by Deena Remiel
Chapter Three
Caleb paced the floor of his living room, flipping his cell phone open and closed every few minutes. He checked the time. His watch said seven o’clock in the evening, two minutes later than when he checked it two minutes ago. Stir-crazy didn’t even begin to explain how freaked out he was at this point. He’d been waiting it seemed like hours, though it had only been one since he’d left Gabriel his dire plea for protection. Had he gotten his message? Maybe his voicemail isn’t working. Not likely. Maybe he’s in a dead zone for cell service. Not likely, either. Maybe I should just chill out.
Did he remember to lock the front door to his apartment? He didn’t know. So he rushed over to check. He’d locked it, thank goodness. He slunk over to his only window in the apartment and peered out from behind the frayed window blinds, watching for anyone he knew skulking around outside. Not a soul was around, but that didn’t mean anything.
Manny was out there, somewhere. Madame probably got a hold of him already and told him what had happened earlier. Caleb had gone rogue and quit the business. Knowing Manny, there were only two possible outcomes. Either Manny would contract out for someone to inflict bodily damage on him, or he’d be so pissed he’d find Caleb and do it himself. He didn’t particularly like either prospect.
If he was going to make a go at a new life as Gabriel’s assistant, he would have to go on the offensive and eliminate the potential threat while protecting himself in the process. Gabriel seemed the right guy to provide such a service. If he would just call back, damn it! As he flipped his phone open for the millionth time it buzzed in his hand. Before answering, he looked at his caller ID. Restricted. Great.
“Hello?”
“Caleb! Caleb, I need your help,” a frantic voice whispered over the phone.
“Phoebe, is that you? I can barely hear you.”
“Uh huh. Caleb, you’ve got to get me out of here. I’m at the resort, in this guy’s hotel bathroom. Room 214. Caleb, I’m scared. Manny threw this guy on me, told me to play nice, and I would get paid a fortune. This guy is freakin’ nuts! I can’t even repeat what he wants me to do, but there’re tools. Scary looking metal tools. You just got to get me out of here. I can’t go through with this. Not this one. I’ll kill myself first.”
“Jesus, Phoebe! I’ll be right there. Pretend you’re sick or something. Throw up, moan and groan. I’m heading out the door right now. I’ll be there in ten minutes. Can you hold out for ten minutes?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know. Fly over here. If you get a speeding ticket, I’ll pay for it. Shit, I gotta go! Hurry!”
“Phoebe? Phoebe?” The line disconnected. Damn it to Hell. Manny’s gone too far this time. Phoebe better not be hurt when I get there or this freak is going to be wearing a colostomy bag for the rest of his miserable life.
Caleb raced out of his apartment complex to his car, and flew down the freeway towards the resort. He was breathing hard; his anger barely restrained and growing by the mile. But he wasn’t about to blow it on the road. No, he would save up the rage for the freak that had Phoebe cowering in the bathroom.
***
Gabriel’s evening was far from over as he made his way back from the county sheriff’s office to his suite at the resort. He’d spent some time cultivating contacts, securing credentials for easy access to areas usually off-limits to civilians, and providing his own to satisfy a curious and cynical sheriff. If he didn’t make friends here, it would be difficult to help protect his clients. With all-access credentials and great relationships forged with the right people, his clients would enjoy the highest level of protective and investigative services around. Seeker Investigations, Gabriel decided, would become the number one private investigating company in the state, besides Brethren Security and Investigations, of course. Tonight, he’d spend his time getting his servers up and running and surfing the net to gather some basic intelligence.
He put his briefcase down on the foyer floor and immediately saw an impressive computer system hooked up and ready to go. Caleb came through in record time. Very impressive. He checked his cell phone for the time. “Whoa! When did this call come through? This sort of thing shouldn’t have happened.”
He made a note to change providers in the morning. As he listened to the voicemail message, anger and concern welled within his gut. Caleb had broken free from his pimp and now feared for his life. He asked for protection from Gabriel. I tempted him into this situation by offering him a lucrative job with me. It’s upon me to keep him safe and put that scum, Manny, behind bars for a good long time. The cell phone showed that Caleb had called a couple of hours ago. Gabriel hurriedly called him back.
“Gabriel,” Caleb said without prelude. “Thank God. Did you get my message?”
“Yes, and I’m so sorry it’s taken me this long to get back to you. First thing tomorrow, I’m finding a better cellular phone service provider. So where are you and what’s the story?”
“Jesus, Gabriel. Everything’s a freakin’ mess. I’m at the City Hospital emergency room. My friend Phoebe is in pretty bad shape after some trick used her as a punching bag. She called me to help get her out of there before this happened, but I got to her too late. She doesn’t have insurance, so as soon as she wakes up, she’s gonna have to leave. I’ve got to find her a place to stay. There’s no way in hell I’m gonna let her go back to Manny’s. And I can’t take her back to my place. I guess I could get a room at the resort. I don’t know. My thinking’s all messed up right now. I’m sorry to unload all this on you.”
“You called me for help, Caleb. Looks like your friend needs it, too. Don’t worry. I’ll come get you both and take care of everything. Don’t worry about the bill. I’ll have that covered. Arrangements can be made for you both to stay in the suite next to mine. Then, we’ll talk and make a plan. I’ll see you in two minutes.”
“Two minutes? You must be joking. The hospital’s at least twenty from the res…”
Gabriel quickly closed his phone, opting for secrecy rather than disclosure.
“Damn it!” Gabriel shouted as he took off his shirt. He tucked it in his belt loop for later as he prepared for his wings’ release. He threw open the patio doors and walked out. His pearl-white wings unfurled and beat furiously as he took off into the smooth night air. This “Manny” and his whoring business are going down.
He arrived at the hospital in a minute and a half, alighting near a stack of dumpsters to obscure his landing and transformation. Putting on his shirt, Gabriel then proceeded to the Emergency Room entrance. His imposing posture always lead others to believe he was a man of importance and someone to be handled with all the respect a dignitary would command. And so it was now, as he walked up to the nurse’s desk to find his friend.
“Can I help you, sir?” asked one of the nurses.
“I’m looking for two people, around twenty-two or so, man and woman. Woman’s pretty beat up. Her name is Phoebe…”
“Oh, yes. She’s here, poor thing. Are you family?”
“I’m all she’s got,” he replied. It wasn’t a lie. Saying yes would have been a lie, and something an angel couldn’t do.
“She’s right through those doors, room 3A,” she said, pointing to a room in the corner.
“Thank you very much,” he replied, and gave her a spectacular smile as he left the station.
He nearly slammed into Caleb as he walked through the door. “Whoa! Where are you racing off to?” He disregarded Caleb’s puzzled look and focused instead on his battered and bleeding face.
“She’s waking up! I gotta get the doctor.” He pushed by Gabriel and grabbed a hold of one of the ER doctors. “She’s waking up, come quick.”
“Okay, sir. Just calm down and I’ll go check on your friend. While I’m doing that, sit down over here so a nurse can tend to you. Sheila!” The ER doctor calmly peeled away Caleb’s viselike grip from his arm and nudged him into a seat.
“I don’t give a damn about me,” Caleb said, standing
right back up. “Just help her.”
“I’ll take care of him, Doctor.” Gabriel walked over and smiled. The doctor nodded appreciatively and moved quickly to tend to Phoebe.
Gabriel stared hard at Caleb. He surveyed the damage to his face and pushed Caleb unceremoniously back down into the seat. He waved Sheila over to start putting his face back together.
“What? It’s nothing. Hell, you should see the other guy.”
“That’s a lie, and you know it,” Gabriel said gruffly. ”Now stay seated and let the nurse do her job. Go ahead, Sheila.”
The nurse cleaned and sewed, and turned Caleb’s face from a monster back into one of a man.
It was time for some answers. Gabriel’s interrogation would be quick and painless. “Okay, don’t talk. Just give me a thumbs up for yes, down for no. Do you have a name?”
One thumb down.
“Can you ID him?”
One thumb up.
Great. He rubbed the scruff on his face, grown since the morning. Caleb’s not making this easy. It could be worse. And I do love a challenge.
“We’ll get this son-of-a-bitch, and Manny, too. I promise. They’re going down. Mark my words.” Gabriel pressed his point with a squeeze of Caleb’s shoulder.
“I never lie. And I never lose.”
***
Gabriel’s fingers flew over the keyboard like a web of lightning across a cloud-laden sky. In no time at all, he had a name and address to match the sketched face of Phoebe’s client/rapist. Marco de LaGuardia. Stockbroker. He had a rap sheet a mile long, too, with crimes ranging from domestic violence to assault and robbery. He’d been in prison, but never for very long. No doubt, mafia ties got him out on numerous technicalities.
With Phoebe and Caleb finally tucked away in the suite next door, Gabriel was determined to take care of the dirtbag once and for all. He took his sheathed sword from the bedroom closet and slung it across his back. A long black leather jacket served to hide the five-foot long monster, leaving no one the wiser. He strode towards the door, already planning how he’d make Marco's life null and void.
A soft, feminine knock broke through his musings. Was it just his imagination? He froze and listened. Yes, there it is again. He walked back to the connecting door between his suite and Caleb’s. He unlocked it and turned the knob.
Phoebe stood before him, a slight young woman of no more than twenty-two years of age. Her long, chocolate-brown hair was pulled back in a pony-tail, showing off her bruised face, her right eye and bottom lip fat and swollen. Her left arm was in a sling, while her right arm hugged her ribs protectively. Gabriel cursed inwardly, but showed her a pleasant smile.
She had since changed from her hospital gown to a t-shirt and long flowing skirt, courtesy of the on-site boutique. The outfit helped a little toward masking her mal-nourished, mal-treated body. Given the proper care, she could be a very pretty woman. Remembering the depth of Caleb's emotions at the hospital, Gabriel figured there had to be something between them. And he was grateful.
“I’m sorry to bother you, Gabriel,” Phoebe said timidly. “But I was wondering if you found out who the guy is that did this to me. I was hoping the details I gave you for the sketch helped to identify him.”
“Phoebe, you did wonderfully with your details. So much so, I was indeed able to get all sorts of information about him.” Gabriel reached out and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. He let his hand linger by her cheek. “You don’t need to worry anymore, my dear. I was just on my way out to … deal with him.”
“Oh, thank God!” she replied, her solemn eyes brightening.
“Your only concern right now should be resting and healing. I’ve called upon a friend to come over tomorrow.” He looked at his watch. ”Well, actually given the hour, he’s technically coming over today. He’s a healer and can help you improve above and beyond what the doctors can do. For now, tonight, go to sleep and dream happy dreams. Your worries are over.”
“Thank you,” she said, her eyes welled with tears. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without Caleb and then you coming to my rescue.” She looked down at her socked feet and whispered, “This time was the worst. Honestly, I think I would’ve died.”
The dams broke and tears streamed down her face. Gabriel reached into his pocket and pulled out a linen hanky. A bit old-fashioned, he knew, but it was always there when he needed it. He handed it to her and she dabbed gingerly at her face.
“I’m sorry. This has been happening ever since I woke up in the hospital.” She blew her nose.
“That's okay, I completely understand.”
“Caleb told me you offered him a job as personal assistant if he did real good with some jobs for you. I hope he's doing okay.” She paused, shuffling her feet. ”Do you think you might have an opening for a secretary or something like that? I took typing in high school and was the top in my class. I'm done with Manny, too. I've gotta get my life together, and working for you would help me do that.”
“I'm glad to hear that. I believe I can find a suitable job for you at my company.” The worry lines and wrinkles that had taken up residence on Phoebe's face diminished as she smiled. Was that hope and relief he saw? Good. He wove a strong, silent incantation around her to provide comfort and peace in her soul. “Let's talk about it tomorrow. Raphael will be here later today, so that gives you a good seven hours or so to sleep and let your body begin to heal itself. He'll take care of the rest. I gotta run now. If you need anything, call the front desk. They have strict orders to be at your beck and call.”
“Okay,” she said turning around, and closed the door part-way behind her. She stopped suddenly, turned back, and added, “I’m so glad you came into Caleb’s and my life. You’re an angel, you know that?” She smiled as best she could and closed the door the rest of the way.
Gabriel chuckled and shook his head as he walked out the front door. You don’t even know the half of it, my girl.
***
There was no need to fly to de LaGuardia’s house. He lived only a few miles from the resort, so Gabriel took the complimentary BMW the resort had on hand for its exclusive patrons. He drove right to the house, passed it, and parked on the next block. The houses in this neighborhood weren’t extravagant, but they did have pretty good size plots of land around them. Fortunate for Gabriel and his plans.
He’d removed his leather jacket and left it in the car, and released his wings so he could move noiselessly through his task. Floating over the concrete wall surrounding the property, Gabriel then slunk his way to the back patio door. He waved his hand over the lock, whispered a certain incantation, and it opened. He floated about an inch above the floor, making his way throughout the house and up the stairs to the clueless de LaGuardia asleep in his bed.
No kids, no wife, and no family to give a damn if they hadn’t heard from him in a while. He was a non-person. And Gabriel would make certain he remained that way.
Intentionally hitting his leg against the bedpost, he created a mattress earthquake of grand proportions.
“What the…” de LaGuardia sat straight up in his bed and scrambled for the light switch.
“Don’t bother with the light. You won't need it to see what’s here before you.” Gabriel saw a hand retract. Then he unsheathed his sword and floated above the confused man like a golden wraith.
“Wha… who the hell are you? What the hell are you doing in my house? You better stay the hell back or I’ll call the police.” The man’s voice trembled as if he were naked in a snowstorm.
“To answer your questions Marco, I am Gabriel, a Protector of the Good, an angel. I am here to make the rest of your pitiful life a living hell. Don't call the police, yet, because they will think you are totally insane. Ask me why, Marco. Ask me why they'll think you're insane.”
“Wh… why?”
“Because you’ll want to tell them that an angel broke into your house and hurt you. Now who in their right mind would believe such an insane story as that? Hmm?”<
br />
“Hurt me? Why are you gonna hurt me? I haven’t done anything to you. I don’t even know you. I’ll ask you again. What the hell are you?”
“I told you. My name is Gabriel. I’m an angel, here on behalf of the two young people you nearly beat to a pulp last night. You know the ones, Manny’s whores.”
With Gabriel’s luminous wings casting an eery bluish glow about the room, he saw awareness dawn on de LaGuardia’s face quickly followed by one of horror.
“I didn’t kill anyone, man. The girl, I paid fair and square for her. She put up a fuss and I just showed her how it was gonna be. The boy thought he could be Superman and save his little friend, so I showed him a thing or two as well. So what’s it to you?”
“Don’t move, prick.” Gabriel had noticed de La Guardia reaching towards his nightstand drawer. “It’s time I taught you a lesson on the ethical treatment of humans. I’m going to show you all the unethical ways to treat a human being and you tell me if it hurts, okay?” He waved his sword dangerously close to Marco's gut.
“What? Are you crazy? You ain’t gonna touch a hair on my bony butt. I’ve got a black belt in karate. I’ll kick your ass.” De LaGuardia eyed the sword carefully, leaned back and slid closer and closer to the edge of his bed. He looked about ready to pounce. And he did.
Gabriel grabbed de LaGuardia in mid-air with one hand and slammed him to the floor. He swung the sword around, allowing the hilt to connect with the side of Marco's face. Stepping back, Gabriel waited to see if he was going to get up. He heard a bit of moaning, so he knelt down and whispered in his ear.
“We’ve only just begun to come to an understanding, jerk-off. I’ve got so much more teaching to do. Are you ready for your lessons, shit-for-brains?”
A moan escaped de LaGuardia’s mouth.
“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’. Now, when I’m through with my lessons, you will have learned that what you have done is all sorts of bad and wrong. The consequence for your actions is that I will strip you of your sex drive, in a very unpleasant sort of way. Your penchant for violence will be stripped from you, in a very unpleasant sort of way. And you will always remember that an angel, a Protector, came to you and taught you these valuable lessons. Finally, you will be left with a constant, crazy urge to tell every person you come in contact with that you’ve been visited by an angel.”