TWENTY-FOUR

 

“It was horrible!” Rae held her hands to her face. “My poor, poor grandbaby!”

I placed a cool washcloth on Natasha’s forehead. We’d laid her on the sofa while Gregory carried Randee back to her bedroom and stayed with her. “What did you see?”

Natasha groaned as she held her head. “I’m getting paid back for resurrecting my power.” She winced. “The good news is David is alive and has not been harmed. Yet.”

“They’re in some metal building,” Rae added. “It’s very hot, poor ventilation with makeshift Porta-John toilets.”

“Is there anything to eat?” Olivia asked her face tear-blotched red.

“Yes. Hamburgers, rare of course. The woman in the white robes keeps trying to entice him to eat the meat.” Natasha made a gag sign with her finger. “David, polite as can be, told them he just wanted the bread, lettuce and tomato with mayo, please.”

I couldn’t help but smile at that. He’d been raised vegetarian and was true to his diet.

“He’s taken over the leadership role among the children, despite the fact he’s one of the youngest,” Natasha said.

Seth rubbed her back. “That’s probably an omen of his later stature in life.” We all knew David and Randee were slotted for important guiding roles on earth.

Natasha nodded. “I smell the sea from their location. It’s as if the building sits just far enough back from the waves to keep dry but has been flooded before in really bad weather.”

“Anything else that could help us spot it?” I stared out the window to see if Herb and Jared were back yet and saw them pull up outside.

“There’s a strange repetitive noise coming from outside.” Rae squeezed her eyes shut, as if somehow that could help her hear more clearly. “It sounds like music, something you’d hear at a fair or a carnival. You know, that old music box sound, organ grinder style.”

Just then, the door opened and Jared and Herb stepped through. “I just got finished telling Herb about my time possessing Josh’s body and how I made it back to the light.”

Herb was grinning from ear to ear. “It’s proof that truth is stranger than fiction! This gives me a whole new lease on what life’s like on the other side.”

“Uh, did you tell him heaven works 24/5 with 24/2 on-call?” I asked.

Herb shrugged. “Never liked to be idle! It’ll be great getting back to meaningful work.”

“Don’t plan on going anywhere just yet.” Rae’s eyes flashed. “We have to help raise the kids.”

“Have you figured out where they might be yet?” Jared asked, a glint of hope in his eyes.

I filled him in. “So, we know something but not all of it.” I turned back to Natasha. “What happened when you said not to take him?”

“That hasn’t happened yet.” She looked up into my eyes. “I could see the first glimmer of dawn’s light and Lilith passed him to the Tartaros Buzzard outside. He flew off with him in his talons.”

“We need to go find that building. I’ll get Gregory.” Jared put his hands on my shoulders. “Don’t leave Randee alone. Someone has to stay will her at all times.” Then he looked at Seth. “If we don’t come back in five hours, come after us.”

* * * *

Within minutes of Jared and Gregory leaving, Merle popped into the living room with a worried look on her mug. “Why didn’t you come home?” She wound her way around my ankles.

“The demons stole David.”

“We already know that.” Herb looked at me with a puzzled expression. “I don’t think we need to be reminded.”

“Merle wanted to know why I haven’t been home.”

Blinking, he looked down at her. “How did she get in here?”

“Teleported.” Under other circumstances, I’d have chuckled. Right now nothing was funny, not even Herb’s look of disbelief.

“Oh boy.” He sank back into his chair. “Magical animals too. And given you were talking to her, I suppose you two can talk to one another.”

“Wonder what he’d say if he knew you could understand me,” she said, as she jumped up into my lap.

“Everyone who’s an angel can talk to her.”

“What’s this about David being missing?” Merle sat at my feet and stared up at me.

“Somehow a demon got him to open the upstairs hall window and snatched him.”

“Do you have any idea where he is?” Merle’s eyes narrowed as she phased into her hunting mode.

“Maybe. We think he and six other children are being held in a warehouse on the water.”

Her ears perked up. “I’ll let the troops know and be right back. You know cats, we can go anywhere and not be suspected.” She vanished from sight.

“I don’t know if I can stand waiting on Jared and Gregory,” Olivia said. “Maybe I’ll just go out and—”

“No!” we all shouted.

“No need to yell,” she said, wrapping her arms around herself and rocking.

Just then, the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it.” I crossed to the front door and looked through the peephole. “It’s Hazel, Josh and Farley.” I opened it and they entered the house.

“We should’ve known something would happen, but I had no idea you’d see Kendra, Pokie would get hurt, and David stolen all in the same twenty-four hours,” I said.

“I should’ve remembered that demonic activity escalates to fever pitch as they close their traps one by one.” Olivia jammed her fist against her mouth. “It’s Richmond all over again. Only this time they have my baby.”

“It’s a good thing I suddenly had a vision of a woman in white robes playing a flute or we might never have called,” Farley told us. “Why didn’t you call us before we called you?”

“We were a mite busy.” Seth paced the floor. “You’re not the only one having visions around here.”

“Did you see something, Rae?” Farley walked closer until he was just behind the sofa.

“Yes,” Rae said. “So did Natasha.”

He frowned. “I didn’t know Natasha was clairvoyant.”

“Neither did anyone else.” Olivia looked at me and then at Seth. “At least, I didn’t.”

Farley never took his eyes off Rae. “What did you see?” he asked, all business, no small talk.

Rae told him everything, with an occasional comment from Natasha.

“Music, eh? Sort of like a carnival organ grinder style. Hmmm.” He cupped his chin in his hand. “That could be the Water Park in Jacksonville Beach, but I doubt they’d take the kids near somewhere that’s crawling with people and police after the amber alerts.”

“I know!” Hazel snapped her fingers. “There’s an old codger who sat up not more ’n a shanty up the beach about a mile and was doing magic shows, playing old carnival music through a CD player. I think the police shut him down because I passed by while he was arguing with them about a permit.”

“Or the man was a demon,” I said. “Do you remember if there were any metal buildings nearby?”

Hazel shook her head. “I don’t think… Wait! There is one. The old flea market was held there when the weather was bad.”

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news.” Farley leaned against the side of my chair. “But has anyone been watching the weather on T.V. recently?”

“Television’s been the last thing on our minds.” I looked up into his frowning face. “Why?”

“Hurricane Jeremiah is headed this way. It’s weakening to tropical storm strength and should hit us around midnight in the wee hours of the morning.”

* * * *

 

“Uncle Paddy, Harry and I battened down all the hurricane shutters at my house, so things ought to be fine.” I walked back into Olivia’s living room. “From the looks of things outside, seems the guys did a quick job on yours as well.”

She nodded. “The SAO’s stayed inside watching Randee. She has them playing Go Fish in her bedroom.”

I flopped into a chair. “Has Randee asked anymore about David? I would think she’d start to get fretted he’s been gone this long.”

“Yes, she has.” Hazel looked over at Olivia in concern. “I’ve told her he’s helping some children who are very scared, which isn’t exactly a lie. It was the least I could do since you Earth Angels can’t tell little fibs.”

“When the occasion requires it, we can be very creative with the truth. It’s all a matter of what you say or don’t,” I said.

“And forget always telling the truth to a demon. There all bets are off, especially if we’re doing it to save a soul.” Olivia glanced up from staring at her hands, her jaw firmly set.

I curled my legs beneath me and sighed. “While I was nailing shutters down, I remembered one thing about our session with you, Rae, and Natasha.”

“What?” Rae looked up from her crocheting. The woman had almost completed a cap since I left.

“You were talking in a childlike voice, which I assumed was David’s.”

Rae sighed. “It was.”

“Do you remember what you said?”

She paused. “I didn’t say it. I was channeling him.”

I leaned forward. “Whatever.” I waved my hand. “When you channeled him, he said, ‘Don’t cry, little girl.’ Then, ‘Clarice, she needs your help.’”

Rae dropped her crocheting. “Oh my heavens, you’re right, he did.”

“Does that mean Clarice is with him?” Olivia asked, a glimmer of hope sparking in her eyes.

“I think so. At least he knows about her, which is odd given you’ve gone out of your way to make sure he isn’t aware you and Gregory are Earth Angels.”

Natasha nodded. “Miranda’s right. Clarice must’ve appeared to him to keep him from being afraid.”

Olivia bit her bottom lip. “I’m comforted that at least she’s there to protect him.”

“However, if she’s with him, she isn’t here with you or Gregory as he searches.” I tapped my nose. “That means other guardians have been assigned to guard you two.”

“Who?”

“Invoke yours, Olivia and let’s see. I can’t do it,” I said.

She closed her eyes and said,

“Through time’s spiral, dark and light,

Sometimes day and sometimes night.

Evil demons try to seize

All the light away from me.

I won’t release the good

Even though they say I should.

I am here to fight for right

I am here to slay the night.

On my path I’ll have help

To protect my earthly self.

So I need my angel here,

Guardian angel now appear.”

A violet purple light whizzed around the room in faster and faster circles, then bounced first off the ceiling and again on the corner of the room’s baseboard before exploding next to Olivia on the sofa. A tall wisp of a woman dressed in violet jersey with purple-tipped white wings sat beside her. “I didn’t think you’d ever figure it out.” She shook her forefinger at Olivia.

Olivia grasped the angel’s hand. “Is Clarice with David?”

The angel nodded. “My name is Camael. I am the angel of divine justice, contentment and joy. For now, Ms. C wishes me to serve you. That is, until David is rescued. I am to be his lifelong primary guardian.”

I leaned forward, hanging on every word. While I hadn’t missed the part about her being David’s primary guardian once he was returned, I suspected Olivia had. “Does Randee have one too?”

“Of course.” She plucked a loose feather from her wing and placed it on the table. “Season for shedding, you know. Winter feathers coming in. Now where was I? Oh yes, Randee’s guardian is Nemamiah, who has always been the guardian of those who fight for just causes, people and animals who cannot defend themselves. I could tell you those he’s guarded who have now gone on to other Earth Angel assignments, but I’m not a name dropper.”

Olivia gasped. “Bruce told me she wanted Miah to play Go Fish with them a few minutes ago, but he’d told her he was watching her back. He couldn’t see him, so I guess Bruce thought Miah was an imaginary friend.”

“Obviously.” Camael crossed her legs. “Miah likes to surprise everyone, even angels. When he does appear, he’s huge. Only the wings keep him from being mistaken as a demon. It gives him an edge.” She patted Olivia on the back. “Don’t worry though, Randee will only see a sweet mild-mannered little man with spectacles.”

“Why do my human children rate Miah and you as guardians?” Olivia asked.

“They’re important to the world.” Camael grabbed her hands.

I lost the battle to control my anger. How dare these guardians act as if everything was going to be okay? It wasn’t. Even when we got David back, Olivia and Gregory would never fully relax. There would always be a little seed of fear that demons would take their beautiful children from them. “That’s all well and good, but why was David taken if he’s so important and so well protected?”

Camael rose, her wings spread as she speared me with a glare. “Do not challenge Ms. C’s actions. They are made for reasons no man nor angel will understand. Rest assured, good will be served due to David being taken. Lives saved. This is just the beginning of his and Randee’s journey through this life. Everything has a divine order, and my commenting on the future is not part of it. So, have no fear. We are on duty and will remain so!”

With a snort, she vanished in a violet flash.

* * * *

 

I gave up trying to eat when a leaf of salad got stuck half way down. “What does the weather channel say?”

“It’ll hit within an hour.” Natasha wandered in the kitchen from the living room. “Seventy plus mile an hour winds. The eye’s supposed to pass right over us, but before and afterwards the storm surge could cause flooding as much as a half-mile inland.”

“I hope Gregory and Jared have found the building.” I set my glass on the dining room table. “How’s Olivia holding up?”

“Not good. She did a lot better thinking Gregory was dead when she was in labor.” Natasha sat down at the table. “Take it from me, a mother’s guilt knows no bounds. She’s still blaming herself for David being stolen under her nose—as if she could’ve stopped it.”

“I know.” I pushed my salad from me. “Rae, Hazel, Josh and Seth are all here as are the SAO. But Gregory and Jared have been gone since this afternoon and I’m getting worried. Let’s go take a look at that building Hazel told us about. We can be back before the full storm hits.”

She looked at me warily. “Jared told us to stay put.”

“So? It isn’t as if he’s checked in. What if they need help?”

She gave me another mulish look. “Jared’s archangel guardian is Michael.”

“And Gregory’s currently without an angel. What harm could we do?”

Natasha leaned her elbows on the table. “Have you already forgotten that life in Scotland in the late 1400’s? You know, when we made the first whiskey and taught Friar John Cor how to do it? Those were your exact words then.”

“I stand by them.” I rose to my feet. “The ingredients were all natural. Nothing’s wrong with drinking natural spirits. It’s the not doing it in moderation part that gives it a bad name. Let’s go.”

A few minutes later, after promising to keep cell phones handy, and that we’d come back in less than an hour, Natasha and I got in my Ferrari and took off. Within a mile, I realized my mistake. The car was fast, but it was also light and at the wind’s mercy. “The wind’s worse than I expected and the storm isn’t due to hit for another two hours.”

“Waves are a lot further in than I thought they’d be, too.”

Ten minutes later, I admitted defeat. “We aren’t getting anywhere. Call and tell everyone we’ll be heading back in about ten minutes. Olivia is speed dial number four.”

Flipping open my phone, she hit speed dial. “I’m getting a busy signal.”

“I was afraid of that. Overloaded circuits. Everyone’s calling family.”

“There’s a light coming toward us. Can you see what it is?” I squinted in the inky darkness.

An eerie laugh resounded in the night air, reverberating as if off the waves. “So much for the lover. The best is yet to come.”

Then I saw the limping figure of Gregory, a huge gash laying open his right arm. We pulled off the road and ran to his side. “Where’s Jared?”

“I couldn’t help him. Michael took him away.” He gasped the words, as if they were his last.

I grabbed him under his good arm and willed myself not to cry. First we had to get him home. Then I’d cry.