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BEN AND I STAY WITH Katy overnight. I half-expect him to complain about the length of time, but he seems content to stand guard over our charge while she sleeps. He actually cares, unlike the guide who couldn't tear himself away from the party in Oahu.
I stand at the bottom of the stairs, sword in hand, waiting for Katy's kidnapper to return. The only time I leave my post is to slay a spider shadowling in one of the basement's dark corners. I might have missed it, had I not seen the unmistakable wiggle of a smoky, spindly leg.
Ben's reaction is predictable. He asks, “What the hell was that?”
“A demon,” I calmly reply, returning to my vigil at the bottom of the stairs.
“Wait, what? Demons are real?”
“As real as angels,” I tell him. “We don't often talk to new students about the presence of demons. We don't want to traumatize them.”
“It takes a lot to traumatize me.”
So he says. Until he's been jumped on by a dozen of those things, and had every inch of his body charred by their toxins, I can't take his opinion seriously. When I first started my Archangel training, I got injured all the time. I was covered in black burns almost every night. Nowadays, I might be a match for Archangel Haniel, but that wasn't always the case.
Every time I hear a creaking floorboard overhead, my hand tightens around the hilt of my sword. I keep thinking it's Steven, coming to check on Katy. The sun's coming up, and I can hear the distant sizzle of cooking bacon, so I expect him to appear at any minute.
“It's kind of sexy to see you stomping around with a sword,” Ben says.
I'm not sure how to reply to that. I can accept compliments on my skills, but not about my looks.
Fortunately, I don't have time to reply, because the sound of creaking floorboards draws closer. Unless my ears deceive me, Steven is right above us. “Ben,” I hiss. “Get ready. I think he's coming.”
The basement door opens, spilling light into the dark room. A familiar, haunting voice coos, “Kaaaty?”
I feel a shiver on my back when Steven says her name. I haven't felt this nervous in a really long time. If we mess this up, who knows what will happen to Katy?
“Kaaaaty,” Steven repeats her name in a singsong voice. “Honey, are you feeling better today? I made breakfast. I've got everything you could want... eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, waffles...” Every time he lists one of the foods, he descends another stair. “What's your favorite? I bet you're a waffle kind of girl.”
I raise my sword, poised to strike. When he reaches the final steps, I clobber the back of his head with the flat of my blade. Steven flies down the rest of the stairs, landing face-first at the bottom.
“Katy!” Ben shouts. He tries to push our charge in the direction of the stairs, but his hands pass through her. It's much easier for spirits who've had Archangel training to affect the physical world, but at least he's trying. “Katy... run! Now!”
Katy just woke up a few minutes ago, and she's been sitting on the floor for hours, so she's a bit unsteady on her feet. Nevertheless, she takes Ben's advice and bolts to the stairs. Steven makes a grab for her ankle as she passes, I knock him back down with my sword's hard pommel.
Dashing up the stairs after Katy, I shout to Ben, “Let's go!” For once, he's actually following my instructions. We follow Katy to the front door, only to realize the knob is stuck. She tries to turn and yank it, but the stupid door won't budge.
“Dammit!” I scream, kicking the unmoving door. I can't always impact the physical world, because my foot passes through it. “Is there some sort of trick to opening it?”
“There must be some kind of lock... I dunno!” yells a panicking Ben. He returns to the basement to check on Steven and reports back, “We've got to think of something fast, because that asshole is back on his feet!”
When I suggest to Katy, “Try the back door,” she responds to me right away. She zips past the basement, through the kitchen, and into an overgrown backyard. There's a chain link fence, too tall for Katy to climb over, and I don't see a gate. The best thing she could do is look for a place to hide, but even then, her options are few, and I'm sure her captor would find her eventually.
Katy crawls into the doghouse and curls into a fetal position next to one of Steven's labradoodles. This is a terrible idea, but I don't have any better ones. I suddenly feel like the worst Archangel trainee in the world. If I can't save Katy, maybe I don't deserve Archangel status?
Steven bursts into the backyard, followed by a frantic Ben. My fists clench as Steven circles the backyard, hunting for Katy.
“Kaaaaty!” Steven calls to her in a cheerful, lilting voice that would chill even the toughest spines. “Where did you go, sweetheart? You can come out, okay? I'm not mad at you, but I will be mad if you don't show yourself soon. I'm not much for hide and seek.”
“Ben!” I hiss. “What do we do?” I'm in such a panicked state, I'm asking a rookie for ideas. I'm glad Haniel isn't around to see this.
To my surprise, Ben actually has a plan. “Look, a neighbor!” he exclaims, directing my attention to the house next door, where an old guy in a fisherman's hat is lounging in his yard. “Maybe we could get the neighbor's attention?”
It's not a bad idea, but Steven is moving closer and closer to the doghouse, so I have to act fast. I expand my wings and take a running leap over the fence, landing gracefully in the neighbor's backyard.
Peeking into the doghouse, Steven shouts, “Found you!” Even his labradoodle is against him, because the dog tries to nip his hand when he reaches inside for Katy. “Come on out, Katygirl. Your breakfast is getting cold.”
When Katy doesn't budge, he grabs her arm and drags her from the doghouse. Katy's squeals are enough to alert the neighbor, who removes his sunglasses and leans forward in his lawn chair.
“There's something suspicious going on over there!” I yell at the neighbor, hoping he'll intervene. “Why don't you ask Steven about the little girl?”
Katy bites Steven's arm, claws at his face, and stomps on his foot. I'm proud of her for fighting this hard, but none of it is enough to deter her demented kidnapper. He picks her up and tucks her under his arm.
The neighbor pops out of his chair and shouts, “Hey! What's going on over there?” I'm so relieved, I could kiss him.
Steven replies, “Nothing, Owen. The little girl just has some behavior problems.”
Owen, in his brightly colored sandals, shuffles closer to the fence. “Whose girl is that? I don't think I've seen you with a kid before.”
“Damn, Owen. You're being a little nosy, don't you think?” Steven is chuckling, but anyone would think he sounds nervous. “She's my sister's kid, if you really must know.”
Leaning closer to our flailing charge, Ben says, “Katy, why don't you tell this guy what's really going on? Tell him the truth! He wants to help you!”
When Katy responds to his request, I feel like I could kiss Ben too. “He's hurting me!” she screams. “He's taken me away from my mom!”
Owen looks shocked, and more nervous chuckles pour from Steven's lips. “She's just being silly,” Steven claims. “You know how kids are.”
Owen doesn't look too convinced by Steven's attempts to defuse the accusations—at least, I hope he's not convinced. Regardless, Steven carries Katy into the house and drops her into a chair. Ben and I stay as close to our charge as we possibly can.
“Stupid girl!” Steven growls, dragging his hands through his thinning hair. “Dumb, stupid, stupid girl! What were you thinking? What if Owen takes that seriously? What if someone investigates? Because of you, we're going to have to leave the house for awhile!”
As Steven collects his keys, his wallet, and his jacket, he keeps an eye on Katy, but she doesn't try to make another run for it. She's frozen in her chair, too scared to move.
I stroke her hair and tell her, “It'll be alright, Katy. We're here with you. We're figure something out, okay?” I don't know if my words will be reassuring to her, and I don't know if I believe them myself, but they needed to be said.
Ben asks, “What do we do? We've got to stop him from leaving with her, right?”
“That would be ideal, but... how?” I need to think of something, but Steven is already picking her up and carrying her to the door.
At this point, I'm willing to try anything. My wings are still out, so I fly outside and freeze the lock on Steven's car. He tries to yank it open, but I make sure it's good and stuck. While I'm tampering with Steven's car, Ben runs across the street and jumps in front of a random passerby—a middle-aged lady walking her dog. He shouts at her, “That man over there is kidnapping that little girl!”
The lady stops and stares, but she doesn't say anything. Steven is still tugging the door, with one hand squeezing Katy's little wrist.
“Fight him, Katy!” I cheer her on. “Punch him! Stomp on his foot. Do something! That lady will notice!”
Katy does even better than I expected. She punches Steven's groin so hard, he immediately releases her. Her sandaled feet pound the pavement as she dashes across the street. She doesn't stop at the dog-walking lady, though—she keeps running. I fly alongside her, impressed by her pace.
“Good girl, Katy!” I cheer her on. “Keep going! Keep going! You've got this!”
Katy is puffing, but she doesn't stop. She turns onto another street, crowded with cars.
When I get a text on my LightTab, I almost ignore it—but I'm glad I didn't. It's a message from Ben.
“Steven got into his car, and he's heading in your direction.”
I tell Katy, “You have to hide! Go into that drugstore over there!”
Katy dives into the drugstore and hides in one of the aisles. As customers pass us, oblivious to the panting little girl, I update Ben on our location.
Ben writes back, “Steven just drove past the drugstore. I think you're okay. I'm in the car with him, actually. I'll try to steer him in the wrong direction.”
I'm so relieved, I almost feel like crying. I wrap an arm around Katy's shoulders, determined to protect her from anyone and anything.
With shaking fingers, I type another text to Ben. “Good job today.” I think that's all that needs to be said. I don't think I could've pulled this off without his help.
Ben replies, short and sweet, “Thanks.”
According to my LightTab, Katy is only a mile away from the house she shares with her mom. At first, I consider the possibility of recruiting a friendly stranger, but I feel confident that Katy can do this on her own.
“You know the way, right?” I ask her. “Come on, Katy. Let's go home.”
Katy leaves the drugstore and takes off running again. I fly beside her and send another update to Ben. When he replies, “Steven's nowhere near you guys. I think he's heading home,” I hug my LightTab to my chest. That was the news I needed to hear.
Katy is a good little runner. She dashes down several blocks, never stopping once.
“I'm so proud of you, girl!” I cheer for her. “So, so proud!”
Katy starts crying when she's within a block of her house. I know she's reached her destination as soon as she gets there, because her mom bursts from the house and starts crying too. Mother and daughter crash into each other's arms, whimpering and sobbing. As I watch the reunion, I tear up with them.
It's too bad Ben isn't here, because I think he'd like to see this.
Now that I think about it, he's officially completed his first mission. I crack a little smile when I realize that.
Maybe, deep down, I'm a little bit proud of him too?