PROLOGUE AND CHAPTER 1

PROLOGUE

The crowd of people around the body lying on the grass in that abandoned track used only by some occasional runners, didn’t leave any doubt: a crime had been committed in that small park, covered with green vegetation. And the tall blond man walking towards it indicated that the victim wouldn’t survive.

Andrew was wearing his white suit and had an anguished, nearly painful expression on his face, with tears threatening to fall from his green eyes at any moment. “Father... please... don’t make me do this again...” he prayed, his heart aching to see the despair on people’s faces. An ambulance pulled over nearby and the paramedics got out of the vehicle, rushing towards the crowd.

But at the same time, the blond angel felt the person lying on the ground wouldn’t survive; his orders were clear: he had to take her Home. “Why, Father? Why?” a tear rolled down his cheek. Each step was like a stab in his heart, as he approached the woman’s body: she was a beautiful young lady, short and thin, with long auburn hair and brown eyes, and the awful marks around her neck and soft white skin were the major evidence that she had been strangled and beaten up.

While the paramedics tried to work on her, somewhat sensing she wouldn’t resist for a long time, Andrew knelt beside her with a sad frown on his forehead. He saw her spirit slowly separating from her human body and she moved her head, opening her eyes to face him, “Don’t... don’t be afraid...” the angel said, visibly miserable with that scene in front of him, visibly horrified with what a human being was capable of doing, horrified with the evil that could inhabit a person’s soul up to the point of hurting such a defenceless creature.

“I... I was sent to you... to take you Home. There, you won’t feel any pain, I promise...”

“... it hurts...” she said, her voice barely a whisper.

“That’s why God sent me...” he placed his hand on her face, “I’m angel, and the Father is calling you, Dana...”

“I’m scared... I’m afraid of him... He said he wanted revenge... I don’t understand...”

Those words made Andrew’s work even more difficult – he was an angel of God, that’s true, but he wasn’t perfect, and that statement only served to increase the anger raised by that terrible act; anger that had been inside his heart for the last three of months, as he had been the angel of death in charge of taking Home the victims of the same evil man. He reigned himself, though, for the poor young woman needed the comfort that only a heavenly being like him could bring at that moment.

“Don’t be afraid. The Father Himself has sent me and we’re going to a place where there’s no pain... only love. God’s love.”

“God sent you? Are... are you really an angel?”

“Yes... Come with me, please.” He offered his hand to her and, slowly, the young lady’s soul stood up from the ground. Her dirty clothes had now changed into a white garment and a beautiful glow involved her.

Despite all their efforts, the paramedics started to lose her and, on the following minute, they realised they had lost one more battle. “She’s gone...” one of them said, while Dana and Andrew walked away from that place towards an intense white light.

*

Some days later, after the service where relatives and friends gave their last goodbye to Dana Adams, Andrew walked over up to a middle-aged lady, who was away from the other people, staring at the grey sky and at the other graves in the cemetery.

“Mrs Adams... Excuse me...”

“Hi, Andrew...” the woman said, looking at him for the first time, with all the hurt and sorrow in her soul evident in her eyes. He had been close to the family in the last days, taking care of Dana’s funeral.

“If you want me, I could drive you home...”

She merely nodded her head, tears rolling down her face. “It’s the worst pain a person could ever experience... and the only one no one can heal...”

Swallowing nervously, he placed his hand over her shoulder. “I understand your sorrow... but... but there is Someone Who can comfort a mother’s heart in these difficult hours... Pray to God, Mrs Adams...”

The woman lowered her head and stared at the ground, “Why should I pray to Him now?”

“Because He can heal your pain; He can restore your soul.”

“Oh yeah? And where was Him when my daughter was killed? Why didn’t He help her?” she said, facing him once again.

“Mrs Adams, you...”

“Look, Andrew, I appreciate your coming to the funeral but, right now, my soul is buried together with Dana!”

The blond angel sighed deeply and gave one more step ahead, “There is another reason why I’m here, Mrs Adams...” the woman stared at him with haunted eyes as a beautiful glow involved his body, “I’m an angel sent by God. And He has a message for you...”

But the expression on the woman’s face turned into a very angry one, “An angel? An angel sent by God? Now?”

“Mrs Adams...”

“Where were you and God when my daughter was spanked and strangled?”

“Mrs Adams, terrible things happen in this world... like what happened to your daughter, and God wants you to know that He’s crying with you, He’s holding your hand right now and urging you to open your heart to Him, so that he can share this burden with you...”

“You go back there and tell your God that there’s nothing He or you can possibly say that can bring comfort to my heart! If He wants me to believe Him again, then tell Him to bring my daughter back to me!” her crying and the expression of anguish and pain caused Andrew to feel as miserable as she was.

“I was the angel who took Dana Home... and now she lives in the presence of God, where, someday, Mrs Adams, you will be too...”

“Tell me something, Andrew...” she interrupted him, looking straight into his green eyes, “You’re an angel, right? So I don’t suppose you’re married or have children...”

“No, madam...”

“Then I guess you can’t possibly start to imagine what I’m feeling right now! But if there is someone you love, other than your ‘Almighty God’, try to imagine her lying on the ground, beaten up and strangled, after being attacked by a stranger whose only objective was to hurt her!” After a short pause, and watching as those words did hit the angel’s heart, she concluded, “And then you can come back here and repeat everything you said!”

Saying no more, the woman turned on her feet and walked away from him. What she didn’t see were the tears that fell from his sad green eyes.

CHAPTER 1

After Dana’s funeral and after the painful conversation he had had with her mother, Andrew remained in the cemetery, which was now deserted. With his hands tugged in his pockets, he walked along up to the young woman’s grave and remained there, staring at an invisible point and lost in his thoughts for a long time, until a familiar voice took him out of his reverie.

“Angel boy...”

Andrew merely lowered his head, aware of the presence of the dark skinned angel that was now standing right beside him, “I... I can’t do that anymore, Tess...”

“Andrew, the Father and I know how hard it’s been for you...”

“Yes, too hard for me to bear. I’ve been watching these women dying for the last 3 months and all I can do is to kneel next to their bruised bodies and take them Home after a lot of suffering! I just can’t stand watching all this and not being able to help them! I can’t bear this, Tess!”

“You haven’t been ‘just taking them Home’, Andrew. You’ve been bringing them comfort and alleviating their pain!” she moved to stay right in front of him, “... you’ve been taking them to the Father’s arms!”

“But along with that, I’ve been a witness of the human being’s cruelty! Tess, one thing is to come and take someone who is suffering from a disease or someone who has lived a long life but this... what this man – this maniac, is doing...” he stared into the supervisor’s eyes, “... it’s too painful... And what Mrs Adams said only proves that I’m not the right angel to do it.”

“Andrew, the Father wouldn’t have asked you to do it if He knew you weren’t capable of doing it.” Tess replied, “You know pretty well that He has a plan in His mind; a plan greater than what you and I can possibly understand.”

“I know... but right now, I cannot be in this plan...”

“Are you quitting your assignment?”

“I’m asking... I’m begging to be left aside... I’ve talked to Him... I know He’s listened to my prayers and I hope that He can also see the sadness inside my heart...”

*

After the conversation with Tess, Andrew left the earth and returned Home: the only place he could feel entirely away from human beings’ cruelty; the only place he felt safe from the evil that he had witnessed in those last few months. He reappeared in a peaceful and beautiful place, surrounded by flowered fields and green trees, and, with his hands tugged in his pockets, he walked along up to a lake, with crystalline waters.

The blond angel remained there staring at the water for a long time, when he suddenly felt a warm and comforting presence right behind him; a presence of someone he had longed to hold during all that time, someone he had been missing terribly and who always used to give him support and reassurance in difficult times like those.

“I’ve been feeling the sadness in your heart even being away from you...”

That soothing voice and all too familiar Irish accent reached his ears like a gentle breeze in the summer. Andrew turned around and at the vision of the beautiful angel, whose auburn hair was spread over her small shoulders, finally could bring some relief to his troubled heart. Wearing a long white sleeveless dress and barefoot, as usual, Monica gave a few steps closer to him, “... and I knew from the very start that this is where I should be...”

“Angel...” he wasted no time in holding her in his arms, in a tight, long and nearly desperate embrace, which was returned with the same intensity by the Irish angel, and they remained like this for a long time.

“I missed you so much...” he finally broke the silence, but without letting her go from his arms.

“Oh Andrew... I prayed so much to see you again... I don’t even believe we’ve been away for such a long time.”

“Yes... it was too much...” he gently pulled away, just enough to look at her face, and, for the first time in 3 months, the blond angel managed a tiny, almost tearful smile, “But I’m glad we have a loving Father Who knows exactly what happens in our hearts!” he said, placing his hand on her cheek.

Monica covered his hand with hers and looked deep inside his green eyes, seeing the mixed emotions that took control over his soul: the joy for finally having her back at his side and the intense sorrow that also lingered there. “Tess told me about your assignment; she told me you asked for permission to leave it... What happened to you, Andrew?”

He sighed deeply and his face became serious again. Noticing his great sadness, she took his hand and guided him up to a stone, at the bank of the lake, a place where they always used to visit whenever they were in Heaven. Monica kept on holding his hand in both of hers and looked at him with  compassionate eyes. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”

Andrew stared at his dearest friend with a miserable expression on his face, still deciding whether he should let that innocent and warm-hearted creature know about such cruel acts, as he knew it would also break her heart. “I wish I had only good things to tell you after being away for so long, Monica...”

“The world isn’t perfect, Andrew, and terrible things happen everyday. But I’m your friend, I’m here to listen to whatever you have to tell me, either it’s good or bad... I’m here to share the happiness and the sorrow with you. And right now, I can see there’s much sadness in here...” she placed one of her hands over his heart, “... and that alone is enough to make me feel sad too. Please, let me help you.”

Gratefully, he nodded his head and took her hand to his lips. “No matter how hard it is, one thing I’ll be eternally thankful for: having you at my side, angel.”

“That’s where I’ll always be... Now, tell me what happened.”

“In the last few months there have been a series of murders... only women... And the way the crimes are committed, the way the murderer acts... everything indicates that it’s the same man...”

And, as always, Andrew was right about Monica’s feelings: tears quickly appeared in the corner of the Irish angel’s eyes, and there were 2 reasons for her sorrow: Andrew’s sadness and that terrible tragedy he was telling her.

“I’m terribly sorry...” she said, squeezing his hand. He continued to talk, telling her what had happened during the time they had been away from each other; how he had witnessed all those victims agonising and dying before the paramedics had found them. The only thing that he had avoided talking about were Mrs Adams’ final words to him:

[i]...if there is someone you love, other than your ‘Almighty God’, try to imagine her lying on the ground, beaten up and strangled, after being attacked by a stranger whose only objective was to hurt her.” [/i]

He dreaded to even begin to imagine something like that; just the thought of it filled his heart with great sadness, utmost fear and deep, nearly frightening, anger.

At the end of his narrative, Monica’s tears were rolling down her cheeks and her heart was broken with sadness the same way Andrew’s was.

“I can’t stand that anymore, Monica. Staying there, just waiting until the next victim dies without being able to help is... unthinkable right now...”

“And does the police have any clue about the murderer?”

“No... not a single clue at all. At this very moment, he is walking around freely somewhere, maybe choosing his next victim...”

“He will be caught, Andrew. I’m sure he will.”

“When? How many more women have to die before that happens?”

Monica sighed deeply, without knowing what to say, and somewhat sensing that words wouldn’t be very useful at that moment, she raised her hand and stroked his cheek with tenderness. Andrew wrapped his arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer to him in another tight embrace.

*

The two angels remained there for a long time, until Andrew spoke again, “I’m sorry, angel... I’ve been so absorbed in my own problems that I didn’t even ask you about you... Come with me, let’s take a walk.” he stood up and offered his hand to her, helping her to her feet. Then she wrapped her arms around his own and the two started to walk along the green field. “How are you? How about your assignments?”

“Oh, I had a few assignments in this meantime, and thankfully, all of them turned out just fine, you know.” Watching as her lips turned into a slight smile brought some comfort to Andrew’s heart. “I just wished you could be there with Tess and me too, we missed you a lot; I missed you a lot.”

“And I feel like I’m spoiling the moment by tell you all these horrible stories...”

Monica’s eyes grew wide, “Oh Andrew, please, don’t even say that! When I felt right here in my heart that there was something wrong with you, all I wanted to do was rush to your side and help you anyway I could.”

He rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand, “I know, angel... And I bet you’re thinking that quitting the assignment isn’t the right thing to do...”

“You didn’t quit... You asked permission to leave; that’s different. And the Father can see the pain you’re feeling in your heart, He knows how hard it’s been for you!”

“Angel girl is right, baby...”

The two angels turned around and saw Tess standing right behind them; with a moved, motherlish expression on her face. “That’s why He has conceded you some time away from your assignments, angel boy. The Father knows how much you’ve been suffering and wants you to spend some time away from everything, reflecting about what you’re been witnessing...”

“Some ‘forced vacations’...” he said, with a bitter tone in his voice.

“No... just a chance for you to recover from the awful things you’ve seen and to renew your soul...”

The blond angel nodded his head, “I know... Although my soul is crying, I’m grateful that I still have my faith in Him.”

“So hold on to it! That’s what’s gonna keep you standing, baby.”

“I know.” he looked at Monica briefly and then back to the supervisor. ”So... where do I go now?”

“You’re going to the cabin, baby, and spend some time there.” she turned to Monica, who was already grabbing his hand with both hands, visibly loathing the idea of being apart from Andrew once again, especially at that difficult hour. But Tess seemed to read her thoughts and quickly put her heart at ease. “And you’re going with him, angel girl.”

Relief filled the Irish angel’s soul, as undoubtedly, their friendship, along with their faith, would be crucial for the blond angel to go through those difficult moments. But a worried frown appeared on Andrew’s face. “Is it necessary, Tess?” he said, and before the supervisor answered that question, he heard Monica’s shocked voice, “You... you don’t want me to go with you?”

The blond angel realised the effect of his words at the moment he looked at her angelic face and saw the trace of hurt in there. “Oh... no! No, angel, it’s not that...” his heart ached to see her lowering her head and staring at the ground, already with a sad expression. Mentally scolding himself for not using the right words, Andrew quickly cupped her chin and made her look at him again, “I’m sorry, Monica! Please, forgive me!”

“I... I won’t be a bother...” she spoke, almost in a whisper. And hearing that, he raised the tone of his voice, “No! Of course not! Never! What I mean is that... I... I don’t think Earth is a safe place right now...” sighing deeply, he lay his hand over her cheek, “Of course nothing makes me happier than having you with me, angel. But... not there...”

Once again, the Irish angel heaved a sigh of relief – for some horrible seconds she had thought that Andrew didn’t want her presence, and that was nearly a nightmare for her. She looked at him with a tiny but reassuring smile on her face, “But don’t forget that God is there too, and I’m sure that He’ll protect us both. My faith in Him sends away the fear.”

And he nodded his head, listening to her always encouraging words. “I’m always grateful for the truth that comes from you, angel.”

“You’ll stay there for as long as the Father thinks it’s necessary, ok?”

“What do you mean, Tess? Aren’t you coming too?” the little Irish angel asked, with surprise.

“No, not now. I have to stay here and finish an assignment first.”

“We’ll miss you...” she replied, with disappointment.

“I’ll miss you two too, babies, but I trust that I’ll see you soon. Now, angel boy, here are the keys to my other baby; she’s waiting for you on Earth so that you can start your journey up to the mountains. But I warn you: you’ll have a very angry angel here if something happens to her, you hear me?!”

“Yes, ma’am!” the blond angel spoke, finally chuckling at the tone of her voice. He grabbed the keys and hugged the supervisor. “Thank you, Tess. I’ll see you soon.”

“See you baby.”

Monica moved to hug the supervisor but she stopped her from doing so. “Wait here, angel girl. I need to talk to you first.”

“Ok...”

“I’ll be waiting for you in the car...” When Andrew had finally disappeared, Tess looked deep inside Monica’s eyes, “Angel girl you listen to me: you’re not just going to take some days off, it’s much more than this... Andrew is your assignment now.”

“My assignment?”

“Yes. The sadness and fear in his heart are very strong...”

“I know that... I can feel it...”

“Help him to overcome them; help him to recover the joy of being an angel and doing the Father’s work. And also help him to free his heart from anger...” Monica flinched a little with those last words: her dearest friend was an angel and she knew that he had a kind and gentle heart. But Tess was right, there was much anger in there at that moment, and that scared her.

Tess concluded her instructions, “You’re his dearest friend; the best angel to do it.”

“I will, Tess. I promise.”

They hugged tightly and the supervisor suddenly felt the presence of tears in her eyes; something she didn’t understand and couldn’t explain. When they pulled away, she placed her hand on Monica’s face, “And you take care of yourself too, baby. As much as I know it’s the Father’s will, and that He’s always right, I don’t like being away from my angel girl!”

A warm smile appeared on Monica’s face, “I don’t like being away from you either, Tess. But it’ll be for a short time, I’m sure the Father knows how much we’ll miss you!”

Watching as Monica walked away from her and disappeared, Tess wiped away a single tear that insisted on falling from her eyes. It was then that she saw Sam standing right beside her. “Why do I feel this anguish inside my heart?”

“You shouldn’t. We don’t know what’s gonna happen, Tess. And remember that what Monica said is true: the Father is watching over them.”

“I know that... We’re all holding on to our faith in Him right now...”