Prey (9 page)

A soft noise arises from the dark hallway. She can’t make out for sure which of the two men is approaching her, but she definitely knows that someone is coming. Out of the shadows and into the dim lights of the living room emerges Alex. He’s winded and walking with a hunched-over limp.

Relief reigns over Jade in one heavy dosage. Knowing that it’s Alex who’s still alive, Jade can finally breathe easy. “Are you okay?” she asked after recognizing his erratic movements.

“No, not yet,” Alex retorted in a pain-filled voice. “I’ll be okay in a minute or two, though.”

Observing numerous bruises and scratches on his face, Jade checks on him to see how badly he’s hurt.

“No, stop,” Alex demanded. “Don’t come any closer.”

“You’re bleeding.”

Alex takes a deep breath as he leans his right shoulder into a nearby wall. “I’ll be fine.”

Jade doesn’t understand why Alex wants her to keep her distance. He saved her life twice and now he’s acting like he wants nothing to do with her. She spots a small, round-shaped object in Alex’s hand. He’s keeping it tucked off to his side in what seems to be an attempt of keeping it out of her sight.

Jade asks, “What is that?”

“Nothing.” Alex readjusts the object so it’s hidden behind him entirely. Keeping it in this position, Alex walks to the broken balcony door and tosses the object through the opening where glass once existed. Jade develops a notion of what she thinks it was Alex just tossed.

“Was that—”

Alex cuts her off, “There’s only one way to put a demon down permanently.” Staring out the balcony, he further explains, “You have to sever the spinal cord from the brain base of whatever body they’re using. Breaking their neck usually does the trick. Sometimes the best way, though, is through decapitation.”

Jade is speechless. She has a great deal of trouble fathoming the brutal confession at first, but quickly comes to grips with the lethal tactic. “What happens next?” she asked.

“We run.” Alex said plainly. “We run as far away from here as we can. Like I said before, demons and angels are all linked together. The link that demons share amongst themselves is a lot more complex what angels share. If one of them knows something, they’ll all know. If Markus knew how to find you, the rest of them know by now, too. They’re closing in on us at this very moment. None of them are within an hour’s distance, but with their speed and heightened sense of smell, they’ll be on our trail in no time.”

Jade isn’t oblivious to everything that’s occurred within the last twenty-four hours, yet despite what she’s seen, she still has her drawbacks about completely feeding into it all. Her viewpoint is ultimately changed, though, when she catches a second glimpse of Alex’s face. The scars and bruises that covered his face just moments ago have healed, leaving no trace of any trauma whatsoever.

With a lost and confused expression, she states, “Your skin…it’s healed.”

Alex rubs the lower part of his face to verify the restoration of his flesh. “I guess you believe me now, huh?”

“I don’t know what I believe anymore. People are trying to kill me. A man who looked like he could’ve been the Devil incarnate kicked my front door down like it was nothing. And you both seem to be stronger and faster than anything I’ve ever seen. And somehow, cuts that would’ve taken weeks for a normal person to heal from, you healed from in a matter of seconds.

Alex picks up on Jade’s uncertainty and tries to help relieve her mental strain. Subtly making his toward her, he says, “Did you know that when someone prays to God or to anyone else in Heaven, that person can hear them just as if they were in the same room? That that same person you were praying to can also talk back to you. They do it by appearing in your dreams.

“Up until a few nights ago, every night for the last two years, right before you’d go to sleep, you would say your prayers and then follow them with an amen. And then at the very end, you’d tell me you still love me and how much you missed me.”

Jade’s facial expression lights up in amazement. There’s no way anyone could’ve guessed that with such exactness.

Alex continues, “Human words can’t describe how powerful a love like that is. To have as much sincerity in those words the very last time you said it as you did the very first time is truly indescribable. It’s that same love that gave me all the energy I needed to come back.”

Jade decides to ask a definitive question that will help determine once and for all if the man in front of her is legitimately Alex Henley or not. “In my dreams, there were a lot of times where I did see you. I think it’s safe to say that not a whole three days would go by where you didn’t pop up at least once. I can’t remember every dream I’ve ever had, but the ones I have of you are etched in my mind.

“We would be together just how were before you died. And in all of my dreams you would always tell me the exact same thing right before I’d wake up. If it was really you talking to me from Heaven, then you should already know what I’m talking about. What would you tell me?”

Alex faces Jade and smiles. “I would tell you that I loved you, and that I’d always be with you. I would take you by the hand, kiss you softly and then whisper in your ear the words: I promise.”

Jade’s eyes water up instantaneously. She’s undeniably taken aback. She covers her mouth with both hands as the heart-wrenching moment settles in.

“Not a day went by where I didn’t check in on you,” said Alex. “But the day finally came where just checking in on you wouldn’t be good enough. I made a promise to be by your side, Jade, and I always keep my word. I know we’re outmatched and outnumbered, but believe me, if all of Hell’s army came barging through that door right now, every last one of them would have to go through me before I’d ever let them get to you. I will fight for you until I die, Jade…and even then, I’ll come right back again and pick up where I left off.”

Coming to terms with the fact that the man standing in front of her is her is really her first love, Jade smiles in rejoice. “Alex?”

Alex’s smile grows bright. He’s glad she’s finally accepting the truth about who he is. “Yeah…it’s really me, Jade.”

Without the slightest bit of hesitation, Jade closes the gap between herself and Alex by embracing him in the tightest hug she can muster. Alex is an eager recipient to the affectionate gesture and gladly reciprocates. It’s a highly emotional moment for them both. Jade is ecstatic to have the man she’s thought of day-in and day-out for the last two years back by her side. And Alex is extremely grateful just to be back in Jade’s life.

Still wrapped in Alex’s arms, Jade leans back just enough to get another glance of his desirable face. “I’ve been dreaming of this moment for a long time,” she tells him, sealing the reunion with a loving kiss.

CHAPTER 11

Jade and Alex are in her car traveling through the city of Terre Haute during the late night hours. The skies are clear and the moon is full, providing an ample amount of light to help guide the way. Jade navigates her car onto the ramp leading to I-65, while Alex sits in the passenger seat, staring out the window.

“I still don’t get it. How will going back home solve anything?” Jade asked.

“We need a more neutral setting. The moment they found out the city you were living in your safety was compromised. There’s absolutely no place in Terre Haute where you’d be safe. Those things are going to close in on this city from angles. By going back home it’ll be like we’re starting fresh.”

“That brings me to another question. Not that I’m complaining about you being here, but why would you get sent her alone to fend off so many demons by yourself? It doesn’t seem right?”

Alex stares out the window. “It really doesn’t seem fair, does it?”

“No, it doesn’t”

Alex trains his eyes on Jade. “That’s just the way things are for now.”

Jade is stumped by Alex’s answer. Why wouldn’t the God she prays to every night abandon her in such a time of need? “What’s the hold up? Why hasn’t God sent anyone to help us? How could he let demons come after me without getting involved?”

“You don’t understand,” Alex said. “It’s not like he’s ignoring you…There are sacred laws that must be abided by—laws that God created a long time ago in order to maintain order and peace. The most important of those laws is one that forbids heavenly beings from interfering with the fate of humans. Only certain devastations warrant interference, and even then, God has to give the final stamp of approval. He’s very big on those sacred laws.”

“So what are you saying? Are you telling me I’m left to fend for myself?”

“That’s where the problem lies. You see, just as we have laws in heaven to abide by, Hell has the same set to follow. But with the upcoming event nearing, I guess the Devil saw his chance to reign supreme and decided to go for the gold. The governing bodies in Heaven didn’t have a contingency plan ready for this kind of problem. They knew the event was approaching, but they had no idea that the ruling bodies of Hell would break the sacred rules just to gain the upper hand.”

As Jade continues to drive through the quiet streets, she tries to get a more in-depth overview of what Alex is talking about. “Governing bodies? Reigning forces in Hell? I thought Heaven was run by God and Hell was run by Satan.”

“They are…it’s just a little bit more complicated than that. Heaven is ruled by God, but underneath him are three separate spheres. Three spheres that each contain three different types of angels. The first sphere is comprised of angels that deal directly with God. They’re the ones who constantly praise him and chant his name. The second sphere is made up of angels that act as a relay. The take information from the bottom sphere, decide on its importance, and if it’s important enough, they’ll tell it to the first sphere and in turn, they’ll relay it to God.”

“That sounds complicated,” said Jade. “I thought God could hear and see all.”

“That’s just another misconception made by man. As powerful as God is, he still can’t see every problem that the world has on his own. That’s what the second sphere of angels is for. They’re there to sort through all of the problems of the world in order of their importance.”

“What about praying? You said that when someone prays to God he can hear them.”

“He can, but do you have any idea what it’s like to have millions of people talking to you all at once? The words tend to get a little distorted. It takes time to sort through all of that data…and that brings us to the third sphere. The sphere contains the bottom layer of the angel element—like me. The third sphere is run by Archangels. It’s our job to monitor the earth, without interfering, and pass on the information we’ve collected back to one of the Archangels, who in turn, relays that information back up to the second sphere, so and so forth. Since Hell is the counterpart to Heaven, they work in pretty much the same way we do.”

“But God and Satan still have the final say in things, right?” Jade asked.

“Yeah. Only Satan is filled with corruption and dishonesty. It’s nothing for him to break the cardinal laws for his own personal gain. God, on the other hand, isn’t willing to sacrifice the integrity of Heaven—at least not until he has more time to sufficiently think things through. It may sound wrong, but it’s actually quite noble.”

“Okay, so what’s the holdup? Hell has broken the sacred laws. Doesn’t that merit God to do something?”

“Yes and no.” Alex pauses for a second and turns towards the rear window.

“Alex?” Jade called out. Alex doesn’t respond to her first call, so she tries again, “Alex!”

Alex is broken from his distracted state and quickly redirects his focus back to Jade. “Oh, I’m sorry. What was I saying? Oh, yeah, when the sacred laws are broken it normally merits a divine intervention, but the moment it was realized that demons were gunning for you is when the dilemma began. If they were just breaking the rules to simply walk the earth it would’ve been an open and shut case. But since they’re going after you and you only, it’s being looked at as more of a personal battle that you’ll have to persevere through on your own.”

“That doesn’t seem right. Why is it okay for them to come after me and not okay for them to go after anyone else?”

“It’s not that they can’t go after anyone else; they just can’t go after the masses. You hear all the time about people who are haunted, or possessed, or being antagonized by demonic forces. Those things actually happen and God doesn’t step in because it’s up to the person who is being haunted or possessed to use their faith to break free from the evil’s clutches. God allows this to happen to test the person’s faith and gauge their belief. In your case it’s completely different.”

“That almost seems cruel,” Jade said in disgust.

“Prayer and belief is often enough to ward off evil spirits. That’s won’t be the case with you. With you, the demons that are coming after you are using human bodies to be more physically interactive. They can even call on their dark powers to make themselves even more dangerous. The only way to stop them from coming after you is to destroy the human body they’re in.”

Jade bangs her hands on the steering wheel in frustration. “This is so stupid! Why is this happening to me?! What’s so damn special about me?!”

Alex turns around to face the rear window. He seems to be worried about something. Jade addresses his uneasiness. “What’s wrong, Alex?”

“I thought we’d have more time. Damn it!” he worriedly stated.

“Alex, what is it?”

“Another demon. I’d say she’s about a hundred yards back and gaining—fast.”