Alex stood in the shower, letting the water beat down on him. Dying was a messy business. He washed the blood from his chest and then grabbed the shampoo, squirting a liberal amount into his palm. Emma’s hands had been covered in his blood when she’d brushed the hair from his forehead. Now his curls were decidedly sticky.
His hands slowed as they worked in the lather. Emma had cried over him and he still felt guilty about it. He hated to see her cry, especially since he’d been the cause. True, it wasn’t his fault that he’d ‘died’, in fact he’d saved her life, but that hadn’t been foremost in her mind. She’d been grief-stricken and there had been nothing he could do about it. Once she thought he was dead, there could be no contact between them anymore.
Stupid rules. A combination of anger and regret filled him. His heart ached at the thought of never contacting her again. Even worse, she was still in danger and he wasn’t there to help her. That bullet had been intended for her, he was sure of it, given Michael’s pronouncement that she was scheduled to die. He scowled wondering how he could protect her because he certainly wasn’t going to stand by and watch her die.
His conscience gave him a firm prick. Saving Emma was going against the divine plan and that was not something a GA would do. He clenched his fists, his thoughts racing as he tried to find a solution to this untenable situation. A heavy sigh escaped him. He’d figure something out. He had to!
The water was growing cold. He flicked it off and stepped out of the shower stall and, grabbing a towel off the rack, began to rub himself dry. On the floor, his ruined clothes lay in a pile. Even if the blood stains could be removed the bullet hole through his coat and shirt were irreparable. Thankfully he kept a spare set at work. After dumping the damaged clothing in the trash, he padded to his locker and pulled out jeans and a t-shirt from behind his formal robes. As he dressed, he continued to puzzle over how to save Emma while still staying true to the vows he took as a GA. One fact was becoming increasingly clear to him. He loved Emma Campbell and he couldn’t stand by and watch her die. He slammed the locker door shut. To hell with what fate had planned for her!
Instantly, he regretted the curse and offered up an apology. Even without the expletive his sentiment remained the same.
“Hey Alex! Are you in here?” The door opened and a tall, dark-haired angel popped his head in. “Oh, good, you are. I’ve been looking all over for you.”
“Zeke.” Alex gave a brief nod of acknowledgement. Zeke was a guardian angel in training and from all reports more of a menace to his clients than a help. Rumour had it Michael was looking for someone with the patience of Job to take Zeke under their wing. So far, no one had volunteered.
“I heard you just came back from a big assignment.” Zeke stared at him, a look of awe on his face. “You were gone for almost a month! It must be—”
“Was there a reason you were looking for me?” Alex interrupted.
“What? Oh. Yes.” Zeke fumbled through his pockets and pulled out a piece of parchment. “Michael sent me to give this to you.”
“Thanks.” Alex took the paper and, when it appeared Zeke was going to stay, he raised a meaningful eyebrow and nodded towards the door. “You can go now.”
“What? Oh, sure. Well, it’s been great talking to you, Alex.” Zeke backed out of the room, managed to catch his robe on the door knob and then, finally, disappeared down the hallway. Alex shook his head wondering why Zeke persisted in wearing formal robes while in Heaven. It wasn’t like anyone else around him did. Maybe he hoped looking the part of an angel would improve his performance? Giving a shrug, Alex opened Michael’s message. He read it twice before crumpling the paper into a ball and throwing it across the room.
Alex stared at his boss, his gut churning with hate—no, he wasn’t allowed to feel that emotion; rule number twelve in the guardian angel handbook. By sheer force of will, he toned it down to active dislike. Yes, at this moment he actively disliked the supercilious bastard he now faced. And he knew he’d have to do penance later for even thinking the word bastard. However, Michael had no idea what it was like in the trenches, the split-second decisions that had to be faced, the emotional toll it took. The fellow sat behind that desk as if he were some CEO of a major international conglomerate.
Actually, in a way he was. Or at least one of the major stockholders. A quick glance around the room revealed everything you’d expect to see in the office of a high-powered individual. A bookshelf filled with leather-bound tomes, a small meeting area to the side, plush carpeting, a platinum pen set neatly aligned in the middle of a gleaming desk top, the requisite laptop sitting next to a day-planner and, of course, large plate glass windows that provided a million dollar view.
Yes, Michael fit the bill for a high-powered executive and, at that moment, Alex would like nothing better than to thumb his nose at the man and announce he’d quit rather than dance to the man’s tune. He knew he couldn’t though. The job was his life; bailing out wasn’t an option.
“Do you have any idea how many rules you broke during the course of this assignment?” Michael glared at him across the polished surface of his desk.
Keeping his voice steady, Alex replied. “Yes, I know exactly how many and which rules I broke. It’s always been my opinion, however, that any law can be broken in order to save a life. It’s a creed I’ve followed throughout my career.”
“‘To save a life’! Emma Campbell was scheduled to die. You took the bullet for her, potentially interfering with the divine plan.”
“You never said when she was scheduled to die.” Alex countered. “It could be from old age, couldn’t it?”
Michael’s usually passive face suffused with colour and Alex idly wondered if the deep rose tint was going to darken to purple. After a moment, the man seemed to regain some control, the colour subsiding though his tone was still accusing. “And you had sex with the woman the night before!”
“That’s correct. I did.” Alex narrowed his eyes and jutted his chin. He had no regret for any of his actions where Emma was concerned.
“Damn it, man, you’re not supposed get that close to a client. What if she’d felt the skin flaps covering your wings? You’d have been exposed. We all would’ve been exposed.”
The fact that Michael was angry enough to swear shook Alex for a moment but he quickly recovered. He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. “There was no danger of exposure. I had a selective mind-wipe in operation. She thought she was making love with a human male.” Yes, Alex thought, they’d made love. What had happened between them wasn’t just sex. It had been two halves becoming a whole, a sharing of heart, mind and soul.
“A selective mind-wipe huh? She may not remember your wings but she definitely remembers you and some of the odd things that happened while you were around.” Michael pulled open a drawer and withdrew a folder. “Do you know what this file contains?”
“I doubt it’s a recipe for angel food cake.” Alex eyed the file with mild curiosity. Michael always had reams of information about clients but seldom deigned to share it.
“Your attempt at humour is not only weak but ill-advised.” Michael set the file down with a decisive thud, rose from his chair and walked around the desk only to lean back against the edge. “Now, not only is she still alive, she’s mourning your death. And, she’s been making some very inconvenient inquiries with the local police and hospitals. Seems she wants to bury you. We’re sending in Zeke to clean up the mess you left and to continue your assignment.”
“Zeke?” Alex rolled his eyes at the mention of the bumbling guardian angel wannabe. “He’s completely incompetent.”
Michael made a face. “I gave him a temporary power boost as he’s the only man available. Christmas is our busy season, you know. A lot of humans find this time of year stressful.”
“A power boost? Those only last for a few hours.” Alex shook his head. “Zeke can’t even protect himself let alone a human. You have to let me go back.”
“No. Protecting her isn’t the point. This GA assignment was solely to provide support and comfort until the scheduled event. And that will continue to be the mission. We did a global area wipe; no one involved in the incident remembers a thing. Zeke will go in, perform another complete mind-wipe on her as the first one obviously didn’t take and then hover until her ultimate fate occurs.”
He opened his mouth to protest and Michael shot him a warning look.
“I’m warning you, Alexander, keep your distance from Emma Campbell. Agree or you’ll be confined to a very cold, distant cloud.”
Alex slouched in his seat and gave the appearance of reluctantly agreeing. All he had to do was get through this interview and get out. Once free of Michael’s meddling presence he’d head back to the human realm and plan his next move.