Echo of an Earth Angel (The Earth Angel Trilogy: #1)

by Sarah M. Ross

  “So you’re saying the Zodiac killer was responsible for the deaths of his friends?”

  “Yes. David believed they were the first victims, sort of practice while Zodiac honed his skills. David deduced the Zodiac killer knew them or had some connection to them. Maybe was even a vet himself. Remember, ten of his friends were missing, but only four were found. David suspected one of them might have been involved, but didn’t know who.”

  “This is better than Law & Order,” Morgan chimed in, shoving a big pile of popcorn in her mouth.

  “You made popcorn Morg? Seriously? It’s barely noon and we just had breakfast.”

  “What? It’s a story. It’s a long story, and it’s the perfect snack. Please continue, Andre.”

  Andre shook his head but continued, “It took David several years of investigating to make some progress. He continued to help vets, but spent his nights finding everything he could to bring justice for his friends. And all the while, Zodiac kept killing. Finally, in 1970 he finally figured it out. The Zodiac killer wasn’t one person like everyone assumed. It was actually twelve people which makes total sense if you think of it. Twelve signs of the Zodiac? They were obsessed with the number twelve, and if one became a suspect, they’d have alibis for the other killings and be let go.”

  “That’s pretty brilliant,” Morgan gasped, sitting on the edge of her seat. “So who were they?”

  “They were a cult who called themselves ‘The Twelve Apostles’. They were a bunch of angry, crazed hippies who dropped too much acid and lost most of their sanity. They followed one leader, the police’s main suspect in the killings and the guy who sent all the letters to the newspaper. He convinced them these people needed to die to further their cause. No one was exactly sure what the cause was—or even if he had one. Because as calculating and ruthless as the guy was, he was also completely bonkers. A few of the vets who he thought were missing weren’t dead, but were members of this cult. Since he finally had something specific to search for, he was able to find out where they were staying.”

  Andre grabbed a handful of popcorn before Morgan finished it all before resuming his story. “It turned out to be an abandoned cheese factory from the 30s when a lot of California was still farms. When David arrived, all twelve of the men were in there. He snuck to an upper loft and listened to what they were planning. The leader talked about how their message wasn’t getting out fast enough, and while people were afraid, they weren’t changing their ways. So they needed a big event, something to ‘wake the world up’. They planned to go to different schools and kill all the kids inside. The leader called them ‘angelic sacrifices’. David needed to do something, but the men were getting ready to leave and he didn’t have enough time to call the police. He didn’t hear which schools they were planning on hitting, and without that neither he nor the police could look out for the kids.”

  Andre sighed and took another long drink. Tessa knew this was the part she was dreading, but she sympathized with the situation.

  “David couldn’t let the men leave. They had already killed so many people he had no doubt they’d go through with the horrible plan. Weapons were stockpiled: guns, grenades, knives, and what appeared to be some homemade bombs. He didn’t have long to decide, they were gathering up their weapons and saying their goodbyes. He did what he felt was right and prayed for forgiveness. He locked and chained all the doors from the outside so they wouldn’t escape. He was going to hold them until the police came, but they started to shoot their way out. They even threw a grenade out the window, but forgot to take the pin out. So David took it, pulled the pin, and tossed it back inside. He tried to throw it far enough to deter or injure the men, figuring he could heal them later. But the grenade fell right next to the homemade bombs. The whole building blew up. A raging inferno was sparked by the asbestos in the factory, the gun powder, and the pesticides used in the bombs. There were no survivors.”

  “Oh my God! That’s terrible.” All of Tessa’s doubts and fears that David was a monster washed away as tides of empathy rolled through her. To be put in such a situation, having to choose between saving countless children’s lives or the lives of those men must have been awful. She probably would’ve done the same in the situation and couldn’t blame him for the choice he’d made. “So that’s why he’s being hunted? I thought it was because he cut off his wings.”

  Andre shook his head no. “Right after the explosion, David sought council with God, begging for a face to face meeting where he could be forgiven. He said he’d rejoin the ranks of the Healers if God wanted. The Archangel Gabriel didn’t grant him the request. He said David would be forgiven, of course, but only after he served a penance. And afterward, his powers would be stripped from him. It was a crushing blow for David. For hundreds of years he’d been healing people and to be told he wouldn’t be allowed to any more was more than he could handle. So he ran. And the bounty was placed on him. It wasn’t a high bounty. God knew he’d come back on his own one day. David wasn’t malicious or evil, but every action has consequences even if your intentions are good.”

  “And by giving himself up for me, he knew he’d be stripped of his powers?” Tessa asked despondently.

  Andre nodded.

  “I can’t believe he’d do that for me. He shouldn’t have done that for me!”

  “Tessa, I’ve known David for a long time. When he told me about you, I’ve never seen him happier. Ever. I think if he had to choose again, he’d make the same choice every time. He loves you more than he loves healing.”

  Tessa wiped away the tears and was glad when Morgan gave her a little reassuring hug. She sat quiet for several minutes while she thought about everything Andre told her. She weighed several possibilities in her head and ran through several scenarios. The day passed as she sat there. Her body was still, but her mind raced. As she watched the sun set and the stars twinkle in the Heaven’s above, she came to a conclusion. She walked upstairs and into Morgan’s bedroom where they were lounging on her bed watching TV. Morgan was fast asleep, no doubt exhausted from all the activity while still trying to heal. Andre noticed Tessa in the doorway and gently slid Morgan’s head from his shoulder to a pillow before joining Tessa in the hallway.

  “What’s up, Tessa? We were starting to get worried about you.”

  “I can’t let him do this. He’s needed too much here, and there’s so much good he can still do. He can’t make this sacrifice for me. I have to find a way to make it right. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

  “Tessa, I don’t think you know what you’re asking. What it’ll mean for you if you do this,” Andre said, worry evident in his eyes.

  “Andre, I do know what it means for me. And I’m choosing it anyway.”

  Andre chased Tessa back down the stairs trying to talk her out of her decision, trying to make her see his rationale, but her mind was already made up. She walked through each room gathering personal items and shoving them into a backpack. Finally having enough, Andre spun her around and sat her butt in a chair in the formal living room.

  “Tessa, David didn’t want you to make a sacrifice for him or make yourself known in any way. If you do what I think you’re about to do, all of the suffering he’s endured will be in vain. I don’t think you comprehend the ramifications of this decision,” Andre pleaded with her.

  “I can’t stop his penance. I understand. But what I can do is make sure his abilities don’t get stripped.”

  “What exactly is your plan? To march up to Heaven and demand they let him keep his powers? He didn’t lose them because he turned you. He lost them because he killed twelve men. Nothing you say will change that.”

  “I’m going to do the only thing I can. The angels want to strip David’s powers as punishment. As much as I wish I could give David mine when he returns, as you’ve told me several times now, I can’t. So the Archangels can take mine in substitution. I’m going to go up to Heaven and to offer mine be stripped instead of David’s. That way a punishment is s
till served and everyone wins. I have no idea what I’m doing with them. And as you saw firsthand, Andre, I’ll end up doing more harm than good and get caught. The Archangels can take my powers, I’ll go back to being a normal girl, and David will continue helping people. It’s a win/win for everyone involved.”

  Andre blocked the doorway and wouldn’t let her pass. “Tessa, what you want to do is sweet, but this is not the way to fix the problem. There are events at play you can’t even begin to comprehend. There are problems bigger than David’s powers right now. You can go up there. If you do, it’ll put things in motion that neither David nor I can fix. Things in Heaven have been teetering for a while: hushed rumors and back alley talk—“

  “Heaven has back alleys?” Tessa smirked as she squeezed by him and headed into the kitchen.

  “You know what I mean, Tessa.” His tone was irritated, but the corners of his mouth fought off a smile, and Tessa knew he wasn’t mad. He got serious and continued before she could tease him again. “There are rumblings amongst the angels. Chatter saying there’s an unnatural that will throw off the balance. No one knows for sure who or what, but everyone’s on edge. If the balance is altered in any way, it will affect the whole world, not just you. Whatever this “unnatural” is, it’s only bad news. This is not the time to be running around and ruffling feathers. This could be dangerous for you and it’s a risk I’m not willing to take.”

  “But I am willing.”

  “If you do this, there’s no going back.”

  “I think you’re being a little dramatic. All I’m doing is righting a wrong. They don’t even know David turned me, so I’m sure nothing I do is going to have that big of an effect on the outcome of the world.” Tessa rolled her eyes and brushed passed him to go back to her room.

  “Tessa, listen to me. You can’t do this. Trust me when I say they do know about you. They know everything about everything, and there’s no hiding from them. Just because they haven’t taken action doesn’t mean you’re invisible. You need to keep a low profile so they don’t have reason to come for you. What you’re proposing is not staying off the radar.”

  “I’m sorry, Andre, my mind is made up.”

  Andre ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He thought his years of experience as a Guardian would help him get through to Tessa, but he underestimated how stubborn she could be when she sunk her teeth into an idea. He played the only card he had left. “I think you’re forgetting about one thing, Tessa.”

  “What’s that?” Tessa paused on the stairs, but was only half listening.

  “Do you really think they’re going to let him continue to be a rogue Healer after his penance is up? If your crazy scheme were to actually work, he’d be forced to rejoin the ranks and follow assignments. He wouldn’t get to stay here with you and heal people willy-nilly.”

  “Umm, well…” Tessa thought for a minute and snapped her fingers when she had something. “You told me he once said that he’d be happy to rejoin and begged God’s forgiveness. Maybe he won’t be upset about having to rejoin. And maybe they’ll give him an assignment nearby. Or I could go to college wherever he is assigned.”

  “The only reason he wanted to rejoin was because he was afraid God was going to smite him. Had those men not died, do you think he would have gone back and begged forgiveness?”

  “No, I guess not,” Tessa replied softly, hating that he was right. She didn’t want to accept what he was saying, but she knew it was the most logical answer. She was determined to make things right for David. Her daddy always told her justice may be blind, but she wasn’t deaf or stupid. And she was best friends with that fickle bitch Karma, who always got her way sooner or later. She may not have intentionally caused his situation, but she needed to make it right.

  Tessa turned to Andre and gave him a small hug. “Listen, Andre, I know you’re trying to protect me, and you think keeping me hidden is the best idea. That’s what I’ve done to myself for the last several months. I hid from the pain and from the grief; I was good at hiding. But it didn’t get me anywhere. Don’t you see? There is no hiding from this. I have to stop acting like a child and start taking responsibility for my actions. It’s the only way. I’d give anything to make all the problems I’ve either created or been forced to deal with go away, but I can’t. When you’re a little kid you hide under your blankets when you hear a bad noise and hope anything scary will just go away. I’m not a child anymore, and I need to come out from under my covers and face the monsters head on. It’s what my parents taught me, and it’s what would make David most proud of me. I’m sorry, I fully appreciate what you’re trying to do, but this is what I have to do.”

  Tessa dropped her arms and spun on her heal, bounding up the stairs for her room. After gathering a picture of her mom and dad, her iPhone, her grandmother’s quilt, and the best friend necklace Morgan gave her at sixth grade graduation, she was set. As she closed the zipper of her bag, Andre appeared in the doorway.

  “Andre, I don’t want to get you in trouble, so I’m going to go alone. Plus, I need you to stay and keep an eye on Morgan. She’s liable to go wild and crazy without me here to rein her in.” Tessa’s biggest regret would be not being able to see Morgan until all of this was settled, but she would understand. Still, Tessa sighed as she placed the book bag on her shoulders. “Plus, this isn’t forever. I’m just going to go and find out if they’ll accept my offer. You won’t even have time to miss me.”

  “There’s no way to talk you out of this, is there?” Andre asked resigned.

  “Nope. So make this a little easier and tell me what I have to do.”

  “First, you need to break this news to Morgan yourself. You’re not leaving me to do your dirty work. I honestly hope she can talk you out of it.”

  Tessa cringed thinking about Morgan’s face, all sad, puppy eyes that would fill her with guilt and eat at her for months. She couldn’t get around this though. As she walked into Morgan’s room and sat on the bed, she remembered all the different times she and her best friend shared throughout the years. While there were still holes and gaps, several powerful memories remained. Tessa smiled remembering Morgan’s protest of frog dissections as cruelty to animals in seventh grade and how she tried to be a vegetarian for a whole week to support her cause. She caved as soon as Tessa’s mom hit the entrance to Primanti Brothers. It was Morgan’s favorite, and she couldn’t resist their French fries and coleslaw topped Ruben sandwiches.

  Tessa sat next to her, and Morgan awoke and smiled. “You’re gonna leave me, aren’t you?”

  “It won’t be forever.”

  “It will still be too long. I almost lost you once. I can’t do it again.”

  “I won’t be able to live with myself if I don’t. It won’t be right to let someone suffer without at least trying to make it right.”

  “I know. Your parents would be so proud. Do you think you’ll see them up there?”

  “I never thought about that. I have no idea how it works. Andre?” Tessa turned to see him standing in the threshold.

  “No, you won’t see them.”

  Tessa deflated the balloon of hope she’d filled and felt empty inside. Even if it was just for a moment, the idea of seeing them again and filled her like nothing else since they died. Well, nothing besides David’s smile. Remembering her goal, she turned once more to Morgan.

  “Peas and Carrots chica.”

  “Thelma and Louise.” The girls wiped their tears and hugged briefly.

  “Hey, does that mean I get to be Brad Pitt?” Andre interjected.

  “No!” both girls replied at once, and fell into a fit of giggles.

  ***

  After a few minutes, they got serious. Morgan wrapped Tessa in a bear hug. “You better come back to me, girly. I can’t play both halves of this dynamic duo, and no one else understands my awesomeness like you do. Plus, I’m going to really miss you.”

  “Morg, if for no other reason, I promise to come back so your head doesn’t
explode from keeping in the awesomeness.” Tessa took a step backward before addressing both of them. “I’ll be back. Soon. But I have to do this.”

  “So when does this happen?” Morgan asked Andre as she fought back tears.

  “Whenever she’s ready. I’d rather her not do this at all, but there’s no talking her out of it.”

  Tessa let out a long, deep breath. “No time like the present. How do I do this exactly?”

  “You’re not a full angel. You don’t have wings like the rest of us so you can’t exactly fly up there, but there is another way. It’s a little unorthodox, so you gotta trust me.”Andre ran his hands over the back of his neck nervously and a drop of sweat trickled down.

  “You’re starting to scare me a bit, Andre, just spit it out.”

  “I’m going to need to kill you.”

  “You what?” Tessa’s eyes widened and Morgan stepped protectively closer to her.

  “I know it sounds crazy, but remember you can’t really die. You’re immortal. So all that will happen is you’ll end up at the pearly gates. You can’t do it yourself though. Suicides end up going to a special waiting room where they have to participate in a lot of therapy before moving to the gates. I promise to make it as quick as possible.”

  “This is seriously messed up. I must be delusional to even consider it.”

  “Well if you want to change your mind, I’m happy to pretend this conversation never happened.”

  “No, I need to do this. It’s just scary. How do I know this is going to work?”

  “Tessa, you just have to trust me on this. If you want to go without me, this is how it must be done.”

  Tessa paced the floor and ran her hands through her hair. Was this something she could do? She believed she was immortal, and she believed this would take her to Heaven so she could plead her case. She even believed she’d come back unharmed. But being able to sit back quietly while someone murdered her? Could she do that?