Promise Kept (Chapter Three)

Chapter Three1

Richard Eberly's eyebrow furrowed as he looked at his Fullscreen. Voicemail. It was abnormal for Clark not to answer his phone. Shifting to a more comfortable position, Richard grasped the lightning rod as he circled around the Chamber of Commerce's rooftop. The view never gets old, he mentally thought as he watched the sunrise. At six hundred meters above ground, the building was the tallest skyscraper in the “city that never sleeps.” While there were taller skyscrapers in the world, Richard disliked having clouds obscure his view.2

Flexing his shoulders, he rubbed the sore spot between his wing blades. Perhaps I should have taken the plane. It had been a long time since his last airborne flight, and he had use the chance to stretch his wings. I'm too old for this. His shoulder joint popped as he loosened a knot. Sighing with relief, he took a seat. His eyes were protected from intense sunlight, so he did not hesitate to stare as the sun slowly rise over the horizon. Relaxing, he temporarily closed his eyes.3

“Are you sure?” Richard questioned for the third time. He was standing with Clark on top of Mount Lycabettus. It was minutes before dawn, and below them, central Athens was just waking up. “Don't you want to remember?”4

“I'm not as strong as you, Richard.” Clark began the ritual by circling around the mountaintop, carefully setting up barriers. “I was born here, and coming back...I am overwhelmed by feelings. Emotions too strong to describe, enveloping me—its suffocating. I made up my mind, and I am certain that I'm following the right path. Besides, it will be easier.” Clark studied his friend, observing his uneasy posture.”Many have already fallen, and after Sarah's death, I realized the wisdom of our comrades.”5

“You don't mean that.” Rachel ran a hand through his dark hair, “You'll settle for human retention? Our wings symbolized who we were. Once you Fall, you will never be able to get them back. Tell me the memories we shared are worth more than the pain.”6

“I lost three Bounded already.” Clark finished the perimeter. “Yes, memories of Heaven were nice, and I will never forget our friendship. But I can no longer go on like this. Their voices, their smiles, I will never be able to move on if I can't see past them. Clipping my wings will dull the pain. Three thousand years of recollection are too much to bear for anyone, even angles.” Clark took out a small knife and waited for the first ray of dawn.7

“I'll catch you.” Richard stood stoically besides his friend.8

“I know you will.” Just as the dawn broke, Clark allowed a drop of his blood to hit the snow. His shoulders felt numb and the next instant, he was falling. There was a sense of freedom in the free fall; it was as if years of burden had suddenly lifted, and for once he was at peace. 9

“What are you thinking about?”10

Richard kept his eyes closed, hoping that if he feigned sleep, Melody Kovachev would take the hint. He mentally grimaced as he felt her hands on his hair. Her wings tickled against his cheeks and she slyly laid her head on his shoulder.11

“I know you're awake, and I'm not leaving until you talk to me.” Melody whispered in his ear, then proceeded to press a kiss on his temple.12

Frustrated and annoyed, Richard shot her a glare as he stood up, purposefully taking a few steps away from her. Watching her from the corner of his eyes, he noted that Melody had changed her usual attire. She was learning. Some careful wordings and unsubtle hints were enough for her to change into more conservative clothing. If she had took his words as encouragement, it was not his intention to do so. Melody was young, at least young in angelic years, and the Thirteen had “suggested” Richard as her mentor. Richard frowned as Melody released a stream of bell-like giggles. While humans may find an angel's laughter to be heavenly, to his ears, it was almost painful.13

“You're up early.” Richard commented dryly.14

“I wanted to personally welcome you to NYC.” Melody grinned as she gave a small twirl. “So? Where do you want to go?”15

Richard laughed sarcastically, “I practically founded the city, there's nothing here that I haven't already seem or done. Although...” He gave Melody a thoughtful look, “You wouldn't happen to know where VIT is, would you?”16

“Why?” Tucking her legs underneath her, she made herself comfortable. She shivered slightly as a breeze blew by. It was February, and the height and time made it much colder. Beginning a French braid, Melody sneaked a glance through her long eyelashes. “Michaelangelo never did you justice. Although the statue of David has to be the closest a human has ever come to capturing your image.”17

Ignoring her comment, Richard flexed his wings. It was about time for him to leave.18

“Wait!” Scrambling to her feet, Melody accused, “You promised to visit me. I've been waiting for a year for you to show up! You wouldn't even let me visit you! Now that you're here, won't you spend some time with me?” Brushing aside a few stray tears, Melody held her breath.19

Giving a weary sigh, Richard held up a finger. “One hour, and not a second more.” He scowled as Melody gave a cheer and latched onto his body. While they flew over NYC, he listened absentmindedly to her report on the current APC, the Angel Political Community that was created after Cancer War. He noticed that her eyes were a sapphire blue and dimly he recalled another girl with the same eye color. If he was to be completely honest with himself, he would admit that he cared for his young apprentice. While they hadn't been together for more than 300 years, he had come to grow fond of her. She turned to smile at him, and the dimple on her left cheek reminded Richard of his first daughter. Turning his thoughts away from that memory lane, he blinked in surprise at Melody's last word.20

“Did you just say Jason?”21

Melody gave him a curious look, “Jason O' Neil was taken into captivity last night, and the head of the APC had rejected all normal protocol concerning security breach. Apparently, Jason stole some secret files and there are rumors that he sold them to the Supernaturals. What? Do you know him?”22

“I thought I did.” Richard suddenly stopped, “Melody, when was the last time you returned to Headquarters?”23

“Two nights ago. Why?” Melody pouted as she noticed the gleam in Richard's eyes. It was obvious that her tour would have to be put on hold. “There's nothing interesting going on. Besides the Jason incident, Headquarters has been calm for the last month. Apparently with the election drawing to a close and with the succession of the new president, the Angel Political Committee are keeping things at a low profile. If you want to head back now, I doubt you will get into too much trouble.”24

Richard calculated the situation. It would be beneficial for him to enter Headquarters now while security was low. It would be difficult for him to continue to dwell in ignorance, especially if he was considering a coup d’état. Although he had hoped to visit VIT today, with the unexpected absence of Clark, it was an opportunity too good to pass up. Looking at Melody, Richard decided to take a risk.25

“Would you like to come with me?” As he had hoped, she looked at him in disdain before promising to see him later tonight.26

Unnoticed by Richard, the small motion detection device between his shoulder blades flashed red for a brief moment before it disappeared into his wings. Melody watched Richard's silhouette disappear before opening her old Smspad.27

“Well?” A voice asked expectantly28

“It's done.” Melody replied. Closing her phone, she looked at the faded picture of Richard on the front cover. It was one of the few she had of him. I'm sorry.29

*****30

Ervin Pasteur flipped through Report 207. On his desk there was a cup of untouched black coffee and a wooden picture frame filled with a photo of his ex-wife and their son. The picture was taken seven years ago. Few would understand the reason for the picture's occupation on the desk, especially since besides the stationary box and his laptop, it was the only sign of decoration. His office was bare except for a few plants sent by Rachel and a few picture frames sent by Arlene. His friend, Jason O' Neil sent him a pornographic calendar every year, but Ervin refused to open any of them. As of yet, a pile of outdated calendars lied under his mattress at home.31

He frowned as he looked at the expected profit for this fiscal year. He did not doubt Rachel's calculations, but if the marginal difference was to be a difference of 17 percent, it was unlikely that he would be able to purchase the share of Nanotech that was currently in the market. The economy was hitting them hard. Despite the wealth and standing of VIT, Ervin understood better than anyone, with the exception of the CEO, the importance of the bailout. The President promised a tax break for a few corporations, but the gap was too large. At this rate, VIT would cease to be profitable in eight years.32

A knock on his door interrupted his thought. His secretary, Diane Pizarro entered. She was surprisingly wearing a white laboratory coat over her usual office attire. Her dark hair was pulled up and for once she was not wearing any cosmetics or jewelry. She was also scowling.33

“Filling in for Arlene today.” Diane answered the unasked question. She set a file of folders before him, and explained, “Rachel called this morning. Apparently an accident occurred last night at CrimsonX and both Arlene and Shannon were sent to the hospital. Sit down! They're fine.” Jabbing a finger against Ervin's chest, she added, “They were released an hour after they were admitted with no damage besides some scrapes and cuts. Shannon is in a bit of a shock so Arlene decided to stay with her today. So don't worry. They'll be back tomorrow.”34

Ervin Pasteur released his breath with a sigh of relief. Looking at the file in front of him he asked in bewilderment, “Is this an update on the new project?” Flipping through the sheets, he was surprised to see a sheet of filmtron. There were three motion snapshots of three different men. In the first picture there was a middle-aged Hispanic wearing a pair of spectacles. Looking at the picture closely, Ervin was surprise to watch as the Hispanic scowled then pulled down on his sleeve, covering his right hand. In the next picture, there was a young man with dark hair pulled back into a ponytail. The man had blue eyes, and a roguish smile on his lips. Ervin narrowed as his eyes as he recognized Victor Donnelly. Setting aside the picture, he looked at the last snapshot. The man was tall, and although it was hard to tell, it appeared that he was in his early thirties. His face was cast in shadow, but the picture did show a pair of wings tattooed on his left shoulder.35

“What is this?” Ervin looked at the rest of the folder, but there was only a short note attached at the end. It was typed and the message was short: Know your enemies.36

“I don't know. That file was on top of the stack that Rachel asked me to send to you. She said it was in her mailbox this morning and that it was addressed to you. Why?” Diana's hazel eyes darkened as she watched Ervin flip through the rest of the file.37

“Nothing. I'm just a bit confused, but that's nothing you should concern yourself with. Why don't you go back to the lab, and give me a report before you leave.” Ervin waited for Diana to leave before he took out his phone. He waited impatiently for Alexis Anderson to pick up.38

“Alexis?”39

“Subject currently unavailable, please leave a message.” The sound of Alexis' monotone voice prompted a small smile from Ervin.40

“Alexis, the message arrived, like you thought it would. Who are they? Give me a call back.” Hanging up, Ervin glanced over the filmtron once more. Why would Rachel's brother be with these two? My enemies? What does it mean? And why wasn't Alexis answering? Ervin looked at Report 207 again and shook his head. His head was pounding. Being a telepathic, he was accustomed to training his thoughts, but today he was bombarded in too many directions. Arlene and Shannon were both gone, Alexis wasn't answering his phone, a mysterious folder with photos of strange men, and Diana was hiding something from him. Ervin had enough respect for his employees that he block their thoughts from his mind, but his control was not perfect and earlier he was certain that Diana was harboring a strong hatred in her head.41

Ervin looked at his Fullscreen uneasily. Something was wrong, and he felt like a raindrop caught in a storm. Ervin looked at the photograph of his ex-wife and son. Staring fondly at the picture, he rubbed his fingers against the wooden frame. The wood was loosing its color. The oil from his fingers had tarnished the once polished oak. I miss you. His ex-wife was waving and his son was hiding his face behind his mother's skirt but would shyly peak out occasionally. Where are you?42

*****43

“Wait! Don't go!” Ten year old Arlene Granger raced after her father. Stretching out her hands, she grasped vainly at thin air as her father disappeared. “Dad! Don't leave me!” 44

Arlene gasped as she woke up. Cold sweat rolled down her forehead, and she pressed a hand against her cheek. She was warm. Looking around her, she was surprised to see that she was in her room. The curtain was pulled half way and from the color of the sky, she imagined it was past dinner time. Laying her head on her pillow, she tried to recall her day. Last night, the explosion at CrimsonX had left her momentarily in shock, but she suffered only some cuts and bruises. Looking at the large bandage on her shoulder, she winced as she recalled the glass ball shattering above her. Clapping her hands sharply, she activated her ECD 3000. Her eyes widened in surprise as she saw an image of CrimsonX on screen.45

“CrimsonX suffered a surprise attack last evening at 9 P.M. Small explosives were flung through glass windows and smokescreen filled with toxic Fluorine gas sent many people to the hospital. As of yet, there have been 9 confirmed deaths and 21 injured. Olayemi Adegoke, the owner of CrimsonX has refused to comment on the attack, but witnesses report that several Supernaturals were seen leaving before the polices arrived. This is Nancy Bontecou from WWC, bringing you the latest news. Stay tune for—”46

Arlene disactivated the device. Reaching for her phone, she was surprised to note a missed call from Shannon. She spent last night at Shannon's house, feeling partially guilty for dragging her to CrimsonX and had wanted to make sure that her friend was safe. Both had suffered minor injuries and had only paused at the hospital for a toxic scan before leaving. Shannon was a wreck and was expressing concern over a friend who was in critical condition when they left the hospital. Arlene had returned to her condo early this morning for a shower, and after a hasty breakfast, she had retired to bed. Yawning, Arlene got out of bed, quickly throwing on a pair of pants and a tank top. Connecting her call to Shannon, she frowned when she got a voicemail and decided to try again later. After throwing in some food for her tropical fish, she decided to fix herself a late dinner. She was starving.47

Grabbing some work she had not yet completed, she began writing a memo to herself as she ate her tossed salad and breadstick, leftover from yesterday afternoon. As she chewed on a piece of tomato, she thought back to Rachel's phone call this morning. Apparently, Victor had kept his words and Rachel did not. While a part of her was angry with Victor, Arlene was also not surprised by the outcome. She trusted Rachel, but from her experience with Victor, he was a fairy who would not take “no” for an answer.48

Looking around her small kitchen, she once again considered redecorating, but then the reasonable side of her reminded her of her debt. The money she had saved up from work was finally beginning to decrease her father's debt, and maybe in another year she would be able to afford something nicer than the old furniture and yard sale decor that decorated her home. Besides a large Lady Palms that sat next to her medium sized aquarium, a few horse paintings, and a couple of pictures of her mother, the living room was quite sparse. Setting aside her note, Arlene remembered her dream. It was not unusual for her to dream about her father. He left his wife and his seven-year-old daughter with nothing but a large sum of debt and a promise to never return. Arlene took another sip of her apple juice; thinking about her father left a bad taste in her mouth. Her mother was heartbroken by her father's departure and was never the same afterward. Arlene remembered sitting by the windows on a stormy night crying with her mother, while her stomach growled with hunger, and wishing for her father's return.49

“Aidan Mason. Permit Entry?” Arlene was startled from her thoughts as her home security declared a visitor. What was Aidan doing here? Her boyfriend had called last night to check on her, but because he was at a conference in D.C. for the week, he had apologized for his absence. Looking over her attire, she declared herself decent before permitting entry. Just as she finished clearing away the last bowl, her boyfriend's arms wrapped around her. Arlene sighed as she breathed the smell of his aftershave. Mint, her favorite.50

“I thought you wouldn't be back until next week?” Giving Aidan a kiss, Arlene leaned against her boyfriend, content to be held securely in his arms. Aidan was wearing the green tie she bought him last year to match his eyes, and she was happy to note that he had finally got a haircut. Rubbing her hands through his thick hair, she was pleased to see that the cut contrasted nicely with his sharp cheekbones and straight nose.51

“I finished my case early. I heard the news, and I wanted to be here for you.” Aidan turned Arlene's arms around, his lips thinning as he noticed the bandages. “Are your injuries serious? Did you go to the hospital?” Grabbing a water bottle from the refrigerator, he rubbed his eyes tiringly.52

“What's wrong?” Arlene laid a hand on her boyfriend's forehead. “You don't have a fever, but you seem a bit cold.”53

Chuckling, Aidan caught Arlene's worried hand. “I'm fine. The case took longer than I thought it would. The finishing report was quite difficult.” Giving Arlene a hug, Aidan said, “Stop avoiding the question. You're the one that was in an explosion! I thought my heart stopped when I heard the news!”54

Rolling her eyes, Arlene smiled at Aidan's dramatic gesture. She knew that he was truly concerned, however, and assured him that she was fine. “But tell me about your case.” Walking to the bedroom, she impatiently tossed back on her sleeping gown. Secretly pleased by Aidan's lingering gaze, she climbed into bed. Raising an eyebrow, she watched as Aidan hesitated for a moment before he tentatively sat next to her, close enough to touch but far enough to draw back.55

Fingering his girlfriend's smooth hand, Aidan began to tell her about his day. “So you know that the APC was my client right?” Arlene gave an impatient nod and gestured for him to continue. “I don't know how much you know about angels, but they're not a communal species. Most are loners and often disputes are handled privately. It's rare for humans to get involved, except in cases of interspecies disputes. Well, anyway, my firm was selected by the Pentagon to settle the matter. I personally selected a team of seven to go against Jason O' Neil in the trial that will be held next week.”56

“So who is he?” Arlene shifted so she was now leaning on Aidan's shoulder. She closed her eyes momentarily.57

“O' Neil is one of the Aldermen that supported the 13. He wasn't really well known until last year, when he became known for some of his more vocal arguments against the APC.” Noting Arlene's confused face, he explained, “The structure of angelic politics is quite confusing, but basically, in interspecies politics, the APC acts like a powerful congress. In terms of angelic hierarchy however, the 13 serve as a public figurehead, a powerful executive group that also casts the deciding vote on APC candidates. The Aldermen are the enforcers of legislation. Now here's where it gets confusing.”58

Catching a lock of Arlene's hair, Aidan breathed in the smell of lilac shampoo. “The APC is strong, especially in politics, because they have the support of other species. The APC is well known among other species, while the 13 is a secret council known only to angels. The APC supports President Mervin, while the 13 have less faith in the President's inauguration speech. Some think that the committee wish to overthrow the 13, but that might just be speculation. Anyways, through all this political drama, the Aldermen are caught between two opposing sides. O'Neil was caught by surveillance last night at Headquarters. Apparently, he was smuggling important files and there is a consensus that his contractor was a Supernatural.”59

“So the APC thinks the 13 is involved too?” Arlene began to loosen Aidan's tie, her eyes daring Aidan to protest.60

“That's what the APC hired us for.” Catching Arlene's fingers just as she finished unbuttoning his collar, he asked, “Who did you dance with last night?”61

Arlene pressed a finger against Aidan's lips, “You're a better dancer than all of them.” Arlene gave a surprised cry as Aidan pressed her down on the bed. Pulling himself over her, Aidan whispered into her ear, “All of them? You danced with more than one?” Sliding a finger down his girlfriend's cheek, he asked calmly, “Are you trying to make me jealous?”62

Arlene's eyelashes flickered innocently, “Is it working?”63