Angel's Demon

17. News

17. News

Kyle was out of it for a couple of days. He hadn’t passed out this time, yet it was worse, in a way. He was glad it was over now, and that they didn’t have to find anyone else … except Helena. Making telepathic contact with her was a long shot. If she hadn’t heard them by now, chances are she wouldn’t. She wasn’t part of the inner circle. She wasn’t one of Gina’s children. He wanted to brainstorm with the others about what they should do. Surely someone had an idea or two?

Everyone had agreed to go silent — no mass broadcasting — for most of the week, as Renee was on location. She had a decent part in an independent short film that was being shot at Hanging Rock and would let them know when they’d finished for the day.

Kyle opened his laptop. If he couldn’t talk to the others, he may as well work on the current story he was writing — Angel Followers. It was loosely based on their story, the story of twenty-four kids who were connected by a chance encounter with … With what? Kyle thought to himself. Was Gina an angel, a gifted mortal, or a trickster like Matt? Had she deceived them? Had they healed themselves with the power of their own convictions? Maybe, as hard as it was to believe, she had been the next messiah, and had died for them. Who said history never repeats? If it didn’t, wouldn’t the first war ever have been the only war?

Kyle’s head was spinning. Too many questions and not enough answers. The only way to get them would be to go to the source, but that wasn’t possible. The next best thing would be Gina’s parents, Helena and Danizriel Malakh, who were supposedly angels. If that was true, then Gina wasn’t mortal.

He logged into the VPN his parents didn’t know anything about and opened a browser. How else was he to research questionable topics and not get sprung? It was a miracle they hadn’t cottoned onto it.

Miracle, huh, Kyle thought, shaking his head and laughing. Maybe we have been plagued by miracles these past seven years.

Who’s got the plague? Alice whispered in his head.

Shh, Kyle replied. We’re not meant to be talking right now.

I heard you though, Alice said. And I’m not being loud. I directed my thoughts at you, and you alone.

That revelation amazed Kyle. You can do that? he asked, as quietly as possible. Talk one-on-one?

Sure. You picture the person you want to talk to and think at them. Anyway, who’s got the plague?

I didn’t mean it like that, Kyle replied, directing his thoughts at Alice, careful not to picture anyone else. I’m better at putting words on paper than I am speaking or thinking them. Pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard and it’s like I’m channelling. The words just flow.

Oh, Alice sounded disappointed. I thought maybe it was something biblical.

Biblical?

Alex has been harping on about signs from the bible. He thinks some of those things are happening now. Not here. I forget what country he said, but he reckons the end is coming.

Kyle laughed. I’d better hurry up and write that best-seller then.

Alice laughed as well. Yeah, well, stranger things have happened.

That they have.

The image of Alice winked out and Kyle was left to his own devices once again. He was quite good at research. There was a plethora of information on the Internet. You just had to know what to look for. Now was the time to find out all he could about Gina, what miracles she had performed, her parents and anything else that might provide a clue as to what was happening and what they had to do.

There was a lot of information to sift through. Thousands of people had been touched by Gina, in one way or another. There were paintings of her, murals, and a few sculptures. Some of the information was hearsay — a story told to someone about what Gina had done for someone else — with nothing verifiable online from the original source. Kyle had spent hours reading articles, though none were about them, and how they were cured by Gina, which was odd. Why wouldn’t something that epic be documented online?

He already knew that Gina’s parents had frequented the La’miere hotel. Nothing new there. Paul had already done some research and told them. Paul had also thought that once they’d found the others some sort of radar would enable them to find Helena. Aly had asked if they might be able to feel her. So far there was nothing, other than the pull, which had shifted a few more times — south for Alex and Laura, north-west for everyone else — and disappeared for hours on end.

Wait a minute, he thought to himself. Maybe we’ve already found her. Hey guys, he called out, forgetting all about the ban on talking. Anyone listening in?

You do realise some of us are still sleeping, Laura replied in a groggy voice. Her image yawned.

Kyle glanced at the time. It was almost four in the afternoon. Time zone differences were a pain in the butt. Sorry, what time is it?

Nearly six.

Sorry, Kyle said again, but I think I’ve figured it out.

Renee was fuming. She’d repeated what Kyle had said instead of her lines. Now they had to do another take. Can’t this wait half an hour? We’ve almost finished.

Oh s**t, sorry. Half an hour then.

Kyle quickly made some notes about what he thought was happening. If it was true, it was time for them to leave home and make good on a promise they’d made, years ago.

Okay, I’m heading back to Aly’s place, Renee said. You can talk all you want.

When Renee found out that Aly lived in Woodend, the two of them had arranged for her to stay with Aly. What better way to get reacquainted with an old friend than by spending time with them.

Paul, do you remember what you said about a radar? Kyle asked.

Yeah, it was a long shot, Paul replied.

Kyle could hardly contain his excitement. What if the pull is our radar? What if she’s moving around, and that’s why the direction changes?

Then why does it disappear?

I don’t know … maybe she has some sort of hiding place, like a sanctuary from prying eyes.

In that interview Gina did with Natalie Harper, she said they lived in Eden. Maybe that’s where she disappears to.

Felicitia thought they were onto something. Why don’t we monitor the pull for the rest of the week and see if it takes a different direction again. We’ll need to keep track. Alex and Laura, if it changes while we’re asleep you’ll need to note the time and direction. We’ll do the same when you’re asleep.

Matt was watching the news. He liked to keep up to date with what was going on in the world, good or bad. Over the last three days there had been some rather gruesome murders. There was some speculation that they might have been committed by members of the Believers of the Second Coming of the Son of God — the very people who had murdered Gina. It didn’t matter that they’d all but been wiped out. Rumour had it that Helena was responsible for their demise, and who could blame her? They’d killed her only child.

Guys, Matt said. I think you should check the news channel.

Kyle was the first to turn on the television and see what was happening. Holy crap, I read about those people the other day.

The believers? Matt asked.

No, the murder victims. They’ve all met Gina.

It must be a coincidence, Brooke said. Someone gets murdered every minute of every day.

Yeah, that’s true, and if they’d been murdered months apart, maybe I’d believe it, Kyle said, but eight murders in three days, all in a similar fashion and all supposedly met Gina? What are the odds of that?

Probably the same as winning the lottery, Brooke replied. but I get your point.

So, what does that mean for us? Teresa asked. Are we in danger?

Hell yeah, we’re in danger, Kyle replied, and so are Gina’s parents.

Felicitia sighed. It was time. We don’t have a choice now. This affects all of us. We have to find them. Our fates are tied together.

How do we find them? Aly asked. We don’t even know if the pull is a homing device to find her mum.

There’s only one way to find out, Felicitia said. Who’s got a passport?