Angel Road Trip

One

Tess Monica and Andrew stared at the map they had of the USA to see where to begin their road trip.

They had all had a bad run of cases lately and they were taking an unscheduled break. They knew the Father would be angry with them but the despair in their hearts was to much to bear.

They had lost all patience and hope with human beings. They killed each other they left newborn babies to die in trash bins and they did so many drugs that they were blind to anything they did.

The last case for Andrew was the hardest having to take a newborn baby home whose mother had abandoned her.

She had the fringes of red hair and warm brown eyes. Her light had quickly faded snuffed out by the cruelty of this world. He thought of Monica when he thought of this wee baby. He would be outraged if something hurt her but this baby's parent's hadn't even cared.

Abuse neglect and crime were on the rise and the homeless population had exploded. It seemed that nobody cared; things just kept getting worse and worse.

Finally the three grabbed some lunch at a fast food restaurant and drove not knowing nor caring where they were going as long as it was far away from pain misery sorrow and suffering.

After they ate lunch Monica and Andrew fell asleep in the back of Tess's car. Tess smiled for the first time in days at least her angel babies were safe and content for now...She would try to keep them safe for as long as she could from the evil that was sure to find them again no matter how far and how fast they would flee from it...

Two

Tess gently awoke Monica and Andrew. They had slept through her picking up a very nice camper for the three of them so they could go anywhere they wanted too and not have to worry about a room at the inn for the night.

Tess was just finishing paying off a camp site for a week stay when she saw them walking around and stretching their arms.

"Well we're up and awake." Tess said with a smile, the first real smile she'd had in over four months.

It warmed Andrew and Tess's heart to see their friend smile. They smiled back at her and drove with her to their campsite.

They didn't ask what state they were in. They didn't care. They were happy that there was finally some peace in their lives.

They set up camp just as night fell and they all showered about a mile from the camp site.

Then they roasted marshmallows for smores.

The human angels crawled into their beds wearily. It wasn't long before Monica awoke with a scream and stared around her with frightened eyes.

Andrew and Tess were immediately by her side trying to soothe and comfort her.

There was a knock at the door of their camper and they all looked at each other nervously. Who could it be at this time of night?

Andrew left Monica in Tess's loving care. She sat and rocked the young angel while singing a soothing lullaby...

Andrew went outside to see who was there and he prayed it wasn't someone there to hurt them...they had been through so much already, Monica being the frailest of the three...He feared it wouldn't take much more to destroy his angelic friend...He approached the strangely warily shining his flash light on the young man and asking warily "What do you want?"

The man stepped forward and Andrew cringed covering his face with his hands as he came closer...Please Lord he prayed no more, we can't take anymore...

Three

Hey take it easy man, I heard a lady scream and I wanted to see that everything was okay. I'm in the camper next to you. My name's Jack by the way. I just want to help." the young man said to reassure the frightened man before him.

Andrew relaxed a little as Monica and Tess same out holding a flash light.

"I'm ok." Monica piped up. "I just had a wee nightmare is all. I'm sorry if I scared you"

"Its okay. I just wanted to know that everyone was okay. Look, I've got some coffee brewing if you'd like some. I'm something of a night owl. I'm up most of the night." He said hoping to help ease the tension in the camp sight.

Monica smiled feeling her body relax and stop trembling. "I'm Monica and this is Andrew and Tess. We would love a cup of coffee." She said softly and Tess sighed. Monica was still the same old friendly coffee loving angel girl she'd always known. Perhaps there was hope for the three of them yet.

"I'll go with you." Andrew mumbled and Tess and Monica went into the camper to get dressed.

They brought out some donuts to go with the coffee and set a lantern on the picnic table in front of the camper.

Andrew helped carry some cups sugar and milk while Jack got the coffee pot and a chair.

"I'm sorry I freaked out a little back there. My friends and I have been through some rough times lately. I guess we're still a little jumpy." He said by way of explanation.

"I guess so. Look everybody needs a chance to relax right, I think that's why God gave us things like camping to help us out and get back to the simpler things." Jack said kindly and Andrew gave him a grateful look for saying that.

They made their way back to the other camp site in silence. Andrew let himself feel just the tiniest bit of hope towards this friendly looking soul. He had perked Monica up with his kindness and that went along way with the human angel.

He only hoped they weren't making another mistake by trusting Jack. The last thing the three angels needed was more trouble...if only Andrew had seen the glowing eyes that followed him and Jack back to the campsite...

The eyes narrowed and a soft chuckle was heard in the darkness. Now the evil knew the perfect way to take down three annoying angels...

It would be through Jack. The three angels were about to have more pain in their existence then they'd ever had before. No one could survive what they were about the go through. A smile appeared with the eyes, a smile so evil it sent the rabbits and raccoons and owls racing off into the night and it vowed it would do the same to three angels who had been tormenting it for centuries...

Four

Jack and the angels sat until the first light of dawn talking. Monica was moving about fixing breakfast. While she did she observed their new friend.

He was about six foot with brown hair and blue eyes. His eyes had a depth of gentleness and caring in them though they looked tired as tired as the threesome felt.

She sensed he'd seen a great deal of suffering just as the angels had. Yet somehow he still found the strength to be sweet and caring never losing the faith as she and her friends had.

Monica put a nice heaping plate of bacon and eggs in front of Jack and Andrew and a more conservative plate for her and Tess.

She served coffee and orange juice then sat down herself. Though they had strayed Monica bowed her head and said a simple grace.

Jack eyed his food and then attacked it hungrily as did Andrew. Tess and Monica looked at each other and laughed.

Monica gave them a second and third helping. "Just a wee bit hungry are you boys?" She asked barely finishing her plate and reaching for a second cup of coffee.

The two men smiled sheepishly. "Monica that's like the best meal I've eaten in almost a month. "You see my wife died along with my kids in a fire not long ago. I just took off after the funeral. I guess I hadn't been eating that great since. My wife used to fix good home cooking like this." Jack said softly a sad tone to his voice.

"We're sorry to hear that Jack. You've been on the road ever since?" Monica asked softly.

"Yes. I needed some time to heal. The fire was just horrible; you see I wasn't home that night. I was out of town on business. I left on Friday, when I got back on Monday my whole world was just destroyed. In the blink of an eye, everything was gone. I was devastated. There was simply nothing left for me but my camper and my car. So I just took off. I finally stopped running when I hit this camp site. Its gorgeous here. No problems, no worries, just nature and peace." He said softly his voice cracking as he spoke.

Monica covered Jack's hand with his and he smiled. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have burdened you with all this. I barely know you. It's just there's something about the three of you that I can't put my finger on. Its like you know something the rest of us don't. Its like you are a part of something bigger that we have yet to understand. Does that make any sense?" He asked and sadly Tess looked at him.

He had cut through to her hear and spirit with those words. It was like he was just on the verge of realizing who they really were but wasn't quite there yet.

"I'm afraid it does Jack." Tess said her voice barely above a whisper.

The sun was just peeking above the dark clouds of nighttime and a few birds were beginning to wake up and sing to the sun as it rose high into the sky bringing yet another testimony of God's creation into existence.

Andrew had been very still and quiet throughout Jack's story. He was staring at Jack with tears glistening in his eyes. He had tried hard to forget that fateful fire but he knew now the women and two terrified children he had to take home were Jack's family. He was sure of it.

The angel stared hard at Jack his face gone a pale white.

"Hey man are you okay, you look like you've seen a ghost." Jack said gently giving Andrew's shoulder a shake.

Andrew started to get up but he fell to his knees and feeling like he couldn't breathe.

Jack helped Monica get him into the camper while Tess got a cool wash cloth to help bring him round for Andrew had fainted.

Tess knew that his last case had involved a fire. A terrible fire with two children that had been brought home that had cut to Andrew's very soul.

Dear Lord she thought could that have been Jack's family please no oh please no...Poor Andrew Poor Jack...she thought as she swathed her angel boy's face with the cold cloth.

But there was more to this then either Tess or Andrew knew and over the next forty eight hours their lives were going to become drastically different as they fought to save another but the question was would anyone angel or human come out of this ferocious battle alive...It remained to be seen...

Five

When Andrew awoke he was staring at Jack with his eyes glimmering with tears.

"It was your family I took home." He choked out. "They were calling for you. The little ones kept calling for daddy and your Susan she was so frightened wanting to know if you were okay. I assured her you were and she was so brave once she knew you were okay. She wanted to go back to you and sometimes that's the worst part of my job, when I have to tell them no...She made me promise to tell you that she and the kids would be okay but I couldn't find you."

Jack was staring back at Andrew in amazement. "How do you know this, what do you mean you took them home? How could you have known them, my wife and girls they are dead Andrew dead, what kind of a sick joke is this?" He cried in frustration wanting to know how Andrew knew his wife's name and what he knew of the fire.

"I'm an angel Jack. I'm an angel of death. I took off after bringing your family back to God. I couldn't stand anymore pain. Your family didn't deserve this tragedy and I hate standing by waiting unable to intervene. There was so much smoke so much flames it was as though the house had turned into an instant ball of fire." Andrew shuddered with the memory as he sat up to face his new friend.

"You have got to be crazy. An angel of death? Did you know I got blamed for that fire? I wasn't even there. They said I killed my own family. So I too took off. Now you tell me your an angel, come off it!" Jack railed angrily disbelief clear in his blue eyes.

Monica ran over to hold Andrew tightly. "He is too an angel. Tess and I are angels also. I know it seems fantastic but its true, your wife and children were not alone when they died and I know that was your worst fear. Andrew was with them and God was with them. I know it's hard to see that sometimes, I know it doesn't make sense. Sometimes it doesn't to us either and that's why we felt like we needed to run." She said and kept tighter hold of Andrew knowing that she was the only thing keeping him standing.

He was teetering dangerously and Tess came over to intervene and help.

"Angels, angels were with my Susan when she died and my daughters?" Jack questioned more calmly reaching once again to help Monica steady her faltering friend.

Andrew and Jack locked eyes. "Yes." He said some strength coming back into his voice. "I was with Susan and Mary and Becky. They love you more then anything. You were all they could think about in their last moments. Tell my daddy I love him, tell my husband I love him..." He said as he saw that fateful day flash over and over again in his mind like a horror movie he couldn't shut off.

"Please Andrew. I need to know if you saw anything that night. Maybe you saw whoever set the fire. Its bad enough my family is dead but to have people believe I killed them is more then I can bear." He said his face pale his eyes tired and worn looking.

Andrew reached forward and put his mind to Jack's.

Jack was unable to break the hold of Andrew's mind to his and at that very moment he began to see that last night through Andrew's eyes...He saw again his beautiful wife and children and heard there laughter as they got ready for bed and saw the dark quiet of his house at night time...

He saw the shadowy figure lurking around the house spraying what he assumed was gasoline in every crevice he could get to and then Andrew showed him a window through which a glowing red evil set of eyes could be seen and wicked laughter could be heard over the screams of his wife daughter and Andrew...

The lock of Andrew's eyes broken Jack collapsed hard on the camper floor...The angels gathered around him and helped him to sit back up all four unnerved by the evil in Andrew's vision.

"What was that?" Jack asked his voice shaky.

"I don't know." Andrew said somberly as he looked out into the gathering darkness and saw the same pair of eyes watching them from the trees. "But I expect we will soon find out..."

They all followed his steady gaze and they too saw the eyes and shuddered. They huddled close together for protection as the haunting sound of evil laughter echoed in their ears and in their very hearts and souls...

This was never going to be over not ever...The eyes would follow them no matter how fast and how far they ran...and they could never escape the darkness that was threatening to take them over...

Six

The angels and Jack had fled to yet another campground trying to escape the demon eyes that had been following them without ceasing at the previous campsite.

The angels now knew that Jack was on the run from the law because the police felt that he had been the one to set the fire.

He was frightened and scared never knowing what the next day would bring.

It was late when the travelers reached the next camp ground.

They huddled in the same trailer for warmth and safety.

It was a shock when a pastor on sabbatical set up camp next to them and they wondered if they should go to him for help.

They knew the answer when they heard a shriek from the next camp site.

They knew that the young pastor had seen the eyes.

The four ran out of the trailer to see if the pastor was alright.

He was ashen faced and pointing at the bushes.

"I saw...I saw," He stammered unable to get the words out.

"We know what you saw." Tess said sadly. "Its after us, not you."

The young man stared at them. "I'm Robert." He said finally. "I'm Robert Donovan. Who are you and why is that thing that demon after you?" He added now that he had regained some composure.

Tess sighed and the others huddled close to her.

"I'm Tess these are my friends Monica, Andrew and Jack. Three of us are angels. We're in trouble and so is Jack and we don't rightly know how to get out of it." Tess said and Robert's mouth dropped.

"Angels in trouble and Jack...but how can you be angels and be in trouble? You look awfully human to me." Robert said eyeing them all with some suspicion.

"When we ran away from God we became human. Then we met Jack here and discovered that he was in trouble too. We feel his innocent but the police don't." Tess tried to explain but she was so weary nothing was coming out right.

Tears began to roll down her cheeks.

Robert Donovan had compassion for these weary travelers, perhaps they were telling the truth.

He led them all to his campsite to share in the dinner he had just prepared.

They said grace and as they were eating Robert said "I think you better tell me everything. I want to help."

Tess sighed. "That's just it Robert, I don't think anyone can help us,not even God." She said with hopelessness and despair in her voice.

Monica came around the campfire to comfort her friend.

Robert though still harboring some doubt wanted to help these four.

They had obviously been through something and with that demon chasing them they were never going to have a minute's peace.

He was determined to help them. What if they were telling the truth and he had refused to help angels and help a possibly innocent man?

He encouraged them to tell him their story but just as they felt comfortable enough to the glowing eyes stared at them mercilessly through the bushes.

Robert leapt up with his cross ready as the eyes flew out of the bushes coming directly at them...Well get ready Robert thought as he moved forward unafraid now of the evil before him because we are not going down without a fight...