Chapter 8

Andrew followed Gregory down a dark, smoggy alleyway silently. He didn't dare say a word now. He wasn't sure what was going on, but for all he knew, Monica and Eliza were safe and that was all that mattered at the moment. But now he knew where he was and he couldn't say it didn't make him just a little nervous. The alleyway was unusually dark and silent. Garbage littered the cracked and broken asphalt here and there and smoke and steam arose from the sewers that lined the sides. It was simply a horrid place and the very air here was thick with hate and evil. It was just somewhere Andrew definitely didn't want to be, but he was sure he was doing this for his friend's sake…and her daughter's.

But just then, a figure stepped from the shadows, another demon no doubt and approached Gregory, who stepped aside willingly to speak to him. The other demon was just as intimidating as any, with a tall, sturdy figure and dark, hateful-looking eyes. And as he spoke with Gregory, Andrew was only able to catch a few things they were saying, for Gregory made sure he stood a fair distance away, as to be sure he didn't hear their conversation. But from the few words he managed to catch, Andrew soon came to the conclusion that the other demon's name was Keith and they seemed to be discussing him. With this new realization, Andrew took the tiniest step toward the demons as to get even slightly closer so that he could perhaps be able to catch a little more of what they were saying. What he heard made his heart drop into the deepest pit of his stomach.

"…Yeah, I'm dealing with that right now." Gregory was telling Keith, who nodded in understanding but questioned further with an obvious thirst for information. "What about Monica?" Keith inquired curiously as he recalled they had left that little matter up in the air, but Gregory had the answer to that as well. "The boss is in a corner store with her just down the road from the zoo. Both she and her daughter are being taken care of as we speak." He replied with a knowing smirk as he recalled his boss' words earlier that day when he had explained the plan to him.

Andrew didn't waste another second of his precious time listening to another word the demon's said. He knew where he had to go and what had to be done. He had been lied to and now he realized what was going on. The devil was going to try and rid himself of Eliza and her mother again and he had used Gregory to get him out of the way so the job can be done. Now there was no more standing around for Andrew. Taking one, deep breath to compose himself, Andrew gathered every ounce of courage he could find inside himself and bolted away down the alleyway, ignoring any shouts of protest from Gregory and Keith, who were quick to follow in an attempt to stop him, but it was too late. Andrew was determined to help his friend, even if that meant risking his own existence to do so. He made a break for it…

Back at the convenience store, the cashier behind the counter had already made a run out the back exit of the store and the gunman hadn't made any attempt to stop him. It wasn't the store clerk he was interested in anyway. He held the handgun at the ready, poised directly aimed over Monica's heart. She said nothing. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she had her suspicions and was able to gather her scrambling thoughts enough to realize that both her and Eliza were in grave danger. Her daughter stood behind her as frightened tears streamed from her hazel eyes and her young arms encircled her mother's waist. Monica stood quietly and calmly, forcing herself to stay serene through the ordeal, no matter how fast or loud her heart was pounding.

But before any of them could say a single word, the main entrance to the store crashed open again and Andrew rushed in hastily, all the while seeming to gasp for air and it was clear that he had been running for a while. But then a second figure scrambled in behind him and Monica recognized him instantly as Gregory, one of her greatest enemy's servants. But then the gunman spoke and Monica suddenly realized this was not a hold up as she had suspected. It was in fact a confrontation…with the devil himself.

"Gregory!" The gunman scolded loudly without lowering the gun in Monica's direction but speaking to the demon. But Gregory only shrugged helplessly and motioned to Andrew, who was now eyeing the gun in the gunman's grasp with a bit of a panicked glance. "I'm sorry!" The demon exclaimed incredibly loudly as if shouting it would make it truer than it already was. "He just ran, what was I supposed to do?" Gregory demanded spitefully as he motioned to the Angel of Death, who seemed to be frozen in place where he stood, glancing quickly from Monica to the gun. But Satan seemed to have an answer to that as well, as he usually did for most things. "You were supposed to get rid of him!" He shouted the reply angrily as he motioned to Andrew with his free hand.

But when it suddenly hit Andrew that Satan was pointing a gun at his best friend, he took one quick step toward her in attempt to protect her but he was stopped when the gunman suddenly caught sight of this small gesture and transferred the gunpoint to Andrew, who halted instantly in his tracks. "Hold it Angel Boy!" He commanded harshly as the click of the gun loading could be heard throughout the room. Both Satan and Gregory ceased arguing immediately and returned their attention to the angels, who were still tight with tension and fright. After all, there was a gun being waved around in this room and someone was bound to get hurt. All Monica knew was that if she had anything to do with it, it wouldn't be Eliza. And if Andrew had anything to do with it, it wouldn't be Monica.

Holding the gun erect in Andrew's direction, the gunman slowly made his way over to where Monica and Eliza were standing, all the while not taking his eyes, or the direction of the gun, off of Andrew. Finally reaching the spot where Monica and her daughter stood, Satan then did something so harsh and rapid that no one – not even Monica – had any time to do a thing about it. He reached behind the angel and grasped Eliza so tightly by the wrist that she screamed out for her mother, calling her by what she really was for the first time. "Mommy!" She screamed through frightened tears as the devil wrenched her away from her mother and practically tossed her across the room like a rag doll into Gregory's firm hold.

Monica's heart clenched in a horrible manner, sending tears of love and fear for her daughter springing into her honey-brown eyes. Andrew caught his breath sharply as she watched the little girl struggle in the demon's grasp. He wanted nothing more than to help her. He took another step in Gregory's direction in an attempt to assist Eliza, but then, quite suddenly, the devil's evil voice stopped him yet again. "Don't move!" He ordered ruthlessly from the other side of the room and, as Andrew turned and glanced in his direction once again, he realized now the devil had plenty more than a little leverage.

He was standing behind Monica with one arm wrapped around her shoulder, holding her across her chest so she couldn't move and with the other hand, he held the hand gun against the side of her head in a flat out threat and warning to Andrew if he dared to take another step. Monica stood as still as she could be, her hazel eyes glazed over with fear as her daughter squirmed and wriggled in Gregory's grasp on the other side of the room, screaming for the devil to release her mother. "Mommy!"