Avenging Angels (The Seraphim Chronicles Book 1) (38 page)

Kevin seemed bewildered by Jack’s discomfort; Evangeline looked up from securing the seal on her helmet and smiled. “That’s because you’ve got your air filter set in reverse,” she said taking in Jack’s appearance from the oversized helmet tilted to one side of his head down to the puffy leggings spilling out from the tops of his boots. She did her best to suppress the giggles. “Fasten your boots, dear.” She said with a wink.

Once they were all changed, the three of them stepped into another small chamber and sealed the door behind them. Kevin activated the sterilization protocol. The chamber was flushed with a disinfecting liquid, followed by the powerful vacuum that sucked the outside air into the ventilation system.

Evangeline’s ears filled with the hissing sounds of sterilized air seeping into the chamber while she waited for the locking mechanism to show a positive seal to the outer door. The light turned blue and a holographic keypad appeared.

As Kevin raised his hand to enter a code, she had a flashback of walking into the off-world lab. A familiar wave of vulnerability washed over her as she trekked into the unknown without her TRTV armor to protect her.

FIFTY-NINE

Aban followed the tracks of the transport vehicle as they led off the pavement onto a dirt road in the middle of the desert. He parked the security vehicle in an old, dried up riverbed to investigate before proceeding any further.

He got out and opened a utility compartment built into the side of the vehicle. Inside he found a medical kit, emergency rations and water, a sniper rifle with high-powered scope, multiple rounds of ammunition, a vest of plated armor, and various riot gear. He pulled out the scope from the sniper rifle and walked back up to the road level, making sure to avoid exposing his head above the shrubs around him. He followed the tracks in the dirt into the distance.

Through the scope, he spotted a subtle mound off in the distance with a large opening on one side. At first glance, it appeared to be natural-looking opening to an extinct lava vent, but as he zoomed in with the scope, he noticed the concealed guard station and sentries. He had good reason to suspect this was where Captain Evans had been taken, and if Campbell was correct, the location of the Dissidents.

Crouching down between the shrubs and cacti, he relayed his report to Olympus through his partner. A reply popped up on his console at once. Campbell must have been waiting at his desk for any word on their progress.

“INFILTRATE THEIR QUARTERS. LOCATE EVANS AND ASCERTAIN THE IDENTITY OF ALL OTHER OCCUPANTS. REPORT BACK ASAP. DO NOT ENGAGE.”

The agent looked up into the sky. It was near midday and far too bright out to make a direct approach. He returned to the security vehicle in search of any equipment and supplies that would aid in getting him into the mound undetected. He retrieved the medical kit, emergency rations, and water, but decided to leave the weapons and armor behind. The dark-plated armor would only slow him down and contrasted against the light-colored desert floor. The weapons caused unforeseeable damage and drew too much unwanted attention. He had needed firepower only on rare occasions during previous missions, so it seemed weapons would be of little use to him now.

“Besides,” he thought, “if it’s really the Dissidents in there, they will have plenty of weapons to choose from.”

He used the console on his arm to change the color of his uniform to blend in with landscape before he began creeping toward the mound in an arc, hoping to detect a blind spot in their security and flank the sentries before they realized he was there.

Given the sparse vegetation in the landscape, Aban determined that he would have to crawl on his stomach to maximize his camouflage. Calculating the distance he was from the mound, the circuitous path he would have to take among the foliage, and his optimum pace to retain concealment, he determined it would take five hours to make his way to the mound undetected.

He had the strength, the endurance, and the patience. Such a task was child’s play. He lowered himself down onto the dirt and began his slow trek toward his objective.

SIXTY

Gabriella lay motionless, trapped like a statue in her prison on the desert floor. After her partner had reported his progress to the Dissident base access, she had received a private encryption with additional instructions from Campbell. A blinking light flashed on the HUD of her hood; white, green, red. The message icon demanded her attention, but Gabriella knew she had to wait until the mission was complete.

The white pulse meant the message came from Campbell in the Cathedral. The green pulse meant it could wait to be opened until her next opportune moment to respond. The red pulse meant it was a death sentence for someone.

              Since separating from her partner, and becoming a living transponder under the scorching sun, several small desert creatures had taken refuge in the pockets of shade created by her body. Ants, scorpions, and even a few small snakes had made themselves at home in the cooler nooks and crannies of her shadow. She felt every movement and adjustment of the creatures digging their way through the hot dirt. Her suit would protect her from bites or stings, but if one of the snakes decided to sink their fangs into her flesh there would be nothing she could do.

If she moved even an inch, the connection between Olympus and Aban would be lost. The mission would be a failure. Aban’s life, as well as her own and others, would be forfeit for risking the exposure of the Quorum’s biggest secret.

The wriggling of her new neighbors all about her body was growing increasingly tiresome. How she longed to swat them away, even take some frivolous shots at them with her weapon. “No,” she whispered in her mind, “no, be still. You are more powerful than these creeping things.” However, her mind wandered to the beasts out in this wilderness that were more powerful than
she was
.

Even if a larger carnivore noticed the scent of a possible meal out in the desert, she would not dare to budge for fear of the repercussions. Campbell was fiercer than any vicious creature out in the sandy expanses.

“Luckily for me,” she thought to herself, “it’s hot out.” The roasting daytime heat discouraged the larger beasts from leaving their dens. When then sun would begin to disappear behind the horizon is when she would begin to fret for her safety in earnest. She had faith in Aban that he would finish his mission before dusk. If either of them failed at their assigned duties, both their lives would be in serious danger.

SIXTY-ONE

Kevin’s fingers danced on the holographic key pad as he entered the eight-digit code to release the inner airlock door. Kevin did not bother concealing the code from Evangeline, and a weak gasp escaped her lips as she saw the sequence of digits he entered. She recognized it as the same code from the inner laboratory off world.

“Who gave you that code?” she asked, pulling Kevin around to look at her. “I know those numbers!”

The magnetic lock clunked out of position and the door hissed open, revealing a bright, open laboratory. The similarity of the layout to the one she had discovered during her off-world mission made the hairs on her arms stand at attention. Kevin ignored her outburst and took a step into the lab, but Evangeline stepped in front of him with her back to the lab, blocking his path.

“Where did you get that code, B.B.?” she demanded. She took a defensive stance, bracing herself to spring into action if Kevin decided to use his physical superiority to get past her. She was not going to let him off the hook so easily.

He saw the rigid determination on her face and held up his hands in a defensive gesture again, straightening up to his full height. His head came within an inch of the airlock’s lintel. The corners of his mouth pulled down - he was growing weary of her frequent outbursts during their subterranean expedition.

“I don’t know who came up with the code,” he said with as much patience as he could muster. “As far as I know, it was chosen completely at random. Why? What does it mean to
you
?”

Evangeline just stared him down, her eyes betraying the weight of the cosmic conspiracy that would forever haunt her with memories tied to her abandonment.

Jack could guess what had set her off again. He knew her parents were always a sensitive subject, and even the smallest thing could throw her into an emotional spiral, sending her reeling back to a scared twelve-year-old girl all over again.

Jack broke the heavy silence.

“Wait,” he said, stepping around Kevin to look into the face his wife. “The code, the code from your off-world mission. You recognized that code, too. You were able to open the abandoned lab because you remembered the digits your father had taught you.”

Evangeline’s face crumpled, all her courage vanishing like vapor, exposing the vulnerable and lonely little girl within that she tried so hard to keep hidden. 

Kevin whipped his head around at Jack’s words, shock in his eyes. He stared at Jack for a moment, and then turned back to Evangeline. He face was full of tender sorrow.

“I’m. So. Sorry,” he said, articulating each word with regret. “I had no idea you were part of the team that discovered the moon lab.” He put his big, warm hands on both of Evangeline’s shoulders so she had to look him straight in the eye. “I had no idea that code carried any significance for you. I had no reason to believe it was anything but random. I’m sorry.”

Evangeline’s emotions could not take much more of the roller coaster ride she had been on for the past couple of days. It seemed like everything set her off either into a rage or a panic. She was so exhausted; her body ached as if she had not slept in weeks. Not since the attack of the black figures in the arena, and only two days had passed since then.

She took a deep breath and nodded her acceptance of Kevin’s apology. As Kevin dropped his hands from her shoulders, Jack walked over to his wife and wrapped his arms about her. She rested her helmet against his own as she let his embrace swallow her whole. Hugging in the suits was awkward for them both, but Jack’s closeness was what she needed most right then. 

“Can’t she have a rest?” Jack asked Kevin defensively. “She’s been through so much - this is taking a toll on her.”

Kevin just stood there, shaking his head.

“You guys have come too far to stop right now. I promise there’s something rewarding in store for her, she just has to hold on a little longer.”

“It’s okay, Jack” she said, pulling out of his arms. “I trust B.B. Besides, I’ve been trained to handle worse than this.” She turned her weary eyes on her old friend and trainer before she crossed the airlock threshold into the lab. Kevin let Jack follow next, then followed them inside and closed the door behind him.

Inside the lab stood several workbenches, each with the kinds of laboratory and research equipment resembling what she had found in the off-world lab. In the center of the room two large cylinders lay, both about six feet long and three feet in diameter. They were metal, silver and shiny, and each one was attached to multiple consoles on either end through a tangle of hoses and wires. Each cylinder had a panel on the top that looked like it could slide away in order for someone to inspect the contents within.

Evangeline quickly spotted Felicia in the middle of the lab near the cylinders, talking to a pair of Angels, one male and one female. They were wearing white body-fitted suits that covered them from their necks to their wrists and ankles. Over the body suits, they wore basic white lab coats with various lab instruments sticking out of the pockets. They were standing in a tight circle, whispering together and unaware that more visitors were in the room. With the sound of the airlock door sealing shut, the group stopped talking and lifted their heads in the direction of Jack and Evangeline.

The female Angel burst into a giant smile and locked her gaze on Evangeline with glistening eyes. The male Angel also smiled at her, though showing more restraint.

Jack furrowed his eyebrows. Something was not right. He had never witness Angels behave like this before. Evangeline was gripping his arm; she too was caught off-guard by the Angels’ behavior, but for a different reason.

“Their eyes, Jack,” she spoke in a hush above a whisper. “Do you see their eyes? It’s like they recognize me.” Her entire body was stiff and rigid, a well-ingrained reflex to protect herself in unusual circumstances.

She had never seen those Angels before. At least she did not think she knew them, but for them to gaze upon her with such radiating warmth and love went beyond what she had ever experienced with any other Angel. She took a step closer to Jack, still holding his arm in her tense grip.

The female sprang on the balls of her bare feet toward Evangeline with open arms, as if compelled by something that was beyond her ability to control. Evangeline reacted by taking a step backward, pulling Jack with her. Her hand on his arm was trembling.

The male Angel reached out with a swift hand and pulled the eager female back to his side. “Not just yet,” he said with gentle admonition, “she’s going to need more time.”

Jack stood mesmerized by the scene unfolding before him. Kevin had stepped away from the door, joining Felicia across the room next to one of the workbenches, witnessing the introductions in silence.

Evangeline released Jack and stilled her hands. With a measured breath, she took a half step toward the Angels, compulsive and cautious all at the same time.

“Who are you?” she asked with a wary look in her eyes. “Do I know you?” Reaching back, she found Jack’s hand again and pulled him forward to join at her side. She did not know what she was facing, but she knew she could handle it with him next to her.

The male Angel took a half step toward Evangeline, matching her slow movements, and gave her a smile.

“We know you very well, Evangeline. We’ve known you your entire life, although you’ve not known us for yours.” His cryptic answer caused her brows to furrow. She gripped Jack’s hand tighter.

“Have you been spying on me, or something?” she asked with an edge to her voice.

The Angel chuckled, while the female Angel brushed a tear from her eyes and wrapped her arms around her waist. It reminded Evangeline of the way her mother used to fidget when she was worried or anxious. She turned her attention back to the male when he spoke again.

“In a manner of speaking, Little Star!” he said with a lump in his throat, a tear escaping down his cheek. Infinite kindness shone in his eyes, and genuine warmth radiated in his smile.

Evangeline lost the strength in her legs and buckled under her own weight. She collapsed to the floor on her knees, staring up into his dark blue eyes.

As Evangeline fell, the female lunged forward and cried out.

“Evy!”

The male held his hand out and gestured for her to stay where she was and wait. Jack had dropped to his knees at Evangeline’s side, trying to help her get back up, but she continued to stare dumbfounded into the Angel’s eyes.

“It’s not possible,” she whispered, shaking her head as she kept her eyes locked on his.

The Angel took slow steps forward while Evangeline watched in utter disbelief. He got down on one knee in front of her and offered her his hand. Without understanding why, she took it and pulled herself back up to her feet. Their eyes locked on each other’s again.

Jack was motionless, still kneeling on the floor, watching in amazement as his wife placed absolute trust in an Angel who was a complete stranger to her.

The male Angel placed a hand on either side of Evangeline’s helmet and tears began to stream down his face. “You have no idea how hard it was for us to leave you, Evy,” he said, fighting to keep his voice from cracking. Evangeline looked over his shoulder and watched the female Angel smiling and weeping at the same time.

“Mom?” she whispered, her voice full of disbelief. The female ran forward and wrapped her arms around Evangeline’s body. Evangeline was amazed at the comfort and peace that filled her from the embrace. Her heart and mind fought for control over her eyes. She did not want to believe it was possible, but she could not help herself from plunging into the hope that this was not experiencing a new nightmare. It seemed to take days for her eyes to travel back to those of the male Angel.

“Daddy?” she asked in hoarse whisper, reaching a hand towards him. “Is it really you?”

He pulled her into his own embrace and the two Angels erupted into uncontrolled sobs. Jack stood up from the floor, still awestruck at the scene.

Over at the workbench, Felicia shed a few tears under the faceplate of her environmental suit, as Kevin admired the scene with great affection.

“Welcome home, newbie,” he said under his breath.