by Siegel, Alex
"The written records go back to 500 A.D."
"Unbelievable. A group of superheroes who have existed for a millennium and a half in total secrecy."
Edward shook his head. "They aren't heroes."
"Then what are they?" Norbert said.
"The mission is to protect the world from supernatural interference. If bad stuff happens for some other reason, it's not their problem."
"But they still think they're God's chosen people."
"Chosen to bleed for Him," Edward said. "Chosen to be expendable, like bullets in a gun. You can't quit, either."
Norbert grimaced. Doubts plagued him like a swarm of angry bees. "Why are they protecting the Child? What excuse did they give you?"
"According to the legate, Wesley is a very important part of God's big plan. He'll change the world. Of course the Devil would say the same about the Antichrist."
Norbert tapped his fingers on the table. He abruptly turned and left the chamber, brushing Father as he went past.
"Norbert?" Father said. "What's wrong?"
"May I speak with you, sir?" Norbert replied without looking back. "Privately?"
"Of course."
Norbert walked to the far corner of the room outside the hyperbaric chamber. Empty shelves and frosted glass cabinets lined the walls. There was a bench with a moldy cushion on top. Dust and mildew had turned the carpet brown. It smelled like an old basement.
Father rolled over in his wheelchair, pushing himself. His two brawny attendants stood back.
"What's the problem?"
"I'm afraid I'm having a crisis of faith," Norbert said.
Father's eyes opened wide. "You? Why? Is it because of the babblings of that lunatic?" He pointed back towards Edward. "Don't let his madness infect you."
"He seems sincere, sir."
"But he admits the Devil is responsible."
"Ishii forced him to say that to appease us," Norbert said. "It's not believable. Edward will do anything to avoid more torture, and Ishii wants to get paid."
Father sighed. "Brother Norbert, I am shocked and appalled. I'd thought your faith was impervious. You're the keystone of the entire Brotherhood. We'd be nowhere without your tireless service and steadfast leadership. Even with your recent failures, I trust you implicitly."
"Thank you, sir, but..."
"But nothing! Eight years ago you swore an oath to me and God. It was the right decision then and now. You pledged your life to our cause."
Guilt gripped Norbert's heart. He stared at the dirty floor in shame. "Sir, you weren't at the battle. We were butchered. The enemy cut us down at will."
"So?" Father said.
"It felt like God was on their side, not ours. And when Ethel looked at me..." Norbert bit his lip.
"I understand now." Father nodded. "You're traumatized because of the loss of your brethren. You're stricken with grief. You don't understand the Lord's plan, and so you question it. I apologize for my lack of sensitivity. I should offer you sympathy, not rebuke."
Norbert took a deep breath. "Yes. You're right, of course. I just need to calm down. Maybe if you told me the story of your vision again, I would regain my confidence."
"Very well." Father rolled his wheelchair back a little and raised his voice. "I was living in the Vatican at the time. I had a tiny room with just a narrow slit for a window, but I didn't mind. It was a great honor to be there at all. One night, I was praying at my bed before going to sleep. That's when I saw the light." He closed his eyes.
Norbert leaned in.
"It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Father said. "A ball of blue fire floating above my bed. I could almost reach out and touch it. The room was so silent I could hear my own heartbeat. The ball didn't speak. Rather, it sent thoughts and images straight into my mind. I saw the Luciferian Child as a baby, a boy, and a man. The pictures were as sharp as a knife blade and permanently burned into my memory. I instantly knew what I had to do. There wasn't the slightest doubt. God had commanded me to kill the Child. I set to work that night and I haven't stopped since."
Norbert had heard the story many times, but for the first time it failed to inspire him. Edward had used a phrase. Supernatural interference, Norbert remembered. It was a disturbingly accurate description of Father's vision. Was that ball really God?
Norbert shook off that line of reasoning. Father had experienced a miracle. Diminishing it with rationalizations and alternative explanations wasn't the sort of thing a good Christian did.
Norbert noticed Edward's cell phone lying on a table with his other personal effects. The gray device was still turned off. A crazy idea struck Norbert. He snatched the phone and ran into the hyperbaric chamber.
He thrust it into Edward's hand. "Call Marina and ask her where the Child is."
Edward pressed the power button on the phone. "She won't tell me," he said. "She probably won't talk to me at all. The legate gave strict orders against communicating with her."
"Go ahead and try. It can't hurt."
Edward shrugged. He typed a rapid combination using the keypad and put the phone against his ear.
* * *
A phone woke Marina. She opened her eyes and checked the clock on the nightstand. It was two in morning. Except for the glow from the clock, the bedroom was perfectly dark. She realized it was her own phone ringing in the next room.
Aaron mumbled angrily. He was lying in bed beside her.
"I'll get it," she said. "Probably a wrong number." She couldn't imagine any other explanation.
She slipped out of bed. She wore a nightgown that kept her warm in the cool night air. She took small steps in the darkness as she made her way to the central room of the large, hotel suite. Moonlight leaked through a crack in the curtains.
She answered the phone in a soft voice, so she wouldn't wake Wesley or Yvonne in the second bedroom.
"Hello?"
"Marina? This is Edward."
"Huh?" Marina said. "Why are you calling? You're not supposed to contact us."
"I was worried." Edward sounded oddly sleepy. His cadence was slow and irregular.
"Are you OK? You don't sound right."
"I'm very sick with the flu. Is Wesley still with you?"
"Of course," Marina said. "You could get into a lot of trouble for this. You're obviously not thinking clearly. I'm going to hang up and forget you called." She noticed a stack of papers on a desk. It was all the police reports and other notes that had been collected during the search for her uncle. "Hold on."
"What?" Edward said.
"As long as I have you on the phone, you can do a quick favor for me."
She grabbed the stack of papers, making sure they didn't rustle. She went out the front door of the suite and stepped into the hallway. Bright lights stung her eyes. She closed the door, leaving it barely propped open. She hurried to a room full of vending machines, where the hum would cover her voice.
"I need you to find a man for me. Dmitry Pavlova, a.k.a. Nikolai Serafimovich. White, male. Russian immigrant. In his mid-fifties."
"Pavlova?" Edward said. "Is he a relation of yours?"
"My uncle. All the information is written down. I'm going to take pictures with my phone and send them to you."
He hesitated for some reason. "Go ahead," he said finally.
She worked through the stack of papers, photographing the ones that seemed relevant. The high resolution camera would capture every detail. Just to be sure, she took close shots of the crucial facts Edward would certainly need.
When she was done, she said, "Did you get all that?"
"I think so," he said.
"Let's keep this business between us. Don't mention it to Ethel or the legate. It's a personal matter. If you find anything, call me back directly."
"OK," he muttered.
"You sound awful. Go to sleep. You can look for Dmitry in the morning."
He hung up.
That was strange, she thought. She gathered up the papers and w
ent back to the suite.
When she climbed into bed, Aaron said, "Who was that?"
"Wrong number."
"You were gone for a while."
"I had to use the bathroom." She kissed him on the cheek. "Good night."
He rolled over. "Night."
* * *
Edward put his phone down. "The Child is still with her."
"That was a long call. What were you talking about?" Norbert demanded in a loud voice.
"She's trying to find her uncle. She sent me all the information. I'm supposed to do a computer search."
"Her uncle? Why?"
"I don't know." Edward's head bobbed back and forth as if he couldn't hold it straight. "It seemed important to her."
Norbert leaned forward. "Let me get this straight. If you give her this man's address, she'll go there?"
"I think so."
"With the Child?"
"She and Aaron are guarding him. I'd expect them to stay together." Edward shrugged clumsily.
Norbert couldn't believe his good fortune.
Father's eyes opened wide. "We can make up an address," he said quickly. "When Marina and the Child arrive, we'll ambush them."
Norbert shook his head. "I respectfully disagree, sir. Let's actually find her uncle and give her the real address. We'll use our network of private investigators. When Marina sees him in the flesh, she'll drop her guard. She won't even suspect an ambush. We'll attack at their moment of weakness."
"Yes, you're right." Father furrowed his brow. "God is rewarding us for our faithful service. We can't squander the opportunity by rushing things. We will construct the perfect trap, and the uncle will be the bait."
"I'll help," Edward said. "Just give me a computer and an internet connection. I've very good at finding people."
Norbert frowned at him. "No. I don't trust you that much. You'll stay here and receive more treatment from the doctor. You can help by offering advice though. Tell me about Marina and Aaron. What should we watch out for?"
"Marina can make venom inside her fingers, and she injects it with her fingernails. One dose can kill a man. She is also a master knife fighter, so keep your distance. Aaron is a world class marksman, a great martial artist, and a tactical genius. On top of that, he spits acid that destroys equipment. I suggest you hit both of them with everything you got right away. Don't save your bullets."
Edward's claims sounded ludicrous to Norbert, but at this point he was willing to take any advice seriously. Overconfidence had already cost him dearly. "Anything else?"
"Yvonne will be with them," Edward said. "A long time ago she was a very special kind of deadly, but now she's just a maid. Don't worry about her."
"You've been extremely helpful. If this ambush is successful, I would say you've redeemed yourself in the eyes of God."
Edward smiled.
Father lunged forward in his wheelchair and grabbed Norbert by the arm. "Promise me something."
"What, Father?" Norbert said.
"You won't retreat. You'll finish the battle this time."
Norbert crossed himself. "I swear by the name of the Almighty, if the Child is there, we will fight until the end."
Chapter Twenty-Two
The crack of a baseball bat made Aaron smile. He watched the ball fly like a bullet to the outfield bleachers of Busch Stadium. The crowd cheered wildly.
He, Marina, Wesley, and Yvonne were enjoying an afternoon baseball game. A bright sun warmed their faces and provided relief from a cool spring breeze. They all had the traditional hot dog in one hand and cup of soda in the other. One small wart on an otherwise perfect day was the Cardinals were winning. As a Chicago native, it was Aaron's obligation to be a Cubs fan and therefore root against the Cardinals. However, his heart wasn't in it.
He looked over at Marina. She wore a pink dress with a long skirt. With a genuine smile on her face and a new haircut, she seemed a different woman than the one who had left Chicago a week ago. He couldn't believe the transformation. Instead of constantly simmering with rage, she was calm and rational. He didn't have to treat her like a ticking bomb.
She glanced at him and her smile widened. Then she hastily looked back at the game. It was an odd reaction, one he usually associated with guilt. Was she hiding something?
Of course, Wesley could get the truth out of her, but Aaron didn't want the boy involved. That was like using a stick of dynamite to open a jar of jelly.
Aaron was growing weary of spending so much time with Wesley. The boy was wonderful, but in his presence the compulsion to tell the truth became overwhelming after a while. Aaron wanted to blurt out every thought that entered his head. He was losing the ability to have normal interactions with people.
The endless drama was also grinding him down. A day with Wesley wasn't complete until a bad person died or a good person became better. Just buying tickets for this baseball game had been a scene worthy of a cheap novel. The cashier had confessed to marital infidelity and tax evasion while taking Aaron's money.
Marina's phone rang. Aaron looked at her sharply. There was no good reason for her to receive a call. Only the folks back in Chicago knew her number, and they wouldn't use it unless it was an emergency.
She answered the call. "Yes?" She checked the display on her phone. "I just got the text. Thanks a lot. You've been a huge help." She hung up.
"What the hell was that about?" Aaron said.
She winced. "You're going to yell at me. We don't want to have this conversation here."
"Fine. We'll go. I'll yell at you in the parking lot."
She bit her lip anxiously.
The four of them slowly made their way down and out of the stadium. It took about ten minutes to reach the huge parking lot to the southwest. Even though it was a weekday game, the lot was full. They stood between long aisles of cars. Nobody else was around.
"Go on," Aaron demanded.
Marina cleared her throat. "That was Edward. He sent me the current address of Dmitry. We can go there now."
He stared at her in disbelief. "When did you ask Edward for this information?"
"Last night." She lowered her eyes. "Remember the wrong number? It was him."
"And why the hell did Edward call you?"
"He was worried about us."
His mouth hung agape.
"I know." She grimaced. "I should've told you last night. You don't have to lecture me. While Edward was on the phone, I sent him the information about Dmitry."
"You're unbelievable! Just when I thought you were finally thinking straight, you do this. The legate will have you executed."
"I was trying to save lives. I had to end the search for Dmitry before Yvonne ate anybody else. And technically, Edward made contact with me, so it's not really my fault. I just took advantage of the opportunity."
Aaron's eyes opened wide. "In other words, instead of reporting a huge security breach, you made it worse."
"I gave you my reasons." She crossed her arms. "I'd do it again."
He tapped his foot on the ground and glared. "How did you expect to get away with this?"
"I didn't." She shrugged.
"I want to wring your neck."
"I'm sorry you're so angry. I was hoping you'd understand."
Aaron threw up his hands. "Somebody give me a suggestion. I'm lost here."
"Ethel would kill her right now," Yvonne said. "That's the proper solution. However, Ethel isn't here, so the decision is yours."
Marina lifted her chin and appeared brave.
Aaron looked down at Wesley. "You always have a comment."
"Don't do anything until you have all the information," Wesley said.
"What information am I missing? Marina confessed. She's proud of her crime. Case closed."
"Let's see what happens." Wesley's eyes were as bright and blue as the sky. "I think it will be a good thing in the end. And you can't punish the woman you love for trying to be a hero. That doesn't make any sense. Aren't you proud of her?"
"No," Aaron said. "She decided she knew better than everybody else. She ignored orders."
"Maybe she was right." Wesley shrugged. "It's interesting that Edward called now. Marina and Yvonne are healing, which means we're almost done. I have to help other people."
Aaron rubbed his temples. "Are you talking about destiny again? That's starting to sound like an excuse. I do know one thing though. If I killed Marina, I'd have to kill myself too. That's how bad I'd feel."
Marina smiled at him. "I love you, too."
"Then stop making me nuts!" He glared at her. "This isn't over. Next time I talk to the legate, I will report what happened, and then it will be in his hands. You have until then to practice your excuses. Now let's go find your damned uncle. At least one person will pay for his crimes today."
* * *
Aaron parked the van in front of the Chapel of Eternal Salvation and Hope. It occupied a store front in a brown brick building in Maryland Heights, Missouri. A cracked window had been repaired with cardboard and duct tape. Flickering yellow street lights bothered his eyes.
"We're sure this is it?" he said.
"According to Edward's information," Marina said, "Dmitry works and lives here. He must be the pastor or something."
He frowned. "I can't see that shithead as a pastor."
"It's an easy gig. You don't need professional skills or a fancy college degree. There isn't a background check. A preacher just needs a strong voice, a Bible, and a pulpit."
"I guess that's why so many turn out to be scumbags." He checked his watch. It was eleven o'clock at night.
"I'm a little worried, though," Marina added.
"Why?"
"Edward sounded... odd on the phone."
"You could've mentioned that before we got here," Aaron said.
"He claimed he had the flu. Maybe he was a little delirious."
He turned and stared at her. "Tell me more about this infamous conversation with Edward."
"He was sleepy and sick. I gave him the information about Dmitry and let him go back to bed." She furrowed her brow. "He only asked one question. He wanted to know if Wesley was still with us. It seems like a strange thing for him to ask though. He already knew the answer."
