“Patience,” Michael said, looking around. “So what is this place?”
“My home. I miss it.” Reggie took a breath.
“It is small and very nice,” Michael said, his eyes scanning the house and lot. “Ah, Daniel.” He pointed to a photograph on the mantel. “Young Seth looks like him, except for the eyes. He has your eyes.”
“You really think Seth looks like Daniel?” Reggie asked as she moved to the mantel. “You know, no one ever says that about his eyes and mine.”
“That is because they only see him with you, Reggie,” Michael said. “The struggle through your husband’s death made you strong. I believe that is one reason you were chosen to be a warrior.”
“You don’t know much about it, though.” Reggie touched the picture.
“I know everything about it. Trust me,” Michael whispered.
“Are you my guardian angel? Is that why you’re here?”
“No.” Michael shook his head. “I am no one person’s angel. You and Marcus have your own. And let me tell you Reggie, they’ve complained many times.”
Reggie smiled.
“I’ve changed your frightening expression.” Michael touched her lips. “Better. It is unlike you to be like that.”
“I know,” Reggie said. “I’m frustrated. The world’s ending. I’m supposed to fight in this great battle, but I can’t pull the sword from the ground.”
“You keep forgetting, the great warrior is not great because of how quickly he moves or jumps or runs. Necessary attributes, yes, but greatness begins here.” He touched her temple. “And courage here.” Michael slid his hand to her chest. “This you will learn.”
Reggie took a deep breath. “So, speaking of learning, when do I start teaching you?”
“Soon.” Michael held up a finger. “You still have much to learn from me.”
“Yeah, but I have this whole list of things to teach you,” Reggie nodded. “God said I was your teacher.”
“Yes, but God did not intend for me to learn those things on your list.”
“How do you know?”
“Why do you argue?” Michael asked. “Always.”
“Someone has to. I don’t think many people have.”
“Nobody has. You must not forget, I am Michael the...”
“Archangel. Yeah,” she snickered and walked back to the front door. “Let’s go.”
“We soon move into important battle skills. Once you have the groundwork and connection with me, we can seek out our army.” He walked through the open door.
“You’re very focused on this. It must be an important battle for you.”
“It’s an important battle to mankind.”
“And to you, too,” Reggie stated. “You’re adamant about winning.”
“No,” Michael shook his head. “I would like to win, yes. If I do not, I do not. But I will have tried.”
Reggie stopped cold. “Why did you say that?” She stared intently at him. “You sound like you couldn’t care less if man wins this battle.”
“Reggie, it is a battle that should not be happening. Man brought this upon himself. Not God. I did not ask for this battle.”
“But you came,” Reggie stated.
“I was summoned.”
“Okay, fair enough.” Reggie lifted her hand, paused, then spoke calmly. “Before... before I get myself upset. Just tell me, when you were ‘summoned,’ as you put it, you wanted to come. Right?”
“No. I asked not to. This dilemma man has put on his own shoulders. Man has crossed God. God is the one who has been wronged. Now man seeks help?” Michael huffed, arrogantly. “Man should always think first.”
“Well, if man realized you were the help,” Reggie said, in a composed, stern voice, “he would have passed on the assistance.” She shook her head and turned.
“What do you imply?” Michael gasped. “I am a warrior.”
“No!” Reggie spun back. “You,” her voice lowered, “are an angel with a dick attitude.”
“I do not understand?”
“A dick. That’s what you are. You could really care less. Win or lose, it doesn’t matter to you. It’s a job. God asked, you came. You lose, so what?”
“Yes.”
She exhaled loudly, feeling deflated, exasperated. “And I’m supposed to put my trust in you?”
“You prayed for me.”
“No!” Reggie held up her hand as she backpedaled. “I certainly did not. If God thinks I prayed for you, I’ll set Him straight. And if He hears my prayers, then he’ll hear my prayer that He take you back.”
Michael followed her. “You cannot do that.”
“Watch me.”
“Your people need me.”
“Bullshit!” Reggie rushed up to him placing her face close to his. “Bullshit. We’ll do it on our own, thank you. I’ll train myself and my army.” Reggie walked away, hands flailing. “Supernatural sword from the earth… I don’t need it and I certainly don’t need you.”
“Halt!” Michael ordered. “We are to be as one.”
“No. Not anymore. Why in the world would I want to fight side by side with someone who couldn’t give a damn whether I live or die?” Reggie marched off.
“Where do you go?”
“To Marcus. I need him. And don’t follow me!
Minutes later, a lost-looking Michael was in front of the detached garage to the side of Kyle’s house, standing still. Sounds of hammering came from inside, then stopped as Marcus walked out the door and around the side of the building.
Michael followed him. “Marcus.”
“Hey, Michael.” Marcus picked through sheets of metal stacked there. “We’re working on it. Don’t worry.”
“I believe you and Herbie will do a fine job.”
Marcus felt the sturdiness of a small sheet of metal and tossed it to the side.
“Marcus, have you seen Reggie?”
“Lose her again?”
“She walked away. She said she was coming to find you. Has she not arrived?”
“Not yet. But I’m sure if she said she’s gonna find me, she will.”
“Why is that?”
Marcus looked up from the metal. “What do you mean?”
“Why does Reggie seek you out?”
“I’m her best friend, Michael.” Marcus held a piece of metal in his hand. “We’re very close.”
“I have to have closeness with her. We are to be as one.”
“So you’ve said.” Marcus bent back down to the metal.
“I will need her.”
“I’ve heard.” Marcus tossed the sheet to the side.
“I sense it now, Marcus. More than just being told it, I sense that I will need her. I want to be her best friend.”
Marcus eyed Michael. “You can’t.”
“I must.”
“You can’t,” Marcus stated coldly. “All right? It’s not that easy. You have to earn it. Reggie and I worked hard at it.” Marcus bent down to the pile again. “Ask anyone. Ask her father.”
“I shall.”
“I mean you can’t just say, hey I want to be...” Marcus looked up. Michael was gone. He wondered if literal-mindedness was on Reggie’s list of things to fix about Michael.
As he stood watch on the rooftop, listening to the radio, trying not to let the steady hiss of static get on his nerves. He had to keep his ears primed for any other bulletins that might cut through. He heard an abrupt scratching at the edge of the roof, so he readied and aimed his rifle, only to see Michael lifting himself over.
“Hello Kyle.” Michael climbed the angled roof with ease and sat next to Kyle.
“You know, Michael, humans invented these things called stairs.”
“It was easy. I’m an angel, Kyle. I’m looking for Reggie. I have lost her again. She moves with haste and darts quickly from sight.”
“Always has. I guess you want to know if I seen her, huh?”
“No, I came to ask you a question. How hard did Marcus
and Reggie work to become best friends?”
Kyle looked up to the sky. “I don’t know if you’d call it work. Those two have always been best friends,” Kyle explained.
“She runs to him. We are about to embark on the battle and she runs to Marcus. She and I are to be one.”
“She’ll still run to Marcus.”
“Why is that? Tell me what he does so that I might do the same. She must run to me, not from me.”
“You don’t get it, do you?” Kyle shook his head. “Reggie’s always run to Marcus. Call it need... or habit. She just has. And Marcus has done the same. Hell, they talked to each other before they could even form words,” he smiled.
“I don’t understand.”
“Let me put it this way. Eliza and George moved to town when he got his job at the school. Eliza was nine months pregnant with Marcus and Reggie’s mom was pregnant with Reggie. Reggie’s mom, Lil, was a nurse at the local hospital. One day, Lil was leaving her shift; Eliza was coming in the hospital. Seems Marcus was three weeks overdue and when Eliza went into labor, she really went into labor. But the hospital wouldn’t let her in because of her insurance. They said she had to go to another hospital. Eliza wouldn’t make it, so Lil brought her here and delivered Marcus.”
“That was kind.”
“I ain’t done yet. Reggie wasn’t due for another month, but Lil went into labor and had Reggie right then and there. Like I said, and have always said, my Reggie and Marcus were meant to come to this earth together and I swear they’ll leave it together. Of course, I hope that’s not for a long time. So, you see, nothing you can do will stop Reggie from running to Marcus. She just will. As far as making her run to you instead of from you...” Kyle shrugged, and then smiled. “I don’t know what to tell you there, Bucko. Don’t know myself.”
“Though you did not give me answers, you have enlightened me. And I thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now enlighten me.” Kyle reached over and picked up the radio. “Not long ago, the President urged those of us near the city to leave. It may not seem like it, but we’re near the city. I’m a little worried about these bombs. They can kill us all.”
“Do not worry, Kyle. We are safe. This is not a war of anger. It is a war of souls. And if a body dies before Devante has taken the soul, he loses that being.”
“So he’ll stop it?”
“If he doesn’t, God will. Look for many to die, but not us. We are destined to try to defeat Devante. He must be cast out from your world, and no weapon of man can do that. Only the will of man in battle can.”
Kyle nodded judiciously. “I’m going to trust you on that. But keep in mind, if you’re wrong,” Kyle winked, and then stared back out over the town. “I’ll... how can I put it so you’ll understand... be slaying you.”
“Thirteen,” Reggie said from around Marcus’s shoulder.
Marcus laughed, then brought the mallet down on the sword.
“Yes, and Marcus, you have a talent for manual labor.”
Marcus chuckled and wiped the sweat from his brow. “Herbie’s doing the hard work.”
“Please,” Reggie scoffed as she looked at Herbie standing before the open garage door in front of a smelting pot. “Herbie’s just cooking the metal. You’re pounding it and...” she whispered in his ear, “...you look really cute. Thirteen.”
“Reg, no,” Marcus argued. “You were older that that the last time you were in a bad mood.”
“No, I wasn’t. I’m talking really bad mood, Marcus. And death doesn’t count.”
“What about after Seth was born and Daniel disappeared for three days?” Marcus raised his eyebrows.
“Ha!” Reggie shook her head. “How long did I bitch? Ten seconds.”
“Reg, you were pissed the entire time.”
“Was not. Marcus, I should know.”
“So should I, I listened to you.”
“Still. I say this is the worse mood I’ve been in, in my entire life.”
“You always exaggerate.” Marcus looked over to Seth who sat on the floor pounding a miniature sword Marcus made for him. “Seth, is your mom in the worst mood of her life?”
Seth peered up. “Worse than I ever saw.”
“See?” Reggie pointed to him.
“He’s just covering for you. You’re fine.” Marcus turned the sword.
“I’m mad.”
“Get over it.”
Reggie gasped. “I can’t believe you’re talking to me like that.”
“Reg, you can’t do anything about him, so why waste your time getting mad?”
“I don’t need him.”
“How are you going to battle Devante without him?”
“Better than with him. He couldn’t care less.”
“Do you blame him?” Marcus stopped hammering and held his hand up to Reggie in a silencing gesture. “Do you? Think about it. How can you expect him to care about saving man when he’s never been man? Being an angel in a man’s body doesn’t make him a man. When he fought with his fellow angels, I bet he cared. Just like when we fight together, you’ll care. But... we can fight to save a species from extinction, but will we fight as hard if the species is not our own?”
Reggie closed her mouth. “I see your point. Probably not.”
“Thank you,” Marcus smiled.
“Can I still not like him anymore?”
“Reg, the guy is learning, give him time.”
Reggie put her hands on her hips. “Why are you defending him so much?”
“Um... Reg, God sent him. Okay? I’m giving him a little leeway.”
“Or, like my Dad says, he came from Harland’s Jell-O pit.”
“You don’t believe that.”
“I’m beginning to. I’ve been praying for God to take him back and He hasn’t yet.”
“Maybe there’s a reason.”
“Yeah, God didn’t send him in the first place.” Reggie shook her head. “I thought about it. If he’s an angel, really an angel, he’d be different.”
“What do you know about angels?”
“I’ve seen movies,” Reggie stated.
“Oh, sure, there. That’s proof. He’s an angel.”
“He’s a guy in a skirt with a dick attitude,” quipped Reggie. Seth giggled. “Watch, bet me he works for Devante.”
“You’re being this way because the guy pissed you off.” Marcus raised his mallet again. But before he could strike, Reggie grabbed it. “What’s wrong now?”
“Thank you.” Reggie stepped closer. “For letting me bitch to you.”
“Don’t I always?”
“Yeah,” she whispered, “you do.” She leaned up to kiss him.
“I like getting these kind of ‘thank you’s.’” He laid his hand on her cheek and tilted his head. “Much better than your cookies.”
“I thought you liked my cookies.”
“Not this much.”
The mallet fell to the floor as they kissed, until they found a pair of green eyes invading their space. Marcus jumped back. Reggie looked away.
“What was that you were doing with your mouths?” Michael asked.
Reggie bit her bottom lip, and snapped, “It was a kiss, you moron.”
“Reg!” Marcus covered her mouth.
Michael tilted his head. “It is not what I know a kiss to be. Your mouths connected and stayed. Why do you kiss like that?”
Marcus answered. “It feels good. It’s nice. People that care about each other... they do that. It’s just... a sign of affection you show to someone you’re really close to.”
“Will this be something you teach me, Reggie?”
Reggie laughed. “Yeah, right. No.”
“Why do you laugh?” Michael questioned.
Reggie looked skyward. “Why? Just shut up!”
Marcus recoiled. Reggie was rarely this angry.
“What is this... shut up?” Michael asked.
“Shut up?” Reggie stepped up to him speaking loudly. “Shut up means.
.. be quiet, don’t talk. Say nothing!”
“Why do you not want me to speak?”
“Because I’m sick of you. All right? Sick and tired. I wash my hands of you, Michael the Archangel, or whatever the hell your name is.”
“You doubt my name?”
“Yeah, do you blame me? You haven’t proved it by me, that’s for sure. You come down here with your piss poor, arrogant, ‘holier than thou’ attitude.”
“Yes.” Michael nodded.
Reggie growled.
“Reggie. We should not yell. We are wasting time. We have work to do.” Michael reached his hand out to her.
Reggie swatted it away. “You don’t listen to me. You don’t hear a word I say, do you?”
“I am listening to you now.”
“Good. Then listen to this. I don’t want to work with you. I refuse to work with you. God’s intention or not, I am through with you. So stay away from me.” Reggie started to leave.
“Reggie?” Michael’s face showed surprise.
Marcus leaned into him. “Michael, I wouldn’t....”
“Reggie.” Michael repeated. “We are to be as one.”
Reggie stopped at the door. “Why would I want to be as one with someone I can’t even stand to be in the same room with?”
“I thought we were doing well,” Michael said, his voice faltering.
“No, we weren’t,” Reggie snapped. “Understand? I was being nice to you. Nice. It was an act. You get on my nerves. I don’t like you. You’re pompous and someone’s given you way too much credit. And if you are who you say you are, then you’re a big disappointment. You aren’t even one-tenth the hero you claim to be. You want to save mankind, Michael? Then save face and do us all a favor and bow out now! We’ll beat this on our own. We certainly don’t need you.”
Still raging, Reggie spun around, slammed opened the door with both hands and barged out.
Michael wrapped his arms around himself, his body twitching, as if trying to control his movements. His eyes closed tightly and his head started lowering. He gasped for breath, panting and turning white. He literally froze in his tracks.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Goodsprings, Nevada
“He has arrived,” Devante bellowed from atop the truck. He addressed the throng of people gathered at the camp, his voice thundering through the multitude. “Right now, he struggles with those he seeks to trust him. But this will change. He is sent from the dark side to steal my believers from me.” Devante paused and took a breath. “Fear persecution. Fear slaying. It is this dark one’s intention to build forces and strike out against you, my followers. And he will do so...” Devante bowed his head. “...in time. And without mercy. This is one reason I am here. To warn you. I look out amongst you and I listen. Some still do not believe. Why? You were spared while your homes burned. You are safe while the rest of the world lives in terror. Do not think you can hide. God sees you. And shortly, you will carry the mark of your disbelief, a thick mark of hatred, that shines to all those who believe in me. And for those who believe in me, when your sun rises tomorrow, you will see that I have stopped what your world of technology threatens you with. But not completely. In a few short hours, the ice of those countries will begin to melt. Flood waters will bring forth to the surface all those who have perished. And still one spark of their flame will fly. Only one.” Devante held up a finger. “It will strike against a city whose walls are packed with nonbelievers and wipe out the army that is two million strong against us.” Devante scanned the crowd slowly. “And when you see this, when you see that you are still standing, I exhort those of you who are yet undecided to join with us in building our own Army against this warrior who has come to see the destruction through. For though his army will be small, it will be strong. Our President has worked hard to secure those who fight to bring us down. He has imprisoned thousands of the evil ones, but he is only one man. You, my friends, are many. Our prisons are filled and we must prevent these prisoners from ever again seeing the light of day. The evil warrior seeks to free them, so they can turn against you and join his side. Tomorrow I will move on to the next camp and begin to build my forces. Tomorrow... I pray that you will join me.”
Last Days Trilogy Page 27
