Demon Evolution (5 page)

Samantha asked, “What happened in the Elder’s
room, anyway?”

Chris laughed. “Remember when I told you that
all teleporting in and out of the Lair is carefully controlled?”
She nodded. “Well, that is why we need to control it. In emergency
situations the Elders allow teleporting to and from restricted
areas, like the Elder’s room. In this case, we happened to teleport
in just before Gabriel and his rescuers did. It was almost like a
busy intersection with all traffic lights showing green.”

“It certainly didn’t improve my first
teleporting experience,” Sampson joked. “I think I’ll stick to
flying.”

They all laughed, even Taylor, but then
Gabriel became serious. “Sampson, I….I owe you my life, man,” he
said.

Sampson kept grinning. “Damn right you do. I
have already started making a list of how you can reward me. You
can start with no more story-telling about all the stupid stuff
I’ve done over the years!”

Gabriel joked back: “Anything but that,
please!”

“I should’ve left you back in prison,”
Sampson said. “So, are you reenergized after your little snack? I
don’t think you actually chewed anything.”

“Yeah, it sure beat prison food, that crap
was awful. I think I’m ready to speak to the Elders now.”

“Forget about it,” Chris said. “You need to
rest for a while and let those that are older and wiser than us
worry about it. They will summon you when they are ready to
talk.”

Gabriel yawned. “I guess I could use some
sleep.” He rose from his chair.

Taylor stood up, feeling awkward. “I’ll, uh,
walk you to your room.”

Sam, Chris, and Sampson burst out laughing.
“Do either of you actually know where you are going?” Sam
asked.

Taylor and Gabriel looked at each other and
then simultaneously shook their heads. “I’ll show you,” Chris said,
still smiling. “We took the liberty of assigning you adjoining
rooms.”

After leading them to their rooms, Chris said
to press triple 1 on their phones if they needed anything. Gabriel
thanked him and closed the door. “Taylor, I—” he started to
say.

“Shhhh, we don’t need to talk about it now. I
was pissed off, but now I’m not. I told you in the dream that I
still love you and I do. I sort of understand why you did what you
did and I know that you tried to save me in the end. You did a lot
of stupid things, but I forgive you for them, which might be a
mistake, but it is mine to make.”

“Thank you, but….what dream?” Gabriel
asked.

“You mean you didn’t…? I had a dream a few
days ago where you told me you loved me. I thought you had entered
my dream to tell me you were okay.”

Gabriel shrugged. “That would’ve been a good
idea, but I didn’t think of it and I doubt there was sufficient
light in my cell to allow it. You must have dreamed me up all on
your own,” he said slyly.

“Don’t get a big head.”

“In all honesty, Tay, I thought about you
every second we were apart.” In one motion, Gabriel scooped her up
and carried her to the bed, laying her down gently.

They held each other for hours, and although
Gabriel fell asleep almost immediately, Taylor stayed awake to
watch him sleep. His sleep was peaceful, his chest rising and
falling with each slow, deep breath. It was probably the first good
night’s sleep he’d had since his capture. Taylor felt silly
watching him, but she couldn’t stop. She knew she shouldn’t have
forgiven him, shouldn’t have taken him back, but her sixth
sense—which she had ignored at the beginning of their relationship
when it warned her about Gabriel—had changed its opinion and urged
her to forgive him.

Eventually, there was a sturdy knock on the
door. Taylor got up slowly, trying not to disturb Gabriel, but he
stirred anyway. “What is it?” he asked.

“Someone’s at the door, I think it’s time to
go.”

Confirming her guess, Taylor found Chris,
Sam, Kiren, and Sampson at the door. “It’s time,” Chris said.

The strange group of angels, demons, and
humans quietly departed Gabriel’s room. With Chris leading they
made their way through the dark network of tunnels and passageways.
Torches provided the only light, and the eerie glow made it feel
like they were attending a séance. No one spoke as they walked, not
even Sam or Sampson, the loudest ones in the bunch.

Chris and Kiren nodded to a couple of demons
that passed them along the way, but didn’t break stride to speak
with them. Taylor gripped Gabriel’s hand tightly as they followed
the group, bringing up the rear. She noticed that Sam was not
holding Chris’s hand. It seemed that whenever Chris was in work
mode, she knew better than to distract him with their feelings for
each other.

Eventually, the path spilled into a small
alcove. A transporter was waiting for them in silence. The glass
pod looked futuristic, like something you would see in a movie or
on a ride at Disneyworld.

They entered the pod. “Hang on,” Chris
said.

Taylor remembered Sam telling her about the
last time she was in a similar transporter with Chris; he had said
the exact same thing. That was a magical ride for her friend; she
and Chris had just confessed their love for each other.

The doors slid shut noiselessly and the
vehicle thrust forward, gaining speed with each passing second.
Sampson looked impressed by the machine, likely comparing it to the
hybrid elevators/transporters at angel headquarters. “Woohoo!” he
yelled, as they reached maximum speed. The rocky walls whipped by
on all sides. As quickly as it had accelerated, the transporter
decelerated and slowed to a stop at a lonely recess carved into the
tunnel.

They exited and passed through a wide open
foyer that was lit by dozens of fireplaces on either side. Ignoring
the demon at the security desk, Chris led them into the Elders’
Chamber, where they were expected. More than 150 pairs of eyes
turned to watch them enter. A table and six chairs had been set up
for them.

Clifford motioned to the table and they sat
down in a line, facing the Elders. Taylor felt like she was sitting
at the bride and groom’s table at a wedding reception.
Coincidentally, she and Gabriel were placed in the direct center of
the table, where the bride and groom would normally sit, flanked by
Chris and Sam on the left, and Sampson and Kiren on the right.

Clearing his throat, Clifford began, “Thank
you all for coming. We have a lot to be thankful for. Today we
successfully completed two dangerous and challenging missions.
However, in the process we lost one brave soldier, Dominique
Rhodes. Let us begin with a moment of silence for our fallen
brother.” All heads bowed and a respectful silence ensued.

Continuing, Clifford said, “We obviously have
some decisions to make regarding our future strategies in the War,
but first, I would like each mission leader to brief us on their
respective mission.” He nodded to Sampson. “Why don’t we start with
the rescue mission, Operation Traitor. Sampson?” Taylor’s head
perked up, as she waited anxiously to hear the tale of her
boyfriend’s escape.

Remaining seated, Sampson said, “I’d like to
start with a quick background on my involvement. Two years ago, I
came to the demons in the hopes that they would take me on as a
warrior in their army. I had heard a number of
things
regarding the Archangel Council’s ultimate desires, nicknamed The
Plan, which were strictly confidential. Needless to say, I did not
like what I heard. The Elders immediately recruited me as a spy and
I have been feeding them information ever since.

“When the opportunity arose to help the demon
cause while also assisting an old friend in Gabriel, I was very
willing to do my part.” Taylor saw that Gabriel’s eyes had not left
his friend’s face while he was speaking. He was clearly surprised
at hearing how long Sampson had been spying on the angels.

Sampson then told of the planning process for
the mission. “A mission of this complexity could not have been
pulled off without significant resources on the inside. While,
intentionally, none of the spies know who each other are, I believe
there are about thirty in total?” He looked at Clifford for
confirmation. The old demon nodded. Sampson continued: “And most
importantly, we have one spy at the highest of levels, who arranged
for us to access high-security areas, such as the prison.”

Upon hearing this, Gabriel interrupted, “Are
you telling me someone on the Archangel Council is working for the
demons?” He looked incredulous at the mere suggestion of such
insurrection.

Sampson said, “Yes.” Gabriel folded his arms
and leaned back in his chair, his eyebrows arched and his mouth
filling with a bubble of air. What he had just learned was clearly
blowing his mind. He let out the stored up breath in a long, slow
blast.

Sampson then told the story of their escape.
When he reached the part about Lucas’s murder of the young demon,
both Chris and Gabriel clenched their fists, as if they were ready
to leap from their chairs and seek revenge immediately. When he
finished his story, silence fell over the room.

Clifford let the information sink in for a
minute before moving on. “Christopher, while you were the
Operations Leader for both missions, Kiren was the Mission Leader
for the retrieval of Taylor and Samantha—Operation Humanity. Kiren,
why don’t you take us through it.”

In a very high level of detail, Kiren told
the story of the car chase. By the end of her monologue, everyone
was on the edge of their seats, and when she described the
fire-boulder attack and the resulting destruction of the angels’
high-end cars, there were a few cheers and claps amongst the
audience. Kiren beamed at the response.

One demon who was not smiling was Clifford. A
frown crossed his face. “That was quick-thinking and I commend you
on your actions in the heat of battle, young lady, but I am more
worried about a few of the key facts from your story. First, we had
a spy in our midst. Adrian was assigned to this particular mission
because we thought he could be trusted, but evidently we were
wrong. The information that he must have fed to the angels almost
single-handedly brought down the entire mission.

“Second, the angels’ willingness to attack in
broad daylight is particularly troubling. Our experience with them
is that they are generally very cautious, but their actions
bordered on reckless abandon. What do you make of it?” Clifford
directed the question to the Elders, but it was Gabriel who
answered.

“They will do whatever it takes to recapture
Taylor.” All eyes fell on Gabriel. He paused, then said, “As cocky
as the angels are, they’ve realized that they can’t defeat you guys
without Taylor’s help. And they let her slip through their fingers,
which really pissed Dionysus off. He will be willing to take
massive risks to get her back. Our only choice is to take them down
first.” He said the last sentence so confidently, that even Taylor
thought it sounded like the right thing to do; that is, until she
realized that he was volunteering to help.

“No!” she said sharply.

Gabriel turned towards Taylor, a surprised
look washing over his face, as though, in the heat of the moment he
had forgotten she was there. “I have to do this,” he breathed.

“You’ll get yourself killed,” she said
matter-of-factly. Continuing calmly, she said, “The way I see it, I
am the key to everything.” She smirked, enjoying her own joke. At
least, it would have been a joke if it hadn’t been true. A couple
of the Elders chuckled. Sam smiled at her, evidently proud of the
boldness of her friend.

Taylor continued: “So…if I am the key, then
there are really only two options here. One, you kill me, or I kill
myself….” Gabriel froze at her suggestion. She quickly added, “But
I would prefer to not have to die, if possible. That leaves the
second option: hide me away until the angels can be defeated.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Gabriel
staring at her—his face was proud. He touched her leg under the
table, but she ignored it.

One of the female Elders broke the short
silence, “I think option two sounds pretty good. We protect Taylor
here, until we are able to win the War. As Gabriel said, the angels
will be forced to take risks to get her back and we will be waiting
to exploit them.”

Clifford nodded slowly. “It sounds reasonable
to me, if Taylor is willing.”

“I am,” Taylor said.

A surprising interruption came from the end
of the table. “What about school?” Sam asked. “And Taylor’s
father?”

“Easy,” Chris said. “We can teleport into the
student registry office at night, hack a few systems, and ensure
her grades are good and her meal plan is used. To her dad, it will
look like she is still going to school there. Anytime she needs to
make an appearance, we can teleport her wherever she needs to be.”
He had it all figured out.

“And what about me?” Sam asked.

Chris looked down at his hands. Clifford
said, “You should go back to school to help cover for Taylor. But
you can come back as often as you like: after class, on the
weekends, whenever you want. We will send Kiren with you, along
with some other guards, to protect you.” Chris leaned towards her
and Taylor heard him whisper, “I’ll bring you back every single
night.” Samantha smiled.

Clifford scanned the panel of Elders. “Does
anyone have any reservations regarding this plan of attack?”

Gabriel squirmed in his seat, as silence
filled the room. When no one else offered an opinion, he stood up
and said, “I’m not trying to be rude, but the only decision we have
made is to keep Taylor here to protect her. You just referred to it
as our ‘plan of attack’. It seems more like a plan of defense. What
about our strategy for attacking the angels and ending the
War?”

Clifford sighed. “Young angel. You see, there
is the fundamental difference between our two races. Sometimes the
best act is to not act at all. The Archangel Council might have
been successful in destroying us already if they weren’t so eager
to use Taylor’s power. In this case, we will wait and let Dionysus
make the first move. Then, when the opportunity presents itself,
we’ll attack.”