The Realm: Box Set - Parts 1 to 5 (Realm of Angels Series, Book One)

by Conrad Powell

  Ms. D’Mario rolled her eyes.

  The bailiff returned with a remote in his hand as a white screen descended on the wall opposite the jury box.

  All eyes were on the screen as the bailiff turned off the lights.

  On the dimly lit screen with the camera in a bird’s eye angle view, the interrogation video began to play.

  “Tell me who put you up to this,” said Officer John Start.

  “I’m a man of few words Mr. Start,” said a clean faced Joshua Fall.

  Start flashed him a slap across his face and Joshua Fall ricocheted off the chair like a ping pong ball. The slap echoed in the courtroom thanks to Bose Surround Sound.

  Start grabbed him up off the floor and kneed him in the stomach. A cocktail of rich dark red blood mixed with vomit flashed from his mouth. Fall collapsed into the chair.

  “What? Can’t get laid at night?” said Fall as he flashed a half smile with teeth covered in blood. Start held him by the throat with one hand.

  “Enough,” said the judge. The lights flipped on.

  Ms. D’Mario blinked her eyes as she leapt to her feet.

  “Your Honor, the authentication of the tape cannot be verified. We don’t know when it was made.”

  “Enough,” said the judge.

  “As well as the purported identity of Officer Start or the Defendant,” continued Ms. D’Mario.

  “Enough,” said the judge.

  “Your Honor, I did not know about the existence of this ta-”

  “Enough Ms. D’Mario,” said the judge wrapping his gavel until the handle broke.

  “We are a system of ordered liberty, due process and justice. We are not a little rogue nation on the krull of some mountains somewhere operating out of a tent. In all my years on the bench I have never witnessed a more cruel violation of a citizen’s rights. I do not care how hard you try Ms. D’Mario and I suggest you do not say another word. Stand up Mr. Fall.”

  Mr. Zimmer tried to stop a smile that erupted on his face. It took no genius to know what was coming next so he braced for the imminent glory.

  “Mr. Fall, in light of the exculpatory evidence presented that more than guaranteed that your confessions were forced and since your convictions were based mostly on those confessions, I have no alternative but to dismiss the charges against you with prejudice. You are free to go,” said the judge.

  Mr. Zimmer smiled and slapped his client’s back. Joshua Fall smiled at Ms. D’Mario. Ms. D’Mario could guess what Joshua Fall was saying.

  Hey, I’m guilty. But please thank Officer Start for me. I couldn’t have done it without him.

  Ms. D’Mario grabbed her things as Zimmer led his usual victory walk that he had taken a billion times with his notorious clients.

  Chapter 1

  Ten Years Later - Downtown Brooklyn – Monday Evening, October 11, 2011.

  The Blue-Eyed Blond-Haired assassin sat patiently by the fourth floor window of their short term rental at the Donald Trump Grand Arms Apartments on Joralemon Street in Downtown Brooklyn.

  The Grand Arms used to be The Brooklyn Bureau Action Center until Trump decided to anoint it as his latest renovation project.

  The Grand Arms was directly across from 210 Joralemon Street, the home to the Brooklyn Division of New York City’s Police Department.

  The assassin had a clear view to the entrance of 210 Joralemon, or The Coliseum as most officers called it because of its grandiose white marble columns rising to the sky.

  Of course thanks to New Jersey’s pollution, they were now smoky gray.

  And to make matters worse, dirty pigeons fluttered about etching Rembrandt style artwork on the marble canvases with their sepia-toned droppings.

  Blue-Eyes watched the entrance like a crow as he patted the wall feeling for Peter Pan. Peter was his specialty sniper rifle.

  He named it Peter since it wasted no time in sending victims swiftly to Never Neverland. This Peter Pan adventure had no magic dust, no flying tinker bells, just straight cold mini missiles that melted the flesh with shrapnel crafted to rip through the chest with deathly accuracy.

  Blue-Eyes kept a watch while his Green-Eyed Red-Haired twin brother sat inside the dark apartment devouring the carcass of a triple cheese, pepperoni, mushroom, olive, anchovy and Canadian bacon pizza. He gobbled it three slices at a time stacked together which he washed down with a two liter bottle of Dr. Pepper taken straight to the head.

  Despite having executed 302 assignments spanning a period of twenty years that touched the shores of Asia, Africa, North America, Australia and Europe and which netted millions of pounds in their Seychelles Island’s account, and in spite of the botched bombing five years ago in Stalingrad that left Green-Eyes blind and Blue-Eyes deaf, they showed no signs of letting up. They were always booked solid two years in advance.

  Detective John Aston Martin Start, the newest recruit to Brooklyn’s Special Crime Cadre, emerged from the coliseum as the sun set. The Norwegian twins’ latest assignment was all things GQ. Start was tall, dark and strikingly handsome.

  Blue-Eyes grabbed Peter and pointed it at the detective who appeared blurry in the night vision scope. He wiped the scope with the long sleeve of his black Versace turtleneck.

  On instinct, Rembrandt’s protégés scrambled away from the detective and perched in low lying oaks in the near distance.

  Start turned up the collar on his blue blazer. He had forgotten his coat upstairs but had no intention of turning back.

  Blue-Eyes stared into the scope and pointed the rifle at the detective’s chest.

  “Don’t leave Start. Don’t do this leaving,” said Blue-Eyes under his breath. “Come, come. Be good little birdie. Stay still.”

  Meanwhile Green-Eyes continued the pizza onslaught.

  Blue-Eyes caressed the trigger like it was the perky breast of a Norwegian girl and aimed at John’s heart. He cocked it.

  Green-Eyes heard the rifle in mid-gulp.

  “Brother, no,” said Green-Eyes but he remembered that would do no good.

  So he dove in the direction of the sound crashing into his brother who almost dropped Peter Pan out the window.

  Blue-Eyes toppled to the ground in laughter as he watched his brother’s lips.

  “This not funny,” said Green-Eyes as he felt for the wall to lift himself up.

  “Is okay brother,” said Blue-Eyes in between the chuckling. “I observe his movement. This all. I observe his movement.”

  Start walked down the street and jumped into his dark blue Toyota Corolla. With the danger gone, the dirty pigeons came back to finish their masterpiece.

  4(2). Realm of Angels Series:

  EXCERPT…

  BOOK ONE: The Realm –

  Chapter 5 – Adonari’s Roots.

  Heaven - 8,050 years ago.

  Adonari, the Cherubim holy angel flew to the top of the Amethyst gate. Each of the twelve gates of paradise led to a central area deep inside the Holy City of Zion or as the world called it heaven.

  In the center of the Holy City, the Spirit of The Almighty dwelt in the midst.

  Adonari pitched in a tree near the Amethyst gate. He sat staring into the deepness of the outer bands of the heavenly realm. This was the realm where the Spirit of The Lord hovered over the deepness.

  He was not alone.

  Nearby Gladaro, a seraphim flapped his angelic wings and with perfect precision pitched in front of Adonari.

  The Seraphims were ten times the size of a cherubim like Adonari.

  “Have you heard?” said Gladaro. Adonari stared into Gladaro’s face which blocked his way.

  “And what are you speaking of?” said Adonari.

  “You need to stop hanging around the gate like you are searching for something. What you are searching for you will soon find,” said Gladaro.

  “Really? I don’t know what you are talking–”

  “Let’s cut to the chase shall we.” said Gladaro. “Everyone is talking about it. You sh
ouldn’t be so disconnected my friend.”

  “Seraphims and Cherubims are hardly friends,” said Adonari.

  “True. But that’s not our fault now is it,” said Gladaro with a smirk.

  “Maybe Lucifer has something to do with that. Don’t you think?” said Adonari.

  Gladaro stretched his massive wings that were the size of Saturn. In the heavenly realm everything was super-sized.

  “Shh-shh,” said Gladaro as he raised his wing to his lips. “You shouldn’t speak so loudly there Cherubim.

  “Loud? You forget The Almighty is omnipresent. There are no secrets in heaven. You actually believe The Almighty is not aware that Lucifer is planning to overthrow heaven?”

  “Look, Adonari. You’re going to have to choose a side,” said Gladaro, now taking wings to flight and hovering in the air before Adonari.

  Adonari flew up into the air in front of Gladaro’s face.

  “You seem to be Lucifer’s spokesperson. Tell me, why does he feel he can overthrow the Almighty One?” said Adonari.

  “That’s easy. Project Terra Nova,” said Gladaro.

  “What are you talking–”

  “Adonari, you really need to get out more often.”

  “Lucifer, er – Son of the Morning Star told us of The Almighty’s plans. The Almighty had a meeting with the Council of Archangels, including Lucifer and The Four and Twenty Elders and told them of his experiment in free will. He plans on creating a race of terrestrial beings on that little ball of nothing they are calling The New Earth.”

  “Really?” said Adonari.

  “These terrestrials are going to be made a little lower than us in power and dominion,” said Gladaro. “When Son of the Morning Star heard about it, he saw a way to carry out the overthrow. These terrestrial beings, called humans are the key. They will have free will of a different kind,”

  Adonari stared at Gladaro in silence.

  “Most of the Cherubims and Seraphims are on board,” said Gladaro.

  “We will need you soon because The Almighty has finished creating the terrestrials. Soon be our time it will,” said Gladaro.

  Adonari slowly descended back to the limb he was sitting on.

  Gladaro followed and stood back in front of him just as before.

  “I don’t think I want to be a part of that. It sounds too risky,” said Adonari.

  “What’s risky is not joining the revolution,” Gladaro said.

  Before Gladaro could finish, Lucifer appeared behind him from thin air.

  ***

  Lucifer, being an Archangel, was ten times the size of a seraphim. Adonari knew him by his scent. Normally angels had no smell but Lucifer was developing a very distinct odor kind of like the smell of one hundred year old manna bread that had crusted old and wet with the heavenly mist.

  Lucifer realizing he was too large for conversation reduced his size to Gladaro’s height.

  The Son of The Morning Star was as beautiful as the heavens declared. His hair was a flowing auburn mane that reached behind him and rested in the mid-blade where his wings joined attached. His outer covering was a soft golden skin for angels wore no clothes. He like the others angels had sexual organs but these remained hidden until they were about to have sex. After the act the organs would disappear again. Angels were forbidden to have sex in heaven and only fallen angels outside of heaven had sex.

  Lucifer’s ears were made of circular brass rings that piped music in octaves only the heavenly realm could hear.

  But he stopped playing music – the kind that praised The Almighty.

  Lucifer’s wings were a pale red for he was an Archangel. They were almost tea rose and the feathers had a stronger grade than those of the Cherubims and Seraphims.

  The Cherubims and Seraphims had off-white, cream colored wings.

  Lucifer’s face was a beautiful bronze and he had eyes that mesmerized. All angels had noses but without holes for they didn’t breath air in heaven.

  The Almighty was their sustenance. The breath of their lives, the glory of The Almighty was.

  Lucifer’s neck was tall and kept his head higher above his shoulders.

  When he spoke, he sang. The lilt in his voice made even Seraphims tremble with adulation and fear.

  Oh, the smooth calm of Lucifer’s voice felt like a cool summer day on Earth resting on a hammock in the white and yellow lily covered prairies of the Serengeti plains sipping chilled lemonade, perfectly sweetened, as the cool breeze swept up and over one’s soul and slowly and gently tickling the leaves of the large Acacia trees that cradled the hammock and breathed coolness between the shade. Lucifer’s whisper teased and seduced the soul into compliance.

  “You should listen to him,” said Lucifer staring at Adonari. “You shan’t regret it.”

  Lucifer gently brushed Gladaro aside. Gladaro complied.

  “I’ll take it from here,” said Lucifer with a smile.

  Adonari felt a tremor vibrate his insides with every word that resonated from Lucifer’s lips.

  “Adonari… Adonari. Ugghh. I have never liked those chosen names. I have renamed everyone on my side and I now call you Victor. Yes, Victor it is,” said Lucifer smiling ferociously.

  “Victor, all that is said is true, every bit of it. Times are changing and it would be a shame to leave you out. Well, when we win, I’ll just destroy you and everyone else on the losing side. You know I don’t want to leave you out, but I will. I will,” said Lucifer.

  As Adonari turned his eyes from Lucifer, a Legion of Angels, Seraphims and Cherubims flew overhead. Ten Thousand they numbered.

  Zorona, a Seraphim and leader of that Legion, left them in mid air and swooped down beside Lucifer. Adonari kept silent.

  “What have we here,” Zorona said. “Son of the Morning Star, Adonari.”

  Zorona nodded to them. Adonari stared at Zorona. Zorona is one of the guards that oversee the central region of The Almighty’s throne room in the center of heaven.

  “Zorona, you’re a tad bit off your course,” Adonari said. “Shouldn’t you be guarding the throne room or something?”

  “I am Vander now,” said Zorona. “Zorona is no more and if you knew what I knew, you too would abandon The Not So Mighty and His Throne Room.”

  Lucifer smiled.

  “You too Zorona?” Adonari said. “You too?”

  “I –”

  “No worries,” Lucifer said cutting off Zorona.

  “You see that Legion that’s hovering up there? They are with me. Most of heaven is with me. We have more power together and can overthrow The Almighty as long as we stick together. Think about it. If he has really been all knowing why haven’t he stopped us and we have been planning this right in his face? If he had so much power why isn’t he stopping us? Why is he so silent? He is silent because the truth is our collective power is greater than his. He made a mistake when he gave his angels free will. Don’t you see he cannot stop it,” said Lucifer.

  Adonari thought for a moment.

  “Look, I have to go,” said Adonari and he took to flight high above the tree limb where he was sitting.

  Gladaro motioned to take off after him. Lucifer braced his wing against Gladaro.

  “ No. Don’t bother. He’ll see for himself,” said Lucifer as Adonari darted through the Legion that hovered above. A few Seraphims moved out of the way to let him pass.

  ***

  4(3). Betrayal Romance Series:

  Part 1 – Betrayal

  EXCERPT…

  Two hours later Sherry came to Ella.

  “I have to leave for a bit so cover for me. Beside you owe me one,” said Sherry.

  “No problem Chica,” said Ella.

  “Can I borrow you’re Geo?” said Sherry.

  “Sure. Take care of it. The key is in my purse in my locker,” said Ella.

  Sherry retrieved the key and hurried out of Gloria’s.

  Sherry crawled down Wall Street in the Geo. Traffic was slow. When she
reached the intersection near Cohen & Black, she stopped for a sting of pedestrians who were bent on taking all day.

  Sherry glanced at the ground floor restaurant in The Cohen & Black Building and saw Lazza kissing a woman dressed in a lovely red dress. Her black hair hung perfectly below her shoulders. Sherry gasped.

  “Oh my God,” Sherry said as the pedestrians gave her pass.

  The cars behind her unforgivingly honked their horns. She took a right turn and circled back to Gloria’s.

  Sherry parked and ran into the restaurant. She grabbed Ella’s hand and pulled her into the locker room.

  “What’s wrong with you? I was about to collect a twenty dollar tip,” said Ella.

  “Girl, you are not going to believe this,” said Sherry.

  “What? What?” Ella said hurriedly.

  “I saw Lazza at his firm.”

  “Okay, and?” said Ella.

  “And he was lip-locked with a pretty chick. Girl, that ho,” said Sherry.

  “Really,” said Ella as she flushed red. She can’t be lying to me, thought Ella.

  “I’ve got to see him,” said Ella.

  “Girl, I don’t blame you. Go get your man,” said Sherry as she pushed the car keys in Ella’s hands.

  Ella darted out of the eatery without talking to her boss. She jumped in her Geo. Since the traffic was clear, she darted down the street.

  As Ella neared the intersection for the Cohen & Black building, a pretty woman in a red dress was rushing across the street. Ella could not stop in time and slammed into the woman. The woman flipped in the air stilettos and all and fell on the bonnet of Ella’s Geo.

  “Oh my God,” said Ella. She ran out of the car and a few men helped Ella to pick up the unconscious woman who was bleeding heavily. They put her in Ella’s car.

  “I’m taking her to New York Downtown Hospital. It’s the nearest one,” said Ella and she sped off.

  The CEO of Cohen & Black witnessed the scene from a meeting near the 2nd Floor window.

  “One of our staff has been hit. I think it is Mr. Renault’s secretary, said the CEO to his assistant. The assistant called Mr. Renault by cell and informed him. Ella called Sherry on speed dial and engaged the speakerphone.

  “Sher, I hit someone. I’m heading to New York Downtown Hospital,” said Ella.