Shattered (Guardian Series Book 1)

by Shawna K. Rockey

  Dad: Where are you?

  Me: I just left Thermal’s. I turned left onto the main road and pulled off at the back entry of Williams farm.

  Dad: You need to get back on the main road. Stay in plain sight. Go to Walmart. I will meet you in front of the grocery entrance.

  Me: Ok

  I do a three point turn to get myself in position to leave the hidden pull off spot. Once I reach the main road, I turn right heading back in the same direction I just came from. My eyes are searching every driveway, every business entrance for the black car. I hear the vibration before my car alerts me to an incoming call. My car narrator announces Jaxon is calling. I accept his call.

  “Oh my god Jaxon. I’m so relieved. Are you okay, ” I ask, not even saying hello first.

  “Hey babe,” he says. “ Yes, I’m okay. I’m really sorry about the other day. It’s been crazy. We briefly lost our telecommunication connection. I’m sorry I couldn’t reach out to you sooner. What are you doing? It sounds like you are in your car.”

  “I’m out running a few errands today,” just as I say that, I see the black car racing toward me in the rear view mirror. “Oh fuck,” I yell.

  “What’s happening?”

  “I’m being followed.” I quickly spit out. “There’s a black Audi with two men inside. The car has a front plate of a red arrow attached to a long rod. Oh god, they are right on my ass. They are so close to me I can’t see the hood of their car. Their eyes are filled with hate”

  “R.J., get the fuck in here.” I hear Jaxon roar. “Jaycee is in trouble. She’s being followed by them. Pull her car up now,”

  “They are hitting me with their car, Jaxon. They are ramming into me,” I scream, as I try to gain control of my car.

  “Jaycee, push the camera button on your car’s navigation screen,” Jaxon’s voice is calm but serious.

  “Ok. I did that. Now what do I do? I texted my dad and he told me to meet him at Walmart.”

  I can hear mumbling and inaudible words through my car speaker. He must have covered his speaker on his phone.

  Pop, pop, pop. “They are shooting at me Jaxon! Urgh,” I plead. “Please call for help.”

  “Get them on the fucking line now.” I hear Jaxon barking orders to someone. “Black Lancer. PA plates SKR-5789. Heading west on Annville Road. Shots fired.”

  A double lane intersection is fast approaching and at the last minute I swerve to my left to avoid crashing into the car in front of me. I quickly do a U-turn. I hear metal clash into metal. I hear brakes screeching and people yelling. I look in my rear view and the men who were following me just slammed into the car I just avoided. I can see in my mirror that the men are trying to free themselves from the wreckage.

  “Jaxon, I’m heading east now. They just ran into a car and are trying to get free.”

  “I am watching it from your rearview camera,” he says coolly. “I need you to focus on driving. Listen, I need you to stop looking in the mirror and concentrate on what’s in front of you. I am going to navigate you off the main roads, okay?”

  “Yes Jaxon.” I croak. How is he so calm?

  “In 800 feet, turn right onto Marketplace way, then turn right onto Cedar St. Stay on Cedar until I tell you to turn.”

  I do as Jaxon instructs me. My breathing slowly returns to normal. My heart is not beating as fast as before.

  “You are doing great, babe. I promise you will be okay. I’ll get you to safety.”

  “No, Jaxon you aren’t,” I slam on my breaks. “They somehow managed to find me, Jaxon. They are right in front of me.”

  “Listen, pull into someone’s yard and put yourself back in drive. Activate the camera again,” he orders.

  I whip my car in reverse and drive over a curb onto a sidewalk. I slam my car back into drive and speed off. I reach over to my display and activate the camera again. The men are following close behind.

  Pop, pop, pop, pop. “Get down. Get the fuck down, Jaycee,” I hear Jimmy yell. Jimmy? Where the hell did he come from?

  “I hear the sirens, but I don’t see any cops yet,” I say as I am zip through developments and side streets trying to avoid their gunshots.

  “Please hurry,” I croak, again, starting to cry. “I can’t do this anymore.”

  “No, don’t do that.” Jaxon says softly. “You are the strongest woman I know. Think of this as a game. You want to win right? You need to stay ten steps ahead of the enemy.”

  They say your soul leaves your body before impact. Your hearing diminishes until silence surrounds you. You can no longer hear your own heartbeat. Your peripheral vision immediately becomes a pastime. Your eyes can only peer through a small tunnel. All you can see is what lies directly in front of you. The world around you is encased in a dark fog. Life moves in slow motion.

  My body is hastily being thrown up, thrown down in rapid successions. Shattered glass becomes deadly flying objects as my world continues to spin on its axis. My body is being jerked all around until it suddenly stops.

  I open my eyes to grasp the severity of my surroundings. I’m upside down but still secured in my seat belt. I can’t feel anything. Why am I upside down?

  “Jaycee, can you hear me? JAYCEE ANSWER ME! JAYCEE!” I can faintly hear Jaxon calling my name. Is he home?

  Pop, pop, pop. Who is making popcorn? I love butter popcorn. I see flashing lights. Pop, pop

  “Augh,.” I scream. Pop, pop.

  Guardians

  Always Watching

  Isaiah 54:17: “No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me, declares the Lord.”

  I place an arm over Camael’s shoulders to provide comfort in her moment of need as well as angelic reassurance that God is always in control. Even though we have a direct connection to God, it is not uncommon that we pray to him like humans do, sing in his grace and his almighty glory. Even though we are guardians, we still feel. We still love and are filled with emotions, but we do not lust after another, nor are we capable of falling ‘in love’. The only difference between humans and ourselves is they occupy a physical vessel for their souls in which to thrive. Our souls travel by mere thought in our minds. If we need to speak to God directly, rather than in prayer, we think of him and, in a flash, we are standing at the feet of our Father. If we need to be on the other side of the world, we simply just put our mind to where we need to be and in the next moment we are there. Time does not exist for us.

  Warfare Training Camp occurs miles high in the sky, not seen by the naked human eye, but directly over a large body of water. The clash of the weapons and the growl of the guardians are louder than the sound pressure and decibel a human can withstand. The clouds turn bleak, spade black on the brightest sunny day. A storm may not be present on land, but one is brewing high above the heavens. We have been training for weeks, strengthening our prayers, our telepathic connections and shifting powers to be able to fight a battle of the unknown.

  Camael and I are floating, weightless, in the presence of the Archangels. We are prepared to learn about their weapons and to master the art of using them. I remove my hand from her shoulders and listen intently.

  “It is not our job, as angels to question God’s motives or ask him to share his orchestrated outcome.” Michael states affirmatively. “It is our job to trust in him, wear our armor to serve and protect those who he loves and who believes in him. We respond to the humans’ cries for help regardless of how big or small the problem.”

  Power emanates from Michael while merely standing in his presence. His body encompasses muscular tones spreading from his chest, arms, down to his thighs and his calves. He has large, almond shaped blue eyes, with short, wavy, golden chestnut colored hair. He wears an orange robe that ends above his knees with green lace that wraps around each leg starting with the souls of his feet and ties off at his knees. He doesn’t need to speak to command orders, a simp
le look, and nod, is all it takes for those in his presence to respond.

  “A war is on the horizon, far greater than the lives of Jaycee and Jaxon,” Raphael says, as he move closer to Michael.

  Raphael’s body is built the same as Michael’s but he has light blonde hair, pulled back and secured. He wears a full body robe with lace interwoven around his chest and waist. The power that radiates from his is more of a feeling of completeness. He is one of our healers and has helped billions of humans in crisis. Raphael is a compassionate, gentle, soul, but also a strong warrior.

  “Many lives around the world are at great risk with the promises of destruction by our enemy,” Raphael continues. “Jaycee and Jaxon are the unsuspecting pawns in the enemies path to ruination. You are tasked to keep their minds clear, their hearts pure and to shower them with God’s promises in their darkest hour. They are pillars to the human kind. Their love knows no bounds. God wants to mirror the love and dedication they have for one another and make examples of them.”

  Gabriel moves his way next to Michael and Raphael. He is on the shorter side out of the three. His body is wrapped in a long, flowy, red robe with a white lace anchored around his waist. His body frame is also muscular, but smaller than the other two. He has straight, black hair and bronze colored eyes. He’s the angel to whom humans call for help when they seek clarification, or guidance and understanding. He may be small, but he’s a formidable foe when fighting against the enemy.

  With a flick of Gabriel’s wrist, a massive upright chest magically appears and the contents inside can be seen through the clear glass. “Our merciful leader asked for our assistance to teach you about our instruments of war,” Gabriel adds. “If this impending war is similar to what we fought in the past, these weapons will be your only defense against the enemy forces. Power of prayer, random fire powers, and shape shifting will not be effective enough to face the enemies army.”

  Michael walks over and grabs his weapon.

  “Before I begin introducing each of the weapons, you need to understand the basics of how they work,” Michael states, sternly. “Each weapon operates at the same primal level. You can summon the weapon into your grasp by calling out its name verbally or telepathically. You cannot be disarmed from these weapons unless God or an archangel summons it for themselves. Now, the only exception is Lucifer’s Spear; his powers were stripped the moment he fell from grace. He will call for his weapon in war, but his spear will not respond. Do you have any questions?”

  Camael and I sit in silence, digesting everything Michael has shared and both shake our heads ‘no’ in unison.

  “Let’s move on,” Michael states. “This is the first weapon of defense. It’s named after me and the powers I possess: Michael’s Lance.”

  I stare widely at Michaels massive Lance, which has a long shaft and a sharp point, at the end. There are two smaller tips on each side of the larger point. I’m intrigued to learn how to operate a weapon that is as old as time.

  “It will discharge my inner divine light with burning white flames causing the enemy to explode into dust,” Michael states, as he discharges a round of white flames into the abyss.

  I hear Michael call for Lucifer’s Spear and watch intently on how it suddenly appears in his hands. I see the spear also has a long shaft, with an arrow tip at the edge. It looks heavy to keep clutched in my grasp.

  “The second weapon of choice is Lucifer’s Spear.” Michael states. “The blood red spear is able to penetrate through the largest of mountains in one powerful plunge. It projects ice tentacles with a soft, amber glow in the presence of evil. The ice tentacles freeze the reapers and demonic creatures, along with the fire power they may have released at the time they are frozen. The last remaining two weapons are Raphael’s Halberd and Gabriel’s Pike.”

  Raphael’s Halberd is a two handed pole with a blade mounted on a long shaft. The blade is colored in a bright metallic blue. It’s a handsome rod.

  “Raphael’s Halberd releases a surge of destructive bolt of white lightning that paralyzes demons in the wake of the rod’s path,” Michael states, as he continues his weaponry lessen. “Gabriel’s Pike, similar to a pitch fork that is attached to a long, massive pole, was created by God himself. It produces hurricane-like winds more forceful than the trees and water on earth can sustain. It will move galaxies from a trillion light years away.”

  Gabriel and Raphael move into formation. Gabriel is on the west and Raphael is on the east. Michael pivots to the north.

  “Josiah and Camael, I want you both to stay where you are,” Michael explains. “We are tactically placed at the four corners of the Atlantic ocean; north, south, east and west.”

  “Camael, call for my weapon,” Raphael commands.

  “Raphael’s Halberd,” Camael says, aloud. Instantly, the rod is in her grasp.

  “Now, describe the feeling,” Raphael instructs.

  “The shaft is heavy. I need to use both of my hands to keep it upright although the longer it’s in my possession the more it feels less heavy and more weightless,” Camael explains.

  “Good. Now, Josiah I want you to call for my weapon,” Raphael says to me.

  “Raphael’s Halberd,” I declare. Nothing happens.

  “As you can see, the weapon cannot be disarmed from Camael’s grasp,” Raphael explains.

  “Halberd.” Raphael demands. The weapon is placed in the hands of its owner.

  “Because I am the rightful owner of the weapon, I do not need to announce my name but you will need to address the weapons properly. If our names are not pronounced then the weapon will not respond to the command,” Raphael mentions.

  Camael and I nod in agreement.

  “Excellent! Now, I want each of you to practice calling for the weapons verbally and telepathically,” Gabriel announces. “Point the weapons in our direction and familiarize yourself with the powers each shaft possesses. Aim to strike us. Attempt to move us from the positions we are in. You have to conquer the power it possesses by channeling the faith and love inside of you; otherwise, the weapons are useless.”

  “You can call for a new weapon at any time during the altercation; just know the weapons will return themselves automatically to the chest when the fight is over,” Michael adds.

  We watched the sun rise and set for days as we trained and prepared for the inevitable.

  The sound ripples through the skies surrounding us. Pop, Pop, Pop. We’ve been engrossed in training that we haven’t been watching Jaycee. I quickly wave my hand upwards to the heavens above to pull the scene forward so we can watch what is happening below.

  Camael takes both hands and at hypersonic speed extends them out to her side, commanding the clouds disappear in one swift motion. Her wings erupt from behind her to a full spread. Her eyes turn to a bright white mixed with a touch of pale blue. She narrows her eyes and forces the bullets away from Jaycee. The bullets are released from the chamber at rapid-fire speed but they are no match for Camael.

  I tap into Jaycee’s mind and try to calm her fears. I slow her heart rate and silently command her breathing back to a normal rhythm.

  At the moment of impact, I suspend time. I freeze all her human senses to protect her from hearing the thunderous sounds of the crash, to hear Jaxon’s anguish over the speaker. I reduce her vision and force her eyes closed so the violent crash will not forever be etched in her memory. Camael and I work together in unison to lessen the severity of the events below.

  “Augh!” Jaycee releases a blood curdling scream, so loud that it shakes the realms of heaven. Camael gasps for air and clutches her chest. She looks to me for answers or validation for something that I cannot give. I’m just as speechless as she is, at the moment. I close my eyes and for the first time in my history of being a guardian, a single tear rolls down my check.

  Jaxon

  Present

  R.J. and I are the only two in headquarters at the moment. The others are out, scouring the village for any additional intel on Arma
n. We learned that he’s hiding in a mountain side bunker, but his exact coordinates are unknown. Collectively, the team works tirelessly around the clock; taking shifts, spying on the men in the reserve, as well as patrolling the village and surrounding areas on foot. R.J. releases the high-tech infrared drones every evening between 2300 and 0500, assuming that, if Arman moves, he will move at night when nobody can see him. Matt and Peter monitor the satellites in space and on sea, to make sure there are no other attempts to hack into the servers that could launch any other missiles.

  “Hey man,” I casually start, with my brother-in-arms. “Are the connections secure enough for me to call Jaycee? I haven’t reached out to her since the missile strike.”

  “Sure thing. Let me scan the server and I’ll step out to use the waste room to give you privacy.” R.J. replies.

  Within seconds of being on the phone with Jaycee, I instantly became aware of just how unhinged I could be faced when faced with my greatest fear.

  “R.J., get the fuck in here,” I yell, as I pick up an ear piece sitting on the desk in front me. “Jaycee is in trouble. She’s being followed by Arman’s terrorist cell. Pull her car up now.”

  R.J. and the rest of the team come running into headquarters, some of them being woken from a dead sleep. R.J. feverishly pulls the live camera feed from Jaycee’s car on the main large TV monitor, then taps into the GPS tracker I had installed on her car. He pulls her GPS coordinates up on map on another TV monitor.

  Peter secures an image of both the perps’ faces from the car’s rear view camera and starts scanning the images through the government’s facial recognition program to learn their identities.

  I cover the speaker and address the team. “I need all hands on deck right now and will provide an explanation later. Jaycee is being followed by a terrorist group linked to Arman or so we assume based on a tattoo I observed.”

  The rest of team pulls up a seat with our eyes glued to monitors that are playing the horrific scene before us.