Chapter 3
"In the Kingdom of God"
The last thing that Alexandra Borgia remembered was being continuously beaten by the two men who kidnapped her from her apartment. It was a terrifying experience for her and as her body gave out from the fatal wounds that were inflicted upon her, she felt the presence of two men dressed in white stand in front of the open trunk of the car she was in.
"Come with us, Alexandra," said one of the men. "Come with us."
So, Alexandra's spirit came out of her body, still dressed in the bloody clothes she wore, and followed the two men up into the clouds. She looked down to see her earthly form completely bloodied and bruised from the beating that it took. After a short walk, Alexandra had been led to a pair of golden gates and they opened to reveal a large hall, almost like a hall that was seen out of the middle ages. The two men left Alex at the hall and departed, leaving the slain ADA's spirit in shock and awe of her surroundings.
"Am I in the presence of the master's kingdom?" Alex asked as she wandered around the hall. Just then, a man with a white beard and dressed in a white robe came forward and approached Alex with a warm smile on his face.
"You are, Alexandra," he said. "I am Father Abraham. Welcome home."
Now knowing where she was, Alex smiled warmly as Father Abraham placed his hands on Alex's and warmly embraced her like a grandfather. Alex had always been taught about the kingdom of God since she was a little girl and now it seemed that she was experiencing it live for the first time.
"Thanks for welcoming me home," said Alex as they broke apart. "Although it wasn't under what I wanted to come into this kingdom as."
"You were in great danger, Alexandra," replied Father Abraham. "The master saw that you were in trouble and that we needed you to come home immediately."
Alex was happy that she was finally out of danger, but she also remembered that, in her mind, Jack was still trying to find the men who killed her. She didn't know that they had already been arrested, convicted and sentenced to death for killing her and eight other people.
"Father Abraham," said Alex, looking puzzled for a moment. "I know that you have brought me into the master's kingdom, but there is something that I need you to help me on."
"What is it, my child?" asked Father Abraham. "What is it that I can help you with?"
"I just want to find Jack and tell him that I am okay," replied Alex. "I want him to know that I am not in any more danger and that I am in safe hands now."
Father Abraham seemed eager to honor Alex's wishes, but he also knew that there was another close friend of Alex's that he felt she needed to see.
"There is another friend of yours whom you may want to see," said Father Abraham, looking down at the clouds towards Earth below. "He is a police officer if I remember back."
Alex realized at that moment that Father Abraham was talking about Joe Fontana, a close friend of hers that shared the same Italian roots as her and was also a devout Catholic.
"When can I see him?" she asked.
"You can see him at any time you wish," laughed Father Abraham, placing a hand on Alex's shoulder. "A spirit of God can roam freely at any time he or she wants to, although you cannot be seen nor heard by a living creature of Earth."
It was unfortunate for Alex that she had to be a wandering spirit. After all, she felt like she had peaked before her prime as one of New York's most accomplished lawmakers. Still, she had to look forward to this new life that she was about to start. At that moment, two angels came forward and took Alex by her hands.
"What are they doing, Father Abraham?" she asked nervously.
"It's all right, Alexandra," he chuckled. "They are just going to give you clean garments to replace the earthly garments you are wearing now. You will see the master very soon and we want you to look your best for him."
Feeling reassured, Alex followed the two angels and was soon dressed in a white robe like an angels. She had never felt so alive and she soon felt the warmth of the robe that made her feel calm and serene.
"How do you feel now, my child?" remarked Father Abraham. "Do you feel like a spirit of the kingdom, now?"
"I feel like I am reborn," replied Alexandra, admiring her new look. "I feel like someone who was clean of all of Earth's sins."
"I'm glad you have accepted your new life in paradise," said Father Abraham. "You can now find your loved ones and tell them how you are."
So Father Abraham watched as Alex's spirit went down to Earth as she tried to find her friends and tell them where she was. Alex found herself at that moment standing in front of the 27th precinct where Joe Fontana and Ed Green were based at. She looked up to see the American flag at the top of the building at half-staff and wondered exactly what was going on.
"They aren't doing this for me, aren't they?" she thought as her spirit floated into the building going past people who were going about their business while not seeing her.
Soon, she found herself in the squad room of the 2-7 and saw Joe and Ed sitting at their desks, supposedly reacting to the announcement of her funeral.
"I still can't believe she is gone," sighed Joe, looking at a recent picture of him and Alex. "Way too young to enter paradise."
"I know how you feel, Joe," replied Ed. "It's gonna be a long day tomorrow. I mean, I'd sure like to get my hands on those two clowns who killed Alex."
Joe slumped back in his chair and sighed heavily as Alex watched with a look of sadness on her face. She knew Joe just as well as Jack and all the others in her professional life.
"Yeah," remarked Joe. "I can't wait to see them strapped to that gurney while lethal drugs are stuck into them."
"What?" gasped Alex, placing a hand to her mouth. "They found Ricky and Vincent and they've been sentenced to death for killing me?"
Although Alex was always against the death penalty being a Catholic, she knew that the men who killed deserved to be punished in some extent. It wasn't what she had in mind, but it would be a chance to confront these men when the time came.
"Don't we all?" laughed Ed, mockingly. "Those two and that crooked DEA agent Ricky and Vincent shot…they can all rot in hell for all I care."
Alex knew that perhaps it wasn't the best time to talk to Joe, so she knew at that moment that it would be best to wait until the time was right.
"Best we'd better get down to the funeral home," said Joe, grabbing a bible from inside his desk. "It's gonna be a full house."
"Yeah," added Ed, rising from his seat. "Too bad all this has to happen before you retire."
So, Alex watched as the two detectives as well as Lieutenant Van Buren walked out of the squad room and down the steps to make their way to the Funeral Home where Alex's wake was to take place.
"It's best I follow them," Alex thought as she followed them out of the building. "Maybe I can catch them at my own wake."
