Gabriel (15 page)

“
We will get through this, together,” he whispered.

Robert and Maree came back
into the living room.

“
Ahem,” Robert said.

Gabriel and Calla glanced up
at them.

“
Sorry to intrude, but Maree and I have been talking, and we think
we may have a temporary solution.”

“
A solution for what?” Gabriel asked.

“
A way to protect Calla from herself.”

“
I can protect her,” Gabriel said.

“
I don’t mean any disrespect, Gabriel, but after what happened this
morning I will have to disagree. Now before you interrupt, let me finish.”

Calla let go of Gabriel and
stood in front of him, while he positioned his hands on her shoulders pulling
her closer.

“
I will listen,” Gabriel said.

“
In the items Sam dropped off,” Robert said, while rubbing the back
of his neck. “There’s a drug that will put Calla into a deep sleep. We can keep
her unconscious until Maree has formulated the cure.”

“
No. That drug might cause her more harm. I will not risk it,”
Gabriel said.

“
We already tested it on her sample, and I believe it will work.”

“
Are you willing to risk her life? Because I am not.”

Calla pulled away from
Gabriel and stood between Robert and him.
 
“I am. If you have already tested it and think its safe, I’ll try it.”

“
What if it causes you harm? Are you willing to take that risk?”
Gabriel asked.

“
If I kill someone, you or your brother will kill me. I think given
the two options, I’ll try the medication.”

Gabriel stood quiet, lost in
thought. He’d just found her. What if he lost her now? He tensed. No. He
couldn’t let anything happen to his Calla. She was right. If she killed an
innocent, she would die. If they could come up with a cure, Gabriel could try
it out on a Kematian before it was tested on Calla. Putting her to sleep might
be the best solution, even if it was one he didn’t like.

“
What is the medication? How will it work? How long will it last?”
Gabriel asked.

Maree took a step toward
Calla. “You are at least considering this. Good. The medication is a sedative
the government uses. They will deny its existence, but it’s used to subdue
prisoners for days—sometimes weeks—while they gather Intel before they question
said prisoner. The dose we have calculated for Calla will give us three to four
days.”

“
Will you be able to formulate a cure for me in that time frame?”
Calla asked.

“
We’re going to try. I have isolated the strain, and that’s the
trickiest part. After these past years working for the government I’m pretty
good at it.” Maree shook her head.

“
What if you aren’t ready and I wake and start attacking you guys?”

“
I brought some monitoring equipment with me, so we’ll know when
it’s starting to wear off. Then we will have the option to let you wake, or
give you another dose.”

“
Okay, let’s do this. Where do you want me?”

Gabriel glanced at Robert. If
they were going to be spending most of the time in the basement, then putting
her down there was the best choice. He didn’t know if Calla knew what was at
the other end, but he intended to use at least one of those rooms. Maybe as
soon as tonight.

“
Why don’t you go upstairs into the bedroom you slept in last
night? Gabriel, will you help me grab some stuff out of the car?” Robert asked.

“
Yes. Calla, I will be up there in a minute,” Gabriel said, as he
accompanied Robert to the car.

“
You know we can’t leave her upstairs, right?” Robert asked.

“
Yes.”

“
Trying this cure on Lily was not an easy decision. I love that
girl, and I don’t want anything to happen to her, either.”

“
I know. After she is sleeping we will move her down to the
basement. I do not want to scare her anymore than she already is.”

“
Agreed,” Robert said.

They brought everything into
the house and carried a few pieces upstairs. Calla was sitting on the bed
swinging her legs when they entered the room.

“
Are you sure about this, Lily?” Robert asked.

“
I’m sure. If I ever hurt you guys I couldn’t live with myself.
Let’s do this,” Calla said, as she lay down.

Robert set up the equipment,
and Maree peeled off the back of the electrodes and placed them on Calla’s
chest. The gel was cool, and Calla flinched. Then Maree attached the wires. The
defibrillator was common on hospital crash carts, but looked out of place
sitting on the night stand.

Robert pulled out a vial and
rolled it between his hands. He set it down and took out a syringe and pulled
back the plunger. Next he inserted the needle into the vial and pushed the air,
then tipped the vial and withdrew the drug.

He handed the syringe to
Maree. She opened an alcohol wipe.

“
Calla, I need you to turn on your side.”

“
You’re sticking that in my butt?”

“
The dorsogluteal muscle,” Maree said.

“
Like I said, in my butt.” Calla rolled over to her side and
started to pull her pants down. She stopped and rolled back over. “Do you guys
mind?”

“
Sorry,” Gabriel and Robert said in unison and turned around.

Calla rolled over, and Maree
wiped the area with alcohol and injected the medication. Gabriel saw her flinch
then watched as her cheeks turned pink.

In a few moments Calla’s eyes
began to close. Gabriel moved to the edge of the bed and sat down. He brushed
the few strands hanging in her face to the side.

 
“
I will be
here when you wake. Then we will start our new life together.” Gabriel lifted
her arm, but she didn’t move.

“
We’ll wait for an hour before we move her,” Robert said.

“
Will you stay with her, Maree?” Gabriel asked.

“
Yes, of course. Where are you going?” Maree asked.

“
Robert and I need to get things set up in the basement.”

Maree handed him a stack of
blankets and pillows sitting on the chair next to her.

“
Take these with you so you can make up the bed for her.”

Robert and Gabriel struggled
as they made the bed. Then Robert opened a black duffle bag and lifted four
titanium restraints. The walls were made from poured concrete, no windows, and
the mattress was on a steel frame, bolted to the wall on three sides. At the
head and foot hung two metal rings. Robert attached a long strap to each.

“
What are you planning on doing with those?” Gabriel asked.

“
We will be working down here, and if for some reason the
medication wears off sooner than we expect, these,” Robert said, lifting a
strap, “may save our lives. I don’t like this anymore than you do, but I will
not let Calla be killed by you or anyone else.”

“
Agreed.”

Gabriel carried Calla down to
her new room and hooked back up to the medical equipment. The restraints were
attached to her hands and feet. Gabriel covered her with a quilt. He knelt down
and kissed her forehead.

“
I will not fail you,” he whispered.

****

Maree and Robert spent the
rest of the day running tests and comparing results.
 
Gabriel spent his time in the other empty
room. He had just finished reinforcing the cell when Robert walked in.

“
What are you doing, and why is the metal glowing?” Robert asked.

“
Did you really believe I would allow you to use Calla as a testing
subject?”

“
What are you planning, Gabriel?”

“
I am going to bring a Kematian back here.”

“
The hell you are!” Robert yelled, face reddening. “Have you lost
your mind? From what you and Calla told me, Calla was a kitten compared to
them. I’m not letting you place Maree and Calla in any more danger.”

Gabriel blocked his path. “I
did not ask for your permission. Maree said she identified the strain. I will
inject the demon before I bring it back. If it dies, then Maree can test the
blood to find out why. This is a risk we have to take. The information may help
us defeat them and save humanity.”

“
Get out of my way,” Robert said, and Gabriel stayed put for a
moment before he moved to the side. “I need to discuss this with Maree.”

Gabriel checked the bars
again. This was a big risk, but it was the best solution for the two problems
plaguing him: how to keep Calla from being experimented on and how to find a
way to defeat the Kematians once and for all. He ran his hands over the bars
again. A soft white light radiated from them as Gabriel’s essence seeped into
the metal and increased the bar’s glow.

Robert came back into the
room and pointed to the cell. “Do you think this is enough to keep that thing
locked up in here?”

“
I do not know, but we will soon find out.”

“
The reason I came in here earlier was to let you know that we have
a compound ready. We tested it on the strand that you tampered with, and it
destroyed the regeneration process. It’s an early trial, but at least it’s a
place to start.”

“
Will you prepare a syringe for me?”

“
Yes, but I’m coming with you,” Robert said.

“
No, I cannot allow that. If something happens to you, Calla and
Maree will never forgive me.”

“
Well then it’s a good thing I didn’t ask for your permission,
isn’t it? If these things are as strong as you say, I can give it the injection
while you hold it down. I’ll drive us back here, and you can throw it in the
golden cell. It’s a win-win. You don’t die, I don’t die, and the ladies are
happy.”

“
Does Maree know what you intend to do?”

 
“Yes, I do,”
Maree said as she stepped out from behind Robert. “I have faith in both of you.
We need answers, and I think if you guys work together you will have a better
chance at success.”

“
Then let us go,” Gabriel said.

Chapter Eleven

Robert put the car in park
and turned off the engine at the parking lot Gabriel directed him to. They were
in an old warehouse district. The buildings had been vacant for several years.
Gabriel glanced up at the broken windows and boarded doors. This area bustled
once, but now it stood vacant.

“
Can you sense the Kematians?” Robert asked.

“
Yes.”

“
Would you care to explain how you know where they are?”

Gabriel turned in his seat
and faced Robert. “It is difficult to explain.”

Robert sighed. “Are you at
least going to try?”

“
I feel their taint.” Gabriel opened the door.
 
“It is time,” he said and stepped out of the
car.

Robert got out and went to
the trunk. He pulled out a black bag and extracted the syringe. “We only have
one shot at this.”

“
Then we better make it count,” Gabriel said, as he walked across
the street.

Gabriel and Robert ambled
into an alleyway that ended at the rear of an abandoned building. They found a
Kematian feeding off a young girl. Robert started toward it when Gabriel
grabbed him by the cuff and pulled him back.

“
I cannot let anything happen to you. You will stay here. You will
not let yourself be known until I say. Is that clear?” Gabriel released him.

Robert straightened out his
jacket. “Yes, but for the record I can help.”

“
And you will, but not until I say so.” Gabriel approached the
Kematian.

It lifted its head, and
yellow eyes with black irises glared at Gabriel. Drool spilled from its mouth.
Then it flicked out its tongue and collected the red-coated saliva and lapped
it up. The Kematian lifted the pale arm with blue veins and slashed the girl’s
throat. Her body convulsed for a brief moment and then nothing.

Gabriel’s gut clenched. He
knew she was already gone, but watching the Kematian be so bold as to snuff out
a soul in front of an angel—pure rage boiled in his gut. Spreading outward, it
threatened to consume every fiber of his being. He pushed it down, holding the
anger at bay. The time of reckoning would come, but he must hold onto his
senses or he would become like the girl, another victim. He squashed down the
rage and turned his focus back to the mission he came here to do, but not
before offering a prayer for the woman.