ARCHANGEL

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  “I see you enjoy watching the seals, my love,” Angelina commented.

  “I do indeed. This is my first time seeing anything like them. They remind me of the chattering monkeys Raph showed me once long ago.”

  “Sea going monkeys, huh? It does kind of fit.”

  “They are noisy.” Raphael looked down from the skyline. “I would think their racket would upset your peace seeking endeavor, my brother.”

  Abaddon shook his head in the negative, still watching the cavorting seals while sipping his coffee. “This is peace, Raph.”

  “We certainly have drawn a lot of attention since Ange parked the Hummer in the Pier 39 parking lot,” Catherine commented.

  “Not as much as I thought,” Angelina said. “We could walk through this town naked with things sticking out of every orifice and not draw a second glance, but wear something in any way connected with God and all of San Francisco is gawking.”

  “We will always be an oddity, Sister Angelina.” Raphael shrugged his shoulders dismissively. “As Abaddon said, this is peace.”

  “Hey, we didn’t get a message on the Hummer heavenly line,” Angelina pointed out. “That in itself was a nice break. If not for Pointdexter ragging on our ride, this little jaunt would have been as near perfect as we’ve had.”

  “Do you think it would be wise to stay another day here, Raph?” Catherine asked.

  “I don’t see why not. Another night without demon and cult attacks would be welcome, although Abaddon will probably feel like going out with a cape on to seek out evil doers.”

  “Boy, that could be a lifetime of work in this town,” Angelina retorted.

  “A cape?” Abaddon smiled. “Oh yes - the caped crusader - the Batman. He is the one with the pointy ears, right Raph?”

  “Yes, and you would make a great Batman.”

  “I have no bats though.”

  “He doesn’t either, except in his secret underground cave,” Raphael explained. “You would look very formidable outfitted as Batman.”

  “I look very formidable as the Archangel of the Abyss,” Abaddon countered, drawing laughter from the other three. “I saw you talking to Ahmed, Raph. How is everything with him?”

  “Splendid. Everything is changing around his little café. The ripples spiraling outward from our visit have worked wonders in the area. Our enterprising friend has already made a small fortune since he dropped us off at the airport. He has internationalized our account. We have authorization to link any bank here in the States with our main account.”

  “It will be nice not to have money worries while we work,” Catherine said. “Sometimes, it seemed in the past as if all we did was beg for money.”

  “Your church relies on donations. Such money making endeavors must be extremely tiring.”

  “I knew if we wanted to help people we needed to raise money, Raph. The problem is how little filters down into the places where it is needed the most. Father Joseph used his life savings to take us to the Holy Land. He was in a crisis of faith and felt he needed to confront evil in reality.”

  “He was a very brave man,” Angelina added.

  “Humans find it very difficult to have faith. When they find it, it takes very little to lose it,” Abaddon observed. “With all the wonders around them is it really so easy for people to ignore the hand of God?”

  “Sister Angelina and I had a very difficult time counseling our older friends who were near the end of their journey,” Catherine answered. “Some were joyous with little fear of death. Others who had believed fervently all their lives, suddenly clung to life tenaciously. Even sick and miserable with pain they feared death more with each passing moment.”

  “We mostly listened, and tried to reconcile them with the bible,” Angelina added. “They did take comfort in our readings but would get extremely upset if we offered anything of a personal comparison.”

  “That would really set them off. ‘You two are just babies’, they’d say. ‘It’s really easy to be all brave and reverent when you have your whole lives ahead of you’. I think I agreed to go along with Father Joseph mainly because the older folks’ doubts were beginning to creep into me.”

  “Really, Ange?” Catherine asked. “You never said anything about having doubts.”

  “I just wanted to do more. We did do a lot of good with the older folks, and they were perkier if they had something to do like get involved in politics. Sometimes it’s not easy seeing God’s hand here on earth. Every day new atrocities are committed and very little good ever gets reported.”

  “That’s what we’re here for.” Raphael patted Angelina’s shoulder. “Perhaps before we are done we will make it a bit easier for people to keep their faith in spite of tragedy.”

  “Maybe we should get going today,” Angelina suggested. “We can check out of the hotel and be on our way up into the mountains this afternoon.”

  “I will be unable to employ my new caped crusader identity if we leave now, my love,” Abaddon reminded her.

  “We’ll find another outlet for you on the way,” Angelina promised, taking Abaddon’s hand. “I bet you’ll like the mountains. On the way up there I’m sure we can find you a few evil doers to toast.”

  * * *

  After checking out of the Mark Hopkins Hotel they said goodbye to the hotel workers they had met. Abaddon loaded what little they had to take in the cargo area while the others seated themselves in the Hummer. Angelina started the Hummer’s engine. Its dashboard GPS screen flickered on with a sudden cascade of maps and staccato vocal bursts heralding a final screen illustrating distinct directions. Angelina looked back in wonder at Raphael. He nodded his acknowledgement as Catherine grasped Raphael’s hand, excitement racing through her.

  “Was I directed, Raph?” Angelina asked in a hushed voice.

  “You have free will, Ange. Did you hear a voice ordering us into the Hummer and out of town?”

  “No, but I did have a number of options flash through my head before I said anything.” Angelina looked closely at the GPS screen. “Wow, the Venetian in Las Vegas. I guess we’ll be doing a little driving today. Ever do any gambling, Raph?”

  When Angelina glanced at Raphael after waiting a moment for him to respond, Raphael seemed agitated. Catherine traded questioning looks with Angelina. Catherine’s features took on as close to a mischievous expression as Angelina had ever seen on her face. Catherine bumped her shoulder into Raphael.

  “Raphy, what have you done?” Catherine asked in an appropriately authoritarian manner, eliciting a giggle from Angelina as Raphael leaned back in his seat without speaking.

  “Brother Raphael,” Abaddon finally said, unsure of what this new direction in the conversation meant. “What is this gambling Sister Mary Catherine speaks of? It is not the same as when the Romans gambled for the clothing of Jesus before the cross, is it?”

  “Of course not.” Raphael’s voice left little doubt the subject bothered him. “I…”

  “It is the exact same thing, you rascal,” Catherine interrupted, seeing even Abaddon smiling and looking at his brother with interest. “Gambling over the Lord Jesus’ clothing or a blackjack hand - what’s really any different?”

  “I find this sudden inquisitive nature of yours rather annoying, Sister Mary Catherine,” Raphael’s short tempered answer caused an even more perplexed expression to flash over Abaddon’s face.

  “C’mon, Raph, it’s just us,” Angelina urged. “Don’t listen to Sister Spewy. We need to know the truth of whatever sinful bouts with gambling you’ve had in the past. We’re a team, remember?”

  “I may have tossed the dice a little too much the time I went after Asmodeous,” Raphael admitted with a quick shrug of his shoulders, denoting it had been no big deal.

  “How much too much?” Catherine quickly followed up.

  “I don’t know… maybe a couple years,” Raphael muttered. “It was no…”

  “Two years on a gambling binge!” Catherine repeated with fervor. “Was
it a winning streak?”

  “Not exactly,” Raphael answered reluctantly after a moment’s silence in which Catherine nudged him again. “Why are you so intrigued with this, Cat?”

  “She’s just trying to regain her balance with you after heaving all over your shoes.” Angelina quickly ducked away from Catherine’s slap toward her head. “What’s the big deal? So you lost some money playing dice. Don’t waste a moment thinking about something that small, Raph.”

  “How much did you lose, my brother?” Abaddon pursued the questioning.

  “I cleared the immediate area of precious stones for a thousand years.” Raphael grinned. “The Lord sent Gabriel down to ask what was detaining me. He found me rolling dice like a common street urchin in some dark alley of Jerusalem. It was very embarrassing. Naturally, his touch restored what little sanity I had left and I returned with him. Hornblower spread the news of my weak moment all over Heaven.”

  “Fear not,” Abaddon stated solemnly, covering Raphael’s hand with his own for a moment. “I will protect you from this heinous temptation.”

  “Thank you Abaddon, I feel much safer now.” Raphael noted the two nuns exchanged brief smug looks at his expense.

  Angelina straightened in her seat. She hit the audio GPS and received the first audible direction for their journey.

  “Oh… we’re… off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz,” Angelina chanted melodically, inspiring Catherine to join in on the familiar chorus from Over The Rainbow.

  Abaddon could see Raphael took the kidding in stride but he also saw worry on his brother’s face.

  “Raph, this Las Vegas place has you upset. Is there something more here than your affinity to gambling?”

  “You have not seen this Las Vegas gambling Mecca, Abaddon. I was mightily tempted to visit Earth without the Lord’s directive simply to wander through the place. I can’t explain the fascination I have for gambling. Humans have evolved what was a simple vice into something hideously addictive.”

  “I will evacuate the city of Las Vegas and blast it from the face of the Earth for you Raph.”

  “What… no… I…” Raphael looked up quickly at Abaddon with some panic. He relaxed when Catherine and Angelina laughed. “You are becoming most witty, Abaddon.”

  “I got you so good that time, Raph.” Abaddon sighed with satisfaction. “I must sample this innocent seeming vice which can even corrupt the Lord’s Archangel.”

  “Perhaps it would be wiser to simply complete our new mission there. We can then leave before I descend into darkness and lose my wings,” Raphael suggested only half jokingly, causing more laughter amongst his companions.

  Chapter 18

  Baker

  Angelina changed her attire from Nun’s habit to dark blue halter top and black shorts, eliciting a quick gasp of disapproval from Catherine. Angelina glanced back at Catherine with a challenging look. Instead of criticizing Angelina, Catherine changed her clothing to a pale blue sun dress. Abaddon looked approvingly across at Angelina.

  “You are very good at changing costumes.” Abaddon turned to Catherine. “It seems your corrupting influence on Sister Mary Catherine nears completion.”

  Angelina laughed at Abaddon’s comment while Catherine watched for any sign of humor from Raphael. Raphael simply sat tight lipped until Catherine looked away.

  “You look very nice, Cat,” Raphael said finally, making a clothing change to blue jeans, and a white tee-shirt. “This rather drab scenery calls out for more casual clothing.”

  Abaddon aped Raphael’s choice in clothing. He decided on a black tee-shirt. Raphael grinned at Abaddon when the Archangel of the Abyss turned toward him.

  “I see your sense of humor shooting out in all manner of new directions, my brother.”

  Abaddon nodded happily, returning his attention to the rather bleak desert roadside on Route 15. “How long will we be in this desert area?”

  “A long time, my love,” Angelina answered. “We just passed Barstow. It’s pretty much desert from here all the way to Vegas. These little towns on the way to Vegas get real hot too. Even with the air conditioning on in here it looks so hot outside I felt like putting on my shorts.”

  “If we had traveled to the mountains you would have seen snow still on the mountaintops and even at some of the lower elevations,” Catherine added. “It’s only the middle of May but down here in the desert they get temperatures in the hundreds regularly.”

  “I would enjoy seeing the snow,” Abaddon replied. “Perhaps when we continue on to our mountain base the snow will…”

  The GPS screen suddenly projected the word Baker, over and over again. Angelina glanced at it while trying to think of something witty to say about the new revelation. One look at Abaddon’s suddenly scowling face and Angelina sat up straighter. She pulled off the road but kept the engine running. Raphael’s equally serious countenance emphasized the sudden change in the Archangels’ manner.

  “We have serious work to do before Las Vegas,” Raphael stated.

  “It felt like the point of a sword had pierced my chest.” Abaddon stared at the still blinking screen. “We must proceed cautiously from here on. Where is this place called Baker?”

  Angelina pushed the activation button on the GPS, causing the screen to change to a map with Baker as their destination.

  “It’s only fifteen minutes away,” Angelina noted. “We go right through it on the way to Las Vegas. Baker’s the last big stop before the Nevada border.”

  “I’m hungry,” Catherine announced. “We can stop for something to eat there and see what happens.”

  “You just ate in Bakersfield. Do you have a tape worm or something? Pretty soon Raphael will have to give you a little more material to work into your costume changes.”

  “You weigh more than I do, Pudge,” Catherine fired back. “Is that a beer belly hanging over your waistband?”

  “Huh?!” Angelina patted her waist before realizing Catherine had zapped her. “Okay, Spewy, that’s one for you.”

  The return to the now familiar bantering between Catherine and Angelina brought smiles back to the Archangels’ faces.

  “It seems our formidable companions have little fear for what lies ahead, Abaddon,” Raphael remarked.

  “Bring it on,” Angelina stated confidently, moving the Hummer onto the road again expertly.

  Abaddon stroked the side of Angelina’s face. “You don’t really have a beer belly, my love.”

  “I know that! I… you bugger! You zinged me and you incorporated Spewy’s pitiful attempt at humor secondhand.”

  “Abaddon was merely trying to make you feel better about yourself, Pudge,” Catherine immediately added.

  “Raph, say something wise.” Angelina waved her hand in a dismissive fashion toward Catherine before letting it rest on Abaddon’s thigh.

  “Ah… you really don’t have a beer belly?” Raphael employed a helpful lilt to his voice.

  “That was very wise,” Angelina acknowledged as the others laughed, “but not quite what I had in mind. I guess there ain’t any reason to dwell on the danger since it will be waiting for us whether we talk about it or not.”

  “Very true, Ange,” Raphael replied. “I know one thing: this will not be a human waiting in Baker.”

  “Is this feeling so different from when we faced the other demons?” Catherine asked.

  “Something beyond evil,” Abaddon mumbled absently, as he stared through his window at the passing desert landscape. “Perversion, rather than power, seared my senses when the screen flashed the name.”

  “Hell on earth,” Raphael added, “and victims innocent of any evil or worshiping of Lucifer.”

  “All this from the word Baker flashing on the screen?” Catherine asked with concern.

  “Some things just need killin’,” Angelina said.

  “Indeed,” Raphael added solemnly.

  Nearly twenty minutes later, Angelina laughed, drawing her three companions’ attention t
o what lay ahead. A huge sign denoting the world’s largest thermometer, with a welcome to Baker, CA indicated they had arrived at their destination. The dusty exit 246 carried them along toward the town with Angelina slowing the Hummer down as they reached the nearly empty main road named appropriately - Baker Blvd.