Taking Angels (The Angel Crusades) (22 page)

“I thought you were the expert here?” I
questioned.
“I am, I mean, I can handle this, but I thought you
might know his tendencies so I can pin point where he
might be.”
“I might be able to help with that,” I said, biting
my lip.
“And how would you do that?”
“When I dream, I see through Kendal’s eyes.”
“Oh no you don’t,” Gabe gasped in horror.
“Yep, unfortunately true.” I shrugged, shaking my
head.
“We can use that to find him tonight and you’ll be
rid of us all.”
I nodded, agreeing with what he said in principle,
but knowing I had many more issues to deal with than
just Kendal. Bastion still lurked out there, somewhere,
looking to bring me to Greece and condemn Allister to
death. I don’t know how Gabe would react to that, so I
pressed my lips together and went along with the plan to
eliminate at least one of my tormentors. It was a start.

After checking to be sure Cassie continued to
recover with her parents around her, we left to find the
other girls. We didn’t need to go far. They sat worrying in
the waiting area off the emergency room.

As Gabe and I walked in, Trish and Elisa leapt to
their feet and threw their arms around my neck.
“Britt, you scared us to death,” Elisa cried.
“Are you alright?” Trish said, pulling back to look
at me, my tattered clothing draped over me, covering me
the best they could. She looked questioningly over at
Gabe.
“Yeah, fine,” I sighed.
“How’s Cassie?” Elisa asked.
“She’s going to be okay.” I looked at Gabe as he
pursed his lips. I didn’t let on that he had saved her. “We
need to stay together tonight, hopefully keep Kendal from
coming after either of you.”
Elisa and Trish exchanged scared looks and then
turned back to me and Gabe.
“What’s your story?” Trish asked Gabe.
“Just here to help.”
She turned back to me with a curious look.
“Gabe is a …friend. He can help,” I explained.
“Fine, if you don’t want to fill us in, fine.” Trish
gave a curt nod.
“Where are we going to do this?” Elisa asked.
“My house, I guess,” I said.
“Let’s go.” Trish motioned with her hand.
We walked out the emergency door past the
ambulances and into the parking lot where the Jeep sat. I
climbed in, noticing Kendal’s handprints on the hood. I’d
forgotten how strong Eternals were. The memory of
Allister attacking the black Mercedes in Canada came to
me and I shuttered. Kendal could have easily killed me
this morning.
I looked up at the sun already beginning to drop
low in the western sky. “How long have we been here?”
“All day,” Elisa said.
I turned, looking for Gabe as he climbed into an
old Ford Focus, rusted and dented.
“I’ll meet you there in a few minutes.” He closed
the door. The car shook as the engine turned over and he
chugged out of the parking lot accompanied by a cloud of
blue smoke.
“Kind of cozy with him, aren’t you?” Trish said.
“Not like that, but if we want to stop Kendal, we
need him,” I said, looking at her.
“For what?” Elisa asked.
“You better ask him.” I shrugged.
Trish started the Jeep and we sped out of the lot
towards the girls’ houses to collect their things and then
make our way over to my house.
Gabe sat parked behind Allister’s black Camaro.
His car looked pretty lame next to the muscle car.
He stepped out as we pulled up, grabbed some of
the girl’s bags and carried them towards the house.
“What about my parents?” I asked, having
temporarily forgotten about them.
“Taken care of,” Gabe smiled.
“What did you do?” I gasped, assuming the worst.
“Nothing bad,” he chuckled. “Your Dad has some
issues at the plant. Something to do with machinery
mysteriously not working.” He smiled, holding up a large
bolt in his hand.
“And Mom?”
“Cousin Hazel happened to need a ride to bridge
club tonight,” he grinned.
“She lives in Keewatin,” I breathed in amazement.
“I bet Mom will be spending the night then.”
“You’re devious.” I laughed, suddenly feeling
light.
“Whatever it takes,” he said, shrugging.
We hauled the bags into the house and up to my
room. I pulled out some air mattresses and we inflated
them, spreading them out on the floor. By the time the
beds for Elisa and Trish had blankets and pillows piled on
them the sun had dipped behind the trees.
“So, what’s up with you?” Trish said to Gabe.
She’d been stewing about it as we got things organized.
I’d felt it.
“I’m here to help,” he shrugged again.
“But what are you?” she pressed, needing
answers.
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t play dumb.” Trish put her hands on her
hips. “Are you an Eternal, an angel, what?”
Gabe stared at me aghast. “Don’t you keep
anything secret?”
“I didn’t say a word, really.”
“Hey, leave Britt out of this.” Trish stepped
towards him defiantly. “We know about her, we know
about Kendal, we know about Allister, Angelina and their
parents…”
As Trish started down that road, I rushed across
the room towards her, my words trying to come out fast
enough, but arriving too late to salvage the situation.
“No, Trish stop,” I cried, falling over one of the
air mattresses before I could reach her. I rolled over onto
my back, resigned that the proverbial cat was out of the
bag.
“Allister, Angelina, the Parks?” Gabe looked
down at me in shock.
I nodded looking up at him, upside down, from
the mattress.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Need to know; I didn’t think you needed.” I
pursed my lip and raised my eyebrows.
“Ah.” He threw his hands up and stormed from
the room.
“What’s his problem?” Trish asked as Elise stared
in silence.
“Gabe is an Avenging Angel sent here to eliminate
Kendal for disrupting the natural balance of things.” I
raced out the door after Gabe.
I found him sitting on the deck out back. He
stared up at the night’s sky, entranced in thought, as I slid
into a chair next to him.
“I’m sorry for keeping it from you,” I whispered.
“A little late now.” He frowned down at me.
“It should never be too late to admit I’m wrong.”
“True, but did you have to blurt out those last
facts to your girlfriends?”
“You heard that?”
“We hear very well.”
“What’s the big deal about the Parks?”
“They are something like royalty in the
supernatural world,” he sighed.
“Like king and queen type royalty?”
“Yeah, like king and queen type royalty,” he
mocked.
“How am I supposed to know that? They never
said anything about being royalty.”
“Britt, Victor and Jennavia are the oldest Eternals
in existence and have maintained excellent relations with
our kind for millennia.”
“Good to know, so why is there a problem?”
“Victor and Jennavia are being held in Greece,
along with Allister, for doing something forbidden of all
Eternals.”
“I did know that,” I mumbled, looking away.
“Then you should know, we have been ordered to
capture the ‘indiscretion’ Allister created if we encounter
it.”
“Oh,” I said, everything becoming clear, crystal
clear.
“Yeah, ‘oh.’”
“So, are you taking me in marshal?” I tried to
joke, putting my hands out for him to handcuff me.
“Britt, it’s not funny.” Gabe wasn’t playing.
“I know, but if I don’t laugh about it, I’d cry.”
“I’m in a serious predicament,” he moaned,
rubbing his face.
“And to think, I’m only worried about my own
fate. How self-centered of me.”
He blinked at me for a few seconds then slapped
his hands on his legs. “First things first.” He stood. “We
need to stop Kendal. I’ll decide what to do with you
later.”
“I’m right here. I wish you wouldn’t talk about
deciding my fate as if I was a chair or some other piece of
furniture you need to rearrange at your convenience.”
“Sorry.” He appeared contrite. “Habit from
working alone.”
We walked back upstairs, the girls staring at Gabe
dubiously until he threw up his hands.
“What? What? Ask your questions, but stop
staring at me like I have two heads.”
“Nothing,” Trish said, turning away.
“You’re really an angel?” Elisa asked.
“Yep, and here to stop Kendal. That’s all I can
share really.”
The girls nodded and looked to me to elaborate.
“Gabe is going to track Kendal when I make a
connection with him in my dream tonight,” I explained.
“Then why are we here?” Trish asked.
“For your safety,” Gabe stated and the girls turned
to him. “Kendal is angry with Britt. He exposed himself
in daylight. That was both reckless and very careless. It
proves he is not thinking clearly when it comes to her.”
“So he might go nuts again and come after Trish
or me,” Elisa said her eyes lighting up with
understanding.
“Exactly,” Gabe agreed. “We will use it to our
advantage.”
“So just hang out here, stay out of the way, and let
me and Gabe stop Kendal,” I said.
“I guess we can handle that.” Trish shrugged.
“Good, let’s get started.” Gabe motioned for me to
get into bed.
I climbed between the covers and pulled the
blankets up to my chin. I looked at three sets of eyes
staring back at me, making it nearly impossible to relax.
“Humph,” I grunted.
“Oh, yeah, right,” Trish laughed, reaching over to
turn off the light and get into her bed.
I heard Elisa scrunch on her mattress for a while
and then go silent.
I lay staring at the dark ceiling, feeling Gabe’s
eyes on me, not able to shake the questions running
through my mind. Would he turn me in? The thought kept
rolling through my mind.
After several minutes, I let out a big sigh. “I’m
sorry. I can’t get to sleep with you looking at me.”
“I can help with that.” He moved closer, his
shadow easing over in the darkness.
“What, so now you’re part sandman?”
“Sort of. Didn’t you know we’re all related?”
I could hear the smile in his voice and smiled as well. I
felt his warm hand touch my forehead and gasped at the
sudden contact.
“Sorry,” he whispered.
“It’s okay.”
His hand soothed my thoughts, sending all the
doubts to the deep recesses, leaving only the happy
feelings I had. Strangely, they were mostly of Gabe. His
smile, his touch, his protectiveness, and his attempt at
loyalty as well.

I fell asleep and searched a neighborhood
through Kendal’s eyes instantly. Like always, he didn’t
seem to sense me with him, but I suspected he knew I’d be
with him sooner or later. The houses didn’t appear
familiar and I felt relief even though I knew his intent.
Again, the uneasy feeling of guilt filled me as I felt relief
because he would kill a stranger as opposed to someone I
knew. I couldn’t help it, I considered myself lucky I
wouldn’t witness a friend’s death.

We passed house after house, we were in Duluth. I
recognized a park I played baseball at during the
summer. He sat down on a bench in the park, leaned back
and my view of the surroundings skewed upwards.

“Nice of you to meet me.” A voice spun our vision
to a dark figure standing next to a tree, blending in with
the dark shadows of the trunk.

“You said it was imperative we talk,” Kendal
replied.
“Indeed it is,” the vaguely familiar voice said.
“You came alone?”
“You said to, else you wouldn’t show.” Bastion
stepped from the shadows.
My blood ran cold. Bastion was only 90 miles
from here. I wanted to scream, although I knew from
previous experience no one would hear me.
“So, what do you want?” Kendal asked rudely.
“Always were a cut to the chase kind of guy, huh
Kendal?”
“Yeah, short and sweet, that’s my motto. What do
you want?”
“You know what I want.”
“Britt,” Kendal whispered my name.
“Is that her name? Doesn’t matter. Once I get her
back to Greece, she’ll cease to exist in short succession to
Allister.”
“Why must she be killed?” Kendal asked.
I found myself surprised by the sadness in his
voice.
“She’s not natural. She was never meant to be.
She is an abomination.”
“You don’t know her,” Kendal defended. “She is
beautiful, honorable, and loyal…” his thoughts trailed
off.
“Now I see why you let her escape. You’re in love
with her.”
“I don’t deny it.”
“You should, for your family’s sake.”
“Your threats are useless against me now.”
“So you think you’ve gotten your loved ones out
of my reach, do you?”
“Being aware of you is all they needed. They are
quite adept at protecting themselves. They need no
coddling from me.”
“Very well, let’s not talk threats. Let’s talk duty;
responsibility.”
“I feel none of it. I go where I want, do what I
want. That is my way. You can go your own way now. I’m
done talking.”
My view of Bastion changed as Kendal stood.
“No, I’m not done talking.” Bastion motioned
with his arms.
Two large men walked up on either side of
Kendal, standing ready for any movement.
“Why do you have such hatred for the Parks?”
Kendal asked.
“My reasons are my own,” Bastion spat. “Where
is she?”
“I don’t know.”
One of the men swung. The hit landed with a thud
as Kendal gasped and my view lurched to the ground.
Kendal looked up and I saw Bastion standing over us, his
arms folded across his chest.
“I will ask you again, and you will tell me where
she is. Else this can go on all night.”
I felt the telltale tingling of Kendal shimmering,
but pain racked me as the ground rushed up to my eyes. I
couldn’t see anything but darkness.
“You think we didn’t prepare for that?” Bastion
laughed. “We placed shimmer sentries to prevent you
from leaving too soon. Again, where is she?”
“Thank you gentlemen.” A voice came from the
darkness and Kendal turned his eyes towards it.
A tickle of recognition touched my mind. That
voice, whose voice, why did I know it?
Gabe stepped into the dull glow from the security lighting
surrounding the field. I wanted to scream for him to
leave, to get out of there. He planned to meet up with
Kendal, not Bastion and two of his henchmen.
“This doesn’t concern you,” Bastion growled.
“Oh, but it does.” Gabe sauntered forward. “This
Eternal has violated many people and must answer for
his crimes.”
“That is but minor compared to the information
he possesses. We will leave him to you after we extract
what we need.”
“Sorry, but I need to be sure he is alive to link all
the crimes to him. We wouldn’t want another Eternal
running around breaking the law and not know it.”
“I assure you, he will not be causing any more
problems for you. We will see to it,” Bastion said through
clenched teeth.
“Again I must apologize for disagreeing. My law
comes first and foremost. You may wish to contact the
senate to ask for a meeting with him while he is in our
custody.” Gabe didn’t back down.
“No,” Bastion shouted, sensing he was losing.
One of the men hurled himself at Gabe, but the
angel moved so quickly the man landed on the ground in
a heap where Gabe once stood.
The other man jumped from behind Gabe, ending
up in the same jumbled pile the first had landed in.
Bastion attacked head on, following Gabe as he
backpedaled easily and then stopped abruptly for some
unknown reason. Bastion’s collision with him took Gabe
by surprise, making for an awkward impact. The Eternal
veered to one side, stumbled to the ground, and rolled
into a metallic box sitting on the ground.
Gabe approached Kendal as I watched through
the Eternal’s eyes. The tingling started again, but this
time the pain didn’t come. This time after it passed, we
lay in a parking lot. I could see tires and Kendal stood
next to his silver Mercedes. He slipped behind the
steering wheel and we soon raced along the road as a
green sign announced “Grand Rapids 75 miles.”