THE WATCHMAN

Old Habits die hard

The nightmares had returned. Antonio had been having them more frequently lately. Ever since the Oraha surprised them with his arrival, he had been having these constant nightmares but not about the past. This time the nightmares seemed to be about the future.

This latest episode was particularly disturbing. How could two dead people who were very very dear stab him in the back? Not to talk of the third person looking familiar

"Could it be that he was about to lose Susan also? Could it be that Susan was plotting against him behind his back? No!" he said to himself "These are just nightmares, and there is no way Jorge or my father could come back from the dead to betray me. The Fates are just trying to play a trick on me".

"Having another nightmare babe?" Susan asked as she rolled over beside him and laid her head on his chest.

"Yes, babe. And this one was a particularly disturbing one he replied

" Don't worry my dear". She tiredly replied, "We will get through this together". she said as she stroked the hairs on his chest.

He lifted her lips to meet his in a deep passionate kiss that seemed like it would never end. It was their first time alone in a very long while and they made love like never before. When they were exhausted, they slept in each other's arms the rest of the night.

" Good morning my love" Susan said as she work up with a sheepish smile on her face. She had forgotten what it felt like to be touched by the man she loved and the night before was a reminder.

After a few seconds, she realized there was no reply so she stretched out her hand in Antonio's Direction only to find out that he wasn't by her side anymore.

" Antonio!!!" she screamed that she sat up on the bed. Her scream alerted the timekeepers who came rushing into her room. "Antonio is gone!! I can't find him!" she said trying to hold back the tears coming out of her eyes.

Everyone immediately embarked on a search all around the bunker to find Antonio but he was nowhere to be found.

The conditions outside made it impossible to go out at that point in time as the entrance was frozen. Everyone began to wonder how he must have gotten out of the bunker without attracting any attention.

Susan then said. "He must have teleported knowing that we will not be able to follow him..." sadness was written all over her face

********************************************

Antonio was shivering all over. Out in the cold and if not for the body-heat of Mi Fuego all around him, he knew he would have frozen to death. He managed to climb up Mi Fuegos' back and Mi Fuego took to flight.

Antonio had no idea where he was heading to but he knew he had to do something to stop whatever was coming!

He had so many people he cared about at this point which was unlike him. There was a time the only person he cared about was Reno Jorge and he was ok that. But now he had so many people in his life and life was now so complicated.

He would have to go back to his old habits if he was going to have a clear mind and see things for the way they were. He was born alone and always grew up a loner and that is what got him the revered status of Angel de la Muerte.

He believed a return to this person would help him achieve that which he needed to achieve.

He thought of Susan and how she would feel but at this point in time, but he would do her more good to be away from her.

The nightmares! The sheer reality of them, made him know that something evil was coming. There was something about these dreams that reminded him about his sojourn in the land of the Fates.

He would never allow such an evil aura to come near the people he cared about, so he needed to revert to his old habits and probably make some new friends from some old enemies, he needed to find Sergio Angel! Whether he liked it or not that man had answers to questions.

Due to the attacks by those creatures from the lands of the Fates, all comms were down and all internet was shut down.

Antonio flew straight to the council estate which was nothing more than rubble. He went there to see if he could find any clues as to where to find Sergio Angel.

On reaching the site he began to rummage through the debris searching for clues but he found nothing. The place had been wiped clean of any clues or any evidence of what had taken place there.

It turned out to be a frustrating search for him but just as he was about to give up he saw something that caught his attention. It was a burnt plane ticket to Bucharest but there was no name on it. He decided he was going to follow that lead and go to Bucharest

"Going somewhere?" He heard a voice say behind him. He turned around to see the Oraha standing behind him, alone without any of his bodyguards.

"What are you doing here Oraha?" A startled Antonio asked, "and how did you get here without I or my dragon noticing?"

"I got you into the land of the Fates where you stayed for five years and came back hale and hearty. Do you really think I would need a helicopter or a car to go anywhere I wanted to in this world?" The Oraha asked with a smile on his face.

"And that disappearing act you pull off from the bunker didn't go down well with everyone especially Susan. She has been worried sick about you!" The Oraha continued.

"Yes, I know she will be. Antonio replied. "But this is something I have to do on my own. I have to keep her out of harm's way"

"Keep her out of harm's way you say?" The Oraha scoffed as he asked. "You can't keep her out of harm's way Antonio. What will be will be, will be? Remember?"

The Oraha walked up to Antonio and put his hand honored on his shoulder and said... "Dear boy, this is the beginning of the most trying period of your life. You are going to see and hear things that will shake you to your foundations. You are going to lose loved ones, you're going to lose friends as you have lost friends before. There is nothing I can tell you that will prepare you for what is coming, only you can prepare yourself just be ready for anything!"

"What is the meaning of all this you are saying, you're confusing me as well as scaring me with all these words". Antonio said to the Oraha.

"I do not believe that what will be, will be any more! That was years back when I didn't know better. Susan and I have been through enough already and all I want to do is make sure I put an end to it all if it means taking my life I will do that". he continued

"Oh, my boy! You will not die. I am sure of that but you would see people die! It is your destiny to bring the end of an era. And with great destinies come great sacrifices that you have to make." The Oraha said

Antonio turned and walked away "I don't think I'm ready for this!" he said as he turned back to face the Oraha but he was no more there! The Oraha had disappeared!

Antonio suddenly woke up from his sleep. He was dreaming again. Exhaustion had taken its toll on him, after long and fruitless hours of checking through the rubble.

************************************************

"Julio, how's our little plan coming along?" Lord Murillo asked as he sat behind his mahogany table sipping a glass of whiskey.

"It's all going well, but it has been hard to trace the location of Antonio de Castillo and I am waiting for Tina Gyang to use her technology so that I can act before they do," Julio replied nervously

" I do not need to tell you the consequences of failure! Do I?" Lord Murillo asked looking directly at Julio. "I will not keep entertaining excuses from you!" He sternly warned him.

"I won't fail you, sir!" Julio replied, "Everything is on the way but there is just one little hiccup. Sergio Angel and Tina Gyang are onto our plans, Sir". Julio said.

"And how did that happen?" Lord Morillo asked in anger.

"Sir I honestly do not know. I guess Sergio Angel overheard our conversation and I saw him and Tina discussing it, so we need really need to tread carefully".

" I guess I would need to activate my other plan. One that has been in the play all along, but I paused it for a while. We cannot let them destroy my plan!" Lord Murillo said.

After a few days, the ice at the entrance of the bunker had melted enough for them to open the bunker.

Susan, the Oraha, and his men alongside the remaining men of the Timekeeping resistance got ready and got out of the bunker to go in search of Antonio.

A few men stayed back to take care of the wounded, while the rest went with Susan, though a majority of them went against their will.

As they approached the city on foot, suddenly an arrow out of nowhere hit one of the men in the chest and he fell to the ground in a heap. Everyone ran for cover.

"How on earth did we walk into an ambush when no one knew our location? Susan asked herself

She and her company of men were taken unawares. They were no match for the firepower that was against them. Men were falling to the ground before her eyes. She turned around to look for the Oraha, but couldn't find him anywhere close.

So she decided, it was better to surrender than to lose more men. She ordered her men to stop shooting and wave their weapons which they did.

They all stepped out with their arms in the air.

"Hello, Susan... it's been a long while" He heard a familiar voice behind her say...

She turned to see Sergio Angel smiling wickedly at her while pointing a gun at her head...