The caseworkers stood outside an abandoned warehouse building. Monica shivered.
"Why are we here, Tess?"
Andrew looked at Tess.
"You need to figure out your assignment, Angel babies."
Andrew looked ruefully at the building.
"Here, Tess?" he asked.
Tess nodded. "Here, Angel boy. Watch."
They watched as a black limo pulled up in front of the warehouse. The door opened, and three men, dressed all in black, stepped out. They were carrying rifles. The door of a limo opened and a tall, balding man stepped out. He quickly embraced the three men.
"I'm glad you have come." He said. He had a thick Italian accent.
The man in the middle nodded at the car.
"You got the girl?" he asked.
The bald man nodded. "Yes."
The man on the left looked to the car also. "Are you sure you want to do this, sir? She's still young."
"She is old enough to learn." The bald man said dismissively. "Get her out, Aveli."
The man on the left, the one named Aveli, walked over to the car, reached inside, and pulled out a struggling teenage girl.
"Oh, Tess, no." Monica whispered.
"Keep watching, Miss Wings. There's more to see."
The angels watched as Aveli drug the crying girl from the car and threw her to the ground. He struck her in the face with the butt of the rifle.
Tess felt Andrew and Monica flinch as the girl cried out in pain. Aveli was shouting something at her.
"Her name is Alexis Mereldi. She's sixteen. The balding man, Thomas, is her father. He has been involved with the mafia since he was in his early twenties. About seventeen years ago, he kidnapped the mayor's daughter. Thomas raped her. After the child was born, he murdered the mother. Unfortunately, the child was a girl. So she was condemned to sixteen years of neglect and abuse."
Monica shut her eyes, helpless, as Aveli kicked Alexis hard in the face. Tears streamed down her face. She leaned against Andrew, who also had tears in his eyes.
"Oh, Tess. Please. Why must we watch this?"
"I'm sorry, Babies, but it's important you watch this. It's important you understand. We're running out of time."
Monica looked despondently at Tess. "Is that why Andrew..."
Her voice trailed off.
"Not just Andrew, Miss Wings. It'll be a blessing if Andrew is the one who might take her."
Andrew looked at Tess. "What, Tess? What are you talking about?"
But as Andrew looked from Tess' grim face to the face of the pleading, crying girl, he understood.
"No. Tess, no."
"We don't have much time." Tess said.
She took one last look at the crumpled figure of Alexis Mereldi. Blood and tears mixed together on her face and ran down her cheeks. Without saying another word, Tess turned and walked away. Andrew and Monica followed.
"Why are we here, Tess?"
Andrew looked at Tess.
"You need to figure out your assignment, Angel babies."
Andrew looked ruefully at the building.
"Here, Tess?" he asked.
Tess nodded. "Here, Angel boy. Watch."
They watched as a black limo pulled up in front of the warehouse. The door opened, and three men, dressed all in black, stepped out. They were carrying rifles. The door of a limo opened and a tall, balding man stepped out. He quickly embraced the three men.
"I'm glad you have come." He said. He had a thick Italian accent.
The man in the middle nodded at the car.
"You got the girl?" he asked.
The bald man nodded. "Yes."
The man on the left looked to the car also. "Are you sure you want to do this, sir? She's still young."
"She is old enough to learn." The bald man said dismissively. "Get her out, Aveli."
The man on the left, the one named Aveli, walked over to the car, reached inside, and pulled out a struggling teenage girl.
"Oh, Tess, no." Monica whispered.
"Keep watching, Miss Wings. There's more to see."
The angels watched as Aveli drug the crying girl from the car and threw her to the ground. He struck her in the face with the butt of the rifle.
Tess felt Andrew and Monica flinch as the girl cried out in pain. Aveli was shouting something at her.
"Her name is Alexis Mereldi. She's sixteen. The balding man, Thomas, is her father. He has been involved with the mafia since he was in his early twenties. About seventeen years ago, he kidnapped the mayor's daughter. Thomas raped her. After the child was born, he murdered the mother. Unfortunately, the child was a girl. So she was condemned to sixteen years of neglect and abuse."
Monica shut her eyes, helpless, as Aveli kicked Alexis hard in the face. Tears streamed down her face. She leaned against Andrew, who also had tears in his eyes.
"Oh, Tess. Please. Why must we watch this?"
"I'm sorry, Babies, but it's important you watch this. It's important you understand. We're running out of time."
Monica looked despondently at Tess. "Is that why Andrew..."
Her voice trailed off.
"Not just Andrew, Miss Wings. It'll be a blessing if Andrew is the one who might take her."
Andrew looked at Tess. "What, Tess? What are you talking about?"
But as Andrew looked from Tess' grim face to the face of the pleading, crying girl, he understood.
"No. Tess, no."
"We don't have much time." Tess said.
She took one last look at the crumpled figure of Alexis Mereldi. Blood and tears mixed together on her face and ran down her cheeks. Without saying another word, Tess turned and walked away. Andrew and Monica followed.