Chapter 14
I stood still watching John and Bobby in the truck. Micah had not moved from his spot. I shook my head. It was becoming increasingly apparent that I was making a concerted choice. Where would that choice lead? I took a deep breath. I knew that Micah was watching me.
"Michael said that the war hasn't stopped," I said.
"Yes," Micah replied.
I looked at him, "I have to return to Hell".
"That much is true," Micah nodded. He raised himself off the back of the van.
The truck hadn't moved off. John and Bobby were waiting to see what I would do. What choice would I make? What choice could I make? I was torn again. I stood as I always did in the middle.
"Denri, it's time to choose," Micah reminded me.
"Which side I'm on?" I asked.
"That as well," Micah nodded.
It was difficult. He knew that it was difficult. Then he smiled at me. I looked at him quizzically.
"What?" I wondered at his smile.
"I don't think you should cry," he stepped in front of me, and wiped a tear from my cheek.
I was surprised at that and then lightning flashed and thunder roared.
"The tears of the angel weeping fall like rain on the Earth," Micah whispered. He kissed my cheek, got in the van, started the engine and drove off.
I stood staring after him. I had forgotten that, for it had been a long time since I had shed tears. The rain intensified. I shook my head, trying to halt the deluge. The mist formed and the thunder screamed as it echoed across the sky. I felt my arm being tugged, so I looked up and saw Bobby trying to pull me toward the truck. I found that quite amusing, thus, I allowed him to pull me. He opened the door and placed me in the truck. John shook his head. A glanced at the rearview mirror showed me that I had shifted to a female shape again. I needed to be more careful. These humans were making me vulnerable. That was the danger to spending too much time with them. Richard had undoubtedly felt it, and had often said that it led several of our kind to become recluses.
Humans pulled you into their lives. They made you feel their pain. They made you weep for their anguish. That wasn't entirely true. Demons did not weep. Demons did not feel any form of compassion. Perhaps that was the problem. In breaking away and forming Hell they had given up the very thing that made them remain within grace. The spawn were born from darkness. They were born from hatred. They could not feel these things and therefore envied them. Michael was right. The war wasn't over; it had never ended, for it had simply shifted into a different form.
As the rain continued, Bobby drove carefully through the downpour. John stared unseeing through the window.
"Can't you do anything about this?" John asked.
"I don't control the weather," I said.
"What kind of powers do you have beside strength?" Bobby asked.
"Self – control," I answered.
"Self – control?" John looked at me oddly.
"Yes," I nodded.
"How is it that self – control is a power?" Bobby sounded intrigued.
"Well," I began, "it took a great deal of self – control not to find a shovel and use it on John here".
Bobby erupted in laughter.
"I think we can add smartass to the list," John grumbled.
Bobby turned the truck into the motel parking lot. He stopped the vehicle and got out. I remained in the truck while both he and John entered the motel room. I watched them through the pouring rain. Then I saw that they had Pastor Jim with them. He appeared groggy and slightly unsteady on his feet, but he was standing. They sat him to sit in the front passenger seat of the Impala. I frowned at that. Surely they weren't going to travel to Bobby's place in this rainstorm. They were both crazy. Then I looked at the motel and realized that they had to leave. It wouldn't do them any good to remain in this place. I had no idea what they had done before I showed up. However what knowledge I had of humans would indicate that they had to operate outside of the laws of society. The confrontation between Pastor Jim and the creature would have attracted attention. If it had not, they were already practiced in that art of concealment.
Bobby got into the truck. He said nothing as he started the engine and drove out of the parking lot. We were headed to his junkyard. He kept an eye on the rearview mirror. He made certain that John kept pace with us. Bobby remained silent for a while. I noticed that we were sticking to the main roads instead of the side roads and back ways.
"How come we're traveling straight?" I asked.
"Because of the rain," Bobby answered. He paused for a moment and narrowed his eyes. It was certainly coming down as if it had never rained before.
"The rain is always nice," I said.
"Sure until it floods," Bobby grumbled.
"Then taking the boys out in this wasn't such a good idea," I commented.
Bobby looked at me for a second and then returned his attention to the road.
"If I crash this damn truck, you'll be fine and I'll be dead," Bobby muttered.
"True," I agreed.
"John's right, smartass is one of your abilities," Bobby shook his head.
I said nothing more. I preferred silence at times, but I must confess that my curiosity was getting the better of me. I sat up straighter in the seat. Bobby noticed that I was moving.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing," I said.
"You're up to something," Bobby accused.
"Am not," I said.
"Look, I'm a con man. It's pretty hard to fool me," Bobby argued.
"So, that's how John learned it," I nodded.
"He told you?" Bobby sounded incredulous.
"Well, he confessed as to how he was living," I replied.
Bobby shook his head, and then he smiled.
"Well, I don't suppose you'll report us," Bobby observed.
I thought about that for a moment for it was true. Who would I tell? How would I tell anyone? Hmm… 'Excuse me sir, Mr. Policeman, yes I know some men who are committing fraud… Oh I'm sorry, how do I know that? Well you see one of them confessed to me. Why? Well, the truth is I'm an angel who lives in Hell. I run a newsletter down in Hell too'. Of course that conversation would land anyone in a State Mental Hospital. It wasn't a question of whether they could hold me, it was more a thought that nothing I ever said would stand up in court.
It was a thought that chilled me. If anyone that these men had saved were to tell anyone else, especially anyone in authority, that person would be disbelieved. Humans refuse to accept or face anything that they cannot explain. It was the reason that the churches were full and the reason that the churches were empty. It was the strangest thing.
"What are you thinking?" Bobby demanded.
"I was thinking that I want to know what's happening in the other car," I confessed.
"How would you do that?" Bobby sounded curious.
"Well, I could go visit," I paused.
"But?"
"You'd crash the truck into a ditch," I told him.
Bobby was silent, as he continued driving straight, but he kept glancing at me. I remained silent as well.
"Can't you just…" Bobby trailed off.
"What?"
"I don't know, listen in somehow?" he asked.
"It doesn't work that way," I explained.
"Well then how does it work?" Bobby sounded curious.
I studied him for a moment. It was a unique opportunity I supposed, having a supernatural being that could answer questions without killing the asker.
"It's not something that you should know," I said quietly.
"I think the cat's pretty much out of the bag," Bobby said.
I shrugged at that. It was perhaps correct, however there was a great deal that they did not know and it was safer for them if they didn't. My biggest problem would be convincing them to stop looking. It came back to choice.
"Okay," I said.
"You'll tell me?" Bobby sounded surprised.
"No," I replied.
"What then?" Bobby looked confused.
"I'll tell you something that you need to know," I said.
"What is that?" Bobby asked.
"Using a summoning spell won't summon me," I told him.
Bobby slowed the car and pulled off the road. We weren't near the junkyard yet so I wondered why we were stopping. He switched off the engine and turned to me. I looked at him in return. Then there was a knock on the window, I turned and saw John standing in the rain. John pulled open the door and got in beside me.
"Bobby what the hell?" John demanded.
"I needed to give her my full attention," Bobby explained.
"You needed to give her…?" John wiped his hand over his face, for it was wet from the rain. He shook his head.
"Bobby, don't you think we should wait until we're somewhere dry?"
"No," Bobby said.
I watched him carefully as it was obvious that his mind was racing. I was never one who was privy to the thoughts of humans. I thought about that for a moment. Was it that I simply didn't pay any attention? I wondered then dismissed it. I suppose that if it were necessary I could hear the thoughts of a human, but it was far more fun to listen to what they chose to say.
"Bobby," John pleaded.
"She's leaving John," Bobby said.
"I know that," John said, "We can't force her to stay".
Bobby looked at John. It was apparent that this was an argument that they had had in the truck when they came to get me. It really did boil down to that, freedom.