by Matt Drabble
“What the hell?” was as far as Baine got before another blow struck him heavily from behind he staggered forwards onto his chest he looked up to see the gloomy light eclipsed by all of the remaining group members now all wearing black eyes and evil intentions. Hands and feet rained down with unbelievable strength from the frail pensioner bodies as his world faded out and he fell into the darkness.
CHAPTER VIV
PRIDE AND FALLS
“Bless the LORD, ye His angels, that excel in strength,
that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His word”.
Psalm 103:20
The four figures stood facing each other for the first time in a very long time, the location was a neutral and deserted one, the beach at Barafundle was a shallow cove accessible only by hiking the steep coastal path distance from Stackpole around a mile away, the meeting place was chosen specifically for its isolation away from prying eyes. The small beach was empty save for the soft lashings of the approaching blue tide and the curious seagulls, the men stood, one facing two, six eyes trained for signs of observation from the cliff top greenery, neither side truly trusting the other, the single man was agitated and anxious whilst his two companions appeared serene in their stance.
“Are you sure that you were not followed?” asked Michael, his eyes darted about the horizon
“You know that I would not be” came Azazel’s reply laced with a casual scorn
“You never were careful enough for my liking Azazel, nor you Samyaza, you have no idea as to the ravenous depths to which Gabriel would sink if he discovered me here, unlike you with your leader Lucifer, I have to be perfectly vigilant”
“That shows just what little you understand Michael” Samyaza spoke with a tired edge to his voice that troubled Raphael greatly,
“Unfortunately our meeting here today is a direct result of Gabriel’s fall from grace, he cannot be trusted anymore to act in the best interests of himself or the Order”
“Well, well, the great and the good has slipped from his mighty perch atop the rest of us mere peons” Samyaza laughed with great heart at the news, “That’s why you want to meet us, priceless, what do you want?, our help, is that what this is, you believe that I would be interested in an alliance with you and the Order, I should slit your pitiful throat now that you are weakened”
“Both orders are dead” Michael’s unchallengeable pronouncement stopped Samyaza dead in his triumph mid flow
“You dare to talk to me like one of these meat suits, you dare to pontificate on the future of the Grigori, I would bathe in your desecration” Samyaza spat with venom
Raphael sensed the situation teetering on the edge of unwanted violence and spoke quickly to calm his notoriously volatile brethren,
“It was not at our hands that they will fall brother, not at our hands, it will be the half breed”
“Baine” asked Samyaza incredulously
“It would appear that both Lucifer and Gabriel have their own agendas that lay in direct opposition to our own, they have decided to take matters into his own hands and dispose of our beliefs, it would also appear that Mr Baine is somewhat more resourceful than we first thought, perhaps he is to be considered a genuine player in all of our destinies than we would have been first informed”
The four archangels faced the encroaching oceans lapping waves held in deep thought; they felt no particular pain at the impending loss of the orders, only a need to fill the vacuum of leadership
Samyaza was the first to speak
“So what becomes of us now?”
“We want you to join us, to come back to the word, to return to our true destiny, to rejoin us as brothers and take our place as the rightful rulers of this world” Michael had begun to preach with passion, only the subtle placing of Raphael’s hand allowed him a measure of self control
“And what exactly to we stand to gain from this union? I mean just why exactly should we not tread our own path and gut you like a pig where you stand”
“Because there is a new world coming Samyaza, a new world where you can sit as a king or grovel in the filth with the rest of humanity, Gabriel has lost his faith much like Lucifer, they have been corrupted by the stinking flesh bags of the world and now no longer deserve to walk amongst our ranks, but for you there is still time, join us” Michael gripped his shoulders with powerful fingers that dug into the fragile flesh,
“Stand with us, stand with us as brothers Samyaza, Azazel take your rightful places and together we will combine the Order and the Grigori and watch as humanity kneels and trembles before our feet”
“And what of Baine” asked Azazel, “If he is truly is as dangerous as you presume then we need to eliminate his presence from the board”
“As we speak the half-breed has already been boxed and packaged and lies waiting to be either destroyed or to be wiped clean of independent thought to be used as a weapon at our disposal, I have his book and I will soon have the cube” answered Michael.
Samyaza faced his ancient brothers slowly in turn, “We will stand beside you and we will take our place”
The four beamed as the newly formed alliance brought them together again after all of the centuries of petty conflict had driven wedges between them, the uneasy union’s implications hung heavily in the air as an inevitable air of distrust permeated the moment, they all knew that this moment was as fragile as the combination that they had reformed.
McCullum drove through his small home town with a bitter taste foaming in his mouth; the grey streets were not helped by the turgid weather only adding to the heavy depression that seemed to have settled across his broad shoulders. He had spent the night at a new Travelodge in Pembroke Dock, it appeared a spurious attempt at attracting prosperity to the town but the new building sat lost and lonely amongst its derelict counterparts. The town was typical of many across the UK, with a lack of industry and heavy reliance on the summer tourism trade winters were dire times especially when experienced in the wet weather. McCullum knew that his feelings for the place were obviously soured by his recent parental revelations, he had risen heavily from a restless sleep, his dreams were dark and strange, and images of his father angry and disappointed haunted his mind as the feeling of potential failure scared him deeply. He knew that time was already running preciously short, the betrayer Baine had already managed to elude the authorities as he had made his way west across the country, further evidence as far as McCullum was concerned of the mans wickedness. Gabriel had spoken to him as he slept, urging him onward for the cause, telling him to allow nothing and no-one to stand between him and his prey, he had been blessed with a divine ability to chase down the betrayer and the fate of mankind was ultimately at stake. If the Grigori ever managed to gain control of the Cube then all would be lost and the world would be plunged deep into chaos and despair, the armies of darkness would sweep across the earths realm laying waste to humanity, his father had told him sadly that he may have to sacrifice the few to save the many and McCullum had agreed. He had risen this morning and after ingesting a tasteless breakfast consumed solely for its energy he had exited his soulless accommodation with the full intention of joining the cause with boundless vigor and yet he found himself inexplicably parked outside of his mothers house. The curtains were open even at this early hour, the windows however were obscured by screaming white net curtains with edges ironed so sharply that they could slice you to the bone, despite his mothers advancing age she would never dream of allowing the small front garden to go unkempt. He remembered his childhood in this house as one surrounded by hard working neighbours who lived in the street and took pride in their properties, now however the houses were looking decidedly shabby, gates hung rustily framing overgrown lawns that were slowly swallowing discarded children’s toys. The paint work on most of the houses was peeling pitifully as wood splintered and rotted unchecked, his mothers house was one of only a handful on the street that looked remotely cared for and the only one that stood proudly ab
ove its jealous peers. McCullum was sure that he would turn away and leave any second, continue along with his infinitely more important duties with which he had been entrusted, he was sure of this up until he found himself startled by the clanging bell tone that rang out, he looked down incomprehensively to find his finger on the door bell and the shuffling feet of his mother approaching the door. The small woman’s shape blurred by the frosted glass in the front door reached the entrance and began to fiddle with the lock, the metallic mechanism released its secure grip and the door swung open.
“Brendon” his mother exclaimed in a rare moment of unguarded honesty, “What are you doing here? are you alright? you look pale are you ill?” she crossed herself with a blasphemous crucifix as far as McCullum was concerned.
“Mother, we need to talk” McCullum voice was strong if not quite steady.
His mother stood aside and allowed him access; she closed the door behind him and followed worriedly into the lounge area to find McCullum already seated and looking impatient.
He observed his mother for the first time in many years, she was older and wearier than before, never a large woman she was now stooped with age and wrinkled with time, her hair now completely white without the vanity of colouring.
Mary McCullum sat down beside her son stoutly refusing to give in to the uncertainty that had begun to arise the moment she had opened the door, he seemed strangely distant, his eyes were not his own, she wondered briefly if this was the result on any nefarious substances but quickly drove the idea from her thoughts as any such problems would surely be a failing on her part and that was not acceptable. This was her child and she believed impeccably in her ability as a mother, what ever the problem was she would be able to handle and control the situation; she would surely never have cause to fear her own flesh and blood. He placed a firm hand on her shoulder, his grip was a little too strong and the stab of fear raised its rebellious head once again, she swallowed it hard.
“Brendon, what is this son?” she placed an arthritic hand slowly down on top of his, her swollen knuckles protested at the relatively sudden movement.
“Tell me about my father” his voice was low and alien.
“You know everything that I have to tell you about that man” she spat dismissively, this was her own secret wound, one that had long since put aside and buried deep.
“I think not mother” his hand tightened on her shoulder
“Brendon you’re hurting me” she attempted to strive for a commanding tone but despite her best intentions her voice faltered as the fear finally won her over, “I’ve told you everything Brendon, he was a foul man who left us without a care; he did not love us and would not live to his responsibilities”
“I don’t believe you, what are you not telling me”
“Nothing I swear, where is this coming from, did he, did he make contact, is that what this is?”
“In a manner of speaking mother”
“You cannot listen to a word he says Brendon, I am the only one that ever loved you” she stroked his face and was appalled by his withdrawal,
“How can you betray me like this, how can you take the word of a worthless excuse for a man over your own mother”
“Betrayer!” McCullum yelled, “You dare to speak to me of betrayal after the lies that you have laid upon my life”
“He was the scum of the earth” she yelled back, anger now flooding through her small but strong frame, “He was worthless, he left you and me to fend for ourselves, without a penny and without a care in the world, I wish to God that he was dead, I prayed for his death every night before I laid my head down after another double shift, he hated me and he despised you, he..”
“LIAR” he roared.
His hand wrenched her arm painfully; her tired and worn joints screamed in agony as her shoulder was pulled from its socket, the room swam before her eyes as she drifted into unconsciousness.
“LIAR, LIAR, LIAR” McCullum screamed, each word was punctuated with a heavy blow from his enraged fist, the sound began as a dry thud but grew increasingly wetter until his knuckles had destroyed the flesh and began to batter only bone.
Gabriel squirmed in ecstasy, he felt the rage of McCullum coursing violently through his pumping veins, he clamped his eyes tightly shut against the intruding noise of the motorway and he could smell the spilling blood and the old woman’s bladder as it had emptied its contents across her proud sofa. He revelled in the pure savagery of the avenging son’s return, from the moment that he had healed McCullum’s wound they were integral to each other, whenever he so choose he could see and feel through the man transmitting his own dark desires and experiencing them vicariously, he had played upon McCullum’s anger towards his mother and merely amped up the volume to a fatal degree. Gabriel was learning slowly to control his burgeoning emotions and keep them distant from Raphael and Michael; it was still a matter of surprise to him that the others had not succumbed to the human side of their nature, for some reason they appeared to remain divine despite their lengthening time here on earth. All he had to do now was to exert an iron will of self control, it was not easy as the temptations for crimson experiments on the fragile flesh of his surroundings grew by the hour, as long as he could hold onto himself until he had the Cube, the Cube held the answers to every dark thought that skulked in the deepest shadows of his fantasies, he just had to hold on.
The enveloping blackness swirled around his head with dizzying speed and ferocity, Baine’s stomach churned over in protest at the invasion, images flashed before his mind, his fathers face drifted past lined with silent disappointment, his brother sat upon a wooden cot, his head bowed with regret and his dancer moved further away from him longingly out of reach. Baine felt their disappointment with a stab across his own heart, for as long as he could remember he had been alone in a world that he was detached from both through choice and by another’s design. His universe had been self centred revolving only around his own thoughts and shallow desires; he had been living a life of superficiality without ever realising just what life was really capable of until he saw his dancer. It had been his own selfish anger that had originally propelled him along this path, the idea that anyone had been moving him around a virtual chessboard with contemptuous distain had enraged him beyond belief, when Gabriel had shown him the way his life was really laid out before him he had been so consumed with his own fury that he never stopped to question anything. It was obvious now that his predictability had been his greatest weakness, he had firmly believed that his fight was one of freedom from their shackles and yet every turn and every choice that he made was already predetermined for him, he had only just begun to learn of the sheer empty loneliness of his existence, whilst the Gregori and the 11TH Order sought the Cube for their lofty ideals in order to change the world, Baine sought it for the nameless dancer who twirled before his eyes every time he closed them offering but a glimpse of the humanity that had unknowingly eluded him thus far, he fought for her.
The four archangels stood astride their dominium, which was in fact a large farmhouse and assorted outbuildings, from here thought Michael, they would begin their ascension. He looked to his brothers, he was under no illusion as to strength of their freshly formed bond, but in time he was confident that they could all be folded back into the word. The cube would heal all wounds, it was the answer to everything, and if God saw fit to banish them forever from his garden of heaven then they would create their own heaven on earth. If Michael had learnt one human emotion from his centuries of occupation then it was one of patience, the 11th Order and the Grigori had squabbled over this petty planet for far too long neither gaining any sort of upper hand for any sustained period of time. After eons of time it all suddenly seemed so meaningless, here they would forge a new alliance of real significance, taking only the finest resources from both orders. They would dominate this world from outside of the shadows, once they had the cube the trivial restraints of these meat suits would no longer hold sway, the cube he
ld all knowledge and power of Gods dominium and would be theirs to wield.
Michael had brought Raphael, who was unaware of his long held plans, along with Azazel and Samyaza here to his base. The farm and land was purchased anonymously almost eight years ago, Michael had known for decades that there would come a time when Gabriel could no longer be trusted and had begun to make plans accordingly. During the slow decline of Gabriel’s faculties more and more information had begun to seep from beyond his constructed iron vault of a mind. Michael had spent years piecing together fragments of thoughts and deeds, a flash of an image here, a piece of seemingly insignificant paperwork there, Michael’s patience had allowed him to wait and gather over two centuries worth of information. He had gained trusts and disappeared witness’ to his motives, he had learnt the vaguest of outlines to Gabriel’s grand scheme and despite his carefully paced footsteps he had still only managed to skim the very outline of Gabriel’s master plan, he had to still show his newly acquired patience to wait until all had been revealed. Michael had sent Raphael and Samyaza to the large office in the plushly converted attic in the farmhouse to start getting to grips with financial paperwork of the newly formed order. He had total faith in Raphael’s accounting abilities as he had shown a frightening aptitude for generating money for the cause, Raphael had long since handled the 11th Orders finances from bartering tools for food to running multinational companies. He did not trust Samyaza to hold similar abilities but he knew that he must include the Grigori in building the foundations for the new order and giving Samyaza and thus Azazel full access to their accounts was the only way to proceed. To fully seal the alliance he had a special treat for Azazel, he lead his companion to the specially constructed underground hidden basement. They walked across the muddy land to the hidden entrance, the pit had been dug and cleared several years ago, the interior was dropped into the hole, a bespoke dome had been built and the architect met with a fatal car crash upon completion. To his credit, Michael noted, Azazel followed without question, they came to a stop,