The Paladin (26 page)

His concentration shattered, the illusion of Frank Sinatra vanished revealing Zack Cole's image in full view of the camera.

"Wait a damn minute," said Brock. "Who are you and where is Frank?"

Unnerved by his prisoner's transformation, Officer Brock glanced back at the advancing Celeste and got a bad feeling.

"Back up, now!" he ordered her, as he pulled out his Glock.

"He's right, you know," she said moving around to the front of the cruiser to the cuffed Silas. "Not the slightest bit human. Give me your prisoner, now. I will give him what he deserves."

"Officer, run!" yelled Silas. "Please, for the love of God, run!"

Celeste charged at Brock. Dropping her guise of humanity, Officer Brock saw her for the beast she was.

"Oh God!" he exclaimed as a creature beyond his darkest nightmare came for him.

The night was shattered as he fired three .40 caliber rounds into her.

Celeste never slowed and ripped the gun from his grasp. The beast shoved Brock down on the hood of his cruiser, knocking the breath from him.

Silas rolled off the car, and with superhuman effort, snapped his hinged cuffs apart.

Brock fought with all his strength and training, but was hopeless against the beast. Celeste laughed as she brought the service pistol down on the officer's forehead.

"This is what it feels like, sweetie," she said as she pulled the trigger.

The gun bucked and roared. The police officer jerked twice, and then lay still on the cruiser's hood.

With a yell, Silas launched himself on Celeste and pulled her off the dead police officer.

In her state of mind, she was a killing machine and Silas knew there was no reasoning with her.

She flew at Silas and soon the pair fighting back and forth. She slashed Silas with a clawed hand, shredding his shirt and sending blood flying. Wincing in pain, he stumbled back, tripping on a fallen tree limb.

With a laugh, she picked him up and tossed him twenty feet into the debris-littered street. He tried to get away, but his strength had failed him. Silas could only watch as she ran toward him.

With death rushing toward him, Silas failed to see the big SUV bearing down on them.

There was a sickening thud and crunch of bones as the Escalade slammed into Celeste. As the beast went down screaming, the vehicle bounced slightly, rolling on top of her, pinning her to the asphalt.

Celeste let out a terrifying scream of rage as she rocked the Escalade back and forth, trying to escape.

Shocked at his reprieve from death, Silas struggled to his feet. The passenger side door flew open revealing Brenda Mills.

"Don't just stand there looking stupid, get in!"

"Thank you, Jesus," Silas mumbled, as he stumbled into the Cadillac and promptly passed out.

***

"What the…" Maggie began as she saw the Escalade hurdling toward her.

The truck came to a stop and the driver's door flew open.

"Maggie, he needs help!" cried Brenda. "Silas and Celeste tangled, and he lost."

Dropping the Collamarr, Maggie flew to the passenger side door and ripped it open where she found a bloody, half-conscious Silas. Maggie wasted no time as she slung him over her shoulder. Silas groaned as she carried him to a towering maple. Maggie whipped out Kali and plunged her into the tree. As the wave of life washed over them, Silas's groans tuned into relived sighs.

"Put me down, woman, this is embarrassing."

Maggie lowered him, then hugged him tightly, "What the hell were you doing? And why are you wearing handcuffs?"

"No time," he said weakly. "Celeste is nearby, would have finished me, but for Brenda. It is time to use the vessel."

"Hell no!" Maggie said. "I will not lose you, Ghost Boy."

"We have no choice."

"How is he?" asked Brenda as she ran up Maggie.

"Fine. Now help me get him to my car."

"Maggie," he said. "Now is the time to act."

"Hush," she said.

Silas was too weak from the battle to offer any resistance as he was loaded into the Bug.

"What now?" asked Brenda as Maggie shut the Volkswagen's door.

"I have to get Silas healed. Go home, Brenda, I will call you tomorrow."

Maggie embraced a surprised Brenda tightly.

"Thank you for saving him," Maggie whispered. "Now get out of here, Beck's men are everywhere."

***

Harold White watched as the two vehicles split up and disappeared into the darkness.

What do you know? Brenda Mills is in cahoots with Maggie and Zack,
Harold thought taking out his cell.
Excellent. Finally, something is going my way.

"Harold, where are you?" asked Dana. "You can't just disappear like that—"

"Good to hear your voice as well," he said. "Now listen, Dana, I have an idea that will settle this Paladin mess once and for all. Meet me at the cabin."

"The cabin?"

"Just do it," Harold said, before hanging up. Harold punched in another number.

"Mr. White, do you have our merchandise?"

"No, but I am close. I need some information."

"What do you require?"

"What do you know about angels?"

36

Silas looked up at Maggie from the bed and frowned.

"What do you think you are doing?"

"Taking care of you," she said.

"Celeste was two blocks away and you had the Collamarr…we could have ended this once and for all!"

"Maybe I don't want it to end!" she shouted back. "There has to be another way to ice that bitch without you having to die."

"I am already dead. I died on October 24
1940."

"No, you are alive and, by God, you will stay that way! You were cheated; your life ended too soon. Think of this as a second chance."

Silas rolled out of bed and groaned. While Kali had healed his most grievous wounds, he was still stiff and sore from his fight with Celeste.

"Look, Maggie, I have feelings for you, strong feelings that just make me crazy. Nevertheless, we have a job to do. Many lives depend on us catching that thing. Remember your vision?"

"I know. But I have been so alone, and now, with you…I can't lose you…I won't lose you. There has to be another way."

Maggie kissed him.

"You are…buzzing," he said softly.

Maggie looked at her buzzing phone and grimaced, "It's that damn Brenda."

She pushed the talk button.

"I don't know how you did it, but I have to take my hat off to you."

"Who is this?" she asked.

"I think you know," Beck said.

"Oh, shit."

"Now, you don't think for one minute that I would let you two bozos get away with the vessel do you?"

"What did you do with Brenda?"

"She is safe and sound, and if you return the vessel, she'll stay that way."

"Let me talk to her."

There was a short pause, "Maggie…don't give them shit!" said Brenda.

"If you hurt her, you're a dead man!" Maggie said.

"Blah, blah, blah," Beck said.

"Were do we meet?"

"Not you, I want that whelp of Silas's to hand deliver it. If I see you, or even think you're anywhere around, I will make a call and poor Brenda will…well, you understand."

"Do I have a choice?"

"No, you don't," he said. "Now why don't you get a good night's sleep and tomorrow we'll do business."

Maggie closed her phone and fought the urge to smash it into the wall.

"What's the matter?" asked Silas.

"Beck has kidnapped that stupid Brenda and he wants to exchange the vessel for her."

"We can't do that."

"We can't let her die."

"If I could trade places with her I would, but Beck isn't getting his hands on the vessel."

"Beck said he wanted Zack to bring the vessel alone."

Silas smiled, "Looks like Beck wants to settle the score with the Cole family. Won't he be surprised?"

"This isn't a game. Beck will kill Brenda and he will sure as hell kill you, too."

"Look, Maggie, we all die. If you forgot, I was dead for a while myself. Soon, I will drag that beast back into the vessel, and it's up to you to see it never sees the light of day again."

"Beck said he would call tomorrow and tell you were to meet him."

"Well that means we have all night to come up with a plan to save the day," he said with a smile.

***

Maggie awoke in Silas's warm embrace.

"Good morning," he said brushing the hair from her face.

"Morning," she said with a smile.

"If only things were different…" he said.

The ringing of Maggie's phone interrupted his train of thought.

"I'm getting to where I hate wireless phones," he said.

Silas released Maggie and snatched the phone off the nightstand.

"Hello?"

"Zack?"

"Is that you, Beck? Or are you going by a different name since you died?"

"I'll tell you what, why don't you come by for a visit and we'll discuss it."

"Where?"

"Get a pen and paper, my boy, and I'll give you directions. I don't think you want to get lost because I know poor Brenda would not like that."

"Let me talk to her."

"Zack, I'm alright, they haven't hurt me," said Brenda. "Please, don't let me die, Zack."

She called me Zack…and her voice sounded slightly off.
He thought.
This is my chance!

Silas took a pen and carefully took down the directions before putting away the phone.

"So, what is the plan?" asked Maggie from the warmth of the bed, as she watched Silas dress.

"I guess you are right. We can't just let Brenda die. I'm going to trade the vessel and try to save her."

"He's going to kill you and take the vessel."

"Then it's up to you to get the vessel back," he said. "Larry picked you for a reason. You are smart and resourceful. I have no doubt you'll get the job done."

"What about you? Larry picked you, too, and you got a really raw deal."

"To the contrary, I think that I am a pretty lucky man." Silas said. "I had a second chance at life, got a glimpse of the future, and even fell in love. That alone, made it all worth it."

"You love
me
?"

Silas bent down and kissed her gently, "Remember me, Maggie Black."

"I love you, too, Silas Cole."

Silas rose and walked to the door where he paused.

"I'll be right back with Brenda. Just have faith."

Silas closed the door behind him, convinced it was the last he would ever see her.

Maggie, reading the emotions his face, sat back in the bed and tears began to flow down her face. "Like hell I’m giving up this easy!" she said softly, wiping her face.

As she heard the front door close, she leapt from the bed and took the pad of paper on which Silas had written. Taking a pencil from the drawer she rubbed it gently over the sheet revealing the directions Silas wrote down.

"Looks like you are about to have backup whether you want it or not."

Maggie dressed quickly in a pair of jeans. Pulling a t-shirt over her head, the phone rang again. Maggie finished with her shirt and checked the phone.

"A text message? Who would be sending me a text?"

BRENDA IS BEING HELD AT 1267 BOGARD LANE. YOU HAVE TO ACT QUICKLY. SHE WILL DIE THE MOMENT ZACK GIVES UP THE VESSEL. I HAVE TAKEN CARE OF THE GUARDS AND SHE IS ALONE. COME AT ONCE.

LARRY.

Maggie fumbled with her phone and dialed Zack's number.

"Damn it!" she screamed when she heard his ringtone sound from the other room.

37

Silas brought his stolen truck to a stop in front of an old weather-beaten barn.

"This place is isolated and looks abandoned," he muttered. "Perfect place for a murder."

Reaching over the bench seat, he pulled out a backpack that contained the vessel. Silas slid out of the truck and looked around for any sign of Beck.

The door of the barn swung open.

"Let me see the vessel," Beck called out from inside the barn.

"Let me see Brenda."

Beck moved to the open door, holding a gun to Brenda's head.

"Don't give it to him, Zack!" she screamed. "He's going to kill us both anyway, run!"

Beck pulled the hammer back and she became silent.

"Now, leave the pack on the truck and bring me the jar.

"Don't hurt her, I'm coming in."

***

Maggie lay concealed behind a bushy pine tree, watching a rambling log cabin. The cabin sat nestled in a wooded area with at least two miles separating it from its nearest neighbors. The wide, paved driveway lay empty.

Holding Kali before her, Maggie moved warily to the back of the house.
Looks like nobody's home.
This may be easier than I thought.

Three men lay crumpled in the back yard. A quick check showed they were quite dead.
Way to go Larry! I'll get Brenda, and then we will help Silas stop Beck.

Carefully crossing the porch, she peered into a French door. The house seemed to be deserted.

Maggie had brought Kali down, preparing to use her to slice open the door's deadbolt, when she heard a slight sound behind her. Before she could react, she felt the hard barrel of a 12-gauge pressed into her lower back.

"Make the slightest move and I'll cut you in two," said Harold White.

Maggie cursed herself for  falling into the trap.

"Now, with your left hand, shove that blade into the porch."

Seeing no other way, Maggie slid Kali into the gap between two boards.

"Excellent," said Harold. "Now, hands on your head and interlace your fingers."

"Where is Brenda?" asked Maggie as she complied with his order.

"Your friend is safe, but first things first."

Maggie's mind looked frantically for a way out of her mess, but Harold was too careful and too well prepared. Soon, to her chagrin, her wrists were locked behind her back, encased in a pair of police handcuffs.