No, Monica, I'm going to save you, I promise. Don't worry. You can count on me. I won't let you down again. I swear I won't. No, sweetie, don't let go! No!
Andrew sat up and realized he had drifted off into a deep sleep. He had just been dreaming but his dreams were real. He looked over at Tess. She was cradling Gloria in her arms. They both were crying. Andrew guessed Tess had told Gloria.
Then Andrew thought about his dreams once more. I have to do something and something now. He jumped up and grabbed his coat that he had been using as a pillow.
"Where are you going?" Tess asked. She wiped her nose and sniffed.
"I have to find Monica."
Andrew darted across the park and towards the alley that he had once been in. He pulled the necklace out of his pocket and held it tightly. He glanced down at it and noticed that the other side of the locket had been broken off. If I could only find it, he thought. He ran down the darkened alley and stumbled over something hard. It was Vern's bag. He had forgotten it here. Inside he found a map, clothing, and money. Maybe Vern had marked something on the map. Andrew's eager eyes searched it. There it was! There was a circle around a town forty miles from here. Then his thoughts turned to Monica. She had been in no condition to walk when he saw her last. Was Vern going to make her stumble the whole way?
"Oh, Father, I need some transportation," he prayed. No sooner did he open his eyes he saw Roy pull up his white Oldsmobile. He honked and waved at Andrew.
"Hop in, buddy, I'll give you a lift."
Andrew let out a sigh of relief and jumped in the car. He showed Roy the map and the two took off.
It was almost forty-five minutes later when the car came to a stop at a gas station.
"We're here," Roy announced. "By the way, Andrew, my wife is in the hospital and they say she's going to die. I don't know what to do."
"Go see her," Andrew said hopefully. "That's what I suggest. You never know when one of your times will be up."
"All right," Roy said. "Will you be okay?" Andrew nodded. "Again, thanks for that talk. I don't think I'll ever stop wondering if everybody around me are angels." Andrew smiled and waved off Roy.
He looked all around him and found that this gas station was the only place around. Oh, great, more outskirts and rough parts.
"Can I help you?" a man asked him. Andrew turned and couldn't believe his eyes. In front of him stood a man dressed in a mechanic suit. This was one of the men that had captured Monica.
"Oh, dear," the demon said. He rolled his eyes and mumbled something under his breath. "What can I do for you?" he asked sarcastically.
"I need to know where Monica is," Andrew roared. "Now!"
The man sighed and shrugged.
"How should I know?"
"Because, you work with Vern and Vern has Monica!" Andrew stormed. He held up his fist, not even realizing he was threatening.
Andrew through the woods until he came out at a clearing where a small town stood. It was full of bars and nightclubs. He was fed up with trying to convince the demon to tell him Monica's whereabouts. He would have to find her himself.
"What a lovely place," Andrew said ironically. "Oh, Father, I know you know where Monica is so I need you to light the way for me." He finally got an answer and smiled. It was a few minutes later when he finally started to feel success.
I can feel her. She's very near. Andrew wandered the alleys in back of the old, rotten buildings. Her presence felt like a light in the darkness. It stirred up joy in his heart.
Even as he drew nearer and nearer, Andrew was still not getting to her. It was like something was blocking his way. Was it the demons and evil powers all around him? This was an unholy place. As he looked, he tried to see past the evilness and into the heart of everything around him. God had made even this place – for a purpose too.
"Monica!" Andrew cried out her name as if she would answer. He was going crazy. Why would God do such a thing? How could He have let this happen? Monica didn't want to be taken into darkness.
Andrew pounded his fists on the wall of the brick building. Tears ran from his eyes. He tried to keep them in but found that he only choked. "God! Please God, tell me why! Why have you left us angels! I thought you would never forsake us! Just give me some sign! Please, God! Please!"
Suddenly, a great light shown from the night sky. It led a path that went around the corner. Andrew gazed at it and realized that God had sent it for him. He followed it slowly, not knowing what he would find. Andrew looked up and saw the figure of a woman curled up in the corner. She was weeping, weeping so softly but yet so heavily. He was startled by a man's figure that jumped out at him.
"So, Andrew, you found us once again." Vern laughed and then sighed. "You're sneakier than I thought.
"I'm not leaving till I have Monica," Andrew said, his voice shaking the dark.
"Well, Mr. Get-your-way, I don't think that's possible. You see, evil has its ways…"
"So does God." Andrew stared at Vern, his green eyes turning dark. "In the name of God, be gone!" Vern's haunting expression turned to a pale fear. He shook tremendously. "I said leave!" Andrew stormed. Vern's blue eyes glared at the angel. Suddenly, a light came upon Andrew and Vern covered his eyes.
"What is happening?" the demon asked.
"God's light is shining all around me," Andrew replied, his voice softening. "He loves even you, Vern. I tried to tell you that long ago but you didn't care. What I don't understand is how you could choose this path when you've seen God himself. Why do you decide to be against the Almighty?"
"Because, over here is much better. No rules, no nothing."
"God has rules for His angels because He loves us. That is the only reason why He chooses to do the things that He does for us," the angel of death said.
"I'm finished here," Vern said in a disgusted voice. He glared at Andrew and then disappeared in a black light. Andrew turned back to look at the huddled woman. He slowly moved towards her. She was rocking just like a child. She didn't even notice his presence.
"Monica," he whispered softly. Andrew reached out his hand. The woman stirred. "Monica, I'm here," he said again. He didn't expect what came next. When she looked up at his hand she screamed and ducked putting her head in her arms and rocked even more. Andrew cried when he saw what she had been through. She had gone where no angel had ever gone, seen worst than any angel had ever seen, and been what no angel had been. There was no doubt that she was in shock, and Andrew knew one person that could bring her out of it.
Andrew reached out his hand again. She looked up and closed her eyes as if ready for something to happen. Instead, she felt a hand in her hair. Maybe it was going to pull – pull really hard. She had never known pain until now. Her heart was tense, but the hand was gentle. It seemed to stroke instead of pull.
"Monica, It's me, Andrew. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm going to help you," Andrew said shaken and sympathetic. She looked at him with such terror in her eyes; it made his heart beat rapidly. He couldn't imagine anything like what she had seen with her own two eyes. "Don't you know me, sweetie?" She didn't answer, only cried more. "Monica, I have to take you back now." She just stared at him blankly. Andrew stood up, not thinking of what kind of an affect that would have on her. She cried out something that really shocked him. These words hurt his ears.
"Take me! Just don't hurt them! Take me!"
"Monica? You are not going to be taken away!" Andrew said calmly.
"Yes! Look all around! They are here," she said in a gasp as if she was under water and had just come up. Andrew looked around but didn't see anything. But, then, he felt it. The satanic powers were flowing through the bitter, cold wind that slapped his cheeks.
"I feel it." Andrew said solemnly. He looked over at the rocking angel he had once known, but now, he didn't see that wide smile and those rosy cheeks. He saw a woman in pain and shock, drowning in darkness and suffering punishment. Her hair was matted, dirty, and her clothes ripped, her eyes were dull, and her face didn't carry a truthful, happy tint, for instead it was also dull and dirty. He tried to look past all that and find the real Monica. Andrew prayed to God for help.
He again reached down to stroke her auburn hair. She was shivering. He realized how cold she must be, and took off his coat and rapped it around her. She reacted to this sudden surprise by flinching. She found out that it was a kind thing that this man had done. He seems to know me, but I don't know him. He doesn't seem like he wants to hurt me. Is he here to protect me? Should I accept his help?
"Monica," he said again. "I'm going to take you back, okay? Please don't be scared, I'm going to help you." Andrew reached for her arm to pull her gently off the ground. She closed her eyes tightly and whimpered. Then Andrew realized her arm was out of joint.
"No!" she cried loudly. "You won't take me again. Andrew will come, he will!"
"Monica, I am here. It's me Andrew. Don't you know your best friend when you see him?"
"He is coming. So go away. Don't touch me again or you'll answer to the wrath of God. He'll wipe you all out, each and every one of you. I promise He will," Monica uttered.
"Can't you hear me?" Andrew asked her. He stared at her, still confused.
"The Lord moves in mysterious ways, His…" Monica started singing quietly. "He plants his footsteps on the sea…"
"Monica? What's the matter? Don't you even know I'm here?"
"Andrew, she doesn't know of anyone's presence except for the darkness all around," Sam said, walking up behind the angel of death.
"She's so…so." Andrew stopped. He couldn't find words to describe the state that she was in.
"Andrew," Sam said. "Maybe you should bring her back. She might not agree with someone carrying her at first, but I think if you keep talking to her she'll calm down." Sam looked down at the Irish angel who rocked.
Andrew nodded and leaned down. He was careful not to touch her right arm, trying not to damage it anymore that it was. As he put his hand behind her back, she screamed so loud, Andrew jumped right back up. His heart pounded. His eyes scanned her in confuse. Then he saw the blood goosing through her shirt.
"Sam!" Andrew cried. "Look at all the…"
"Andrew," Sam said. "Just take her to the car. Tess borrowed me it and everyone is waiting for us back at Salt Lake City. They're worried about you, Andrew. You just ran off. They had no clue where you were going."
Andrew nodded and picked up the beat angel, despite her struggling and crying. She squealed when he set her in his arms. She kicked and hit at him, hardly any force coming out of the blows.
"Shh," Andrew told her. "Everything's going to be fine. I love you, Monica. I know you won't be able to hear that for awhile, but I do. Just remember that."
He gently placed her in the back seat of the car and jumped in next to her. He rested her head in his lap, studying her bruises and cuts.
"We're going to have to treat those right away when we get back," Sam prompted. The three angels drove off, their destination was Salt Lake City.