by Jen Gentry
Emily’s awe wasn’t lost on Ethan. He remembered his first view of Rio. The city boasted an intoxicating mix of wild, exotic jungles and beaches, combined with a bustling metropolis. One could easily get lost in the thrill ride that was Rio. He decided to take the time to show her around a bit while waiting for his team to collect them.
“We could take the tram up to the top of Sugarloaf if you’d like. We need to pick up some more supplies, but my team won’t be here for a few more hours, so we have time for some site-seeing,” Ethan told Emily as they picked up their backpacks and gear from the baggage terminal.
“That’d be great. How long will we be staying in Rio?” Emily’s excitement at the prospect of seeing some of the sites around the city showed.
“We’ll be here for the rest of today and then leave in the morning. My team will meet us at a local motel and cantina where we stay when in the city. It’s not far from the airport. Let’s get checked in and then we can take the tram up the mountain.” Ethan wanted nothing more than to study the photocopies of the Spaniard’s journals on his laptop, but figured that could wait long enough for him to show Emily around a little. Besides, they would need to get to a market and pick up a machete and hunting knife for Emily.
A couple of hours later, after getting checked in at the motel, Ethan hailed a cab to take Emily to the docking site for the Sugarloaf tram. Once they boarded, Ethan pointed out different sites to Emily on the way up to Urca Hill. The view from the cable car was spellbinding. Emily stared-wide eyed at Guanabara Bay and the islands in it from the air. The ocean water was a deep blue and smooth as glass. When they reached the top of Urca Hill they changed to a different car to continue the ride up to Sugarloaf. Several other site-seers took pictures from a pavilion overlooking the bay, as Ethan pointed out the Rio-Nitero’ Bridge and Corcovado Hill. The lush mountains surrounding the city enthralled Emily.
Ethan held Emily’s hand as they boarded the second tramcar. He was seeing the sites through Emily’s eyes. He’d taken this trip several times with other friends and colleagues but watching and feeling Emily’s rapture gave him a pleasure he’d never known before. He couldn’t resist holding her tight as the tram jerked up the cable suspensions.
Emily was aware of Ethan’s arms around her but didn’t pull away. His embrace was comforting and she felt safe in his arms. The rest of the ride lasted only twenty minutes, but the view got better the higher they went. All too soon the ride was over. Emily and Ethan made their way back into town to get the rest of her supplies.
“Feira de Hippie.” Ethan told their cab driver where to go. “We’re going to a little knife shop I know of in a flea market not far from here. You can see Copacabana Beach from the roadway there.” He explained to Emily.
“Lead the way. I’m just enjoying the ride.” So far this adventure seemed like a vacation to her. She wondered what the Lord planned for the rest of the trip. Knowing there would be some hardships until Ethan reached his goals didn’t bother her. The Lord was with her no matter where she was, but she could not help the feeling that danger lurked close by. She sent a silent prayer to the Heavenly Father to keep her and Ethan safe, as they made their way through crowded streets to the flea market.
***
Liam and his host of angels kept an eye on Emily and Ethan from the air above the town of Rio. The angel Simon arrived to report Lazar checked into a motel near the airport then started his hunt for Ethan.
“Stay on Lazar’s trail and keep reporting back to me as you can. There has to be a reason Armodius attached himself to this man. We need to learn of his mission and purpose for following Ethan. I want to know exactly what he is after.”
“Yes, Commander,” Simon addressed Liam then left to resume his orders to follow Lazar.
“We must stay close to Emily. The market is full of all manner of demons. I do not want any of them getting close to her or Ethan.” Liam flew down to the market as he spoke, followed by the remaining angles.
The host of large, warrior angels didn’t go unnoticed by the demons in the market. Most of them skittered away, as Liam walked the street with his long sword drawn. The tourist who packed the market in search of bargains shopped unaware of the Heavenly soldiers.
Liam and the other angels walked the street, as Emily and Ethan arrived and headed for the knife shop. When Ethan escorted Emily into the shop, a beady-eyed, frog-like demon confronted Liam in the street.
“You are out of place here, angel. State your business on my grounds.” The horrible looking demon hissed the command in Latin. Having his own horde of rag-tag demons behind him made the creature smug, and he wanted to toy with Liam.
“My business is the Lord’s business and none of your affair, demon. Now let us pass,” Liam stated flatly in perfect Latin.
“You are not free to roam on my grounds, angel. I am Grotbod, overseer for this part of Rio. I will not allow your interference here.” Grotbod pulled his own sword and pointed it at Liam, who was twice his size. The angels formed ranks and prepared for battle.
Grotbod let out a loud, piercing screech. Within seconds the market flooded with hundreds of demons ready for battle, answering the call of the demonic overseer.
Before a single blow fell between the opposing forces a dark cloud descended between them. All the demons bowed low. Out of the dark cloud stepped a massive black-winged demon. He looked neither left nor right, but walked straight to Liam.
“Dicydius.” This creature was not unknown to Liam.
“Liam, it has been a long time since I last saw your face. Why are you here? You know this is my city.” The demon spoke with a raspy voice.
“All belongs to our Lord, Dicydius, and we are here in the name of the one who holds power over all Heaven and Earth. You will let us pass.” It was not a question, but statement of fact.
“Of course you may pass. I trust your business will not keep you here for long?”
“We will be here as long as the Lord wants us here.” Liam could see the giant demon’s jaw working as he fought to hold his tongue and his temper.
“Fine, finish your business and be gone, but know that you are closely watched while you are in my city.” Dicydius walked backwards into his dark cloud and disappeared. Grotbod and the other demons fell back as well. Soon, no demons remained in sight.
“That was too easy. The demons are hiding something and they do not want us to find out what that is,” Liam stated to his host. “We must be extra vigilant in our care of Emily and Ethan. They hold the key to the Lord’s plan.
***
Emily’s eyes widened with wonder as she took in the market place of Fierre de Hippie. There was a carnival atmosphere to the entire street that was packed with venders hawking their wares of brightly colored tapestries, painted pottery, and all manner of Brazilian knick-knacks. In the background Latino music rose over the din of human voices as Ethan led Emily through the streets teeming with tourist by the hand.
“This way to the knife shop.” Emily was aware that Ethan was talking, but a chill ran up her spine as she spotted Liam and his Legion in the street in front of her with his sword drawn as if he was ready for battle. Before she could say anything Ethan pulled her into a dark doorway. In the darkness of the knife shop Emily could only see shadows as her eyes adjusted after coming in from the bright sunlight. Ethan let go of her hand and stepped up to a counter. As he engaged the shop owner in Latin Emily stepped back into the doorway to look out at the street.
Liam was gone. There were no angels or demons in sight. She knew without a doubt the angels were following her, but instead of reassuring her it made her even more curious to know just what kind of trouble Ethan was in. He’d told her that he believed Dr. Lazar to be a dangerous man. She shuddered at the thought of Dr. Lazar. Ethan had good reason to be afraid of him. Emily believed him to be possessed. The one time she had seen him was enough to convince her that he harbored a great evil inside of him.
“Emily, come check this out.” The excite
ment in Ethan’s voice drew Emily from her thoughts. “I just got a great deal on a machete and a hunting knife for you.”
***
Armodius pushed his human puppet, Dr. Carmine Lazar, forward. Word from the demonic presence in Rio verified Ethan had been spotted among the tourists shopping in the market district of Fierra de Hippie, so he ordered the cab driver to head in that direction. He planned to find out where Ethan was headed and to follow him. It was imperative that Ethan lead him to the cave of the lost kings. Arranging an ambush for Ethan and his crew would be easy, but being a lazy demon he preferred to let Ethan do all the work. Then Armodius could swoop in, take what he wanted and run.
If Armodius served his masters well, he would be able to remain inside of Lazar and live a life of ease. He needed Lazar to be wealthy if he was to have that life. Of course, he would have to completely destroy Ethan in the process, but that was the thrill of this whole operation, destruction of the children of God. Lazar sat in the backseat of the cab with a vacant stare in his eyes and an evil smile on his lips, as he waited for Ethan to exit the market place.
Armodius didn’t have to wait long before spotting Ethan and the red-haired woman hailing a cab.
“Follow that cab,” Lazar grunted and threw some paper money at the driver to get him moving.
Armodius pondered as the cab raced down the street. He knew the woman with Ethan could be trouble. Angelic warriors followed and watched her closely. It was rumored Emily was blessed with the ability to see angels and demons. He would bide his time and watch her carefully. He was sure that with patience he would find an opening to strike and take her out of the way. He would just wait and watch for the right opportunity to present itself. The demon had spent centuries in the abyss until the Ba al’ summoned him for this assignment. He could be patient if he needed to be.
***
The sun was setting on the horizon when the cab dropped Ethan and Emily off at the front entrance to the motel. Ethan walked Emily to her room with a promise to meet her for dinner in the front lobby later then headed to his own room. He was almost frantic to get a look at the images of the Spaniard’s journals. For two whole days he’d put it off and now, finally, he was going to load them from the phone to his laptop for a closer look.
Ethan slid the key into the door of his room and ‘whoof’ out of nowhere a body slammed into him and knocked him to the ground. A sturdy pair of legs straddled him, as wet lips smacked his face with loud kisses.
“There you are, Ethan. Where’ve you been all day? We’ve been looking for ya everywhere since we checked in and found out you were already here,” a high pitched female voice pouted as she straddled a prone Ethan.
“Phoebe, get off me. You’re cutting off my air,” Ethan squeaked out as the leggy blonde woman rolled off him.
“Well, did you miss me?” Before Ethan could answer Phoebe began plugging him with other questions. “Did you get the maps from the old lady? Can you see where the cave is on them? We’re all hungry, so can we go eat now?”
“Let’s see, umm, yes, I did miss all of you. Yes, I got the maps. I don’t know yet about the cave, I haven’t had much of a chance to look yet, and yes, food is definitely on the agenda.” Ethan pulled himself up and then offered a hand to Phoebe.
“Good, Pheebs is right, we’re all starving. Where ya been hiding all day, Ethan?” A deep, masculine voice called out as Ethan turned to find the rest of his team coming down the hallway. Cliff Roland, Russ Jenkins, and Gary Palmer were Ethan’s closest friends and colleagues. Together with Phoebe, they were the only people that had stuck with Ethan through good and bad. He trusted all of them with his life.
“I have a lot to tell all of you, but we need to wait for most of it because Lazar is onto us. I’m sure he’s already here.”
“What? Lazar! Did you see him?” Cliff sputtered as the rest of the team looked on in shock. Each of them counted Carmine Lazar as a sworn enemy. He’d betrayed them all one way or another, but the evidence that pointed to him being involved in the death of their friend, Dr. Will Hansen, was enough to make them loath the man entirely. Ethan unlocked the door to his room and ushered the group inside.
“OK, spill it Ethan. What do you mean Lazar is onto us?” Phoebe blurted out as all five of them crammed into Ethan’s small room.
“Well... It’s a really long story.” Ethan spent the next hour catching his friends up on getting the copies of the Spaniard’s journals and spotting Lazar. He was just getting to the part about the newest member of their team when a knock sounded on the door.
Phoebe made it to the door before Ethan. She pulled it open and stared at the gorgeous redhead in front of her.
“Yeah, whatda ya want?” When Emily only stared back at her Phoebe started to close the door. “I think you got the wrong room, lady.”
“No, Phoebe, wait. This is Emily Bell. She’ll be joining us on this expedition.” Ethan took Emily by the hand as everyone else in the room gasped.
Chapter Five
Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which has a most vehement flame.
Song of Solomon 8:6
Emily smiled nervously and did her best to make the others feel comfortable. Cliff, Russ and Gary all jumped up to shake her hand and welcome her. Only Phoebe stood back with her arms crossed over her chest.
“Just what do you mean when you say joining us, Ethan?” She pointedly asked.
“I mean she is now a member of our team, Phoebe. Where we go, she goes. Got that?” Ethan gave Phoebe a chastising look while he poked his finger in her direction.
“I thought we agreed that after we lost Will that we wouldn’t risk adding another to our group.”
“Look, this is my team and my expedition, and I say Emily is going and that’s that.”
Emily held up her hand before the argument could continue. “OK, I think you all need some time to talk so I am going down to the lobby to wait for you.”
Cliff, Russ and Gary all followed Emily out the door with Gary at the tail mumbling, “We’ll meet you two downstairs.”
In the lobby, the three men introduced themselves to Emily.
“Hi, Emily, welcome aboard. I’m Dr. Cliff Roland. This is Dr. Russ Jenkins, and Dr. Gary Palmer.” The men each took turns shaking her hand. “So, are you an archeologist or an anthropologist? Russ, Gary and me are archeologist. Phoebe is the anthropologist on our team.”
“Oh no, I’m neither. I hold a degree in biblical theology with a minor in ancient languages, but that’s not why I’m here. I’m here because…well I... maybe we should let Ethan tell you exactly why I’m here.” Emily suddenly felt she was on a hot seat. She decided to let Ethan disclose to his team the particulars of their arrangement. Surely that would be the best course of action given her cold greeting back in Ethan’s motel room.
“So, tell me about Phoebe. Are she and Ethan a couple?” She blurted out, hoping to change the subject.
“Oh No! No, No, No!” All three men answered in unison. Then Cliff, the self-appointed spokesman for the group, held up his hand. “Phoebe is, or should I say was, Will’s cousin. Ethan felt responsible for her after his death and made her a permanent part of our team. She’s very professional and good at what she does, and her addition to the team has proved to be a real asset. It’s just that she’s a little emotionally attached to Ethan, especially with Will gone. Ethan thinks of her as a little sister. We all do really. But she’s been the only woman in our group for a while now, and I guess she’s just a little wary, you know, of you maybe being here to replace her. Don’t worry. I’m sure Ethan will reassure her.”
“What happened to Will, if you don’t mind my asking?” The three men ducked their eyes. Clearly Emily’s question hit a sore spot.
“It’s all right. I understand if you don’t want to talk about it.” Emily tried to reassure the men. She thought maybe she’d spoken out of tur
n.
“It’s not that.” Finally Russ, the quiet one, spoke up. “It’s just that…well we’d better sit down. I think we all could use a drink while we’re waiting for Ethan and Phoebe to join us.” The four of them found an empty table in the motel’s cantina.
After the waitress brought their drinks, Cliff started the conversation by asking Emily if she was Myles Perry’s granddaughter. Emily answered, “Yes.”
“Well, I bet it shocked Ethan to find you weren’t the old maid he thought you were.” The men laughed knowingly at Cliff’s statement. It was genuine laughter that made Emily laugh with them.
“Oh yeah, he was shocked alright.” Emily smiled at the memory of Ethan stammering on her front porch when he learned who she was. It seemed like ages ago, even though it had only been a few days.
The laughter died down and the conversation took a more serious turn, as Russ began to share what happened to their friend Will.
“We’d been here in the Amazon jungle working with a remote tribe for about eighteen months. Will was our anthropologist, and he’d made great strides in getting to know the native customs and language. We’d finally found a tribe familiar with the cliffs and the cave we were looking for. Reportedly, the Spaniards discovered the cave while raiding the Inca tribes of Peru in the sixteenth century. This tribe has been settled on the outskirts of the Amazon near the Peruvian border for hundreds of years.
We knew we had the right tribe when they showed us some ancient artifacts the Spaniards left behind, sixteenth century artifacts. Then one day soon after that the tribe stopped talking to us. No explanation. The chief finally told Will we would have to leave. Something spooked them when we started asking about the location of the cave. Ethan was about to pack us all up to go home when Will got a call from a friend. He told Will he’d tracked the rumored Spaniard’s journals to New York. Someone brought them into the United States back in the nineteen-fifties, but the trail went cold there. Ethan sent Will to New York to find the journals while we stayed here and moved our base camp away from the tribe. Will sent Ethan daily email reports. Then one day, the reports just stopped coming. After about a week with no word we were all getting a little worried, and Ethan went to New York himself to find Will.”