“You…you zapped me!” Angelina complained in surprise. Catherine laughed uproariously, pointing at Angelina.
“You zapped me first. Perhaps not everything will spill out of your mouth without thought in the future.”
“Small doubt about that,” Angelina declared ruefully, giving the still laughing Catherine a slap to the back of her head as she sat down gingerly. “Does this mean no more Mutant Ninja Turtle jokes too?”
“I don’t know. Why don’t you try one and find out?”
“I think not.” Angelina made a face at Raphael.
“You have chosen… wisely,” Raphael stated. “Finish your meal. We’ll go down to the casino and test my will power out.”
Chapter 31
Roll of the Dice
“How much are you down, Raph?” Angelina asked, standing at Raphael’s left side. “You haven’t been doing too badly.”
“I’ve been keeping track,” Catherine answered for him from his right side. “He’s only forty-five dollars in the hole and we’ve been playing almost two hours.”
“If we could get him to pass up his chance to throw the dice we’d be a few hundred ahead,” Angelina complained. “Every time Raph touches the dice it’s craps city.”
“Hello, I can hear you.” Raphael smiled down at Angelina as a balding middle-aged man on Catherine’s right threw a four on his first throw. “I’m getting a little better. I didn’t crap out until my fourth throw last time around. Besides, I still don’t have this complicated betting figured out on different combinations.”
“Take my advice - stick to the pass or don’t pass,” Angelina advised.
“What fun is that?” Raphael placed two five dollar chips down on the come line. “I’ve mellowed out in the last couple thousand years. Like Cat said, I’m down less than fifty dollars.”
“You’ve managed to make a few bucks for the others at the table,” Angelina observed. “When you get the dice you’re the only one at the table betting you’ll make your point. Take a hint. When you insist on throwing the dice bet the don’t pass line.”
“I’ll make a note.” Raphael won as the balding man pitching the dice made his point. “See, I’m getting the hang of this.”
“The man throwing the dice has been averaging at least three passes when he gets the dice,” Angelina replied. “Betting on him makes sense. On the other hand, you haven’t hit yet. Logic dictates…”
“This is about my zapping you earlier, isn’t it?” Raphael interrupted, clasping a big hand around the back of Angelina’s neck.
“Don’t even think about giving me the Vulcan neck pinch, Raph.” Angelina hunched her shoulders comically. “Back me up, Cat.”
“Muffy is right this time, Raph.” Catherine patted Raphael’s arm as he moved his winnings to the pass line and let his bet ride on the next throw by the balding man. “The good part about gambling in a casino instead of a dark alley is you can even bet on your own bad luck.”
The balding man threw an eleven. Catherine pulled in Raphael’s winnings.
“You’re not helping, Sister Mary Catherine. I feel a change coming in my luck.”
“That’s what all the losers say,” Angelina muttered, making a hand sign for the letter L for Catherine to see, alternating between the L and pointing to Raphael with her index finger.
“You obviously don’t believe I’d zap you right here by the dice table.” Raphael leaned down toward Angelina, flexing his own index finger. His action caused Angelina to immediately drop her hands to her sides, much to Catherine’s amusement.
The players around the dice table enjoyed the flowing remarks between the huge Archangel and his two beautiful companions. Even the croupier smiled during the last exchange, ending with Angelina’s hurried movement of her hands to her sides. The balding man took the dice from the croupier. With a smile, he passed them to Raphael.
“I have a good feeling about your luck, big guy,” the balding man said, placing a hundred dollar chip on the pass line.
“Thank you.” Raphael accepted the dice with a happy grin. He turned toward Angelina. “Want to blow on the dice, Ange?”
“I don’t think so, rube.” Angelina backed away with her hands up and palms out in Raphael’s direction. “I’m not giving you any excuse when you crap out again.”
“How about you, Cat?”
“Sure thing,” Catherine agreed, cupping Raphael’s open hand holding the dice. She blew gently on the cubes.
Raphael threw the dice as people made final wagers on the board. The dice made small clickety-clack sounds as they skipped across the last quarter of the table and rebounded from the table enclosure. They came to rest with one showing five dots and the other two. The balding man let out a little cheer along with a few other players backing Raphael’s throw. Angelina looked down at the table and started laughing.
“You didn’t bet, you big guppy.” Angelina pointed at the table in front of them. “That’s probably why you hit.”
The balding man laughed at Angelina’s remark, holding up his hand for a high five with Catherine. She started to raise her hand to complete the small victory gesture. Instead, the very air around them turned grainy. Blackish ribbons of shadow floated eerily around the now frozen human inhabitants of the casino. All sound ceased. The eerie silence deafened in its totality.
“My brother is back.” Raphael joined hands with Angelina and Catherine.
Abaddon’s figure shimmered into view, hovering above the casino, his entire outline opaque as if a black hole had formed within the Archangel of the Abyss. Abaddon moved slowly toward his companions, drifting down into the casino to stand nearly twenty feet away from the dice table where his friends stood. Angelina and Catherine immediately started toward Abaddon, only to run into an invisible shield Raphael had hastily enveloped them in. The nuns looked back at Raphael in surprise.
“What’s up, Raph?” Angelina asked. “Let us go to him.”
“You cannot. The Abyss clings to him like a second skin. Both of you would be vaporized if you touch him now. Even I could not withstand his grasp. The power emanating from him is frightening.”
“We can help,” Catherine urged, gripping Raphael’s arm. “Please, Raph, let us try.”
“You must wait, Sister Mary Catherine. Abaddon must regain control of his form without your assistance. The last thing he would want is for either of you to be hurt or killed by the aura of the Abyss surrounding him. Think what kind of power Abaddon wields that can halt reality at his appearance. It is beyond comprehension.”
“But we aren’t frozen.” Angelina turned to look longingly at Abaddon’s form. “Maybe the reason he appeared this way was so we could help him. Can you sense his thoughts?”
“Not in his present state. Be patient. He only became visible moments ago. We will help him if he needs it, but only when it can be done safely. Please trust me in this. No one wants to go to him more than I.”
Catherine fell to her knees, her hands clasped in prayer and her head bowed. Angelina slipped down at her side. Raphael watched the motionless Abaddon struggling silently to materialize without reigning destruction on all around him. After what seemed like hours Abaddon’s form attained more clarity and color, almost as an old Polaroid Land Camera’s instant film slides would gradually develop into a color picture from a negative.
Abaddon spread out his arms, his black wings spreading majestically behind him. Clenching his fists, Abaddon tilted his face to the heavens, the soul scars throbbing and glowing on his face. Muscles and tendons writhed under his skin with the power running through Abaddon like a tidal wave. Catherine and Angelina stared fearfully at Abaddon’s gradual transformation, staggered by the strain on his face as he overcame the Abyss moment by moment with an iron will. The shadowy wisps of blackness began to fade as Abaddon lowered his arms. He looked over at his companions. Closing his eyes momentarily, he reasserted his human demeanor along with the dark three piece suit he had worn in the past. Reality phased into v
iew at the speed and sound of a locomotive steam engine roaring from a standing stop to full throttle movement: slow, noisy, and powerful.
Angelina and Catherine momentarily clapped their hands over their ears. The sound of reality rolled cacophonously into being around them, nearly driving them again to their knees. Raphael glanced back at the dice table where the croupier and players were drifted into real time slowly, their movements very gradually picking up speed. Abaddon hesitantly flexed his fingers as he walked to the dice table. He dispersed the shield Raphael had neglected to remove with a wave of his hand.
“Expecting the devil, Raph?” Abaddon asked innocently. He enfolded Catherine and Angelina in his arms.
“I’m on a roll, brother, and you’re interrupting it.” Raphael gestured happily at the dice table. “It is good to see you.”
“Don’t listen to him, baby.” Angelina rested her head against Abaddon’s chest with a sigh. “His idea of being on a roll is one in a row.”
“We were worried.” Catherine peered into Abaddon’s face intently.
“So was I.” Abaddon stroked his hand up and down Catherine’s back gently.
“Sir? Sir?” The croupier called out to Raphael, pushing the dice toward the Archangel. “Do you wish to continue?”
“Ah…yes, of course.” Raphael picked up the dice with one hand while pushing a pile of four five dollar chips to the pass line. He held the dice up in front of Catherine. “Do your magic, Cat.”
Catherine laughed and cupped Raphael’s hand as before, blowing softly on the dice which Raphael then threw. The cubes rebounded off the enclosure at the far end of the table, coming to rest with one dot showing on each. The balding man gave out a yelp of delight, pointing at the bet he had made on just that outcome. Raphael looked down to notice he had been the only one again to bet on the pass line. He looked up questioningly at the balding man as Angelina laughed, flashing an L sign again while blocking Raphael’s line of sight with the palm of her other hand.
“You abandoned me, Sir? I thought you believed my luck was changing.”
“Sorry, big guy,” the man replied with a shrug of his shoulders as he raked in his winnings. “Business is business.”
“It is still your turn if you wish, Sir.” The croupier pushed the dice toward Raphael once again.
“I think I’ll pass.” Raphael collected his remaining chips and gave his fellow players a little wave. “Maybe I’ll be back later when my luck changes.”
“Oh, you’re so cute, sweetie.” Angelina reached up to pinch Raphael’s cheek. “You just keep believing in your soon to come winning streak.”
“Let’s go find a bar we can exchange stories with Abaddon in,” Raphael suggested, leading the others away from the dice table. “I’m sure his tales of the Abyss will be more exciting than my battle against Angelina’s attempts to disparage my dice throwing abilities.”
“You didn’t need my help with that.” Angelina moved in front of Raphael and took his hand. “C’mon, I know where we can get a drink in a nice spot. We passed it getting over here.”
“The La Scena, Ange?” Catherine took up a position between Raphael and Abaddon as they worked their way through the jostling crowd single file.
“Yep, that’s the one,” Angelina called back over her shoulder. “No Long Island Iced Teas either, Spewy.”
“Bite me, Muffy. I deserve an LT. I bet Abaddon would like one.”
“I believe I would like a Bushmill’s and dark beer,” Abaddon said just loudly enough for his friends to hear him as they walked through the boisterous crowd.
“Now you’re talkin’,” Angelina called back. “That’ll wipe the taste of the Abyss out of your mouth. I believe I will have the same.”
“Copy cat,” Catherine muttered.
“Wow, this is really nice,” Raphael commented after they were all seated and had ordered their drinks. “It’s crowded but the noise level is still pretty low anyhow.”
The waitress delivered their drinks, smiling broadly at Abaddon, brushing into him as she put his order on the table. Her name tag read Darla. She was sultry with long blonde hair pulled sharply back from her face. She wore a low cut, mid thigh black cocktail dress. Fortunately for Darla, she had served Abaddon last. The moment she leaned against him, she pitched backward in shock, dropping her tray. Abaddon caught her before she fell to the floor. Angelina quickly scooped up the tray and money Darla had been holding.
“Be at ease,” Abaddon whispered gently as he willed his touch to soothe.
“I…I’m sorry,” Darla stammered, taking her tray and money from Angelina. “I don’t know what happened.”
“Perhaps you should take this as a hint not to drape yourself all over the customers,” Catherine inserted stingingly. “Are you okay?”
“Yes… I think so.” Darla turned away slowly, glancing back at Abaddon with her lips still parted in a confused half smile.
“You certainly made an impression on her, my brother,” Raphael commented, taking a sip of the Long Island Iced Tea he had ordered.
“Residue.”
“We hugged you,” Catherine said. “Why didn’t Angelina and I have the same reaction?”
“You and Angelina have experienced more in the last few days and before that during your imprisonment than the young waitress will experience in her lifetime. You both have been in contact with me when I have allowed the Abyss to inadvertently overwhelm my consciousness for a moment.”
The four companions sipped their respective drinks in contemplative silence until Angelina gestured impatiently at Abaddon with her hands.
“Well, what happened?”
“You will have to be more specific.”
“Were you able to find out how these demons could be accessing the Abyss?” Raphael asked for Angelina. “The Clintons knew very little about the parasites using their bodies all these years. They did confirm one of our worst fears: these demons can body hop.”
“I found out very little, Raph, and I did try,” Abaddon admitted. “I could feel they had definitely accessed the dark power of the Abyss but they had no concept of the Abyss. Their sanity did not last long enough for me to extract any information from them. By the time our battle was over the Abyss had obliterated their senses. I was unable to get any response out of them.”
Abaddon drained his beer. He attracted Darla’s attention as she waited on a table near them, holding up his empty beer glass. Darla nodded and went directly to the bar. Abaddon took another sip of the Bushmill’s. He remained silent, looking down at the surface of their table. Rafael eyed Abaddon expectantly, but his brother continued sipping Bushmill’s quietly. Darla delivered Abaddon’s beer. She picked up his empty glass without touching the Archangel. Abaddon smiled his thanks as Darla placed the receipt for their amended on-going tab in front of him.
“How…how difficult was it to defeat them?” Catherine asked.
“The outcome was in doubt in their minds until they realized rather than drawing power from the Abyss, the Abyss was consuming them. The creatures fought with desperation then. It did them no good. The power being drained from them flowed into me.
“You brushed aside my shield as if it wasn’t there,” Raphael said. “The demons you fought couldn’t break through my shield. I felt your power when you appeared. You halted reality.”
Abaddon nodded, finishing his shot of Bushmill’s, and then drained his beer. Darla, who had been watching Abaddon while waiting on the other tables quickly walked over. Abaddon handed her his empty beer glass and shot glass.
“Shall I get you another of each?”
“Please,” Abaddon answered. “It is very good.”
“I’ll have another of each too,” Angelina added.
“And I,” Raphael spoke up, handing Darla his glass. “How about you, Cat?”
“I’ll try and nurse this one a while longer.”
“You’re learning,” Angelina said. “Maybe we won’t have to carry you back to the room after all.”
Darla left to get their drinks. Catherine put her hand over Abaddon’s as it rested on the table near her. “We ate already. If you feel hungry we can go with you to get something.”
“The whiskey and cold beer is all I wish for now, Sister Mary Catherine. You and Sister Angelina were incredible today against those demons. Raphael and I will try to be more prepared next time.”
“Raph said you guys felt it when those demons tried to body hop into us. They screamed like girl scouts when they tried it. You’re right though, we were as close to dead as we ever came at the prison.”
ARCHANGEL Page 41