The Light of His Sword (11 page)

“I’m not really interested.” Alyssa
added.

“Faith can protect you from many things.”
Gabe added then climbed over Samantha and hopped out of the
truck.

Alyssa slid over to the far side of the seat
careful not to step on Samantha. She reached down, pulled Samantha
off the floor and cradled her.

Gabe opened the driver’s door and climbed
in. Pulling off his shredded jacket, he tossed it behind the seat.
Alyssa’s heart beat faster. His muscular shoulders and upper arms
shone through his torn shirt. She quickly glanced down at Samantha
and shifted her slightly on her lap. Gabe reached down, picked up
Alyssa’s coat off the floor and draped it over Samantha’s legs.

“Why don’t you try to get some sleep?” He
offered.

“I just took one of your energy drinks.” She
smiled at him. Her eyes sparkled in the dim light. This time it was
Gabe’s pulse that quickened. “If you can get us through the city,
I’ll drive after that. You need to get some rest. You’re hurt, and
the two hour nap you just took isn’t enough.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Gabe grinned and threw the
truck into gear. “If we keep up this pace, we should be in St Louis
by morning.”

They pulled back out onto the highway and
used the bypass to stay on the outskirts of Kansas City.
From there, Alyssa drove until they reached a rural town on the
outskirts of St Louis and pulled into a Walmart. She left Gabe and
Samantha asleep in the truck and ran inside to buy bandages and a
change of clothes for Gabe. She also bought a box of doughnuts,
juice and fresh fruit from the grocery area. When she returned,
Gabe and Samantha were awake waiting for her.

Gabe jumped out of the truck when he saw her
coming and went to meet her. “Next time, give me a heads up if you
want to stop.” He said quietly taking the bags from her hands and
escorting her to the truck. “We aren’t out of danger. It’s not safe
for you to go off on your own. We need to stay together even if
it’s a deserted area.”

“Your clothes are a mess. If you don’t
change, you’re going to get a lot of questions when you make this
delivery.” Alyssa smiled knowingly at him. “Besides, the store was
empty. The only people I saw were the employees and no one gave me
a second glance. I thought this was the best place to stop before
we got too close to the city.”

Gabe glanced in the bags and asked, “You
bought me clothes?”

“Yes and some antibiotic ointment for your
wounds.” She added as he opened the door and helped her climb
inside the truck.

“I’m fine, I just needed some rest.” Gabe
answered climbing in behind her and starting the truck. Alyssa took
the bags from him and dug inside for his new shirt.

She glanced up at him and said, “Take off
your shirt, and we’ll change your bandages before you put on the
new one.”

Gabe looked around the parking lot; it was
empty. “Okay,” he answered pulling off his tattered shirt.

Alyssa forced herself to concentrate on the
bandage and dried blood. She pulled a packet of disposable wipes
from the grocery bag and started cleaning the blood from his
muscular chest. His skin was soft and taunt over his lean frame.
Alyssa couldn’t help but admire the six-pack on his abdomen as she
worked.

Samantha dug in the bag and pulled out the
larger bandages Alyssa had bought. Alyssa gingerly pulled off the
series of band aids Samantha left on the gash across his chest and
stared in amazement. The wound was gone. She flashed Gabe a
questioning look.

“I’m a fast healer.” Gabe shrugged and
reached for the bag Samantha was holding.

Alyssa grabbed his left arm and tore off the
bandages over the knife injury. Again, no hint of a wound, not even
a hint of a scar. “Who are you?” She demanded, releasing his
arm.

“He’s an angel.” Samantha offered proudly.
“Only angels can fight demons.”

Gabe grinned at Samantha and said, “So you
believe in angels too?”

He reached in the bag and pulled out the red
and black flannel shirt Alyssa bought for him and put it on. Alyssa
snatched the bag from Samantha, yanked his jeans out and thrust
them at him. “We will turn our backs so you can change your
pants.”

 She reached out for Samantha and spun
her around to face the window. Gabe did as she asked and pulled off
his torn and bloody jeans. He tossed them behind the seat with his
shirt and pulled on his new pants. Despite her anger at his
reaction to Samantha’s suggestion that he was an angel, Alyssa
resisted the urge to glance in his direction. Instead, she allowed
her anger to build. How dare he take advantage of her confidence?
He was using Walton’s insane belief that Samantha would receive a
divine protector to grow closer to her. Little did he know,
Samantha was unaware of the prophesy. Alyssa was not going to allow
otherwise.

It was insane to believe that some mystical
God would send a divine protector for Samantha when she knew
nothing of Him and never worshipped Him. Alyssa did everything in
her power to keep Samantha away from the compounds demon worship.
She would not even allow her mother to teach Samantha about
Christianity for fear it would give credence to the demon beliefs.
The only way she knew how to keep Samantha from believing in demons
was to teach her there was no after life, no divinity, no Hell and
therefore no demons.

Alyssa sighed, recalling how her mother
still managed to teach them both about the bible without their
knowledge. She smiled; he mother was stronger than she ever
imagined. Now that the demons appeared, Alyssa dreaded the moment
Samantha would begin to question all that Alyssa had taught her.
Her mother’s deception was well meant, but Gabe was not family and
had no right to interfere.

“Okay, let’s get going.” Gabe said after he
zipped up his pants and pulled his boots back on. “The warehouse is
open 24 hours so it’s shouldn’t take too long to unload.”

“Let’s just get it over with so I can get
Samantha to my grandmothers and you can be on your way.” Alyssa
snapped.

Gabe frowned at her. She ignored his stare
and buckled Samantha into the seat near the window keeping herself
between them adding, “And I’d appreciate it if you would not
encourage her overactive imagination. I don’t believe in angels or
Heaven so I would appreciate it if you would not discuss it with
her.”

“Then how do you explain the demons? You
can’t have Hell without Heaven.” Gabe asked casually as he shifted
into reverse.

“I don’t know,” Alyssa admitted abruptly,
“They looked more like lizards than demons. Perhaps they are some
mutant race Walton kept hidden until now. Who knows, he’s a very
secretive and crazy person. But he’s also very smart.” Alyssa
didn’t know why she was arguing with him about demons. She did
believe they were real. But that didn’t mean Heaven was.

Gabe backed out of the parking spot and
turned to head to the highway. “I won’t argue the fact he is crazy.
As for the rest, you know perfectly well…”

“This discussion is over,” Alyssa declared
sharply. “I don’t want Samantha’s head filled with nonsense. I
don’t believe there are mysterious forces at work in the universe.
I don’t believe in fate or destiny. We exist; that’s it. There is
nothing fancy about our existence. There is no mystery as to why we
are here. We simply exist because of biology and evolution. I have
seen nothing that would lead me to believe otherwise. There has
been no point in my life where I have witnessed any sign whatsoever
of a loving and peaceful entity guiding or protecting me. There was
no one there to comfort me when my family was held against their
will. There was no one there to comfort me when my father was
beaten, taken from me, and likely killed. There was no one there to
comfort me every night Walton raped me. Where was this God of yours
then? I’ll tell you where. He was,
nowhere
, because He
doesn’t
exist.” Alyssa’s eyes filled with tears. She glanced
past Samantha out the window so Gabe wouldn’t see.

Gabe’s face screwed up into a tight knot. He
gripped the steering wheel hard and scowled at the road. “How can
you sit there and deny everything that’s been happening?” He began
slowly keeping his voice low and calm. “Are you really that naive?
You have no idea what’s really happening or why. I understand why
you chose the path you’ve taken. However, that path has fallen out
from under you. You are hanging by a thread, dangling from the
walkway above a fiery storm. You’re ignoring the hand that’s
reaching out to pull you onto solid ground. If you continue, you’re
going to fall, and it’s a real possibility you’re going to take
Samantha with you.”

Alyssa turned to stare at Gabe. “What?”

Gabe turned to meet her gaze. “There’s no
middle ground in this.” He turned back to the highway, and they
drove to the warehouse in silence.

Gabe backed up to the dock of the large
stone building. It sat alone in a field at the far edge of the
small outlet mall that held the sporting goods store. Gabe opened
the door and called over his shoulder as he climbed out, “Stay in
the truck. This won’t take long.”

He jumped up onto the cement dock and walked
inside the open docking bay. Alyssa watched him disappear inside
through the side mirror. Samantha wiggled in her seat and handed
Alyssa a banana peel. “I have to go to the bathroom.” She announced
unbuckling her seat belt. “Do you think they have one here?”

“Can you wait until Gabe is done unloading
the truck?” Alyssa asked glancing in the mirror again. The dock was
empty, not a soul was in sight. Alyssa didn’t treasure the idea of
climbing out of the truck without Gabe’s presence.

“I can’t hold it mommy!” Samantha began to
whine, “I really have to go!”

Alyssa sighed and glanced in the mirror
again. “Okay, stay close to me and don’t talk to anyone.” She said
unbuckling her seat belt and reaching over Samantha to open the
door.

They took the set of cement steps that led
up to the dock area. Alyssa and Samantha moved deeper into the dock
toward an open door that led down a hallway. They didn’t have to go
far before discovering a set of bathroom doors. Alyssa released a
sigh of relief and took Samantha inside. The olive green bathroom
walls were bare. Three stalls sat across from the two sinks
attached to the wall. The first stall was occupied. Alyssa took the
second and motioned for Samantha to take the larger stall on the
end.

Finishing quickly, Alyssa emerged as a young
woman came out of the first stall and walked up to the sink next to
hers. They finished washing their hands at the same moment. Alyssa
stepped back from the sink and glanced at Samantha’s stall. The
young woman began to check her make-up and fluff her short red
hair. She turned to leave, then stopped and spun back to face
Alyssa.

Alyssa’s breath caught in her throat as the
woman’s dark brown eyes met hers. A cold chill ran through her as
the woman flashed Alyssa an empty smile and said, “Do you really
think that guy is going to protect you forever?”

Without another word, the woman turned and
left. Alyssa stood staring at the door as it closed behind her.
Samantha flushed the toilet and walked slowly out of the stall to
the sink. She washed her hands and pulled a paper towel from the
dispenser. Glancing up at her mother, she frowned when she saw
Alyssa’s startled expression. “Mommy?” She asked reaching out and
taking hold of her hand.

Alyssa jumped at Samantha’s touch and
glanced quickly down at her daughter. “Let’s get back to the
truck.” She said quickly and pulled Samantha toward the door.

Gabe and another man were raising the door
on the back of the truck as Alyssa and Samantha appeared from the
hallway. Alyssa held her breath expecting a huge pile of mangled
animals tossed throughout the truck from her rough treatment last
night. She was rewarded with a neat pile of wooden crates of
various sizes that appeared undisturbed. Alyssa rolled her eyes at
her own stupidity; of course, the animals would be in crates.

Gabe shot her a questioning glance, and she
quickly led Samantha back to the truck and climbed inside. Gabe
returned a few minutes later. “We got a sweet little paycheck for
all our troubles.” Gabe flashed a brilliant smile, which quickly
disappeared when their eyes met. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, everything is okay, but I think we
should get moving.” Alyssa answered calmly, glancing away from
him.

That was all Gabe needed to hear. He started
the truck and quickly pulled away from the dock. Alyssa sat and
stared out the window absentmindedly holding her daughters hand.
She'd placed Samantha between her and Gabe intentionally. She
needed space and time to think. Luckily, Gabe didn't quiz her about
what happened at the warehouse. Alyssa supposed he was not pushing
for details because he figured she must have noticed something
unusual. He had no idea that someone had actually approached her,
let alone spoke to her.

The woman’s words echoed in her thoughts.
Gabe had been protecting them. She’d come to rely on his
protection. Yet he never mentioned anything beyond getting her to
her grandmothers. As if reaching her grandmother's farm was like
crossing the finish line in a race, everything would be over.
Alyssa chastised herself; she should have taken the demons more
seriously. She was foolish to think she could simply take Samantha
and disappear once she was free of Walton's grasp.

Whatever power Walton held over these
creatures, she was going to have to face the fact that Walton was
not going to stop. A sudden flash of realization rushed through her
petite frame. Whatever protection the farm offered, she couldn’t
hide out there forever. Gabe was right, she chose the wrong
path.

Instead of running from Walton, she should
have killed him in his sleep! Alyssa gasped and instinctively
pulled her hand away from Samantha. What was she thinking? She
could never kill anyone. Not even Walton.