“So this is a date? And here I thought you said this was just dinner,” she replied, raising one of her perfect eyebrows.
“You know what I mean,” I replied while fighting back a smile as my face grew warm.
“I know. I’m just giving you a hard time, Adam,” she chuckled.
“If you must know, I work in the intelligence field,” I said. “But not for the agency you might think.”
“Oooh, that sounds dangerous.”
“It keeps me entertained,” I admitted.
“Have you ever had to kill anyone?” she asked, with excitement gleaming in her eyes.
“Almost,” I muttered, as a picture of my hands wrapped around my brother’s neck flashed into my mind. “But I’d rather not talk about it,” I continued before taking a sip of the glass of water in front of me.
“I’m sorry if I upset you, Adam. That wasn’t my intention,” she replied as she reached across the table and softly placed her right hand on my left hand.
“No big deal. Like I said, my work is distracting. And to be perfectly honest, I’d much rather focus on you right now if you don’t mind,” I said smoothly.
“I don’t mind that at all,” she admitted while smiling from ear to ear.
“So what do you do?” I asked.
“Well, I used to work for an investment management firm,” she replied. “But that was before the Stranger Acquisition.”
“What happened?”
“I used to manage our Manhattan office but unfortunately it was destroyed when The Strangers took over the city. I was still in the office when the first explosions hit. Most of my employees were killed immediately but somehow I was fortunate enough to make it out of the building alive. My good luck didn’t last very long though. After I escaped our office building I was captured by The Strangers and held hostage in the Empire State Building for what seemed like forever. I haven’t told anyone this yet but I would actually be dead right now if it wasn’t for The Reaper.”
“Are you serious?!” I asked, doing my best to seem surprised.
“Absolutely. He saved me just before the building exploded,” she continued as she stared off into space, no doubt recalling the horrifying events of that day. “I know you probably don’t believe me with everything they’re saying in the media, but what happened in Manhattan wasn’t just some run-of-the-mill military operation. This was The Reaper. He was there, in the flesh and I owe my entire life to him because of what he did.”
I didn’t know what to say. A part of me wanted to change the subject but another part of me was compelled to tell her the truth—to tell her that I was The Reaper, and that I was the one who had saved her. I wanted her to know because I didn’t want her to think that she owed me anything. I needed her to know that I wasn’t doing it for fame or recognition. I was doing it because no one else could do it, and most importantly because it was what I was meant to do.
“You think I’m crazy don’t you?” Audrey finally asked after a few moments of uncomfortable silence.
“No, I don’t think you’re crazy, Audrey,” I reassured. “I just didn’t think The Reaper was real, that’s all. I remember those viral videos from a couple of years ago but besides that, no one’s seen any sign of him. It all just seemed like a big hoax, you know?”
“I’m not sure why he’s chosen to work from the shadows but as far as I’m concerned that doesn’t make him any less real. We don’t have to see him on a day-to-day basis to believe in what he stands for. Just the sight of his symbol is enough for some people to feel safer in knowing that he’s out there somewhere.”
“Maybe you’re right,” I said solemnly. “But you know what they say about meeting your heroes. Maybe he is out there somewhere but what if he’s not the hero that people think he is?”
“I’d have to see for myself. I’ve never been one to rely on the judgments of others, anyway,” Audrey replied.
“Fair enough,” I said, as my heartbeat quickened while I prepared to ask her my next question. “So have you ever thought about what he would be like if you met him in real life?” I finally asked as she took another sip from her wine glass.
“I did meet him in real life. He saved me, remember? I knew you thought I was making it all up,” she chuckled.
“No, that’s not what I mean. I mean what if you were to meet him personally, you know? Have you ever thought about what the guy behind the mask is like?”
“As a matter of fact I have,” she admitted, smiling as she spoke. “But I’m not telling you.”
“Really? Why not?” I jokingly objected.
“Because it’s embarrassing,” she giggled, blushing as we continued to gaze into each other’s eyes.
“Come on, Audrey! It can’t be that bad,” I coaxed.
“That’s easy for you to say! You’re not the one pouring your heart out, okay?” she laughed.
“What if I agreed to tell you a secret about me?” I asked as I flashed a toothy grin.
“Okay, okay! Since you twisted my arm,” she joked. “This is so embarrassing. This better be a good secret too!” she continued as she rolled her eyes and took a large gulp from her wine glass. I chuckled as she sat the glass on the table in front of her and looked back up at me.
“Well, I’m pretty sure he’s a hottie. I mean, he is a superhero for crying out loud so he’s got to be ripped. He’s probably blonde, but more of a dirty blonde though, not that platinum Hollywood crap. His eyes are either a pale shade of blue or dark green, I haven’t narrowed that one down yet but I know they’re dreamy—the kind of eyes you can just lose yourself in,” she replied as she smiled warmly and peered into my eyes.
Her description couldn’t have been farther from the truth but there was something about the way she spoke when she described her version of The Reaper that was absolutely mesmerizing.
“Sounds like you put a lot of thought into this,” I chimed.
“I might have had a dream or two after he saved me,” she admitted. “But don’t even think about asking about those because there is no way in hell I’m spilling the beans about that!” she giggled.
“Geez I’m starting to wonder if I should be jealous,” I teased and we both broke into laughter for a few moments. When our laughter finally died down she looked over to me once again and raised her left eyebrow.
“Alright, Mister, it’s time to give up the goods.”
“Oh yeah, the secret,” I said, as my palms grew sweaty.
“Yes, the secret. You didn’t think I had forgotten, did you?” she mocked.
“Of course not,” I grinned. “Well for starters, I want to reassure you that I never thought you were lying about The Reaper and what happened in Manhattan. And the reason I knew you were telling the truth is… because I’ve seen him too.”
“Okay, now you’re just making fun of me,” she replied, obviously not sure what to make of my statement.
“I’m not kidding. I told you I work for the government, remember? The agency that I work for is a counter-terrorism unit. I’m just an analyst but I’ve worked on joint operations with the same agency that The Reaper works for.”
“I knew it!” she said excitedly. “I knew he was working for the government! That’s why nearly all signs of him disappeared, isn’t it?”
“Maybe,” I lied. “Like I said, I’m just an analyst so those types of decisions are way above my pay grade.”
“So have you ever seen him without the mask?” she asked excitedly.
“I-I can’t say,” I stammered.
“Oh come on, Adam. You can tell me,” she coaxed.
Damn she’s good, I thought as her charm compelled me to tell her the truth.
“You know I can’t tell you that,” I finally said. “I can tell you that he’s not blonde though,” I chuckled. We both laughed for a few moments and then I decided to change the subject before I found myself giving in and spilling the beans on my real secret.
“You must have gotten promoted pretty quickly to
have been managing the entire firm,” I finally said in order to change the subject.
“No, I was there for almost ten years. And I wasn’t managing the entire firm—just the Manhattan branch,” she replied.
“There’s no way you were there for ten years! Unless you started when you were five years old,” I laughed.
“Adam, what are you talking about? I’m 28 years old!” she insisted.
“Really? I wouldn’t have guessed that. You don’t even look like you’re 28,” I admitted.
“What, is 28 too old or something? Do you think I’m too old for you, Adam?” she demanded as she suddenly glared at me.
“No… I… I didn’t say that. I—” I stammered but I stopped talking when she abruptly burst into laughter and pointed at my face.
“I’m kidding,” she giggled as she continued to point at my confused expression.
“So you’re not 28?” I asked.
“Yes I’m 28, silly. I was just pretending to be upset with you. You should have seen your face,” she replied, clearly holding back laughter as she spoke. “How old are you by the way?”
“I just turned 18,” I answered.
“Awww,” she cooed, making a cute facial expression as though she was talking to a baby.
“Ha ha ha. Very funny, grandma,” I mocked.
She then dipped her fingers in the glass of water in front of her and flicked a few droplets into my face. We both laughed out loud and we went back and forth like that for the rest of the evening. Ultimately, our first date turned out to be a lot more fun than I had anticipated. The more and more we talked, the more I found myself simply grateful to be within her presence. For the first time in a while I was actually enjoying myself and I realized that I couldn’t have been happier that I had taken Howie’s advice.
In the back of my mind, I knew that I would never be able to truly forget about Monica, but I knew I had to do whatever I could to keep her out of harm’s way. The more I thought about her, the more I wanted to be with her but being with Monica meant pulling her back into the craziness that had become my life and that was the last thing that I wanted to do. In the back of my mind I also felt somewhat guilty about involving Audrey but I took solace in knowing that at least with her in the picture I could finally keep my mind off of Monica. If she wasn’t constantly in my thoughts then maybe I could finally stomach the idea of staying away from her forever.
10. CONTACT
MONICA:
- ONE MONTH LATER
**** MOBILE MESSENGER ****
USERNAME……MOMOSIXTYFO
PASSWORD......******
1 NEW INSTANT MESSAGE…
ECHO: Hello Monica.
Friday 9:45 pm
MONICA: Howie? Is that you?
Friday 9:45 pm
ECHO: Yes
Friday 9:46 pm
ECHO: How have you been?
Friday 9:46 pm
MONICA: Doing the best I can… considering
Friday 9:46 pm
ECHO: Nina made it sound like you were in pretty bad shape
Friday 9:47 pm
MONICA: It’s been hard… I’ve had a few dark moments, but I’ve managed to keep going
Friday 9:49 pm
ECHO: What do you mean by dark moments?
Friday 9:49 pm
MONICA: I miss him, Howie. I need to see him
Friday 9:50 pm
ECHO: I know it’s hard being away from him but it’s WAY too dangerous right now Monica
Friday 9:51 pm
ECHO: Monica??
Friday 9:52 pm
MONICA: Did Reaper ever tell you about my dream?
Friday 9:52 pm
ECHO: Yes. Why do you ask?
Friday 9:52 pm
MONICA: I’ve started having the dream again. I’m not sure what it could mean but I think something bad is going to happen to him
Friday 9:53 pm
ECHO: You don’t have to worry about Reaper. Things are getting sort of complicated but I have a plan. I won’t let anything happen to him
Friday 9:53 pm
MONICA: What do you mean complicated?
Friday 9:54 pm
ECHO: Don’t worry Monica. You just have to trust me. I’ll take care of him
Friday 9:54 pm
MONICA: He’s in trouble, isn’t he???
Friday 9:55 pm
MONICA: Howie???
Friday 9:56 pm
ECHO: Like I said, it’s complicated, but I think I’ve figured out a solution
Friday 9:56 pm
MONICA: Where are you?
Friday 9:57 pm
ECHO: You know I can’t tell you that
Friday 9:57 pm
MONICA: I thought you said you would help me???
Friday 9:58 pm
ECHO: No, I said I would contact you. I never said I would tell you how to get to him
Friday 9:58 pm
MONICA:
Friday 9:59 pm
ECHO: Come on, Monica. You know that’s not fair!
Friday 9:59 pm
MONICA: Are you really not going to help me?
Friday 10:00 pm
ECHO: I can’t
Friday 10:00 pm
MONICA:
Friday 10:01 pm
ECHO: ……
Friday 10:01 pm
MONICA: What if I helped with your mission? Will you help me then?
Friday 10:02 pm
ECHO: What are you talking about??
Friday 10:02 pm
MONICA: I’m not telling you unless you agree to help me
Friday 10:02 pm
ECHO: I can’t make that kind of promise without even knowing what you’re referring to, Monica. Sorry…
Friday 10:03 pm
MONICA: I’m talking about The Righteous. I think I may know how to contact him
Friday 10:03 pm
ECHO: This is a joke, right?
Friday 10:03 pm
MONICA: No, it’s not a joke. I was searching for information about The Righteous online when he initially made contact. I knew that Reaper was going after him so I figured maybe if I could locate him I could also find Reaper… I know it was stupid to even try but I was desperate
Friday 10:04 pm
ECHO: Are you saying he made contact???
Friday 10:04 pm
MONICA: Yes. I’m not even sure how it happened the first time but after hours of searching, I somehow found myself on something called the deep web. Suddenly my computer started going crazy and that’s when I received a message from someone claiming to be The Righteous. I didn’t write anything back at first because I was too scared and I wanted to wait until I had talked to you. But after you didn’t call I guess I got anxious. It took me a while to find my way back to the deep web but once I got there he immediately reached out to me again. He said he knew what I was searching for and all I needed to do was come to him in order to obtain it.
Friday 10:05 pm
ECHO: Interesting… did he say exactly what you were supposed to be searching for?
Friday 10:06 pm
MONICA: No, but I assumed he was talking about Adam
Friday 10:06 pm
ECHO: If this is in fact The Righteous, then I’m pretty sure he’s not talking about Reaper
Friday 10:07 pm
MONICA: Really? How would you know?
Friday 10:07 pm
ECHO: Is that a serious question?
Friday 10:07 pm
MONICA: Yeah, yeah, yeah… you know everything…
Friday 10:08 pm
MONICA: Well what does he think I’m searching for?
Friday 10:08 pm
ECHO: Would you be willing to contact him again?
Friday 10:08 pm
MONICA: Isn’t he dangerous? Do you really think that’s a good idea?
Friday 10:09 pm
ECHO: If he wants you for the reason that I think he does, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about
Friday 10:09 pm
/>
MONICA: What’s going on here Howie?
Friday 10:10 pm
ECHO: It’s sort of complicated but I’ll try to explain…
Friday 10:10 pm
ECHO: The Righteous and his followers are not from Earth. Simply put, they’re aliens and they once worshiped a deity known as the Goddess of Eden, or simply as “Eden” to some. From what I can tell, this Goddess of theirs wasn’t just some metaphor. I’ve seen top-secret files that contain evidence that proves She actually existed.
Friday 10:11 pm
MONICA: Are you serious??
Friday 10:11 pm
ECHO: Absolutely
Friday 10:11 pm
MONICA: But I don’t understand what that has to do with me?
Friday 10:11 pm
ECHO: From what I’ve read about the “Goddess” I don’t think that she was an actual a deity. She was extremely powerful but in actuality she was just an extra-dimensional being that was able to assume a physical form in our dimension by way of an ancient ritual performed by the Anokians
Friday 10:12 pm
MONICA: Dumb that down for me please…
Friday 10:14 pm
ECHO: She comes from a place that exists outside of our universe… a completely different plane of existence. The problem is, in her native universe the concept of a physical form doesn’t exist. In order to survive in our universe she needs a vessel, a human host that is willing to take her in.
Savior Part 2: Son of Eden (The Savior Series) Page 10