To Light Us, To Guard Us (The Angel War Book 1)

by Sean M O'Connell

  Dayne responded with a curt nod. He shifted his own weight to one side and braced himself with a boot against the inner side of the wheel well.

  “One.”

  “Two.”

  “Three!”

  They both heaved and pushed. Scott’s violent movement and the cramped space of the truck bed made their position awkward, but the doctor was able to snatch the back of Scott’s belt and pull his pants down just enough to jab the needle deep into his gluteus muscles and depress the plunger. The pasty anesthetic must have been powerful, because Aaron could immediately feel his friend’s muscles relax beneath the sodden cotton. Spasms slowed considerably, becoming sluggish and arrhythmic, like the movements of a dying trout. One large foot thumped absently against the bedliner three more times, and Scott’s beleaguered body finally came to complete rest.

  Aaron exhaled his relief, relaxing his own burning muscles and cradling the bigger man gently against his heaving chest. A gurney materialized, pushed by two more nurses. Aaron helped to maneuver Scott Fitzpatrick’s limp form onto it and then surrendered his friend to the professionals.

  He slumped on the tailgate as the crowd of nurses preceded the doctor through the hospital’s double entrance. The automatic doors remained wide as the motion sensors picked up the movements of several other wounded people and their caretakers.

  Aaron’s adrenaline rush subsided.

  His body began to feel the unintentional abuse it had taken from the larger man’s spasming corpus.

  Gotta check on Bluejean.

  He snorted some blood from his nose and walked around to the passenger door. Bob Marley drifted through the truck’s open window.

  Singing sweet songs.. Melodies pure and sure….

  Apparently his friend had finally settled on a station that he liked.

  “Okay Blue, the doctors are going to fix Scott up. Do you want to go find Allie?”

  Bluejean ignored him.

  Still observing the goings on around him, Aaron knocked on the truck door. “Hey, turn that down and talk to me.”

  His request was met with silence. That wasn’t normal. Bluejean always hung on every word that he or Scott ever spoke. Maybe the trauma of the day had affected him more than Dayne originally thought.

  He pulled the handle, simultaneously peering through the open window to see his friend slumped against the dashboard, mouth open and drooling, sleeping. He prodded impatiently.

  “Blue.”

  “Bluejean wake up.”

  Even as he said it, Aaron knew that the small man would not have fallen asleep at a time like this, especially with the noise and motion of the hospital surrounding them. He gently pulled his friend back against the seat by his narrow shoulders. Aaron leaned into the truck and listened to Bluejean’s chest, hearing the breaths come shallow and short.

  A quick pulse check revealed that his heart was fluttering slightly.

  No words could voice the amount of sorrowful worry that rose in Aaron Dayne’s chest as he unbuckled his miniscule friend and plucked the chubby body from the seat. Compared with the bulk of Scott, his small companion felt like a child.

  He was a child.

  Aaron loved Bluejean like a brother, friend, and son, all at once.

  His militarily trained mind shut off the possibility of losing him before it could even enter his consciousness.

  Please Lord, do not do this. Please. Please. Please.

  Boots clumping heavily on the pavement, Aaron trudged toward the emergency room with Bluejean Moss in his arms. Head and heart bartered and bargained with God and the world for the lives of his two friends.

  A sadness too profound for language or tears could be read on the grim lines of his face as he crossed the hospital threshold, out of the golden valley sunshine and into the harshly-lit madness of the over-burdened emergency room.

  Las Vegas, Nevada

  Hunter Valdez concluded his day early. Other than the morning’s meeting with Brown, where the two had discussed some rather interesting methods for securing certain permits that had trouble coming through, it had been an afternoon of annoying tedium. Signing papers, taking phone calls, meeting with the sub-contractors to ensure each individual project would be finished on time. He had been holed up in the office all day, only once even stepping out into the stifling Vegas heat to take in the view from the top.

  Hunter decided he would make one last phone call, to his preferred Madam in Henderson. There was time to partake of one, maybe two, of the talented young ladies before heading out onto the town for an elegant dinner.

  He would dine by himself.

  Depressing a subtle bump in the top of his desk, he paged Serena.

  “Ms. Dayne..”

  “Yes, Sir?”

  “Why don’t you take off early?”

  In the next room, Serena Dayne suppressed a wry smile that tugged at one corner of her mouth. Her boss’ tone was benevolent. In his mind, he was doing her a huge favor, sending her home “early” after a relatively short eleven hour day.

  She couldn’t -and didn’t- complain.

  He paid her well, and she was comfortable knowing that Danny was well taken care of while she worked.

  “I will sir, thank you.”

  “I’ll activate your account again for the weekend. Buy yourself a new wardrobe before the opening.”

  Serena rolled her eyes at this. Valdez was in a mood today.

  He had just offered her a virtually unlimited line of credit to purchase new clothing.

  The black account chip was built into her mobile phone, she had used it twice before, once to purchase some paintings for Valdez’s personal office, and again to finalize the purchase of a vehicle for the bodyguards to chauffer him around in. The bulletproof Aston Martin had totaled out at around half a million dollars. The paintings cost considerably more.

  Both times, the card had cleared without a hitch.

  No doubt the boss wanted her to purchase some more revealing clothes, something to accentuate the features valued by his important guests. He had extended a favor, understanding in his own mind that she would indulge him and pick out something risqué for once

  Serena was not the indulgent type.

  Still, she was happy to spend his money if he offered it. In fact, she was sure that she wasn’t the only one who could benefit from an unrestricted shopping spree at Burberry, Jimmy Choo, and Jared Gold.

  Laying on the surprised gratitude as thickly as possible, she chirped into her own end of the intercom.

  “Thank you again sir! I’m sure I’ll be able to find something nice.”

  The syrupy voice that came back was slightly distracted. Serena hoped not by some lewd mental image.

  “I have no doubt that you will surprise us all Ms. Dayne…. I trust in your taste.”

  Hunter Valdez didn’t really trust in her taste at all, but she would take advantage of the perks of her job anyway.

  It was a rare guilty pleasure for her. As a hardworking single mom, she rarely indulged in any personal luxury. She only bent the rules infrequently, and even then just enough to keep herself sane in the face of a stressful existence. This job had helped a lot, but she still wasn’t truly content. Besides being a mother, she’d yet to find her real purpose.

  Serena pushed these stirrings out of her mind for the time being.

  She was about to embark on a shopping spree! Of course it would be selfish to go alone.

  Serena once again dismounted from her stool and gathered herself, appraising her slender reflection in the elevator doors as she waited for it to hum its way up to her. Pulling her sleek phone out of a jacket pocket, she flicked it on and pressed two buttons, activating the speed dial to hail her newest friend, Dr. Peel.

  Serena had decided that the good veterinarian would be the other beneficiary of her employer’s misguided generosity today. The two could go shop for virtually anything they wanted, then get dolled up and go out on the town. Danny was off of her hands for at least a week, n
o doubt enjoying a ride with Grandpa and looking forward to the childish horseplay he would be spoiled with by his father, and his “uncles”. He would come back to her happy and exhausted, just like he always did. It would be nice to be able to go out and enjoy some conversation with an adult for once. Who knew? Maybe she and Dr. Peel would actually meet some men.

  Serena’s pretty mouth curled into a sarcastic grin at this thought as she click-clacked her way out of the office and into the elevator. It had been a long time since she’d bothered with men.

  A long time.

  The smooth and serious voice of Dr. Peel glided out of the earpiece on Serena’s phone.

  “Hello?”

  Serena couldn’t resist messing with her friend just a little.

  “Hello Dr. Peel, this is Alicia Chard from the Caribbean level, we are having some problems with the monkeys. They are stealing alcohol from behind the bars and getting drunk, I don’t think it’s healthy.”

  There was a pause as Peel no doubt pondered the validity of this call. But true to her unflappable form, she hardly missed a beat before responding.

  “I’m sure you know Ms. Chard, that there are not supposed to be any live monkeys on the Caribbean level yet. And the bars have not been stocked with alcohol anywhere in the hotel because we have far too many sticky-fingered construction crews working on expensive and dangerous equipment. Of course you know all of this, being Mr. Valdez’s personal secretary and girlfriend.”

  Serena was surprised and pleased that Dr. Peel had twisted her own little joke back on her. It was a rare and welcome display of the wit that was so endearing, and so guarded; from the other woman.

  “I guess I didn’t fool you at all. Dr. Smartass.”

  “Serena, your phone number and a picture of your son come up every time you call me.”

  Her serious voice was offset by a broken giggle.

  “So what can I do for you?”

  “Nothing actually. Tonight, I get to do something great for both of us. You Dr. Peel…”

  “You know I hate it when you call me that. It’s Haley.”

  “…You, Haley, are going to come with me for a night on the town… Courtesy of our mutual employer.”

  Serena waited for the excited scream or the sound of breaking glass as her friend digested the weight of such a loaded offer. Instead she got an awkward pause.

  “…Hello?” She offered tentatively.

  “Well, that sounds like a lot of fun. It really does, but…”

  Another pause.

  “I have plans.”

  Yet another loaded pause.

  “Sort of like a date.”

  The regret of having to turn down Serena’s offer and the excitement of the date prospect mixed to strain her voice in opposite directions on the other end of the phone line.

  Serena’s grin fell momentarily at the thought of a solo shopping trip, but returned even larger to light up the lonely elevator as she descended to the zoo level. She bubbled with excitement and jealousy as she waited for her friend to spill the beans on this tidbit of news.

  But again, true to form, Dr. Peel remained stoic and silent on her end of the line.

  Serena was only too happy to prod.

  “Alright Haley, who is he?”

  “Serena, I can see you coming down in the elevator, we don’t need to talk about this on the phone.”

  Indeed, Serena’s elevator car, with its transparent front, had passed into the artificial sky of the zoo level and was slowing to a stop on the savanna floor. Across the expansive space, Serena could see the muscular movements of several large species of exotic fauna.

  She stepped out of the elevator doors and kicked off her shoes. The cool floors felt good on her bare feet as she padded down the broad walkway toward the far corner of the floor, where Dr. Peel’s offices were.

  On the other side of the glass, a newly-imported pride of lions slumbered in the tall grass.

  One huge cat had its mammoth paw pressed against the Lexan, defiant and intimidating even in slumber. Serena slowed as she passed, turning back to stop and crouch in front of the glass. She reached out one of her own hands and pressed it against the partition in comparison.

  The sheer mass of the paw was astounding.

  Her own fingers looked weak and frail in comparison.

  At that moment the lioness stirred, lifting its head from the coarse bedding and arching its powerful neck to a point where it stared directly over its own body and straight at Serena. Green-gold eyes appraised her calmly, gazing back with sad arrogance.

  To Serena, it seemed that the cat was reading her mind. Its gaze penetrated into the back of her skull and made the peach fuzz on the back of her neck stand up. A sort of electricity passed between them, shocking Serena and causing her to pull her hand away from the glass.

  Her sudden movements roused another of the slumbering cats, and another. In a matter of seconds, the whole of the pride had awakened and was looking at her.

  She marveled at the beauty of the huge animals, and felt a thrill of excitement at their sudden attention. Their fluid movements seemed out of place because of the sheer size of each of them.

  The shaggy-headed male stood and stretched, last of his family to rise. A great deal larger than even the bulkiest of the females, his jaw unhinged in a yawn to reveal glistening canines. Serena was delighted to realize that she was close enough to get a good look at the sandpaper texture of the cat’s tongue. The mammoth bite slapped shut lazily and he licked his own whiskers.

  Amber eyes fixed on her where she stood. Serena’s mouth hung open in a surprised “oh”.

  The huge male looked at her in a way that no animal ever had before.

  On its feline face was an expression almost human. She couldn’t place it at first, but there was something different, a glint in the eyes that suggested intelligence, or intent?

  Realization came to her in an alarming flash.

  This lion was captured from the wild, not like the fattened and lazy cats she had seen at the zoo. This whole pride had been drugged and dragged here, instincts intact. The eyes burning below the fabulously unkempt mane saw her for the frail and tame human that she was.

  This lion wanted to eat her.

  The epiphany, real or imagined, was enough to get her moving again. She backed away from the glass, breaking her almost magnetic connection to the pride. Blonde hair wisped across her shoulders as she shook her head and laughed quietly at her own odd thoughts.

  Ridiculous.

  Bare toes flexed and carried her past several more heavy wild shapes, but after the moment with the lions, she decided to save close observation for another day.

  Finally, Serena reached the door to the veterinary offices.

  The barn-sized elephant door was inset with a heavy stainless portal of more conventional size. Serena stopped in front of the door and waited, knowing that her friend had watched her approach and would admit her shortly.

  Locks disengaged with a heavy chunk and the four-inch-thick door swung inward silently on perfectly lubricated hinges. Usually, Serena met her friend out on the main floor, and in fact this was only the second time that she had come back to the medical complex. The heavy locks and bullet proof door were a bit disconcerting.

  Haley must have read her mind.

  “Don’t mind the Fort Knox feel Serena. It’s just that we have some really valuable exotic animals, and you’d be surprised at what a junky would do for some of the industrial strength drugs we have for our larger family members.”

  Dr. Peel materialized gracefully from behind a bank of unused bird cages. Despite the hands-on nature of her dirty job, she always looked put-together. One of those women possessed of a sort of understated, down-home beauty that was unaffected by her clothing or environment.

  “Trust me honey,” Serena said with a wry smile “Nothing surprises me anymore, especially in this place.”

  The two shared a laugh and a tight hug. Serena appreciated the pragmatic aur
a that surrounded the vet. Her easy laugh and substantive smile were rare in the flashy world of Vegas.

  Haley reminded her of home.

  Still, she didn’t know the other woman as well as she might like. It would be fun to take the simple girl shopping for overpriced heels.

  “I saw that you met the new arrivals.”

  Realizing Haley meant the lions, Serena laughed at herself again.

  “Yeah. I think the big guy wanted to eat me!”

  This elicited a laugh from Dr. Peel

  “He probably did, they have been sedated on and off for a couple of days now, which hasn’t left them much time to eat. And they haven’t figured out how easy hunting will be for them with the glass walls keeping the prey animals from running very far.”

  “Isn’t that a little unfair?”

  “Of course it’s unfair! But then again, this is a casino. Fairness isn’t in the mission statement.”

  “I hope I’m never down here to see them kill anything.”

  “It’s a natural process Serena, the lions need to eat just like anybody else. What I’m not excited about is the spectacle that will no doubt be made of hunting times. I can’t imagine that most of the middle-aged rich men that will flood this place to watch are doing so in the interest of science.”

  “Well that gives me even more reason to avoid it.”

  Serena shuddered inwardly at the mental picture of leering faces reflecting off of the glass as several large cats buried their faces in the viscera of a felled zebra or Thompson’s gazelle.

  She decided it was time to change the subject.

  Her grin returned with a mischievous twist.

  “Alright, so who is this date supposed to be with?”

  Haley blushed slightly and looked at the floor, letting her hair fall around her face in a poor attempt to hide a grin.

  “Somebody new. This is actually a first date, so it’s no big deal.”

  “Oh really? Then you can blow him off and go shopping with me.”

  Clearly mortified at the idea of doing something so inconsiderate, Haley brought her face back up, looking at Serena as though she was insane for even posing the idea.