Michael grew angry. “Toss the apple.” He held the sword ready. “Toss.”
Reggie gripped a piece of fruit. With a snide grin she threw it, ten feet out.
“You are not humorous. Do it correctly and step back.”
Scoffing, Reggie tossed up the apple. She heard three swift whiffs, saw the pivot of Michael’s wrist, but could swear she never saw the sword move. Eight sections of apple dropped to the ground.
“Oh... shit.” Reggie grinned and bent to the ground. “You show off.”
“Excuse me?” Michael crouched across from her, and picked up a section of apple. “It can be done. You will do this.”
“I doubt it.” Reggie studied the slice.
“Yes, you will. You will see the remarkable progress you make when we start training others together. Then I will be looking down at what you did. As for now... no waste.” He shoved the section into her mouth.
Reggie laughed, but stopped when she spotted Herbie.
“What is it?” Michael asked.
Reggie wiped the juice from her lip and stood. “Herbie?”
“Hey guys!” Herbie trotted their way.
“Herbie.” Reggie held back a laugh. “What are you wearing?”
“A Michael skirt.” Herbie pulled at a brown garment draped around his waist, showing off his mighty legs. “I’m soldier-training.”
If it were only the skirt, perhaps Reggie wouldn’t have laughed, but Herbie had completed the ensemble with a black Led Zeppelin T-shirt and brown work boots. “You look so funny.”
“Pay no mind to her, Herbie,” Michael instructed. “You are now in training to be the great warrior God intends you to be.”
Herbie smiled. “Cool. Can I try the rock?”
“Yes.” Michael nodded. “It is right this way.” Taking the lead, Michael brought Herbie to the spot where he would make the attempt for his sword.
Reggie scoffed. “Herbie, this is your first day. Don’t get your hopes up.” She held back her snicker when Herbie bent over, revealing the hem of his blue and white boxers.
“Reggie,” said Michael. “Why do you ridicule him?”
“Sorry. It’s just that he’s wearing a skirt.”
“And so should you,” Michael said. “It allows for freedom. Your legs will move wider and have less restriction.”
“Let me let you in on a little secret, Michael …”
“Yes, please.” Michael leaned forward, cocking an ear.
Reggie just stared. She’d only meant it as a figure of speech. “Um… maybe later.”
“Guys,” Herbie called. “I’m ready to try. Can you not talk about me for a second?”
Reggie looked at Herbie, who glanced over his shoulder at them. “We’re not talking about you, Herbie. Just reach in the hole and get it over with. God!”
“Reggie!” Michael scolded.
“What!?”
“I’m reaching.” Herbie stuck his hand in the hole. “I’m... Hey!”
Reggie patted him on the back. “Don’t feel bad.”
“Check it out.” Herbie lifted out a long silver sword.
Michael smiled. “Ah, a great warrior.”
“Shit!” Reggie stomped. “Shit. No!”
“Reggie, please,” Michael spoke calmly. “Why are you upset?”
“That’s not right,” she said, gesturing at Herbie’s prize. “And I don’t care if it is the generic version of your sword. It’s still not right!”
“Yours will come,” Michael said.
“Don’t pacify me!” barked Reggie. “This sucks.”
“Yes.” Michael nodded. “But a great warrior...”
“Oh, great warrior my ass!” Reggie yelled. “This is bullshit. I quit better jobs for less than this. Herbie is no warrior.”
Herbie swung the sword like a samurai soldier and smiled at Reggie. “Yeah, but I got one and you don’t, so what’s that make you?”
Reggie growled. “The lowly warrior wannabe that’s gonna kick your ass.” She charged at him.
Michael jumped in the way. “You must control this hostility. Herbie is a fellow soldier. One day you will pull from the Earth...”
“Knock it off.” Reggie backed up. “You and your great warrior tales. I’m never getting one, am I?” She turned and stormed off. “Oh, I can help gather the army, train until I ache, slice a damn apple in the air, but get a sword?”
Michael tried to follow her. “Reggie. One day you will...”
“Oh, bite me.” She spun around. “I’m going in the house to pout. And since Herbie got the sword, be ‘as one’ with him!” She crossed her arms and marched off.
Michael stared as Reggie drifted from sight. Scratching his head, he turned to Herbie. “I am to… bite her?”
CHAPTER FOUR
Seville, Ohio
Michael lifted an inch-long lock of hair and winced as he rolled it between his fingers. He ignored the jerking, tickling and tilting of his head as Reggie pulled, combed, and fluffed. “I cannot believe you cut off my hair.”
“Quit being a baby.”
“I have never been a baby.”
“You’re being one now.” Reggie stepped back.
“You cut off my hair.” Michael showed her the lock. “See?”
“I saw.”
“You cut off my hair.”
“Michael.” She grabbed his hand and brought it to his head. “Feel. It’s still there. Still long. I just shaped it up. Gave you some style.”
“Do I need that?”
“Yes, desperately.”
He rubbed his chin. “You offer to shave this face, yet you did not remove all the hair. Why?”
“You need the rugged look. At least for tonight,” Reggie said. “This place we’re going to is rugged. All right, next phase.” She tucked his hair behind one ear.
“What is it you are doing? That tickles when you touch my ear.”
“You’ll see.” Reggie took a pen and made a small dot on Michael’s earlobe, then found his hand pulling at the V-neck collar of her shirt. “What are you doing? Stop that.” She hit his hand.
“You struck me. I was curious.”
“Well don’t be curious. Hold still, we’re almost done.”
“Is this for our date?” Michael asked.
“What?” Reggie laughed. “We don’t have a date. We’re going to get soldiers. This is for that.”
“Kyle says we date. What does that mean?”
“It means, it means... we’re soldier partners.”
“Ah, so we do date.” Michael’s eyes shifted to the gun-like object in Reggie’s hand. “What is that contraption you hold?”
“A piercing gun.” She grabbed his lobe. “Hold still.”
“What will it do?”
“This.” Reggie held the gun to his ear, pressed the trigger, and released. It caused a shifting click.
“Uh!” Michael jerked back. “What did you do to me?” He reached up to his earlobe. “What is this?”
“Don’t touch it.” Reggie slapped his hand away.
“Woman, what have you done to me?”
“Here.” She handed him a mirror. “Take a peek.”
“You have impaled my ear with a stone.”
“Well, a diamond. Yes. And come on into the bedroom; I have clothes picked out for you.” Taking the mirror, Reggie walked from the bathroom.
“Clothing? Reggie, I have clothing.” Michael followed her.
“Not the right clothes. You’ll need new ones to help convince the army.” She lifted a stack of clothing from the bed and handed it to him. “I’ll leave you to get dressed.”
“This army we are going after tonight. Why must I be transformed and have a stone in my ear, in order to have them date us?”
Reggie smiled and turned back. “Because they won’t listen to you if you don’t look the part.”
“Look the part?” Michael peered quizzically at the clothes. “The part of what?”
They could have played the song “
Bad to the Bone” when Michael made his entrance into the kitchen. His black biker boots clomped on the floor. His tight black T-shirt was tucked into perfect-fitting jeans. The look was finished by a biker jacket, his long, tossed locks of hair and a scruffy goatee.
“Well?” Reggie asked.
“Sweet Lord,” Eliza gasped. “What have you done to Michael the Archangel?”
Reggie grinned. “Looks good, don’t he?”
Kyle gave a thumbs-up. “I think he looks great. Marcus?”
Sulking, Marcus shook his head and plopped down at the kitchen table. “I think she’s made him into her visual fantasy.”
Reggie smiled. “Yeah.” She grabbed Michael’s arm. “We have to go. Don’t wait up. After we gather our soldiers, I may just park the truck.” She winked. “Teach Michael on a different level.”
“Ah, Reggie, will I enjoy this new lesson?” Michael asked.
“Yep. And you will thank Marcus when we get back. It’s all his idea.”
“Then I shall.” Michael gave a nod to Marcus. “Thank you, Marcus. You…”
“Are a jerk. Yeah, I know.”
After Reggie and Michael departed, Kyle gave an half-laughing look.
“Kyle,” Eliza said. “Please tell me your daughter is joking.”
“Eliza, please,” Kyle scoffed. “You really think she’s so bold she’d seduce an angel?”
Eliza and Marcus looked at him with concurring silence.
“Okay, maybe she is. But even so…” Kyle shrugged. “I wouldn’t worry. His only sex lesson was An Affair to Remember. He’s gonna think the big score is rubbing his cheek real hard against hers. They’re fine. As long as she doesn’t drink.”
With a defeated whine, Marcus buried his face in his hands.
<><><><>
The lit sign was usually the “North Star” to all those who traveled to Lefty’s drinking hole. But on this night, the light was dark. The isolated, white wooden building sat three miles down Harness Road just between Wadsworth and Seville. When Reggie and Michael pulled up in the truck, it looked plenty lonely. No outside lights, and windows boarded up.
“I see no soldiers,” Michael said.
“They’re here.” Reggie put the truck into park. “They’ve also got a small trailer compound about a mile from here. You see that guy?” Reggie pointed to the porch.
“Yes.” Michael peered through the windshield. “But he could easily be missed.”
“That’s the point. He’s being a guard. Now remember what I told you. I’ll do all the talking.”
“Until tomorrow. Then I will talk.”
“That’s right. If they ask you anything that needs a long answer, keep it short.” Reggie explained. “And if it’s a yes or no question, what do you do?”
“I grunt.”
“Good. Let me hear it.”
Michael grunted.
“Excellent. No smiling.”
“No smiling. Mouth closed. Serious.”
“You got it.” Reggie reached over and patted his leg. “You’ll do fine. Let’s do this.” Reggie opened her door and stepped out at the same time as Michael. As they met at the front of the truck, a spotlight shined on them from Lefty’s.
“Who’s there?” a voice called out.
“Reggie Edmunds,” Reggie answered. “Stevens. Whatever you know me as.”
“Reg? Is that you? Who’s that with you? That ain’t Herbie.”
“No, it’s Michael. My boyfriend.” She took Michael’s hand.
In wonderment, Michael stared at their hands. “We lock fingers. I like this. It is symbolic of us being as one.”
“No talking. Shh. Come on.” Reggie led them to the building where she saw the old man on the porch. He had a long mustache, wore a twisted bandana around his gray hair, and sat with a shotgun across his lap.
“I thought you were dead,” said Earl. “Heard you died in Chicago.”
“Nope. Not me,” Reggie replied. “Been kind of hiding and getting ready. Are they in there?”
“Yeah, kind of... hiding and getting ready.”
“Thanks, Earl.” Reggie winked and stepped on the porch.
Earl looked at them as they passed. He made eye contact with Michael. “Quiet guy, are ya?”
Michael grunted.
Reggie had to restrain her laughter as she opened up the first of two doors. “That was good.”
“Thank you.”
“You can let go of my hand now.” Reggie tried to pull away.
“No.”
“Michael.” She yanked her hand, then pushed at the thick metal door.
“I hear music. Odd music.” Michael leaned toward the door.
“Yep. Welcome to the world of ‘Hell on Wheels.’” Reggie pushed open the door and stepped into the loud room. The shouting meshed together and mixed with the music. Reggie took it all in. It seemed as if the biker group had found not only a safe haven, but also an escape from all that was happening in the world. The large group of forty was spread about. Some sat together at a table, some at the bar, and some played pool. She tugged on Michael. “These are known as bikers. I think they are what we need as the first army. They, more than anyone I know, wouldn’t believe in...” Reggie looked up as the room went silent. “We’ve been spotted.”
“Reg!” Buzz jumped from his chair, sending it flying back. “Holy shit!” He slapped himself in the forehead. “My favorite waitress from hell.”
Reggie’s eyes shifted to Michael. She knew he was going to say something and she shook her head “no” to him. “Hey, Buzz.”
“Hey, Buzz?” Buzz mocked her calmness. “Sorry but...” Buzz grabbed a hold of Reggie, swinging her around in a tight embrace.
As Reggie was set to her feet, she saw the none-too-pleased look on Michael’s face. “Buzz, um, this is my friend, Michael.”
“Mike.” Buzz grabbed Michael’s hand and shook it.
“So uh...” Reggie nudged Buzz. “Did you think I was dead, too?”
“Hell, no. I started that rumor. I knew if you and Marcus were together, you’d be a marked woman. I was sorry to hear about his family.” Buzz lowered his head. “We tried to find out who did it, you know, for Eliza’s sake, but no such luck.”
“Yeah…” Reggie responded with a slight sigh.
“We’ve been hanging around here gathering resources. Right now, we’re arguing over where we’re heading to start things over again.”
“That’s why I’m here.”
“You and your kid wanna join us? We can use another woman. No offense, Mike.”
Michael grunted.
Buzz looked oddly at him. “Mean guy, Reg?”
“No,” Reggie answered. “An angel.”
Buzz grabbed Reggie’s arm and gave her an excited jolt. “This is great.” Turning his head, he whistled out. “Hey! The Stevens are gonna join us.” He looked again at Reggie. “Your dad will come, right? Kyle is the best mechanic. A talent like that…”
“No, Buzz,” Reggie interrupted. “Seth and I don’t need a place. We need you guys.”
“But we can’t stay in Seville, Reg. As big as your dad’s property is…”
“That’s not what I’m talking about,” Reggie interrupted. “It’s the end of the world and we have to stop it.”
“No. No.” Buzz shook his head. “Don’t tell me you believe that crazy shit, too. ‘Cause I ain’t listening to that lunatic clone that started all this. None of us are.”
“That’s what we’re counting on.”
“That guy convinced a bunch of people and things fell apart because of it,” said Buzz. “It’s not God’s end, Reg.”
“No, it’s not.” Reggie dropped her voice. “It’s the devil’s end. And we have a chance to stop it. We have to stop it. If we don’t, God will end this world. If He lets us go into Devante’s hands, we’re lost… forever.”
“I can’t believe that, Reg.”
“You have to, and you have to get your guys together with me and fight.”
>
“Fight what? What’s there to fight?”
“Devante.”
Buzz laughed and turned to the group of people who had been listening. “You hear her? She believes him.”
“No!” Reggie raised her voice. “Don’t you see what’s happening? Technology wasn’t what wiped out Chicago. Froze Russia and China. Sank Europe. We will have one shot at this. One.” Reggie held up her hand and spoke above the general ridicule. “One great battle.” The ridicule grew. “We have to get more than this roomful for the final battle and that’s where we must defeat him.” Her words were not being heard. “Come on! Listen to me! You people all know me. I grew up with you. I’m not lying and I’m not losing it. We need you. We have to train you, and to free others to...”
Their laughter turned to silence. Michael’s arm “whooshed” as he hurled a fireball into the back wall. It crashed with a clamor, yet the spreading fire was contained. The outpour of flames singed forth a vision for all of them to see.
No jukebox, no tables, no door to the bathroom; everything disappeared but that one sight. A large stone building smoldered in the background. Before it, mound upon mound of burning bodies. Moans and cries seeped through the vision.
Reggie looked at Michael, who stared intently at the wall, stone-faced. She stepped forward. “This is what is happening. Why isn’t it happening here? I’ll tell you. We’re on chosen ground. We’re protected. But we won’t be protected if we don’t fight. What you see.” Reggie pointed to the vision. “This is small-time. The bodies that perish in the flames are the true believers. And those who remain with Devante… well, they sold their soul to the deceiver. But he didn’t get you or me, did he? And we can bring him down. Help us.” The vision disappeared.
Michael nodded, folding his arms with a grunt.
Astounded, Buzz stumbled and pointed at Michael. “That is a scary dude.”
“No.” Reggie shook her head with a smile. “He’s genuine, and the epitome of good. He’s here to help. But like I said, Buzz, we need you. All of you. What do you say?”
Buzz stared at the stunned faces. He picked up a bottle of whiskey. “I think, Reggie, we need to sit down, have a drink, and talk.”
Reggie let her shoulders drop, and sighed in relief. She took a step toward Buzz, snatched up the bottle and joined him at the table.
Last Days Trilogy Page 33