Redemption (Stand-Alone, Spin-Off to Reaper Series), page 27
Gabriel frowned down at his drink, from which he was yet to take even a single sip.
“There’s something I need to tell you, Eve,” Gabriel began. “It’s about the Garden.”
“Is it that Belial took all the souls?” Eve asked. At Gabriel’s surprised expression, Eve added, “Belial already told me. He was bragging about it. But Gabriel, he said that by taking human souls, he can stabilize his own people and make them even stronger than before. He can’t get strong enough to attack Heaven, can he? Won’t Father be able to stop him?”
“Father has already figured out as much about Belial’s plans, ever since he took the souls from the Garden,” Gabriel replied heavily. “He told me that if Belial and his Demons grow as powerful as Belial claims they will, and Father believes they will… then yes, Belial will have an army powerful enough to strike at Heaven. Maybe even kill our father.”
“That’s what he wants,” Eve said with dread. “He told me he wants a war. To finish what Abzu started, a war between Angels and Demons.”
“Why?” Gabriel asked. “Abzu is dead. With him gone, Belial has no reason to see Angels as a threat. A war would serve no purpose. He would gain nothing.”
“He doesn’t want a war for gain,” Eve replied. “He just wants a war for the sake of war. It’s like… Like he thinks it would be fun. To see two of the most powerful beings in all known creation fight, to see who comes out on top… I think that’s all he wants. Like it’s a game.”
Gabriel scowled in disgust. “And he allied himself with Javan for the sole purpose of preparing for this war. He must have been planning this for eons, just waiting for the right time to strike.”
“And no one can stop him,” Eve said miserably.
“I wouldn’t say that,” Gabriel replied, smirking.
“What, me?” Eve asked waspishly. “Like I can do anything. I can only get people killed.”
Lost in her bitterness, Eve finally lifted her drink to her lips and drank a mouthful. She immediately almost choked on it as the liquid burned her tongue and throat and she quickly sat the glass back down, coughing violently.
“Is your drink okay?” Gabriel asked, smirking.
“Oh yeah,” Eve croaked. “Smooth.”
“Your tastebuds are different now that you’re human. Why the sudden interest in alcohol?” Gabriel asked.
“Isn’t that what humans do when they feel bad about something? Well, I’m human now, I got Lexi killed for just trying to help me, so I guess I should get my drink on.”
“Don’t worry about Lexi. She’s fine.”
Eve felt her heart leap in both disbelief and hope. “What? She’s alive? How?”
“Let’s see, shall we?” Gabriel grinned.
Then, with an almost imperceptible flick of his index and middle fingers that were wrapped around his glass, the television above the bar suddenly switched on, causing the bartender to turn away from cleaning glasses and stare at it in confusion. Eve saw that a news story was already showing and there were images of flattened rubble strewn all over the ground.
“…suddenly collapsed,” the unseen female reporter was saying in a voiceover. “At this time, it’s unclear what caused the incident, or just how many people were inside when the federal building came down, but we can confirm that there are several survivors with only minor injuries.”
The screen then showed a group of people standing and talking to an emergency response team, all of them covered in dust and plaster, some with cuts and scrapes that must have happened as they ran from the collapsing building. A few faces Eve was able to recognize, such as some people she passed by inside the forensic building, and also officer Holt, standing beside one girl with black hair streaked with blue, who was talking emphatically with another police officer.
“That’s Lexi!” Eve cried, overcome with relief. Then Eve noticed what was in Lexi’s hands. “And she got the laptop!”
Gabriel nodded, still smiling. “Yeah. Father was watching you and Lexi, and when the whole building just vanished from his Sight, he knew Belial was there, too. So, when he could see Lexi again, he looked in her memories and saw everything that had happened. And he knew everyone still inside was in danger. So he whispered in Lexi’s ear again, just like when he sent her to help you. And she got out everyone that would listen to her, right before the building collapsed. She’s a brave girl. Kind of reminds of you.”
As the story continued on the television, Eve recognized another face. The older woman who had helped Eve find Mitra’s office had also made it out and was now being interviewed. She looked stunned, to say the least, but she spoke clearly about what she had seen.
“The whole place started to crack open,” the lady was saying to the reporter. “The ceiling started to come down, the walls were buckling, it was like the place was being squashed. I only got out because of my boss’ daughter. Before anyone else even guessed that the building was about to collapse, she was screaming at us all to follow her, to get out, that the place was coming down. She saved my life, that girl, she saved all our lives. I only wish everyone had listened to her.”
Still amazed, Eve turned back to Gabriel, grinning like a lunatic. “She’s alive! And she got the laptop! She can out Javan for what he’s done!”
Gabriel nodded. “She already has. About half an hour ago, a video appeared on a website called YouViewed, or something.”
“You mean YouTube?” Eve chuckled.
“That doesn’t sound right,” Gabriel frowned thoughtfully, but then waved it off. “Doesn’t matter. People will soon see what Mr Bailey’s final words were and know that Javan isn’t everything he says he is.”
“What about Belial?” Eve asked. “He’s still reviving his people, building an army. Can’t we, I mean, you, stop him before he gets too powerful?”
“Belial is extremely powerful already, Eve,” Gabriel sighed. “We’ve attempted to break through to his universe where he sent the human souls, but he has created a barrier that protects it, one so strong that even Father cannot penetrate it. The laws of physics work differently where Belial comes from, which seems to render our father much weaker there. I advised him not to continue, afraid that if he were to succeed in breaking into Belial’s universe, he would be vulnerable. Belial’s universe would cut him off from his connection with the human souls, so he would be weaker, and Belial… would kill him. I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do but wait to be attacked. We are preparing as much as we can, the Armies of Heaven are on full alert, but I fear what devastation will soon befall us.”
“There has to be something you can do,” Eve insisted. Then her eyes widened as a thought occurred to her. “The serum! Gabriel, if you can destroy the serum before Javan and Belial can use it on the humans, then you can stop Belial from becoming more powerful. He might still attack, but at least then you could beat him.”
Gabriel, however, was already shaking his head. “We can’t. The serum is born of Javan’s decisions. For us to destroy it, we would be interfering with human affairs, which we can’t do.”
“This is serious, Gabriel!” Eve almost shouted, causing the bartender to narrow his eyes at her. Lowering her voice again, Eve said, “If there was ever a time to break the rules, it’s now. Angels have to forget their oath, if only for a moment, to stop Belial from destroying everything. The serum has to be destroyed.”
Gabriel finally lifted his whiskey to his lips and took a slow drink, savoring the taste. When he lowered the glass to the bar, he wouldn’t look at Eve, but she saw a gleam in his eyes that she had seen before, one that told her he was thinking, planning, working through everything he knew and believed in to figure out what to do.
“We can’t, Eve,” he said finally. When he spoke, he spoke slowly and clearly, as though he was carefully weighing every single word he uttered. “I sent spies into Javan’s labs to identify the serum. My Angels cannot do anything about the serum that is located in the large pharmaceutical laboratory on the twelfth floor. We cannot destroy the machinery, which is in the same lab, that creates the serum, nor can we destroy the stockpile that has already been created and is now awaiting collection for mass distribution in the containers in room 21B on that floor. As much as I would like to flood the entire floor with the combustible gas the scientists and doctors in the facility regularly use, and then ignite the gas and annihilate everything Javan has created, my oath prevents me. Do you understand?”
Eve narrowed her eyes at Gabriel suspiciously. “Are you asking me to do it?”
Gabriel shook his head, but still did not look at Eve as he spoke. “Of course not. That would be interfering. I’m simply telling you what I can’t do. Nothing more. What you do next is entirely your own choice.”
Gabriel then tipped back the glass and swallowed the rest of his whiskey in one gulp, uttering a satisfied sigh as he set the glass back on the bar.
“The alcohol might not affect me,” he said, “but I have to admit, humans know how to make a good drink.”
Gabriel then rose to his feet and grabbed his coat from the bar, swiftly pulling it on as he smiled at Eve.
“I better go,” he said. “Heaven has a lot to prepare for. You take care of yourself, Eve. I hope we can speak again soon.”
Eve was silent as she watched her brother walk towards the exit. As Gabriel passed the booth that the bachelorette party was taking place in, he stopped and leaned over the table, smiling at the ladies who had all gone silent at his approach.
“Thanks for the drink, ladies,” Gabriel grinned.
Then he turned and left without looking back, leaving the women to start chattering and laughing hysterically at one of their friends whose face was still glowing red.
Eve frowned at the bar, staring at a small bowl of matchbooks with the name of the bar printed on them. Gabriel didn’t tell her to do anything. He had only given her information, in a way that was, arguably, not interfering. Eve had to smile as she thought of the technicality, impressed that Gabriel had finally allowed himself to “stoop to her level,” as he would put it.
Making her decision, Eve snatched up one of the matchbooks and rose from her stool, quickly leaving the bar. The television still blared behind her as she vanished into the Toronto twilight, the news anchor on the screen saying, “And up next, a special report coming live from noted businessman, author, and philanthropist, Darwin Javan, who has finally agreed, after weeks of silence, to shed some light on the stunning events that took place several weeks ago, where more than a dozen people lost their lives in an Angel attack. Mr Javan survived after miraculously healing from his injuries in only seconds, and has now agreed to tell the world his secret, going on record as saying, ‘the world is finally ready.’”
24
ASH AND DUST
J
avan smiled and waited patiently in the leather armchair in his study as the producer began counting down the seconds until they went live on television. Sitting across from Javan in an identical leather armchair was the reporter, Rachel Nguyen, with her $250 salon hairstyle and designer makeup. They had been chatting comfortably until the producer announced they were about to go live to air.
Everything is going perfectly, Javan thought smugly, but felt a pang of sadness as he wished Eve was there to share this triumphant moment with him. The moment that all the planning and preparation finally paid off and came to fruition. Javan forced himself to stop thinking of Eve as Rachel began speaking into one of the cameras. He comforted himself by thinking that there was still plenty of time to get Eve back where she belonged. There was still much he and Eve were going to achieve together.
“Good evening,” Rachel Nguyen began with a tone of someone about to say something of extreme importance. “I’m Rachel Nguyen. I’m here tonight with a man who is no stranger to fame, being one of the richest men in the world, a clever businessman, an author, and a caring philanthropist. However, he has recently exceeded his fame and stepped into the light of infamy, becoming the main topic of conversation for people all over the world. I’m speaking, of course, about Mr Darwin Javan. Mr Javan, thank you so much for speaking with me.”
“My pleasure, Rachel,” Javan smiled pleasantly.
“Now,” Rachel began, shifting forward slightly in her chair to lean closer to Javan. “You’re no stranger to the public eye, but you managed to completely captivate the entire world several weeks ago when you arranged a press conference for an Angel to address all of humanity. That Angel then allegedly attacked the crowd and killed over a dozen people, and injured many others, in an explosion. The cameras that were present captured you being caught directly in the path of the explosion, and the injuries you sustained should have ended your life. However, the video clearly shows you standing up after the explosion and then healing completely in only a matter of seconds. And now, here you are in perfect health, as though nothing had happened. The world has been desperate to know, Mr Javan… How is this possible?”
Javan smiled at Rachel Nguyen and pressed his fingers together as he replied, his elbows resting on the arms of his chair.
“A long time ago,” Javan began, “an Angel bestowed upon me a gift. A wonderful gift that has allowed me to do a great many number of things.”
“It has been a number of weeks since the attack,” Rachel went on. “And yet, you have remained completely silent on the topic. Why the secrecy?”
“What I have to tell the world will be difficult for many to understand. Preparations had to be made, and I wanted to allow people time to come to terms with everything that had happened before I came forward. And allow time for people to grieve for those who perished in the attack.”
“Many people have often suggested that you, yourself, are an Angel,” Rachel said. “What do you have to say to that allegation?”
Javan barked a short laugh. “An Angel? No, I’m no Angel. I am human, I assure you. However, it was through the Angels that I am able to do what I can do. They are the reason I healed. They are the reason I have lived so long, and will continue to live for many centuries to come.”
This piece of information made Rachel Nguyen pause hesitantly, apparently having lost her train of thought for a moment in her surprise.
“Are you saying that the Angels granted you immortality?” Rachel asked, sounding incredulous.
Javan nodded. “In a sense.”
“You said that the Angels are the reason you have ‘lived so long,’ Mr Javan,” Rachel pointed out. “May I ask just how long that is?”
Javan paused before responding. He took note of how Rachel Nguyen leaned closer in her chair, waiting for his response. Javan also noticed every other person in the room, the producer, the cameramen, the sound guy, they all seemed to be holding their breath.
“My age, as a precise number of years, may be difficult for a lot of people to fathom,” Javan replied. “I am as old as humanity itself. Born at the cusp of evolution. I am more than a million years old.”
“I see,” Rachel breathed. “And what would you say to those people who claim this is all an elaborate hoax? That you’re nothing more than an attention-seeking billionaire with too much time on your hands?”
Javan narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw.
“With all due respect to the opinions of those people,” Javan said softly, forcing himself to contain his anger at the continued arrogance of humanity, “they represent a faction of humanity that cannot, or simply will not, accept anything that they cannot understand. There are a great many things in this universe that are beyond our comprehension, that has been proven by the discovery that Angels are real. No one can dispute that now, not after the invasion. We know that there is a world beyond our own, proven by those who died during the Global Revelation and were then miraculously returned to us with vague memories of Heaven, and a cave in which an enormous river flowed. What those people cannot understand is what I hope to teach the world. When the world says they are ready, I have what the world needs.”
“And what does the world need, Mr Javan?”
“A fresh start,” Javan replied, smiling once more. “And comfort in knowing that the Angels will not be able to harm us so easily ever again. If they were to attack us again, we would be able to fight back.”
“How do you propose that humanity fight Angels?” Rachel asked with confusion. “We’ve seen the massive destructive scale they’re capable of. Our most advanced weapons were useless against them all. We still don’t know what really stopped them, but we can be sure it wasn’t humans.”
“Exactly,” Javan grinned. “What I propose is to share my gift with the world. My gift of immortality. I can make the world immortal. Every man, woman, and child. Able to live without fear of sudden death. Without fear of loss. Without sickness, without worry. Through my newly acquired company, Davco Pharmaceuticals, my team has managed to isolate the immortality gene that exists within Angels, and made a serum that can recreate that immortality in humans. Testing so far has been greatly successful. The drug can give life to those who are only moments from death. It can heal any ailment. For example, if we were to administer the drug to a patient with a terminal brain tumor, diagnosed with only days to live, one injection can completely heal them. And then they will live forever. United in immortality, humanity can be free from the fear of another Angel attack. And free from the fear of each other.”
“Incredible,” Rachel nodded. “Just… incredible, Mr Javan. If what you’re saying is true, you have essentially created a cure for every disease known to man. You could even heal people with partial or full paralysis? You could wake people from comas? Even cure cancer patients?”
“Everything and more, Rachel,” Javan replied. “So much more.”
“Amazing,” Rachel said. “But… I wonder if you would take a look at something, Mr Javan. Do you mind watching the monitor here?”
Rachel pointed to a monitor that was set aside, just to her left. Confused, Javan looked at the blank screen.
