Gedulah nodded and smiled.
Peter said, “Claudius, it was nice seeing you again. You can stay here as long as you want—you and your girlfriend.”
“Thank you, Father,” Claudius said. “I’m glad I finally found you.”
Peter hugged Claudius and Dawn.
Gedulah backed away, and his wings emerged. He floated up and smiled at them. In an instant, he disappeared.
“I will see you both in the morning,” Peter said as he walked up the stairs.
Chapter 15
Abduction
Peter felt well rested when he woke up. He sat up, stretched his muscles, and yawned. He could tell it was noon from the angle of the sun, but he still looked at the time. The digital clock on his nightstand said it was October 14, 2008. He then realized that he had slept for two days.
The Demon Slayer got up and walked into his bathroom and cut the shower on to warm the water up. He looked in the mirror and saw that his eyes were droopy and he still felt a little drowsy.
After Peter took a shower, he grabbed a white tank top, boxers, and a pair of jeans. He didn’t hear or sense anything downstairs and wondered if any of his guests were home. He walked downstairs and Gedulah was reading a newspaper in the living room.
“Hey, sleepyhead,” Gedulah rested the newspaper down on the center table. “You’ve slept for two days, and I had to beg Claudius not to disturb you. The kid is so excited now that he has found you. He didn’t know what to do with himself.”
“Where is everyone?” Peter walked over and sat across from his brother in a recliner chair.
“The kids went into town to pick up some things from the store. Did you get enough rest?”
Peter nodded. “Now that you’re here to help me with things in New York, I can take a break.”
Gedulah shuckled. “Don’t think I’m going to be doing your work for you. New York is still your city and responsibility. You don’t want to disappoint your adoring fans, do you?”
Peter shook his head and smiled. “What else is new?”
“Nothing. I was helping clean up the mess you and Minosa made in Times Square. I helped the construction workers repair a few buildings. Are you planning to head back to New York?”
“I don’t know yet. I just wish I could take a long vacation. I’m exhausted.” Peter sat back and closed his eyes. “I need to check my messages though. I know I have a bunch of voice mails waiting.”
“You can take a break. You’ve been through a lot in the past week. I can handle things for a while. I may ask Claudius or Zack to check out the city for anything suspicious.” Gedulah picked back up the newspaper and began to read again.
Peter said, “You know what’s been bothering me, Gedulah?”
The angel looked over at Peter. “What?”
“Not telling Claudius the truth about his mother.”
The angel sighed. “Yeah, I feel pretty bad too. He’s not ready for the truth yet. He seems to be reasonable. I think he will understand when you decide to tell him.”
“I guess you’re right. But what about Terrence?”
“What about him?”
“He said something about the original book of Enoch being stolen and a bishop being killed. He even spoke about a special person that can read the book. I wonder who that could be?”
“The only person other than you who can read it is me. Since we’re not human, I guess we’re out of the equation.”
“Aren’t you worried about it even a little? If they find this person, they can raise the tower and open the gates of heaven.”
“Yeah, but that’s a one in a million chance. There’s no telling who this person or being could be. I wouldn’t be surprise if Claudius is the one.”
Peter’s look was perplexed, “Why do you think that?”
“I don’t know. They did say a special person. Claudius is has special as they come. It was just a thought.” Gedulah shrugged his shoulders and continued to read.
“I need to check my voice mail. Something always goes wrong when I decide to take a break.” Peter walked into the kitchen, picked up the phone, and listened to his messages. The last voice mail was from Ella, and she was crying. Peter looked over at his brother and said, “Something’s up. A friend of mine is in some sort of trouble.”
Gedulah put down the newspaper and walked over to him. “Well, call them.”
Peter dialed the number and said, “Ella, this is Peter.”
“Thank goodness.” She was still crying. “They took my son.”
“What? Who took your son?”
“I don’t know who they were. He was at my brother’s place for the weekend, and they killed him and his family. My son was not one of the victims—and they couldn’t find him.”
“Do you have any clues about who did it?”
“They’re investigating it now. They think it was the same people who killed the bishop last week. I wanted to be there, but they said it was not something they think I should see.” She paused for a moment. “Peter, can you come and see me? I need someone to talk to.”
“Okay. I will be there.”
Ella gave him her address before they hung up.
“Bring her back here. And when CSI finishes their investigation, I will check it out. We need to find out who she is and why they took her son.”
Peter walked upstairs to get his coat and boots.
Gedulah said, “The kids are on their way back. They should be here when you get back. They can put in their input on this as well. The Order might have something to do with it.”
Peter had already sheathed his sword and was tucking his pistol into his waistband.
“Why are you taking your weapons? You’re just going to pick up the woman.”
“You never know what you might run into out there. I just have to be prepared.” He opened the five-car garage door with the remote on the wall. Peter didn’t know which car to choose: his black Jaguar, his dark green convertible Porsche, or his red Ferrari.
The slayer drove through the back gate, and dry leaves flew up behind the Porsche.
Peter followed the GPS to Queens and parked.
When he knocked on the door, Ella opened it and embraced him. “Peter, I’m so lost. I don’t know what to do.”
“It’s okay. I will help you.”
“Can I come with you? I can’t stay here, knowing he’s not here with me.”
Peter smiled. “That’s fine. I was going to suggest that too. We need to know more about the situation.”
“We? Are you telling me there are more people like you where we’re going?”
Peter grinned. “You could say that.”
They drove off toward his home.
Gloria yelled into her cell phone, “They won’t even let us in, Chief. The authorities won’t even let Charles in to videotape the place.”
“What do you expect? It’s a crime scene. They’re not going to let anyone in before they finish the investigation. You just have to wait until they’re finished, Gloria.”
“I know, but by then, they’ll have cleaned the place out. There will be nothing to cover. We know nothing other than a family was slaughtered. It’s all he says, she says out here.”
Charles was recording them taking the bodies out, but the authorities were trying to cover up as much as they could.
Mr. Gordon said, “Just do your job. Don’t let me have to send someone to do it.”
Gloria heard a click on his end. “Hello?” She frowned. ‘Did he just hang up on me?’
She walked over to her cameraman. “Roll the camera, Charles. I’m going in.” Gloria walked in front of the apartment and began her coverage. She looked back at the bodies being transported into a van. She could smell the burned flesh and knew there was a fire. She was kind enough to report that while Charles recorded it. She counted three bodies, and one was a child. She had heard that a couple and a daughter were slaughtered, but they didn’t release the names of the victims.
An offic
er said, “Ma’am, this a restricted area. You cannot cross over.”
Ella flashed her press badge, and he gestured that he was okay with her.
Gloria noticed the blond guy from Times Square. She walked over to him and pointed the microphone in his face. “Hello, Officer—”
“The name’s Detective Samuel Williams.”
“Three people are dead, and there is no explanation. Do you have any comment on the investigation?”
Sam said, “We cannot release the names of the victims until we notify their loved ones.”
“Can you tell us who or what cost the victims’ their lives?”
“We are doing an investigation to find that out. The victims’ bodies were badly burnt, and we are investigating what caused that. Also, a child is missing. We are sending out an Amber Alert. This investigation is labeled as a homicide. No further comments at this time.” Sam dashed off to his squad car.
Gloria watched all the investigators disappearing into their automobiles. She turned to the camera and tried to remain professional.
Gloria wanted to do a more extensive report inside the apartment. Other reporters who had been granted that privilege went in with them.
“Wow, this is your home? It’s marvelous.” Ella said as Peter exited his Porsche. “Are you into stocks or something?”
Peter gently slammed the door and walked around to her. “Something like that. I’m into real estates. I’ve been investing in homes and properties since the eighteenth century.”
“Wow … that’s a long time ago. I remember you telling me how long you’ve been on earth. How long again?”
“I’ve been on earth for over eight hundred years. The Almighty created me eons ago. God took away my happiness and my family, but he blessed me with wealth and wisdom.”
When Peter and Ella got to the stairs, Gedulah, Claudius, and Dawn walked down. Zack was in his room sleeping.
Ella said, “I see that your son and your brother share the same features as you.”
Peter smiled at her and said, “This is my son Claudius and his girlfriend Dawn McCarthy. And this is my bro—”
Before Peter could finish his introduction Gedulah grabbed Ella’s hand, lifted it, and kissed it. “And who you might be, beautiful?”
Ella looked at Peter nervously and said, “My, your brother is something else. My name is Ella Abdul. What can I call you, kind sir?”
“You can call me Ged—”
Peter interrupted him, “Paul. His name is Paul.”
Everyone looked at Peter in confusion.
“Nice to meet you, Paul.”
“Now, let us sit in the dining area and talk about the abduction of your son.” Gedulah raised his hand to the direction for Ella to walk before them. “Ladies first.” He smiled at her.
When Ella and everyone walked before Peter and Gedulah, he looked at Peter and whispered, “Paul? What kind of name is that?”
Peter shrugged. “I don’t know. I thought Gedulah would be too odd for her.”
“What are you talking about? This woman was almost eaten by a demon, and you’re worried that my name would scare her.”
Gedulah shook his head and walked ahead of Peter.
In the dining area, Peter asked, “Ella, when was the last time you saw your son?”
Ella looked up to the ceiling and sighed. “I dropped him off at his uncle’s last Saturday night. I wanted him to spend the weekend with my brother and his family. And I got the call on Monday morning.”
“Did he call you while he was with his uncle?”
“Yes. He would call me at least six times a day. He is a loving boy. Ever since I was abducted, he would check on me every chance he got. He knew the type of work I do and would call me often—even before I was abducted by the demons.”
“Do you know who might’ve taken your son? What about his father? Do you think he would’ve taken him?”
“I don’t know. I don’t have any enemies … at least I don’t think I do. I’ve put a lot of people away in my line of work, but I don’t know if they would kill my family and take him. My son’s father lives in New Zealand. He’s been living there for years. We haven’t heard from him in a year. He usually calls Randy for his birthday. I don’t think he would have anything to do with it.”
“Where are you from originally?” Gedulah asked.
“I was born in New York, but my family was originally from Arabia.”
“Was your family a member of a specific religion or have any specific beliefs?” Gedulah asked.
Ella said, “No… not really. They have Islamic beliefs. I walked away from that years ago. I recently got my faith back after I met Peter.” The detective smiled at Peter.
“Is their anything special about your son that we should know of. I mean, can he speak or read other languages?”
Ella’s look at Gedulah was discontented. “Paul, what does that have to do with anything?” The detective felt as if he was just asking her random questions and not getting to the point.
“Well, one of our sources revealed to us that a very powerful fallen angel is seeking a special person who could read a special kind of holy book. We are trying to see if your son might be that person.”
Ella thought a bit before she answered. “I’ve taught him how to read in our native language. He is a bright boy and can learn things quickly, but he hasn’t done anything out of the ordinary.”
Ella could see that they all were confused. She felt as if her information was obscure. She then asked, “If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of book do they want this … special person to read?”
Peter answered, “They are trying to find a special person to read the original book of the Qur’an. The book of Enoch it’s called now. This person is a descendant of ancient Islamic priests and Jinn. We believe the book and this person’s voice are powerful enough to help raise a tower to heaven.”
“A tower?” Ella asked.
Gedulah said, “A tower that leads to the gates of heaven. Legend says that when the tower, Entre Ciel et Terre, rises, the sun will be blocked out and the land will be covered in darkness for ninety days and ninety nights.”
Claudius added. “That is the day the Hellbounds shall rise again. If the tower rises, it will create a portal from hell that demons can use to walk the earth again. The angels of heaven will be engaged in a battle against the demons on earth that could last for many years.”
“You know of this war?” Peter asked. “What else do you know?”
“Not much. The Naraka Knights were created specifically to battle the warrior angels when the gates of heaven open.”
“He’s right. Our sole purpose is to fight the ten children of Sephirot,” Zack said as he walked into the room.
“The book of Enoch …” Ella mumbled. “Randy told me something about that.”
Peter asked, “What did he say?”
“He said that he and a friend found a book and a scroll. When they finished reading the scroll, a demon showed up. But the bishop had warned it off in time to protect him and his friend. About a week later, the bishop died, and the investigators believe it was the same individuals who killed my brother and his family.”
Peter and Gedulah looked at each other and smiled.
“That’s it,” Gedulah said. “I believe your son is this special person. When he read the book, his voice called forth the demon, leading it to the book. They didn’t realize that they needed him to read the book at that time. They must’ve thought they could read it and raise the tower themselves.”
Ella began to weep again.
Peter walked over and rubbed her back. “Ella, I promise I will get your son back. I promise.”
The detective looked up at the slayer and hugged him.
Claudius said, “Where are you going to start? Who do you think has the boy?”
Peter and his brother looked at each other and said, “Crouzer,” Simultaneously.
Ella said, “Crouzer? The businessman? Why would
he take my son?”
“Trust me, he has more up his sleeves than what he’s showing. I have a strong feeling he took the boy.” Gedulah stated.
Peter grabbed his sword and pistol and prepared to depart. “I will speak to Crouzer.”
Gedulah said, “Are you certain? You know I can handle it.”
“No. I know him personally. We have history together. Besides, I owe him a visit.”
“Do you think you will be all right, Dad? Do you need me to accompany you? I’ve heard he’s one of the most powerful fallen.”
Peter smiled at his son and walked toward the door. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.” “Be careful,” Ella sounded concerned.
Peter got in his Porsche and drove off.
Chapter 16
His Transformation
The Demon Slayer slowly rode up in the elevator of the New York Stock Exchange building at the south end of Manhattan. Wall Street was one of the most popular streets in New York, and Peter didn’t mind coming here. Under his coat, he wore one of Claudius’s hooded sweatshirts. He covered his head with the hood, wanting to avoid his crazed fans at all costs. But his disguise didn’t help much; they could still see the large sword on his back. A couple was in the elevator with him. The lady asked for his autograph before they exited the elevator.
On the top floor, Peter stepped out into the hallway and looked both ways. It was dark and ominous. He felt a chill and wondered why was he so nervous.
When Peter had walked away from Gabilon’s post, he never looked back. They asked him to rejoin them countless times, but he refused. When Gedulah closed the Hellgates, Gabilon lost most of his generals and influence. That made it easier for Peter to walk away.
In the dark hallway, he didn’t feel anyone else’s presence besides Crouzer. Peter’s heart rate increased as he got to the large room. Crouzer was on the other side of the large room.
A heavy force pressed up against Peter when he opened the door. Peter could see him in the darkness with his heightened sense. Crouzer had a wine glass in his hand looking out the window at the busy traffic in Manhattan.
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