Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
~Earlier that Day ~
Of all the diners Joshua had visited while on the road, none of them had the friendly atmosphere of Mabel’s Diner.
Timeless melodies from Patsy Cline played over the speakers at a casual volume, and the delicious aroma of fried chicken wafted to him as a waitress passed by with a plate in each hand.
He’d missed places like this while away in the Army. Missed hot food fresh from the griddle, pies baked with love, good company, and the Ma and Pa shops known for treating their customers with respect. He’d missed cholesterol-laden delights and tea sweetened with cups of sugar.
Most of all, he’d missed absolute autonomy. The whole ten years he’d spent in and out of Afghanistan, all he’d thought about was having the freedom to grow a beard, sleep in until noon, and kick it with his boys while watching a game, with all the beers they wanted, until way after midnight.
Without waiting for the check, he tossed a crisp twenty and a five on the table for his meal, sweet tea, and slice of pecan pie. The blonde waitress hurried up to him when he rose, beaming a smile filled with Southern hospitality.
“Oh no, sir! Your bill was covered.”
“Covered?” His smile faded, uncertain.
“By that gentleman over yonder.”
Joshua followed her gesture to a pair of old men at a small table.
“Thank you for your service, young man.”
The blonde waitress smiled shyly. “You put that money back into your wallet. It’s no good here.”
Instead of beelining back home, he hung around and had another drink with the generous patrons. It turned out one of the fellows had a younger brother who died in Vietnam, and the other had tried to serve but failed to meet qualifications.
An hour later, he left after another slice of pecan pie, a third glass of sweet tea, and the waitress’s phone number.
Life couldn’t be better, and he had Sariel to thank for it all.
No. He had God to thank. With the blessing of the Lord, all things were possible, because God had led him to Sariel and given him his guardian angel.
As he slid behind the wheel of his pickup, the divine presence surrounded him again. The tangible force always told him the celestial spirit was near. Of course, she never strayed far.
“Bless the men within who showed true generosity to me today. Can you do that for me, Sariel?”
“Your life will be touched by many acts of kindnesses, as I promised.” The words came from all around and within him, tranquil and caring. A caress against his senses like the gentlest summer breeze, a serene voice filled with a mother’s love.
“I still don’t think I’m worthy.” The warmth around him blossomed and grew until the heat tingled all the way to his fingertips. “I owe everything to y’all, but I feel as if I’ve done nothing to deserve these gifts.”
“You will cleanse the world of this scourge, as you were ordained to do. That will be repayment enough in the eyes of our Father.”
Joshua bowed his head and smiled. “I’m humbled by your confidence in me.”
“You are destined for greatness, but the vampires are only the beginning,” the angel on his shoulder whispered. “Dark, unnatural things walk our world. Look at them, brazen in the sunlight.”
A handsome couple walked past his truck toward the diner. The woman moved with a sinful sway to her hips, dressed in too little clothing to be appropriate for the weather. Power radiated from her, the magic oily and bleak, a dark corona of foul sorcery.
A witch. When he blinked, he saw her true appearance, a disfigured crone with long, spindly fingers and claws.
The man beside her was no better. He cast the inhuman shadow of a feline on the sidewalk.
A shapeshifter. Although no one else could see it, Joshua could, because the Lord had gifted him with the power to see evil.
His lips twisted. “Yes, Satan’s whores and beasts. Abominations.”
Ever since his eyes had been opened by his angel to the truth of the world, Joshua had been eager to fight. He hadn’t counted on ascending in the ranks and rising so close to the top of the order’s hierarchy, but it helped that Sariel had chosen him, that God had sent her with his blessing.
Now he had a new purpose. He wasn’t yet another broken soldier with a medical discharge. In one month, she’d led him to the order and seen him elevated to a level of prestige. Their leader loved him.
The angel knew things, but most of all, she filled him with hope and brought light to the darkness, uplifting him when he’d been close to giving up after an IED ended his military career.
“Tell me what must be done next.”
“Leeches will come for you, Joshua. You must prepare. As we speak, the one who escaped your attack and her companion make plans to come destroy me. They’re close.”
His knuckles whitened around the steering wheel. “I won’t let that happen.”
“I know you won’t, Joshua,” the angel whispered in her silken voice. “You are my protector as much as I am yours. The ideal time to release me from my prison is nearing, when the energy will be high.”
He turned the key and started up the engine. A five-minute drive through town brought him to his current base of operations. The two-story brick home currently housed about a dozen vampire hunters.
A guy on the porch with a beer and a cigarette waved to him. “Evenin’, Josh.”
“Garret. How’s the ammo coming along?”
“Got enough for a war if we need it.”
Josh considered Sariel’s words. “We will.”
Garret grinned. “Good. There ain’t nothing better than putting down a couple vamps.”
Some of the guys were already seasoned professionals when it came to slaying vampires, and they’d traveled to Texas from the other southern states at the behest of the local chapter of their order. As the eldest and the most talented among them, Garret had a score of twelve kills under his belt.
And every week more hunters from the Order of Radiant Light arrived to prepare for the war brewing between the mortals and the paranormal threat spreading across the Lone Star State.
And Joshua was meant to lead them. He’d known it ever since he first encountered Sariel at the Smithsonian.
Her voice had called out to him and she’d pleaded for him to be her rescuer.
At first, he’d doubted the sweet voice, but he’d visited again the next day when he couldn’t get her out of his head.
It was like his conscience wouldn’t allow him to let it go.
So he’d visited again, and he’d stood in front of the display for the enormous gemstone and listened to her stories of fighting alongside good men. She’d called him a natural leader. Told him he was destined for more than a twelve-year Army career, even if it had ended with a medical discharge.
And most importantly, she’d healed him, proving she was an angel, after all.
He hadn’t used his crutches since then, the leg mangled during his stint in the Middle East restored to perfection.
The Army doctors had managed to salvage it after the roadside explosion, but he’d sometimes wondered why?
Why, when it hurt and he could barely walk at all?
Sariel showed him why. And now, he’d help his best friend find peace.
He leaned into the living room where three of the guys sat around the television playing Call of Duty. Beers littered the coffee table, and the air smelled like tobacco. “Hey, guys. I’m expecting company to arrive at any moment. Two vamps are probably going to blow into town looking for Joe.”
Marty spit a mouthful of brown snuff into a red Solo cup. “Any idea what they look like?”
Concentrating on the vague memories and visions that flit through his mind whenever Sariel spoke, he brought up the image of their enemies. “The blonde Joe told us about and another bigger one.”
Ron patted the shotgun beside him. “We’ll keep an eye out. These Dragon’s Breath rounds are the shit.”
“Good. Lay off the beer and keep alert.”
Marty grinned. “Don’t we always?”
After maneuvering by the living room, Josh continued down the narrow hall and passed the stairway leading to the upper floor. He stepped into the kitchen to find Joe peering into the fridge. “Hey, man.”
Joe looked up and welcomed him with a grin. “Thought I saw your truck pull in. Beer?”
“Nah. Nothin’ for me.”
“Suit yourself.” Joe twisted the top from his bottle and shut the door. “So? Anything new from our friend?”
“She showed me the dark truth in town. Atropos is infected.”
Joe snorted. “Told you. There’s all kinds of shit here.”
Hoping to reassure his friend, Josh crossed the room in three steps and set his hand on Joe’s shoulder. “I know, but I still had to see it for myself. Don’t worry, we’ll scour this town clean. What happened to your wife and son won’t ever happen to anyone else ever again.”
He’d make sure of it. Once they were done with the vampires, Sariel promised to help him get rid of the witches and the shapeshifters next. Atropos was only the beginning of her plans.
“By the way, you should be expecting company soon.”
Joe’s brows raised. “Yeah?”
“Our boys in Massachusetts called. The strike failed, but we expected that.”
“Shit.” Joe ran his fingers through his hair. “Now what?”
“Word puts them heading south, and Sariel says she feels them drawing closer. It’s only a matter of time before they’re both here. I put the men on alert.”
“Right. Okay.”
“You gonna be good?”
“Yeah. Of course—”
Marty leaned inside, blue eyes wild with excitement. “Hey, Josh. They’re here just like you said, man. A pretty little blonde and some huge fucker that looks like he’s carved out of stone. She’s asking for Joe.”
Joe stared at the corridor leading to the foyer, eyes dead and without enthusiasm. “So soon.”
“You ready for this?” Josh asked him. “I mean, are you really ready to do the good Lord’s work?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.”
“If you still got feelings for this leech, you say the word and go out back or something. I’ll smoke her on my own. I got you, bro.”