PART 9

CHAPTER 8

Monique left the dark mountain where Monica and Andrew were being tortured and reappeared inside David’s small house. The demon started to walk around the rooms, analysing all its details. When little Joy felt her evil presence, the small puppy hid herself in the kitchen, behind the gas stove and remained in the most absolute silence. Fortunately, Monique didn’t see the tiny animal, as her attention was all focused on David. The young man was lying on the couch, in deep sleep due to the tranquilliser Erika had administered on him, and unaware of the great danger he was exposed to.

Smiling evilly, she lit up a cigarette, in a cigarette holder, and started to smoke. “You did a good job, Erika, I admit it. But there are some things that only an experienced demon can handle... Such as the future of your little friend here... or lack of it...” she shed the ashes on the carpet. “Edward Evans will die this night, at midnight, and so will David!”

Saying that, she threw the cigarette on the floor, near the curtains, and watched as a small fire started to catch, “After all, why waiting to destroy souls little by little if this is the darkest night of the year?”

She waited a few more minutes until the fire increased and, before leaving, she checked the doors and the windows, to be sure that everything was locked.

*

Monica stroked Andrew’s hair and never stopped crying at the image of her beloved friend so badly hurt, sacrificing himself in order to spare her own existence.

“Please, forgive me, Andrew... I was supposed to be there, not you...”

“... Don’t ever apologise, Monica... I’ll protect you... until I can...”

“No! Don’t do this anymore! I beg you...”

“I won’t do what you’re asking me, my angel... not this time...” he replied, keeping her hand against his heart.

“You’re hurt! You’re so hurt I can hardly look at you, Andrew! Please, don’t do this to me!”

“... Close your eyes and pray, Monica... You know He’s listening...”

She sobbed, “I am... Praying is all I’ve been doing since I got here... And this time, I’ll pray for you, Andrew, not for me...”

She squeezed his hand and bent her head, so that she could kiss his face. With the light contact and with the tears that fell over his skin, Andrew opened his eyes, “Don’t cry... I’m fine... seeing that they’re not hurting you...”

“But they’re hurting you!” her sobs increased and fresh tears rolled down her cheeks, “Oh Father, please, save him! Be merciful and save Andrew from these evil creatures! He’s so hurt.. so badly hurt...”

“He’ll provide us help, baby... Somehow, He’ll see us through. Now please, stop crying.” Andrew spoke, with some difficulty due to his aching body, “Have I told you how much I love you?”

A bittersweet smile appeared on her face, “You don’t need to tell me this... I can see it in our face... in your eyes whenever I look at you...” Sniffling, she stroked his face as gently as she could, “Can you feel I love you too?”

“Always...” now he was the one to smile.

Frowning with concern and deeply surprised, as she had never witnessed such thing, Erika shook her head in disbelief. Suddenly, they all felt another presence in that place.

“I’m glad I could make it in time to see the angel dying!”  It was Monique, who walked over to Monica and Andrew, “Quite ironic for an angel of death, huh?”

Andrew felt his dearest friend squeezing his hand, but before he or she could say something, it was Erika who started to speak. “Monique, I was wondering... If everything is finished now, what’ll happen to David? I mean, we’ll go on with the plan and elope tomorrow, right?”

“Oh yes, you will, dear... But it’s tomorrow; tonight I’ll need you right here by my side, ok? Don’t worry about David, he’s exactly where he’s supposed to be right now!” she replied, and stared at the angels with a perverse expression on her face, “Now it’s time to take care of these two... Continue the beating!”

“No! Andrew! No! Please, stop! Take me!” Monica cried, desperately. But the soulless creatures obeyed Monique’s orders and ripped the blond angel from his friend’s arms to continue the torture.

“This has been a great Halloween night!” the demon exclaimed.

*

The fire spread fast in David’s house, quickly burning the carpets and the drapes but the tranquilliser Erika had put in his juice was too powerful and the young man kept on sleeping. Smoke started to spread in the room and Joy left the kitchen to look for the one who had taken care of her since she got lost. Barking continuously, next to the couch, the little puppy tried everything she could to wake David up. With evident despair in her slanting black eyes, the animal put her tiny pawns on the sofa and started to scratch the furniture, weeping and sniffling.

Sensing that David wouldn’t wake up, Joy ran up to the kitchen. In the back door, which Monique had carefully locked, there was a small entrance, made especially for animals to pass through, and that’s exactly what the puppy did.

But due to her extra weight, result of all the care that Monica, Andrew and Tess had with her, the chubby animal got stuck. Barking and moaning now with some annoyance, Joy used her tiny pawns to push herself out of the hole, and after a lot of effort, the witty puppy finally managed to come out of  the house.

Joy ran clumsily along the yard up to the front door and never stopped barking, as if calling desperately for help. And, fortunately, help was sent by Divine intervention: Tess was driving her Cadillac along that neighbourhood for the second time in search of the little puppy.

“I don’t think we’ll be able to find her here, Rafael. We’ve already been in this street some time ago!”

“Well let’s go back to the main street then; Joy must’ve followed it...”

The younger angel had hardly said that when they heard several puppy barks in the distance, and they were very familiar to them.

“Listen!” the supervisor spoke.

Rafael pointed out, “It’s coming that way...”

Relief filled their souls when both angels saw the little black spaniel puppy barking loudly in the sidewalk and Tess didn’t waste any time in gathering Joy in her arms.

“Oh baby! I’m so glad to see you!”

“Thank God she’s ok!” Rafael exclaimed, and both turned their attention to David’s house.

“It’s on fire, Tess... somebody may need help!” the younger angel spoke, and quickly ran over up to the door, knocking on it with full force many times, “Hey! Is anybody there? Can you hear me?”

But the way Joy barked facing the house soon made it clear that something was wrong inside the house, “I guess she was in that house, Rafael...” Tess concluded, “And the people who took care of her must be still in there...”

Using all his strength, Rafael hit the door until he managed to put it down: the fire had spread fast and he crossed the cloud of smoke to see if there was anybody alive in that room. A minute later, the angel returned, carrying an unconscious David in his arms.

“He’s still alive, Tess. There’s nobody else inside!” he said, coughing.

“Dear God!” she exclaimed with surprise, seeing her friends’ assignment lying on the ground.

“Apparently he found Joy and brought her to stay with him... And we both know this is not a coincidence.”

“Yes... And we both also know who set fire in that house...” the older angel spoke, as they heard the noise of the firefighters and ambulance sirens.

*

David received the first aids and the effect of the tranquilliser started to cease. Besides, the young man hadn’t inhaled too much smoke, and regained consciousness half hour later.

“So... you both saved me...” he said, sitting inside the ambulance, still a bit dizzy with all that had happened, “Rafael, I was about to go there at the mechanic shop and complain about my car with you and Andrew! Now I owe you my life!”

“Well, I’m glad I could redeem myself!” the young angel joked.

Then, David turned to his right and saw Joy in Tess’ arms, “So... I guess she found her real mom...”

“Well, actually I’m her grandma... but that’s a long story. I’m glad that I found her and that, in the process, she could help to save your life, baby!” Tess spoke, and Rafael was quick to introduce her. “David, this is my friend Tess.”

“Nice to meet you, Tess.”

“Nice to meet you, too, David.”

“And what’s her name?” he wanted to know, pointing to the little dog.

“Joy.”

“Joy... yeah, sounds quite appropriate!” he joked, ruffling the animal’s soft black fur.

The firefighters finished to put out the fire inside the house, which, thanks to the angels and to the brave little animal, hadn’t been entirely damaged. David received the first aids and, as he wasn’t seriously hurt, the paramedics let him go. There was an expression of relief on his face as he watched the men work. “I’m glad Joy managed to get out and that Erika, my girlfriend, wasn’t here... I wonder what happened though...”

Tess and Rafael exchanged a glance and the young angel started to speak. “David, there’s something you need to know...”

“What is it?”

“Well... maybe you should ask Erika who caused this fire...”

“What? Erika? Why? What are you talking about?”

“We don’t have much time, baby, tell him the truth...” Tess spoke, glancing at her watch with some worry, and Rafael nodded his head, “David, we know that you’re a fugitive, that you escaped from prison an year ago.”

“What? How... how do you know that?”

“We also know that, on the night you escaped you saw it when Edward Evans stopped his car to help those two children who were already dead on the road...”

The young man felt his head spinning with those words; a perplex look on his face.

“How come you both know that only Erika is supposed to know it; did she tell you this?”

“No, she didn’t. But we also know that she’s been helping you to get away from the police, that she’s got you a false ID, that you both have been travelling around the country, from city to city, for a year, and that you were planning to elope once again tonight.”

“God... I don’t know what to think!”

“All this time, Erika has been helping you to keep a lie. And with a terrible consequence: the life of an innocent man!”

“No... she... she’s just afraid that I go to jail and we can never be together...”

“David have you already asked yourself why Rafael, Andrew and Monica have been the only friends you have made since you escaped from prison? Have you stopped to think that your car breaking down exactly at the night you would elope wasn’t a mere coincidence? And neither was the fact that Rafael and I were passing by at the exact moment your house was on fire? Even finding Joy and keeping her with you had an effective consequence!”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that Monica, Andrew, Rafael and I were sent to help you...”

“You were sent? Who sent you?”

“God.” Rafael replied, “We’re all angels...”

A beautiful glow involved Rafael and Tess, causing David to give a step back with surprise and awe.

*

Monica’s cries echoed through the dark mountain together with the loud crashing thunders for long painful minutes, and they were immediately replaced by her crying when Andrew’s body was violently thrown in front of her. During the beating, the evil creatures under Monique’s command, had been careful not to let the Irish angel come closer to her dearest friend and, although she nearly ripped off the pair of handcuffs in her wrists, her efforts were useless. Only when the demon ordered them to stop did they allow Monica to gather what was left from Andrew in her arms.

“Andrew? Andrew? talk to me! Please, talk to me!” she begged, not even knowing where to touch him, as now his injuries were more serious than never. She had never seen him so badly hurt before, and the pain in her heart was such that she thought she would die in tears and sobs.

“Andrew, please, please, answer to me... please, show me a sigh that you can listen to me... please... please, talk to me! Show me any sign that you’re still here...” she carefully checked to see if he was still breathing and placed her hand on his neck: his heartbeats were almost inexistent but he was still breathing. “Oh Andrew... Why did you have to do it?” she sobbed, tenderly stroking his hair, “I want so much to have you close to me... Please...”

“He’s a tough angel, I must admit it!” Monique spoke, enjoying each second of the angels’ suffering, “Unfortunately, it’s time to stop this, my presence is being requested some other place...”

Gathering all her courage, Monica raised her head and stared at the demon, “I want to make a deal with you...”

“A deal?” she spoke, as surprised as her apprentice, who had been watching everything.”

“Yes... I have something to propose you...”

“And what kind of agreement could an angel possibly propose to a demon?”

Monica turned her eyes back to Andrew’s wounded body and faced Monique again, “I want to change places with him...”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Give me his injuries, I know you can do it. Give me Andrew’s wounds and make him return to his previous condition.”