But, it was the piercing eyes which distinguished Michael as more than just a man. The pale green irises contained a fire within that Vin knew could instantly tear him asunder. Those eyes momentarily revealed a deep compassion. Vin caught a glimpse through those windows into the depths of an immortal soul. This soul had been fighting an eternal battle for the love of all that is good and right. Vin was humbled and awed by the presence of the leader of Heaven’s army who had, so far, treated him with only kindness and friendship.
Offhandedly, Vin considered that if he felt such a vast awe toward Michael, who represented only a portion of the full glory of God, then how could anyone ever hope to stand in the Lord’s presence and not be utterly enthralled? But, Vin was letting his mind wander again, and Michael was waiting for some sort of response.
"Thank you, Michael," was all that he could muster. Vin was deeply touched by the sincerity of the simple greeting, and perhaps he could be content with nothing more if the circumstances by which he arrived had not been so traumatic. But something important was missing, and the story was unfinished. Vin felt as if there was a more complicated destiny hovering over the next horizon.
According to his hosts, his death was not typical. Vin could not remember the details, so he could not be certain. Nevertheless, now that he could physically see Michael, he could tell by the angel's manner that he had more to say. Vin wanted to hear whatever it was in hopes of satisfying his own curiosity.
"Not to be rude, but, what now? Naturally, I have many questions; but you must have a reason for bringing me here and taking the time to talk to me. What is it that you need to tell me?" Vin asked boldly, surprised at his own temerity.
"There is much that you need to know. I will show you some of it now, if you are ready to see."
"I am ready."
"Watch…" Michael gestured with his right hand, passing it a few inches in front of Vin’s eyes.
CHAPTER 4
Captain Erickson drove his jeep slowly along the highway, careful to avoid the storm debris littering the road. This had been the worst storm to hit this area in as long as anyone could remember. The weathermen were reporting the odd way the winds had ripped through the town and gathered in the forest.
Several witnesses later saw the tornado that formed and remained stationary in the middle of the trees for an unusually long time. They reported the behavior as strange, and Ben had to agree. He never knew a tornado could stay in one place so long. It was definitely a peculiar occurrence.
Ben was patrolling nearby when he heard the call. Dispatch reported that someone thought they saw a car off the road in the forestry. Since he was only a few miles away, the captain responded to the call. As he approached the location, his police siren sounded overly loud on the desolate street. It was made worse by the addition of the siren from his new partner's patrol car following a short distance behind.
Officer Caldwell, who was still at the station finishing his paperwork, heard Ben respond over the radio. Learning that his mentor was going to answer the dispatch, the officer decided to join Ben. He caught up with his boss ten minutes later.
"What else did they say?" Ben asked the young man as they talked briefly at the gas station before heading out to the indicated crash site.
"Not much. Just that there were ruts in the muddy ground and a car barely visible in the trees at the bottom of the hill. The witness didn't have any further details and did not have time to stop and offer assistance," Officer Caldwell replied.
"All right. Let's go have a look for ourselves then," Ben said.
They did not have to go much further before Captain Erickson pulled over to the side of the road. Sure enough, there were telltale signs of a crash. He saw skid marks on the road, muddy ruts in the hillside, and broken tree limbs that defined a hole poked into the tree line. Ben’s gaze followed the tire tracks down the hill and spotted the car nearly hidden by the surrounding woods.
"I'm going down to see if I can help. Call for an ambulance and wait here. It won't take long for the reporters to show up, so please go ahead and cordon off this area," Ben said before carefully making his way down the slope.
He approached the driver's side of the car and looked inside. The vehicle was empty, though he did notice a fresh blood stain on the passenger's front seat. Ben looked intensely into the surrounding woods. At least one person made it out of the car and was, presumably, wandering around in the trees, possibly injured. Though the water made it difficult to distinguish details on the ground, the experienced police officer was able to locate footprints heading away from the vehicle and moving further into the trees ahead.
Ben followed the tracks as quickly as he could, eventually reaching a clearing where a large tree had toppled. A moment after stepping into the opening, the captain saw the young lady lying on her side on the ground. He rushed over to her and checked for a pulse. She was alive and breathing, but she was unconscious. There was a cut on the side of her head and another on her palm, but there were no other obvious injuries.
"Ma’am? Can you hear me?" Ben shook her lightly in an attempt to wake her. She did not respond. He turned her carefully over so that she was lying on her back. When he moved a few tangled strands of long, brown hair out of her face, he was startled to recognize the woman. He did not know her name and couldn’t immediately place where he knew her from, but he was certain that they had met before. Ben almost never forgot a face, but he couldn't linger on that now. It would come to him later. Right now, the lady needed his help.
"Well, you just hang on, Lass. I’m here with you now, and more help is on the way. Everything is going to be fine," Ben reassured her as he spoke. If she could hear him at all, he wanted her to know that she was not alone.
He sat beside her for ten minutes waiting for the paramedics to arrive. While they performed a preliminary exam, Ben got up and walked around the clearing. From the lady to the felled tree, he saw the footprints of another person. He searched the entire clearing and surrounding trees, but could not find anyone else. Ben sent the other officers and rescue workers out on a more thorough search and then walked up to the top of the hill as the lady’s stretcher was being loaded into the ambulance.
"I’m going to ride along with her to the hospital and see if I can learn anything more about what happened. Have one of the officers bring my jeep to the hospital whenever you can. I’ll wait for you there. Call my cell phone if you find anything," Ben instructed the junior officer.
Captain Erickson climbed into the back of the ambulance and sat quietly rubbing his chin as he looked at the injured lady. He definitely knew her. Where had he seen her before? He was no closer to an answer when they arrived at the emergency room entrance.
A doctor met them at the doors, and the lady was wheeled down the hall on a gurney. They moved her into one of the rooms and closed the door. Ben waited in a chair on the opposite side of the hall. Twenty minutes later, the doctor emerged, and the nurses left the room. One of the ladies strolled over to the phone at the admittance desk and immediately placed a call.
"How is she?"
"I think Mrs. Harding will be all right. We won’t know for certain until she wakes up, but it just looks like a bump on the head, a nasty bruise, and a cut on her hand. We’ve got her on IV fluids, and she’s resting comfortably. All we can do now is wait," the doctor described her condition.
"Harding? Do you know the lady then?" Ben asked.
"Yes. She’s the good friend of one of our doctors. I’ve seen her in here quite often. She’s a sweet lady; always polite and always wearing a smile. It’s a shame to see her hurt like this."
"You addressed her as Mrs. Harding. Do you know her husband?" Ben assumed he was likely the other person in the car with the lady.
"No, I’ve never met Mr. Harding. But, I asked Molly to call Dr. Yamanu to let her know that her friend was here. She should be able to tell you more about the couple."
"Thank you. Would it be all right if I wait inside until the other
doctor arrives?" Ben did not want the lady to wake up to find she was alone in the hospital and wondering how she got there.
"Sure, just don’t disturb her. She needs to come out of this on her own."
He sat down once again to wait, this time in a more comfortable chair near the lady’s bed. She did seem to be sleeping peacefully. While he waited another fifteen minutes, Ben continued to try and place the woman in his memory. Harding? The name was familiar, too.
The door to the room opened slowly, and a dark-haired lady walked inside. She was wearing black slacks and a red blouse beneath a long, white lab coat displaying her medical ID badge. It identified her to Ben as Dr. Salma Yamanu. Before saying anything to him, the doctor checked on her friend. When she was satisfied that everything was in order, Dr. Yamanu turned her attention to Ben.
"Hello. I’m Dr. Yamanu." She extended her hand.
"Captain Ben Erickson."
"They told me that you were the one who found her, and that she was unconscious and hasn’t stirred at all. Is that right?"
"Yes."
"What happened?" Dr. Yamanu wanted to know the cause of her friend’s injuries.
Ben described Mrs. Harding’s condition when he found her as well as his presumptions from the crash site. Dr. Yamanu listened carefully. It wasn’t until he mentioned a second person, still missing, that she showed additional concern.
"You’re right. Vin was most likely with her. Those two are virtually inseparable on a normal day. It would be especially true today. It’s their anniversary. I’ve got a bad feeling about this. Vin would not have left her alone if he had any choice. Either Vin wasn’t with her, which I doubt, or he is hurt much worse than her. I hope they find him soon. Will they call you if there is any news?" Salma was very anxious on behalf of the couple.
"Yes, and as soon as I know anything, I’ll make sure to get word to you. I can tell these two mean a lot to you," Ben smiled at the doctor.
"Yes, they do. Thank you, Captain."
There was a soft knock on the door. Ben saw Officer Caldwell’s face through the small window. He pulled out one of his business cards and handed it to Dr. Yamanu.
"I’d best get back to the search. Doc, will you call me when she wakes? I would like to know that she’s all right."
"Sure. Please, find her husband. She has lost everyone who ever got close to her. Vin and I are all she has left. If she loses him, well, I can’t imagine how bad she will feel. When you have any news, please ask the switchboard operator to page me." Salma smiled and returned her attention to Caeli as Ben left the room.
Caeli was beginning to stir as the door closed behind Captain Erickson. Salma suspected that she and Caeli were going to have an unpleasant conversation once she learned that Vin was missing.
CHAPTER 5
Vin was suddenly standing alone on a cracked sand flat, looking across the way at a group of combatants. From this distance, he could not discern their nationalities, but their movements suggested that those on the right, nearest a large rock formation, were the defenders against the larger band of attackers on the left.
He did spot two figures who accompanied the attackers, but who were not the same. They did not participate in the hand to hand fighting and kept themselves apart from the main battle. They sent sizzling bolts of what looked like lightning flying toward the defenders, cutting them down in great numbers. If they continued at the current rate, it was obviously going to be a slaughter.
The scene flickered like an old television set with bad reception, then cleared again. The massacre was over and the invaders were searching the rocks. Vin thought perhaps it might actually be a series of caves, which were no longer defended. Before long, one of them shouted a guttural triumph as he emerged from a shadow darkened grotto. He motioned to one of the two lightning wielders, who quickly followed him into the cave. A few minutes later, the man reemerged carrying a square object the size of a shirt box.
"Within the wrapping is the Book of Elements, written ages past by two brothers who discovered a vital piece of truth. The knowledge is powerful and, therefore, dangerous. It should never have been put to ink. It was their doom, for there are always those who crave such power."
Michael appeared standing beside Vin in the sand as it began to eddy around the soles of Vin's shoes. Vin was appalled by the butchery he witnessed.
"Isn't it amazing how books can be at the root of so much atrocity?" Vin was remembering the book that caused Caeli so much harm and took the life of her grandmother when they were first dating. However, he also referred to the countless times in history when books were the cause of terrible fighting and civil unrest.
"Who were they?" Vin wanted to know.
"They were descendants and relatives of the brothers, the book’s authors. Their offspring are its sworn guardians. Only someone of those two bloodlines may physically touch the tome without harm." Michael gave a succinct explanation and, still staring at the scene across the distance, said flatly, "Be wary of your emotions, Eyvindr. Behold the dust at your feet."
Vin looked down and saw the whirling grains of sand. He remembered the wind when he first woke in a confused and unsettled state. Vin made a deliberate attempt to calm the anger ignited by the carnage he observed. As he succeeded in calming his emotions, the dust resettled. Vin glanced over at Michael who nodded his approval. Michael raised his hand in front of Vin's eyes again, and this time the tableau seemed to melt and reform itself. As it did, the ground on which they stood sprouted blades of grass which grew calf high in a matter of seconds.
Across the same distance, the only scenery Vin recognized was the rock formation. It remained constant, only now it lay at the base of a medieval castle. A line of mounted crusaders in full armor, banner bearers at the front, were issuing forth from the largest of the cavern mouths. Slowly, they moved off across the rolling countryside. Vin watched them depart and felt an unexplainable pang of deep sadness. A gentle breeze blew a few strands of loose hair into his face.
The scene flickered yet again and the crusaders were engaged in a fierce battle in a foreign land. It was clear that the crusaders believed they were the good guys, fighting for a just cause, with fierce hopes of attaining victory. The scene progressed much like the first battle. However, this time, the beaten defenders were not slaughtered, but rather were led away in chains to become servants of their conquerors.
Vin spotted one lone defender who was overlooked as the final few were being rounded up. He was cowering in a thicket of blackberry bushes, long past their fruit bearing season, with barely more than a sparse covering of leaves to conceal him. Seeing the soldiers continue to search for stragglers raised a visceral need in Vin to help this man. He watched as the dry leaves on the thicket stirred in a mild wind. The same breeze also ruffled the feathers in the tops of the crusaders’ tall helmets as they drew near the man's hiding place.
"No!" Michael whispered harshly.
"You must not arouse such emotions here, valiant though you may be."
The panorama immediately vanished, and Vin found himself returned to the area of white light. He could still feel Michael's presence, but was no longer able to see him.
"I must leave you to attend other duties. I have shown you what was necessary, for now. Another will come. Fare thee well, Brother Eyvindr."
"Wait! Michael, what did I do wrong?" Vin pleaded in an instant of panic, but Michael was already gone. His presence could no longer be felt. Vin was alone, and now he was concerned that he somehow committed a serious error without knowing what he did. Vin began to pace as he attempted to figure it out.
He tried to recall every detail of the last engagement. The crusaders arrived on their horses; the battle was fought with the honorable notions of the invaders; the prisoners were taken to become slaves; and the lone survivor awaited his fate in an insufficient patch of greenery. The leaves wavered in the rising wind, as if trying to hide the man, even as it rippled through the plumes on the armored helmets of those who wo
uld certainly discover his location.
"Oh no! Of course, how could I have been so careless? Michael explained it and cautioned me repeatedly. The wind! I was causing the wind. I was not paying attention to my reactions. I should not have allowed my emotional reaction to go unchecked. Intentional or not, I interfered. I reacted, yet I know so very little about what is going on around me. I was not mindful of Michael's instruction. What harm might I have caused if Michael had not been wary of my actions?"
"Michael, I’m sorry. Please, I will try to do better." Vin spoke to the empty air and enshrouding light. He did not know if Michael could hear him, but hoped that he could. Everything was happening so fast, too fast. Vin certainly did not want to alienate his newest acquaintance. He assuredly did not want an Archangel to be angry with him.
"Do not be overly concerned with Michael’s abrupt departure. While your action did force him to return you to this place, Michael was truthful regarding his need to leave. Other matters require his immediate attention." Vin recognized the second, consoling voice from earlier.
"Luckily, you moved rapidly through the lesson, and Michael managed to show you all the memories that you needed to see before he departed. Undoubtedly, there is more that you want to know. And lastly, yes, he heard your apology. Well done, Brother Eyvindr."
The Book of Elements Page 3