The Creation: Chaos Rising

by Art Gulley Jr.

  My Lord?

  "Yes Silas," Iblis responded to the Morphling's voice echoing through his mind.

  Darius has arrived as you requested.

  "Have him wait in my office," Iblis instructed as he banked sharply to his right. "I'll be there directly."

  As you wish.

  Iblis's altered flight plan put him in direct line with the Tower of Self which, from this height, was a grayish speck against the region's pervasive white. The Lord of Hell folded his wings and plummeted straight down; setting what appeared to be a collision course with the tower's eastern face. At the crucial moment he snapped them open. The drag created by the wings' huge expanse brought him to an abrupt halt before of the open doors of the Tower's aerie, and he lightly touched down on the landing deck's smooth pavers.

  I would've definitely put your speed to the test today, Gabriel, Iblis mused as he made his way to his office. "Ah, Darius," he greeted the Desomor standing behind his desk. "I trust you're enjoying the view?"

  Darius turned away from the sight of Hell's teeming streets, and accorded Iblis a respectful bow. "As always, my lord. It's a shame my people have such a horrid perception of this city."

  Iblis sighed. "It is indeed. But perhaps the situation can be rectified. Tell me; what progress have you made with the Harbinger."

  Darius' expression brightened. "Much, my lord. Shift and I have established Spirit Way's philanthropic credentials, and Miss Delcielo seems very enthusiastic about working with our organization, though her companion seemed a bit hesitant."

  Iblis' folded wings gave a slight flutter. "What companion?"

  Darius looked pointedly at his master. "Gabriel."

  Iblis's eyes widened with surprise. "Do tell! So he's finally tired of his customary background-skulking."

  "I'd say the motivation behind Gabriel's actions were more…visceral."

  "Visceral…wait…are you saying our pensive Celemor is attracted to this woman?"

  "So it would seem."

  Iblis's wings twitched again. "And you sure his behavior is genuine and not just a façade to hide his awareness of you?"

  "Positive. The Veil of Deception has totally blinded him to our true natures. This surprised me at first, considering that buffoon's keen senses. But having observed their interaction, I'd say his curious lack of focus is due in part to his preoccupation with the Harbinger.

  Iblis considered this bit of news for a moment. "Gabriel always maintains a high degree of emotional detachment during a Task. If what you suspect is true this woman's charms must be considerable."

  "They are."

  Iblis focused sharply on the Desomor's face. "What do you mean?"

  A bemused look appeared on Darius' face. "I'm not sure how to explain it. Miss Delcielo exudes an aura that's all most...magnetic. It's easy to see why that Center of hers has become such a success."

  "She definitely seems to have captured your favor," Iblis noted through narrowed eyes.

  The Desomor flashed his master a cunning smile. "Only in the sense that I recognize her potential; people like Nina tend to attract followers."

  "Which is why I need her to embrace my Doctrines of her own free will," Iblis reiterated.

  "I doubt if that's going to be a problem," Darius confidently assured his agitated master. "Nina's apathy toward religious structure is quite pronounced, yet I sense in her a curious yearning. She wants to believe in something. She's just not sure what that ‘something' is."

  Iblis' wings gave a slight flutter. "Then perhaps you and Shift should discover a way to fill that void."

  A devious grin creased the Desomor's lips. "I was thinking the same thing, my lord."

  Chapter 24

  Cardinal Tullis stared impassively at the television as he listened to the casual discourse being shared by the man and woman on the screen.

  The show was called Motown's Up and Comers. It was a Detroit based program that highlighted citizens who were making a name for themselves on the national front. Quinlan and Sanders had taped the previous week's episode, and forwarded a copy to the Elders.

  Tullis normally did not subscribe to such exploitive fair, but the spotlight of this particular episode was focused on Nina Delcielo, and the recent opening of five additional Youth Centers in the Metro Detroit area. There were also plans to take the Center's concept nation wide thanks to Miss Delcielo's successful collaboration with the nationally renowned, Spirit Way Foundation; an organization whose credentials Tullis had always questioned.

  The conversation turned to matters of the spiritual, and a frown furrowed the Cardinal's brow. Over the past year and a half, Nina's rising popularity had provided her with a casual pulpit from which to espouse her skewered notions on organized religion and its place in modern society. She readily acknowledged God's existence, but felt that service to him would be better achieved through the realization of the inherent spirituality within oneself, and using that knowledge to affect positive changes; as opposed to becoming subservient to esoteric doctrines established by men.

  Such radical heresy was frightening to the devout Catholic sentinel, but even more disturbing were the number of people who were beginning to ascribe to her beliefs thanks to the unlimited reach of cable television and the internet. In fact, in addition to the DVD containing the episode Tullis was watching, and other similar shows of interest, the Seekers had included a list of newly formed websites whose forums were dedicated to the woman's venomous rhetoric. These sites, and their steadily-rising number of subscribers, were an indication that Nina had indeed found her audience amongst the spiritually disenfranchised masses.

  The frown on the Cardinal's face deepened as he continued to watch the show. Any hopes that Tullis might have entertained about bringing Miss Delcielo into the Presbyterii's fold where gone. She and the diatribe she was spewing was fast becoming a threat.

  After the show ended, Tullis put in a call to Cardinal Dresden.

  "Hello Calvin," Dresden's stern voice sounded through the receiver. "I trust you're calling to discuss the disturbing media the Seekers sent us."

  "I am," Tullis replied. "Did you get a chance to look at the DVD?"

  Dresden issued a disgusted snort. "I finished it this morning. It's obvious that Miss Delcielo has no intention of aiding our cause."

  Tullis released a weary sigh. "I've come to that conclusion as well."

  "I've already spoken with some of my associates within the Episcopalian and Lutheran societies, as well the Rabbinical Assembly and the Nation of Islam," Dresden announced.

  Tullis' eyes widened at the news. "What prompted that?"

  Dresden's voice took on a hard edge. "Apparently Miss Delcielo has found a far broader audience than we anticipated. Her naïve proclamations are drawing attention and a steady stream of acolytes across the spiritual front."

  Another sigh escaped Tullis' lips, this time one of regret. "Then perhaps we need to take steps to…silence her rhetoric."

  "I've a team of Neutralizers already in position," Dresden promptly announced. "I'll have them start the negative propaganda immediately. They've been fed all of Quinlan and Sanders reports on this matter, and will know how best to proceed."

  "Will the Seekers be aiding the Neutralizers in this endeavor?"

  "Absolutely not," Dresden declared in a firm voice. "Nina Delcielo is no longer Quinlan's and Sanders' concern."

  Tullis' hand tightened on the receiver. "You've taken them off the case?"

  "As of this morning," Dresden confirmed. "The two are exemplary operatives, but like most Seekers I've encountered, lack the mental fortitude to accept the less savory aspects the Presbyterii’s policies concerning problems of this nature."

  "A fallacy that I, too, share," Tullis remarked.

  "Strengthen your resolve, brother," Dresden snapped. "The hand that serves the Lord is often dipped in blood."

  Resignation settled heavily onto Tullis' shoulders. "Of that I'm well aware of. I just pray that we'll be able to discredit Miss De
lcielo and short circuit her rising popularity before the Final Option becomes necessary."

  "As do I," Dresden said and the line went dead.

  *

  "So that's it then?"

  "I guess so," Quinlan grimly answered his partner's anxious query. "Our investigation of Miss Delcielo is officially closed.

  Long association with Quinlan allowed Sanders to detect the hint of apprehension in his normally stoic partner's voice; the same feeling that settled in his own stomach after their receipt of the telegram containing Cardinal Dresden's terse dismissal.

  Sensing that something was not right, Quinlan had immediately put in a call to Tullis' office. The Cardinal was marginally more polite, but the message was still the same: Nina Delcielo was no longer a Seeker priority.

  "You do realize what this means?" Sanders asked.

  Quinlan sighed heavily. "Yes."

  Despite the Elders' attempt at discretion, few Seekers were ignorant of the darker aspects of the Presbyterii. For them to have been taken off of a viable Manifestation such as Nina's without securing her within the Vatican's structure meant that her particular talent had been deemed a potential threat. Given the broadening scope of Nina's popularity, coupled with her vociferous opposition against organized religions, it was easy to see why that determination had been made.

  Quinlan's eyes bored into those of his partner. "So what's our next move?"

  The small apartment where the two Seekers had taken up residence during their lengthy assignment was quiet as Sanders pondered his partner's question.

  Technically Dresden's order meant their affiliation with Nina was ended, but the two men had grown attached to their intrepid subject. And even though they were wary of her connection to the obviously supernatural Gabriel and the couple from the Spirit Way Foundation, the Seekers were quite impressed with her tireless efforts on behalf of, as she termed it: "Those exceptional individuals who lack only the necessary resources to achieve their full potential."

  "Despite what the Elders think, I'm not ready to give up on Nina just yet," Sander's declared in a firm voice.

  Quinlan's left eyebrow arched upward. "Then I take it our return to Rome will be delayed?"

  A devious smile tugged at Sanders' lips. "Considering the amount of time and effort we've put into this Manifestation I would say that a little r and r is long overdue. And since the lease on this apartment is paid up through the end of this year…"

  "We might as well stay here and recover our energies while awaiting our next assignment," Quinlan finished his partner's sentence. "And what if during our sabbatical it becomes apparent the Elders have decided to…permanently deal with Nina?"

  Sanders did not respond to the ominous question, but the squaring of his broad shoulders and tightening of his jaw gave Quinlan his answer.

  Chapter 25

  "Are you sure you're not overreaching yourself, Nina?"

  Nina took note of the concerned mirrored in Maria's eyes, and gave her head a vigorous shake. "Not at all," she said after swallowing down another spoonful of the woman's famous Minestrone soup. "Now that Spirit Way's backing us, I've got a whole battalion of workers and resources at my disposal; plus Darius is connected with all the right people, both here and abroad. He's very good at getting done what needs to be done."

  "Ah." Maria eyed Nina through the steam rising from her mug as she took a sip of her coffee.

  Nina could sense the other woman's suspicion. "Don't tell me you still have reservations about him? He, Sheila and Spirit Way's executive board have been nothing but accommodating. Thanks to them we've been able to expand in a way that I never dreamed possible."

  "Oh I no," Maria said after taking another sip of her coffee. "It's just that there's something…odd about that guy. I can't put my finger on it but I get a weird feeling whenever you talk about him."

  "You and Gabriel both," Nina admitted. "He thinks the Center's expansion is progressing too smoothly."

  Maria's plump features twisted into a frown. "Then he's keying into the same weirdness that I am. Add to that the slew of negative publicity you and the Center have been subjected to these past couple of months..."

  "Let's not make a mountain of a molehill," Nina exclaimed. "I'll admit I was taken aback by all the flack I've been getting over my religious views, but hey: that's what freedom of speech is all about. Plus I'd say that the positive changes the Centers have effected in every area we occupy speak for themselves. The ever increasing list of applicants for our services supports my belief."

  Maria placed a hand atop the agitated woman's forearm. "Oh I totally agree with you. I just don't want you to loose sight of the potential danger someone in your position could be placed in. There are a lot of rotten bastards out there who don't want to see a woman raise to such prominence the way you have; especially one that's calling for an end to organized religion."

  "I'm not calling for an end to anything," Nina proclaimed. "I'm just saying people should take a long, hard look at themselves and determine on their own what's right, instead of blindly giving their time and money to some robe-wearing, incense-burning charlatan spouting misinformation!"

  "You and I have always agreed on that point, Nina. I'm just worried about the lunatics and nut-bags out there who feel you're words are an insult, and may try to…you know…do something about it."

  Nina was touched by the older woman's concern. For a brief moment she contemplated telling Maria the truth of The Creation and her new role in it, but realized that now was not the time. Instead she placed a gentle hand atop hers, and allowed a mischievous grin to tug at her lips. "That's why I keep Gabriel by my side at all times. He's my lunatic deterrent."

  Maria hastily cleared her throat, her dark eyes twinkling. "And speaking of Gabriel: How are you guys doing as a couple?"

  Nina couldn't help the flush that colored her cheeks. "We're doing just fine, thank you very much."

  A wicked smile creased Maria's wide lips. "Is that so? So am I right in assuming that cutie's every bit the stud he appears to be?"

  Nina's flush deepened. "Oh you are so bad, Maria Scavelli!"

  Maria's smile turned into a confident smirk. "I'll take that as a yes,"

  Nina smiled back. "Let's just say he's accommodating in that area; very accommodating." A tingling started in her groin as her mind drifted back to she and the Celemor's first sexual encounter.

  It had happened exactly three months ago to the day. That morning, Nina had experienced a rather horrific vision involving an accident between a semi-truck and a school bus full of children. She immediately put in a call to the Psychic Unit, and was assured that her warning would be forwarded to the proper channels. After two years of accurate predictions, Thomlin, and his partners in the P.U., knew better than to question the validity of warnings from the mysterious woman still known only as Del.

  Secure in the knowledge that everything was being handled, Nina continued on with her day, but the vision returned during a meeting she was having with the executive staff of the newly opened Center in west Detroit.

  Nina knew that the vision's return meant that the events she foresaw had come to fruition, but she managed to control her reaction to the point where none of the other people seated around the conference table had an inkling of what was going on.

  As soon as the meeting ended, Nina immediately raced to one of the wall mounted flat-screens in the Center's media room. She began searching the channels for any news of the accident. Within thirty seconds she found it.

  Nina braced for the worse as she listened to the details then gasped in shock when footage of the accident, captured by a witness using his cell-phone's camera, rolled across the screen.

  The clip was accompanied by the voice of the astonished anchorman: "And here we see the unidentified man seemingly unfazed by the flames bringing out more of the children…Ladies and gentlemen I have to say that I've never seen anything like this," the man's voice intoned as a lone figure waded through the wall of fire c
reated by the burning fuel leaking from the semi, his arms and shoulders laden with the inert bodies of several children.

  He quickly released his burden to the anxiously waiting rescue workers then dashed back through the flames to the overturned bus.

  "Gabriel," Nina whispered, a rush of excitement surging through her limbs.

  "That's one brave dude, Miss Delcielo?"

  Nina looked away from the television to acknowledge the teen girl who had addressed her, and was stunned by the multitude of people that had gathered in the room to watch the event.

  "Yes he is, Carly." The Harbinger returned her attention to the television, and a proud smile lit her face. "He's a real-life, guardian angel."

  The footage came to an end with the anchorman reiterating his praise for the unknown Samaritan, followed by an expression of disappointment that he could not be located for question or comment afterwards. "…And authorities still have no clue as to the identity of this incredibly brave individual who seems to have vanished into thin air."

  Nina chuckled softly. If the anchorman only knew how true that statement was.

  The report of the incident droned on, and Nina excused herself from her position in front of the television. She quietly left the media room then retraced her steps to her office. Easing her lithe figure into her chair, she pondered the significance of Gabriel's unexpected intervention, wondering what could have prompted it. A question she immediately put to him when he materialized in her apartment later that evening.

  "You did," he answered after placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I guess watching you run your self ragged for the sake of others all these months is starting to have an effect on me. When it became obvious that neither the trucking company nor the school of that bus were going to heed your warning I decided to act."

  Nina chuckled at his candid admission. "And how did it feel being a superhero?"