“How do you think we’re doing, really?” Alexandra asked.
“This is no small errand we are on,” Koneh said. “I won’t lie to you. This is an impossible journey but I’m not planning on failing you.”
Impossible journey. The words carried more weight coming from a seemingly invincible man. Alexandra heard the word impossible before, but never had it ringed so true.
“If it’s impossible why are we even trying?” she asked.
“Because it is all we can do. Because it is what we must do,” Koneh said. “There comes a point in our lives when we must make our stand. Why not for Eden?”
“Are you doing this because God commanded you?” Alexandra asked.
He shook his head. “No. The choice to seek Eden is my own. Though I knew my chances for success were low when I started.”
Alexandra turned away from him and battled her tears. Was the reward of Eden worth the risk to her life? Was she seeking Eden for the right reasons? What were her reasons? She closed her eyes and flushed her questions. Now wasn’t the time to doubt. Her friends were relying on her to lead them to Brasilia.
Opening her eyes, she said, “Well, we have more immediate things to deal with. Like the Flyover, Holly’s condition, the new baby and our own survival.”
Koneh nodded. “Holly isn’t doing well.”
“Are we close to Brasilia?”
“Not really,” Koneh said. “And there’s no guarantee anyone there is alive.”
“You know,” she said, “the worries of my life before the quake seem so trivial now. Bills, promotion, dating. All trivial.”
“I remember the exact moment I first felt as you do now,” Koneh said. “It was the moment I realized that my life would never be the same.”
“What happened?” Alexandra asked, desperate for more clues to Koneh’s personality.
He shook his head and said, “I was a foolish youth, absorbed in my own pride. You wouldn’t want to hear about it-”
“No,” she said as she touched his arm, “I want to… I want to know more about you. I think we’ve been together long enough. At least tell me where you’re from. I’ve had a hard time placing your accent.”
“I’ve moved around quite a bit,” he said. “I doubt I have an accent that can be tied to any single location.”
“Good morning!”
Alexandra jumped.
“Sorry,” Benjamin said, “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Lost in conversation, Alexandra didn’t notice the activity in the camp.
“Nicole is cooking up the last of the bacon from the ship,” Benjamin said. “Might as well enjoy it before we’re back to MRE’s.”
After a parting glance which only strengthened the longing in her heart, Alexandra left Koneh at the overturned oil rig and joined the group next to the station wagon.
“What were you guys talking about over there?” Nicole asked as she handed Alexandra some food.
Alexandra dropped to the ground and used the rear tire for support. “Travel stuff,” she said as she devoured a piece of sizzling bacon.
“Oh.”
Santino leaned into the station wagon and offered food to Holly.
“I’m not hungry,” Holly said.
Santino turned to Alexandra and said, “She needs to eat. You can say to her?”
Sighing, Alexandra rose to join him in the window. “Holly, please eat something. Delia needs you to be strong.”
Apart from the bulge at her midsection, Holly appeared almost skeletal. Deep red lines cradled the woman’s bloodshot eyes. A yellow crust formed at the corners of her mouth and pimples raged across her face.
“I said I’m not hungry!”
Alexandra took the food from Santino and rested it on the seat. “We’ll just leave it here in case you change your mind.”
“No good,” Santino said as they walked away from the car. “That baby should cry but she don’t anymore.”
“Do you think Delia will be okay?” Alexandra asked.
He looked over his shoulder and said, “If she were my baby-” Tears formed in his eyes and his mouth wavered. “If she were my little girl-”
Alexandra touched his arm and said, “We’ll get there. You’ll see your daughter again.”
Nicole joined them. “Well, I don’t think they look right,” she said.
“No, they don’t,” Alexandra said as she followed Nicole’s gaze to the station wagon.
The group sped along the Flyover for two days. The claw-like remains of the forest below the highway hid the ground, but no animal or human movement was seen. Holly’s condition worsened and everyone only spoke when necessary. The weight of losing so many friends at the cruise ship had finally settled on the survivors and the mood turned dour.
Alexandra’s thoughts wandered to the white-haired woman. Were the dreams real? Did she really exist somewhere, content to contact her through dreams? Why would anyone want Eden destroyed? Every attempt to piece together the information met with failure. She wished Father Callahan was still around to help her sort everything out.
At the end of the second day, in the middle of Alexandra’s soul-searching, the highway began to rumble.
“What was that?” Nicole asked, clutching the back of the seat.
“Sounds like a quake,” Benjamin said.
“Stop the car!” Koneh said.
As soon as it began, the quake subsided. Santino punched the brakes, which jostled the occupants of the dented station wagon. Then, he adjusted his Texas Rangers ball cap and pointed out the windshield. “Extremo,” he said.
Alexandra, Benjamin and Koneh exited the car and stood at the edge of the Flyover. Roughly fifty feet of highway was missing!
“I dunno how high we are,” Benjamin said as he peered over the torn edge of road, “but, maybe we can climb down?”
“That’s one option,” Koneh said.
Erzulie landed on the pavement next to them. “The road looks intact beyond this break,” the angel said.
“What about the forest beneath us?” Koneh asked.
Erzulie shook her head and said, “Very rough terrain down there. Your path would be a difficult one through fallen trees, sinkholes and upturned earth.”
“How high are we?” Benjamin asked.
“We stand one hundred and sixty meters above the ground,” Erzulie said. “The fall would undoubtedly kill you.”
Alexandra examined the impressive angel and said, “How much can you carry while flying?”
“That’s the other option,” Koneh said.
Erzulie carried Koneh over the chasm while Santino, Benjamin and Alexandra unpacked the station wagon.
“Did you guys make it over there all right?” Alexandra asked after Erzulie returned, empty-handed, on Alexandra’s side of the broken highway
Erzulie nodded. “Koneh is securing the area as we speak.”
“Good,” Alexandra said, “bring Santino over next. Find a car and make sure Holly will be comfortable in the back seat.”
“By your command,” Erzulie said.
Alexandra inventoried their supplies while Erzulie and Santino made the trip over the chasm. Five jugs of water, thirty-four MRE rations, twenty gallons of gasoline, six sets of fatigues, several packs of diapers, two containers of powdered baby formula, one portable grill, two small propane tanks and various utility tools and snacks.
“We’re definitely running low,” Alexandra said to herself.
“Hi,” Nicole said as she rounded the corner of the station wagon.
“Hi there,” Alexandra said. “Has Erzulie returned yet?”
“Yeah, she took Benjamin over. I helped Holly out of the car-”
The girl’s voice trailed away when she noticed Holly teetering near the edge of the broken highway. Alexandra raced to the mother and baby.
“You’re not taking her!” Holly said.
Erzulie stood several feet from Holly, but the angel didn’t advance.
“What’s going on
?” Alexandra asked.
“She won’t let me carry the baby over,” Erzulie said, frustration in her voice. Another emotion.
Alexandra turned to Holly.
“Stay back,” Holly said, a wild look in her eyes. “I’m not letting that demon take Delia.”
“Calm down,” Alexandra said. “We need to get you and Delia to the other side. Do you understand?”
Spittle sprayed from Holly’s mouth as she spoke. “That demon isn’t going to touch my baby!”
Alexandra took a step towards the deranged woman and said, “Okay. We can talk about this.”
The wind intensified, and Holly stumbled near the edge. Alexandra gasped as Holly and Delia fell from the broken highway and into the darkness below.
Chapter 25
Alexandra was stunned as she watched Holly and Delia disappear from the edge of the broken road. However, Erzulie’s angelic reflexes sprung into action. She spread her wings and followed Holly into the darkness below.
A small scream escaped Nicole’s lips. Everyone else was on the other side of the chasm, at least fifty feet away and out of sight.
Alexandra waited for several strained minutes. The image of Holly’s fall was fresh in her mind. Dropping to her knees, she remained a good distance from the lip of the chasm. She was numb from all the death around her.
More time passed.
Neither Alexandra nor Nicole moved. The wind howled around them and the rustling of clothes was the only motion. Was this really happening? Alexandra stared at the broken edge of the road. How could she continue?
“Too much,” Alexandra said, though her voice was weaker than the wind. Friends and enemies had been killed in her presence. She bloodied her own hands during the battle at the beached cruise ship. What was it all for? A place? Heaven on Earth?
What if they were wrong?
Eden may well be a fantasy. Everyone’s death would become hollow, a waste of precious vitality in a world devoid of any comfort or remorse. How would she deal with that final truth, if it came to that?
Alexandra turned her tear-streaked face to the dark sky and screamed.
“What do you want from me?”
The weary woman from San Antonio turned wasteland leader repeated the words until her throat stung and her voice turned hoarse. Nicole, hesitant at first, encompassed Alexandra in a hug. They both sobbed.
Alexandra didn’t see or hear Erzulie return to the surface of the flyover highway, but when Alexandra opened her eyes, the angel came into focus at the edge of the chasm.
“Erzulie?” she asked tentatively.
“I am sorry, Lex. I couldn’t save them both,” Erzulie said as she strode towards them.
So, that was it. Another death. Though Alexandra knew this would be the likely outcome, the truth of the angel’s words stung like a fresh wound.
Erzulie continued. “Delia is safe on the other side with the others.”
“Delia-” Alexandra said. Was she wrong to feel relief over Erzulie saving the child over the mother? Who should make those decisions?
Nicole smiled and hugged Erzulie.
Though Holly was gone, Delia now had a chance in this doomed world. A small victory for Alexandra was still a victory. She decided she would take it.
Wiping the tears from her face, she said, “Thank you, Erzulie. You were truly heroic.”
Alexandra and Nicole joined the rest of the group on the other side of the flyover highway. Few words were exchanged over dinner. By the time the reddish dawn came, Erzulie had flown all the supplies over the chasm and Santino waited in their new transportation – a rusty black pickup truck.
Since Santino knew the most about babies, Alexandra offered to drive. Santino and Nicole made themselves comfortable in the back of the pickup truck along with Benjamin who watched the skies with his assault rifle. Koneh navigated as they followed the flyover. He also continued with the sword lessons, though Alexandra felt like she wasn’t really progressing. After two days, they reached the ground again and followed route 180 for another three sunless days into the capital of Brazil – Brasilia.
Alexandra reined the pickup to a stop before a ruined bridge. The remaining sections of bridge stretched out like a broken stone path at the base of a massive dried out lake. The reddish sky gave the group a glimpse of the other side and the many lights from what Alexandra hoped were survivors.
With Delia in one arm, Santino hugged Alexandra and said, “Gracias.”
Erzulie appeared in the sky and dropped to the ground beside them.
“There are many humans in Brasilia,” Erzulie said.
Alexandra’s heart leapt.
“How do they look?” Koneh asked.
“They seem to have managed quite well. Many of the buildings are functional and some vehicles drive on the roads. The cathedral seems to be the place with the most people.”
“Did you see any weapons? Troops?” Benjamin asked.
“Oh yes,” Erzulie said. “In fact, a small group of jeeps and soldiers are gathering on the other side of this empty lake as we speak. No doubt, they are curious about us.”
“Did they see you?” Alexandra asked.
Erzulie smiled. “Of course not.”
“That’s a large city,” Alexandra said. “Erzulie, I don’t think you need to fly around the whole time we’re inside. We may rest up for a while.”
Erzulie turned to her and said, “I’m quite strained from the battles and constant flying. I’m sorry, but if we were to go into battle again, I may fall.”
Koneh said, “I was already thinking about that. Why don’t you stow the wings and join us on this one.”
“Stow the wings?” Alexandra asked.
Koneh grinned. “Angels are remarkable creatures.”
“How?”
“She can fold them under her skin,” Koneh said.
“Is that acceptable?” Erzulie asked.
Alexandra blinked. “Of course!”
The angel removed what was left of her armor, which fell to the pavement with a metallic thud. Then, with a child’s innocence, Erzulie removed her dress to expose her naked ashen body. Santino and Nicole turned away. Benjamin and Alexandra stared as Erzulie flattened her black, feathery wings against her back.
“Okay, soldier. Show’s over.” Koneh grasped Benjamin’s bicep and turned him around. “Give the lady some privacy. This will take some time.”
Over the next hour, Erzulie contorted her wings until they disappeared under her skin. While the group enjoyed a brief meal, Alexandra found her eyes drawn to the naked angel time and again. The procedure appeared both majestic and gruesome to her human eyes.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Koneh said as he leaned towards Alexandra.
She shifted her attention to her companion and said, “What?”
“You’re thinking, why hasn’t she done this before?”
Alexandra shook her head. “That wasn’t on my mind, no.”
“Well,” Koneh said, “the process will take another three days, as the wings further compress themselves under her skin. She may not walk or move quite right until the process is finished and she cannot bring them out again either.”
“No wings for at least three days?”
“Correct,” Koneh said as he watched Erzulie retrieve some fatigues from the back of the pickup. “But I think she needs the rest.”
“Do you love her?” Alexandra said, not sure why she asked the question. She was both curious and jealous. However, her jealousy was the foolish kind she felt when she saw a gorgeous woman with a man her age. Sure, the people were strangers, but that didn’t matter.
Koneh huffed. “Love is one of those tricky words.”
“You told me before that you are human,” Alexandra said. “Don’t you have feelings? Emotions?”
As the rest of the group carried on their own conversations, Alexandra studied Koneh. The sharp lines of his face contrasted the uneven scars which painted every patch of his gray skin. Those blac
k-in-black eyes betrayed no emotion. Whether he was killing an enemy or chatting about demonic physiology, his eyes held their secrets. This both frustrated and excited her.
Then, he closed his unreadable eyes. “Sometimes I envy Erzulie and her limitations,” he said. “Sometimes I feel too much.”
Alexandra lowered her eyes and thought of Father Richard Callahan again. Guilt and sorrow swirled together in the pit of her stomach. Was his body still under that shallow mound at the base of the beached cruise ship? Did his soul patiently await her arrival in Eden? Did everyone’s soul wait for her?
The magnitude of her responsibility threatened to overwhelm her again until she heard Koneh’s raspy voice. “She’s finished.”
Erzulie approached the camp dressed in black army fatigues. Her long dark hair was tied into a ponytail, with each strand in perfect alignment. A pair of sunglasses hid her all-white eyes, but nothing could hide the ashen pallor of her skin.
“Do you think it’ll work?” Alexandra asked.
Koneh said, “We’ll use the radiation story. It has worked for me so far.”
“Well,” Alexandra said, “look at her. She’s more beautiful than any supermodel, and you’re… Well-”
Koneh huffed. “Just stay in the back of the truck, Erzul. And find a hat.”
Alexandra rose and took Erzulie’s hands, reversing their positions from when they first met.
“Wow,” Alexandra said as she inspected the transformed angel. “It doesn’t matter what you’re wearing, does it? You make those fatigues look like runway material.”
Erzulie’s face shifted into a look of confusion. “Like an airport?”
Alexandra laughed. “No, like you could walk down a runway at a fashion show and dazzle the photographers.”
“Ahhh, that makes more sense.”
“Indeed.”
“Okay,” Koneh said, “enough clothes talk. Let’s go see how friendly these Brazilians are.”
Eden (Eden Saga) Page 25