Atonement (Heaven Sent Book 1)

by JL Rothstein

  Gen looked at Deb. “What are you suggesting, that it’s okay that they are here because it’s not the end of days?”

  “Not at all,” Deb answered. “This is obviously bad, but, if all they want is their brother, then shouldn’t we stick with the plan of helping them see it was Schlosser and not us? Shouldn’t we give them what they want?”

  “Should we?” Xavier asked. “If we don’t help them, does that mean the apocalypse doesn’t happen because one of them was unexpectedly killed?”

  “I hadn’t thought about that,” Deb replied.

  “Think it through with me,” Greg said, “if a human had the chance to stop Hitler before he could annihilate more than six million people, would they? Should they?”

  “I don’t think this is up to us.” Gen put her hands up to quell the rising tension. “These demons think someone in Heaven kidnapped Vermillion, that’s why they’re stalking and attacking us. We can’t just do nothing and hope for the best.”

  “What do you suggest we do?” Xavier asked.

  “I’m not sure but doing nothing isn’t an option,” Gen answered. “There are too many lives at stake. We can’t just find them and tell them we don’t have their brother.”

  “The weird thing is they already know that we don’t have Vermillion, that we don’t know where he is,” Kelly interjected. “Deb said Raven looked inside her mind and then told Leucous she knew nothing. Sonoran breached my mind and would have seen the same thing.”

  “We need to show them,” Deb suggested. “We need to prove we don’t have their brother. They need to see Schlosser wielding Vermillion’s power.”

  “Actually, that might work,” Tom said as he walked to the corner of the room and pulled out the white board. It was covered in Dan’s writing from the last several weeks. “We know Schlosser has been following you. What if all this time the Horsemen were following Schlosser?”

  “Tracking his powers?” Kelly asked Tom.

  “Perhaps,” Tom answered. “Either way, we need to flush Schlosser out and keep him in our presence long enough for the Horsemen to show up.”

  “That is super risky!” Kelly squealed.

  “Yes, but this needs to end,” Gen said. “We want them gone and we need Michael and Harry back.”

  “How would you go about doing this?” Dan asked.

  “We’ve been looking for weeks and couldn’t find him, what makes you think we can do it now?” Xavier added.

  “We give Schlosser what he really wants,” Gen told them.

  “No!” Kelly said sternly. “Absolutely not.”

  “We lay a trap,” Deb said.

  “Yes,” Tom agreed. “We choose the setting, do things on our terms. When Schlosser arrives, we fight him long enough to bring the Horsemen.”

  “I don’t like any part of this plan, but…” Kelly said with a sigh, “I don’t have a better one.”

  “Anyone have an idea of how we can pull this off?” Gen asked.

  “We use the church, a place familiar but not just to us, to the Horsemen too.” Tom stepped forward his natural leadership skills commanding the room. “Imprints from their power probably still linger there.”

  “How do you suppose we get Schlosser there?” Frankie asked.

  “I’m assuming he’s been stalking us already,” Tom answered. “He’s probably been following us this entire time, waiting for an opportunity too good to pass up.”

  “What would that be?” Frankie asked.

  “Oh my God!” Kelly exclaimed “Don’t you say it, Thomas.”

  “It’s me in human form,” Gen replied. “Alone.”

  “This is the worst plan ever!” Kelly said emphatically.

  “It actually might work,” Deb told Gen.

  “I think it would too,” Gen agreed.

  “Have you people lost your minds?” Kelly bellowed. “Michael and Harry are gone, I died, and now you want to go off alone in human form as bait for a psycho demon hopped up on powers that he knows nothing about?”

  Kelly practically fell apart in terror. She’s still traumatized, Gen thought. It’s not fair, but I need to end this.

  “When do we do this, Tom?” Gen asked.

  “Now,” Tom answered. “Anyone know where your charges are right now?”

  “I know Sophia is working the craft fair at the church today,” Deb told them. “But, if you go there in human form and make contact with her, you’ll be exposed.”

  “That’s even better,” Tom replied.

  “Am I the only reasonable person left in this room?” Kelly asked, no one answered.

  “What do the rest of us do, Tom?” Frankie asked.

  “Some of us go there ahead of time, a couple of us should walk with Gen while she’s in human form,” Tom directed. “The rest of us will stay close by the church until our marks go off. We’ll know exactly when Gen’s exposed because all of our marks will go off.”

  “Why put Gen more at risk by exposing her?” Dan asked Tom.

  “Finally, someone else is coming to their senses,” Kelly grumbled.

  “When Gen is exposed, all our marks will go off, and we’re going to need everyone,” Tom replied.

  The room was quiet, Gen looked at Tom not understanding what he was inferring with all their marks going off.

  “What do you mean we’re going to need everyone, Tom?” Gen finally asked.

  “If you’re exposed, all our marks go off,” Tom answered. “All your siblings.”

  “Michael,” Xavier said. “You mean Michael’s will go off too, letting Gabriel and Jared know one of us is in trouble.”

  “I think Gabriel will know exactly which one of us is in trouble,” Deb added.

  “It won’t matter that they aren’t on earth,” Tom added. “One of our marks goes off due to exposure, all our marks light up, no matter what plane we’re on.”

  Kelly added, “Why is no one talking about all the people that could potentially be in harm’s way with this plan?”

  “We can draw the demons away from the building,” Tom replied. “Into the surrounding field should keep them safe, Kell.”

  “It might be the best plan we have,” Gen told them. “I’ll head upstairs to get ready, what time is the craft fair?”

  “It’s running now until around five or six tonight,” Deb answered.

  “Let’s get moving,” Gen told them. “You guys work out the details of who’s going where. We’ll need weapons. I’ll be back down and ready in twenty minutes.” Gen walked out the door heading to the second floor.

  Either way this ends tonight, Gen thought.

  Gen did a few things in the bathroom and walked down the hall toward her bedroom, turning the nob she pushed the door open to find Kelly standing there waiting for her.

  “Why are you doing this?” Kelly demanded. “This is a crazy plan that Michael would not approve of.”

  “I think he actually may be proud of Tom for this one,” Gen answered.

  “Whatever.” Kelly waved off the reply and began pacing back and forth “There has to be a better way.”

  “Well if there is, it hasn’t occurred to any of us in several months,” Gen replied.

  “Gen, this entire thing is nutty, you are running off on a whim, Deb is agreeing with Tom’s risky plan, and I want to wait around for a better option.” Kelly huffed a pause. “This is like upside-down world.”

  “Kelly if you don’t feel ready to go back out there then you can always—”

  “No way!” Kelly yelled. “I’m not staying home. I just wish we were all staying home.”

  “I know,” Gen responded. “I wish a lot of things too, but we need to end this. I like the idea of trying something on our terms, not waiting around for him to attack.”

  Kelly plopped down on the bed and hung her head in her hands.

  “Whatever happens, at least we did this together.” Gen sat on the bed and wrapped an arm around her sister. “That’s our real power, remember?”

  “Yeah,
I know, it’s what Michael always told us, stronger together. You just make sure you’re prepared for him this time; you be ready for anything. The minute that mark goes off, you cover it up. You get clear and change out of human form, quickly, you hear me?”

  “Yes, I’m ready, I can do this,” Gen told her. “I promise.”

  Genevieve now in human form walked briskly to the church. Xavier and Greg were following her, even though she could no longer speak to them she felt the warmth of their presence. Tom and Dan were already at the church. Frankie, Deb, and Kelly waited one block down from the church. Deb assumed if all of them waited at the church together they might give off too strong a signal when their marks went off. Deb smartly spread everyone out to negate that, but they were still close.

  The church hummed with activity, there were balloons and banners advertising the craft fair, several people came and went through the garden entrance. Gen walked through the gate and entered the open door to the basement of the church, where tables had been setup all along the back and side wall. There were at least a hundred people milling about, shopping at the tables and gathering to catch up over coffee and fresh pastry.

  The smell of sugared dough and fresh brewed coffee wafted through the air, Father Donovan spotted Genevieve and moved in her direction wearing a warm wide smile.

  “Miss O’Mara what a wonderful surprise.” Gen noticed the priest peer behind her and knew he was looking for her sisters. “Are you alone this afternoon?”

  “I am Father, but my sisters will be along shortly,” Gen said with a smile “They are running a bit late today.”

  “Oh, well please send them over when they arrive. I’ll be running around trying to convince everyone Mrs. Spencer has the best banana bread in town.”

  Gen laughed. “Of course, Father, we’ll be sure to come find you,” Gen replied as she watched the priest move off to greet other guests.

  It didn’t take long for Gen to spot Sophia, who was working a busy table at the front of the room. As Gen approached, she noticed Deb’s charge holding a large wheel of raffle tickets. Her cousin Stella was sitting next to her assisting with collecting money and making change for people.

  Gen pulled out a ten-dollar bill, waited in line, and then held the payment out with her right hand.

  Sophia greeted her with a warm welcome “Hello, tickets are 3 for $10.00 or 1 for $5.00”

  “Three tickets please,” Gen replied.

  Sophia ripped the tickets in half as Gen filled in her name on the stubs. Once complete Gen handed the ticket stubs back to Sophia clumsily ensuring the two women touched.

  “Sorry about that,” Gen said to Sophia wincing at the burning sensation washing over her left wrist. The heat from her mark was stronger than anything she had ever encountered before. She wasn’t sure if it was because she was in human form, or because she had been exposed, but it was more amplified than when a charge is in need.

  Gen stuck her left hand deep inside the pocket of her dark red sweatshirt doing her best to hide the mark. She felt her face become flush as nausea rolled through her. She turned and walked away from the busy table aiming for the steps that would lead her out and into the courtyard.

  As she felt the air bristle through the open doorway she exited to the yard and turned right to avoid the influx of new fairgoers. She stepped inside the church and disappeared from human view. Once she did, she saw Frankie and Greg about fifteen feet in front of her. Gen could see the beams of light hovering around them, they were experiencing the same strong sensation of their marks going off as she was.

  “What now?” Gen said to them.

  “Now, you come with me.” The deep gravelly voice came from her left. As she turned Schlosser reached out and grabbed her shoulder.

  She saw her brothers run toward her yelling, Xavier threw a weapon at Schlosser, but she couldn’t make out any words. It was as if she were falling into unconsciousness, a dark dizzying sensation blurring her vision. When her eyes refocused her brothers were gone and Genevieve stood in the place where she first battled Schlosser.

  “You brought me back here?” Gen asked lost in a fog of confusion.

  She could smell the demon before she saw him, he came around from behind her with a broad smile. “Well, not exactly the same place, but close enough for your death.”

  “We aren’t on earth.” Gen, hiding her fear as best she could, goaded Schlosser. “Of course not, you don’t have the nerve to confront me on earth.”

  “You can’t say I didn’t warn you,” he said to her. “I told you that you would never see me coming and you would lose.”

  All that talk about doing this on my own terms, Gen thought. Feels more like I’m fulfilling a prophecy. Gen couldn’t help but flashback to the images she saw in Gerry’s nightmare. I’m afraid I’m about to live out what I saw in Gerry’s dream.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Gen inhaled deeply, she smelled only Schlosser, who wreaked of decomposition and death. She was tied to a tree with a long piece of jagged metal ripped from the Chain of Chaos. The sharp edges dug into her stomach and wrists. One barbed-wire strand was scraping against her mark, like a living thing trying to burrow into her skin. The weapon was wrapped tightly around her body, she could barely move, and the demonic nature of the chain made her teleporting powers useless; there would be no escaping.

  Surveying the area, Gen took in as much as she could from her vantage point. It looked like the place she had saved Becky, but something was off about it. Despite the landscape of long-leafed trees and flowering shrubs, the breeze carried nothing but stale dry air. It was more like being in a desert than its facade portrayed. The muddy pond that Becky’s car had narrowly escaped six months ago lay half a football field away, but it was still. The entire scene seemed like something out of a painting and not an actual place.

  He’s replicating, Gen surmised. I wonder how much energy that’s zapping? He had to bring me here and keep the surrounding images in place. I’m betting that’s more draining than he thinks it is.

  Gen was doing her best to remain calm. Her situation was precarious, but she loathed to show Schlosser any weakness. The demon was standing about ten feet away, watching glimpses of her squirm and enjoying it.

  “Now what?” Gen asked.

  “Oh, you know, just the usual: torture, enslavement, maybe a little play time with the Hellions, and then death.” He couldn’t contain his glee. “I’ve already decided who I’m going to sell your soul to. He’s a liar and a cheat; he’ll do wrong by you for sure.” The demon chuckled, but it was riddled with phlegm and mucus.

  I can’t sense anything nearby, Gen realized. Either he’s cloaking, or he’s brought me to a realm where my powers are naturally weaker.

  Gen walked through the various scenarios in her mind. Given how much power Schlosser was already using to bring and keep her here, it was doubtful he’d be able to cloak at the same time.

  “So, I kick your ass on earth, send you back to Hell, and six months later you return with all these upper level demonic powers. You know I have to ask, what happened? Do you even know who the demon was you stole powers from?”

  “You did not kick my ass, you cheated!” Schlosser screamed. “You have no idea what they did to me for months down in the bowels of Hell!”

  Gen watched Schlosser step toward her in anger but then he pulled back. “I narrowly escaped. I had to make a few deals to give myself a chance to make it out, when one such moment finally reared itself, I didn’t hesitate. The entire time those torturers were ripping me to shreds, then healing me so they could do it all over again, I thought about you.”

  “I’m flattered, but you’re not my type,” Gen quipped.

  “Your bravery would mean something if I didn’t hear your heart hammering so fast. Your chest is heaving, your forehead sweating, even your mark is still burning. The chain is sniffing, because it knows weakness. It will find its way inside, just in case you were wondering. Don’t try and pretend, it’s u
seless on me. You’re afraid, and you should be.”

  “What you do to innocent women, like Becky, isn’t right.” Gen tried to throw him off by bringing him back to the memory of that night.

  “She’s not innocent, none of them are.” Schlosser spit the last part of the comment revealing his disdain for all things Human.

  He has more contempt than the average Roamer Demon, Gen concluded.

  “So, your plan.” Gen paused for effect. “I have to say for months of strategizing, it’s not that great.”

  “Ha,” Schlosser responded before continuing. “You’re stalling, but it doesn’t matter. I’m waiting for, let’s call them colleagues, to arrive. Then we’ll get started. You can expect to be beaten, broken, battered, and burned, just like I was.”

  “Whatever, maybe I’m not the one stalling.” Gen feigned indifference at Schlosser’s threats.

  “I’m not afraid of you, bitch.” Schlosser’s voice lowered to a sinister tone. “But you should be very afraid of me. You should be terrified of what I’ve been dreaming of doing to you these last several months.”

  The hair on her entire body stood on end. Gen was afraid. Not just of the unknown Hell that Schlosser was about to unleash on her, but of dying in some far-off realm never allowed to see her family or Gabriel again.

  It can’t end this way, she thought with sorrow and regret.

  “Oh,” Schlosser mocked her. “Are you upset? Are you going to cry now?”

  “In your dreams, demon,” Gen snorted. “I know where I’m going when this is over, but it’s where you’ll be going that will carry me through.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.” He smiled, exposing his yellow teeth and brown gum line. Schlosser’s horrendous breath wafted over to her.

  “I’m sorry but you’re an idiot, you really are. Did you miss the family I have back home looking for me?” Gen smirked back at him. “Do you think they’re just gonna let you do what you want and not come after you?”

  “I don’t care what they do. They have no power over me, not anymore. They have no way of reaching us, which is all that matters right now. The rest I’ll deal with later, and who knows, maybe you’ll see them sooner than you think.”