Death Angel

2. The Gentlemen’s Club-1

THE GENTLEMEN’S CLUB

I had awakened with a splitting headache. Punching through the throbbing pain only made my head hurt worse. I touched the crown of my head and flinched. Memories of my capture slowly crept through my skull, and I jolted, sitting up. The sudden urge to vomit struck hard.

My eyes fluttered open as I caught a trashcan beside the bed. I threw my legs over to the side just in time before I hurled. As I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, I wondered if all angels had a sensitive stomach. I reckoned that was the human in me.

I placed the trashcan down and drew back into bed, drawing my knees to my chest. I eased out a wry sigh. There were worse things. They could’ve killed me.

The last vision that repeatedly circled my brain was the pleading expression on Nick’s face as I darted out of the Hummer. Most likely our last glance forever. It was for the best. The Cajun alone slipping under the radar of the authorities would keep him safe. Hanging around me meant his chances of living were zero. I had to believe he made it out of the city safely and unharmed.

I swallowed down the knot that seemed to have cemented in my throat. As my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I skimmed over my surroundings. To my surprise, I wasn’t stuck in a drafty dungeon or restraint in a mental hospital. Nothing like my last capture. The room reminded me of a fancy hotel: a king-size bed with monogrammed pillows, sheets that felt like Egyptian and royal blue carpet. Not the sort of grand treatment I’d expected. Nevertheless, I was still a prisoner.

Of course, Aidan came through with his threat. The coward didn’t even bother showing up for the show. I questioned if he was the one that set me up in this cozy suite. That had me more worried than if I’d been sitting in a dank dungeon cell. At least I’d know what to expect. This exquisite suite pestered me like a pus-filled boil ready to pop. Whoever was keeping me hostage went through great lengths to spare my life. I should still be on guard. I wasn’t out of the woods by any means.

What did the Illuminati want from me? I figured there wasn’t much I could offer. After all, I’d infused my essence with Aidan. They couldn’t extract my powers and they had taken my child. Dom and Jeffery were mortals. And my powers were unpredictable.

Yet as I’d said before, I would never belong to myself. I wasn’t born like a normal person. There wasn’t anything about me that was ordinary. I was a product of my environment, a genetically engineered angel that turned out to be a dud, a useless mistake.

If anything good comes out of this, I hoped Aidan would make a gesture of good faith and free Dom and Jeffery. Surely, considering their history together, Aidan would have a soft spot for them. He no longer needed the guys to bait me. He wanted my capture and now he had it. Yet if that wasn’t enough, I’d gladly give my life in exchange for the guys.

I’d caused a lot of pain to those I loved. If I’d just turned myself in before now, the Cajun and the guys wouldn’t have been thrust into peril. Because of me, the Cajun nearly died and because of me, Aidan kidnapped Jeffery and Dom. I blamed myself. A creature like me didn’t have the right to walk freely. This planet belonged to humans. Not a freak created in a lab. I shouldn’t have ever been born. I wasn’t feeling sorry for myself or expecting anyone to take pity on me. It was the truth.

Despite my resolve, I wasn’t going to sit still and allow them to do whatever they wanted to me without giving them one hell of a good old southern ass kicking.

I knew what I had to do next. My eyes gravitated to the door. With a little help from my essence, I was fairly certain that I could break out of this joint. I reckoned I had the advantage there. What worried me was what might be lurking on the other side of the door. Did I have enough strength to fight any attack?

What if I used the same exertion that I’d used on Aidan and I turned back into that green-faced monster? Chills spiraled down my spine. Morphing into a monster was something I preferred to avoid. But was there a way I could balance my powers without turning into some hideous creature?

If Val were here, I could’ve asked him if my green face was normal for a Zop. Then again, this problem could stem from my creation. After all, I was a lab experiment. It wouldn’t be much of a stretch that the scientist made a mistake mixing a celestial being with a human’s DNA. There could be a hundred and one reasons why I had morphed.

One thing for sure, I wasn’t going to find answers sitting in this suite. I had to do what I had to do and worry about the effects later. I had to escape. It was that simple. First thing on the list after I blew this coop was finding Jeffery and Dom. I’d like to think that Aidan had the guys stowed away in one of these rooms here.

Wherever here was.

Still, it made sense. He staged my capture, knowing that I’d follow the guys anywhere. What other place did Aidan have to hide them?

Then I remembered the note. He mentioned another dimension. I didn’t see how he could carry the guys to another world. They were mortal. Aidan had mentioned that their oxygen was running low. What if he were merely trying to scare me?

What if Aidan were telling the truth? I remembered how the castle had magically vanished at his place in Tangi and then when I met Mustafa at the castle for the first time. We were in limbo. An empty forsaken land of darkness. The castle must be enchanted, traveling from dimension to dimension.

I lost Dawn in that castle to Mustafa. My chest tightened as the visions pummeled through my mind. That was the worst moment of my life. I drew in a sharp sigh. As much as I wanted to curl up and have a good cry over my loss, I needed to keep my head clear.

I threw my legs off the bed as the pounding ache in the back of my head sharpened. My whole body throbbed. I pushed past it and focused on that mahogany door, the barrier blocking my freedom. In four strides, I had my ear against the cool wood listening. It was quiet. “Okay, so far so good!” I mumbled.

I dropped down to the floor and peered through the space under the door. I spotted a shadow, pacing back and forth. I gathered to my feet quietly with a scowl on my face. “Ugh… a guard!” I bit my bottom lip wondering if I’d be encountering a regulator or a Nephilim? First, I needed to weigh out my options before making a move. I glanced over the room. Nothing but four walls. No windows. I checked the bathroom. It was nice but nothing out of the ordinary, monogram towels, a separate shower with white marble and blue rugs and no windows either. It made sense why they put me in this room. It wasn’t an easy escape. I huffed an exasperated sigh. It looked like the only way out was the door. And I’d bet my life on it that it was heavily guarded.

Then I thought about the element of surprise. If it were going to work, I had to attack swiftly, with no hesitation. I lifted under my blouse feeling for my blades. A smile spread wide across my face. Ms. Noel once taught me an invisible spell. Good thing too! It sure came in handy. They didn’t spot my sheath of knives.

It was a shame the spell only worked on inanimate objects. If I could cast the spell on myself, I’d walk straight out of this place and no one would know the better. Sweet idea, but an impossible feat. Too bad I couldn’t shift like Aidan. That was a trick I’d kill to have. So, I had to go to plan B. Whatever the hell that might be.

I drew in a deep breath and walked back to the end of the bed and stretched my arms out focusing on the door, pushing the limits of my powers. The energy in the atmosphere sizzled. I could feel my magick boil like a pressure cooker, climbing to the surface. My essence expanded, shooting forth with mighty force like a mini volcano obliterating the door into a million wooden splinters, knocking the massive guard off his feet. A loud clunk echoed down the hallway as blood oozed from the beast’s head. How about that? I giggled, staring at the large stiff scaly body. It was a giant Nephilim with a shard of wood penetrating his thick skull lay sprawled on the floor.

I jumped with triumph, confident that the beast was dead as I spun on my heels to make my get-away. But when I felt my feet rumble, I stopped and turned. The beast had risen to his feet, standing a good seven feet tall and gnarling at me. He shook his massive head, knocking the splinter free from his thick skull. Sheer black fright swept through me as I gawked. He pointed his hell-hot eyes at me and with lightning speed, he wrangled me by the neck and slammed my body onto the floor. The impact knocked the breath out of me, but I had to act fast or else die. I scrambled to my feet and shot my hands out, expecting to blast the beast to Timbuktu but nothing happened. “s**t!” I shook my hands trying to ignite the magical fire but all it did was sputter. “Freckin’ magick!” I stomped my feet in a tantrum, “Can’t depend on it for nothin’!” Swiftly moving on to the next line of offense, I commanded my steel knives to attack the beast, aiming between his black eyes. This rascal was one tough mother. The giant was ready to fight to the death. He swatted his burly fist at my blades, sending them crashing to the wall. Continuing his attack, he twisted his dense body and then like a wrecking ball, his massive fist collided into my stomach, sending me sailing several feet into the air and falling to the floor with a hard whomp. Before I could catch my breath, the Nephilim wrapped his meaty fingers around my neck and lifted me to eye level as drool dripped from his long, sharp snappers. “Holy s**t!” Staring back into his hungry, baleful eyes, I came to a haunting realization that this fat bastard intended to eat me!

I reached out for my knives commanding them to attack. The deadly blades shot forth, piercing his left eye. I could hear cartilage snapping as the bloody eyeball dropped down his face. Like a domino effect: the giant dropped his grip, staggered backward, fell flat on his back, shook the floor, and knocked me off my feet.

But the creature was like a cat with nine lives, springing to his feet and charging. His speed was incredibly fast that I hardly had time to think. He flew in the air and pounced on me with all fours. As I ducked and rolled underneath him, clenching my fingers around the hilt of my dagger, raised above my head, I thrust the deadly blade between the Nephilim’s legs, swiftly sliding out from under him.

This time, I hurt the beast as his loud squealed burst my eardrums. “Damnit!” I had to stop him before he brought down this whole place. I leaped into the air, taking my knife to his throat. The blade sliced his vocal cords stopping his screams. Crimson blood splattered the wall and my face and clothes. The giant fell like a fallen tree crashing to the ground. His body jerked as he lay on his back as blood pooled around his whale body. Gurgling sounds emerged as he suffocated from his own blood. Seconds later, he stilled.

I stood raking in air as my eyes washed over the giant. How much I’d changed in these last three years. I was turning into one cold b***h. I felt no remorse. Strangely, I delighted in his kill. That was one less evil bastard hurting innocent folks.

Moving along, I coiled the corner, noticing a black cape and mask on a small table. I smirked. Anonymity wasn’t such a bad idea. I quickly snatched the items and slipped them on. I pulled the hood down over my head, trying to hide my hair. The mask would take care of my face. The disguise might work. I could blend in with all the other cloaks. I needed to act fast and get as far from this area as possible.

Then it hit me that I couldn’t leave the bloody Nephilim for everyone’s eyes. Once a guard spotted him, he’d alert the whole house that I’d escaped. I went back to where I’d left the giant now saturated in his blood. Judging by his monstrous size, he was too heavy for me to drag. Then my gaze dropped to the crimson saturated carpet. Blood was everywhere, streaking the walls and ceiling.