The Light of His Sword (6 page)

Alyssa’s stomach lurched with fear. The
urgent tone of Gabe’s voice deeply frightened her. Yet she knew
without a doubt that she would do as he requested, even if she
didn’t understand why. She climbed in the back as Gabe pulled a
long object out from under his seat. Alyssa assumed it was a gun.
Alyssa wrapped her arms around Samantha and pulled her close. Gabe
opened the door and slipped out of the truck. The cabin filled with
a blast of cold air that carried the stench of rotten meat.

Alyssa recognized that smell. The elders
stank of it after their monthly rituals. No women were allowed in
the basement of the gathering hall where the rituals were
performed. It was always the night of the ritual when Walton would
come to find her. His skin and hair smelled of the same stench of
the rotten death that surrounded them now.

The howls turned quickly to snarls of
attack. Animal-like screams of anger and pain filled the air around
them. Thumps and thuds of something hitting the side of the truck
sent Samantha into hysterical sobs as she clung to her mother.
Alyssa couldn’t catch her breath as she fought the urge to run, she
desperately wanted to run. Walton was outside with the elders. They
brought something to help hunt them down, something terrible. It
was something worse than the guard dogs. Something she’d kept
hidden in her memory for a very long time. Something she never
wanted to see again.

Gabe was going to die!

Tears streamed down her face as she waited
for Gabe’s screams, but they didn’t come. Only the animal sounds
filled the air. The snarls and growling grew louder permeating the
truck.
Oh Gabe! I’m so sorry!
Alyssa’s mind screamed. It was
all her fault. Gabe was going to die because she allowed him to
help them. She should have been stronger. She should have done this
all on her own.

Suddenly the commotion stopped. Alyssa
stroked Samantha’s hair and kissed her forehead. It was over. Now
Walton would come and take them back. She knew she would suffer her
father’s fate. She had failed. Alyssa glanced around for a weapon.
She would not go without a fight.

“Get under the bed, baby.” She said, pushing
Samantha to the floor. “Quickly, my darling, quickly.”

Samantha didn’t hesitate; she scurried under
the bed as the truck door swung open. Alyssa snatched up the first
aid kit and pulled out the small scissors. She placed herself
between Samantha and the front of the cab as a bloody hand reached
in and grabbed the steering wheel. A head full of light brown hair
appeared before her.

It was Gabe.

He leaned over the seat but didn’t sit down.
“We have to go, now. We can’t stay here.” Gabe pulled off his
jacket and handed it to Alyssa. “Put this on and grab a blanket off
the bed for Samantha.”

Gabe climbed out of the truck and allowed
Samantha to jump on his back. Alyssa climbed down beside them and
wrapped the blanket around Samantha, tucking it between her and
Gabe. She turned to allow Gabe to close the truck door. When Gabe
stepped into the light of the cab, she would see his clothes were
torn and spotted with blood. Glancing around expecting to see the
carnage scattered around them, Alyssa was shocked. The road was
clear, no animal carcasses, no blood, and no sign of conflict at
all. Gabe limped slightly as he headed off down the road into the
darkness carrying his sheathed weapon in one hand.

Alyssa rushed to catch up with them asking,
“What happened? Where are the animals?”

“They ran off.” Gabe answered quietly.

“What if they come back?” Alyssa glanced
around, searching the darkness.

“We’ll be fine if we keep moving." He
reached out and touched her shoulder.

She looked at the calm expression on his
face and relaxed. “How far is the nearest town?”

“A road sign a while back said 10 miles. I’d
say we have 3 or 4 miles left.” Gabe answered. Alyssa noticed he
was carrying the long slender case he pulled out from under the
seat.

“Why didn’t you use your gun?” She asked
leaning forward to gaze at his other hand, carrying the object.

Gabe adjusted Samantha on his back, and she
laid her head on his shoulder. “Guns don’t work. Why is Walton so
determined to get you and Samantha back? He seems very possessive,
but there was no love in his eyes when he looked at either of
you.”

“I don’t think Walton knows how to love
anyone, but himself.” Alyssa answered. “He doesn’t care about me.
He only wants Samantha.”

“Why?” Gabe asked keeping his eyes on the
road before them.

Alyssa sighed; she didn’t want to tell Gabe
that Walton was not in his right mind. Somehow his followers
believed his stories and did as he bade them. But she did not. She
glanced at Gabe and said, “He thinks Samantha is special.”

“Special? In what way?” Gabe turned to look
at her.

Alyssa’s eyes fell to the ground. “What kind
of animals attacked the truck?”

Gabe fell silent. He turned to gaze as the
last of the clouds disappeared and the sky filled with stars.
Samantha was sound asleep on his shoulder. He stopped and turned to
stare at Alyssa saying, “You know what they were.”

Alyssa’s breath caught in her throat as
their eyes met. “How did you survive?” She whispered.

“They were minor demons carelessly called in
a rush of desperation.” Gabe’s voice was harsh with disgust. He
stopped and pulled the leather sheath off his weapon. The silver
metal of the long sword shone in the darkness like a beacon of
hope. “Walton sent them to see what he’s up against. Now he
knows.”

“Who are you?” Alyssa gasped, gazing at the
perfection of the unblemished blade.

“I’m here to help you, that’s all you need
to know.”

“How much do you know?” Alyssa wouldn’t
accept his answer. “You know about Walton’s plan, don’t you? He
believes the apocalypse is approaching. The elders believe Samantha
will receive a divine visitor that will protect her from the chaos
that precedes the end of days. Walton believes anyone who has
possession of Samantha will also be protected.”

Gabe shook his head and said, “Walton is
insane, but he’s powerful and shouldn’t be taken lightly. We need
to find a car and get you to your grandmothers as soon as
possible.”

“Who sent you to protect us?” Alyssa
whispered.

Gabe squeezed Alyssa’s hand. “This is not
the time or place to discuss these things, Alyssa.”

She stopped and pulled her hand from his. “I
will not be dismissed like a child. I am Samantha’s mother, the
only person in the world who loves her. I will not be kept in the
dark. I’m not taking another step until you tell me why you are
here.”

Gabe stopped and stared at her amazed at the
fire in her eyes. A smile spread across his handsome face, and he
said, “You’re pretty feisty. I like your spirit. I suppose you
wouldn’t have gotten this far without a bit of moxie inside that
shy, petite form.” He stared at her for a moment. Then he turned to
glance up toward the stars. When he turned back to face her, he
said, “I am here like any decent man would be, to protect you and
Samantha. She is an innocent child. I will
not
allow her to
be harmed.”

Alyssa watched his demeanor transform before
her eyes into that of a warrior. He stood taller somehow. His voice
took on a deep commanding tone. His expression hardened, and his
eyes lit up with a spark of challenge and conviction. There was no
doubt in her mind that he would protect them, no matter what the
consequence.

Alyssa handed the young man at the gas
station her credit card. He rang up the charge for a tank of gas
and two hundred dollars for the burgundy 1976 Cutlass Supreme that
sat at the side of the building. Alyssa held her breath as he
swiped the card and waited for the approval. Would her
grandmother’s card hold that much money?

The man smiled and handed her a receipt. He
came around the counter and shook Gabe’s hand, “Good thing you
arrived when you did. I was just about to close up. My boss is
going to be so happy to know I sold the car. There’s a spare tire
and some jump cables in the trunk. Don’t push it over fifty-five
miles per hour for more than 30 minutes at a time or it will
overheat. It’s also due for an oil change.”

They headed to the car and Gabe lowered
Samantha onto the back seat, covering her with a blanket. Alyssa
gazed at the cutlass. It was beautiful. A small portion at the back
of the roof was white; it wrapped around the rear window. The rear
tires were hiked up slightly giving it sporty look. Inside the
bucket seats had a burgundy fabric that was soft and warm to the
touch. She climbed into the passenger seat. Gabe slid behind the
wheel. The car held the smoky scent of old cigarettes. Samantha
didn’t stir as Gabe turned the key of the ignition. The car started
without hesitation, but the engine ran roughly.

Gabe flashed Alyssa a smile and said, “Cross
your fingers; we’ve got at least two days of hard travel to get to
your grandmothers. Given the fact that we’ve lost so much time
because of the moose, I think we should drive through the night. We
should shoot down to Utah then head east toward Colorado. If we
drive straight through we’ll reach Kansas and Missouri by tomorrow
night. We can spend the night outside of St Louis, and then it’s
only a half day to Indiana from there. Why don’t you try to get
some sleep? I’ll wake you in the morning. Once we’re past Denver,
you can drive. It’s a straight shot all the way to Kansas. You
won’t have any trouble driving, and I can get some sleep.”

********

The dark and ominous drive across the
mountains in the dead of night frightened Alyssa. The twists and
turns up the steep slopes sent chills through her each time she
caught a glimpse of a steep cliff beside them. Gabe drove swiftly
without hesitation. The snow began to fall, and the temperature
dropped below zero. Alyssa shivered at the thought of trying to
drive on the snow covered roads. She was grateful Gabe was behind
the wheel. She leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes,
trusting the road to Gabe.

However, sleep would not come. She shifted
from side to side. She leaned against the door, but it was too
hard. No matter what she tried, she couldn’t fall asleep.

“The back seat might be more comfortable, if
Samantha is willing to share.” Gabe offered.

Alyssa glanced at the back seat; Samantha
slept soundly curled up under her soft blanket. Her little face was
so calm and relaxed. The sight of her daughter sleeping safe and
sound warmed Alyssa’s heart. She sighed as a bit of the stress and
fear she’d lived with for so long began to slip away.

She turned around and leaned back into the
seat gazing out the window into the darkness. “I know we aren’t out
of danger yet, but this is the safest I’ve felt for a very long
time.” She turned to gaze at Gabe, “Thank you for helping us.”

“I don’t need your thanks, Alyssa.” Gabe
said softly, his eyes meeting hers for one brief electric
moment.

“What
do
you want?” Alyssa found
herself daring to ask as her pulse quickened with dread.

“Believe it or not Alyssa, some people do
just want to do the right thing.” Gabe answered, turning back to
the road. “If you feel you owe me something, then offer me your
friendship and we’ll call it even.”

“I’ve never been friends with a man before.”
Alyssa turned and gazed back into the darkness.

“Then perhaps we should start with the
basics.” He shot her a quick glance. “I’ve always been athletic. I
love to compete. My favorite sport is football, because it’s a full
contact sport. It places me in a position where I have to succeed
or be overcome. I can use all my aggression against my opponent. My
body is my weapon. It’s necessary to work in tandem with the rest
of the team to triumph. I think it’s the ultimate sport.”

“We didn’t play any organized games.” Alyssa
began, “When our chores were done we were allowed to play quietly
in the gathering room. In the warm weather, we were allowed outside
for short periods of time.”

“Tell me something good about your time at
the compound.” Gabe said with soft encouragement.

“My best friend was Emily. She had long,
black, hair and dark, brown, eyes. We would make puppets out of our
socks. Sometimes we would play tag with the other children. No
matter what happened Emily was always happy. She was always
smiling. We would snuggle together on the floor mats that were our
beds at night to stay warm. I pretended she was my sister. When no
one was near, I would share the fairy tales my mother told me
during our early morning lessons. Sometimes we would act out a
fairytale with our sock puppets.” Alyssa’s face lit up as she spoke
of Emily. She’d forgotten about Emily.

Gabe drove quietly allowing her to talk.

“I loved the fairytales. They were magical
adventures in faraway lands where good always defeated evil. I
shared all of them with Samantha, and I hope someday she will share
them with her children.”

Gabe said, “My mentor loved to tell stories.
They were filled with adventure and always had a purpose, although
you might not realize it at the time. I have a good friend named
Mike that lives in Alaska. He’s never had the patience for a story.
Mike was always the one to rush in headfirst and asks questions
later. He likes the rugged life in the wilderness. Mike lives like
a pioneer, no power, living off the land. He loves it there. We
served in the war together. Now, he chooses to live in Alaska
because it its calm and quiet, a place where he can hide from the
world and be himself. We are exact opposites. I chose to drive a
truck because it gives me the freedom to roam and meet people.”

Alyssa glanced at him. “He sounds like the
brooding type.”

Gabe nodded, “He’s very intense. Mike lead
us in the war, he was fearless, still is. But deep down inside he
has a soft heart although few see it. I remember once when Mike
singlehandedly tore open a path down the center of a battle so one
little girl to escape to safety. Then as soon as she was free he
was off to wreak havoc with the enemy.”