Fran peered into the container to see what Collin had removed from Michelle’s arm. “Oh…” she gasped. Collin looked up. There were tears flowing down her face. Before he could ask, she said, “I think you will find fragments like this in Laura’s buttocks,” and then quickly turned back to her work.
For the next half hour, Collin carefully probed into Michelle’s and Laura’s wounds, pulling out shards of glass, moving from one to the other to give each a rest. Once he removed the tiniest scraps of debris, he signaled to Fran a wound was ready for suture.
He began a careful study of Laura’s strange wound. The fragmentation pattern was disturbing. He looked back to Michelle’s arm. It needed to be sutured as quickly as possible.
“Doctor, would you like me to sew up Michelle while you attend Laura?” she whispered, her eyes still downcast. Even though this would be a complicated, multi-level repair, he stood aside.
If asked yesterday whether Fran had any medical skills, let alone the skills of a professional surgeon, Collin would have laughed. She rarely spoke when he saw her at Frank’s and only one time had he seen Frank actually speak to her. That was 19 L2 years ago when Collin heard a conversation between her and Frank.
“You’ve gotta get out some,” Frank had said to Fran. “Being in here all day every day just isn’t healthy.”
“I’m sorry if I’m such an annoyance, Colonel,” she replied softly, her eyes cast downward.
“Dammit. You know that’s not what I mean, Melis…”
“No, don’t.” She quickly cut him off. It was the only time Collin heard her raise her voice. Collin looked over, expecting to see anger. Instead, tears streaked across her pinched face. “You promised me you’d never call me that again.”
Frank looked down, shaking his head in frustration.
“I’m sorry sir,” she continued. “But you know I promised to never leave until Eden was once again…”
She looked up at him. Her heart was breaking right in front of him. “I guess that really doesn’t matter, does it? Why should anyone believe any promise I make after breaking a far greater promise to Eve?”
Frank reached out to give her a hug, but she recoiled.
“Okay, Fran,” he said. “You don’t have to go swimming with us. You don’t ever have to go to Bill’s. And you can stay here as long as you want. But remember, my door is always open.”
She gave him a slight smile and nod of appreciation. Then she quickly returned to her routine of dusting, sweeping, mopping, organizing, dusting, sweeping, mopping, and organizing, day after day after day.
Collin remembered the next events all too well. Frank had asked, “How ‘bout you Dr. Yummy. Wanna go for a swim?”
They sailed out to Emerald Isle together — Frank, Janene, Laura, Michelle, and Josephine. At that time, Collin knew Frank was Valkyrie, but just assumed all the others were civilian — or perhaps part-time members of The Sisters of Mercy.
They snorkeled on the beautiful reefs and lounged on pink sand, snacking and drinking lots of wine. They smoked enough Soma herb to erase their inhibitions and swam naked. Collin, taken with Josephine’s beauty, decided to seduce her.
He realized it all started when Fran refused to go swimming with them. Now he knew — all the females were Valkyrie, with Josephine the highest-ranked. How strange, Striker. You really are a chauvinist idiot, aren’t you?
Fran laid down a large, shallow tray, which seemed to have manifested from nowhere. In it, Fran placed a soft cloth for Laura to comfortably kneel. Laura bent over the edge of the tub so Collin could work on the last remaining set of wounds. He had already done a superficial cleansing, and now, one by one, he carefully flushed each deep cut with the reagent. He again removed what looked like shards of different colored glass exactly like the ones he had removed from Michelle’s arm. Fran continued to work around him, stitching the wounds when Collin indicated they were clean.
Two hours later when they finished, both Angels appeared to be feeling better. They put on bathrobes, collected their clothes, and silently left.
“I’ll make sure these get to the right team of investigators,” Fran said quietly, before Collin could take another look at the shards of glass. She capped the bottle and stuffed it in her pocket. “Go ahead. I’ll clean all this up.”
“Thank you,” Collin said. Fran gave him a subtle nod but avoided eye contact.
Collin wanted to say something, but from the way she cut him off, she obviously did not share his desire. Puzzled, he walked out the door.
Now alone, Fran sat on the edge of the tub. She took a deep breath and blew out relief. She looked up at the heavens and gave thanks — thanks that, at least for the time being, Collin did not recognize her and therefore did not remember who he was and the terrible forces their damnable relationship had unleashed on Eden eight million years ago.
She removed the small glass container from her pocket, opened the cap, and studied the shards. Fran knew exactly what type of weapon had been used against these two Angels — one that long ago had been banned. It broke her heart to know what was again being done in the secret dungeons of Eden.
Elysium
Pegasus stretched and yawned. She cracked open one eye. She was still in the Nazz Pilot’s lounge, but Salecia was gone.
She noticed a book lying on the small table between their chairs. It was a book of Caligastian literature. She recognized Salecia’s elegant gold bookmark.
She picked it up.
The book fell open to the bookmarked page. The first thing Pegasus noticed was the author, ‘Suzanne of Castile’. Pegasus knew this was one of Kuko’s pen names she used in non-mainstream Caligastian literature. Kuko had always enjoyed the name Suzanne when incarnated among the Caligastians. When Pegasus saw the title of the poem, her heart expanded so quickly, it took her breath away.
Love Sonnet to a Flying Horse.
Deep inside you.
I can fly.
Oceania
“Is he just trying to save his skin?” Laura asked Michelle.
“I don’t think so. He couldn’t have faked the compassion I felt from him.”
Laura nodded in agreement.
“And what’s the deal with Sipheria’s book? Do you think that’s what spooked him? Is that why he ran scared as soon as Josie left the island?”
Laura said nothing, an odd expression crossing her face.
“What?” Michelle asked.
“Something you didn’t see,” Laura replied. “I was watching Collin from the moment he showed up at Frank’s. When he first walked into Josie’s store, all he could see was her head. It was pretty clear he felt like a shit.”
“With good reason,” Michelle said.
“Sure. But the weird part was when he saw Josie in uniform. He looked stunned. You know. Kind of like when you first figure out that the boy you’re nonchalantly banging is actually the general’s son.”
“What are you saying?” Michelle asked.
“I don’t think he ever saw her in uniform before,” Laura said. “You know how casual Josie is on this side of the island. So, it’s possible he didn’t know she was Valkyrie.”
Laura looked bewildered. “Is it possible he thought she was Sisters of Mercy or even a civilian?” Laura laughed. “Which means he had no idea she was his senior officer.”
“Now that’s hilarious,” Michelle said with a grin. “Skillit said this would eventually happen. Dr. Yummy has finally got his nuts in a nice tight vise.”
Chapter 21
Meeting the General
Irrespective of who you think is in charge and how high and mighty they might be, there will always be someone even more powerful protecting them. When you find the ultimate protector, then you will find El Elyon.
—King Joshua
Oceania
Lieutenant Collin Striker sat on a park bench on the opposite side of Main Street waiting for Josephine’s meeting with Frank to end. He had lost track of time while cleaning Michelle and Laura�
�s wounds. Regardless, it seemed that this was turning into a very long meeting. He did not feel sorry for Frank. Being stripped of his rank and position was about the worst they could do to him.
What’s about to happen to me? Collin wondered. I’m going down in flames. Now understanding that Josephine was a full colonel — she wears the same rank as Kahmael Shiva, the Constellation commander, for goodness sake — and hearing her say she was about to call Kahmael — she’s probably his main liaison to the Eden theatre — whatever was about to happen would not be pretty.
Every few minutes, the dread in his gut manifested an excuse to go back to the logistics office. Dustin needs me to sign some papers. The warehouse manager needs me to help him find something. Somebody needs me to take out the trash...
However, as soon as he stood and took a step in that direction, some invisible hand would push him back to the bench and speak to him:
Get it over with now.
Get it behind you.
Delaying will only make things worse.
At first, he waited right outside Josie’s boutique. But then he thought it probably looked strange, and he did not want to attract any unnecessary attention. It would bring up questions.
Collin selected a bench on the opposite side of a pond, allowing him a view of the front door to Josephine’s store. He was far enough away to not be obvious, a precaution he took even though there was little chance the hundreds of Angels milling about would know anything about his Josephine problem.
Josephine’s boutique and Frank’s grocery store were located in Oceania’s outside shopping area. They were part of a long line of stores with their front doors facing Main Street and the park. Their back doors faced the dock. Where the dock ended, there was a massive breakwater. Just on the other side was another strip of stores facing the beach and ocean. Between those stores and the ones facing Main Street and the park, there was a generous alleyway running between them. Those stores ran for a kilometer. Past those stores, there were periodic specialty shops and the entrances to the massive underground living and shopping complexes for vacationing Angels. Beyond that, the park became a dense forest.
Collin had never spent much time in the park although it was quite nice. There were trees and flower beds, generous green lawns, a little stream that had been diverted from Clear Creek to feed a few small ponds filled with snails, stealthy crabs, and numerous species of happy, brightly colored fish. The stream continued under the walkways, eventually finding its home in the Celestial ocean of the Mamsa that Oceania rode upon. Scattered throughout were benches.
From a distance, he saw an interesting male casually walking toward him from the underground entrances. He looked like an Angel, but it was possible he was an Artisan; Collin doubted it, though. As the Angel looked around, he did not try to hide that he was lost or at least unable to find what he was looking for.
The Angel looked through the crowd, noticed Collin on the bench, gave a kind smile, and walked in his direction. Although many thousands of Angels came through Oceania yearly, this particular Angel looked somewhat more mature than the typical vacationer. He also seemed familiar. Collin stood to welcome him as he approached.
“Hello soldier,” he said. “I’m wondering if you can help me find a couple friends.”
“Sir, of course.” For a second Collin wondered how he knew he was a soldier, and then realized he was back in uniform after stitching up Laura and Michelle. On any other Saturday, he would have changed into civvies by now and would have been at Bill’s, drinking beer and rating pretty faces.
Now that he was standing right in front of Collin, the stranger looked even more familiar. His face was bright and full of life — a delicate shade of blue — just a touch lighter than Skillit’s. His eyes were the rich blue of a summer sky — sharp, clear, and focused — with the intensity of a hawk’s. He wore casual clothes. From his short haircut, Collin guessed he was a member of some military organization, although his short-sleeved shirt and shorts did not reveal any type of identifying tattoos.
He did not look tough the way Aniel looked tough. In fact, his face looked sweet and kind. Considering Collin’s recent problems with underestimations, and that just beyond the dense woods at the far end of the island was a Valkyrie barracks, he played it safe and addressed the Angel as he would a commanding officer.
“Who are the friends you are looking for, sir?”
“Uh, yes. Colonels Josephine Doulmahel and Frank Haiguns.”
He had referred to the two Colonels as friends. Good decision to assume he was an officer, Collin thought, congratulating himself.
“Sir, the two stores directly in front of us — Josie’s Boutique and Frank’s Grocer — is where they have their residences and offices.”
The Angel looked in the direction Collin pointed and then back to Collin. “Lieutenant Striker, are you waiting for them as well?”
Collin was surprised he called him by name, but then realized he was wearing his rank and nametag.
“Yes, sir, I am. I believe that Fran…, uh… Colonel Haiguns is meeting with Colonel Doulmahel right now.”
“Then, do you mind if I wait with you?”
Collin gestured for him to sit first, then followed. The Angel sat back and relaxed, casually looking at his surroundings, giving the appearance he was just enjoying the opportunity to sit and absorb the view. Even though there was nothing threatening in his body language, Collin felt uneasy.
“Did you say Fran was with them?” he asked a few moments later.
“Uh, no, I don’t know if…”
Then Collin realized what he had said. “No sir, I was about to refer to Colonel Haiguns as Frank. That’s all.”
“Yes, I see.”
Fran’s a clerk who just happens to have excellent nursing skills. Why would he know the name ‘Fran’? Collin wondered.
“Have you been to Oceania before, sir?” Collin asked.
“Oh, yes. Several times. Not in recent years. Not since Josephine took over as Theatre commander.
Collin closed his eyes. He felt like crawling under a rock. Josephine isn’t just a colonel. She isn’t Kahmael’s liaison. She’s the Theatre Commander. My superior. Good job Striker. It’s time to look for reassignment before Michelle Israfel changes her mind and chops me up.
The Angel saw a wave of shock ripple across Collin’s face but made no comment. Several minutes passed in silence.
At last, the door to Frank’s Grocer opened. Fran emerged with a broom.
“Sir, that’s Fran, if you wanted to see her, too.”
The Angel looked up from his thoughtless examination of the fish. His eyes wandered up and down the sidewalk.
“Where?” he finally asked.
“The woman sweeping the sidewalk.”
He studied her in silence for a few seconds. The longer he studied her, the more furrowed his brow became.
“Can you tell me her position on Oceania?”
“Yes sir. She works as Fra… uh, as Colonel Haiguns’ clerk in his grocery store.”
The Angel gave Collin a confused look. “Are you sure? Don’t you mean that Frank works for…?”
Fran looked up from her work and noticed Collin. She did not smile or give any recognition. She looked down again, turned, and walked toward the door. Suddenly, she froze in place, as if fighting an internal war, a war she would lose. She turned around and stared at the Angel sitting next to Collin. All color left her face. Then, as if crushed by some unseen force, her knees buckled. She stumbled back into the grocery store.
The Angel crossed his left arm over his stomach, rested his right elbow against it, and put his right hand over his mouth. He took two deep breaths, let them out heavily, and looked back to the fish.
A couple of minutes later, Collin looked over at the Angel who now sat leaning forward, eyes closed, fingertips covering them, resting his chin in his palms. I don’t think he’s asleep. Must be absorbed in troubled thoughts. Me too, buddy, Collin thought. Wonder who he
is?
“Name’s David, by the way,” he finally said as he sat up straight and offered his right hand to Collin.
“I’m Collin,” Collin replied, accepting his hand and shaking it.
“Terrible things sometimes happen, don’t they Collin?”
Collin let out a sigh. “Yes sir, they do.”
Movement from Josephine’s store caught their eyes. Frank opened the door with Josephine right behind. Frank was no longer raving. He still had the silver oak leaf on his lapel, but he looked tired and spent.
“Colonel Haiguns just returned from a tough mission, sir,” Collin offered.
“Yes, son. I know. That’s the reason I’m here.” Then he stood up, Collin standing at the same time. “It was nice to meet you Collin. Hopefully, we’ll get…”
David turned to face Josephine. At that instant, she looked up, focusing on David with a small smile. Then Josephine’s eyes flickered over to Collin. For a few seconds it seemed she was happy to see him. Then quite suddenly, her face fell and her eyes exploded with tears. She turned and with slumped shoulders, re-entered her store.
Without looking at Collin, David spoke. “I have a feeling that had more to do with you than it did me.”
Collin did not reply.
“Am I right, Striker?”
“Yes, sir. You are.”
David paused. “Do you want to tell me about it?”
“Uh, no sir. I think that would be inappropriate.”
Another moment passed.
“Is there anything else you want to say?” David scanned Collin’s face. Collin felt this Angel saw everything, irrespective of whether he hid his thoughts or not.
Collin remained silent.
“Very well,” David replied flatly. He took a few steps before Collin stopped him.
“Sir, I’ll be here when you finish. I would appreciate any suggestions you might have. And if you feel that I need to be…
Lilith: Eden's Planetary Princess (The Michael Archives Book 1) Page 14