Sandy's Story (Ditch Lane Diaries Book 3) (15 page)

Reed shook his head and said, “Are you sure? I mean, you did jilt his daughter.”

Anna frowned and placed her hands on her hips. “We saved Rachel. She was possessed by three demons. Now she’s engaged to Jack, my old boss. From what I hear, they’re crazy for each other. I agree with Jerry. We can penetrate Luc’s estate from Nelson’s farm.”

Luwenia pointed to the map on the table and drew a large circle around the house. “Luc has supernatural sensors to detect and track the AAF. The sensors were wired into the estate’s electrical panel box. We need a human to bypass the security panels.”

Ruby walked over to her mom and whispered in her ear, “George can do it. He is a master electrician.”

Lee squeezed Ruby’s hand and said, “Ruby’s right. George is a master electrician. Jerry, any chance Nelson could have one of his men mess around with Luc’s panel box so Arrington Estate needs an electrician?”

“Anna and I will head over to Nelson’s now. Y’all can fill us in on the specifics when we get back.” He grabbed Anna’s hand, and they rushed out the side door.

Walking around the table, Erinelle traced the diagram of the house and the outbuildings. “If you think George will agree to work with us, he needs to be brought into the meeting.” She turned and pointed to Simon, Reed’s combat trainer. “Simon, go to Celina. Tell her to bring George to the barn. I’ll take it from there.”

Lee placed her hand on Erinelle’s forearm. “You must protect George. Bestow a power on him so when he walks into the Lion’s den, he’ll have protection.”

“Of course. As George’s guardian, Celina will gain access to the estate with him. She’ll be our eyes and ears. Luc’s human chef, Estevo, is on our side, too, and he’s working diligently to find the cavern’s entrance. We’ve worked for some time to gain access. We believe Luc has several wards in the caverns in addition to Sandy. Our mission is to rescue Sandy, but if we can help any other wards to escape, we must extricate them, too.”

Ralph said, “The informants, Estevo, George, and Celina, need to get us a head count of the human and demon angel guards on the compound. It’s imperative to find the entrance to the caverns and its layout to carry out any rescue attempt. Baldric is our best weapon. He and Sandy are linked through their pairing. Baldric may reach Sandy through the cords of light and telepathy. However, the AAF uses memory cleansing, and Luc’s army uses the same techniques. Sandy may not remember Baldric, but his DNA link that made his mark the night they paired should lead us directly to her.”

Lee ran her fingers through her hair. “Those assigned to Luc’s compound will face incredible risks to smuggle the captives out safely once we have confirmation of the entrance to the cavern and Sandy’s location. We must confirm everyone is on board with those risks before we proceed.”

Reed placed the tips of his fingers on the table and leaned in toward Erinelle. “I know I’m the new kid on the block, but the military strategy is crucial. I suggest we continue training for battle while the plan is under development. Working together as a team to save Sandy needs to be as seamless as possible to prevent loss of life and injuries. Luc and his Arrington recruits aren’t going to let us just waltz in without a fight.”

Seneca chuckled and said, “Ruby, your husband is as smart as he is good-looking.” The other angels began to laugh.

Reed straightened his shoulders and said, “Not funny. My wife, her mother, her brother, and her best friends could die.”

Ruby wrapped her arm around Reed’s waist. “Seneca was only trying to break the thick cloud of dread in the barn. I’m sure combat training is a part of the plan.”

Erinelle extended her wings and flew up in the air. “Reed’s right. Break into your groups. Let the combat training begin.”

* * *

Baldric stood on the steps of the AAF command center. The Angel Armed Forces headquarters was a massive, rectangular, white structure. Precious gemstones such as bloodstone, topaz, rubies, hiddenite, amber, and amethyst adorned the magnificent building. Enormous fluted columns with rosette necking and ornate moldings went around the building in two rows. AAF Warrior angels guarded the exterior and interior building with weapons developed by The Creator.

The AAF headquarters housed all of the maps and coordinates of the universe. The divisional leaders met with Michael on a weekly basis to develop and hone their military strategy regarding Luc and his army. Baldric entered the building and strode toward Michael’s office. He had worked out his plea for sanction.

The warrior angels standing guard parted, and Michael greeted Baldric at the door.

“Good morning, Baldric. Please come in.” Michael allowed Baldric to enter before closing the door behind them. Michael waved his hands in the air. “Have you completely lost your mind? I pleaded with Seneca to separate you and Sandy, but no, he assured me you had it under control. Now you’ve paired with Sandy and brought the Spirit of Man into the mess.” Michael didn’t sit down, nor did he offer a chair to Baldric. He folded his arms over his chest and raised a brow. “What say you?”

Baldric held his head high and squared his shoulders. “I’m paired with my other half. To the female I love, and she loves me. I’ll not let Sandy go. You may disengage me from her care, but I’ll never leave her side. Assign me to earth, but I demand you sanction this union. I’ve served the AAF faithfully for thousands of years and heaven before that.”

Baldric splayed his fingers out with emphasis. “In my youth, I agree I was unstable. But I’m a warrior who is willing to lay down his life and his last breath for his mate. Sandra Daireann is my partner, my wife. She’s my life, Michael. What say you?” Baldric stood with his feet apart and clasped his hands behind his back.

Michael blew out a breath, making Baldric’s hair stand on end. “I say we go to the throne room. The Creator is the only one who can sanction a human and an angel’s pairing. It’s been nice knowing you. Let’s go.”

The two warriors’ boots slapped loudly and echoed on the white and gray marbled floor along the Great Hall of Moses. Several angels openly stared. The hushed whispers swirled around Baldric as they walked out the side door, down fifty steps, and onto the spring green grass that felt like a soft carpet underfoot.

Baldric and Michael entered the portal to heaven from the In-Between’s Garden of Life, which teemed with new and exotic plants and animal forms of The Creator’s experiments.

Appearing in front of the Palace of Gold, Baldric hesitated. He closed his eyes and said a silent prayer to the Spirit of Man for guidance and for the right words to use to bend The Creator’s ear in his favor.

The palace doors opened automatically, and the Spirit of Man ushered them into the Hall of Light. She said, “Baldric, I stand with you this day, my son.”

Baldric bowed before her, and with reverence, he said, “Thank you, gracious one.”

Bathed in warm golden light, the room and its double-tiered stained glass reflected The Creator’s journey of life and the making of the universe.

The beauty of the room filled Baldric with great peace. He knew once the next doors opened, the answer already waited for him. The Creator had an all-seeing eye. He had a knowledge of everything all at once because everything in existence was of His creation.

Michael let out a sigh and said, “Whatever happens, my old friend, it’s for the best.”

Time stood in the balance as Baldric fidgeted nervously, and he began to pace about the chamber. Baldric thought his beautiful bride and their pairing ceremony. It had been perfect in his eyes. The Throne Room opened, and Baldric took a deep breath before following Michael through the golden doors.

The Throne Room décor was simple in comparison to the exterior. White columns ran the length of the room on both sides. Chandeliers of light hung from a ceiling painted with murals of life in all forms, shapes, and sizes. The high throne was made from the oldest trees of time and space. The Creator watched Baldric approach. Baldric fell to his knees, then prostrated himself on the floor as a sign of humility.

The Creator wore His white tunic and linen pants. His golden sandals laced across His ankles. He reached down and stroked Baldric’s blond hair. “Rise, my son. Come, sit by my side and we’ll talk.”

Baldric wiped the tears from his eyes and followed The Creator, who motioned for him to sit next to the throne. The Creator said, “Tell me of your great love and why I should sanction a union forbidden for thousands of years.”

Baldric looked into The Creator’s eyes and began to weave his story of great love. “From the moment I looked into Sandy’s, or, well, Sandra’s eyes, I knew she was different. As you know, I have held my position as a guardian for thousands of years and for thousands of humans. But from the first look in her eyes, as an infant, I loved her. When she was a child, my heart broke for her when the human male breached her innocence. I became fiercely protective of Sandy after that incident.”

Baldric fiddled his thumbs and looked at The Creator. “I’ve always loved Sandy’s quirky sense of humor and her tough-as-nails attitude. But underneath all of her steely composure lay a soft and compassionate heart scared to fall in love.”

Baldric cleared his throat and ran his fingers through his hair. He said, “The first time I realized I had a problem was during Sandy’s college years. In front of her friends and family, she tried to be the strong one. But on this day, she danced around and sang some silly human song on the radio then the song changed to a sad tune. Sandy stopped and listened to the words full of longing and despair. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and my pairing scent released. She went into the kitchen and opened a cookie jar and took a sniff. The jar was empty. She’d inhaled my pairing scent and something shifted in my chest.”

Baldric took another deep breath and held onto his knees. “I tried to push the implications of my chemical reaction away, but it seemed every time I witnessed the soft side of Sandy, my scent released, and I couldn’t control it. The smarty pants finally figured it out last summer in Florida while she partied with her friends on the beach. Sandy knew the scent was me. The need to pair with her continued to increase, but I fought against it.”

Baldric closed his eyes in pain, and The Creator placed His hand on his shoulder. Baldric turned to Him and said, “Watching her have sex with other males was the worst. I’d get so jealous and want to kill the men. But she knew my scent. She didn’t look at the men but searched the room for my scent, and she began to perform for me. I’ll tell you it was rough.”

Baldric glanced at Michael, who smiled back at him. He turned back to The Creator and said, “After the Carson Jones attack, I made myself known to Sandy, and she tempted me. Oh, Lord, did she tempt me.” The Creator chuckled, and Michael laughed out loud.

Baldric looked between The Creator and Michael. “I fought it, I did. Then last night, at St. Timothy’s, you heard her prayer. You heard mine. I couldn’t deny my love for Sandy any longer. I knew it was against the rules, but honestly, I couldn’t stop myself, and I asked Sandy to be my other half for the rest of eternity. I love her.”

The Spirit of Man and The Prince materialized before Baldric and The Creator. The Spirit of Man said, “I paired them, Lord. Their love is not ordinary; it is extraordinary. I search for signs of love throughout the universe, and when I find true love I want to light the world with it. I’m at fault for breaking the rules. Baldric and Sandy’s love is the rarest of all loves I have ever witnessed. I believe Sandy to be Baldric’s true love and the other half of his soul.” She bowed before The Creator.

The Creator stood from the throne and then sat on the step next to Baldric. The look in His sapphire eyes made Baldric’s chest tighten. He couldn’t breathe. The Creator placed His hand on Baldric’s knee and looked into his eyes. “Son, I know you love Sandy. I have seen the love the two of you share. Be that as it may, we have a much bigger problem at the moment to discuss. Luc holds Sandy prisoner to trap you.”

Baldric paled. Arching his back, Baldric threw his head back and roared, “No! No, God!” He ripped his armor from his chest and screamed, “I’ve failed her. I failed!”

The Creator held onto Baldric’s shoulder. “Listen to me, son. You’re the only one who can save her. Your marking on Sandy is a direct link to help pinpoint her location.” Baldric tried to shake The Creator’s hand loose and couldn’t. “I can’t allow you to go off half-crazed. You have to control your emotions and work with your team to rescue Sandy. Luc holds other wards captive at Arrington Estates in the underground caverns. Are you listening to me?”

Baldric heard The Creator, but every fiber of his being wanted to dematerialize to Luc’s compound. Breathing hard, Baldric said, “I have to rescue my wife.”

The Creator’s hands bore down on Baldric’s shoulders. “Luc is using Sandy to trap you. It is you he wants, not Sandy. He uses many techniques to break his prisoners. She was taken this morning, not an hour after Michael summoned you. Don’t give Michael that look. You did the forbidden, but I’m not dwelling on your breach. I want Sandy back.”

Baldric gritted his teeth as he imagined choking the life out of Luc. “I vow to rescue Sandy and the others.”

The Creator looked at Michael and said, “Escort him to Everglade Farms. The guardians are making plans for a special operation to rescue Sandy and any other wards.”

Michael nodded and said, “As you wish, my Lord.”

“May love light the way.” The Creator vanished.