Redemption of the Dead (34 page)

Joe drew
Tracy in and embraced her. “It’s just you, me and Billie. That’s
it. We’re of no more use here. Whatever plans might have been meant
for us—not anymore. We run like heck to the plane, pray Billie’s
there, and hope for a miracle.”

She nodded
and grabbed his face between her hands and pressed her lips against
his, one of fear, need and passion. When she released, she checked
her firearm, loaded a new clip; Joe did the same regardless whether
or not the bullets would be of any use anymore.

At the
entrance to the building, they counted it off and ran into the dust
cloud.

“I think it’s over there,” Joe shouted
above the shrieks on the air. He hoped Tracy saw which way he
pointed.

They ran
through the cloud, the shrieks of demons overhead. Joe paused for a
second then kept going after he felt this strange electric tingle
on the air. Not far over to the left, he saw the
aircraft.

“Billie!” he shouted, hoping to get
her attention though he didn’t know how well she could hear through
the mech’s cockpit shield.

Metallic
thuds came from off to the side and Billie’s mech came up beside
them; all three headed in the same direction.

Her voice came through the speaker: “
Glad you guys are alive. I couldn’t find you. We
need to get to the plane. Does that girl know how to
fly?
”

She meant
Tracy. “No, she doesn’t.” He double checked: “Right?”

“Sadly, no.”

“Meet us at the plane,
Billie.”

“
I’ll stay
alongside.
”

They weaved
in and around cars. A couple of the demons swooped low. They
managed to evade them by ducking and suddenly stopping before
adjusting their course.

The
plane was now in
view, maybe fifty yards off.

That same
electric tingle returned, this time stronger, carrying with it the
ability to send jolts of fear through whoever it contacted. Joe
tried to ignore the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end
and the sickening trepidation about things getting
worse.

Wind blew
through the dust, which caught him off guard as there hadn’t been
wind in the city for a year unless it was artificially created. The
wind grew steadily warmer with each passing second until the heat
became unbearable and sweat broke out all over his skin.

Tracy coughed.

They made it
to the plane and were on their way to the back hatch when all the
demons shrieked as one, then silenced at the same time.

“Joe . . .” Tracy said, her voice
weak. He’d never heard an undertone of impotence in her voice
before. She gestured to Billie’s mech. Standing before it was a man
in a dark purple button-down, black dress pants and shoes,
clean-shaven with neat blond hair. The man reeked of sulfur and Joe
had to put his hand over his mouth and nose.

As much as
he willed his legs to move, fear kept them locked in place. The
violent flapping of wings filled the air as hordes of demons came
and occupied the area around them, and hovered above
them.

Billie . . .
“Billie!”
Joe said.

The man
turned to him. His eyes were black, cold. He held out one hand
toward Joe, palm open, the other toward Billie, palm open as well.
From the hand in front of Billie, red electric charges emanated
from his fingertips, the red strings of energy dancing through the
air until they connected with Billie’s mech. He snapped his hand
into a fist and the front hatch of the mech tore straight off,
hovered midair before the man, then was cast to the side with a
wave of his hand.

“Hello, Billie,” he said.

She didn’t speak.

Joe’s heart raced and Tracy looked
like she was in a state of disbelief. The guy’s presence . . .
there was something very wrong about it, something worse than the
undead, small or large, even the demons. Then Joe
understood.

It was the devil.

* * * *

33

Battle of the
Angels

B
illie trembled
before
the incarnation of evil
in front of her. His pitch black eyes were as smooth as marble and
as deep as the farthest reaches of space. He was alluring, she
hated to even notice never mind admit, and could only assume the
dark one’s beauty was part of what made evil so
attractive.

“I suppose I have you to thank for all
this,” he said.

“It was a mistake,” she said, choking
on the words.

“But you won’t have the credit. I
never share credit because this world has now become mine because
of me and what I’ve done.”

She didn’t
want to hear it. She considered trying to run, but it would spell
her doom if she did. All she could do was remain before him,
helpless.

“You have something I want, don’t
you?” the devil said.

“What do I have that you could possibly—”
The crystals.
If this guy wanted them, then they couldn’t be
something she could let go of; she would protect them with her
life, if she had to.

He
eyed her bracelet. “I see you wear the ornaments of another realm.”
He snarled.
“Give them to me,
Billie.”

Joe and
Tracy stood there, mouths slightly open, still seemingly
stunned.

Billie’s heart picked up pace and
began slamming so hard in her chest she felt it in her throat.
There was only one answer she could give him: “No.”

“I see. And there’s nothing I can do
that would sway you?”

She shook her head.

The devil
nodded as if he understood. “Very well.” The hand facing Joe and
Tracy suddenly elongated, the fingers turning into long, stringy
tubes of scaly leather, with claw-like tips. They snapped out in an
instant then snapped back and reentered his hand, his palm and
fingers returning to normal.

Joe choked
off to the side, his eyes wide, a hand to his throat. Blood bubbled
out of his lips as he tried to speak, but all he could do was sway
forward when Tracy caught him.

Screaming,
Billie jumped out of the mech and started to run toward him when
the devil caught her.

“The
crystals, Billie,” he hissed. “I want them, and I want them
now.”

* * * *

Tears
leaking from her eyes, Tracy lowered Joe to the ground, almost
falling with him as his body went limp. She kneeled beside him and
stroked his cheeks, his forehead. She removed his hand from his
throat to reveal two large puncture wounds: one straight through
the esophagus and trachea, the other perfectly aimed through the
center of his aorta. She quickly put his hand back and pressed hers
against his, trying to stop the blood that was gushing out between
their fingers.

“Joe . . .” she said.

His green
eyes looked at her and he tried to reach up to touch her face, but
his hand barely lifted. She took it and put it to her
cheek.

“Say something,” she said.

His lips
parted then closed slowly a couple of times, before he managed,
“Tra—” His eyes went wide, as if looking at something majestic just
past her. “Jesus forgive me . . .” The muscles in his face went
slack and his head tilted to the side, his gaze vacant.

Sharp stabs
of pain and grief piercing through her, she started to shake and
furiously stroked his face and cheeks as if her touches of
affection would revive him.

Her words
barely dribbled between her tear-soaked lips. “No, not . . . Joe .
. . don’t leave me . . . not like this . . . not you. Anyone but
you . . .” A full-on cry threatened to burst forth. Tracy summoned
her training and stilled herself, biting back the tears, the pain,
the excruciatingly sharp heartache that threatened to kill
her.

She turned to the devil. “I’m going to
kill you.”

“With what, Tracy,” he
said.

She gently laid down Joe’s head and
stood, gun drawn. “Don’t ever say my name.”

Billie was
clearly terrified, her eyes glazed over with tears, her gaze fixed
on Joe’s body.

Taking aim,
Tracy was about to fire a shot when the whole area lit up in bright
white light, the rays immediately causing her to squeeze her eyes
shut.

Demons
shrieked above and the thwapping of furiously flapping wings
drummed in her ears. She blinked her eyes open and a man stood
behind the devil, who was now growling against the intrusion. He
still had Billie in his arms until the man behind him grabbed him
and in a flurry of gold and white, sent Billie stumbling forward,
free, with the man now standing in between the devil and the two
girls.

The light
faded, revealing the most beautiful sight Tracy had ever seen. He
wore a golden robe, folded over and over as it draped on his
muscular frame, with fiery hair, a silver shield on his back.
Hanging off his golden belt was a scabbard with a large
sword.

“Nathaniel . . .” Billie said quietly
behind her.

The devil said, “Oh, it’s you. You are
of no concern.”

Sword drawn, Nathaniel raised it,
pointing its sharp tip at the devil’s head. “Silence, snake. Your
presence here is not welcome.”

“You forget,
Nathaniel, the Earth is mine, has been for many
millennia.”

“You are a defeated foe. The Host are
here and your legion is falling.”

The devil
went to move to the side, but Nathaniel set his sword in his path,
blocking him. “You really think you could beat me?” the devil said.
“I know your role. You are not nearly powerful enough to stop
me.”

“He might
not be,” said a loud voice, “but I am.” A man with enormous golden
wings set down beside Nathaniel. He was dressed the same, but
across his chest was a blood-red sash covered in beautiful golden
symbols that shone like stars.

“Michael,” the devil
hissed.

Tracy was relieved that help was here
even though she didn’t believe she was seeing it. Two angels? That
had to be what they were. They were amazing, full of light, huge
wings, big, powerful. Even standing near them caused her to
tremble. She hoped that indeed they were on the right
side.

All around
them the sounds of war rang out as angel clashed with demon both on
the ground and in the air. Demons swarmed around Tracy and Billie,
flying in with bared claws and mouths open with sharp fangs. The
bright silver of sword blades burst through the demons’ heads and
chests, ripping through them and reducing them to ash.

Just beyond,
Nathaniel and Michael had their swords drawn; the devil had one of
his own and right when he drew his liquid black sword, he
transformed into a tall beast with powerful muscles coated in
dragon scales, his face dark like tar, his eyes black as pitch,
wreathes of smoke and fire igniting and bursting all around him in
a continuous cycle of flame. Large, leathery bat wings shot out of
his back, their razor-sharp tips moving like an extra set of
blades.

The devil
moved lightning quick, the strikes of his sword deflected and
parried by Nathaniel and Michael, each of the angels moving around
the devil in circles, keeping him contained, while also blocking
blow after blow of the demonic sword. The devil tried to escape
upward, but Nathaniel was quickly in the air above him, brought
down his sword and sent the evil one back to the ground where
Michael came in with a violent slash, narrowly missing the devil’s
chest just as he dodged it.

Foul
screeches pierced Tracy’s ears; Billie’s face was scrunched up in a
wince. The terrible demonic creatures kept trying to have at them,
but it was as if there was a force field of golden light encasing
the girls so they’d be safe. Tracy followed the speeding lights
around her, occasionally catching a glimpse of a warrior angel in
battle armor: ornate silver helmets, breastplates and leg guards,
silver shields and silver swords. Their presence was a comfort
amidst the air of evil.

The devil
moved quickly to the side, able to twist around and get past
Michael. He immediately went for the girls, his black sword coming
in to cut them to pieces. Tracy wasn’t sure the golden light field
around them would hold. Nathaniel appeared in front of them,
deflected the blow and kicked the devil back into Michael’s arms.
Contained, Michael was about to wrestle the devil to the ground
when the evil one twirled like a tornado, jumped up, then slammed
his sword into the ground. The earth rumbled and shook, the
surrounding buildings immediately beginning to buckle and crumble
from the earthquake.

Tracy and
Billie lost their footing and landed on their hands and knees.
Nathaniel came in beside them, scooped them up and took them into
the air.

Below, the
earth around the devil and Michael caved in like a funnel the size
of a football field, the plane teetering on the edge of the dead
grass and ground before falling into the chasm that kept growing
and growing.

All around angels and demons clashed
in the air in whirls of light and scales. Shrieks and powerful
calls in a language Tracy didn’t understand consumed the
air.