The Girl On Victoria Road: A Tim Reaper Novel

by Sean Cummings

  And God help the woman when I found her.

  19

  “At a certain point, we’re going to have to deal with the police on what happened at the Victoria Road house,” said Sparks. I glanced at my watch and it wasn’t even five in the morning yet. Barbie Ross wouldn’t be so stupid as to hide Charlotte at her church, would she?

  “We can call ‘em right now and tell ‘em to be on the lookout for Reverend Barbie Ross,” I answered. “And a pair of angels. And a handful of ghoul bodyguards. Fat lot of good that will do, though.”

  Sparks drove her fist into the driver’s door. “My career is over after this. I’m done like dinner.”

  “Maybe not, Sparks,” I said with a hopeful lilt to my voice. I know, I was reaching for it. “Maybe when He realizes how you’ve helped out the home team you’ll get a sweet reward or something.”

  She glanced in the rear-view mirror. “That thing in the backseat smells like shit.”

  I turned my head and gawked at Mudstuffer for a minute. He smelled like an overfilled litter box and I chuckled mildly because he did look a bit like Gollum. A murderous, fang-faced, carrion-eating Gollum.

  “Alright, shit bird,” I said as I gave the ghoul a backhand. “We’ll be at the church in five minutes. We’re going to break in and find Charlotte and get the hell out of there.”

  The creature shrugged. “It was angels what took the child. Why would angels hide a child in a church?”

  “It’s all I’ve got right now,” I answered sharply. “Unless …”

  “Unless what?” Sparks asked.

  I reached into the pocket of my trench coat and pulled out the ancient Roman finger bone I used as a focus to summon the Angel of Death and Transformation. My former boss.

  “Ezekiel. I will try and summon him once we get to the church. If he shows up, I guarantee you those two angels who took Charlotte will make an appearance.”

  Sparks threw me a look of confusion. “Okay, first, you said that you and Ezekiel were done. He might not even show up. And second, why would the pair of angels who took Charlotte show up if Ezekiel is on the scene?”

  I snorted as I reached for my cigarettes. I was just about to pop one between my lips when Sparks scowled at me. I stuffed the package back into my pocket and said, “Because he is one of God’s generals. He is one of the first angels God created. Angels have to show up if he makes it so. He’s got super holy seniority or some bullshit.”

  “And what’s he going to do when he sees the ghoul?” she asked.

  I looked back at Mudstuffer and ran a frustrated hand through my hair. “Damn, you’re right. Ezekiel might just zot his slimy ass into oblivion. Okay, Mudstuffer, you stay in the car when we get there, got it?”

  The creature nodded and threw me a smile. “Yes, yes! I do that, yes!”

  The streets were empty of most traffic save for the occasional taxi or early morning city bus rolling up the Boulevard. I should have seen the multi-coloured lights from the enormous cross fixed to the roof of Life Anchor Ministries shooting high into the sky. Instead all we could see as we neared Barbie Ross’s church were flames shooting through the roof. A trio of pumpers from the Halifax Fire Department was shooting water in through the blazing roof.

  Sparks pulled over in a near-empty strip mall parking lot. We were perhaps two blocks away from the blaze.

  “Why are we stopping?”

  “Because the police are on site and will recognize my car,” she said wincing. “Shit, I shouldn’t even be driving in the city right now. I’ve got a voicemail from work on my phone. Homicide wants to talk to me about what happened on Victoria Road two nights ago, and I’m giving every appearance of having skipped town.”

  I nodded. “Right, I hadn’t thought of that. We should have stolen a car.”

  Sparks drove a fist right into my left shoulder. Her patented move when I say something that doesn’t jibe with her law enforcement sensibilities or if I am being overly dramatic.

  “No, Reaper. We don’t steal cars. We’re supposed to be the good guys.”

  I clutched the finger boned tightly in my right hand and gazed up the street. I needed a place to summon Ezekiel that wouldn’t attract attention. I’d planned on using a quiet corner of the parking lot at Life Anchor Ministries but that was out of the question now.

  “Let’s head over to the high school – the teacher’s parking lot is next to the sports field. We’ll summon Ezekiel and hopefully get some answers.”

  “Mudstuffer can go now?” the ghoul asked in a surprisingly polite voice.

  I cocked an eyebrow and threw him a sceptical once-over. “I guess we don’t need you anymore,” I said, half-grunting. “You’re still on my shit list so you’d better not do anything stupid. Also, you know, lay on a glamour because folks will come after you with pitchforks and torches. You are a living, breathing monster and Hallowe’en was three weeks ago.”

  “I know many glamours,” the creature said as it snapped its fingers and morphed into the visage of a homeless man. He opened the door and stepped out of Sparks’ SUV. “I am free now. Free of Hell. Free of other ghouls. Goodbye, death man and policewoman.”

  Sparks rolled down her window. “Don’t get cocky. If we hear about any bodies that have been eaten or graves which have been robbed, we’re coming for you!”

  And with that, Mudstuffer disappeared down an alleyway behind the strip mall. He’d done his part. He got us through a portal. Someone had torched Life Anchor Ministries and somewhere out there was Charlotte.

  We arrived at the teacher’s parking lot within minutes. Together, we climbed out of the SUV and trudged across a sports field that was covered with frost as far as the eye could see. It was dark enough that we wouldn’t be noticed so I clutched the finger bone tightly and closed my eyes. I reached out with my spirit and drew on the ancient power from within. “Ezekiel,” I called out. “It’s your favourite death-dealer. I summon you!”

  A gust of cold wind rolled across the barren sports field as I looked up to the heavens and spotted a bright streak dashing across the early morning sky. Within seconds I could hear the thump, thump, thump, of Ezekiel’s wings and he slowly floated earthward, resplendent in all his Holy glory. He landed a few feet away from Sparks and me and the angel emitted a tired sounding sigh as he folded his powerful wings behind his back.

  “Death-dealer and the detective,” Ezekiel said, sounding slightly bored. “You have summoned me even though mere months ago, you cast me aside and wanted nothing more to do with me. I am surprised you asked me to meet with you.”

  Once again, I pushed the urge to tell Ezekiel to get bent aside and pointed in the direction of the blaze at Life Anchor Ministries. “You know anything about the fire at that church up the road?”

  Ezekiel glanced at Sparks for a moment and said, “Detective Carol Sparks. You appear to be knee-deep in the death-dealer’s activities again. I’d have thought you would see that much of what he does is hazardous to your health.”

  I was just about to tell Ezekiel to answer the question when Sparks raised a hand. “Everything I do is hazardous to my health. Reaper is par for the course. We’re looking for someone.”

  “Yes, I suspect you are looking for a little girl,” he said, turning his attention to me once more. “One who is gifted with powers she can barely even comprehend.”

  “You know that she was taken by two of your kind,” I said impatiently. “We need to find her because she says The Man with the Big White Beard is coming … like … tomorrow.”

  The serene look on the angel’s face dissolved. “That is impossible. He is not coming until a time of His choosing. That moment when all humanity will wail and gnash their teeth at the eternal display of the Lord’s almighty power. This world, though twisted and torn asunder in so many ways is still not completely without hope. It is when hope is no longer a commodity for those He created in His image that He will send his only son to return once more. He is not coming death-dealer.”

 
Sparks threw her hands in the air and they landed at her side with a loud slap. “I can’t believe we are even having this discussion. Listen, you priggish idiots, whether He is coming or not is irrelevant. A little girl has been taken. A child!”

  Silence shrouded the three of us for a few moments as Ezekiel and I threw each other shamefaced glances. Sparks was right, as usual. The only thing that mattered was finding Charlotte. I inhaled deeply and pulled out a cigarette. I flicked my Zippo and the darkness lit up with a yellow-orange glow.

  “You’re bang-on, Sparks,” I said, taking a deep haul on my cancer stick. I blew two lungs full of blue-grey smoke right into the angel’s face. “Two of your kind kidnapped a little girl. These are two of three angels who attacked my safe house and destroyed it a day and a half ago. They were trying to get to Charlotte. One of the three bought the farm – Ambriel iced him with her super-sonic holy Jeebus spear of doom. You know her, she’s the girl I couldn’t save back at that beach in Lawrencetown. The girl who died because of me and all this internal conflict in the Halls of the Holy that He has seemingly felt I should be dragged into. Even if it’s against my will.”

  The angel blinked and heaved a weary sigh. “Yes, death-dealer. I know of Ambriel. I know that she is your guardian angel now. That’s where new angels begin their work; acting as a moral compass for souls in need of His guidance.”

  I took another drag of my cigarette and said, “Yep. Plus, she skewers the bad guys. I gotta respect that in a guardian angel. This little girl, Charlotte; what do you know about her?”

  Ezekiel waved a puff of cigarette smoke out of his face. “I know that she is a child of His grace and nothing more.”

  Sparks chimed in. “She has incredible powers. She can see parts of the future and the past. She can make people disappear to who-knows-where. She can kill with a word and she created a wall of flame just before she was taken by … oh shit!”

  “What is it, Sparks?” I asked.

  She pointed to the blaze at Life Anchor Ministries that was lighting up the horizon. “That church is on fire, Reaper. Maybe Charlotte created that inferno. Maybe she torched her angelic kidnappers and is out there somewhere. Her powers … she can barely even control them. If she’s all alone out there she could hurt a lot of people.”

  I nodded quickly. “I think you’re right. And Barbie Ross, she’s not dead yet.”

  “How do you know?” said Sparks. “What …you can tell if someone is alive just like that?”

  “A special trick of mine,” I declared. “I may no longer be a grim reaper but I still know if someone I know is dead or alive. I can normally find anyone so long as they’re still breathing but Charlotte and Barbie are hidden from me. They’re alive … I can feel their living energy. I just don’t know where they are. There are likely a few strands of Charlotte’s hair in your SUV, and maybe I could trace her. I just don’t know how well it might work. And remember the last time I did this…”

  Sparks blinked. “That time you tried to find Amy by those drops of her blood. You burned up. We had to find you the host you’re now … occupying.”

  Ezekiel shook his head and sighed once more. “And you’re afraid you might burn up again and you’d like me to find her. I cannot and will not offer aid because I must remain neutral on matters.” His tone was that of an impatient civil servant and I clenched my fists so hard I was sure my knuckle bones would burst through my skin.

  “What?” he said, completely oblivious.

  My jaw dropped.

  Seriously. It just hung there as if someone had stuffed an invisible tennis ball in my mouth.

  “Are you fucking serious, Ezekiel?” I nearly shouted. I could feel my hosts heart pumping like mad as I did everything in my power to stop myself from lashing out at him. “You would let some angels kill an innocent child because of — what? More heavenly intrigue? You know, The Man with the Big White Beard sounds like he’s lost complete control of things up there in the cloud city or whatever the fiddler’s flying fuck Heaven is supposed to be. Jael wanted to kill all the generals and open the gates of Hell so that your kind could have a reunion with The Fallen. You’d think the creator of all things might have a clue when His own people are acting behind His back. “

  “Hold thy tongue, death-dealer, lest – “

  “Perfect, you are ready to go full King James English on me now.”

  The angel flashed a confused look. “What?”

  “Lest you spite my ass where it stands, yadda yadda,” I sneered as I pulled out one of my Beretta’s from its shoulder holster and put the muzzle against my right temple. “Fuck it, Ezekiel. I’ll fucking save you the trouble. I’ll pop this bullet in my brain and I’ll blaze out every bit of the ancient energy that fuels me. It’ll be my last ever act and the death-dealer named Tim Reaper disappears forever. You tell me what you know or I’ll do it in five seconds.”

  “Death-dealer, you cannot destroy yourself!” Ezekiel called out in a panic. “Put that gun down!”

  “You were just going to smite me, asshole. FOUR” I warned.

  “You do not understand that this child is,” he nearly cried out. “She is …”

  “THREE!”

  “Put down the damned gun, Reaper!” Sparks shouted as she grabbed at my forearm. I was already reaching out with my power; calling out to the light and the darkness for Charlotte.

  Ezekiel threw Sparks a helpless look. “The child is …”

  “SHE’S WHAT? TWO SECONDS LEFT!”

  I began to put pressure on the trigger and Ezekiel looked up to the heavens. “THE GIRL IS SAFE HARBOUR! Put down your weapon death-dealer. You win. I will tell you what you need to know.”

  My heart was beating so fast I could feel it in my eyeballs. I took my finger off the trigger and put the safety on my Beretta as I slid it back into its holster. I stepped right up to the angel until I was less than an inch from his face and said, “It shouldn’t have to come to this, Ezekiel. The little girl is innocent, and you arseholes are trying to kill her. I’m tired of your heavenly bullshit. I’m tired of His games. I just want some goddamned truth. For once.”

  “Step back, death-dealer,” the angel warned.

  “She’s a little girl, asshole. Spill it.” I snarled.

  Sparks must have sensed that Ezekiel and I were getting close to exchanging blows even though the angel could snuff me out like a candle. She stepped between both of us and shoved with both arms.

  “Dial it back and focus!” she said in a voice that was nearly a command. My lips arched into a smile as I stepped back from the angel. I folded my arms and tapped my left boot against the ground impatiently.

  Ezekiel gazed up to the heavens once more, presumably in hopes that a great voice might tell him the answers to what he should do next.

  “I think you’re on your own, Ezekiel,” I said as calm returned to my voice. “What do you mean that Charlotte is safe harbour?”

  The angel shot a pained glance back at Sparks. “The detective cannot know what I am about to say. She is a human being. She would have knowledge of heaven that no human should ever possess.”

  I raised a hand. “Dude, she’s a cop. She’s one of the good guys.”

  “I can speak for myself, Reaper,” said Sparks as she gave me another shove. “Listen, Ezekiel, the more you try to evade telling us the truth, the more danger there is to Charlotte. Now tell us what you mean about her being a safe harbour. Help us save this little girl. Please.”

  Ezekiel nodded after searching Sparks face for a few seconds. “Very well,” he began. “You are right, death-dealer. When you suggested that all was not well in the Halls of the Holy a few months ago, you were right. Angels are fighting amongst themselves; Jael was just one of a multitude of factions that want to seize control from the Lord. There are only a handful of old originals like me who remain loyal to His original plan for all things.”

  I lit another cigarette not giving a rat’s ass if it constituted chain smoking or not. “What are you
saying? That God has gone soft? That’s He’s lost His shit?”

  Ezekiel shook his head. “No. He is there; an eternal presence. But there are many who believe Him to be in a weakened state. Factions exist who believe this is their moment to seize power.”

  “From God, almighty?” Sparks nearly choked on the words. “How is that even a thing? He’s … well … He’s God!”

  “He is the alpha and the omega. The beginning and the end. Some believe that He is coming to His own end. That God is ending. Do you understand what that could mean?”

  I took a deep drag off my cigarette. “Presumably it means that everything is off the table. But you still haven’t answered what you mean about Charlotte being a safe harbour, Ezekiel. Now out with it. No more damnable secrets!”

  The angel’s panicked face dissolved into one of empty despair. Any fight that might have still lingered inside Ezekiel had clearly jumped ship. He quickly placed one hand on my head and the other on Sparks’ head. “What I show you now was never meant to be shared. It is easier if you see what has happened than for me to explain it. Close your eyes and take a deep breath because you both will need to hold on tight.”

  I glanced at Sparks through the corner of my left eye and said, “You ready for this, Sparks?”

  “Get on with it,” she groaned. “I hate this shit.”

  “Me too, Sparks,” I said as I closed my eyes.

  20

  As an eternal spirit, I thought I had seen everything there is to see through the ages. But I had never seen Heaven before. All I can say is that when Ezekiel touched my head and I closed my eyes, my spirit was sent spinning through a tunnel lined with thick ribbons of multicoloured light. I felt my consciousness leave my host as hundreds of twinkling vignettes zipped by showing glimpses into a place so unearthly, it was like nothing I had ever seen before. All around me were mists of yellow and gold that drifted and danced across a solid ground that didn’t seem to be there at all because when I looked down there was nothing but an endless sea of time and space. Tens of thousands of galaxies lay below me; an infinite number of stars and planets and nebulas so clear that I had to look away it was too big. It was all too big to take in. I could feel the hum of living energy with every breath I drew into my lungs. I felt the possibility that came with the knowledge that an infinite number of life forms existed on infinite planets in countless galaxies.