Rise of the Fallen (31 page)

“Follow me!”

By the time they reached the students, the situation was bad. The van was against the curb with a flat tire, surrounded by two gang low riders. One was just pulling away, but the other remained with three gang members still terrorizing the students. Most of the students were being forced back into the van, but Sydney and another girl were being accosted by the gang leader.

Carter was approaching the scene, and it looked like he would stop at nothing to save the girls. The warrior who had followed the van earlier joined with Validus and his assault team just as Carter made his move. It didn’t matter how gifted he was, the odds were severely against him.

Validus attacked, hoping the five Fallen they faced didn’t have reinforcements coming soon. The street erupted in a clash of steel on steel. Within seconds Validus was able to injure one of the Fallen to put them at a slight advantage. The demon stumbled back and away, clutching his shoulder. He looked at Validus from behind the fight, eyes growing wide with darkened realization. Validus had been recognized … There was no hiding now.

Validus faltered, struggling with the intense pain in his chest, as each of the other warriors engaged with one of the Fallen in the street. On the opposite side of the van, out of view, Carter was dealing with protecting the girls from the gang. Validus needed to get to Carter, but just then one of the warriors took
a cut across his shoulder and Validus filled in. The demon now coming against him was particularly vicious and skilled, and it took everything Validus had to not let his wounds incapacitate him.

He countered a slice by the demon, then thrust, but the demon reacted and slammed a downward cut on his blade, pushing the tip into the asphalt of the street. Now Validus was low and out of position. One quick slice by the demon and he would be done.

The sound of a gunshot exploded from the opposite side of the van. It was the shock that Validus needed.

His opponent thrust, but Validus moved to the side, narrowly escaping the demon’s death plunge. The blade ripped through his coat but pierced no skin. Validus sliced across the demon’s extended arm with his short blade; then with all his might he blasted his blade up through the demon’s body, simultaneously jumping to land on the roof of the van.

In a microsecond he analyzed and reacted to what he saw. The gang leader had fired his gun, Carter had dodged, but now a second bullet was coming his way at the same time that Carter shot at the gang member.

Validus jumped and twisted over the top of Carter just as the gang leader’s second bullet was midflight to his heart. He sliced his blade into the trajectory of the bullet. The timing of the intersection would have to be perfect. He concentrated and translated the tip of his blade for a fraction of a moment to deflect the bullet. He felt the impact and hoped it would be enough.

He finished his flip over the top of Carter and landed on the sidewalk near a building. The maneuver worked, and Carter escaped with only a nick in his shoulder. Carter’s shot found its mark, as evidenced by the scream of the gang leader. The Dragon’s gun fell to the sidewalk, and he backed away toward his car, clutching his shoulder while shouting an endless string of obscenities.

Carter grabbed Sydney and pulled her back toward the van as the Dragon stumbled into his car and screeched down the street.

Validus could hear sirens in the distance. The other warriors continued their fight, but Validus was done. His presence now would only jeopardize their positions, as the other warriors would try to cover and rescue him at their own peril. Instead, Validus stumbled between two buildings toward an alley. He made it to the far side of the alley but could go no farther. He wondered when the Fallen would come and finish him.

He leaned heavily against the brick wall, afraid to fall, too weak to stand. He didn’t have to wait long.

Just down the alley, two Fallen approached. He didn’t even have the strength to lift his sword. Thunder cracked the sky, and he felt the first minuscule drops of rain.

And then Carter appeared. Validus watched his eyes, seeing now how the young man could discern everything. Where he was, the wounds in his chest, the sword at his side, and even the lurking Fallen down the alley. Carter’s eyes could see across the veil that separated the two realms.

Validus slowly sank to his knees. With the demons nearby, Carter was not out of danger, not to mention that the police were nearly on him.

Carter reached for Validus’s shoulder, but his hand passed through his body.

“You must go before they find you,” Validus told him.

“I can’t hear you,” Carter said.

Validus didn’t know if he had the strength, but it seemed the only way to communicate with Carter was to translate. He clenched his teeth and made the unbearable pain submit to his will one last time. Flames of blue licked at his face, torso, arms, and legs. The power of Ruach Elohim flowed through his body as he translated from Upper Realm angel to Middle Realm man. The air was heavier and the darkness darker, but the drops of rain were the same.

“You must go before they find you.” Validus glared at Carter, then down the alley where he knew the Fallen were. They had to be getting close … ready to strike. Validus didn’t know if he wanted the rain or not. It would only take the Fallen a second to sweep in and finish him off once the Curing began.

“You saved my life. I’ll help you fight them,” Carter said.

Validus shook his head. “You are not protected. They will destroy you.” He winced again. “Weapon,” he whispered.

Carter looked confused.

“Yours.”

Carter grabbed the .45 and held it out to him. Validus translated the Sig Sauer as a last measure of protection, then grabbed Carter by his shirt and pulled him close.

“Now,
go
!” He grimaced and pushed him away.

Large drops of rain splashed on the pavement around them, and Validus knew it was over. He forced the translation back to his world, then grasped his
short sword in one hand and the .45 in the other. Drops of rain ran down his neck and into the deep wounds in his chest. He couldn’t stop it now. He tried to rise and fight but instead collapsed to the ground.

Carter hesitated, apparently reluctant to abandon Validus, but the two Fallen had disappeared, driven off by the rain, and now the voices of the police were nearly upon them. He ran down the alley and into the wet darkness.

Validus rolled onto his back to allow the full healing power of the holy water to sear his wounds. He had experienced the Curing many times before, but never to this degree. All he could think about was his hand pouring water into Persimus’s wounds thousands of years earlier at Babel.

He screamed against it, and when he thought he could take it no more, Tren materialized through a wall beside him. He knelt down and grabbed Validus’s hand.

“Hang on, Validus. Life is on the other side. Hang on!”

The hours passed and Tren stayed by his side, enduring the pounding of the rain with his fallen comrade, being a guardian to a warrior.

By morning, Tren was able to help Validus gain his feet and make it back to Reverend Branson’s church to finish healing.

That evening, Tren stepped into the sanctuary with another angel.

“I see you’re taking it easy and letting everyone else do your work like always,” an enthusiastic voice teased.

Validus sat up on one elbow, ignoring the lingering pain. “Ral!”

His old friend hurried to his side to keep him from trying to get up. He clasped hands with him. “Word was out that you were in need of some help, so I figured I could put up with you just as well as any other warrior.”

Validus smiled. It was so good to see a friend who remembered him as he was—a lowly last-century warrior. “I thought you were stationed in Russia. How did you end up here?”

“Well, after five hundred years of being with people who never smile, I thought it was time for a change. I put in for a transfer.” He slapped Tren on the back. “You would do well there,” he teased, but Tren didn’t smile.

“As soon as I arrived, Commander Malak put me immediately in your hands.”

Validus winced as a flash of pain ripped through his chest. The Curing for this wound was lasting longer than he’d ever experienced before. The days ahead would be just as intense as the last few months, if not more so.

This mission with Drew Carter seemed to be ramping up. No longer did Validus question his calling to the task. The protection of this man was quickly becoming the most dangerous and challenging mission of his life.

“Ral, this is no walk in the park. I was slow to realize it, and I want you to know up-front that you will be facing serious opposition from the Fallen, especially now.”

Validus glanced at Tren and saw his subtle nod. The guardian had done well and was as faithful a friend as Validus had ever had.

“That’s fairly obvious,” Tren said dryly.

“After last night, Niturni’s going to know that we are trying to protect Carter. And what we try to protect, they try to destroy.” Validus was coming to a realization. “Something tells me that they may know more about Carter than we do. If that’s true and they know we are guarding him, they won’t hold back.”

Ral smiled with eyes that gleamed with determination. “You can’t scare me off, Validus. I’m ready to serve.”

Any warrior who had survived for four thousand years was no fool. In spite of Ral’s apparent carefree demeanor, Validus knew he was anything but.

He nodded. “It’s good to have you on board. Is Malak going to send anyone else?”

“He made no mention of it.”

Validus tried to control his frustration. He looked at Tren and saw the same. “I don’t think he fully understands what we’re dealing with here. Once we establish operations again, I’ll pay him another visit.”

Ral was a great addition to the team. Once he discovered Drew Carter’s unique abilities and mysterious calling, his enthusiasm for the mission was unrestrained. In fact, Validus’s only concern was that the more Ral observed Carter, the more drawn to the young man he became.

One evening when Tren was away checking on Sydney Carlyle, Carter rescued a couple of teenage girls from the Dragon gang. At one point Ral faced three of the Fallen in an attempt to give Carter cover for his escape. Validus arrived to help just before Ral went down.

“You can’t take risks like that,” Validus rebuked Ral as he helped him back to the abandoned church. His leg was bleeding badly. Validus helped him to a pew.

Ral looked up at Validus. “Wouldn’t you have?”

Validus didn’t reply. He knew he would have, but it was different when it was one of his own men. He set to bandaging the wound to stop the blood until the Curing was complete. Ral grimaced as Validus tightened the dressing.

“Have you figured it out yet? Why him and why you?” Ral asked.

Validus finished, took a deep breath, then sat down heavily on the pew next to Ral. He had not fully recovered from the attack of the droxan, and the exertion to save Ral had taken its toll. “No.”

“It’s hard to imagine that he doesn’t see the truth. If he can see us, why not just translate and tell him?”

Validus nodded. “It would be simple, wouldn’t it? However, for him to believe the truth, he would have to accept Ben Elohim as his Savior. You and I both know that the message of the gospel has been given to men to share, not to angels.” Validus was momentarily taken with the silent serenity of the abandoned church. “No. The Lord has not given me permission to say such things.” Validus returned from his contemplations about the boundaries of an angel. He pointed a finger at Ral. “Just be more careful.”

Ral smiled. “Sure thing, boss.”

28
 

AD 33

Validus had come to understand that Apollyon’s greatest evil was accomplished through the minds of reprobate men and women. His influence through humans rendered heinous atrocities that should never have existed in creation. It was hard for the holy perfect warriors of Elohim to see and attempt to defend the victims of such evil hearts. They never became numb to evil, for there seemed no limit to the dastardly, creative ways in which a thing of evil could be done—new ways to torture, new ways to kill, new ways to pervert.

But Validus had also seen the judgments of Elohim, knowing and having witnessed that every act of treachery was judged and punished, both in the Middle Realm and in the Lower Realm. Death was no escape from the righteous judgments of God. In fact, quite the contrary, and the evil King Herod discovered the truth of it the day he closed his eyes in death and twelve draegers delivered him to
Hades, where there is gnashing of teeth and the worm does not die
.

Throughout the ministry of Ben Elohim on earth, Validus marveled at His power, at His wisdom, and at His courage. But far beyond that, Validus was overwhelmed at the love Ben Elohim demonstrated toward humanity.

Validus had expected that the greatest challenge of the Warrior Order would come during the Messiah’s years of ministry, but it was not to be so.

From a distance Validus stood with General Danick and watched as five thousand people gathered to hear their King teach truth.