Gabriel (10 page)

“
No! I mean, no, that’s okay, please continue.” She smiled.

“
Satan and Baal made a pact. If the deal they made had only
affected his future the Almighty would not have interfered. But this deal
affected souls of all the people on God’s lands. Satan gave Baal his own army
to spread death and destruction across the lands.” Gabriel grasped Calla’s
hand.

“
But if they killed everyone, what purpose did that serve? I mean
you can’t rule over the dead, right?”

“
You are very wise, Calla. That would be true if Baal hadn’t
promised the souls of those the army killed to Satan.” He squeezed her hand,
before he released it.

“
Wait a minute. He can’t give away what’s not his. Can he?”

“
As I tried to impress earlier, it was a very different time. They
offered their bodies and souls to the one who they believed was their God.”

“
Oh. So Satan was on a soul-sucking mission, and Baal was his
patsy.”

A smile slid across Gabriel’s
face. “Baal would not approve of you referring to him as a ‘patsy’.”

“
Well, if the shoe fits,” Calla said.

“
Baal was promised immortality, an army of his to command, and a
place next to Satan in Hell. They slaughtered ten thousand people within a
week. The Almighty could no longer bear to watch his beloved children maimed
and killed. He sent seven archangels to destroy the army and Baal.”

“
Wait a minute. He sent seven guys to fight an army? Give me a
break, seven.” Calla crossed her arms.

“
Yes, Calla, seven against an army. My brothers and I are warriors.
We have fought many battles, and we have never failed. Until now.”

Gabriel lowered his head,
unable to look her in the eyes.

“
Gabriel, you were outnumbered. It wasn’t your fault. Wait a
minute. If you were defeated before the beginning of time then why are they
showing up now? Where have they been all this time?”

Gabriel continued to look
towards the ground, as if the answers were written on the floor in a language
only he could read.

“
We were defeated because we could not kill them. They possess an
ability to regenerate. As soon as we took down a hundred, the previous hundred
rose up and attacked us again. My brother, Michael, our leader, formulated a
plan. If we could not kill them, then we would trap them. With the help of the
Almighty, a prison was formed deep inside the earth. We tricked them into the
prison and then sealed it. Each of us took a turn guarding them. To make sure
they never escaped.”

 
“
So how did
they get out?”

“
There was an earthquake. The ground split, and they escaped. I
stood guard that night.”

He raised his head to see
Calla’s expression. He didn’t see any signs of revulsion at his failure.

“
The Kematians drink blood and regenerate. Anything else I should
know?”

Gabriel was surprised. Not
one word about his failure.

He rubbed the sweat from his
palms onto his calves as he stood. “There are hundreds of them, and they will
not stop until every soul on this plane belongs to Satan.”

“
Are you saying there’s no hope for humanity? That we’re all going
to be destroyed—it’s just a matter of when?” Calla wrapped her arms across her
stomach.

“
No, Calla, there is always hope. My brothers and I are still here,
and we will fight to the end.” Gabriel reached down and brushed a stray hair
from her face.

Calla’s eyes met his. “Have
you figured out a way to kill them? I mean all those years guarding the gate,
you guys must have talked about a way to defeat them, right?”

“
Yes.” Gabriel moved back.

“
But you came up with nothing, right? Can’t you ask the Almighty to
assist you?”

Gabriel smiled, but it didn’t
reach his eyes. “It does not work like that, Calla. He has faith we can defeat
them, or He would not have sent us here. It is up to us to find the solution
and then destroy them once and for all.”

“
I would think God might give you guys a hand or something. It
seems kind of mean to watch you guys struggling all this time and not give you
any help.”

“
It does not work that way.”

Calla moved so her feet
dangled off the side of the bed and started drumming her fingers on her knees.
Gabriel gave her a sideways glance.

“
What? It helps to move when I’m trying to figure something out.
Since I can’t get up and pace, like you, I will have to settle with a little
finger movement.” Calla paused and then asked, “I was wondering if you guys
ever looked at them on a genetic level. I mean have you ever sampled their
blood to see what makes them regenerate?”

“
No.”

“
Do you think I have enough of them in me to check my blood?”

“
I do not know.”

“
Well then, let’s go find out.”

Chapter Seven

They drove up the hospital
drive and parked in the employee lot. Calla pulled out her key card so they
could access the staff entrance. Being around so many people worried her. The
sounds rushed through her mind, and she staggered backwards from the onslaught.
Gabriel steadied her, and she rested against a wall in the stairway.

“
I can do this. I just need to learn to block out the noise.”

Calla closed her eyes, took a
few deep breaths, and slowed her breathing. Gabriel remained at her side, with
an arm around her waist for support.

“
If I can find one thing to focus on … there’s so much. I need one
thing, something strong that will help me block out everything else.”

Gabriel moved to stand in
front of her. His smell—earthy, clean with the scent of rain—assaulted her
senses. She inhaled and committed the scent that could only be Gabriel to her
memory. She erected a shield around her mind, determined to block out anything
she deemed unwelcome. The noise crashed against the invisible wall, over and
over, but Calla stood determined. The assault lessened as the protection began
to feel natural. A few more deep breaths and the previous onslaught of clatter
was now a quiet hum.

Calla raised her head and
said, “Thank you.”

Gabriel appeared confused.
“Why are you thanking me?”

“
For being you. Come on, let’s go.”

They climbed three flights of
stairs. The lab was in an old wing of the hospital. This was an inconvenience
when she worked and had to deliver STAT labs there, but now it was a blessing.
This part of the hospital no longer housed patients. The lab resided on the
entire top floor, with offices, conference suites, and classrooms on the lower
two levels.

They reached the employee
entrance and headed to an office in the corner. The door was open, but no one
was there. Calla and Gabriel sat in the two empty chairs that appeared to have
been stolen from a doctor’s office. Pretty but uncomfortable.

“
Robert should be back soon. He always takes his lunch at noon, on
the dot. We’ll wait here until he comes.”

“
Who is Robert, and why do you believe he will be able to help?”
Gabriel asked.

“
He is a hematologist.”

As the words came out of
Calla’s mouth, Gabriel’s expression changed. She wasn’t sure if it was
confusion.

“
A hematologist is a doctor who studies blood.”

Calla noticed his facial
features relax. That must have been it.

“
If he is a doctor why do you call him Robert?”

“
Because he’s a friend of the family. Robert and my grandfather
went to college together. I’ve known him since I was a little girl. Can I
answer your first question now?”

Gabriel nodded, a grin
sliding across his face.

“
He used to work for the government in a secret lab. He retired a
few years ago.” Calla glanced to the ground for a minute. “I think he took an
early retirement to keep an eye on me after my grandparents died. He never got
married and doesn’t have any kids. I guess we just have each other now.”

Robert walked into the room
and closed the door. “I see you are telling sad stories, again.”

Calla turned, stood, hesitant
at first, and gently wrapped her arms around the short, stocky man. His white
beard brushed the side of her cheek and brought an immediate smile to her face.
She released her grip and turned toward Gabriel who was now standing.

“
No, not sad, just the truth. Gabriel, this is Dr. Robert Williams.
He’s like a grandfather to me. Robert this is my, umm, Gabriel.” Robert
extended his hand towards Gabriel and grasped it in a firm shake. “Nice to meet
you, young man.”

The term brought a smile to
Calla’s face.
Yeah right, young man.

“
The honor is mine.”

“
So what brings you here, Lily?” Robert asked as he embraced Calla.

Gabriel glanced at Calla.
“Lily?”

“
Yeah, I was named after a flower. Calla Lily Stevens.” She
released Robert.

“
Well, I think it’s beautiful,” Robert said.

“
As do I,” Gabriel said.

“
I need your help, but it has to be off the records. I hate to ask,
but I need you to sample my blood.”

Robert turned to Gabriel and
raised his head so he looked him in the eye. “Lily is the only family I have
left. You didn’t go and impregnate her, did you?”

When Gabriel remained silent,
Robert turned his attention to Calla. “You have always been a good girl, Lily,
and I know this isn’t your fault. I’ll be there any way I can. You don’t have
to worry about being alone.”

Calla had a hard time getting
air into her lungs, let alone trying to enunciate a word. She wanted to see
what Gabriel’s reaction had been, but an inner fear prevented her from looking
at him.

“
I’m not pregnant,” Calla said, after what seemed like an eternity
of silence.

“
Then why do you want me to check your blood and why the need for
secrecy? Do you have one of those STDs?”

Calla met Gabriel’s eyes with
a pleading expression. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to say. She hadn’t
really thought this part through. The only thing she knew was Robert was the
best, and if anyone could help her figure this out, it was he.

“
Have you heard about the recent attacks?” Calla asked.

“
Of course. Who hasn’t? The hospital has been abuzz with
speculation and gossip for the past few weeks.”

“
This is kind of a long story, and I think you should sit down to
hear it.”

Calla and Gabriel took turns
explaining what happened from Calla’s bite to Gabriel’s ancestry. They told him
about the Kematians and the implications for humanity. Robert never took his
eyes off them while they talked. As they finished, Calla and Gabriel waited for
a reaction, response, anything. Robert reached into the drawer of his desk and
pulled out his lunch box. He opened the lid, unwrapped his sandwich, and
started eating.

“
Aren’t you going to say anything?” Calla asked.

He chewed his food, swallowed
and said, “I need to finish my lunch. I can’t take food on the floor. When I’m
done I’ll get a sample and then run some tests on it. I have a few samples I
stored from previous victims that I can compare with your blood.”

“
Why aren’t you surprised or shocked?” Calla asked.

“
I worked for the government for forty years. I have seen things
that are only supposed to exist in fairytales and nightmares. There isn’t a
whole lot that surprises me anymore, Lily. Don’t worry. We’ll figure this out.
In the meantime, I have some bagged blood that we're going to have to dispose
of pretty soon. Do you want to try some?”

“
No.”

“
Well, if you change your mind before you leave, let me know, and
I’ll put it in a cooler for you to take home.”

“
That is not my idea of take-out,” Calla muttered.

Robert finished his lunch,
went to the lab, and brought back a white carrier filled with tubes, needles,
syringes and bandages. He pulled a rainbow of colored tubes out and set them on
his desk. He placed a needle and syringe on the desk along with a tourniquet.