning coal was stuck in my head."
"I told you," Virgil said.
Alfred sighed. "I guess that just leaves me. I get to have two rounds of torment. Lucky me."
