CHAPTER 21

The sound of Monica’s cry brought Andrew and Paul bolting through her door. The angel’s eyes only briefly took in the scene as his blood ran cold, before he was on his knees beside of Monica. The little angel’s face was pasty white and he patted her cheek gently, trying to bring her around.

“Get her out of here, Andrew and try not to touch anything,” Paul ordered, his voice holding barely contained fury as the agent in him clearly began to take over. His expression was grim as he surveyed the room; the flowers on the window sill and the words painted above Monica’s bed, which read “Checkmate”. Realization filled him that this was now to an extent an inside job and he could not completely trust anyone other than Andrew.

The blond angel wordlessly gathered Monica into his arms and cradled her against his chest as he carried her into his own room, laying her down on his bed, just as she was beginning to come around. Her eyelashes fluttered before her dark eyes opened, confusion filling them for a moment before reality came crashing down once more as tremors shook through her.

With a frightened sob, she sat up and found the refuge in Andrew’s arms as she clung to him with all the strength in her being. She closed her eyes tightly as her tears came harder, “I want to go Home, Andrew…I just want to go Home..”

Anger surged through the angel as he held her tightly to himself, his entire body rigid with rage unlike any he had ever felt before, even as he struggled to come across as calm for her sake, “I know you do, angel. I know.” He longed to tell her that she was all right and that she was safe, but either would be a lie, so he just settled for rocking her gently in the hopes that she would calm eventually.

“The kittens!” She raised her head to look up at him through blurred vision, her voice bordering on hysteria, “Andrew-.”

“I’m sure they are fine, Angel Girl,” But one look at her face told him he needed to check to make sure. The problem was he didn’t want to leave her alone to find out and taking her back in that room was not even an option for him right now. But before he could consider what to do, Paul came through the door and deposited all five kittens on the bed.

Bursting into fresh tears upon seeing them all unharmed, Monica buried her face in Andrew’s chest once more, not caring that Paul was standing there. Though she didn’t want to hurt him any way, right now she needed the strength and comfort she could always find in Andrew, as the thread she was hanging onto was beginning to fray.

The agent exchanged a look with Andrew that clearly read, “How is she?” and he sighed softly as his partner only shook his head, “I need to work the crime scene in her room, Andrew. Stay with her. I’ve called for backup and every other agent on the premises is being taken in for questioning. McArthur isn’t working alone or he would have never gotten in here.”

“What?” Andrew asked incredulously, as he tightened his hold on the trembling angel in his arms, “Someone here that we have been trusting was helping him?”

“There is no other explanation,” Paul responded firmly with a shake of his head, “The security codes will be changed as well.”

“You mean…we’re staying?” Andrew’s voice held disbelief and tension, not liking at all what was being insinuated. Seeing Paul nod his head, it was all the angel could do to keep his voice controlled, “No, Paul. I want her out of here-.”

“Andrew, he has found her twice, this time in a matter of days. He’ll only find her again and our best bet for catching him at this point is to take every other precaution, but to stay here,” Paul argued softly, not wanting to upset Monica further.

“Her safety is the only important thing,” Andrew fumed, knowing his emotions were openly becoming tangled, but he was quickly finding his dearest friend’s fear and despair unbearable and for her to suddenly not have any feeling of security at all? He wasn’t at all sure she would be able to endure it.

His patience quickly coming to an abrupt halt in the face of this sudden catastrophe, the agent snapped back, “Don’t you get it, Andrew? She isn’t safe anywhere! He’s got help from an agent, maybe more than one, and the chances of us finding out who it is are slim to none at the moment. What do you suggest we do? Uproot her again and again?”

Andrew fell silent, the feeling of Monica shuddering in his arms as they argued over her safety devastating him. He knew his own anger was not at Paul, but at this game that was being played with her and at her safety once again being jeopardized. He couldn’t even begin to imagine how she felt at this moment, though he could feel her terror in his heart, “No, of course not,” He conceded finally, leaving it at that until he could clearly deal with his emotions.

Sighing softly, Paul’s eyes rested on Monica’s head, though she never once looked up and he wondered why it was that with each new scare, it was always his partner who got to comfort her, but he couldn’t deal with that at the moment. He had a job to do once again, “I’ve got to get back in there, “ He muttered, before turning on his heel and exited the room, closing the door behind him in order to keep the kittens from escaping.

After a moment, Andrew slowly pulled away from his friend, wiping tears from her cheeks, before taking her face into his hands and searching her eyes. The things that he saw there made him want to weep himself but he knew he had to find a way to bring her back from the depths of despair, “Sweetheart?”

“I don’t want to do this anymore, Andrew,” She whimpered softly, her voice catching in sob that she was struggling to hold back, “I never knew how to begin with as no one has ever wanted to hurt me before and I don’t even understand it. It wasn’t my fault he saw me…it wasn’t my fault…”

“Of course it wasn’t, angel,” He whispered gently to her, “You were in the wrong place at the wrong time, or maybe the right place at the right time, depending on how you look at it, but either way, this had to be done and we both know it.”

“Then why? Why do I have to stay? I’ve tried so hard, Andrew. You know I have,” she pleaded.

It totally went against the way she would normally act, and he felt another wave of fury pass over him. This man had shredded her confidence in herself and in the whole human race, and it wasn’t something he had it in himself to forgive. He knew that God could forgive McArthur, but he was not God, and he only prayed that eventually, maybe, he would be able to be as generous, because at the moment he honestly couldn’t imagine his heart ever changing.

“Shhh… Angel… you know I’d take you away if I could. You know that,” he whispered, trying to make her understand something that even he could hardly fathom.

“But I promise I’ll do better on my next assignment, and I promise I’ll never stay longer than I’m supposed to,” she said through her tears, her childish bargaining hitting Andrew like a punch to the stomach.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Monica. Please believe me. Believe the Father. You spoke with Him… you know He loves you and knows how well you’ve done with everything that’s been thrown at you. You’ll get through this too. He’s with you right now, and so am I. Trust us both, angel.”

She trembled again and pulled herself closer to his chest, struggling to pull in her sobs and stop her tears. “I keep telling myself that… I do. But I…”

“Stop. No buts when it comes to trusting God, Monica,” he said as he kissed her forehead, “or me,” he whispered as an afterthought.

She nodded her head and said nothing, which to Andrew was almost as painful as her words. He continued to rock her back and forth, knowing that she was not going to fall asleep this time, but needing to do something to comfort her. She relaxed slightly, and he was happy enough with that small sign that he was helping her.

The calming sounds of the warm night were drowned out by the activity within the house. It was one more sign that their tentative peace had been disturbed. The heavy footfalls of numerous agents trampling through the house hardly seemed to phase the little angel, but Andrew found himself wondering, at each one, if it belonged to the man who had betrayed his best friend.

“Father,” he whispered in his heart, “please grant me peace. I have never been so afraid of myself.”

The angel’s thoughts were interrupted when Paul reentered the room some time later. The agent’s face was drawn in anxiety and anger, his hands curling in and out of fists. Monica remained nearly motionless within Andrew’s arms, and her nearly catatonic state only further upset the man. The fact that he knew his partner was angry with him as well, for insisting that they stay, also did nothing to help his mood.

“Anything?”

Paul shook his head. “No prints or anything so far… but let’s face it; we all know who it was,” he said with disgust. “They’re still questioning the last of the men from outside, but for all we know it was someone on the day shift. They’ll have to be questioned as well, and unless a miracle occurs and one of them confesses, I’m going to request that they all be reassigned for the moment. We’ll get replacements until I know for sure who I can trust.”

“He could have killed her tonight,” Andrew said coldly, knowing that Monica was practically beyond hearing his words.

Paul let out a breath and his eyes traced the little angel’s delicate features. “No one knows that better than I do.”

The sense of defeat and helplessness was evident in Paul’s every word and motion, and Andrew knew that the agent was doing the best that he could in an impossible situation. He knew that Paul’s affections, after only knowing Monica for a relatively brief time, couldn’t begin to compare with his own, but that didn’t change the fact that the man clearly cared for her and this was hurting him as well.

“We’ll get him, Paul,” Andrew felt driven to reassure him.

Paul’s eyes turned to ice within a matter of seconds. “Yes we will.”

A stirring from the Irish angel made both agents glance down at her. She pulled away from Andrew slightly and tried to clear her eyes of tears as best she could. She hadn’t been paying attention to anything beyond her fervent prayers to the Father for guidance and help, but now she looked at them and knew that she had to hold on for a while longer for their sakes as well as her own.

“What now,” she whispered, still keeping in contact with the angel who felt like her lifeline at the moment.

“Now you try to get at least a little sleep. Nothing else is going to happen tonight, Monica,” Paul assured her. “You can sleep in here tonight and we’ll take turns staying with you.”

She was alert enough to know that she wouldn’t be able to get any sleep at all unless Andrew was beside her, and quickly spoke up. “That’s alright. I’ll be fine alone.”

Paul looked doubtful, but a small trace of stubbornness crept into her eyes, and he didn’t want to do anything to challenge her. “Fine… if you’re sure. There’s another room next door… Andrew can take that one.”

The blond angel nodded, knowing in his heart that he would be spending the night comforting the angel he already held in his arms.

By the time the house had quieted at long last, it was nearly 5:00 in the morning and the house was dark with the exception of the bedside light in Andrew’s bedroom. The Irish angel was unable to face the darkness as the sun had yet to rise and she lay completely wide awake, even as her slight body continued to tremble at now being alone, regardless of how brief a time it had been.

Andrew had left for his room only minutes ago, his eyes telling her he would be returning as soon as Paul retired, and now she waited, almost feeling frantic without his calming presence next to her. She was convinced that even if she closed her eyes for a moment, that something in the room would change and she was reminded once again that she very well could be being watched by someone other than a handful of agents.

This man had known she had not been in her room last night, so just as easily, he could know where she was at this moment and that fact only left her feeling more alone and vulnerable. While she knew God was always with her, the need for someone to physically hold onto at the moment was overpowering as each day she was beginning to feel more and more human and less angelic. She knew in her heart who she was and to Whom she belonged but those facts were doing little right now to bring her any peace.

“Father, help me,” Monica whispered through the fresh tears that filled her tired eyes, “I’m so afraid.”

As soon as the words were said, the soft glow of her best friend filled the room and she pushed herself up to seek his embrace and immediately found what she was seeking.

“I’m here, honey,” Andrew whispered to her, feeling her nestle into his arms as silent tears escaped her. He longed to be able to soothe her to sleep, but he had a feeling it wasn’t going to happen tonight.

After a long silence, Monica spoke up, never moving from her current position and never wanting to ever again, “He came in through the window.”

“Monica, what-.” He struggled to comprehend was she was telling him as it wasn’t what he had expected from her, but she quickly albeit shakily explained.

“I left it open. It was closed when we came upstairs. That’s how he got in,” She whispered, as if this simple fact would change everything.

He had a feeling that on some level his friend was in shock; her mind no longer able to handle all that had been thrown at her and he struggled once again with his own fury. He took these threats against her personally despite the fact that for the killer, this wasn’t personalized at all. McArthur didn’t know Monica. He had no idea of the gentle, caring little soul that she was. He didn’t care that hurting anyone was not an option for her. This man knew nothing of the innocent way the angel had looked at the world before any of this had begun, with a childlike awe and wonder. No, instead he had stripped that from her in a terrifying and cruel way and those facts left Andrew enraged. How dare anyone try to change the sweet, trusting creature that she had always been and replace those traits with fear and vulnerability that left her almost paralyzed?

His expression softened as he realized how quiet she had become and he ran his fingers lightly through her hair, “Why don’t you try to get some sleep, angel?”

“Not until the sun comes up,” She never raised her head, feeling unable to move from her safe haven.

“I’m right here with you and you know I won’t allow anything to happen to you,” He tried to reassure her as he gently pulled away from her embrace, distress filling his green eyes at her obvious panic over this action, but he strengthened his resolve and helped her to lie down. His hand then immediately found her face, brushing her long hair back from her cheek and swiping at the occasional tear.

“Why is this happening?” Monica whispered brokenly, her voice so low it left him wondering if she was questioning herself or him.

He wanted to tell her that he didn’t know, but he knew he had to do better than that. “He needs to be brought to justice, angel and you are the one who can do that.”

“But it won’t bring Josh back; it won’t restore a family.”

She was losing her hope and her fight, even if she was only showing it to him and not to Paul. She was having trouble seeing beyond her own fear and he could only pray that some of it was being fueled by emotional exhaustion, “But it will bring them peace,” He replied softly, knowing that at least that much was true.

“He was in my room, Andrew…my room and someone here was helping him. Fine, I saw Josh’s killer, but this other person…what did I do to them?” She was trying so hard to understand; to be able to wrap her mind around why anyone would want to harm her and she was far too tired to figure it out, yet her mind refused to stop asking the questions.

“Nothing. Angel Girl, you didn’t do anything to warrant any of this and in your heart you know that,” He rested his hand against her cheek, seeing the pleading look in her swollen brown eyes, “Some humans have no conscience and they resist God with everything inside of them. Monica, this man wants to scare you…”

“It’s working,” She interrupted, reaching for his other hand which he willingly gave to her to hold, “Please don’t leave me. You’re the only thing that feels safe.”

“I’m not leaving and God will keep you safe, Monica. You’re His angel, sweetheart.”

“Andrew, I don’t even remember what that feels like,” Her voice trembled as her eyes brimmed with tears once again.

Crestfallen at her words, he offered up a silent prayer before a slow smile spread across his face and he squeezed her hand, “The Father and I have something to show you, angel.”

A moment later, Monica found herself out of doors, bathed in the soft glow of God’s love as she stood beside of Andrew overlooking a crystal blue lake. There was mist coming off the water, creating the illusion of small white clouds and looking up, she could see that the sun was just beginning to rise up into the sky, which was streaked with the darkness of a fading night, now with brilliant streaks of red and orange swirling together creating a kaleidoscope of color.

Her exhaustion and fear were temporarily forgotten as a tearful, yet happy smile graced her face, “Thank you, Father,” She whispered before turning to her best friend and standing up on tiptoe to wrap her arms around his neck as she kissed his cheek, “Thank you for asking.”

“You needed a reminder and the Father and I wanted to make sure you got one,” Andrew replied as she pulled away to look once again out over the lake. Walking up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and felt her lean back into him. Lowering his head to her ear, he spoke softly to her, “I know this has been hard, angel, but don’t forget what you are and Who loves you so very much. God is here for the long haul, Monica, and so am I.”

Andrew smiled as she nodded her head, nestling her head underneath of his chin, as together, in silence, they watched the sun rise into the sky.