Beyond Life (10 page)

So he’d changed his appearance and was pimping his evil trade elsewhere thought Gabriella as she pondered the company that was shadowing him without his knowledge.

‘We have to stop him,’ Gabriella heard the panic in Ron’s voice as they watched his wife as she flirted with the man in the Land Rover, and they wondered where he was taking her. It was pretty obvious to anyone who observed the scene that they were close but Ron hoped they weren’t that close.

*****

‘Where are we staying?’

‘It’s a surprise, beautiful lady. You just sit back and enjoy the ride,’ he patted Val’s thigh and somewhere way up above them her former husband shuddered, trying to quell the panic that was slowly threatening to overcome him.

She was surprised she’d fallen asleep and the jolt of the vehicle shook her awake.

‘Sorry, Val, but we’re here.’

He watched her stretch and was looking forward to exploring her delicious womanly body later on. Gary was experiencing feelings for this woman that he hadn’t had in years and the anticipation was making him nervous.

Val looked at the breath taking surroundings. There were a number of chalet type buildings set within what appeared to be a tropical garden. There was a curvy but wide snake- shaped swimming pool which a few swallows were flying around and occasionally dipping into. Three zebras were grazing on the grass in the distance and Val stood mesmerised while Gary took their bags out of the Rover and waited patiently. When she felt his eyes boring into her she shook herself out of her daydream.

‘Sorry.’

‘No need, Val. Most people have the same reaction,’ he realised his faux pas. ‘It’s only business associates I’ve brought here, I didn’t mean...’

It was the first time she’d seen him flustered. ‘It’s okay. You don’t have to explain.’

‘But I want you to know that this is special,’ he put down the bags and took both her hands in his, speaking earnestly. ‘Honestly, Val, I really don’t want you to think I make a habit of this.’ Gary wasn’t sure how to handle his feelings, but knew it was important for her to believe him. He was relieved when she reached up and kissed him.

‘I believe you. Now shall we go and check in?’

Ten minutes later they were in the chalet, both nervous and for the first time, feeling awkward around each other.

‘We’re supposed to be adults,’ said Val. ‘This is bloody ridiculous.’

‘Are you hungry?’

Val agreed that dinner was a great idea and hoped that they’d relax enough to be able to make full use of the lovely room later.

They were back to their usual selves at dinner and enjoyed each other’s company. The steak was delicious and the wine flowed and they stopped on the way back to the chalet to look at the beautiful night sky. Val never ceased to be amazed by the lack of light pollution and the regular appearance of shooting stars. The one tonight reminded her of her late husband and she wished she hadn’t thought of him while she was hoping to start a physical relationship with Gary. He sensed the change in her mood and assumed it was due to a small gust of wind.

‘Shall we go inside?’ not waiting for an answer, Gary unlocked the door and pushed it open, holding it so she could enter first. Val smiled at her perfect gentleman and didn’t comment as he brushed up against her as they went inside. They fell onto the bed silently and started to undress. The night sky, the surroundings and their want of each other had all fuelled their passion and the kissing and touching became more urgent. Val knelt backwards and raised her arms for Gary to pull off her top. He lifted it and nuzzled his head in her breasts, enjoying the feel of a fully rounded woman.

‘Gabriella,’ pleaded Ron. ‘Do something!’

The lightning lit up the whole room like a stark operating theatre and Val almost jumped off the bed when it was closely followed by the loudest clap of thunder she’d ever heard.

‘Jesus!’ she shouted and the mood was instantly broken. Val couldn’t recapture her earlier feelings and she couldn’t stop thinking about Ron. They tried to rekindle the passion but she felt awful and explained to Gary that she was sorry, but the time just wasn’t right. She was relieved when he stroked her face and said that he understood, but he was a red-blooded male and she knew that if she couldn’t give him what he needed, he would find it elsewhere.

‘Thank you.’ Ron was relieved and grateful for the lovely angel’s intervention. He knew they could sometimes change weather patterns but generally only did so to save a large number of lives, or so he’d been informed.

Gabriella smiled angelically before giving the order for her host of angels to standby. She fully expected another onslaught from the evils, but this time she was ready for them. It didn’t transpire. The teenager who Claire had thought of as Big Ed’s son had carried out a silent appreciation of the situation. His previous punishments had made him wary and he wasn’t prepared to start another battle that he couldn’t win.

Gabriella harrumphed at the cowardice of the evils and gave the order to return to Cherussola. This was a battle she was sure she would fight another day.

*****

Marion heard the Land Rover pull up outside the orphanage the following morning and had a sneaky look out of her window. She saw Val lean in and give him a quick peck on the cheek. Marion would have expected something more lingering after their supposedly big night of passion and she wondered what had happened. Maybe that was just wishful thinking on her part, she sighed and turned away from the window to make her way downstairs. Marion hoped that when they left the following week, the distance between Val and Gary would cool their relationship but knowing Val as she did, she very much doubted it. Whatever happened between those two, she knew that if she wanted to work with Val in Romania they’d have to try and bury the hatchet that Gary had used, in her opinion, to break up their once unbreakable friendship.

Gary waved to Val after he dropped her off at the orphanage then watched in his rear-view mirror as she disappeared inside. They’d had a great night and he’d never shared as many of his inner feelings and hopes for the future with anyone like he had with Val. It had seemed completely natural and he knew it was too late to be careful because he’d fallen hook, line and sinker. There was no way she’d make him hurt her like Sandy and the ones before her had. Val was completely different and he’d cherish her. Despite or because of these emotions, Gary was frustrated and as horny as hell. The more he thought of Val the more he needed to dip his wick and the easiest way to do so would be with one of the youngsters. It wasn’t as if he was being unfaithful to Val if he went with a youngster – his warped brain convinced him. He’d heard good things about the new girl so phoned his manager to tell him to make sure she was ready by the time he arrived.

*****

Gabriella, Ron and Sandy had returned to the sofa at Cherussola and found Claire and Raphael waiting for them. When they explained what had happened, the jigsaw pieces in Claire’s mind started to fit together but she still had lots of questions.

‘So you reckon Big Ed has had some sort of surgery to change his appearance and he’s trying it on with Val?’

‘But how could that happen and where’s my mother? Are you okay, Ron? Of course you’re not, that was a stupid question. And what about you, Sandy? It must have been awful when you realised and terrifying. And how did you find out it was...’

‘QUIET!’ Gabriella knew that shouting was the only way to stop Claire’s stream of questions and Claire shut-up, mid flow.

Raphael squeezed Claire’s hand and winked at his twin. Gabriella tried to ignore him and remain serious for a few minutes.

‘Firstly, we don’t know how that happened but assume that your mother was still at the orphanage while they stayed overnight in a hotel. Ron was deeply shocked but is okay now. It was awful for Sandy and she was terrified. And lastly, Sandy recognised Big Ed despite the fact that he must have had extensive facial surgery for no-one to realise before.’

‘Err, did they... um. I mean are they...’

Claire was about as subtle as a ton of bricks thought Ron. ‘Gabriella arranged a diversion in the form of a freak storm which cooled their ardour considerably.’

‘Gabriella,’ said Raphael, chastising more like a father than a brother. ‘What will mother say?’

The others realised that there were limits to what the angels should do, but this was the first time that it had been discussed in front of them. It was also the first time that they had seen anyone question Gabriella’s authority and they were fascinated by the interaction.

‘I won’t tell if you don’t,’ she responded.

‘It was my fault, Gabriella and I’ll take any punishment that your mother deems appropriate.’

The other spirits watched as Gabriella and Raphael laughed hysterically at Ron’s comments. They had no idea why it was so funny but it wasn’t long before they joined in, the tension and worry of recent events receding like a puddle evaporating in the desert.

The laughter eventually subsided and Ron remembered that there was a fair chance that his wife would sleep with the man who had arranged the kidnap of Claire’s stepsister, who had groomed and ruined a number of other girls, and who had abused and murdered the lovely lady sitting next to him on the sofa. He explained his worries and the group turned serious again.

‘The good thing for you, Ron is that he’s going to die and that may happen before there are any further developments in his relationship with Val.’

Ron was grateful for Gabriella’s choice of words.

‘We all die, Gabriella, eventually,’ said Claire.

‘What my sister means, princess, is that Big Ed will die before he’s old,’ he kissed her to stop any further questions and the others stared as if witnessing a motorway pile up. ‘And we know this because of the number of evil spirits travelling with him. His time is not quite up, but it won’t be too much longer.’

‘He’s already been claimed by the master of evil and we’re going to have to double our defences when that one arrives. He’s big trouble,’ Gabriella added, almost to herself.

Despite the thought of more trouble, Ron hoped that Big Ed’s death would happen before he had a chance to leave his mark on Val.

‘His son seems to be with him all the time. Do you think his time is close?’ Claire hoped so for everybody’s sake, especially Ron’s.

‘Not necessarily, Claire,’ Gabriella frowned. ‘Those with great evil often attract the demon mischief makers and that isn’t his son by the way, it’s his father.’

Gabriella explained that the teenager had seduced Big Ed’s mother. He’d become bored when the baby was less than a year old and had murdered the baby’s mother one night after an argument. He’d died the same night in a gang fight and the child had been brought up by elderly grandparents who had died when he was fifteen. Already out of control by that age he’d become a ward of court and was put into a home. He kept running away and when he turned sixteen the authorities stopped bringing him back. He had a tough time on the streets at first but the leader of a local gang took him under his wing and the rest is pretty obvious.

Despite his sorry start in life, none of them had any sympathy for Big Ed.

‘What happened to his mother?’ Sandy asked. Curious to know whether she might meet her at some stage.

‘Back on Earth and living a good life,’ Gabriella smiled. ‘She’s going to come to us eventually. She’s already proved her worth so she just has to carry on along the same path. But never mind about her,’ she rubbed her hands together as if she had a treat. ‘Watch this...’

The scene below showed a family laughing and joking in their Mediterranean garden having just finished their evening meal. The sun was slowly disappearing in the pinky orange sky and the focus moved from the family onto a small puddle of water at the bottom of the garden. The insect sniffed the air detecting the presence of carbon dioxide and lifted itself from the puddle, its wings beating between 300 to 600 times per second to facilitate the move.

Harry looked at herself in disgust. A mosquito and a female to boot. Would her torture never end? Stupid question she said to herself knowing the answer was that it wouldn’t. That’s why she, he revised his thoughts – no, he maybe a she this time, but he was definitely a he – that’s why he wanted his son to die as soon as possible. He could sense his strength and hoped that his own standing would improve with the arrival of his son. He had done his best and almost brought not one, but two senior angels to the demons, plus the one they were training and who didn’t yet know how powerful she was. And what had he got in return? Punished for failure, that’s what. They hadn’t even acknowledged how close he’d come and all those who were with him were also punished so they’d resent him for a very long time. He’d have to watch his back when he returned but until then he needed to eat, never mind how disgusted he felt about it.

By the time the family heard the buzzing it was too late and the little girl was scratching her arm. Harry was long gone. Despite himself he’d enjoyed the taste of that blood and regardless of the danger, would try and feed off that young girl again. He flew around trying to find a suitable location to lay eggs and to populate the world with more of the deadliest animals on Earth.

‘So there’s no hope for him and others like him?’

‘That’s right Ron,’ it was Raphael who answered and he scratched his chin.

‘Not quite true,’ said Gabriella and Ron, Sandy and Claire looked at the angels in confusion. Raphael inclined his head, indicating that Gabriella should explain.

‘The ones who are pure evil have no desire to leave and simply want to climb the ladder to become a torturer rather than a victim. The weak ones will do exactly what they are told in the hope that they will eventually move higher up the chain and therefore suffer less,’ she smiled at Sandy. ‘And I think you know what happens to the lucky ones who take their torture but refuse to be bent to the ways of eternal evil. These souls will overcome and eventually we will rescue them.’

‘How long does it take to rescue them, on average?’ asked Claire.