She found herself behind the tree where she killed her last attacker. His sword struck the ground with a clumsy noise to signal her victory.
She refused to gloat over the kills. She pulled away from the moment and went straight to Michael. Her eyes widened when she stared at his battered frame. He remained chained upon the tree, eyes half-mast and filled with pain.
Joan snapped the iron cuffs with her hands and propped Michael against the tree. Her fingers pressed against his wounds and healed them. “Why are you allowing yourself to suffer like this?”
“Because I needed you to fight, to wake up,” he said. “You must fight this battle, Joan. God will not start the Second Coming. He needs you to use your natural talent.”
“I understand and I am fighting.”
“No,” he said through cracked lips. “Fight harder.”
Joan touched his lips and they healed. She kissed his forehead and hugged him tight, his arms wrapped around her tiny shoulders and they held each other. “I’ve made so many mistakes and I don’t know what to do.”
Michael took a deep breath and held Joan’s shoulders, gazing into her eyes set underneath her golden helmet. “Stop them. Jehovah will not start the Second Coming, Joan. Despite how many the enemy kill. Jehovah is depending on you and the other angels. His heart breaks when he witnesses the millions slaughtered by Satan’s demons and human soldiers.”
Joan swallowed a breath and stopped her tears.
“Kill them all. That is why Jesus gave you such a powerful sword. Those you kill will not go to Hell, but are thrown into Oblivion, into nothing, a fate worse than Hell.”
Joan nodded.
Michael delivered a weak smile. “I suffer to wake you up. To motivate you and push you to go beyond yourself and fight.” His wings unfolded from his back. “I’m going to Heaven and prepare to stop the siege. You handle the earth.”
“What about Satan?”
“You will confront him again.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not allowed to until the Second Coming.”
Joan rested her hand on her sword hilt. She stared into Michael’s eyes as he stood to his feet, recovered from his ordeal. “Why do you trust me in killing Satan? His skills and power are beyond mine, Michael?”
Michael leaned forward and rested his bare forehead upon Joan’s helmeted one. “Because you are my daughter and I trust you to do the right things. Besides, you got this far.”
Joan sensed fear spark in her belly, a tiny ember she fought to keep small. Michael stepped back from her. “Tell me about my mother, Michael. Tell me what happened to her and what started this war. I keep thinking this fight involves something bigger. Are God and Lucifer playing games with us?”
Michael gave Joan a simple smile and vanished. Joan realized her answer to the question would wait for the moment. She spread her wings and flew into the air, up from the cavern, through Satan’s palace and upon the embattled earth. She headed for Texas to regroup her army. More questions rose in her head, and she found the answers too difficult to grasp.
14
Daisy Lane and Gunnery Sergeant Tobias Green flew from Heaven adorned in their armor. The two eternal beings streaked towards earth like spectacular comets. The planet no longer glowed from the sun in brilliant blues, browns, and greens. From space, thick gray clouds shrouded the entire world now resembling a giant dust ball.
Both angels plowed through thick noxious fluff and entered a world washed in gray. The entire planet spread out beneath them, darkened by what seemed like storm clouds. Yet both angels understood the fires from Hell created the massive clouds.
Juggernaut took in the scenes they soared over. He never thought he would witness such grim gun battles within the United States. A few cities they passed burned, Black Army flags painted with the pentagram unfurled above government buildings.
“They are taking the cities, Daisy.”
Daisy shook her head. “Yea, Tobias. But we can’t help them. We must contact the Guardians.”
Juggernaut balled his hands into hardened fists. “I want to help them.”
“I do too, but some of the cities here and throughout the world fell to Satan’s onslaught. Now do you still think Joan not too slow to act?”
He gazed at the angel. “She prioritized, Daisy. After the Denver battle she gave the troops a quick rest.”
“But she refused to hunt Kami.”
“The past is done, Daisy. Now we need to move on and clean up this mess,” he said
Daisy pointed ahead. “The Texas border.”
Juggernaut narrowed his eyes and aimed his angelic vision to where Daisy pointed. The land unrolled beneath them, the green fields no longer looked green but brown as if the grass wilted from some botanical disease. He shifted his powerful vision towards Houston, his hometown. His stomach tightened as a fireball rolled up from the city. Gunfire reached his ears. “They are fighting in Houston.”
“We’re not too far from the Guardians, I sense them.”
Juggernaut riveted his eyes on the city. “How are we going to clean this mess, Daisy? The enemy is everywhere.”
“One city at a time, Tobias. One city at a time.”
“I must help them in Houston, Daisy. And now.” His voice cracked, his face flushed red.
“Not yet, Tobias. They need to hold out like the others.”
He slowed his speed once they neared the embattled city. He took in the various firefights, soldiers and citizens joined forces against the Black Army. Fiery explosions bloomed throughout the city, tracer rounds flashed between the fighters.
“Hold out,” he said.
“Yes, they must hold out for now until we can organize.”
“Daisy Lane, I’m a Marine first and an angel second.”
Daisy sucked in an exasperated breath. “I don’t remember God making you into a Marine.”
Juggernaut smiled, his brown eyes shinning. “Follow me if you wish.”
The angel dove for Houston. His white wings spread out from his back. Below him gunfire rose in staccato bursts. He spotted several soldiers and civilians grouped together near burning Hummers. They exchanged rifle fire with men dressed in black jumpsuits who wore black Kevlar helmets marked with red pentagrams.
The angel landed amongst the enemy. He drew his gladius and another sword appeared in his other hand. Tobias went to work. Daisy Lane landed behind her partner and gave the enemy her full awareness. The black clad men turned towards the angels, their eyes widened in shock as swords cut down their worthless lives. Their screams hurtled up into the tense air.
Juggernaut allowed his last victim to fall at his feet. He turned and walked towards the fighters who stared at the two angels in awe. “Who’s your commander?”
“Gunnery Green,” a harsh voice called out from the group. “You’re alive and well.”
Juggernaut smiled as General Perkins sauntered forward, his face etched with more lines after a few days of intense battle. “And you’re alive also, general. I reckon you didn’t reach the rally point.”
Perkins nodded. “Yea, I got caught up in this.” He swept his eyes over the tall buildings around him and the dead bodies strung out behind the angels. “This is a bit messy, Gunnery Sergeant. You mind telling me how this happened?”
“No excuses, sir, but we got plans to check this.”
Daisy stood next to Juggernaut, she gave Perkins a quick smile. “General Perkins.”
“Daisy Lane, how are you?”
“I’m still fighting.”
The general pointed a thumb behind him. “I gathered enough fighters to take back Houston. The entire country is in a pickle that I’m eager to get it out of.”
Juggernaut stared at the fighters behind the general who tended to their dead and wounded. “Yea, well we lost the battle in France, general. I’m trying not to get too overwhelmed here.”
General Perkin ambled up to Juggernaut and seized the angel’s muscled forearm in a tight grip. “You
didn’t lose shit, Gunny. Understand me? We are all still fighting and will keep fighting til the last of us stops breathing.”
Juggernaut blinked, the man’s grip made him wince. The general’s incredible strength surprised him. “Yes, sir.” He gazed into the general’s eyes. Another presence lurked behind them, a stronger, and all loving presence.
“Jehovah,” he whispered and the eyes changed, went back to normal.
General Perkins turned from Juggernaut and gave Daisy a quick glance. “We’ll hold out here like everyone else. Please, you two. Get things together and quick.”
Juggernaut nodded. “We will, sir.” He glanced at Daisy and winked. The two took to the air, and blasted up into the gray clouds.
15
Daisy Lane and Juggernaut left the embattled Houston headed to southern Texas. The land turned into dung colored hills and mountains beneath them. Dark shadows stretched out across the ground, the clouds above blanketed the once pristine and sunny desert with gloom.
After a few minutes flying, the Guardians camp emerged from amongst the once green trees now thick with dying leaves from scant sunlight. The two angels landed at the camp. Guardians in various dress, and deep in chores and training stopped to cheer their arrival.
Both angels smiled and added an extra glow to their armor to show the Guardians the war still continued. No one planned to give up the fight. Deep warmth swept through the camp. The fifteen thousand troops mobbed the two eternal beings.
“Daisy!”
Maria’s voice broke over the soldiers excited calls. She weaved her way through the jubilant crowd and rushed towards her two friends and threw her arms around them both.
Daisy held Maria tight and planted a kiss on her cheek. “You’re alive.”
Maria kissed them on their faces. “I thought you both died.”
Juggernaut gazed about him. “Everyone seems motivated and ready to fight.”
Maria exhaled. “Jason and General Black got them on their feet.”
Daisy Lane brushed a stray hair from Maria’s round face. “Jehovah will not start the Second Coming. We will sort this mess on earth ourselves.”
Maria said, “We’re ready, Daisy.”
“And so am I,” said a familiar voice.
The angels turned to the voice. Joan emerged from the tree line dressed in armor. More cheers exploded from the Guardians, they rushed to the archangel and surrounded her. The three other angels grasped hands and crowded in on their small friend and hugged her tight.
Joan, Maria, Tobias Green, Daisy Lane, Sergeant First Class Jason Aries, and General Gerald Black sat around a campfire eating military meals. A mourner’s silence hung around the group as if they contemplated a dead friend’s passing.
Before they gathered General Black and Jason Aries went about to insure the Guardians created a good defensive perimeter around their camp and several miles throughout the park. Listening posts and scouts roamed the camp outskirts, quick reaction forces remained awake and ready.
Daisy Lane cooked a few rabbits to add to their meal. “How do you guys manage to eat those MREs?”
Jason smiled and opened a brown military package. “We’re always hungry. Chicken and rice,” he said reading the brown package. “With some rabbit meat dumped in makes a tasty meal.” He shook the contents from the package onto a paper plate and added rabbit meat to the dish.
General Black gazed into the fire, his brown eyes far away from the group.
Tobias stretched his legs and crossed them at the ankles. He sucked his teeth and took in a deep breath. “After this I want to go camping, somewhere remote and off the grid.”
Maria flicked her eyes at Jason, a sly smile crept over her face as she poked at her food. “That would be fun.”
Joan jabbed a stick at the fire. The rabbit meat created a sweet aroma she enjoyed and the campfire relaxed her enough to think. “How can we stop them,” she said. Her brown eyes lifted up and took them all in.
Daisy Lane shook her head. “Kill joy. Can you find other ways to bring up these subjects?”
“Better now than later, Daisy Lane,” Joan said. “I admit my fumble in dealing with Kami. I will not be slow in acting again. I owe a debt to humanity. Too much blood is on my hands.”
Tobias leaned forward. “Don’t hog the misery, blood is on all our hands, Joan. Daisy Lane came up with a plan.”
“Talk,” she said. Everyone around the fire fell silent.
“We are outnumbered more than when we fought in Denver. So we figured taking down the leadership might get us somewhere.”
Joan spun a finger for Tobias to continue.
“We figured you can take on Okura. Maria and Jason can kill President Brown and Armand. Daisy and I can deal with Satan.”
Joan remained silent for a few seconds, deciding not to talk about her rescuing Michael. “What about the siege. Heaven is under siege and how are we to get Satan down here?”
Daisy Lane looked Joan in her eyes. “I can lure Lucifer to earth long enough to trap him, and throw him back into Hell.”
“You two are not strong enough to handle Lucifer on your own.”
“God promoted me to Seraph.”
Joan flinched. She prepared to rise and kneel until Daisy reached out and touched her arm to stop her. “Why would He promote you?”
Daisy grimaced. “To kick Satan’s ass.”
Joan’s stomach tightened into a knot. Jealousy prodded her innards and she pushed the emotion aside. Another test from Jehovah, she figured. Michael told her she would fight Lucifer alone. “Ok, Daisy.”
Daisy’s green eyes narrowed. “I thought I would at least get a congratulations from our dear leader.”
Joan pressed her lips together and fought to control her anger at Daisy’s goad. “Congratulations,” she said.
Tobias swung a finger between him and Daisy. “We can chain Satan away in Hell if the angels in Heaven can repel him from the gates.” He faced Daisy. “She plans to use her old love for Lucifer to lure him to earth.”
Joan raised an eyebrow at Daisy. “To lure Lucifer we will need more than some stale love affair.”
Maria grabbed a tiny rock and rolled it in her fingers, her brown eyes sparkled. “Israel.”
Jason frowned. “Israel?”
“God’s chosen people,” General Black said. “A risky lure to use, Maria. Will God be okay with that?”
Joan smiled. “He won’t be okay with the idea, but the rouse sounds good. If Satan can be convinced into threatening Israel, he might lift the siege.”
Tobias turned to Maria. “Well, Maria. How do we get Lucifer to Israel?”
“Use his pride against him. Daisy Lane is good at baiting. She’s closer to Lucifer than any of us.”
Daisy leaned forward. “I think I can convince Lucifer to threaten Israel, if he believes attacking Jerusalem would start the Second Coming.”
Joan tossed the stick into the fire and stared at the slender birch blackening within the flames. “Our timing must be impeccable.”
Daisy gave a weak chuckle. “And if the timing is off, Joan.”
“Good luck,” she said.
Jason delivered a rueful laugh. “We drove luck off a long time ago, Joan.”
“We did,” she said. “We’re operating on faith now.”
“...or fumes,” Daisy said with no mirth in her voice, her eyes focused on Joan and hardened.
Joan returned the stare. “Let’s hope the angels can break Lucifer’s siege.”
Joan picked up an MRE package and ripped the plastic pouch open. She emptied out meatballs lost in a thick red sauce onto her plastic plate. She decided to add a barbecued rabbit thigh to her meal. “General Black, start organizing the teams. Can we trust anyone in the White House?”
“No,” General Black answered. “But I’m still in contact with Patricia Jones.”
Joan lifted her eyebrows. “She’s alive?”
“She is, and headed to a hideout near Virginia.”
&nb
sp; “Tell her to wait in the hideout,” Joan said.
Black nodded and stood. “Rodger, Joan. I’m going to gather the teams.”
“Good, Black. Within the next two hours we should start operations.”
“I’m ready now, Joan,” Daisy said.
“We all are. But this time, we will be organized.” Joan placed her plate on the ground and stood, she lost her appetite. “Everyone be safe. Once we knock off the heads, the rest should fall apart and grant us victory.”
Joan walked off into the pitch night. Her other plans she kept to herself. Another crack emerged within the team. Daisy Lane seemed bent to do her own thing and question Joan’s leadership. The archangel decided to play Daisy close and wait for a fresh treachery to emerge.
16
Armand Demhurst hustled from his private jet parked on the Paris airport runway. The skies above him continued to clot with thick storm clouds. His security team joined him and the group headed towards a massive AN-225 cargo plane parked not too far from another massive twin. Armand called his particular plane the mother ship. A black painted behemoth, except the dual tails bore the Devicorp red mark, the three sixes in beaker form surrounded by a circle.
Armand entered a black Mercedes utility vehicle. The truck drove off towards the mother ship and up its back ramp and parked in a designated parking space. The billionaire Satanist exited the truck and headed straight for his office to make sure all the planned attacks unfolded like he expected.
He shivered every time the battle at the CERN crossed his mind. Satan’s frightful entrance put a spin on over a billion ideas man harbored over the spiritual world. His smartphone beeped and he slid his thumb over the screen. A short video clip opened and he watched the Vatican burn. One less problem to deal with and wondered if the pope wore his Mitre hat in Heaven. He turned off the device.
Once Armand purchased his AN-225, he refurbished the cargo plane for comfort. The Anotov now contained a meeting hall, an office, kitchen space with cafeteria and even a small nightclub. His command office sat forward behind the cockpit. He also added a security team and an armored personal carrier.
Angels of War Battle of Archangels (Book 3) (Angels of War Trilogy) Page 6