Swift of Spirit
Page 14
As the police escorted Sarah to their waiting vehicle, Watcher observed Jessica Hutchins pulling up with the kids. Sarah's mother jumped out of the car and ran to her daughter. A uniformed officer stepped in her path to hold her back. "What happened?" she demanded.
"Mom," Sarah said, breaking her trance after hearing her mother's rattled tone. Then, "they're both dead, mom."
"Who is dead?" Jessica's voice cracked with emotion.
"Dad," Sarah answered calmly. "And the demon."
Jessica's knees buckled as she fell to the ground, hands covering her face sobbing uncontrollably. Back by her car, barely within earshot, little Jenny began crying as she hugged her brother. Hunter just had a shocked look on his face after hearing the news. Promptly, all three were surrounded by uniformed officers eager to get their statements. The two detectives drove off with Sarah locked in the back seat. Of course, she had been allowed to put on some clothes. And thankfully she had not been handcuffed. Nonetheless, being placed in the back of the unmarked cop car sent enough of a statement.
No one would be allowed to enter the home anytime soon, except for the police and a few privileged people. Invisible, Watcher took the opportunity to view every inch of the place for clues as to how things had gone down. He believed the detectives were mostly correct with their assumptions. He remembered the scene when Swift had left Watcher, after helping him fight off the first set of demons. Colton was dead and Char was on top of the girl. So, no doubt the demon tried to rape Sarah. Colton came to her rescue. Char killed Colton. Then Swift killed Char. Apparently, Swift was quite emotionally charged to have carved up the villain’s fleshly body so gruesomely.
The question remained, where was Swift? He had been given permission to protect Sarah. In this situation that meant killing Char, even though the vile entity had transitioned into a man. Char was a demon, categorically. So, Swift had not taken an actual human life. Watcher did not expect the punishment for such an offense to be severe, if any. However, Hover has yet to see Swift since the battle. Perhaps Swift was confused, traumatized. His emotional state was becoming unstable of late. This massacre surely pushed him over the edge.
After the police questioned Sarah, they placed her in a comfortable holding cell and she promptly fell asleep. Poor girl, Watcher thought. She had been through a devastating nightmare. He conceded that she was incredibly lucky to have Swift for a devoted friend. Watcher had gradually developed a high level of respect for his angelic coworker during this assignment. Though Swift was not very reliable at following orders, he had as good of a heart as any sprit creature he had ever known. It was almost an injustice that Swift had been created an angel instead of a man. He would have fit right in with the sentimental terrestrial beings.
After Sarah eventually woke up they brought her some food and allowed her a little peace before another round of questioning would begin. Watcher learned from eavesdropping on the police that only Sarah's and Colton's fingerprints were found on the murder weapons. They were considering the possibility that she killed her own father. Things were going to get rough for this unfortunate teenage girl. Where the hell was Swift? She needed him now more than ever.
"Sarah," Watcher whispered to the girl as she ate. "The police are watching, so don't make it obvious that you are talking to me right now. They'll think that I'm a voice in your head. That will make you look mentally unstable in this murder investigation."
"I am mentally unstable," Sarah replied quietly while chewing. "And emotionally, too. Where is Swift? Was he punished?"
"No, not to my knowledge. Hover has not seen him since the fight. And I can't find him anywhere."
"Where were you guys when Char killed my father?"
"Swift and I were attacked by a band demons at that time, no doubt to prevent us from coming to your aid. I am dreadfully sorry about your father. He was, from my point of view, a good man. What was the last thing Swift said to you before he left?"
Sarah thought back. It was a cloudy memory, though some things were clear. "I remember him holding me in his arms, and kissing me. He said he loved me. Then I fell asleep. I didn't know that he left."
"What do you mean that he held you in his arms?" Watcher asked in confusion. "Is this a figurative expression?"
"No, Watcher. He had arms. He had a whole body. He was human when he killed Char. And when he carried me to my bed and kissed me. Is that why he hasn't come to me since? Cannot he not go back to spirit form now?"
Watcher's heart sank. Swift had become his only real friend. He had not realized that he needed a friend before. He assumed that was because he had no concept of what he had been missing all along. Heartbreakingly, Swift could not be his friend anymore. He would be labeled a demon, once Hover found out. Depending on how weakened he was by the physical fight with Char it was possible that he decided not to return to spirit form, just like Colton Hutchins had decided, less than twenty years before. Watcher descended into self-pity for the first time in his life. He would miss Swift immensely. To be completely honest, he would miss Sarah, too. It was anticipated that he would no longer be assigned to her after how poorly the job concluded. If he was to remain, it would be strictly for observation. Another, less caring angel would take Swift's place as communicator, if anything.
"Watcher? Are you still there?"
"Yes, Sarah?"
"Char said some things when he was trying to rape me. Do you know if he had ever raped my mother? He compared me, and my body, to my mother's. Do you know?"
Watcher hesitated, but could not bring himself to hide the repulsive truth from Sarah. "Yes. Char had sexual relations with your mother. Approximately nine months before you were born."