Chapter Twenty-one

 

After a weekend of continual family gatherings and getting to know her siblings all over again, Monday had to arrive. With it came an answering machine loaded with messages and an inbox piled high with files. Hannah figured she’d get out from underneath by Christmas. As she put her purse away, she mused how today, of all days, she could use an office of her own with a door and a knob where she could hang a Do Not Disturb sign.

As soon as she’d walked through the front doors, she’d been bombarded by people with hundreds of urgent and important questions, all of which she could answer if they’d give her a chance to settle back into the swing of things.

Gabriel was neck deep in it, as well. He walked in to find his day would be spent in meeting after meeting. The genius who’d taken over the assistant position while she was away didn’t seem to care that he needed bathroom breaks and lunch. So, added to her duties, she’d need to make sure he got those needed breaks and bring him lunch to nibble on throughout the day.

Once the dust settled, she got in her groove, and files were documented and placed in new homes at a respectable pace. A few of them needed to be housed in a different area of the office. Filling her utility basket, she left her desk and took the long walk down the hall to the records room.

One of the staff, Jennifer, offered her a pleasant smile as she approached her in the hallway. “Don’t forget to invite Satan to your birthday party. He’s got a wonderful gift in store for you.”

“What?” Dumbfounded by the remark, she swung around and staggered backward into the wall, causing a picture to sway back and forth precariously on its hook.

Jennifer’s eyes flashed a peculiar glow and continued down the hall as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

“What the —? Jennifer?” She raised her voice, alarmed as the meaning of her comment sunk in.

No response as the woman turned the corner, out of sight.

She shook her head, bewildered by the bizarre encounter. Had she hallucinated the whole thing or had her co-worker shown signs of possession?

Continuing down the hall, she tried to make sense of it. Warning flags screamed evil’s come to work, but this floor was supposedly secured from all dark energy. Still, one never knew for certain. A couple of men entered the hallway from the staff lounge. She knew them and offered a grin and quiet greeting as she passed by.

One of the men grabbed her by the arm and spoke passionately. “Your powers will be Satan’s, you know. There’s no way around it. Give them freely to him, and he’ll let you live.”

Another man stuck his face in hers and shouted wildly, “Serve the Master of Darkness! He is your true Lord and Master!”

“Get off of me!” She shrugged off the first guy’s bruising hold, and shoved the other guy out of her personal space.

They righted themselves and resumed their stroll down the hall as though nothing had happened.

“What the fuck is going on around here?” She leaned against the wall and took a few deep breaths. “Does the almighty Dark Master think he can intimidate me like this?” Truth be told, it was working.

Once steadied, she hurried over to the records room, praying no one else would have any cute messages for her. Luckily, she found the room empty. With many files to stash, she dove in and focused all her energy on completing the task. When the basket was empty, a satisfied grin crept up her cheeks.

She decided to stop at the staff lounge for a drink. The company kept the fridge stocked with all sorts of refreshments. While reading the headlines of a magazine lying on the counter next to it, she opened the door and reached in to grab a can of cola. She had to fish around for one, but as she did so, she felt something warm, hairy, and wet. She pulled out a dismembered human arm. Shock froze her hand in a death grip around the horrid thing.

“Ahhhh!” She shrieked herself voiceless and shook violently until she could release the bloody mess. Paralyzed where she stood, she stared at her hand bathed in blood.

Mary, the food service technician, rushed over to her. “Excuse me. Excuse me, what’s wrong? Was there a cockroach on the can? I told the bug guy to spray in here just last month.”

“Ma—Mary, don’t you see it?”

She bent down and picked up the busted can of soda.

“No! Don’t touch it!” She shrieked.

“Easy there. Alls I see is a downright mess. The roach, he musta crawled away by now. I’ll call the guy as soon as I clean up this mess.” She tossed the can in the garbage and returned to her, still a frozen statue. “Hey, sweetie. The bug don’t hurt no one. Come on, I’ll getcha a new soda.”

“Don’t open the fridge!”

“What are you going on about? That’s where the soda is.” Mary opened the refrigerator. “What do you want? Cola, Lemon-Lime, Orange? Here.” She passed her a cola. “I think you dropped this kind. Go on. Take it. No bugs on it.”

Hannah backed away from her and ran to the bathroom. She retched over the toilet bowl until dry heaves took over, and she crumpled to the floor a sobbing mess. Turning and twisting her hand, she wondered how it looked clean again.

She had to get her shit together, but how, if dark energy insinuated itself at every turn? Splashing water on her face and washing her mouth out, she faced the mirror, a picture of composure and strength. Appearances were everything. She’d fake it ’til she made it. Praying nothing more would assault her tenuous hold on sanity, she returned to her desk, relieved there were no further incidents along the way. She’d wait to tell Gabriel about these latest demonic shenanigans. What more could he do about it anyway, and why bother the man who was eyeballs deep in work?

Next on her To-Do list: answer messages left on the machine. She took out her pencil and notepad and noticed the front page had writing on it. “Satan deserves your power! Give him your powers or the Earth shall burn for eternity!” She scrolled through the entire pad and found every page had writing on it, reddish brown in color. Was it blood, and if so, whose?

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and prayed it was only a vision. She opened her desk drawer and took out another notepad, clearly empty, and pushed the Play button on the machine. Regret filled her heart as she listened to the first message.

“Your family’s gonna burn in Hell if you don’t give the Dark Prince your powers!”

She slammed her hand on the machine to stop the maniacal cackling from piercing her eardrums. “That’s it! I’ve had enough! Everyone, come over here! I call an impromptu staff meeting. Now!”

People rushed over to her desk with puzzled looks on their faces.

“Does anyone remember what you were doing ten or twenty minutes ago?”

One brave, grief-stricken staff member raised a tentative hand. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but I don’t remember leaving my desk. I found myself walking back to it a few minutes ago.”

Another co-worker chimed in. “The last thing I remember was going to the bathroom. I don’t remember how I got back to my desk, either.”

Others reiterated similar stories of finding themselves in places they hadn’t expected to be.

“Okay, okay. I think I know what’s going on, and it’s time for some angel intervention. I’m canceling Mr. Seeker’s next appointment and we’ll get to bottom of this. For now, nobody leave. Stay at your work stations. When I know something, I’ll tell you.”

“Gabriel, I need you. I’ve cancelled your next appointment.”

“I’m done with this one. I’ll be right out.”

Always responsive, it was a relief to have him so close by.

The door to his office opened, and four young men rushed out so fast, they created a breeze as they rushed past her.

“What’s got them acting so strangely?”

“I sent them on their first surveillance. What’s wrong? I can’t tell if you’re pissed or frightened.”

“I’m both. Satan’s possessed people in this office and used them to taunt me. And —.” She bit her bottom lip, knowing he’d be downright furious.

“And? And what? You can tell me anything.”

“He got in my head and made me think a can of cola was a bloody, severed arm.”

“What the hell? How the fuck did he—? You’re wearing the amulets, for God’s sake! I just don’t get it. I’m so sorry.” He grabbed her to him and held her in his arms. “I had incantations laced throughout the entire floor when I first bought the place. Looks like it needs a booster shot. We can’t afford to have our people, or you, compromised. They all have stories and fragile minds. I’m putting them on vacation until we sort this out. Paid, of course.”

She peered up at him and nodded in agreement. “Of course.” Snuggling back into his protective embrace, she prayed evil antics wouldn’t escalate the closer they got to her birthday, but she wasn’t about to hold her breath.

He sent out a memo, and by noon, the office was a ghost town except for the two of them. “Normally, I’d need you to leave the building for a bit while I work, but I don’t want you left alone for a minute. Stay next to me, but whatever you do, don’t touch me. Once concentration is broken, I have to start all over again, and this process is quite intricate.”

“I understand.”

“We’re headed to the front door and we’ll work our way around every crevice, corner, nook and cranny of this place. Hopefully these incantations will wipe out any residual dark energy and fortify the protections I layered into the walls, ceilings, and floors. I won’t be able to fortify the entire building until the rest of the tenants leave for the day.”

“You’re amazing.”

“Only if it works, babe. Only if it works.”

 

It seemed a lifetime before he finished securing the entire building as he’d done to his home. They rode back in silence. She had so much on her mind to sort through, she didn’t know where to begin. Training had been going so well. Her strength increased exponentially, her mind, sharp as a tack. But as her birthday neared, Satan upped his game and left her to wonder and anticipate, and that wasn’t healthy. His unpredictable nature rattled her stability, like a house built on the San Andreas Fault.

“Gabriel! Watch out!” She screamed, reached over his arm, and fought with him to turn the steering wheel to the right, forcing them to veer off the road.

He braked hard, and they spun around with tires screeching, creating a swirling plume of dust around them. When the car came to a final stop, he turned it off. “What the hell was that? You could have been killed! Thank God there wasn’t a ditch. Sweetheart?”

She ignored him and unlatched her seatbelt, opened the door, and scrambled out of it to run into the roadway. “Asher? Blessing? Are you okay? Where are you? Asher? Blessing? Answer me!”

He ran over to her and she held up her hands to stop him from getting any closer.
“How could you not see them standing in the middle of the road? And to yell at me for making you swerve away?”

“For God’s sake, you’re going to get killed! Come off the road.”

“You killed my brother and sister! Help me find them! They’ve got to be lying around here somewhere.” She couldn’t see them anywhere, even with her super-strong sight. The car hadn’t gone that much farther than where she saw the two initially. Where had they landed?

“Honey, we’re in the middle of nowhere at the moment. Why do you think Asher and Blessing are out here?”

“Because you barreled into them just now! Didn’t you see them? Of course you didn’t. That’s why I turned the wheel. Asher! Blessing! Come on! Where are you?”

She plopped herself down in the middle of the road, overcome by fear, anguish, and exhaustion. “Oh, dear Lord, what have you done? What have you done?” She shook uncontrollably and rocked herself back and forth.

“Nothing, honey. Absolutely nothing. They aren’t here. I promise you.” He scooped her up from the road and hurried them back to his car where he sat her back down in the passenger seat.

“But I saw them. I swear I did.” The sobs came. How could he have been so careless?

“The only way I can help you and find them is if you let me see into your mind. Let me see what you saw. Will you let me in?”

“Yes, yes. Just find them, please!”

He placed fingers on her temples and forehead, breathed deeply, and closed his eyes. A moment or two later he released her, and she saw a storm brewing in his eyes. “What is it?”

“Guess.”

“From the look on your face, you’re gonna tell me Satan made them walk into the road?”

“No. He made you think they did. Call your parents. See if they’re not there.”

Without hesitation, she did just that. “Hello, Mom? Are Asher and Blessing there?”

“Hi, yes. They’re playing video games, of all things.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

“It’s pretty hilarious. Would you like to speak to one of them or both?”

“No, no. That’s okay. Just tell them I’ll see them soon, okay? Thanks, bye.” She rested the phone in her lap and brought trembling hands up to her face. “They’re safe at home.”

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and leaned in close. “I’m sorry for yelling at you. I’m sorry Satan is dogging you. I’m sorry that whatever I’m trying isn’t working for shit. And I’m glad to hear they’re safe and sound.”

“I can’t even trust what I see anymore. For all I know, you could be someone else looking like Gabriel.”

“I’m here to tell you, it’s really me. Why don’t you close your eyes while I drive us the rest of the way home? When we get there, I’ll make you some chamomile tea and fix you a bath.”

“That sounds lovely. Thank you.”

“Anything for you.”

The rest of the way home, she did as he suggested and envisioned a beautiful lake with pine trees all around. She imagined herself sitting on the dock, fishing in the early morning dawn. When she heard the garage door close, she knew she was safe. He didn’t give her a chance to get out of the car on her own volition. He hoisted her up in his arms and carried her in.

He smiled down at her. “Don’t know how trustworthy your legs are, so I figured this would be the easiest way to bring you inside. It also allows me to touch you and ease your stress all at the same time.”

“You think of everything. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You’d be babbling along the roadside, I imagine.”

She swatted his chest and rested her head against his shoulder.

Once submerged in the healing waters, she relaxed, and thoughts turned to the ancient warrior spirit that had once occupied a piece of her soul. Times like this, she missed it. Melancholia beset her, and she wept quietly at the emptiness.

“You promised you’d be watching me for the rest of my life. Where are you when I need you?”

“I am here. I have always been here. It is not for me to live your life beside you, but to observe your life choices as you make your way toward immortality.”

“He’s back and he wants my powers. How can I defeat him without you?”

“You did so when you but a mere child with only a scant amount of gifts. You are ready and capable of so much more, even now, before you fully change. You must have faith and confidence in the face of doubt. I love you, dear one. Soon, you will be one of us, to lead us, a proud Warrior for the Good. Rest easy, now. All will be as it should.”

 

The tea and bath worked wonders on her disposition. She came to sit in the corner of the family room couch, opposite Gabriel. “You know what?”

“Hmm?”

“The ancient warrior spirit visited me tonight.”

“That’s pretty amazing. Did it say anything?”

“Sure did. Made me see the truth of the situation. Satan’s trying to keep me off-balance with his taunting and cruel tricks. Now that I’ve experienced it enough times, I’ll recognize them and react accordingly. There’s nothing he can do to harm me, personally, because he needs my gifts. But he can hurt others I love, and that’s cause for great concern. The spirit says I have the tools, the ability to fight him and win. I just have to keep saying it and believing it.”

“Our staff is safely stowed in a satellite office. Your family is safe under the protection of Michael. Just a little while longer and it will all be over. I told you, you can nail his ass to the wall without any help from us, more than likely.”

“Wouldn’t I love to do that!”

“Do me a favor, would you?”

“Sure, what?”

“Let me monitor your dreams from this point on. If he tries to come close again, I can do my best to ward him off.”

“I can go along with that.”

 

****

 

They went to his bedroom and once in bed, he gathered her close to him. As she fell asleep in his arms, he put a hand on her forehead and journeyed to her dream world. He created a plateau from which he could sit and watch unobtrusively. Fears flew by, anger stalked close behind, and vignettes with Star filtered in. Star? What was he still doing in her subconscious? He decided to wait and observe.

Sure enough, a new dream emerged, with Star leading the way. He changed the setting to that of a lake front and set a blanket down dressed with all kinds of food and wine. So he’s going to woo her again? He’s a fucking spirit! Let it go, man. Let it go!

The angel’s feathers got good and ruffled, and he was moments away from confronting the former pawn star, but he managed to restrain himself. He was curious to see how she’d react to Star’s presence and presents. He didn’t need to wait long. A few moments later, she came strolling along the shore line, wearing a peasant skirt and a bikini top. As she neared Star’s set-up, he ran over to her and embraced her.

He held her face in his hands and kissed her square on the mouth for far too long. When he finally released her, she used the back of one hand to wipe her lips, and used the other to smack him hard across his cheek. Rather than back off and let her be, he took an aggressive stance and seemed poised to respond in kind. Gabriel watched intently as the spurned lover spewed a mixture of venom and obsession at her. The disgust on her face dissolved into fury as she stood there, listening to him go on and on about how no one else on earth would have her, but they were meant to be together. He grabbed at her and tried pulling her to the blanket, but she used every move she’d learned in MMA training to bring him down. He fought back just as intensely. When Gabriel thought to intervene, she rallied back even stronger, able to maneuver him into a sleeper hold, and he fell limp, knocked out.

She unraveled herself from him, skirt torn to shreds, and started to run. Her Protector ran, too, to see where she’d go and what she’d do. The landscape around them changed to the opening of the cave where the Trinity had had their final showdown with Satan. Why would she go there?

“Namirha! I have an invitation for you. It’s a birthday invitation. Come to my party and I’ll show you who’s boss around here! You’d best keep out of my affairs unless I say it’s okay, or I’m going to have to meddle in yours, and you won’t like it one bit. Hope you’re hearing all of this. I’d hate for you to be out of the loop.”

He never showed up to confront her in her dreams, but it was fascinating nonetheless, to see her face her fears and shine like the warrior she was being groomed to be. Dreams shifted into the nonsensical and fractured until she entered deep sleep, where all went silent. He’d keep an eye out all night long, though. Evil could be anywhere. He had to stay vigilant.

Throughout the night he made some decisions that he hoped would help her situation. He called Marty, who never slept, and had a good long talk with him. After being ill, and so close to being let go, he’d stepped up to the plate and showed his capabilities. He was a smart guy with mad surveillance skills and a keen eye for details. Gabriel made him an offer. The company would have to close its doors for a few weeks or Marty could take the helm in his absence. Both men couldn’t bear the thought of a work stoppage, so the standup guy did what any would do and agreed to the offer.

One task taken care of. Now on to the next. He connected with all of the Brethren and asked for their help in guarding Hannah. They all agreed and cleared their plans for the next few weeks. Anywhere she went, no matter what, she’d have protection from all of her family.