The Light of His Sword (12 page)

Gabe shot a questioning glance in Alyssa's
direction. She brushed her hair from her face and turned her head
further toward the window. He must have heard her gasp. Her
thoughts turned quickly to Gabe's intense blue eyes and muscular
arms. She took a deep breath and pushed them away. Why is he here?
What is he doing? He must know that these so-called demons weren't
going to disappear just because they reached a small farm in
central Indiana. Why was he acting as if it would? What was he
hiding? What else did he know that he wasn't telling her? Alyssa
slowly turned to stare at Gabe. He instantly turned to face
her.

"Are you alright, Alyssa?" He asked
softly.

The concern in his eyes seemed
to intensify their sapphire hue. Alyssa found herself wishing
she could forget the world and become lost in his gaze. She tore
her eyes from his and glanced at the floor. "I'm just tired, that's
all. I'm not used to all this excitement."

Gabe turned back to the road without further
comment. Samantha leaned against her mother and said, "What is the
name of grandma's dog? Will it let me play with it? Is it a girl or
a boy? I hope it’s a girl so she’ll have puppies."

Alyssa smiled at her and wrapped her arms
around her, "Bo, every dog grandma has ever owned has been named
Bo."

"That's funny!" Samantha giggled and
snuggled against her.

Alyssa laughed and added, "I remember when I
was a little younger than you, one day her dog Bo was suddenly a
puppy. I thought grandma gave her a bath, and she must have
shrunk."

Gabe chuckled as Samantha's laughter filled
the small truck cab.

The drive through St Louis was uneventful.
They stopped for gas without incident. Alyssa made a point
of keeping as much distance from strangers as
possible. When they reached the outskirts of Indianapolis Gabe
pulled off the highway onto the outer road. "There's a branch of my
bank here. I want to cash this check. We could use some ready cash
instead of having to rely on your grandmother’s credit card. And we
can get some lunch." He explained.

 Samantha was fast asleep leaning
against Alyssa when they pulled into the parking lot. The truck was
too large to pull into the drive through. Gabe backed into a
parking spot and headed inside. Alyssa locked the doors as he
left and watched him walk across the parking lot.

What was it about him that made her heart
race each time their eyes met? Was it simply the fact that he was
kind and brave? It made sense to Alyssa that she would be attracted
to a kind man since all the men in her life since her father’s
passing had been so mean and full or anger. However, Gabe was
nothing like her father. Yes, he was a soldier, but her father was
not a warrior. He was a mechanic stationed overseas. He was wounded
when his transport drove over a landmine. He'd never been in
battle.

Gabe was some sort of warrior. He was
made to fight these monsters. Perhaps that was why he was here, why
he knew how to fight them. There was so much about the world
Alyssa didn't know. Her only reference to the outside world was
through the memories of a little girl and the pages of some old
encyclopedias. Why didn't she remember any mention of demons in
those books? Why hadn't her mother warned her of Walton's monsters
instead of filling her head with bible stories?

Suddenly a knock came on her window, and
Alyssa jolted out of her thoughts. She turned slowly to meet the
gaze of an old woman dressed in ragged, filthy clothes. Her face
and hands were covered in grime. She flashed Alyssa a toothless
smile and stepped back from the door. Alyssa glanced at the bank;
there was no sign of Gabe. The same cold chill ran through her as
before. She knew she should ignore her and honk for horn for Gabe.
Instead, she rolled the window down a tiny bit and stared at the
old woman.

The woman’s words were slurred and her voice
guttural and raspy, "If you come with me now, all is forgiven.
Everything will be as it once was. There is no further need for
violence or pain."

"Go away!" Alyssa snapped rolling the window
back up and checking to make sure the door was locked.

The woman moved closer and spoke louder
through the closed window, "Your hero will not survive the wrath
that is coming. Deny me now, and you are choosing death.
No one will be spared."

Gabe darted past the front of the truck. He
slammed into the woman pushing her behind the truck out of Alyssa's
line of sight. The old woman's screeches rang across the parking
lot. Alyssa glanced at the bank, but no one appeared. Cars drove
past them on the road without slowing to gaze at the battle Alyssa
could only imagine was taking place behind the truck.

Then there was silence. Gabe pulled open the
door and climbed into the truck. He started the engine and raced
back toward the highway. Alyssa glanced at the rearview mirror as
they pulled away. There was no sign of the old woman. "What did you
do to her?" Alyssa turned to ask, frowning down at Samantha, who
was still sleeping soundly. “Where did she go? Why didn’t anyone
notice?”

Gabe concentrated on the road, “Mortals
don’t see divine interactions for their own protection. I allowed
the demon to escape for the old woman’s sake." Gabe snapped,
"They’re growing bold, approaching you in broad daylight. What did
she say?"

Alyssa placed her hand over Samantha's ear
"This one said we were all going to die if I didn't go with her. If
I did return, she said Walton would forgive me. Another one
approached us in the bathroom of the warehouse. She said that you
couldn't protect us forever."

Gabe merged into the traffic on the
interstate and headed for the bypass around Indianapolis. He
clenched his jaw. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the traffic
around them. Taking a deep breath, he released it and said, "I
won't leave you until the danger has passed." He turned toward her
and their eyes locked, "You have my word. No matter what happens,
no matter how long it takes I will not leave you until Walton is
gone.”

Alyssa's stomach leapt at his words. Her
heart pounded in her chest. “What did she mean when she said a
wrath is coming?" She forced the words. “I thought you said we’d be
safe at the farm?”

Gabe turned back to the road and said,
"Situations like this can escalate to the point of... conflict."
Gabe chose his words carefully, "When someone like Walton falls
under the influence of a powerful demon bad things begin to happen.
You and your family were caught in his path. You weren't the first
family, but it's up to me now to make sure you are the last.
Your grandmother’s farm is the safest place for you and Samantha to
be right now."

Finally, Gabe was opening up and telling her
the truth. Encouraged, she asked, "Is the prophesy true about
Samantha? Is Walton, right? Have you come to protect her from the
horrors that precede the end of days?"

 "Alyssa," Gabe glanced at her, "All
children will be taken up when Revelation begins. Samantha won't
need a protector. Samantha has nothing to fear. Walton will be
powerless when Revelation begins. There is some truth to the
prophesy, but it has nothing to do with Samantha. Walton has chosen
the wrong child."

All breath left her. Alyssa stared down at
her little girl. It was too much to absorb. There were comfort and
horror in Gabe's words. For the first time, Alyssa dared to believe
there might be an afterlife for Samantha's sake. If Walton believed
Samantha was his salvation and discovered he was wrong, his anger
would be insatiable and devastating.

 "Gabe," Alyssa whispered, "Can you
stop Walton?"

Gabe turned one more time to meet her gaze,
"Yes, but I may need some help from my friends."

Chapter Eight

They headed deep into the low rolling
landscape of Indiana. Gabe and Samantha counted the sheep on farm
after farm. Then they chose to search for the scattering of cows
and old Victorian farmhouses, then red and white
barns. Many of the farms were run down and weather beaten from
time and the economy. Her grandmother’s farm followed that
path. They pulled into a wide courtyard that circled past the white
two-story farmhouse toward the chicken coop. Next to the coop sat a
small enclosure housing a few large black and white pigs. The drive
ended in front of a large rickety red barn with white trim. The
peak of the barn bore the numbers 1904 in faded white paint.

An old pale blue pickup truck sat in
front of a small-detached garage situated between the
house and the chicken coop. The wind whipped around the barn
and rushed into the cab of the truck as they opened the doors and
climbed out. A large multi-colored shepherd bounded off the porch
and headed happily toward them. The front door flew open, and
Alyssa's grandmother appeared followed by a tall, lanky, dark
haired man.

Alyssa’s grandmother was short and plump.
She wore a paisley pink housedress with a large white apron and
dark brown orthopedic shoes. Her long, gray hair was tied neatly in
a bun at the base of her neck. A small pair of reading glasses hung
around her neck. The man who stood beside her met Alyssa’s
questioning gaze boldly. Alyssa was startled by his silvery gray
eyes and long eyelashes. His clean-shaven face held a pleasant
smile. His work clothes were dusty and spotted with paint and
grease.

"Grandma Cora!" Alyssa eyes filled with
tears at the sight of her grandmother, but the stranger with her
made her hesitate.

She glanced at Gabe, who came around the
truck and headed quickly to the porch. Reaching out to take
Samantha’s hand Alyssa watched as Gabe strode boldly up the steps.
To her surprise he stopped before Cora and offered her his hand
saying, “Good evening Ma’am, my name is Gabe. I’ve heard a lot
about you and your farm.”

Cora smiled and took his hand, pulling him
into a hearty embrace. “Thank you for bringing my
granddaughter home, Gabe!” Gabe chuckled and returned the hug. He
turned to the stranger and gave him a rough hug. adding, “Rafi, I
didn’t expect to see you so soon. I’m glad you got my message. You
haven’t changed a bit. You’re still paper thin. It looks like
you’ve already settled in. How long has it been?”

Rafi’s voice was soft and deep. “It’s been
too long Gabe, far too long.”

Cora left them and walked slowly down the
steps toward Alyssa and Samantha. Tears streamed down Alyssa’s face
as her grandmother neared. Cora gently embraced her, smiling
through her own tears. At her grandmother's touch, Alyssa broke
down and sobbed uncontrollably. Cora held her as all the fear and
grief of Alyssa’s life rushed over her in a wave of uncontrollable
sorrow. Samantha reached out and hugged them both. Cora’s smiled
down at Samantha through her tears. She reached down to stroke
Samantha’s blonde hair.

“You’re home now,” Cora soothed Alyssa,
“That’s all that matters.” As Alyssa’s sobs lessened, Cora released
her and hugged Samantha. “My sweet little one, you are the spitting
image of your grandma.” Her words caught in her throat as she
continued, “My little Vada May would catch the wild kittens in the
barn at your age. She would borrow her daddy’s leather gloves and
chase them for hours until she caught one.”

“Kittens?” Samantha gasped glancing toward
the barn. “I didn’t know you had kittens!”

“Oh yes, I have kittens and chickens, pigs
and sheep, even a duck or two on the pond in the spring.” Cora
wrapped her arms around her. “Now let’s go inside and have some
supper.”

Samantha gave Cora a fierce hug. Alyssa
brushed the tears from her face and joined in their embrace. Gabe
and Rafi watched silently from the porch. Gabe glanced toward the
ground as they embraced. Rafi noticed his reaction but said
nothing.

********

Walton sneered at Maxwell, “I will not
tolerate failure. That child should be here with me by now.”

Maxwell found the Walton’s new attitude
unnerving. His whispers held something more than the simple threat
of punishment if he failed again. He locked eyes with Walton and
said calmly, “You were right to call the greater demons. Once they
arrive things will turn in our favor.” Maxwell dropped his eyes as
Walton stepped closer. The elders encircled them watching,
surrounded by the darkness of the sanctuary. Their faces were
hidden within their hooded robes. Maxwell dared to glance back up
at Walton adding, “I will personally supervise the attack to insure
it is finished. You do realize the greater demons will not bother
distinguishing between victims. They will slaughter everyone. The
child could be lost.”

Walton’s jaw was set; his hands clenched in
rage. Yet his expression remained calm. “You better pray that
doesn’t happen.”

Maxwell forced back the fear that rose from
deep inside him. He inhaled the intoxicating odor of rotting death
of the sanctuary and offered, “I have one final suggestion that
might allow us to spare the child’s life, but it is dangerous.”

********

The large, white, dormered room of Cora’s
second floor was lined with the beds of her now grown children. A
thick burgundy curtain parted in the center dividing the room into
two sections. A potbelly stove converted into a gas heater sat in
the center beneath the opening allowing it’s warmth to heat both
sides of the room.

“Grandma Cora had twelve children.” Alyssa
explained as she tucked Samantha into the bed nearest the heater.
“She had four girls and eight boys. Three of my uncles died in the
war your grandpa served in.”

“Did grandpa know them?” Samantha asked with
a yawn. She was swimming in the nightgown Cora bought for her.

Alyssa didn’t miss the concerned expression
that flashed across Cora’s face as she helped her get dressed after
her bath. Alyssa knew Samantha wasn’t well fed at the compound. Her
mother always managed to sneak food to them both when they came to
their morning lessons. Alyssa chastised herself for thinking that
was enough.