“Yes,” Johanna said. The other Archangels nodded or simply said nothing. David’s face was as hard as stone, his brows furrowed into an angry frown, his lips pursed. All he could feel was anger at the thought of Gabriel. How dare he abandon his own kind? How dare he abandon him?
“Now, if there are no other questions, we shall proceed with the mission strategy session.” Staring directly at David, he said, “The purpose of this mission is to apprehend or kill the fugitive, Gabriel Knight.”
David’s mouth went dry and his head started spinning. Yes, he hated his brother, but he still had a child’s hope that he would return, that he would change his mind and come back for him. He didn’t want him dead. Somehow, he kept his face firm, not a trace of emotion betraying him.
“And we will use Helena, Theodore, and Peter Knight as bait!” The words seemed to echo off of everything in the room—the four walls, ceiling, floor, tables, chairs, and people. David felt the words vibrating through his head and he couldn’t help but to blurt out, “But you can’t do that!”
All eyes were on him now, causing his face to turn as red as a beet and his knees to knock firmly together.
Lucas said, “Do you trust me, David?” David nodded cautiously. “Look, your brother has done some really bad stuff, right?” He nodded again. “And he needs to be brought back here, so he can’t cause any trouble, don’t you think?” More nodding. “The only way we can get him to come to us, is by using your family. We won’t hurt them if they cooperate, and we won’t even hurt Gabriel, as long as he doesn’t do anything stupid. All we want is to get him back where he belongs and see if he can be rehabilitated.”
David puzzled over Lucas’s words for a moment. “Rehabilitated?” he asked slowly, sounding out the word.
“Yeah. You know, fixed. His mind is very broken right now. He doesn’t know right from wrong any more than he knows good from evil, or black from white. If we can just reason with him, make him see the light, maybe, just maybe, we can talk some sense into him. And then you’ll have your brother back. Would you be able to help with that, David?”
“Um, yeah, I could definitely do that. And you won’t do anything to my family?”
“Of course not, David. They volunteered to help bring your brother back in.” This time it was Dionysus that spoke. His soft, black eyes looked kind, caring.
“They did?” David asked.
“Yes, of course.” Dionysus paused. “Now back to the mission.” David barely heard a word that was said the rest of the briefing. Despite their reassurances, David’s heart still yammered within him, like a hammer pounding away on his internal organs. He caught something about every Archangel doing their part and being part of the mission, and how Lucas would be responsible for grabbing Gabriel when he was close enough.
“And you, David,” Dionysus said, once again making eye contact with him, “will need to help us convince Gabriel of the error in his ways, to turn himself in and cooperate. This will be a very important and difficult task. Gabriel will try to brainwash you, son. He will tell you evil lies to try to convince you to be a traitor, too, but you must resist him. Can you do it, David? Can you do it for your brother?”
David’s head suddenly felt clear, like he finally had purpose in his life—to help his brother. Gabriel had done so much for him over his life and he would now have the chance to do something for Gabriel. His brother’s head was just confused, he needed help. And David would be the one to provide it.
“Yes, my lord,” he replied. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“Thank you for your service. You are learning so quickly. I am proud of you, David.”
At this, David beamed. He would follow in his brother’s footsteps by becoming respected in the angel army, but he would also learn from his mistakes. He would not become him. He would be his own man, like Gabriel had always taught him.
Chapter Fifty-Five
Gabriel was hiking. While not a particularly unusual activity for a human, for an angel it was remarkably strange. Why hike in the wilderness when you could fly? But he needed something to help clear his head, to focus him. The exertion helped.
After his phone call with Chris, he had flown to the base of a small, moderately-steep mountain, and then started to hike up it. By three o’clock, he was drenched in sweat from the effort. His shirt was off and slung over his shoulder, used now only as a towel to mop the beads of salty liquid from his face. The muscles in his legs were sore from the climb, and although they would recover much quicker than a human’s would, he still needed to rest.
After successfully traversing a particularly steep stretch of large boulders, Gabriel paused on a natural rock ledge to catch his breath. It was then that he realized how hungry he was—his abdomen ached, as the muscles contracted around his empty stomach. Thankfully, he had planned ahead somewhat, packing a small bag with a shoulder strap for necessities, like food and water. Unclasping the bag, he extracted a canteen and drank deeply, emptying more than half of his supply. Next, he munched on a granola bar, some raisins, and a bag of chips. It wasn’t particularly satisfying, like a nice lunch in the demon café would have been, but it stopped his stomach from hurting.
Now he had a decision to make. Continue his march up the mountain until it was time to meet Dionysus, or rest up so that he was in peak shape for the confrontation. Either way, he needed to come up with a plan of attack—or a plan of submissiveness.
Pondering the question, Gabriel gazed down at where he had hiked from. The unspoiled landscape was beautiful and he felt his breath catch for a moment, as he appreciated the natural beauty of the world. The colors of Mother Nature’s palette caught his attention like never before. The greens of the leaves on the trees and plants seemed greener. The blues, purples and reds of the flowers blooming seemed more colorful, more vibrant.
He spotted a cardinal, sitting high on a tree branch with not a care in the world. Gabriel could fly, but he was no bird. Birds were free, their lives were simple. Hunt for food, find a mate, procreate, protect your young, and then do it all again. The middle was filled with flying— playing with your friends on the gusts of wind that preceded a storm. And singing simple, yet beautiful melodies to all those lucky enough to hear them. If only, he thought. His life was anything but free. In a figurative sense he was in a cage, trapped by the impenetrable walls of responsibility that surrounded him.
His thoughts turned to his family. In the depths of his soul he could hear their desperate cries for help. Save us, Gabriel! But that was just his imagination. Helena was far too proud to plead for her life. For the lives of her family, sure, but not for hers. She would take her chances and keep her head held high. And his father, while a human, had the heart of a lion. He would give his life to save even a stranger. He couldn’t allow these wonderful people to be harmed!
If he gave himself willingly, with no struggle, would Dionysus really release them? There was certainly no guarantee. Dionysus would probably just take all of the Knights into custody: one big family reunion.
The hike having refreshed and focused him, Gabriel’s mind started to make the connections quickly, taking a similar path to the one that Sampson had earlier that day.
They won’t release my family, regardless of whether I cooperate. That much was clear to him now. But if he fought back, wouldn’t they kill his family immediately? Not likely, because then they wouldn’t have anything to bargain with. It was he who Dionysus was after, not his family. On the other hand, they might kill one of his family members—make an example of one of them to prove to him that they were not bluffing, that they were serious. That way, they would still have their bait, and force him to cooperate. What would he do if they killed Peter, say, or Teddy, or heaven forbid, his mother? They could do it right in front of him, while he was fighting to protect them.
“What would I do?” he said aloud, trying to get his mind around the question. Something told him that the answer to this question was of the utmost importance, but for some reas
on he couldn’t seem to think straight. It was like taking a test and suddenly going blank, or going to the store and forgetting what you wanted to buy. He slapped himself hard in the face to try to snap himself out of his stupor.
“ARGHHHH!” he roared at the top of his lungs. Breathe, just breathe. Calm down, he thought. Try another technique. Like……………what?
Just think about something else and maybe the answer will come to you. He remembered his dad telling him this once when he was upset as a young boy. One of his favorite toys was missing and he remembered playing with it, but not where he had put it afterwards. It was a Nerf Turbo football, he remembered now. His dad had said, “Son, sometimes your mind just needs to be distracted. So go somewhere else and just think about something else and maybe the answer will come to you.”
At the time he thought it ridiculous. How could thinking about something else make you think about what you wanted to think of in the first place? Even the question sounded crazy. But he listened to his wise father and went to watch TV. There he was, being blitzed by colorful, manic advertisements about why he should buy the newest Super Soaker water gun and how much fun the rides were at Geronimo Amusement Park. That’s when it hit him. He knew exactly where that darn football was. As clear as day, he could remember bringing it back in the house, taking it up the stairs, and kicking it into the closet. It was not a place he would normally store it, but for some reason he did. And he remembered.
Now, with no other choice, Gabriel decided to try to employ the same technique to figure out the answer to his question, to know with a certainty what he would do if someone from his family were killed in front of him. He still didn’t fully understand why this question felt so important, but he trusted that his instincts were guiding him to some vital truth.
Gabriel turned his mind to the other most important person in his life—Taylor. If he closed his eyes and thought about it hard enough, he could almost feel her hand on his back, her lips on his own—he could even detect the smell of her hair. While he would die for his family in a second if he had to, it would be a great sacrifice indeed. He would not just be giving up his life, but rather, he would be giving up his life with her.
And they had the chance for a real future together. A future filled with love and joy and family and friends and laughter. A good life. A life worth living.
Even as Gabriel tried to picture how his life would be after the War was won and Dionysus was defeated, his mind released the information he had been seeking. He would fight. If Dionysus killed someone in his family, he would not cooperate, he would fight. Pain, hatred, honor, strength: He could feel it searing through him, piercing him to the core of his existence. He would not go quietly and trade himself for his family. Gabriel Knight would not only rescue his family, but he would rescue himself. He would live!
Immediately, he knew that it was not selfishness that led him to this decision. Of course, he wanted a life with Taylor more than anything, but that’s not what drove his decision to fight. Somewhere within his skull a decision was made that defied all logic, which on the face of it appeared to be reckless and dangerous, but which he somehow knew was the right decision. He knew this without a doubt in his mind, by some leadership instinct he had been blessed with.
It was time to find a place to wait that was a bit closer to the action.
Chapter Fifty-Six
“Nice shot, Taylor,” Sam said sarcastically.
“Damn,” Taylor said. The white cue ball had jumped off the table and nearly drilled Chris in the knee.
Chris retrieved the ball and handed it back to Taylor. “You know, jumping the ball is actually a pretty advanced technique, Taylor. I’m impressed,” Chris joked.
“Yeah, but I think it’s supposed to stay on the table,” Taylor mused.
Taylor was trying to laugh and have fun with her friends, but the dark thoughts in the back of her mind kept creeping out, pressing their icy fingers and toes into the front of her mind. Gabriel was out there all alone. There was no one to hold him or to tell him that everything would be okay. Sure, he was tough and macho and brave and all of those very impressive things that she loved about him, but that didn’t mean that he didn’t need support.
If only he wasn’t so damn stubborn, she thought. She could have gone with him, even if only to keep him company until the meeting. But then she wouldn’t be going on the mission to save him. Maybe it was better that she hadn’t gone with him. Maybe it was better this way, she thought. Surprising him. Not like “Surprise! Happy Birthday!” More like “Surprise! Let’s kill an Archangel, save your family, not die, and get the hell out of here!” Taylor laughed out loud at her thoughts.
“That’s the first real laugh I’ve heard from you all day, Tay,” Samantha noted. “I didn’t think my shot was bad enough to laugh at.”
Taylor looked at Sam blankly. Lost in her thoughts, she had forgotten they were playing pool. “What? I wasn’t laughing at your shot.”
“I know you weren’t, I was just kidding. I could tell you were a million miles away. Thinking about him?”
“Sort of.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll save him.”
Taylor flinched, startled by her friend’s remark. She had expected her to say, “The guys will save him,” or “Chris will get him out.”
“How could I save him?” Taylor asked. She waited for a sign. Maybe Samantha had a vision in a dream or Taylor’s face had appeared to her in the gravy on her mashed potatoes at lunch. She got neither.
“I don’t know. I’m not sure why I said that. It just felt like the right thing to say.”
Taylor nodded, not understanding at all. After all, she would merely be a decoy in whatever transpired later that day. It was possible that her presence would be one of the many factors leading to the successful completion of the mission, but surely she would not be ultimately responsible for saving Gabriel’s life.
Sampson and Kiren entered the room, returning with five drinks.
Suddenly, Taylor felt the tingling in her toes. Panicking, she said, “Uh, I gotta go to the bathroom. Kiren, play for me?”
“Sure, Tay.”
“Is everything alright? Do you want me to go with you?” Sam asked.
“I don’t need an escort to the bathroom like some high-heeled, drunk off her ass chick. I’ll be right back.” Taylor hoped she had kept an honest face and that her voice wasn’t too shaky. She was so focused on the warm sensation—which had moved up her legs—to tell what she was saying or how she was sounding. Luckily, the rec room had a bathroom.
All the stalls were empty and she was barely able to stumble into one and latch the door before the tingling had covered her from head to toe. “Wow,” she panted. It felt like all the good emotions in life had been torn up and scattered throughout her body, like confetti, covering every inch, every fiber. Even her freckles could feel it. Laughter, happiness, love, attraction, friendship, kindness, goodness, physical contact, eating, sleeping—the gamut of emotions and pleasant feelings far exceeded what her mortal brain was able to comprehend. But she didn’t care, it felt wonderful.
Then the glowing began. Like the night before, she radiated light seemingly from within her, like her aura was saying hello to the world, or trying to get out of her, or something. Or something. Her mind immediately guessed the worst. What if she was dying and had cancer or some rare disease usually found only in monkeys? Or maybe she was just becoming a human light bulb, and would be studied by scientists for the rest of her life, while residing in a perfectly livable, perfectly round plastic bubble.
Taylor realized she was laughing hysterically—partially because of her crazy thoughts, and partially because of how good she felt. Thankfully, no one had come into the bathroom yet, or she would likely have been dragged out and committed to a place with much softer walls than she was used to.
“Get a hold of yourself,” she said, still laughing through gritted teeth.
As quickly as it had come on, the feeling p
assed. Her inner glow worm was switched off, and she was just normal, unglowing Taylor again. Well, as normal as the human girl with the most powerful aura in the world could be, anyway. “Whew,” she breathed, still trying to catch her breath from all the laughing. “What is happening to me?” she asked out loud. No one answered. That was good, she thought. At least she wasn’t hearing voices…yet.
As she staggered out of the stall, she wondered whether she should tell someone what was happening to her. If she had to tell someone, she would rather it be Gabriel. It would have to be later though, once Gabriel was safe again. Looking at her face in the mirror, she looked refreshed, the dark circles under her eyes from the previous night’s lack of sleep having mysteriously disappeared. The makeover was miraculous. She remembered looking at herself in the mirror in Chris’s bathroom and seeing a tired, rundown, distraught girl. Now, she looked like herself again. No…It was more than that…She looked like a better version of herself.
Afraid of all the questions she would get from Sam if she delayed much longer, Taylor left the bathroom to rejoin her friends.
“Sorry, Tay. I lost,” Kiren said, handling the pool stick back to Taylor as she approached.
“Damn.”
“What took you so long?” Sam hissed in her ear. Despite the fact that Taylor didn’t linger very long in the ladies room—she couldn’t have been in there for more than five minutes—Sam knew her friend too well. Taylor was always very quick in the bathroom. As a rule, she never preened, primped, applied make up, vomited her lunch into the toilet, or stared at herself in the mirror.
“I had to go number two,” she said bluntly.
Samantha eyed her friend suspiciously. “Right, if you say so. Well, you do look a lot better. You looked like death before.”
“Thanks,” Taylor said sarcastically.
“Well, you did.”