Chapter 2
MAUREEN
The foolish things you do to get ahead…
Maureen had been passing out flyers to drum up some local business after moving her office from Tyler, where the rent kept going up, and converting her garage into an office space where she could work.
It had taken so much hard work, so many mistakes, but now it was time to start building a clientele here in Yonder – so why not learn from the best?
She immediately scheduled a meeting with Harley Sloan, owner of Flyboys, because if this woman could make a functioning flight school actually work and thrive out here in the middle of nowhere…
this was the person’s brain she wanted to pick for at least twenty minutes.
Turns out that request was conditional – which is why Maureen was now attending a wedding today, standing alone in a group of strangers.
Walking around the group of people mingling and chatting together, Maureen looked around for Harley, hoping to get a chance to talk to her as much as possible.
Everyone here knew each other, and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to know that.
They were all smiling, chatting, and several sets of curious eyes were on her.
If it weren’t so glaringly obvious, she would have thought that maybe she was paranoid, but no – they were actually staring at her.
Then someone would look away and they would begin whispering amongst themselves.
I feel like the newest leper of the colony, Maureen thought grimly, feeling another set of eyes on her once more.
Drawing in a deep breath, she lay a nervous hand on her abdomen as if that simple motion would steady her nerves, before raising her chin slightly.
What did that deodorant commercial say – ‘Never let them see you sweat?’
Maureen was currently sweating buckets and refused to raise either arm further than two inches so she could keep the twin circles hidden under her pits. It might be February, but it was the warmest dang February on record apparently – sheesh.
There was no accounting for the weather here – one moment it would be bone-chilling cold and frosty…
and the next a balmy sixty degrees out with sunshine.
It was much the same thing in the summertime here in Texas.
It was either a blistering hundred-and-four degrees outside…
or a delightful eighty degrees that was just enough to remind you the weather could be nice here… on occasion, of course.
“Hey…”
Maureen looked over her shoulder to see a pair of guys standing there, grinning at her.
They looked like they shared a few chromosomes – or brain cells – as they stood there, one arm looped over the other’s shoulder, giving her this knowing look.
Biting her tongue, she smiled politely and kept her thoughts to herself.
Oh, Missing link?
I found you…
You’ve been located in Yonder, Texas – sheesh…
“Can I help you?” Maureen asked carefully, bracing herself for whatever man-childish comment was about to come flying in her direction.
These two goobers reminded her of the guys from the movie ‘Weird Science’ – and she was certainly not Kelly LeBrock by any means, but they were looking at her in that same fashion.
“We can help you…”
Oh, please don’t, she thought in disgust; focus on growing up a little bit first!
“I’m perfectly fine.”
“I bet you’re looking for someone,” one guy chuckled. “I’m Inferno and…”
“I’m not looking for you,” she smiled sweetly, shutting him down before looking at the other man beside him who was grinning even harder. “Nor you either – and I don’t care what either of your play-names are. I’m busy.”
Both men started laughing almost giddily, slapping each other on the back like they’d learned some elusive secret that would unlock all the mysteries of the world.
She leveled them a flat, no-nonsense look and crossed her arms as she realized they were blocking her way toward the chairs where the wedding guests would be seated.
If she couldn’t find Harley, then she’d find her seat and wait it out.
“So who was it that suckered you in? – Glory, Abby, or Harley?” the other man asked, chuckling in delight as he held out a hand toward her. “I’m Firefly…”
Maureen rolled her eyes and huffed in frustration.
“Inferno? Firefly? What is it with you two? Did you just pick something and decide it’s how you want to be addressed now?
Guess what? – I’m ‘Not Interested’,” she retorted – which only caused the duo to look at each other pointedly before saying ‘Harley!’ in unison, causing them both to crack up laughing again.
“Glory goes for the bubbly ones, and Abby picks the smart ones…”
“Hey!” Maureen seized on that immediately, feeling insulted.
“But Harley picks the ones that will make things exciting for the rest of us…”
Maureen glared at them as they wiped their eyes, chortling and hugging on each other – especially as Firefly turned and patted another guy on the shoulder, drawing him into whatever one-sided conversation they were having about her.
“Bro – Harley snagged this one for the newbie, and she’s a feisty one, Caboose.”
“Oh yeah? Better or worse than Sidewinder or Salt?”
Maureen threw up her hands in dismay hearing the newest designations for these random people who picked weird names for themselves. She was surrounded by juvenile idiots who obviously beat a tambourine in a marching band drum line.
“Move out of my way,” she growled, stepping around them pointedly and having to push Inferno slightly to the side in order to pass him – it was just in time to hear the trio start chuckling again.
Walking past them, she felt a shiver down her spine and looked around immediately.
It was such an uncanny feeling of recognition that she completely skipped taking her seat to practically flee for somewhere else, anywhere else, that felt less…
threatening. It felt like some weird random sense of déja vu or like ten black cats had just crossed the path in front of her.
What was that?
Turning as the feeling grew more intense, she bumped directly into a wall of warmth and fabric dotted with ribbons and bars.
Hands steadied her as she stepped back quickly, nearly losing her footing.
Her eyes rose as that feeling, that hum of awareness, surged in intensity… and met a pair of gray eyes.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she replied tersely and hesitated, still feeling waspish after that last interaction.
“Let me guess – you’re the one they call Salt?
” The man frowned, almost like her words had unsettled him, but remained silent, watching.
It was like he was analyzing everything around him – including her, and it was almost as off-putting as those other guys.
Everyone seemed to have a hidden agenda, and she was starting to feel like the butt of everyone’s jokes today.
“I’m Archangel.”
It was said so softly, so emotionless, and combined with the steely gray strange eyes, Maureen did a double-take and froze under that glare that held her still.
It would be just her luck to have the end of the world upon her – and bump into a herald.
I mean, that was literally her kind of luck, but then again maybe she had heard him wrong?
Maybe she missed a word in that sentence because that was crazy talk claiming to be an archangel – wasn’t it?
Surely not…
“If you’re an angel, then you’re in the wrong place,” she murmured, her voice stuttering over the words, knowing just how strange a conversation this was.
“I’m in the right place, but I think Hell has frozen over…”
“Or the end of the world is upon us all.”
“Could be,” he said simply; those words had little emotion again and felt deeply unsettling in that moment as he looked away and then back at her. “Is that why you’re h-here?”
There was such tension in those words, in the tone of his voice as he spoke.
He was asking her purpose. There was such power and vulnerability at the same time when his voice broke, that it caught her by surprise…
and struck a nerve. This whole thing was making her feel very insignificant in that moment…
and raw. If this was a test, an actual angel, what was a person supposed to say or do?
“I’m here because I need help… and a little hope,” Maureen admitted and instantly winced, not sure why she said as much to a perfect stranger who was either legit (and that was terrifying), or he was off his proverbial rocker, telling people he was an archangel…
That was also disturbing.
“Don’t we all,” the archangel murmured, just before they were interrupted.
“It’s time,” a man said – his eyes just as cold and emotionless.
“Who are you?” Maureen asked with zero hesitation.
“Reaper,” he replied in a chilling voice, taking the archangel’s arm and walking off like she was some insignificant bug in that moment.
Maureen wasn’t proud or too shy to admit that this whole thing was unsettling – and crossed herself openly, not caring who was looking as everyone started moving forward, taking their seats like this was just some weird, everyday occurrence.
“What in the heck is going on in this place?”
Taking a seat quickly, Maureen felt someone touch her shoulder, patting it, to get her attention. As she turned to see who it was, someone else was taking the seat directly beside her and touched her arm. It was a one-two sensation, and Maureen was quickly being surrounded… by smiling strangers.
Archangel…
Reaper…
Now, the Stepford wives?
The woman who tapped her shoulder smiled and held up a finger to her lips, indicating for her to be quiet. The other was none other than Harley Sloan – the woman she’d been looking for this entire time.
Finally!