“Get on your feet!” I heard Scarlett yell somewhere above me. “He has the advantage.”
Screaming with fear and frustration, I tried to recall the basics of sword fighting taught by the archangel Hazell, but my mind grew hazy as the enemy’s sword pricked my upper arm. Pain blazed through me, and I barely parried the next jab. From my position on the ground, I watched his fiery sword arch upwards, and I knew I was done for. I closed my eyes and said a quick prayer.
“Jolene, honey, open your eyes.”
My eyes popped open with surprise and joy at Granny Tucker’s voice, and the sweet scent of Grandpa’s pipe tobacco. With renewed determination and vigor, I met the imp’s attack with a fiery slash. The blow sent him spinning back through the air, giving me time to stagger to my feet and waft up to the first branch on a leafy holly tree. Through the prickly leaves, I watched with awe and admiration as Scarlett slashed a wide, blistering path through a legion of imps. Screams and cries filled the air as she slashed through dark wings and scattered the enemy. An eerie shriek seemed to hang in the thick night air before they retreated beyond the edge of trees bordering Sixth Avenue.
The back porch light flicked on, the screen door opened and Billie Jo and Roddy stepped out. “I’m telling you, Roddy, I heard a commotion out here. Get your flashlight and see if the neighbor’s tomcat is on the prowl again. I definitely heard a scream.”
“Damn cat,” Roddy growled. “I think it’s time we get a dog. That’ll put an end to his nightly invasions.”
From my perch behind a screen of leaves, I watched Roddy go back into the house, leaving Billie Jo silhouetted in the pool of light. She held onto the porch rail and gazed out into the backyard. Her cap of blonde hair shimmered under the bright light, and I could almost feel the tension and sadness emanating from her when she touched her stomach and sighed.
Scarlett joined me on the branch. “They’ve gone for now, but they’ll be back with reinforcements. Are you okay?”
I tried to move my stiff arm. “Not really. But I’ll live,” I added with a laugh. “However, you were magnificent. You make one hell of a warrior. I’m surprised Heaven hasn’t made better use of your talents.”
She sheathed her sword. “Thanks, Claiborne. I wish I could say the same for you. Pitiful. Just pitiful.”
I was too humiliated to be insulted. “I prefer pistols to swords.”
The screen door opened and closed with a bang, and a flashlight beam swept the yard. “I don’t see anything,” Roddy’s voice rang out.
“Check along the fence and in the trees,” Billie Jo directed. “He likes the holly tree. God, only knows why. The leaves are stiff and prickly. Stupid cat.”
The beam of light brushed the branches of the tall evergreen. “Nothing in the trees or along the fence, sweetie.” The beam snapped off. “Whatever you heard is gone now. C’mon, let’s go to bed. I’m bushed.”
“You go on without me,” Billie Jo said. “I’m going to call Becky for an update. She’s staying the night at the hospital.”
“Becky will call if there’s any change, honey. We’ve been there most of the day. You need your rest. The baby…”
“I know what you’re going to say, Roddy,” Billie Jo’s voice echoed with sarcasm. “I’ve heard it a thousand times from you and everyone else. Give it a rest, won’t you?”
The screen door banged shut on his answer.
“What now?” Scarlett arched her back and stretched her arms high above her head. The top she wore outlined her enormous store-bought boobs.
I looked away and massaged my stiff arm. “We wait for Lilith. I have a feeling it’s not gonna be long.”
“Are you up for another fight with that arm and ankle injury?”
“Would you like to do this on your own?”
“Not hardly.”
“Well, then, I’m all you’ve got. Any suggestions?”
“Only one.”
“And that is?”
“Start praying because we haven’t a snowball’s chance in Hell of beating the enemy.”
“Do you think Heaven will hear us?”
“I don’t know, but it doesn’t hurt to try.”
I bowed my head and sent a heartfelt prayer heavenward. When I lifted my head, it was to find Scarlett’s curious gaze glued on me.
“Well?” she asked. “Get any answers?”
“Only one.”
“Care to share with your BFF?”
“Yeah. Fight like hell because here she comes!” I had barely gotten the words out of my mouth when, from across the street, a bank of thunderclouds rolled in with a rising gale that whipped the tops of the trees. The streetlights flickered, then went out, plunging the neighborhood into darkness.
All hell broke loose with one mighty roar in the form of a flash of lightning, and the boom of thunder. Freaked out, I toppled from the branch and landed on the ground with my sword still in its sheath. From above I heard Scarlett flutter crazily into the air and her scream of fury at being taken by surprise. Moments later, she fell from the sky and lay crushed and bent beside me.
I looked up at a hellish sight. The air was filled with roaring, fluttering wings as Lilith and her demon gang swirled around us, imprisoning us in their tight circle. In only moments, we were caught. They began to cheer and boast, their talons clicking their applause.
The streetlights came on. Lilith lifted my chin with her sharp talon, so I was staring into her red, gleaming, lust-filled eyes. “So you still want to fuck with me? Give up, Jolene. You can’t defeat me.” She cast her glance to the light shining in one of the upstairs windows. “Soon, he will be mine, and there will be no one to stop me.”
The hoard of demons crackled with glee, their green eyes burning with fire, and I swung my gaze from them to the master bedroom window, and I knew as soon as the light was extinguished, Lilith would strike.
****
The night grew colder with each passing second in the enemy’s clutches. Scarlett had finally roused and now sat compressed between two massive demon warriors. Her face reflected my bitterness and despair. Our swords had been confiscated and were propped against the trunk of a holly tree—approximately ten feet between us and a dozen triumphant imps just waiting for their turn to harass us.
For all intents and purposes, we were finished—defeated—with no hope of rescue. My prayer for help from above remained unanswered. Even the moon had retreated behind a thick, broiling thundercloud, turning the night sky slightly green. All eyes were fastened on Lilith, who in turn, had her lusty gaze fixed on the upstairs window.
Five minutes passed in slow agony while my brain searched for a way out of our predicament. My thoughts jumbled. Nothing came to mind. Roddy’s silhouette crossed the window. Lilith tensed, her beastly face grew tight and smug as her mouth stretched into a fang-bearing grin. The demons poked one another in fiendish delight as their leader drooled with anticipation.
The window plunged into darkness as the light extinguished. A mutter ran through the ranks, then Lilith shot into the night sky and dropped onto the roof and disappeared from sight. The demon gang went wild with celebration. Laughing with sinful drunkenness, they rolled and punched one another, each punch sending the group further into a mad frenzy. Wisps of rancid yellow breath blew out in hisses and grunts and profanity through jagged fangs.
Scarlett and I exchanged knowing looks but kept silent. I motioned my head toward our swords leaning against the holly tree. She nodded, and together we launched ourselves away from the group of tangled demons and scooped up our swords. With a twisted flop, I dove upward and immediately crashed to the ground and rolled into the tin garbage cans beside the garage. The sound exploded into the silent night. Dogs began barking and howling at the sudden noise.
Scarlett spun around and dove into the swirling mass of demons with her sword blazing. Screams and cries erupted as the demons fled her fiery blade. The group scattered and retreated as before. Atop the clanging garbage cans, I watched Billie Jo rus
h out the screen door and onto the back porch. Seeing my chance, I fluttered back into hiding.
“What the hell is going on out here?” she yelled into the darkness. “Roddy! Roddy! Get your ass down here with your gun. That damn tomcat is back.”
Upstairs, the master bedroom light switched on to display Roddy’s silhouette in the lighted window. From the roof came a blast of black light, its dark wings whirring as it shot upward and over the tree line.
“Well, that takes care of Lilith for the night,” Scarlett boasted as she settled down beside me on the branch of the holly tree. “That was a brilliant plan, Jolene. Diving into those garbage cans and waking the neighborhood dogs.” She chuckled. “Roddy won’t be dreaming any time soon. Boy, Billie Jo’s worked up.”
“I didn’t do it on purpose,” I admitted with a lopsided smile. “I’m a ghostly klutz, and my shoulder is out of whack. I could use a massage.”
She sheathed her sword. “Can’t help you with that, but what do you say we head back to headquarters? I’ve earned a little R&R.”
“Agreed. Let’s leave before Billie Jo gets her gun and starts shooting at imaginary cats.”
Exhausted but exhilarated by our victory, Scarlett and I left Billie Jo and Roddy searching the backyard for the tomcat and flew back to Dixieland Salon where a note from Deena took up space on the facial room counter. Sam Bradford was back in Whiskey Creek, and they both were headed for the hospital.
****
With my heart lodged firmly in my throat, I sank down through the hospital ceiling in my astral form and spied Deena hunched over the back of a chair in a troubled slumber, and my daughter Becky stretched out on the sofa with her eyes closed. I knew she wasn’t sleeping by her restless movements. I allowed my gaze to stay with her for several more seconds before I shifted my attention to the tall, handsome man pacing the ICU waiting room like a caged tiger in a zoo.
Samuel Bradford. Here at last. I felt dizzy with relief and approached cautiously. I doubted he could pick up on my spiritual presence, and I suspected his ability to detect spirits had vanished the instant Vanessa van Allen, and Careen Halsey’s double homicide case had been solved. (One of my misadventures better told elsewhere.)
No, he hadn’t changed, but I had. After this latest mishap, I now saw the error of my ways and was ready to embrace a more sedate lifestyle. Learn to smell the roses along the way. To let go of everyone and everything. To let life unfold and live fearlessly.
Like Scarlett. She was so much more than I ever imagined. A true heroine fashioned for a rousing romantic tale. Flawed, yet courageous. Beautiful and faithful. She’d risked her position in Heaven to come to my aid. Her death marked the beginning of our friendship, and I now counted her as my best friend.
Deena moaned and lifted her head. “What time is it?”
“After midnight,” Bradford replied in his husky voice. “When do you suppose they’ll let me in to see Jolene? I’m tired of waiting.”
Deena rose to her feet to arch her back. “I’m not sure, Sam, but it shouldn’t be much longer. The nurse said they were changing a defective IV machine.”
Becky rolled over and opened her eyes and sat up. “I’m going down to the cafeteria for coffee and give call Jacob a quick call and check on Hannah. Can I bring you guys a cup of coffee?”
“None for me, Becky,” Deena said.
“Thanks, but no,” Bradford echoed the same.
“I’ll be back in fifteen minutes or so, Aunt Deena.” Becky grabbed her purse and left the waiting room.
“I’m glad she’s gone,” Bradford said to Deena as soon as Becky disappeared down the hall. “I didn’t want to discuss this in front of her, but after I visit with Jolene, I’m driving over to the police station. I want to speak with the detectives on the case, and see what they have to say about the hospital security videos. First thing, tomorrow morning, I’m going to pay Lilith Lacewell a visit and get a few answers. You’re sure about her threats to Jolene?”
“I’m sure, Sam. There was something bad going on between those two. Jolene told us that Lilith wasn’t who she presented herself to be.”
“Anything else?”
Deena shifted uncomfortably, and I could see doubt enter her eyes, so I drifted over to her side and pinched her upper arm to alert her to my presence. She jumped at my touch, gave a yelp, and then gushed, “Yes. Jolene suspected Lilith was out for Roddy.” She slowly surveyed the waiting room.
I gave her another pinch. Airhead. That’s not enough motive for attempted murder.
Bradford reacted as I suspected he would. “That’s not enough motive for attempted murder, Deena. The police will need more to bring her in for questioning. Let’s hope there’s some evidence on the security tapes of her being in the hospital at the time of the incident.”
A nurse entered the waiting room. “Mr. Bradford, you may come in now. But only for a few minutes.” Bradford grabbed up his hat from the chair and followed her down the hall to the double doors.
Although I wanted to speak with Deena, I knew this wasn’t the time or place, and besides, I wanted to be present when he visited me. I twisted the silver thread around my finger as I trailed behind him to my glass-enclosed unit. The nurse left him at the door, and he went inside and up to my bed which was surrounded by beeping machines. He set his Stetson on the bed and clasped my hand in his.
“Hey, Claiborne, it’s me, Sam.” His deep, resilient voice broke. “You sure know how to get a fella’s attention.” He dashed a tear from his cheek. “C’mon, now, girl. Open those magnificent brown eyes and tell this ole cowboy you’re ready to get up from this bed and hitch a ride out West. C’mon, Jolene, I know you can hear me. Give me a sign. Squeeze my hand, or better yet, open your eyes.”
I drifted to his side and said in my loudest voice, “I’m here, Sam. Right here. At your side. Listen with your heart.” I laid my hand on the hand over mine on the bed. “I hear you. I hear you.”
He paused for a fraction of a second, and looked over his shoulder at the empty room, and then back down at my still body. “Jolene, listen to me, sweetie. I want you to fight with all the tenacity and stubbornness I’ve grown to love about you. I never should’ve left here without you, I know that now, and I regret not paying more attention to your reason for staying, for not giving you more time to work out your family’s problems. I admire your unending love and devotion to them, and I shouldn’t have been so hard with you. Perhaps if I’d stayed through Deena’s wedding, I could’ve stopped this tragedy.”
Seeing his distress, I willed my hand to move, but again, my body refused to respond to my commands. Desperate to show some sign of life, I willed myself back into my body. A jolt of electricity shot through me as spirit and body reconnected. Major mistake. Unbearable pain ripped through me as I fully inhabited my physical form, and I instinctively knew I had only a second or two before my spirit would flee the burning agony.
The machines attached to my physical form let out several beeps, and I concentrated all of my willpower and energy to the hand clasped in Bradford’s. It wasn’t much, but it flinched a tiny fraction.
Feeling the movement, Bradford grasped my hand just as my spirit slipped free of its physical confines. “I knew you could hear me, Claiborne.” He lifted my hand to his lips. “That’s my girl. C’mon, do it again. Let’s prove these doctors wrong.”
I watched for five further minutes as he tried to coax another response from my lifeless body kept alive by the various connected machines and IV’s. Finally, he seemed to give up and placed my limp hand back on the covers.
“You listen up, Claiborne. I’ve got to go to work and find the person or persons responsible for your being here, but I’ll be back real soon.” His voice rang with certainty. “You hang in there, sweetie, and keep fighting the good fight, and let me take care of the rest.”
He placed a lingering kiss on my lips, grabbed his Stetson from the bed and settled it on his head, and with one last determined glance, he strode from
the room.
Chapter Eighteen
Rock Around The Clock
The Whiskey Creek police station was housed in a squat, two-story red brick building near the historic district and downtown. I’d hitched a ride on the back bumper of Bradford’s rented sedan from the hospital, and as we pulled into the deserted front parking, I noticed Chief Nichols police cruiser parked in his spot.
Bradford killed the engine and swung out of the driver’s door. I followed in his wake up the stairs and through the front glass door to the front desk where a young male officer looked up and smiled at his approach. Officer Ralph Middleton, his badge read.
“Why if it isn’t Detective Sam Bradford,” he said, rising to his feet. “I didn’t expect to see you again for a long time. What brings you back to these neck of the woods so soon?”
The two men shook hands. Bradford produced his badge. “It’s Police Chief Bradford, now, and I’m here about the Claiborne case. It’s rather important, and I’d like to have a word with the Chief if he’s in.”
“He’s here, all right. Sometimes I wonder if the man ever goes home. Give me a minute, and I’ll see if he’s awake.”
The officer disappeared down the hall. Several minutes passed before he returned and gave Bradford the go-ahead.
“He’s as ornery as a grizzly bear in mating season, Sam, so watch out. You picked a mighty bad time for a visit. He’s still sore at your leavin’. Said so, too. Added a few choice words that made my ears turn red. Maybe you might want to come back after he’s had a long nap and a substantial breakfast.”
“Sorry, Ralph, no time for naps and breakfast. I need answers. Good seeing you again.” Bradford tipped his hat and strode down the hall to the chief’s office. He rapped on the door and received a prompt answer.
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