“We ditched the Land Rover when we arrived. The Six saw us in it, so we don’t want them to track us,” Uriel explained.
Gabriel joined us outside as a large van pulled up to drive us to the airport. “Put these on,” he said, handing me sunglasses.
I took them from him. “Why?”
“Your face is drawing attention. The less of that we have, the better.”
“All right.” I placed the dark shades over my eyes. “Do you have something to cover my neck too?”
He handed me a travel pillow. “When you can’t use this, I suggest you wear a hoodie.” He handed me a black pullover with the word “Johannesburg” printed across the chest.
“You think of everything, don’t you?”
“I try. None of this is guaranteed to distract people from staring, but at least it will minimize it.”
Our hustle and haste through the airport was a result of the angels’ overprotectiveness. After being attacked, the four of them were on high alert. Since I was slightly woozy from the pain medication, I didn’t mind their behavior much. Besides, being escorted to the first class cabin by four intimidating angels made me feel like someone important. It also prevented anyone with curious minds and prying eyes from asking questions.
Settling into my seat, I pulled my hood over my head and placed the travel pillow behind my neck. Although I insisted on continuing our journey, I had to admit to myself—if no one else—that I was still in pain. For that reason, I curled up against the window, shut my eyes, and fell into oblivion, needing sleep once more.
Gabriel gently nudged me awake when we landed for our layover. We had the perfect amount of time to stretch our legs and for me to eat. When we finally arrived in Tokyo, I felt much better.
We waited in line at customs, and when the attendee called for the next traveler, I strode up to the desk and handed the officer my passport. As I slipped my hood down, he peered at the picture, then looked at me.
“Glasses,” he said, indicating I needed to take them off.
I removed the sunglasses and bared my wounded face to the man. His eyes widened.
“How did you get those injuries?”
I certainly didn’t anticipate that question. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the angels had successfully cleared customs. Having noticed my hold-up, they were visibly anxious.
Not wanting to cause a scene, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “I’m a fighter.”
The attendant stared at me. “Like UFC?”
“Yes,” I lied.
“Those are some bad bruises,” he remarked, stamping my passport and sliding it back.
“You should see the other guy.” I grabbed it from him fast, and the officer laughed as I walked through the partial gateway.
“Everything all right?” Gabriel asked.
I slid the sunglasses back on. “Yep.”
They all relaxed, and we continued on our way. When we arrived at the hotel, we all reconvened in the living space of our suite once we’d settled in.
“So, who do you think is located here?” I asked, making myself comfortable on the couch.
“We think it might be Jophiel,” Gabriel said, handing me the room service menu.
“He is an angel of art,” Gabriel continued. “It makes sense for him to utilize his skill here, since Tokyo is one of the largest cultural art centers of the world.”
“True, but what about Rome?” I asked.
“Jophiel’s skill and specialization would be best placed here in Asia rather than Europe,” Raphael said.
“Fair enough. Where should we go to search for him?”
“That’s the problem. There are many museums and archives within the city,” he explained.
“We’ll have to ask around again,” Zadkiel said. “Or we visit the largest museums and see if he’s there.”
“That will take time.” Gabriel shook his head. “Something we don’t have much of. I don’t want to be caught off-guard again, and wandering around Tokyo will certainly alert the fallen to our presence.”
“Gabriel, we can’t stop taking chances now,” Uriel said.
“I know,” he replied. “But, Jordan—”
“Oh, here we go,” I said, placing the menu on the coffee table. “What are you worried about now?”
“We can’t have you out in the open.”
“You’re confining me to the hotel room? That doesn’t make any sense. Besides, don’t you think Satan will have to regroup before he sends his henchmen to come find us again?”
“Most likely.” Gabriel nodded.
“Then stop worrying,” I said. “I’m going to be fine. I’m also going with you. There’s no way I’m about to be holed up in here.”
Gabriel opened his mouth to protest.
“If I’m not around, which one of you will wear the backpack?” My question was met with silence. “Exactly. And how are you supposed to convince Jophiel to come with us if I, the sign you’ve all been waiting for, am not there?”
“He has a point,” Zadkiel said.
“I know he does.” Gabriel was agitated, yet he knew my words were true. “Fine,” he said with a sigh. “But at the first sign of trouble, you’re back here, confined to the hotel room.”
“Okay.” I said with a grin.
After eating my meal, the angels decided we should rest for the day and start looking for Jophiel tomorrow. When the morning arrived, we hit the streets of Tokyo and began to travel about the city from one museum to another. By the afternoon, we had already been to four locations with no luck.
“Are you sure it’s Jophiel we need to be looking for?” I wondered.
They all glanced at me skeptically, as if telling me they knew best. I’d never met Jophiel before, but angels weren’t always right. At least, I didn’t think they were.
“What about the Archives?” Zadkiel asked. “It’s one of the largest cultural buildings in the entire city.”
“We can try it,” Gabriel said.
We walked to the National Archives of Japan since a cab was too small to fit us. On our excursion, we passed lots of people hurrying to and fro about their day. The aromas of different Japanese foods floated on the air, and we heard the occasional honk of a horn and caught snippets of conversation from passersby. About thirty minutes into our walk, I realized the Archives were further than expected. I struggled to keep up with the angels, and since we didn’t seem threatened by The Six at the moment, I was unsure why Gabriel set such a quick pace. Every part of my feet hurt, no matter how I adjusted my stride, and my ankle was throbbing again since I obviously hadn’t given it enough time to heal. I slowed down when I felt myself start to limp. Bracing against the side of a random building, I took a rest.
The angels continued up the street, not noticing I’d stopped.
Though I was getting sick of wearing the backpack, I cherished it now as it propped me up against the concrete wall. Lowering my head, I sighed because I knew I had to move to catch up.
Suddenly, a glint of silver streaked past my head and landed with a crack in the wall behind me. Eyes wide, I looked up to find a metal throwing discus with razor-sharp edges lodged in the place where my head would have been.
What the…?
Across the street, an incoming horde of what I presumed to be demons scrambled down the sidewalk. Cursing the monstrous little creatures, I dragged myself up and full-out sprinted.
24
Jordan
Tokyo, Present Day
“Run!” I yelled as I approached the angels.
Abruptly, they turned around, weapons at the ready. I ran through the middle of their ranks and kept going. They held their ground.
“What are you doing?”
“Killing these bastards,” Uriel shouted. He made the sign of the cross and sought forgiveness for his “swear” word. Then, he produced his small crossbow from some hidden holster concealed by his jacket and reached down to pull three bolts out of his boot. Quickly, he lo
aded the weapon and launched arrows into the amassing horde, hitting his mark.
“Jordan, listen to me,” Gabriel said, approaching my side. “You need to get to the Archives. We’ll be right behind you, but we have to hold them off to give you a head start.”
“It won’t be a big one,” Raphael said.
“Why not?” Gabriel turned to his brother.
“That’s why.” Zadkiel pointed to the figure emerging from the horde.
Gabriel stiffened. Grabbing me by the shoulders, he pushed me on. “Go!” he shouted.
I didn’t hesitate and started running in the direction of the Archives. I’d never seen any of them so tense before, and the sudden change frightened me.
The building loomed ahead. I ran out in the middle of the road, dodging cars and shouting my apology to drivers who cursed in Japanese and honked their horns. These people didn’t understand the gravity of the situation, and I was sure if they knew Satan had just graced the Earth, they’d be running in front of cars too. At least, I presumed it was Satan. Nothing else would set the angels on edge like that.
Having crossed to the other side of the street, I realized the Archives were situated at the back of a park. Weaving around people on the sidewalk, I finally made it to the entrance and approached the automatic doors. They slid open, and I ran in toward the information desk.
“I’m looking for Jophiel,” I blurted in a rush.
The woman at the front desk frowned, clearly not recognizing the name.
Realizing my mistake, I tried again. “Sorry. I’m looking for someone by the name Jo—” I paused, not sure what name to give.
“You mean, Mr. Crane?” the woman asked. “Jo Crane?”
“Yes,” I said. “It’s a family emergency.”
Screams erupted from outside. Curious, the woman ignored me and went to the front door to peer through the glass. With alarm, she came running back to her desk, picking up the phone and speaking quickly in Japanese. After hanging up, she and some security guards began to secure the doors and windows.
“Wait, wait!” I shouted as they approached the front door. “What are you doing?”
“Lockdown,” the woman replied.
“No!” I tried to stop her.
The security guards drew their batons.
I raised my hands in the air. “I mean no harm. I just need to find Jo, and I can’t be locked in here,” I explained.
The guards did not back off.
Hands still raised, I glanced over my shoulder. Outside, a battle raged on the street in front of the Archives. My four angelic friends were fighting the demons, slaying them easily and quickly. The wicked beasts were merely a distraction as The Six closed in. Each of my friends took on two at a time, effortlessly fighting them like pros.
However, a lone figure advanced toward the doors.
I had never seen him before. From a distance, I could tell that he was dressed in all-black, from the boots on his feet to his long jacket. Underneath, he wore a pair of dress pants and a button-up shirt, the top few buttons open to reveal the small red scar below his collarbone and the glint of a chain. I could clearly see the skulls tattooed on his hands and the rings on his fingers. His hair was dark as well, and he was taller than Gabriel, if that was even possible.
Deep down, I knew he was Satan. What I didn’t know was how we were going to get out of here, all of us, alive.
“Put your arms behind your back,” the guards demanded.
Turning my attention away from the door, I faced them. “Please, just wait. They could make it inside.” After the words came out, I realized I was hoping for the angels to advance closer so they could enter the building before it was locked down. That way, we would all be inside safe, away from the fallen.
The guards weren’t tolerating me anymore. One moved closer, his baton prepared to strike. I closed my eyes and braced for the impact.
“Stop!” someone shouted.
I opened my eyes and saw an Asian man advancing toward us. He had black hair and light brown eyes, and a goatee covered his face. His height seemed comparable to Zadkiel’s.
“Jophiel?” I said hesitantly.
“How do you know my name?”
“Gabriel told me. I’m Jordan—I was sent to find you. Please, they need your help.”
“I know. That’s why I came down.” He strode past me, through the door, and joined in the fray, wielding a pair of handheld weapons with three metal prongs coming out from each hilt.
The guards stared pointedly. Dropping my hands, I went to leave, but the woman stopped me by placing a hand on my arm.
“You should stay inside. It’s not safe out there.”
Her offer was tempting. I had no idea how this would end. But I knew I couldn’t leave the angels alone, so I smiled at her kindness and walked through the door.
Immediately, they were locked and secured.
Not entirely sure what to do, I ran over to a pillar and hid behind it. I was trying to think of a plan when things grew eerily quiet. Peeking around my stone shield, I saw Gabriel restrained by two of the fallen as Satan held a sword to his throat.
“No!” I shouted, leaping out from behind the pillar.
“Ah, there’s the boy,” Satan remarked. “Give me the bag, or he dies.”
“Jordan, don’t listen to him,” Gabriel pleaded.
Satan put more pressure on the blade, issuing a small stream of blood from his throat. Gabriel grimaced but remained unmoved by the threat.
I stepped forward, not entirely sure what to do but knowing I had to perform some action so Gabriel wasn’t vanquished right before my eyes.
Satan smiled. “Good boy.”
“I’m not a dog, you know?” I responded, slowly advancing toward them.
“I know.”
“Then stop treating me like one.”
“Well,” he conceded, “then I guess I should treat you like the vermin you are.” He moved so fast I had no time to react. A glint of metal sped through the air, a dagger closing the distance between us until it met its mark and lodged itself in my right shoulder.
Winded, I fell on the pavement and remained in a kneeling position with my left hand braced in front of me. Pain seared through my arm, and I gasped in shock.
“Does that feel better?” Satan teased.
Gabriel struggled against his captors.
“Oh, we made him angry,” Satan jested.
“Samael, you rotten—”
“Don’t call me that!”
Everything happened in slow-motion. Satan’s henchmen pushed Gabriel to the ground. They retreated into the background as Satan raised his sword to strike. The blade made its sweeping arc downward. There was a swift breeze and a rustle of feathers. The resounding clang of metal against metal tore reality back into real time.
A kneeling figure pushed forward against the shield that had rescued Gabriel, sending Satan backward. Before the devil could advance, a longsword came flying at him, wielded by a blond-haired, blue-eyed angel I had yet to meet. He matched Satan in height and conveyed a strength yet to be seen by any of the others. While they were all deft fighters, this one looked like he was created for it.
The demons and The Six were distracted by the sudden appearance of this new angel, so the others managed to free themselves from their captors, resuming the fight against the fallen as Gabriel made his way to me. I could tell the arrival of the mysterious figure meant something, since the demon horde retreated, and Satan was clearly taken aback.
“Retreat!” one of the fallen shouted.
Loud claps like the sound of thunder filled the air. Instantly, the fallen forces vanished into the Earth.
Sudden silence filled our surroundings. From my kneeling position, I kicked my legs out in front of me and sat down. Gabriel was saying something, but his words were muted. I clutched my shoulder and groaned in pain. The ringing in my ears wouldn’t stop.
The others joined us.
Aggravated and uncomfortable, I rel
eased my arms from the backpack and cried out since the weapon was still lodged in my shoulder. Raphael assisted in taking the backpack off and handed it to Uriel, who slipped it onto his back. Tearing at my hoodie, he ripped off strips of cloth to tie around my wound, securing the blade in place and easing the flow of blood.
I tore the sunglasses off with my good arm and tried to focus on what they were saying, but the ringing in my ears grew worse, and I did my best to indicate this was the problem.
Gabriel nudged Raphael aside and placed his hands over my ears, closing his eyes.
The image of a violin came to mind, and suddenly, a high-strung crescendo crashed through my senses. Disoriented, I found myself yelling—in agony or frustration, I wasn’t sure. I realized Gabriel had found his way into my head, and I could hear again.
“What happened?” I asked.
“It’s all right, Jordan.” Gabriel placed a hand on my good shoulder. “The fallen claps of thunder can hinder human senses. You needed the sounds of the blessed to restore your hearing.”
“You went inside my head?”
“Yes, I have the ability to convey messages that way.”
I leaned my head back and groaned. “This type of thing would be good to know about before you do it.”
“Sorry.”
Jophiel started to ask questions, but I wasn’t paying attention. The unknown angel, our rescuer, was striding toward us with his shield and sword in hand.
Gabriel noticed his presence without turning to look. “It’s about time you showed up.”
“A simple thank-you would suffice,” the angel bantered, sheathing his sword and placing the shield at his feet.
Gabriel beamed and stood to face him. They grasped forearms in a sign of brotherhood, camaraderie, and welcome.
“Thank you,” Gabriel said with great intensity.
The angel shrugged it off. “I’m glad to help.” He looked directly at me. “You’ve got yourself in a mess of trouble, Conway.”
“You know who I am?”
“Yes. I’m a private investigator. Did some research on you before I arrived.”
The Genesis of Seven Page 19