Battle Angel (11 page)

M
addy had agreed to meet Jackson at his place up in Empyrean Canyon. She figured that, after breaking his heart at the pier, the least she could do was meet him on his territory.

She arrived early, only to find Jackson’s house and property eerily empty, totally dark. She didn’t have to worry about curfew; she had a special pass from Linden that allowed her to travel freely to the exclusive Empyrean Canyon, to the house she knew so well. It pained her to look into the darkened windows, thinking about how much time she’d spent inside with Jacks; she’d even helped him pick the house out when he moved out of his parents’. But that felt like such a long time ago, back before everything started to unravel.

Not so many days had passed since the Angels had left their homes, but already things looked a bit shabbier. Lawns were yellowing, dried palm fronds lay scattered in driveways, and debris cluttered meticulously maintained driveways. But despite all the emptiness, she knew Jackson was somewhere nearby. She had felt his frequency.

And so Maddy waited nervously, her confidence waning with every minute. She’d felt fully confident on her way over, reassuring herself that she was there not as an ex-girlfriend, but as an emissary from President Ted Linden himself, to plead for the help of the Angels. Their personal problems had nothing to do with it, and she hoped that Jacks could somehow see it that way, too. This was about more than just the two of them.

But as soon as she found herself standing at Jacks’s front door, all that confidence just vanished into the dark night. Then she saw him.

Maddy had expected Jackson to fly in, but instead, there he was, emerging from the woods toward the back of his house.

Jacks hit a button on the side of the garage and the lights blazed on, revealing the roundabout driveway with the fountain at its center. The fountain water was still and thick with a layer of green muck that had collected over the past few days.

For a few moments, Maddy held on to the slenderest reed of hope. Maybe Jacks had changed his mind. Maybe he thought that joining the humans in the fight was the right thing to do.

But as soon as he came into the garage light and saw the look on his face, she understood she’d made a huge error in judgment.

“What do you want, Maddy?” Jacks said. “And why didn’t you bring Flyboy with you?”

This was not off to a good start.

“Jacks, don’t start on . . . ,” Maddy said.

“What do you want me to do, then?” he said. His pale blue eyes flared in the glint of moonlight. He still didn’t even know why he’d agree to meet with her. All the anger he’d been trying to suppress started to well up. “I don’t get you, Maddy. Is this some weak attempt at patching things up?”

“This isn’t about us, Jackson,” Maddy said.

“No? Then what is it about?” Jacks said. “It better be important. I would be in very serious trouble if they knew where I was right now. And especially big trouble if they knew who I was with.”

Maddy had never seen Jacks so cold. So distant. He was purposefully keeping her away, at more than arm’s length. How was she ever going to get through to him?

On top of everything, his aggression was making it impossible for her to remember what she had planned on saying.

“Jacks,” she started, “you once loved a half-human half-Angel girl.”

“I did. And I thought she loved me, too. But I was wrong,” Jacks said.

“Don’t say that,” said Maddy. His words landed like a punch to her gut. But she had to keep telling herself that she wasn’t here to make herself feel better. She was here for humankind. Maddy took a breath to calm herself before looking back into his eyes.

“Humanity doesn’t deserve this,” Maddy said. “And you know it.”

Jacks turned and looked out on the darkened city. “Humans are self-destructive, Maddy. They can’t be saved from themselves. Loyalty is not a component of human nature.” He eyed Maddy coldly. “The demons are just doing your job more efficiently.”

“Listen to yourself, Jacks,” Maddy said, a cold emptiness gripping her heart. “This isn’t you.”

For a moment, she thought she saw a crack of doubt enter Jackson’s face. He looked into Maddy’s eyes, and Maddy could see it. Something she’d said had touched him. But as soon as it was there, it flickered away as if it had never been.

“Maybe you don’t know me anymore, Maddy,” Jacks said.

“You sound like one of the Council’s PR people,” Maddy said.

Jackson’s lip curled. “The Council and Gabriel were the ones who pardoned me. The NAS was going to take my wings after I saved you, Maddy, but they saw something in me and gave me another chance. They’re the good guys.”

“The good guys, Jacks?” Maddy shook her head. It was hopeless, just as she had known it would be.

At least now she could tell Linden she tried. That she had done her best. It had been a foolish, last-ditch plan, but she had still harbored a shred of hope that it could have worked out differently. Remembering that hope, she spoke up again.

“What have they done to you, Jackson? I barely recognize you.” Maddy looked at the angry Angel in front of her. How could he be so brainwashed? This couldn’t just be the result of her choice on the pier. . . .

“They haven’t done anything to me,” Jacks said. “I’m just staying with my kind. There is a future for Angels, and I’m going to be part of it.”

“A future? With the
demons
? Where are the Angels, Jacks?” She was feeling more frightened than devastated as she continued to listen to this Jackson impostor.

“I’m not here to discuss
our
plans, Maddy,” Jackson said, face slightly flushing. “You chose not to be with us, remember? I came here to hear you out. To see if maybe you’d changed your mind and decided to listen to the Angel in you. And I did hear you. It’s clear you haven’t changed anything.”

“I’m sorry to bother you, Jacks,” Maddy said as diplomatically as possible. “I’m going to go now.”

Jackson whirled toward her, his eyes blazing under the bright light shining down from the four-car garage.

“I don’t know why I even agreed to meet you. You made your choice,” Jacks said angrily. “It’s humiliating for me to even be here.” His voice cracked with emotion as he turned away. “I don’t even know why I’m doing this to myself.”

“Jacks—” Seeing him in front of her, suffering, made Maddy’s voice turn tender. Despite his hardness now, her heart went out to him, the Angel she loved.

Almost unconsciously, she moved toward him, like she had done a thousand times before. And he turned to her.

Before she knew what had happened, their hands had found each other. As their fingers intertwined, Maddy felt as if her body had been jolted by a spark, just like it had in the diner the very first time they met.

Surprise struck both their faces as they moved toward each other. Jackson took Maddy in his arms and Maddy was right there with him, and their faces, which had tried to be so brave, were now so close, almost kissing, and she could feel his gentle breath. . . .

Maddy suddenly pulled away.

“Maddy. It’s not too late,” Jacks breathed. He held her in his arms to keep her close, to make sure she felt the energy and attraction coursing through them.

“Jacks, I can’t do this,” she whispered.

Jacks’s face fell, and he let go of Maddy. He took a few steps away and turned his back to her, not saying a word. When he did speak again, his voice was flat and distant.

“I’m glad you called. I needed to pick up some stuff from the house,” Jackson said.

“You don’t have to try to keep up appearances for me, Jackson. We know each other.”

“We thought we did. But you’re with . . . him now. Turns out I didn’t know you at all.”

“Jacks, how could you be so cruel?” Maddy cried out. “You don’t know anything about it.”

“I know
everything
about it.”

“Jacks . . .”

“Maddy, please leave.”

“Ja—”

“Please.”

He didn’t have to ask twice. Holding her hand up to her face as if to hide her sadness, Maddy quickly got into her car and turned on the ignition. As she spun around the fountain to exit the grounds, her headlights hit on Jackson for a moment. He stood there in the cold, artificial light, sheet white, his face stony like some kind of vengeful god of old.

M
addy sent Linden’s team a report.
“No go.”
She didn’t explain further. They’d know what it meant.

The visit had gone just as she’d expected, only it had affected her much more than she had imagined.

The encounter with Jackson had left her rattled. Their unexpected burst of passion showed that their anger wasn’t enough to keep them apart, but now she regretted ever agreeing to go. Jackson was so
different
, so in line with the Council, more than he had ever been before. And he was so cold.

Until, of course, that spark had flared between them.

She thought of Tom getting ready to face the demons yet again and felt raw. And guilty. All it had taken was just one moment to nearly betray her promise to Tom, to almost kiss Jackson, like some Angelstruck girl stuck in a dream. And after everything they’d said to each other . . .

• • •

Maddy barely slept that night and woke up early the next day, her mind spinning like an overworked hamster wheel. She went to the diner, which was still closed to the public. She made some tea and slumped down in one of the booths.

She looked over the quiet diner. Even though it was closed, Kevin had come in every day to give the place a good dusting and sweep. Always the optimist, Kevin had told her: “Need to be ready to open once the demons are gone.”

Kevin had insisted on staying in Angel City even though Maddy could have easily gotten him out. He wasn’t ready to abandon ship yet, and, if Maddy was honest, he wasn’t ready to leave
her
behind, either. She had finally gotten him to agree to move to one of the bomb shelters set up all the way past Fairfax Avenue. But both of them knew that if the battle began, those shelters might not offer much protection.

Maddy looked out across the diner. She could have probably walked around blindfolded, carrying three hamburger specials, and still not spill a fry or a drop of milk shake. How many mornings, afternoons, and evenings had she spent there? Funny, she used to always want to get out of that waitress uniform, out of Angel City altogether, and now she longed for those days again. In a few days’ time, would there even
be
an Angel City?

A voice broke her reverie, startling her.

“Maddy. It’s been too long.”

Detective Sylvester, in the same old overcoat he’d worn when she first met him in at ACHS. Standing next to him was someone else she knew well. Someone she wouldn’t have expected to see in a million years.

“Professor Archson?” Maddy said, a smile brightening her face.

The Archangel smiled back at Maddy. “I thought I told you to call me Susan, Madison.”

“Sorry to burst in on you,” Detective Sylvester said. “I know the place is closed, but I took the liberty of picking the lock. I hope you don’t mind if we share a table with you for a few minutes.”

Maddy’s eyes flipped from Sylvester to her former professor. Susan saw the look in Maddy’s eyes, and the confusion.

“I’m not with the Angels, Maddy,” she said. “It’s been a long time coming. We’ve had an insurgent element within the NAS for years now. I’ve been helping as co-leader the entire time. We’ve just been waiting for the right moment to surface.”

“You’re a rebel?” Maddy asked, breathless. “And you and Detective Sylvester . . . know each other?”

“We go back,” Susan said. “To Guardian training. We were the same Commissioning class. We were Guardians together.”

“Maddy, we need you,” Sylvester said.

“I’ve already told Linden—I can’t do anything with the Angels. Jacks was my only chance. And he wasn’t much of one,” Maddy said. “The Angels aren’t going to help.”

“We’re not giving up on that, Maddy,” Susan said. “David—I mean, Detective Sylvester—thinks that something is controlling the demons.”

Maddy thought back to the Vespa girl on the 101. “I saw a demon in the first wave. . . . It was about to attack me, but then, it’s like he heard something, and suddenly he left. Just like that. And he seemed . . . angry about it.”

Sylvester nodded. “We’ve heard similar stories all over the city. They pulled back. As if by design. As if they were getting orders.” He coughed into his hand. “This is more dangerous than we could have even imagined. The chaos of a demon army could be enough to topple the city. But with their forces of darkness organized and focused . . .” He trailed off. “But if we could somehow get to this leader, if we could cut the head off the body of the army, it could make all the difference. But humans alone wouldn’t be able to do that. We need Battle Angels. Battle Angels willing to risk it all.”

“How are we supposed to find this . . . head demon?” Maddy asked.

“There’s no way to get at the head demon before they attack. But once they start moving in, that’s when we think it will be exposed. That we can figure out how to identify and exterminate it. Before it’s too late.”

“But this isn’t about the Angels,” Susan said. “This is about you.”

Maddy eyed them two cautiously. “What do you mean?”

Sylvester and Susan shared a look, as if each was daring the other to be the one to deliver the news. Finally the detective answered.

“We’re speaking for Linden now,” Detective Sylvester said.

“What?”
Linden?
Maddy’s head whirled. Susan and the detective were working with the president?

“Linden is done with talking with the Angels,” Susan said.

Maddy cast a questioning look to Sylvester and Susan.

“Maddy. We need your help. In the war,” Sylvester said.

“But . . . what can I do? Don’t get me wrong, I want to help. More than anything,” Maddy said. “But I’m not a Battle Angel. I was barely even a Guardian.”

“You have something that’s more important than any Battle Angel. You have expertise,” Susan said.

“Expertise?” Maddy said.

“You have actual firsthand experience with demons,” Sylvester said. “That’s more than any of Linden’s four-star generals can say. He—and we—need your experience more than you can imagine.”

“But that was just one demon at a time. This is . . . we don’t know how many,” Maddy said.

“You’ve seen them up close and personal,” Susan said. “You know what they’re about. But there’s something they need even more. Linden’s team knows you have a certain power.”

Premonition
.

Maddy didn’t say it out loud. She didn’t need to. Her eyes darted to Susan.

“You don’t have to tell them how it works,” Sylvester said. “But they are asking you to help them. On the front lines.”

“But what exactly would I do? I’m not trained for anything like the
military
.”

“The generals and colonels are positive you can give us a strategic edge,” Sylvester continued. “That you can warn the military forces before . . . something happens. So they can get ready to defend and then counterattack.”

“But what if it doesn’t work?” The prospect of having such a huge responsibility all of a sudden got her heart thumping in her chest.

“Maddy, you’re nearly the best I’ve ever seen,” said Susan. “Your frequencing is incredible. Your premonition ability may be the best among all active Angels. You can help us hold them off while we try to hunt the leader.”

“There are more demons than you can possibly imagine. Their numbers are beyond counting,” Sylvester said. “They have been waiting for centuries, quietly causing chaos around the globe when they needed to feed, but otherwise remaining in the shadows. Building their numbers. Stocking their army. All for this opportunity. We can’t let them win. We need you, Maddy.”

She looked at their pleading faces and knew what she had to do.

“When do I start?”