by Lynn Emery
“You’ll have it my dear. A change of plans. We’ll take the child. Dispose of the rest. Unfortunate for you, but ah well. Into each life some rain must fall,” Barbatos said to Jennifer and his lieutenant.
“Yes, sir,” the lieutenant barked back.
Barbatos faced LaShaun, Frank and Cee-Cee. “The child is young, raw clay ready to be molded in the hands of our skilled artists of wickedness. She’ll grow up knowing the true nature of man, and how the world should be. In due time, she’ll lead her own army. An epic battle against her own mother. What do you humans say? Ah, yes. Now that’s something I would pay to see. But of course I won’t have to. I’ll have a front row seat.”
“I won’t let you take my daughter,” Chase shouted. He batted away one rifle pointed at him.
“Chase, no!” LaShaun started to run to him, but Frank and Val yanked her back.
“They’ll kill you both while Ellie watches,” Val said.
“She’s absolutely right you know,” Jennifer said, her mouth twisted into a smile.
Barbatos brushed off the front of his uniform as if preparing for a parade or television interview. “This has been an entertaining exercise if nothing else. However…”
“Sir?” The female soldier blinked hard, her head tilted to the ceiling.
“Don’t interrupted me,” Barbatos snapped without looking at her. He started to go on, but then his ugly mouth hung open. The leathery skin of his forehead creased as he frowned. At the sound of a rumble that seemed to come from the walls, he glanced at his lieutenant. “I see you called for more soldiers. Not necessary since we outplayed these humans with such ease.”
“Uh, I didn’t bring in more troops, sir.” The lieutenant looked around at the other members of their squad. All shook their heads no.
Barbatos snorted. “Then I’ll personally deal with any TEA members insane enough to think—”
A loud boom made the floor beneath their feet vibrate. LaShaun’s mind swirled with confusion for several seconds. Then she realized the force came from outside her efforts. She’d been too distracted by terror for her family to concentrate.
“Look!” A police officer pointed up.
The cross glowed brighter by the second. Artifacts on display rattled when thunder rolled as if a mighty storm brewed. Two huge oak doors blew open with a crash. Chase stood, his frightened gaze glued to Ellie. LaShaun held her breath when he pushed past one officer. But none of them moved. All seemed unable to look away from the cross, despite the dazzling light that became painful. Some cried out as they struggled to move, but couldn’t.
“Don’t.” Jennifer reached into a pocket of her jeans, and pulled a knife. She put it to Ellie’s throat.
“Chase, she won’t hurt Ellie. They need her too much,” LaShaun yelled, but another deafening clap of thunder drowned out her voice.
Barbatos grabbed the nearest soldier. He shoved the brawny man as if he weighed nothing. “Get out there and stop whatever is happening. Move you idiots!”
The ambitious female soldier took up the call. “You heard him. Go, go.”
LaShaun fought to stay on her feet as the entire museum seemed to sway. Chase stumbled until he fell on all fours. Still he crawled with great effort toward Ellie and Jennifer. Ellie looked oddly placid amid the upheaval boiling around her. She placed a tiny palm on Jennifer’s forehead. Seeing the lieutenant distracted, LaShaun ran to Chase. She crouched and put her mouth to his right ear.
“Move only on my signal.” LaShaun squeezed his shoulder hard to make sure she got his attention.
Chase managed to tear his relentless gaze away from their daughter. “You know what’s happening?”
With a nod, LaShaun put as much reassurance as possible into her gaze. Though in truth LaShaun didn’t fully understand, but rather felt a shift of the balance of forces in play. Then she glanced back at the demon general. His massive head swung from them to Ellie. His snake-like eyes widened with what would pass for alarm in a human. His slash of a mouth formed a wide circle as he tried to warn Jennifer. Too late.
Jennifer’s mouth worked, but LaShaun couldn’t hear her over the bedlam. The Mexican policemen’s shrieks did come through. LaShaun turned to find them shaking violently, blood flowed from their eyes. Some attempted to pray for mercy. Then they suddenly jerked into movement, as though released from invisible ropes that had bound them. The men crashed into each other in a mad dash for the doors. They skidded to a halt. When LaShaun whirled to the double doors, her breath caught. Jonah stood at the apex of a triangle of others lined up behind him. All seven youngsters lured in or taken by Legion followed him, their smooth faces as grim as battle-ready adults. Jonah stopped. He stared at LaShaun. Her mind opened up and images flashed. Calm certainty engulfed her. She raised her arms to the sky. First Jonah, and then the other children followed her lead. The cross transformed into a spinning star.
“Stop the bitch!” The female soldier screamed as she pointed at LaShaun.
Another soldier lifted his rifle. Everything, everyone around her, moved in stop action sequences. Sound became muffled as if cotton had been stuffed in both her ears. LaShaun watched the big man lift the rifle and train it at her head. A Colt Close Quarters Battle Receiver, she mused. She turned her head to watch Chase. Still on his knees, he reached out an arm as if that would bring Ellie to him. LaShaun’s gaze slowly traveled along his arm to Ellie. Their daughter’s hand seemed attached to Jennifer’s forehead. A glow surrounded it. The woman’s mouth worked, eyes wide in a silent scream. LaShaun felt a smile inside without knowing why. Then something snapped and the noise came back. The slow action movie sped up.
Chase blinked as if coming out of a daze. He rolled across the marble, sprang to his feet and raced to a Mexican police officer. The man seemed unhinged by fear, shooting wildly. Chase brought him down from behind with a choke hold then with a sharp jerk twisted the man’s head. The policeman went limp in Chase’s arms. Gun in hand, Chase swung to the left and pulled the trigger just as the soldier fired. LaShaun felt as though a powerful fist had punched her. She spun around, stumbled and then felt rage. Violated. Her child, her husband, her friends, her world. Her mind pushed hard until a tongue of white hot energy shot out like a laser. She ran to the female soldier. The woman tried to shoot, but screeched. Smoke came from the big pistol. The woman shook hard, desperate to drop the source of her agony. LaShaun helped her by slapping the gun away. Flesh from the soldier’s hand still clung to the metal. Then LaShaun jumped high, kicked the woman in the chest. Once down, the female soldier scrunched into a half conscious ball.
Barbatos roared in rage across the room. All of El Obispado Museum shook as he took giant steps toward LaShaun across the once sacred space. He batted one of his own soldiers out of the way, tore the head off another man in his path. Jonah and the children stopped fighting. They formed a circle, hands clasped. The remaining soldier tossed away his weapon and ran away. A snake-like rope popped out of nowhere and wrapped around his legs. The man wailed when he fell, and the rope slithered up his body until he couldn’t move.
The star gleaming over their heads formed into a cross again and started a rapid descent. Barbatos skidded to a halt. His size seventeen boots squeaked as he tried to avoid the symbol of redemption. His huge mouth stretched into a wide circle, the dark interior resembling a pit of hell.
“St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in the day of battle,” LaShaun shouted.
“Be our safeguard against the wickedness and the snares of the devil,” Abril added.
“Cast this demon into Hell, and with him all the evil spirits who came to spread their foulness across the world,” Frank shouted.
“Into Hell,” the children chanted. “Into Hell. Into Hell. Into Hell.”
“Amen.” Ellie’s childish voice cut through the air.
An earsplitting clap, like two gigantic hands coming together, shook the world. Barbatos squawked “No” once. Blazing white light blinded them, and everyone covered their eye
s. The demon’s voice echoed then faded away. When LaShaun dropped her hands, only the enormous boots remained. A wisp of muddy brown mist drifted from them but disappeared seconds later.
LaShaun whirled around and looked for Ellie. She gasped when she saw her little girl. Ellie stood next to Chase, who raised his head slowly. When he saw Ellie standing before him, he cried for joy and gathered her in a tight embrace. Ellie giggled as if they’d just gone through an exciting carnival ride.
“Honey, your baby girl is amazing,” Cee-Cee said over LaShaun’s shoulder. “What the hell did she do to Jennifer though?”
“What?” LaShaun could only see her child and husband safe. Everything else had faded out of focus.
Abril and Frank stood next to Cee-Cee. All pointed at the same time. LaShaun glanced in that direction to see Jennifer standing stiff. Her eyes looked glazed, unseeing anything. She blinked slowly.
“Whatever it was, she deserved it,” LaShaun replied and joined her family.
****
Chase went into panic mode again when he saw bloodstains on LaShaun’s field vest. Only then did the pain in her arm set in. For the next three hours, Frank directed his team to clean up the museum. Local TEA operatives made quick work of clearing the area. Manuel and Naldo gave orders in Spanish. A cadre of uncorrupt police arrived soon after. LaShaun allowed an emergency medical tech to examine her wound. Ellie sat close by, her dark eyes clouded with fear. Between reassuring her child, and assuring a worried Chase that she would survive, LaShaun missed most of the action around her. Then she was taken to a local hospital.
The next day, Cee-Cee visited LaShaun. She walked in with a vase full of marigolds. “Girl, you one tough b…” She broke off and glanced at Ellie perched in Chase’s lap.
LaShaun laughed. “I accept the compliment, and thanks for the beautiful flowers.”
“Hey, yellow in honor of the golden symbol that saved all our… all of us,” Cee-Cee finished with a grin. She put the flowers on a table. “How are you feeling today?”
“Like I’ve been fighting demons all night,” LaShaun quipped. Then they both laughed. “How are you?”
“Every inch of me is sore, but I’ll be fine. Nothing some protein and exercise won’t cure.”
“What about the others? I don’t remember seeing Val, but so much hell had broken loose.” LaShaun’s smile faded at the sudden change on Cee-Cee’s face.
“Umm.” Cee-Cee cleared her throat.
Chase stood up when Cee-Cee looked at him, Ellie perched in the crook of his left arm. “Let’s go get you a snack, sweet girl.”
They crossed to both plant kisses on LaShaun’s cheek. LaShaun gave Ellie a wink, and watched them leave. Then she pushed the button that raised her hospital bed. Cee-Cee turned away. When she faced LaShaun again, she swiped her cheeks with a tissue.
“LaShaun, Val didn’t make it out. But she went down fighting.” Cee-Cee choked up. Then she recovered. “She was the best pain-in-the-ass boss ever.”
LaShaun ignored the pain and stiffness to reach out to Cee-Cee with her uninjured arm. They clasped hands. “I agree, honey. A tough loss. Ernesto?”
Cee-Cee cleared her throat. “He’s coming along fine. Complaining that he’ll be on medical leave for a while, but he’s doing good all things considered. I broke it to him about Jennifer.”
“Maybe you should have waited?” LaShaun said.
“I had to. Ernesto kept asking about her, and then… we’re all psychics. Said he couldn’t feel her presence and freaked out thinking she’d been killed. So I told him. Not about Val though. When he’s stronger.”
“What did you say about Jennifer? I’m not clear on what’s happened to her.
“Girl, it’s weird. Okay, we’re psychics in a secret organization fighting supernatural bad guys, yada yada. But even vets in TEA have never seen anything like what happened with Ellie. Jennifer is like a wind-up doll with a drained battery. What did your baby girl do to her?” Cee-Cee blinked at LaShaun with an expression of wonder.
“Before all this, I would have said Ellie was your typical toddler. I figured she’d be at least a few years older before there’d be signs of paranormal traits.”
“Yeah, some say it’s really unusual for a kid that young to use paranormal abilities with a goal in mind. She knew what to do, when to do it, and why. Like the old saying, she’s born with an old soul.” Cee-Cee shook her head.
“Yeah, exactly,” LaShaun murmured. A flash image of Monmon Odette, wearing an impish grin appeared in her mind. Then LaShaun dismissed the fanciful notion. “So tell me what’s up with Jennifer.”
“I wanted to whip her ass, but Abril stopped me. Can’t have no fun.” Cee-Cee faked a pout. “Anyway, whatever whammy Ellie put on her has Jennifer’s brain more than a bit scrambled. But she’s talking. Seems she was closer to Kris Evans than she let on. Legion recruited her two years after TEA had done all the background screening. She was slick enough to stay far away from Legion members.”
“Damn, a sleeper,” LaShaun said.
“You can guess that has our R&D team working long hours,” Cee-Cee replied.
“Right. TEA will have to come up with new screening protocols and look at all members again. Learn from how Jennifer pulled it off.” LaShaun rested against the pillows again.
Cee-Cee stood straight. “We’ll get it done. We always do. Val didn’t die for nothing. Ernesto will recover in body and spirit. The fight will go on.”
“The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you,” LaShaun murmured.
“Amen. Not that I went to church on a regular basis, much less Sunday school.” Cee-Cee shrugged when LaShaun looked at her.
“Girl, please,” LaShaun joked.
“Oh, I go now. Well, not every Sunday.” Cee-Cee’s shapely brows went up, a twinkle in her eyes. “Okay, not most Sundays.”
“He can use even the backsliders to do good.”
LaShaun laughed when Cee-Cee winced and grabbed her chest as if in agony. Then they laughed together. The sensation and sound provided healing for them both. They spoke of faith, and Val. Of loyalty and betrayal. Two soldiers in arms who knew more battles lay ahead.
****
Two days of recovery went by fast. Chase moved around like he hadn’t been shot only a few days before. Doctors attributed his quick recovery to youth and how healthy he was before getting shot. LaShaun knew the real reason, healing prayers offered up by the twins. They visited her on their way to the airport.
“Honey, you sure livened up my life for a minute,” Justine said. She fussed about LaShaun’s hospital room, straightening up.
“Lots of action. I’m gonna need a few weeks of doing nothing in between long naps to get over all this drama,” Pauline added. She sat in a chair, her feet propped on the small sofa along one wall. “Where’s your hubby and the sprout?”
“Chase is showing Ellie some of the local culture. You know, art, music, and fun. Since we’re done fighting demons, might as well be tourists,” LaShaun quipped. She wiggled around in the bed to relieve stiffness.
“Let’s get you up and walking.” Pauline said. The retired nurse shifted into professional mode. “Exercise helps blood flow. Even at your age, staying in bed too long isn’t good. Blood clots.”
Minutes later, both women walked on either side of LaShaun down the hallway past other hospital rooms. Both kept a watchful eye to make sure she wouldn’t get dizzy. They kept up a steady stream of gossip while LaShaun concentrated on taking each careful step.
They walked through a bright visiting room and onto a small balcony. At Pauline’s instruction, they made a circuit. The view of the city spread out three stories below. A warm breeze blew, and sunshine lit up the scene before them. It was hard to believe they’d faced the ultimate source of depravity in such a place. Yet evil oozed into even the most idyllic settings. Pauline ordered LaShaun to rest a minute on a nearby bench. She sat nex
t to her. Justine continued to feed her compulsion to check messages on her phone.
Most of her life, LaShaun had felt isolated, an outsider. Worse, shunned. No one to lean on for support but her grandmother. Coming home four years before to bury Monmon Odette had done the opposite of making her alone in the world. LaShaun wondered if her grandmother had instructed the twins and Miss Rose to be her maternal standins. When Pauline spoke, it seemed she’d followed LaShaun’s train of thought.
“We knew of the famous Odette Rousselle, but we never met her. I’m sure she would be so proud of the woman you’ve become.” Pauline nodded as she looked ahead, one hand on LaShaun’s back.
“Yeah, according to Rose, you kick ass and take names just like she did.” Justine never took her gaze from the smartphone she held. She scrolled through texts and occasionally tapped responses.
LaShaun laughed. “Thank you, ma’am. Sorry I didn’t get to say bye to Miss Rose before she flew home. I was on so much medication that I hardly remember our conversation when she visited me a few days ago. I miss her already.”
“I don’t know how. She’s called every hour since her plane touched the runway in Lafayette,” Justine retorted. “Humph, here’s a text right now from her.”
“The ultimate mother hen.” Pauline grinned. “She had to get back to her babysitter duties. Her daughter and son-in-law left for a business trip.”
“Return to life as usual. All the routine stuff like running errands, pulling weeds in the garden, wiping baby bottoms and such. Sounds so wonderful,” LaShaun replied and heaved a deep sigh.
“Yeah.” Pauline nodded in agreement.
“Only until the next time the TEA sends out an alert.”
“Or one of us sniffs supernatural skullduggery in the air,” Justine replied.
LaShaun turned to Pauline and stage whispered, “Did she just say supernatural skullduggery?”
“It’s those damn word game apps,” Pauline stage-whispered back.
“Yeah, that’s exactly what I said. And of course I can hear you.” Pauline turned to face them. She stopped looking at her phone. “My point being, we’re only taking a break from creepy for now. Y’all know the Devil stay busy.”