by Mark Romang
He smiled triumphantly as he regained control and continued down the mountain. The drop-off had killed some of the avalanche’s momentum. But he knew as soon as the snow tonnage crashed back down from the sky onto the slope it would likely cause another slide.
Obeying his instincts, Tanner diverted his course. And like an ocean swimmer trying to escape a rip current by swimming parallel to the rip current instead of against it, Tanner snowboarded horizontally across the mountain slope.
It was a gamble, but the slide had momentarily slowed as it poured over the drop-off. It seemed so counterintuitive to race along the edge of the avalanche’s width, but he held course. And less than a half minute later the avalanche barreled harmlessly past him.
Tanner sucked in his breath and slid to a stop. He put his hands on his knees and watched the avalanche continue down the mountain, becoming stronger and faster. The slide reached the tree line and barreled over the trees, snapping them like they were toothpicks. “You saved my life, Lord. I don’t deserve your grace but I accept it.”
As the tail end of the slide rushed past him, his hearing returned. The helicopter’s blade slap vibrated his chest. He looked over his right shoulder and saw the helicopter hovering over the snowpack no more than thirty yards away. UWC officers dressed in SWAT gear fast-roped out the helicopter’s door.
Tanner whirled to race off in the opposite direction. But a second helicopter hovered in place in this direction. UWC officers had already fast-roped to the ground. Dressed in black riot gear, they pointed their machine guns at him and headed in his direction.
Tanner quickly reached his left hand into a side pocket on his cammo pants. He pulled out a two-way radio and brought it up to his mouth. He pushed the talk button. “C.J., you’ve told me numerous times I would know when it was time to stop fighting and become a martyr. The time has come. I have no more fight left inside me. I love you, Bro. Tell Brooke I love her too.”
Tanner dropped the radio into the snow. It sank into the powder and disappeared. He reached down and unlatched his boots from his snowboard. He stepped off the board, faced his captors, and raised up his hands.
A tall man with brawny shoulders walked up to him. The intimidating man had thin lips, piercing gray eyes, and a nose that could split firewood. Handcuffs dangled from his hand. Two shorter men flanked him and carried machine guns. The three men were soon joined by three more UWC officers from the other chopper.
“Tanner Mason, you are under arrest. Please hold out your hands.”
Tanner held out his hands as he was told. “What crime have I done?”
The tall man placed the cuffs on Tanner’s wrists and cinched them tight. “You are under arrest for blaspheming Henrik Skymolt, and for the murder of two UWC officers in Canada.”
“What about my Miranda rights? Aren’t you going to read them to me?”
The tall man glared at him with hawk-like eyes. “We rarely provide that courtesy anymore, especially for rebels like yourself. You will not be given a hearing or a trial. And if all goes well you will be executed before the week is over.” The man latched onto Tanner’s arm. “Now walk to the helicopter. And don’t try anything stupid.”
Tanner did as he was told and walked to the chopper. The pilot expertly balanced the helicopter on the slope with only one landing skid. The rotor wash whipped Tanner’s hair all around as he approached the door.
He climbed into the cabin and sat down on a bench. A UWC officer sat down on each side of him. The tall man with the big nose sat down next to the pilot. Moments later they lifted off the slope and climbed into the sky. The other two helicopters escorted them, hanging slightly back and to either side. Mt. Deception soon became a tiny speck as they headed east toward Seattle and his date with an executioner.
Tanner closed his eyes and bowed his head. Please strengthen my heart, Lord. I know what they plan to do to me. And I am so afraid.
It would be the first of many such prayers.
Chapter 30
Olympic Peninsula, Ruby Beach
That same moment
The ongoing battle with the Legion took Andrew Maddix into unchartered territory. Since he’d become an immortal seven years ago he hadn’t experienced exhaustion. Although there were times of rest and rejuvenation in Heaven, physical limitations no longer hindered him as they did when he lived a mortal life.
He couldn’t get sick. He no longer aged. His enhanced vision never blurred, and his brain calculated and processed information faster than a computer.
But this protracted battle with the Legion wearied him. His company of mostly angel warriors had driven the demon warfighters all the way across the peninsula to the Pacific Ocean. Maddix led his supernatural troops across streams and rivers, guided them through thick brush and dense timber, and then over jagged mountains standing in their way. And all the while the Holy Spirit guided their arrows and sword strikes. Demons fell in great numbers.
Now the battle had reached critical mass. The demons could no longer retreat. They made their final, desperate stand on a seaside cliff some seventy feet above the rocky shoreline. And there was one demon giving Maddix and his company all they could handle and more.
This warfighter looked different than his comrades. Thick and powerfully built, his fists were bigger than Maddix’s head. Everything about this demon was oversized and deformed. Festering warts, bulging carbuncles, and oozing sores covered his hairless skin and made him look leprous, but his hideous deformities didn’t slow him down or hinder his fighting ability. He was anything but weak and sickly.
Snarling like a pack of rabid wolves, the colossal demon clubbed his way through Maddix’s best angels, absorbing their sword strikes and arrows as if they were only minor annoyances. With Coleton Webb providing him protection, Spencer had personally riddled the demon with a dozen arrows, and still the beast wreaked havoc, flinging aside angels with ease. It seemed nothing could stop him.
Maddix shuddered at the thought of this demonic beast actually inhabiting a human. And yet along with the other demons making up the Legion, it had done just that. The possessed man from Gadarenes, who lived among the tombs and kept breaking his chains and leg irons, hosted the Legion for an undetermined period of time before Jesus drove them out.
Maddix now knew where the insane man got his incredible strength. He got his fearsome power from this supernatural monster. Vallen needs to get here fast. Maybe his harpoon-sized arrows can penetrate the beast’s hide.
But he couldn’t wait for Vallen to save the day. To end the battle and defeat the Legion, they needed to conquer the beast ASAP. And with each passing second it became more obvious that it was up to Maddix to defeat it. I’m the only one with a flaming sword.
He wasn’t sure if demons actually feared fire or not, but flames surely reminded them of their doomed future, their eternal home in the Lake of Fire where they would languish forever in endless torment. Often when fighting demons, Maddix watched their ugly eyes grow big as saucers when facing down the Eden sword. The flaming blade gave them pause every time.
Maddix spotted a deserter. He pounced on a wounded demon trying to slink away into the cedar and spruce trees. The demon bled from several large gashes on his midsection. Not in the mood for mercy, Maddix finished off the demon with a fatal sword thrust to its back. He quickly pulled his sword free from the vanquished demon and left his foe seizing on the ground and aflame. Maddix then headed for the giant beast, who doled out punishment on a massive scale.
Still snarling, the beast held a mace in each hand and swung them viscously without letup. Maddix stepped right into the beast’s path. He waved the flaming Eden sword back and forth to attract its attention.
Lord, you created all things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. All things were created through you and for you, which includes this demonic beast. I don’t know what purpose it has, but in my wisdom I ask you to help me destroy it.
The hideous beast laid its reddish-orange eyes onto Maddix a
nd lunged forward with amazing agility for its large size. Maddix found it difficult to look at his foe for very long. The growling beast was even uglier than an orc; its bulging eyes as big as softballs. Clearly, its ever increasing sin caused it to grow shockingly repugnant. Sin, when left unchecked, has a way of marring beauty, mutating it into something completely unrecognizable, something horrific.
Bouncing on his toes, Maddix waited for the beast to arrive into his fight zone, into a striking range where he could deliver a fatal blow. Footwork was essential, because he didn’t have much of a plan to conquer his ogre-like foe. If he could back it up to the cliff’s edge the beast might lose his balance and topple to the rocky beach down below. But right now surrender was the last thing the beast had on its mind.
Maddix continued to waggle the Eden sword—up and down and side to side, the flames forming a fiery cross in the air. He wanted to get into the beast’s head, plant some doubt and fear into its brain for the first time. The giant demon had been having his way so far. Maddix intended to change that.
The demon opened his mouth wide. A ferocious bellow spilled out over his black, rotting teeth. It was a challenge meant to intimidate Maddix. But instead of cowering, Maddix smiled and introduced himself. “I don’t believe we’ve met before. My name is Andrew, what’s yours?”
The demon let loose another full-throated roar that shook the ground and vibrated Maddix’s chest. And then using an overhand chopping motion, the beast swung both his maces at Maddix.
Maddix leaped to his right to avoid the spiked maces. “I know we’re outside, but can you please use your inside voice?”
The beast pivoted and swung his maces again, this time using a sidearm motion. Maddix leaped backwards, ducking just in time to avoid getting his head splattered. He could feel a rush of air whip through his hair as the bludgeoning weapons passed over.
This isn’t going to be easy, Maddix thought as he straightened up. Besides being large and powerful, the beast was fast and agile, and his nonstop aggression provided Maddix little opportunity to strike back.
Although he couldn’t remember much of his earthly life, Maddix retained a vast knowledge of quotes and could recall them at will. A quote from Winston Churchill came to his mind. Churchill once said, “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”
I just need to keep at it. The beast will tire, and God will give me the victory.
The beast tried to deliver another blow, this time with the mace in his right hand. Maddix teleported to safety, reappearing behind the beast. Teleporting is available to all saints, and is a fabulous way to travel long distances in a very short time. Maddix rarely used the privilege in battle though. Teleporting requires a great deal of concentration, and he felt it competed with his ability to think on the fly and plan his fighting moves.
But this battle was different. He needed every advantage he could get.
Maddix pounced forward and attempted to plunge the Eden sword into the beast’s shoulder blades and between his de-plumed wings. But the giant demon sensed his presence and whirled around before the Eden sword could penetrate.
The beast’s defensive reaction caused his right hand to come in contact with the Eden sword’s flaming tip. The leprous hide covering his big hand caught fire like it was tinder. The beast screamed in agony, a bone-rattling caterwaul. The flames engulfed his fist, and he dropped the mace.
Maddix inwardly celebrated the small victory, and couldn’t resist an urge to trash talk. “You scream like a little girl. Anyone ever tell you that?”
But the beast wasn’t ready to concede defeat anytime soon. He swung his remaining mace with a vengeance. Back and forth he slashed the spiked club nonstop. Each arm swing caused pus from the beast’s leprous skin to spray in every direction. And because the beast moved so quickly, Maddix could do nothing but dance out of the way and try to slip the blows.
But as he retreated he thought of an idea—a way he could defeat the beast once and for all. But to do it he would need help.
Maddix teleported once more, landing right next to Spencer. “Shoot out his eyes, Spencer. Blind him,” Maddix said, keeping his voice low and hardly more than a whisper. The whole exchange took no more than two seconds. He immediately teleported back to the fray.
Maddix danced around the beast like a boxer ahead on points and trying to stay away from his opponent’s haymakers. But as he moved he tried to line up a clear shot for Spencer. His son’s archery skills were fast approaching Vallen’s mind-boggling talent. At some point Spencer might even succeed Vallen as Heaven’s greatest archer. Maddix just hoped Spencer’s accuracy wouldn’t fail him now.
Fortunately, the beast had huge eyes. And the ugly orbs radiated a reddish-orange glow, giving Spencer vivid targets.
Maddix felt the first arrow pass by his head with a whooshing sound. The second arrow wasn’t far behind the first. He grinned when he saw both arrows bury themselves into the beast’s eye sockets. The beast dropped his mace and let loose his loudest scream yet.
Roaring like an enraged lion, the beast grabbed the arrow shafts with his meaty hands and attempted to pull them out. A big mistake. His flaming hand caught his head on fire.
Maddix recognized an opportunity to finally end the battle. The beast couldn’t see anything and was preoccupied with removing the arrows from his eyes. Maddix performed a flunge—a leaping attack off his front foot—and ran his flaming blade deep into the beast’s midsection. The Eden sword instantly pulverized flesh and bone. The beast’s ribs snapped under the holy force like they were no thicker than eggshells.
Smoke billowed out the beast’s ears, and a sizzling sound emanated from his belly as internal organs ignited. Maddix kept the Eden sword buried inside the demon for another few seconds and then withdrew it.
Upon withdrawal, the demon combusted into flames from his head to his feet and became like a torch. Terror overtook him. The beast turned and fled. He ran straight off the cliff.
Maddix heard the demon scream a final time just before hitting the rocky beach. Maddix immediately turned his attention to the battle and looked for another opponent. Although Sablo was the official leader of the Legion, the beast obviously held considerable sway. The remaining demons lost interest and attempted to escape. Some flew up into the sky, others bailed over the cliff.
Dogfights broke out in the sky as the angels under Maddix’s command intercepted the fleeing demons. Other skirmishes spilled out onto the beach. It was a fluid situation to say the least. Maddix teleported to the beach along with Spencer and Coleton Webb.
A few defiant demons resisted. Small pockets of violence erupted on the rugged beach. Maddix, Webb, and Spencer fought almost side by side. Maddix struck down a demon, but another took his place and slashed at Maddix with a sword.
He tried to avoid the sword strike but reacted a second too slowly. The sword struck his forearm, ripping it wide open. Maddix stared at his arm in disbelief, but then blocked out the pain and attacked the demon with a series of thrusts and strikes. He eventually pinned the demon against a pile of rocks, neutralizing him there.
The conflicts grew smaller and shorter. And then finally…it was over.
Maddix surveyed Ruby Beach with an astute eye. From one end to the other, wounded demons lay bruised and battered across the stony beach like sea lions lounging in the sun. But they wouldn’t stay there for long. The rocks they lay sprawled on would disappear under crimson surf as soon as the high tide came back in and filled the tide pools.
Maddix shook his head as he took in the scene before him. Beachgoers had been avoiding the Pacific Ocean for some time. The once magnificent ocean was toxic now, and as repulsive as the demons.
A few demons pitched their weapons onto the pink sand and surrendered. One imposing warrior demon approached Maddix with his hands up. “You win, Andrew. I represent the rest of the Legion. I am Israfil, and I am second in command under Sablo. I propose a truce.”
Maddix looked up at the hulking demon. Silvery
-black blood spatter covered his armor and face. Maddix doused his Eden sword and sheathed it. “I’m listening. Speak your proposal.”
The demon turned his head and looked out to sea. “Do you see the whale breaching the surface?”
Maddix followed the demon’s gaze and spotted a humpback whale about a half mile out. It was getting late in the year for humpbacks. Usually the giant whales migrate south for winter. Even more bizarre was that there was anything at all living in the ocean. The second bowl judgement killed every living thing in the seas, turning the saltwater into blood. But somehow this lone humpback survived. Maddix could only conclude that God kept this whale alive for some purpose. “I see the whale. What is your point?”
“Stop warring against us. Don’t take us prisoner. If you allow us to go, we will inhabit the whale.”
The proposal didn’t shock Maddix. Satan and his demons share the same ambition. They want to destroy God’s creation whenever and wherever possible. Though destroying humans remains their top priority, they will occasionally settle for mammals. “Do what you must. But if you renege on your promise I will hunt you down.”
Israfil bowed his head, and then turned and started gathering his troops. Maddix watched the less-wounded demons help their battered comrades off the rocks and into the ocean. I feel sorry for the whale, Maddix thought.
Someone touched him on the shoulder. He resisted the urge to grab his sword and turned his head. Spencer stood there, a concerned look on his face. “How is your arm, Dad?”
Maddix glanced at his arm. The open gash on his forearm was already shrinking, his skin fusing shut. Soon the wound would disappear altogether. “My arm is fine, Spencer. Just a scratch.”
Coleton Webb joined them. “Vallen is here, Mad Dog. And he looks all business.”
“I’m not surprised. He always looks serious,” Maddix said. He spotted movement atop the cliff and turned his attention there. He saw Vallen and Mithellius talking, and it was obvious to Maddix the conversation topic lent itself to somberness. The angels stood close together and talked for several minutes. When they finished their conversation they took flight. They glided off the cliff and landed near Maddix.