Pursuit of the Zodiacs (63 page)

They parted, each Zodiac assigned their own unit of soldiers. Aries accompanied the Pope.

They patrolled the air and grounds of the entire city. The Pope declared Martial Law. They arrested anyone in the streets.

The Pope broadcasted his true form with no concern for the well-being of his people. Ever since the disclosure of evil permeating all governments, the people
showed no consideration for him either. Armed protestors marched on the streets of Rome again, and clashed with his soldiers.

The Pope yelled, “Fuck it. May the blood of all our enemies spill this night!”

“I SEE NO SIGNS OF THE POPE OR A ZODIAC, NATENAL.”

They hid behind buildings and fixtures just over a hundred yards from the Pope’s underground retreat.

Levi returned after inspecting the site. “Where could they all be?” he asked.

“Something is burning, and it’s no ordinary fire,” Abdeen announced while sniffing the air.

Adam knew exactly the one responsible. He paced back and forth.

Natenal said, “Have patience, Adam. You’ll reunite with her and your Son soon enough.”

Abdeel answered a call on his communications device. It’s Regal. He warned them about the dangers, but confirmed their safety.

Timius said, “So Goliath and Daniel are alive and well. May God be praised.”

Adam added, “So is my Son, Paul! I must enter this abomination and retrieve my Son at any cost. Those who care to join me are more than welcome to.”

Zodeen said, “We already know there’s no talking to him. What is our next move, Natenal?”

Natenal spoke, “Seek, and ye shall find. Rescuing the boy is our first order of business if we are to get Aries to turn on her oppressors. After, we will split into groups, meet our adversaries in the streets, and attack each group one by one until there is nothing left.”

As they entered the Pope’s underground haven, he told Regal and his group to stay out of sight until their return. Simeon, Cancer and Timius established a watch station. Abdeen and Abdeel disposed of two Reptilian guards in front of the secret entrance. Emergency lights flashed red within the tunnel walls. They could hear multitudes of Reptilian soldiers heading towards them.

“Fall back, and everybody cover their eyes!” Natenal commanded as he unmasked himself. They did as instructed, and the sounds of the increasing footsteps
deafened their ears. The shrill of cries and bodies igniting resonated within the tunnel. The face of God was brought upon them.

“Open your eyes,” he said. He finished putting back on his mysterious mask. Adam was the first to continue the Pursuit on his Supernatural Carpet, gliding over the countless dead and dismembered bodies.

“No, Adam! Stay with the group!” Abdeen’s words fell on determined deaf ears.

A Nephilim Giant knocked him clear across the tunnel, inches away from the spaceship docks. No stranger to its kind, Abdeen sent an asteroid soaring towards its face. It exploded on the forearms of the Giant, blocking a fatal collision. Levi engaged and transformed into his signature rock-like phenomenon and battered the Nephilim Giant. However, he too was knocked across the hall as the Giant’s power proved too great. Irisan dispersed her poison-tipped arrows from her cross bow. Her poisons immobilized the beast. It slumped hard against the ground, causing debris to fall from the ceiling of the tunnel. With Irisan’s poison-tipped arrow still lodged in its neck, Zodeen beheaded the beast.

As a team, they rolled its massive head and body toward the incoming group of Reptilians and Demons advancing from a tunnel parallel to theirs. The head and body proved to be a perfect fit and blocked the Reptilians. They nudged it even more tightly in place. The Reptilians searched for another route.

With the Reptilians momentarily delayed, Natenal led his group. They split up, inspecting each room in search of Adam’s Son Paul. They found children, but not the boy.

“Irisan, take these children outside to safety,” Natenal ordered.

Irisan took them out of the haven to join Cancer, Simeon and Timius, who kept watch outside.

The Pursuers had to move fast. Simeon warned from the outside that enemy craft were preparing to land inside by way of a sliding door in the underground retreat.

“This underground stronghold is massive. Where is Adam?” Abdeen asked.

“There is still no sign of him,” Levi replied while brushing himself off.

Natenal spoke, “Zodeen and Levi, you will remain here until we come back. Take care of the enemy crafts.”

Natenal and Abdeen took separate halls after proceeding down another level. Abdeen entered a medical lab. He saw interfaces all over the walls containing DNA
data of two humanoids. “No, they couldn’t have,” he said after reading Paul’s name on a monitor followed by the words, “Blood Transfusion.” He walked further down the room and pulled a white curtain from sight. He witnessed another mainframe displaying the words, “Donor and Receiver.” Connected to a large mainframe were tubes with blood residue still fresh inside its core. “The blood is still fresh. They must have finished the procedure minutes before we got here.” Abdeen investigated further. Two tables aligned next to each other with the one labeled “Receiver” empty, and the one labeled “Donor” still reserved. The donor’s body was covered with a sheet with tubes still intact. Abdeen took a moment before removing the sheet, but his fears were met. He gazed upon a pale, lifeless Paul lying on the operating table. The Archangel came to tears and prayed for Paul’s safe passage to the Judgment Realm. He slowly removed the tubes from his body, covered him with the sheet, picked him up and walked back to the others.

Meanwhile, Natenal discovered prison cells opposite to each other in between a lengthy hall. “Help! Help!” he heard the faint cries of a little boy. The guard had fled for his life leaving the child behind.

“Is your name Paul?” Natenal asked.

His reply brought forth relief. “Yes, who are you? Have you come to save me?”

To the Pursuer, the boy appeared weak. Natenal instructed him to move back. He melted the impenetrable door that stood between them with his infamous Hevil Sword. He grabbed the boy’s hand and led him out.

Natenal spoke, “You’re safe, my child. We are here to help.”

They returned just in time to see Levi and Zodeen thrusting their swords through the last of the Demons coming from the landed spacecraft.

“Is that my Son?” Adam appeared distressed from combat. He could hardly walk, so they brought the boy to him.

“My deepest apologies, but that is not your Son,” Zodeen countered. With his gift of being able to see the Mark of the Beast, Zodeen confirmed his identity. “He is one of the Pope’s descendants, the real intended heir to Aries’ power. It is all clear. Once Aries was used to kill us, their agenda would be to kill her and transfer her power to him. He’s nothing more than a half-Vampeer and half Reptilian hybrid.”

Adam spoke, “What? What of my Son? Where is he?”

The boy sunk his teeth into Natenal’s arm to break free. Natenal knocked him down, causing the boy to change into his true form, and thereby proving the accuracy of Zodeen’s assessment.

Adam approached and, without pause, chopped off the boy’s hand. “I will cut you limb-from-limb if you do not tell me where my Son is!”

Surprisingly, the Reptilian and Vampeer half-breed still refused to share information, and so the torture ensued. Adam removed his foot. He cried, “AHHrrrgH! He is dead! He is fucking dead!” Adam fell to his knees. The boy went on to say in detail how his Son’s death transpired. They drained Paul’s blood and transferred it into the body of the Reptilian and Vampeer half-breed. This procedure guaranteed the inheritance of Aries’ power upon her death. “Please spare my life! I’ve done nothing!” the boy cried.

Adam ignored his plea. With tears falling right behind his vengeance, he continuously chopped the boy down.

Natenal and the rest looked on at the horrifying ungodly acts. The distressed Father swung his blood-drenched sword towards them as a warning to keep their distance as they tried to console him.

The butchery stopped as Adam saw Abdeen carrying Paul’s dead body covered in a white sheet. Adam limped over to Abdeen, received his Son Paul, placed him down on the floor and wept after uncovering his face.

Natenal spoke to Abdeen in private. “Abdeen, your friend is lost. He is no longer a valuable commodity to this mission. His instability will jeopardize everything we’ve worked so hard to achieve thus far. See to it that he understands this. Take the time you need,” Natenal ordered.

Abdeen replied, “I understand, Natenal. I will try my best to share words with him.”

Chapter 30

WAKE ME UP WHEN THE WORLD ENDS

“Technology has come a very long way; and, in the end, it is destined to destroy us all ... gods and Mortals.”

— L
EVITICUS

T
he traitor entered the great hall, summoned there after Bishop’s return to the Kingdom. Zacharia, another traitor, waived to Grenad from outside the hall. He retired for the night with wine, food and women.

Bishop spoke, “Grenad, you’ve done incredible work slowing down The Pursuers’ advances. Their numbers have decreased, making it even more likely we’ll triumph. Therefore, I am going to honor you and appoint you as a Master Arch.”

Grenad said, “I am at a loss for words, my Lord. Thank you. I will not let you down.”

Elaborate preparations were formalized for Grenad’s investiture. He was upgraded into a more elaborate suite, prepped by maids, and dressed in royal attire. The cooks prepared meals suitable for a king. The entertainers rehearsed so they could bring more life to the celebratory scene, and operatives unraveled boxloads
of fireworks from transports. Bishop will bestow great power on him. The Grenad of old would be no more. He would become untouchable.

Bishop said, “Any word from the other Master Archs? They should be here for this ceremony.”

Nevil approached Bishop. “I have yet to receive a report from the courier we dispatched to Venus. And there are a few others who haven’t responded yet either.”

Bishop replied, “Very well. We’ll carry on with the ceremony without them. We must institute arrangements for the end of Mortal Time.”

While builders and construction workers renovated Bishop’s fortress, everything halted in favor of trumpet fanfares announcing Grenad’s Master Arch ceremony.

A guard opened the big entry doors and asked Bishop’s permission to allow a courier in. However, before he could finish his sentence, the doors behind him flung open again and the courier walked in, past the guard, and directly up to Bishop’s throne. Without permission granted unto him, he spoke, “I have come here with grave news. My craft is stained with the blood of your soldiers from our fight with Michael’s fleet on Venus.”

Everyone glanced out the window; and indeed, there was the craft as he described, stained with blood and dented from oppressive fire. This, along with his visible sense of urgency, provided sufficient credibility for Bishop to overlook the courier’s blatant breach of protocol.

The courier continued, “They are all dead!”

Bishop replied, “Who?”

The courier calmed down and spoke, “Everything went according to plan. Michael and his army were within our grasp, when Raphael arrived with an outstanding multitude of Angels! I barely escaped with my life!”

Bishop spoke, “Exodus, Leviticus, Genesis, Ezra and Amos; all of my Master Archangels! You mean to tell me they’ve all fallen?”

“I watched as Amos took his last breath in front of me! They dismantled our whole fleet, forcing all those who remained to fend for themselves.”

The courier paused. One of the attendants gave him some water and tended to some of his wounds.

Bishop asked, “And, what of Crusix?”

More composed, the courier spoke, “My apologies, Bishop, but I did not see him. He must have perished or fled with the others.”

Bishop yelled, “Damn!”

As Bishop walked away from his throne, Grenad spoke, “But, my Lord, what about my ceremony?”

Bishop replied, “It will have to wait, Grenad. The process of giving you new gifts is not something that can be achieved over night.”