Taking Angels (The Angel Crusades)

by CS Yelle

  “Good to know, so why is there a problem?”

  “Victor and Jennavia are being held in Greece, along with Allister, for doing something forbidden of all Eternals.”

  “I did know that,” I mumbled, looking away.

  “Then you should know, we have been ordered to capture the ‘indiscretion’ Allister created if we encounter it.”

  “Oh,” I said, everything becoming clear, crystal clear.

  “Yeah, ‘oh.’”

  “So, are you taking me in marshal?” I tried to joke, putting my hands out for him to handcuff me.

  “Britt, it’s not funny.” Gabe wasn’t playing.

  “I know, but if I don’t laugh about it, I’d cry.”

  “I’m in a serious predicament,” he moaned, rubbing his face.

  “And to think, I’m only worried about my own fate. How self-centered of me.”

  He blinked at me for a few seconds then slapped his hands on his legs. “First things first.” He stood. “We need to stop Kendal. I’ll decide what to do with you later.”

  “I’m right here. I wish you wouldn’t talk about deciding my fate as if I was a chair or some other piece of furniture you need to rearrange at your convenience.”

  “Sorry.” He appeared contrite. “Habit from working alone.”

  We walked back upstairs, the girls staring at Gabe dubiously until he threw up his hands.

  “What? What? Ask your questions, but stop staring at me like I have two heads.”

  “Nothing,” Trish said, turning away.

  “You’re really an angel?” Elisa asked.

  “Yep, and here to stop Kendal. That’s all I can share really.”

  The girls nodded and looked to me to elaborate.

  “Gabe is going to track Kendal when I make a connection with him in my dream tonight,” I explained.

  “Then why are we here?” Trish asked.

  “For your safety,” Gabe stated and the girls turned to him. “Kendal is angry with Britt. He exposed himself in daylight. That was both reckless and very careless. It proves he is not thinking clearly when it comes to her.”

  “So he might go nuts again and come after Trish or me,” Elisa said her eyes lighting up with

  understanding.

  “Exactly,” Gabe agreed. “We will use it to our advantage.”

  “So just hang out here, stay out of the way, and let me and Gabe stop Kendal,” I said.

  “I guess we can handle that.” Trish shrugged.

  “Good, let’s get started.” Gabe motioned for me to get into bed.

  I climbed between the covers and pulled the blankets up to my chin. I looked at three sets of eyes staring back at me, making it nearly impossible to relax.

  “Humph,” I grunted.

  “Oh, yeah, right,” Trish laughed, reaching over to turn off the light and get into her bed.

  I heard Elisa scrunch on her mattress for a while and then go silent.

  I lay staring at the dark ceiling, feeling Gabe’s eyes on me, not able to shake the questions running through my mind. Would he turn me in? The thought kept rolling through my mind.

  After several minutes, I let out a big sigh. “I’m sorry. I can’t get to sleep with you looking at me.”

  “I can help with that.” He moved closer, his shadow easing over in the darkness.

  “What, so now you’re part sandman?”

  “Sort of. Didn’t you know we’re all related?” I could hear the smile in his voice and smiled as well. I felt his warm hand touch my forehead and gasped at the sudden contact.

  “Sorry,” he whispered.

  “It’s okay.”

  His hand soothed my thoughts, sending all the doubts to the deep recesses, leaving only the happy feelings I had. Strangely, they were mostly of Gabe. His smile, his touch, his protectiveness, and his attempt at loyalty as well.

  I fell asleep and searched a neighborhood through Kendal’s eyes instantly. Like always, he didn’t seem to sense me with him, but I suspected he knew I’d be with him sooner or later. The houses didn’t appear familiar and I felt relief even though I knew his intent. Again, the uneasy feeling of guilt filled me as I felt relief because he would kill a stranger as opposed to someone I knew. I couldn’t help it, I considered myself lucky I wouldn’t witness a friend’s death.

  We passed house after house, we were in Duluth. I recognized a park I played baseball at during the summer. He sat down on a bench in the park, leaned back and my view of the surroundings skewed upwards.

  “Nice of you to meet me.” A voice spun our vision to a dark figure standing next to a tree, blending in with the dark shadows of the trunk.

  “You said it was imperative we talk,” Kendal replied.

  “Indeed it is,” the vaguely familiar voice said.

  “You came alone?”

  “You said to, else you wouldn’t show.” Bastion stepped from the shadows.

  My blood ran cold. Bastion was only 90 miles from here. I wanted to scream, although I knew from previous experience no one would hear me.

  “So, what do you want?” Kendal asked rudely.

  “Always were a cut to the chase kind of guy, huh Kendal?”

  “Yeah, short and sweet, that’s my motto. What do you want?”

  “You know what I want.”

  “Britt,” Kendal whispered my name.

  “Is that her name? Doesn’t matter. Once I get her back to Greece, she’ll cease to exist in short succession to Allister.”

  “Why must she be killed?” Kendal asked.

  I found myself surprised by the sadness in his voice.

  “She’s not natural. She was never meant to be. She is an abomination.”

  “You don’t know her,” Kendal defended. “She is beautiful, honorable, and loyal…” his thoughts trailed off.

  “Now I see why you let her escape. You’re in love with her.”

  “I don’t deny it.”

  “You should, for your family’s sake.”

  “Your threats are useless against me now.”

  “So you think you’ve gotten your loved ones out of my reach, do you?”

  “Being aware of you is all they needed. They are quite adept at protecting themselves. They need no coddling from me.”

  “Very well, let’s not talk threats. Let’s talk duty; responsibility.”

  “I feel none of it. I go where I want, do what I want. That is my way. You can go your own way now. I’m done talking.”

  My view of Bastion changed as Kendal stood.

  “No, I’m not done talking.” Bastion motioned with his arms.

  Two large men walked up on either side of Kendal, standing ready for any movement.

  “Why do you have such hatred for the Parks?” Kendal asked.

  “My reasons are my own,” Bastion spat. “Where is she?”

  “I don’t know.”

  One of the men swung. The hit landed with a thud as Kendal gasped and my view lurched to the ground. Kendal looked up and I saw Bastion standing over us, his arms folded across his chest.

  “I will ask you again, and you will tell me where she is. Else this can go on all night.”

  I felt the telltale tingling of Kendal shimmering, but pain racked me as the ground rushed up to my eyes. I couldn’t see anything but darkness.

  “You think we didn’t prepare for that?” Bastion laughed. “We placed shimmer sentries to prevent you from leaving too soon. Again, where is she?”

  “Thank you gentlemen.” A voice came from the darkness and Kendal turned his eyes towards it.

  A tickle of recognition touched my mind. That voice, whose voice, why did I know it?

  Gabe stepped into the dull glow from the security lighting surrounding the field. I wanted to scream for him to leave, to get out of there. He planned to meet up with Kendal, not Bastion and two of his henchmen.

  “This doesn’t concern you,” Bastion growled.

  “Oh, but it does.” Gabe sauntered forward. “This Eternal has
violated many people and must answer for his crimes.”

  “That is but minor compared to the information he possesses. We will leave him to you after we extract what we need.”

  “Sorry, but I need to be sure he is alive to link all the crimes to him. We wouldn’t want another Eternal running around breaking the law and not know it.”

  “I assure you, he will not be causing any more problems for you. We will see to it,” Bastion said through clenched teeth.

  “Again I must apologize for disagreeing. My law comes first and foremost. You may wish to contact the senate to ask for a meeting with him while he is in our custody.” Gabe didn’t back down.

  “No,” Bastion shouted, sensing he was losing.

  One of the men hurled himself at Gabe, but the angel moved so quickly the man landed on the ground in a heap where Gabe once stood.

  The other man jumped from behind Gabe, ending up in the same jumbled pile the first had landed in.

  Bastion attacked head on, following Gabe as he backpedaled easily and then stopped abruptly for some unknown reason. Bastion’s collision with him took Gabe by surprise, making for an awkward impact. The Eternal veered to one side, stumbled to the ground, and rolled into a metallic box sitting on the ground.

  Gabe approached Kendal as I watched through the Eternal’s eyes. The tingling started again, but this time the pain didn’t come. This time after it passed, we lay in a parking lot. I could see tires and Kendal stood next to his silver Mercedes. He slipped behind the steering wheel and we soon raced along the road as a green sign announced “Grand Rapids 75 miles.”

  I woke to find Gabe sitting on the edge of my bed, looking down at me, disgust furrowing his forehead.

  “Are you alright?” I asked, sitting up.

  “Fine, you?”

  “Yeah, but Bastion and those other two, they’re so close.” I said. The name changed his expression to disgust.

  “You know him too?” his voice rose until he shouted the last word.

  Trish and Elisa woke at Gabe’s raised voice. Trish clicked on the light and they turned to look at our confrontation on my bed.

  “He had Kendal kidnap me. Only Kendal couldn’t hand me over. Bastion’s looking for me. He needs me to prove what Allister did. They intend to kill Allister for creating me.”

  Trish and Elisa gasped in their beds, their eyes wide as they stared at me.

  Gabe glared at me, his eyes seeing something in the distance, something not in this room. He focused on me as his face turned glum.

  “Britt, there is no happy ending here, I’m afraid.” He pursed his lips. “I believe Allister is lost to you.”

  “Don’t say that.” I slapped him across the face.

  His head snapped back from the blow and the girls gasped, still he kept staring into my eyes.

  “I don’t want to hurt you, but you must see Allister will never return to you, and you can never go to him, else they kill him due to your existence.”

  I slid my knees to my chin, wrapping my arms around my shins, and leaning my head against the tops of my knees. I needed Allister. More than I’d ever needed anyone in my life. The hope of him returning, the only reason I was able to keep going.

  I looked up at Gabe, my eyes blurring with tears.

  “I’m sorry.” he bowed his head and walked out of the room.

  I leaned my head down against my knees, my crying turning into uncontrollable sobs. I felt two sets of arms wrap around my shoulders, comforting me. I still had them, my three amigos. Although I nearly lost one today, they would always be there for me.

  Chapter 26 After crying myself out I went looking for Gabe. For some reason I knew he wouldn’t be far. I found him on the deck again, sitting in a chair, staring up at the stars. I sat down next to him and looked up at the early morning sky. We sat together, not speaking. I felt comforted by his presence.

  “What do I do now?” I asked.

  “Only you can decide that.”

  “But how?”

  “You must decide what you want more: to see

  Allister again or to keep him alive.”

  “That’s a no-brainer. I want him alive.” “You’ve already decided then.”

  “I guess I have.”

  We sat in silence for a long while, the pain in my

  heart building as I sat, pushing, trying to spill out of me. “Why didn’t you tell me you were in love with

  him?” Gabe broke the silence and the surge of pain and

  guilt building inside me as well.

  “Would it matter?”

  “Maybe, a little?”

  “How?”

  “Then I wouldn’t have allowed myself to develop

  an attachment to you.”

  I pulled my gaze from the sky to him with a jerk.

  “What?”

  “Britt, there is something about you. Something

  drawing love to you. I felt the tug the first time we met.” I blushed, not knowing what to say.

  “You know I have to eliminate Kendal.” “Yes,” I nodded.

  “If I can do it before Bastion catches up with him,

  you may be able to stay here and live a happy life.” “Humph,” I grunted with a shrug. Happy? Happy

  without Allister? Not a likely scenario.

  “But if he discovers your location, you must flee

  or risk being brought to Greece ensuring Allister’s and

  your own destruction as well as everyone around you.”

  He looked over at me and our eyes met. His anguish at

  his mission filled me with sadness. I believed my death

  would bring Gabe pain.

  “I want you to live, Britt,” he said, confirming my

  suspicion.

  “I’m not sure I can without Allister,” I admitted

  honestly.

  “Please, for your friends’ sake, your parents’ sake,

  and for,” he paused, “my sake.”

  There, he said it. He wanted me to live for him. I

  felt guilty. Guilty over wanting to live. A small part of me

  wanted to live for Gabe. Wondered what life would be

  like with him in it. Being taken care of by an angel

  intrigued me until I pulled myself out of it. He barely

  knew me, I barely knew him. How could feelings be

  building already? Was I that fickle? Maybe this affection

  thing worked both ways? Maybe my feelings developed

  for those who deeply cared about me as well? What else

  would explain my desire to help Kendal break his

  addiction to angels?

  “What about the order to capture me if given the

  opportunity?” I asked.

  “More of a suggestion than an order.” He lifted a

  shoulder. “Once Allister is sentenced, the desire to find

  you will become less urgent.”

  “Then what?”

  “I rid us of Kendal and you can go about your life

  as before.”

  I put my head in my hands; the thought of Allister

  being alive and in prison a much better option than gone

  for eternity.

  “Do we try to find Kendal again tonight?” “I feel it is our best option.”

  We went back inside to explain our plan to the

  girls. With Kendal still out there, we needed to stay

  together until Gabe had the opportunity to eliminate him

  as a threat.

  To our amazement, Mom called home to tell me

  she was staying in Keewatin with Hazel for a few more

  days. Just as I hung up with her, Dad called and said he’d

  been called away for a meeting in Chicago so he’d be

  gone for a few days as well. Something had told him to

  bring a bag to the plant the night before and he planned to

  leave by corporate jet from the airport without coming

  h
ome.

  Trish, Elisa and I ran up to the hospital while Gabe saw to other matters. Cassie perked up when she saw us and she looked very well.

  “Did you get him?” she asked.

  “Who?” Trish said.

  “Kendal, weren’t you going after him last night?” The three of us looked at each other, confused,

  and then back at Cassie.

  “Gabe stopped by last night and told me I wouldn’t have to worry about Kendal again,” Cassie explained.

  “You know about Gabe?” I asked. “Britt, when you’re touched by an angel, you know it,” she smiled.

  “Yeah, I guess you do.” I grinned at her.

  “So, did you get him?” Cassie raised her brows.

  “No, afraid not.” I shrugged.

  “We’re, uh, they’re going to try again tonight,” Elisa said.

  “I hope you get him.” Cassie shivered. “Knowing firsthand what it feels like to have Kendal touch you makes me sad for all the people who had their angels taken by him.”

  “Yeah,” I sighed, recalling every guardian angel Kendal pulled from a person while I watched, helpless, through his eyes.

  We headed back home after lunch and pulled up as Gabe stepped out of his car. He came over to the Jeep, looking down at Kendal’s handprints on the hood. Reaching up, he put his hands on the dents and they popped out.

  “Thanks.” Trish smiled, getting out of the Jeep and walking towards the house with Elisa as I hung back, waiting for Gabe.

  “So now you’re a body man?” I smirked.

  “I have many talents you don’t know about,” he flirted.

  “So it seems.”

  “Have you given much thought to what we discussed last night?” he asked as we walked up the sidewalk.

  “Yeah.” I nodded.

  “And?”

  “I won’t do anything to put Allister in danger. If I have to live without him…,” my voice cracked.

  “You will have to,” he said as we walked up to the house.

  “Then I will do whatever it takes to keep him alive.”

  “Fair enough.”

  He opened the door for me and we went inside. We all sat around watching TV the rest of the day, waiting for night to come. When it finally arrived, we took our places in my room and I let Gabe put me to sleep again.

  I went to Kendal immediately, seeing the houses and the trees pass by as he walked quickly through the neighborhood. I tried to read any sign telling me where he hunted, nothing stood out.