Chapter: 22

The Twelve Angelic Orders/The First Choir

 

ILLUMINATIONS:
Those of the Third Order of Angels are of the highest physical form and maintain and accomplish the emulations of divine light and wisdom throughout the physical realms.


They appear as iridescent light and are known as Illuminations.
They are present within all physical realms.

Member of this Angelic Order

Sandalphon (Ilaniel)

 

“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Matthew 16:26

 

Chris awoke to find that he was in bed.  He sat up quickly, which made his head swim and his stomach start to tremble with the threat of the nausea returning.  He had not slept much since the only company he had was the hurt.  He had refused Nadia’s offer, but now living in the excruciating distress that ran through his entire body, he was contemplating his decision and wondering if it was the right one.

 

He threw his legs over the side of the bed to stand and when he did, he noticed that his side was re-bandaged.  He did not remember when it was done.  He had been so out of it that the only thing he could remember was the pain.  At this moment, if Nadia made the offer again, he probably would take it.

 

Suddenly, he felt his stomach cramping and ran to the bathroom as fast as his body could carry him.  Once there he dropped to his knees, his hands grabbing the cold surface of the toilet, his head leaning over the opening and threw up the yellow bile that was the only substance in his stomach since his capture by Nadia.

 

He stood on shakily legs, and leaned over the bathroom sink.  Turning on the tap, he threw water on his face and washed the foul taste from his mouth.

 

Once he figured his tasks were completed, he turned to exit the bathroom, but into the bedroom.  What he found there was a great surprise to say the least.

 

He found sitting precariously on the bed, a tray filled with food and coffee.  He looked to the door and found Nadia Diaz standing leisurely by the doorway, eyeing Chris up and down.

 

“Christopher, it is good to see you awake.  How did you sleep?”

 

Chris did not answer.  He only glared at her and slowly staggered to the bed. He then picked up the tray and placed it on the nightstand next to the bed. Moving with great effort, he carefully lowered his pain-wracked body to lie upon the bed.

 

“Well, if we want to be stubborn then so be it.  But I warn you, it will not bode well for the sharpshooter if you persist in fighting me,” she said, a wicked smile appearing on her face.

 

Chris turned his head on the bed to look at her in alarm. He knew she was talking about Vin.  Had they captured him? Oh, please, Lord, no.  Not Vin.

 

Nadia saw the way Christopher looked when she mentioned the sharpshooter. She knew the value Christopher put on Tanner’s life and it was worth it to watch the power she had over him just at the mentioning of the man.

 

“You touch him and I’ll make sure you never live to see another day,” responded Chris in a low threatening voice.

 

Nadia smiled wider.  That sounded like the Christopher she knew and loved.

 

“Well, then.  You better do what I request, now shouldn’t you.”

 

Chris pushed his anger back down into the recesses of his soul.  He knew that if he did not do what she wanted, Vin would be hurt, or worst killed.  He could not live with that.  He would not live with that.

 

Nadia saw his face change from one of anger to one of calm that she could not read.  But she assumed that he was now more acceptable to her requests.

 

“Why don’t you go on and take a look at what I brought for you,” she suggested.

 

Chris grimaced in pain, as he sat up and felt the stitches pull on his side.  He reached for the tray and pulled it over to closer to the bed.  As soon as the tray was in reaching distance, he grabbed the cover and moved it aside to see what was underneath.

 

On the tray sat a plate of eggs, ham and toast.  Next to it was a cup of black coffee and a small glass of orange juice, the way Nadia knew he liked it.  And next to that was a prescription bottle.  The same one he had refused earlier.

 

“See, lover.  I know what you like,” purred Nadia, walking closer to the bed.  “Why don’t you eat something?  It will make you stronger and you’ll feel much better.”

 

Chris eyes did not leave the brown bottle that lay on the tray.  It was his salvation and his damnation all in one.  If he took it, he felt he would be betraying his friends, his brothers.  If he did not take, then he felt he would be betraying Vin.  What should he do?  He had already decided that the pain was not something he liked, but he could live with it if he knew Vin was unharmed and alive.  But, was he willing to sacrifice his freedom for Vin’s?  The answer came without hesitation.  Yes.  He was.  He would trade his soul to save Vin or any of the others in a heartbeat.

 

He grabbed the bottle from the tray and opened it, never taking his eyes off of Nadia.  Taking two pills out, he popped them into his mouth and then quickly used the juice to wash it down. 

 

When that was done, he then started to eat the meal in front of him, little by little, taking a taste of the eggs, ham and toast. He only ate a small portion of the feast, noting that his stomach had shrunk over the past few months; he pushed the rest away, taking care to pick up the coffee.  He then sat back against the headboard of the bed, sipping it cautiously.

 

Nadia went to the bed and sat down next to him, gently as to not cause him any undue pain.

 

Chris noticed the action, and his eyes opened wide in bewilderment.  He was surprised at her display of caring.  He did not know what to think of it.

 

“I am not as evil as you think I am, Christopher,” she stated, touching his cheek softly.  “Don’t you understand that I love you?”

 

“But you hurt people, Nadia.  You are planning to hurt my friend,” retorted Chris doubtfully.

 

“I do it only because you give me no other choice.  Admit it. We did have some good times together.  Remember?”

 

Chris bowed his head in silence.  They did have good times, but he could not remember them.  He had given into Nadia’s pursuit after the death of his wife and son and was either basically too drunk or too hung over to care anymore.  He was usually in one of these states on their nights out.  They would hang out to all hours of the night, get stinking drunk, wake up in each other’s beds and go back to work.  Buck at that time saw the change in Chris and knew it wasn’t for the better.  He never trusted Nadia and when Lucien came into the picture it got worst to the point that Nadia turned traitor to the organization and Lucien was booted out.  He shook his head in disbelief.  And now she says she loves him. He wondered how he ever got into this situation.

 

“Nadia, listen.  We were both lost souls at that time.  I had lost my family and you had lost your brother,”

 

Nadia jumped up from the bed.  “I don’t want to talk about that!” she exclaimed, anger showing in her brown eyes. 

 

Chris could not understand her aversion to talk about the death of her brother.  He did not know much about it.  Only that she had lost her brother to a tragic accident.  It had happened right before she joined Celestial. The details surrounding it were not in her file when she was finally assigned to Larabee’s team.  He had just heard it about through the rumor mill and when he approached Chief Travis about it, he was told to let it drop.

 

Chris put the coffee cup back on the tray. “Okay, Nay.  But we were both drowning our sorrows and using each other’s company to help us through.  That was a long time ago.  Things have changed for me.”

 

“But it hasn’t changed for me, Christopher.  I still love you.  I always have,” said Nadia sitting back down upon the bed.  She then moved cat-like up the bed until she was lying next to Chris.

 

“Oh, Nay. I don’t know what I’m going to do with you,” said Chris, feeling the affects of the drug working in his system.  He knew he should be upset, or angry or even scared, but at this moment he felt nothing.

 

Nadia knew the drug was working.  It was not the drug that Chris had original brought with him.  She had changed the pills to be more to her liking, more to make Chris pliable for her ideas and suggestions.  Yes.  This would work out perfectly.  The only thing missing was the sharpshooter and then her plan would be complete. 

 

“Just relax, my love. Remember the good times.  Remember what we once meant to each other,” she cooed.

 

“Hmmm,” was all that Chris replied.  His thoughts seemed too jumble and confused for him to get a handle on them.  All he could think about was the sweet smell of perfume that wafted off of Nadia’s body.  He dropped his head towards her neck and kissed it gently.

 

“Ah, that feels so good, my love.  Don’t stop,” moaned Nadia, inching closer so that she could wrap her hands around his neck.  She then kissed him deep and long, rubbing her body against his. 

 

Although a warning bell was sounding wildly in his head, Chris did not fight it.  He could not fight it. His mind and body seemed not to be his own. He kissed her back passionately, grabbing her around the waist, hugging her hard.  The stirrings he felt encompassed his whole being and thoughts of his friends and his plans to escape faded away.

 

As he continued to kiss and pull desperately at Nadia’s clothes, he did not see the smile that crept to Nadia’s eyes.  Yes.  She had him and he was hers.  Once she had Vin Tanner, then he would be completely hers and she would have the Christopher she always wanted.  The bad boy, the bad element that everyone was so afraid would return.

 

She reached behind Chris, still clinging to him and turned out the light in the bedroom.

 

*    *    *     *    *

 

What Nadia did not know was outside the bedroom door, Devon stood, hearing the laughter and moans of lovemaking coming from the prisoner’s room.  He knew Nadia was having a good time and he seethed with jealousy and anger, his mind conjuring all kinds of images of what the two were doing behind the locked door.

 

“Have fun, Larabee,” he thought to himself.  “But I can tell you, Nadia will not be yours for long. Mr. DeCorisa will pay my price, then he gets what he wants and I get what I want.”  He laughed nastily as walked away from the closed bedroom door and proceeded down the hall towards his own room.

 

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Chapter: 23

The Twelve Angelic Orders/The Second Choir

 

CELESTIALS:
The Second Order of Angels maintains the connections between Divine Thought and Wisdom and its manifestation into the physical realms.


They appear as shinning silver light. They are known as the Celestials.
Few ever appear to humans or 3rd density realms. They are present throughout all of existence.

Member of this Angelic Order:
Celestial (Astarael)

 

 

http://www.steliart.com/angelology_angelic_orders.html

 

 

“Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.”

 

 Psalm 112:4

 

Vin woke to the sun dawning in the darkened bedroom.  He had not remembered how he had come to where he was.  One minute, he was parked outside the home of one Nadia Diaz, dealing with his painful ribs and headache while sitting in his truck and the next minute a hand with a cloth was placed in his mouth and he woke here.

 

He found himself lying on a plush king-sized bed.  The sheets and pillows were decorated in what he called “an Ezra styled bedding”, which meant it was very chic and very expensive.  Well, wherever he was, it seemed that he was being lavished on.

 

He sat up slowly to give his head time to catch up with the rest of him and looked around.  A small dresser sat in the right corner and a window with bars was on the wall to the left of him.  A night table was next to the bed with a lamp, which Vin assumed was expensive just as expensive as the rest of the place.  A chair resting to the left with his clothes folded neatly on it.  He looked under the sheet and found that he was only dressed in his boxers and a huge stretch bandage around his ribs.  It felt tight, but he knew that was the purpose.

 

He was about to get up, when he heard the open and a young African American woman dressed in a black pantsuit and jacket, holding a gun.  The gun hung loosely at her side and Vin automatically knew that this was Nadia Diaz, one of the people who seemed to be threatening his friend.

 

Nadia sauntered over to stand next to the bed.  Her men never failed her.  They knew the consequences of doing so.  She smiled wickedly at the young man who lay on the bed.  He had very badly bruised ribs and the doctor had said that he must have had a very bad knock on his head as he had a slight concussion based on his examination.  Nadia knew that should make him easier to handle.  But of course, she did not know Vin very well.

 

Although Vin’s ribs were aching him fiercely and he felt pain every time he tried to breath, he still was alert enough to plan a strategy to take Nadia out before her men could arrive to help her.

 

While Nadia stood appraising the young man, Vin jumped up from the bed, which surprised Nadia since she did not think he had the strength considering his condition and the drugs, and grabbed her arm with the gun.  They both fell back onto the bed, both wrestling for control of the gun.  Although Nadia was in better strength physically than Vin, but she did not have the conviction that Vin did when it came to saving his friend’s life.

 

The struggled ended quickly and Nadia found herself looking down the barrel of her own gun.  She slowly and cautiously backed away from threatening item, looking around to see what her advantages were.

 

Vin on the other hand read her body language like a book.  He knew she was trying to figure a way out of her current predicament.  Vin was not about to let that happen.  Still holding the gun pointed directly at her with one hand and holding on to his injured ribs with the other, he moved slowly off the bed to become standing on his feet.

 

“Nice shorts,” said Nadia drooling over the man’s almost naked body. 

 

“I like them,” said Vin tersely.  He knew Nadia was no one to fool around with.  She was a very dangerous individual, especially if she was to capture one Christopher “Archangel Michael” Larabee.  “Now, why don’t cha move to the other side of the wall.  Keep ya hands where I can see them,”

 

Nadia knew although this man was hurt and in pain, his brain was not idle.  She also remembered from reports she received by her men, that he was capable of putting a bullet into her brain even under these conditions.

 

“Yes, sir, Mr. Tanner, sir,” she said smiling and saluting him and moving to the wall.  “But I must warn you that my men are all around here.  There is no escape.”

 

“First things, first, Miss Diaz.”

 

“Call me Nadia.”

 

“What I want to know, Miss Diaz, is where is my friend?”

 

“Ah, your friend.  And what friend would that be, Mr. Tanner?”

 

“Let’s stop the games, okay, Miss Diaz.  Ya hand over Larabee and I just might let ya live,” growled Vin.

 

If it was anyone else, they would have listened to the tone of that voice, but of course, Nadia was not anyone.

 

Nadia only laughed.  She felt she was in no danger from this man.  She could handle the strongest of them.  He was no different.

 

“Now, now, Mr. Tanner.  I would not start threatening me.  Not if you want to see your friend alive,” she said in a low voice.

 

“Where is he?”

 

“Oh, he’s here, but I think your trip was all for naught.  You see he wants to be here.  It was his choice.”

 

“His choice?  What the hell are ya talking ‘bout?  Chris would never agree to stay here!  Now where is he?”

 

“Very well.  Since you won’t take my word for it, I’ll take you to your friend.  Why don’t you put on some clothes first,” she said eyeing the chair and then returning her gaze to his boxer’s shorts.

 

Vin blushed, but did not loose his control over the situation.  He grabbed his pants and started getting dressed by using one hand at a time and switching the gun back and forth when he needed to.  Nadia leaned back against the wall, watching him.  Her thoughts turning sensually as her gaze took in everything of the man.  Chris and Vin.  The two of them together would be a great addition to her so-called family.  But what was this man’s weakness.  Unlike Chris, she did not know.  But she had to find out.  Maybe after he saw that his friend was not inclined to leave, he would willingly stay.  She then reconsidered her thought.  He was too much the righteous man.  It would not work.  She would find another way.

 

Her thoughts scattered as she noticed that Vin was finally dressed. 

 

“Now, take me to my friend,” he said motioning the gun towards the door.

 

“Very well.  Follow me,” and she started towards the door.

 

“No, wait,” said Vin walking to the door himself.  He then warily opened the door and peeked outside, still holding the gun on Nadia.  He found the corridor empty. “Okay, but let me tell ya now.  Any funny stuff and ya’ll be the first one I shoot and don’t think I won’t jest because ya a woman, understand?”

 

“Quite,” she responded and walked out the door, with the gun Vin held in her back.   They both walked quickly and quietly down the corridor.

 

*  *  *  *  *  * 

Lucien sat in the large chair within the office of Christopher Michael Larabee.  He was waiting for the others to let him know when they were ready to start thinking about a strategy concerning rescuing their friend from the clutches of Nadia Diaz.

 

He stared at the picture of Sarah, Adam and Michael that stood on the large oak desk. He remembered when the picture was taken.  It was the day that they had bought their first house out here, when Michael was a different man, a man more in controlled of his destiny.  Or was he?  He was just a man like they all were, moving through time with no hint of what tomorrow may bring.  Unfortunately for Michael, it only brought death, destruction and insanity.

 

Just then Buck Wilmington walked into the room.  Lucien could tell that he was not a happy man ever since their meeting with Chief Travis.  He had designated Ezra as the current man in charge and Buck did not like it all.  He had also assigned them to find their missing friends without the aid of the Celestial.  To Buck that was practically a death sentence for his friends.  Without the extra help in tracking them down and they without their number one tracker it was left to the rest and their extra baggage Lucien.

 

Buck glared at Lucien.  If he could, he would have thrown him to the wolves of Nadia Diaz.  He still might if they did not find their friends soon.  Nadia would love to get her hands on the obscured agent.  She always like Chris had a big thing when it came to revenge.  But they needed Lucien with them.  He knew Nadia in and out.  He knew her inner thoughts and dreams.  He would know how to find her.

 

What Buck did not know was that Nadia did not want Lucien not only just for revenge.  There was something more.  Nadia wanted Lucien because he was one of two people who could do her the most damage.  Lucien went into hiding because he feared the consequences of his action.  He went into hiding because he held information, information that was damaging to Nadia if it fell in the wrong hands.  It would not only cost her the ties she had forged in her business, but her life.

 

“Well, Bucklin.  Did you and your bunch of ragtag misfits find the whereabouts of my brother, yet?” asked Lucien sarcastically.

 

Buck was almost at his breaking point with Lucien.  He had kept his cool because the others told him it would not help Chris and Vin.  But his patience with the man was waning.  Lucien had not offered anything to assist them in their search as he had agreed to do when they first informed him of the suspected kidnapping of Chris Larabee by one Nadia Diaz.

 

Lucien knew that Buck was frustrated with him.  It was going as he had planned.  He wanted to throw the agent off guard so as to make him sloppy.  Sloppy to the point where he would do something stupid that would give Lucien the opportunity to escape.  But not to escape Nadia, no, that would be too easy.  He would escape and find his brother and his friend his own way.

 

Buck stood there, breathing fire at the man.  He could not believe that this was Chris’ brother.  But he knew he could not believe otherwise.  But boy, did the man get on his last nerve.  “No! And don’t forget that your brother thinks very highly of his team!”

 

“No saying for my brother’s bad taste,” commented Lucien smiling.

 

At that moment, the others walked into the office.  Lucien did not know it, but it saved his life.

 

Buck turned to Ezra and said, “This guy just sits there!  Why are we bothering with him?”

 

“Because Mr. Wilmington, he has very personal knowledge of Nadia Diaz and it will be an asset in locating our absconded two compatriots,” answered Ezra walking over to Chris desk and seating behind it.

 

“Well, great leader, why don’t you tell us how we’re going to do that if this son-of-bitch doesn’t tell us anything!”

 

Ezra of course ignored Buck’s raving and turned to Lucien.

 

“Mr. Caymen.  I would say you need to cooperate or I will have my friend Buck here eviscerate your face.  Of course, it will be very painful, but the things we do for friendship,” said Ezra leaning back in Chris’ chair and wrapping his hands behind his head.

 

At first Lucien looked at the gambler with eyes of doubt, but then he saw the gleam of anger in the calm man’s eyes.  He knew Ezra would do what he threatened to do.

 

“Very well.  Nadia hangs out at the Twenty-One Club frequently.”

 

“Isn’t that DeCorsia’s place?” questioned Nathan.

 

“Yes, brother.  It is.  The devil incarnate is housed there,” put in Josiah.

 

“But that place is guarded like a fortress!” exclaimed JD.

 

“So it is, child,” said Ezra thoughtfully.  “But I am sure that our ex-compatriot here has devised a plan to breach this formable fortification.”

 

“I had a plan, yes,” responded Lucien.  “Had, that is.  Michael and his friend Vin Tanner have changed that.  It is no longer a workable plan.  Marco and Nadia are not stupid, no matter what else you might think of them.  They will be alert for any rescue attempts from the agency or us.  He will make it more secure against intrusion and my plan called for him to be unawares and unguarded.”

 

“Your plan was to get back at Nadia,” stated Nathan understanding now why Lucien would have a plan in the first place.

 

“That is correct, Healer.  But Nadia did not know I was here.  In fact, none of you did, until now.  Now she has Michael and probably the knowledge that I am here.  As soon as she is done with my brother and your friend, she will be after me.”

 

“Yes,” said Ezra, his green eyes lighting up like emeralds.  “She would, wouldn’t she?”

 

“Uh, oh.  I think Ezra has a plan,” said Josiah noticing the look on Ezra’s face.

 

“I most certainly do, Mr. Sanchez.  It’s not original, but I think it could work.”

 

“And what would that be, Ez?” queried Buck.  If Ezra had a plan then it was probably a good one.

 

“We have something Nadia wants,” stated Ezra, his eyes turning full upon Lucien.

 

Lucien saw the look and started to rise from his chair.  “Oh, no!  You’ve can’t be serious!”

 

Buck and Josiah forced the man back into the chair.  “Oh, but I think he is, brother.  He’s very serious.”

 

“She’ll kill me!” yelled Lucien hoping one of them would see his way of it.

 

“She might,” said Buck laughingly.  For once he had something to stress out Lucien.

 

“She won’t,” put in Nathan.  “We just want to use you as bait.”

 

“Bait, the man says!  And you’re a doctor!”

 

“Yes.  I am.  But I am also Chris and Vin friend foremost.  Those two have saved my ass more times than I can count.”

 

“Don’t worry, brother.  We’ll protect you,” added Josiah, smiling.

 

“Are we really gon’na do this, Buck?” asked JD.

 

“Yep, son.  We are,” replied Buck.

 

Lucien sighed.  He was not going to win this argument.  These men had already made of their minds.  Then an idea came to him.  Maybe he could make this work for him.  If he got close enough to Nadia, he could save his brother and his friend and take care of Nadia once and for all.  But the plan had to have some contingencies.

 

“Very well, gentlemen.  Let us say I go along with your plan,”

 

“You got no choice,” came Buck’s statement, but Lucien ignored him.

 

“Let us say,” he said eyeing Buck angrily. “That I go along with your plan.  There need to be certain contingencies.  I do not risk my life fool heartedly like some people I know.”

 

Ezra was willing to listen.  “And what are these contingencies, sir?”

 

Lucien started to explain to him of the contingencies he wanted added to the plan.

 

They all sat listening, hoping that Lucien’s plan would work and not only save their friends, but Lucien as well.

 

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Chapter: 24

The Twelve Angelic Orders/The Third Choir

 

ANGELS OF THE COSMOS:
Govern All The Cosmos:

The third Choir Angelic Orders (the Dominions, Virtues and the Powers) concern themselves with the governing of a specific planet, as well as those angels assigned tasks below them. These angels flow in an intensity of power. They also carry out the orders they get from the Angels of the above Choirs. Third Choir angels deal with the cosmos and its interconnectedness.

The Virtues

Quote from Dionysius the
Areopagite text:

"The name of the holy Virtues signifies a certain powerful and unshakable virility welling forth into all their Godlike energies; not being weak and feeble for any reception of the divine Illuminations granted to it; mounting upwards in fullness of power to an assimilation with God; never falling away from the Divine Life through its own weakness, but ascending unwaveringly to the super essential Virtue which is the Source of virtue: fashioning itself, as far as it may, in virtue; perfectly turned towards the Source of virtue, and flowing forth providentially to those below it, abundantly filling them with virtue."

 

 

Some Members of this Angelic Order:

 

Chamuel
Uriel
Gabriel
Michael

 

“The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.”

 

Luke 1:19


When Vin and Nadia reached the room that was to have held Chris Larabee, they found it darkened.  There was only one light lit, that came from the opening of the bathroom.

 

Vin pushed Nadia inside, checking the hall to see if it was clear and then closing it silently behind them.  As his eyes adjusted to the darken interior, he saw the figure of a man, lying upon the bed, curled up into a fetus ball.  He knew Chris was not well and figured that the withdrawals were becoming frequent and furious now.

 

“Chris?” he called softly, but received no response.  He motioned Nadia to sit in the chair on the other side of the room. “Make sure your hands are kept in front so I can see them.”

 

Nadia sighed, but did as she was asked.

 

Vin stepped closer to the bed and touched his friend with his free hand, gently trying to shake him awake. “Chris, ya need ta wake up.  It’s me Vin. I’ve come ta get ya out of here.”

 

At first there was no movement, but then slowly Chris started to move and turned to face the person who had called his name.  “Vin?  What are you doing here?”

Vin smiled.  “What cha think idiot?  I’m here ta rescue ya.”

 

Chris finally came fully awoke and sat up in the bed.

 

“Here, let’s get some light in here,” said Vin walking over to the light switch by the door and turning the lights on.

 

The bright glare blinded Chris with pain.  “Ow!” he exclaimed, putting his hand in front of his eyes.

 

“Chris?  What’s wrong?” asked Vin concerned.

 

“Too bright,” replied Chris, pulling his legs over the side of the bed and leaning his head into his hands.

 

“Don’t worry.  Nate’ll fix ya up real quick when he get back.”  He noticed that Chris was wearing only a black shirt from the other day and his jeans. 

 

“Come on. Get dressed. I don’t know how long we got before those men of hers start searchin’” he said hurriedly, pointing his weapon at Nadia.

 

Chris pushed his hand through his blond frizzled hair and raised his eyes to look at his friend.

 

Vin gasped at what he saw.  Chris irises were tiny pinpoints in a sea of bloodshot and Vin knew the reason why he was so light sensitive.  Drugs. Chris was using again.

 

“Damn, Larabee!  What the hell have ya been doin’?”

 

Chris fogged mind barely registered the anger in the tone of his friend’s voice. “What’s your problem?  Keep it down.  There are little men digging for gold in my head.”

 

“Ya don’t get it, do ya?  Ya can’t keep takin’ this stuff.  It’s gon’na kill ya!”

 

“Listen, Vin.  I ain’t going.”

 

Vin had felt the floor drop from underneath him.  “What do ya mean ya ain’t goin’?”

 

Chris stood up, anger in his eyes and in his mind.  “What?  Are you deaf?” he yelled.  “I said I ain’t going.  Not leaving!  Get it!”

 

Vin stared at him in concern.  This man was not the Chris Larabee he knew.  This man was a stranger.

 

Chris knew what Vin was thinking.  He thought that Chris had let the drugs control him.  But the drugs had worn off a while ago.  All he had right now was a bad hangover.  What was controlling Chris was fear.  Fear that Nadia would do the same thing that he had done to him to Vin and he could not live with that.  He was saving Vin from a fate he thought was worst than death.

 

“Vin,” said Chris approaching the young man.  As he did, Vin backed up a step and Chris felt his heart drop into his stomach.  Vin was afraid of him.  This is what things had come to. “Vin, please,” he pleaded, not moving any closer to him.  “I need you to get out of here.  You understand?  I don’t want your help or the others.  I’m…I’m happy where I am.  Tell Travis it was fun while it lasted.”  He then walked over to stand side by side with Nadia.

 

Vin’s mind could not comprehend what his eyes were telling him.  Could Larabee be turning traitor?  He could not believe it.  He refused to believe it.  It was the drugs. He was sick.  That was it.  He was sick and did not know what he was doing.

 

“Chris, I don’t have time for this.  We need ta move, now!”

 

“No,” came Chris’ simple reply, as he wrapped an arm around the waist of Nadia and pulled her close.

 

“Chris, ya can’t mean this?”

 

“I can and I do.  Go now, Vin, while you still have the chance,” he said turning to look at Nadia.  Chris knew she would be the only thing that would prevent the tracker from leaving.

 

Suddenly, there was shouting in the corridor outside.  Nadia’s men were searching for her and their lost prey.

 

“Go on!” yelled Chris, keeping his face passive and unreadable.

 

“Yes, Vin,” piped up Nadia.  “You better leave before they get here.  My men…Well, they can be a little aggressive when someone invades their territory.”  She smiled wickedly at him, knowing that she had the upper hand at the moment.

 

Vin opened the door and took a quick look outside the corridor.  No one was around.  He said before leaving, “I’ll be back for ya, Chris.  Ya just hang on, ya here?”

 

“Quid me nutrit me destruit,” replied Chris. “Get going.” He walked back over to the bed and lay upon it turning his back on his best friend and brother.

 

Vin did not understand what Chris had said, but he knew he had to remember it when and if he got back to the others.  He hoped it was a clue as why Larabee was acting the way he was.  He then moved out into the corridor, closing the door softly behind him.

 

Once he was gone, Nadia moved to sit on the bed next to Chris, her hand slowly and lovingly caressing his back.

 

“You know, I could have screamed for help.”

 

Chris did not turn to look at her.  He was feeling the guilt and shame of what he had just done.  “Yeah, well, why didn’t you?”

 

“I have you, lover.  I don’t really need the young Gabriel,” she lied.

 

“Yeah, you sure do have me, Nay. We have each other unto damnation,” said Chris softly.

 

“But you love me, Christopher.  Admit it,” she cooed leaning suggestively on top of his back.

 

Chris spun around swiftly turning to face her.  He then grabbed her none too gently by the shoulders, his eyes glazed over with anger and despair and when he spoke it was with such vehemence that Nadia felt chilled.

 

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 'But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

 

“Chris, what the hell are you babbling about! Let go you’re hurting me,” complained Nadia struggling to free herself from the seemingly crazed man.

 

“Hurt?  Pain?  You know nothing of them!” he yelled pulling her even closer to him.  He then said, “Then one of the Twelve--the one called Judas Iscariot--went to the chief priests and asked, ‘What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?" So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.’  That is what you have bargained for Nadia!  That is what you have made me! A betrayer of friends.”

 

“Chris, darling, listen to me, remember I am the one that loves you.  Not them.  You don’t need them.”

 

“You don’t understand, do you?  I’ve lost them!  I’ve lost myself, my soul,” said Chris letting her go and covering his face with his hands.

 

Nadia stared at him astonished.  This was a part of Archangel Michael she had never seen before.  The Christopher that she remembered was a harsh and cruel taskmaster. This was not the man she loved and worshipped.  But that would change.

 

Nadia touched him gently on the shoulder, but Chris flinched from it.  She sighed tiredly and tried again.  This time, Chris did not move. She said, “Chris, time heals all wounds and I have something for you.”  She put her hand in the pocket of her jacket and pulled out a small vial.  “This will ease your pain, my love.  Please.  Take it.”

 

Chris looked up at her.  She saw the different emotions flitter across his face, first anger, then remorse and shame and finally acquiescence. He took the vial from her hands and cautiously opened it.  Inside was a clear liquid.  Chris sniffed it, but there was no smell.

 

“Go ahead, my love.  Take it.  Swallow it,” said Nadia soothingly.

 

Chris gulped it down with one swallow, knowing that he had probably condemned himself to forever living in the hell of drug dependency.

 

“Good, good,” replied Nadia, her hand softly caressing his hair.  “Now, sleep.  Tomorrow will be a new day and we have a lot of work to do.”

 

Chris mind was gradually becoming fog again.  He knew it was the drug that Nadia had given him, but he did not care. He was in the lowest depths of hell, where he believed he deserved.  There was nothing anyone could do to him now that could give him any more pain.

 

Chris lay back down upon the bed.  He was becoming cold. He felt dead and barren inside and he started shivering.

 

Nadia saw this and stood up to place the sheet over him.  She then walked to the closet and pulled out a quilt and placed that too over the shaking man.  She knew the drug was taking affect and the shivering would stop soon. Then the euphoria would take over and she knew the man would sleep a peaceful and dreamless sleep.

 

Nadia walked to the door and turned out the lights as she left the room, closing it behind her.

 

She did not see the fresh trail of tears that ran down the blond’s face into the pillow he lied upon. 

 

*    *    *     *    *

 

Vin ran as fast as his legs could carry him from the estate.  Sirens blared, lights searched the area back and forth and men ran every which way.  He had found a way out of the building and had concealed himself among the bushes and trees that surrounded the house, creeping inch by inch, getting closer to the large metal fence. 

 

He did not know what he was going to do once he got there.  He knew a place this big had to have security measures like an electric fence, but he would deal with it when the time came.  At this moment he was more concerned about the voices of the men he heard getting closer and closer to his position as time went on.

 

He was also still trying to deal with the regret and pain that he felt concerning his friend.  They were slowly losing Chris to his black mood and nature.  If Chris continued on the path he was now on, Vin knew there was no way they would return with the same man.  If he did not have to worry about Nadia sounding the alarm, he would have tried to take Chris forcibly.  But he knew he was in condition to attempt such a feat fighting the two of them.  He needed the help of the others and that was his current destination.

 

The men were moving off towards another section of the grounds.  Vin saw this as his chance to escape.  He crouched down low, waiting for the second the lights were somewhere else and when the time came, grabbing his side with his hand, the young tracker sprinted towards the gate and safety.

 

Vin conceded that he was very lucky as no one had saw him and no alarm came, although his heart pounded with the fear of discovery. He was about half way to the gate when he realized that his luck had not held out.  One of Nadia’s goons was running towards him and yelling at the others that he had found their quarry. 

 

Vin knew he could not outrun the man.  His ribs were still sore from the beating that they had taken from Larabee.  Instead, Vin turned around quickly and ran fast and straight towards the man.  The man was stunned by this maneuver and could not understand what Vin was trying to do.  When he did realize what Vin had in mind, it was too late and Vin had tackled the man to the ground, hitting him in the chest area.  The man went down quietly.  He did not have a chance to call out or scream as Vin’s hit had taken his breath away.  Vin then punched the man squarely in the face, knocking him out cold.

 

Once Vin was sure that the man would not rise again, he started running, keeping low to the ground back towards the exit.  His strength was waning and his breath came in short gasps.  He knew he had done some more damage to the already hurt ribs, but he had no time to dwell on it. 

 

He was at the gate and was about to test it to see if his original thoughts on the security were correct, when he felt a hand grab him by his upper arm and jerked him towards a copse of trees.

 

Already in his defensive mode, Vin turned abruptly at the attacker and landed a punch where he thought the person’s face should be.  The attacker fell to the ground, holding on to his face, moaning softly.

 

Vin was grabbed the man by the jacket and pulled him upward.  He was about to land another blow on the individual when he heard, “Damn, Stud.  You sure know how to make a fella feel welcomed.”

 

Vin turned to see Buck Wilmington and Josiah Sanchez standing near a tree.  He then turned back to his attacker and saw that it was Lucien Caymen, Chris Larabee’s lost brother.

 

“What the hell?” said Vin releasing Lucien.  “Buck?  What are you doin’ here?”

 

“Well, that’s a stupid question.  What do you think, asshole?  We’re lookin’ for you!” answered Buck, smiling broadly at him.

 

“Come on, Son,” said Josiah moving next to Vin and grabbing him by the shoulders.  “It’s time we took our leave of this place.”

 

Vin let the ex-priest lead him away. 

 

“Well, that’s just great! Well, thank you for all your help, Lucien.  We really appreciate how much you placed on the line for us,” said Lucien sarcastically.  “Oh, your very much welcomed.  Nothing is too good for my brother’s compatriots.”

 

“Lucifer, ya better hurry up or we’ll leave your skinny ass here for the wolves,” said Buck walking away and not looking back.

 

Lucien brushed the dirt from his clothes and angrily followed behind the three men.

 

Josiah led them to an opening in the fence.  Vin could see that it was recently made, with what Vin had no idea. Josiah walked through the fence first, with Vin following closely behind, Buck right after him and Lucien bringing up the rear.

 

Once through the fence, Vin noticed that his truck and Buck’s was parked on the other side of the street.  JD sat in Vin’s truck, while Nathan and Ezra sat in Buck’s truck.

 

Vin waved tiredly at JD, still trying to catch his breath.  He could feel his heart pounding hard within his chest and he knew it would not be long before he drifted to the lull of darkness.

 

JD smiled and waved frantically back at him.  “Don’t worry, Vin.  I got ya truck!” he shouted to them.

 

“Damn, JD!  You yell any louder and we’ll have plenty of company to deal with.  Josiah, take Vin and Lucien over to my truck.  I’ll ride with JD.”

 

“Where to, Buck?” asked Josiah.

 

“Back to Chris’ place for re-grouping, if that’s okay with you, Ezra,” he said eyeing Ezra in truck.

 

“Far be it from me to interfere in your commands, Mr. Wilmington,” replied Ezra calmly, bowing his head slightly at the tall agent.

 

Vin with Josiah and Lucien started to walk over to Buck’s truck, but his legs failed him at the last moment and his eyes rolled back into his head into unconsciousness.  He would have hit the ground, if Josiah had not been prepared and with quick thinking. He caught the young tracker and lifted the young man up, carrying him the rest of the way to the truck.

 

“Mr. Jackson, I would say you are needed in the back with Mr. Tanner and Mr. Sanchez.  Mr. Caymen, you will ride up front with me,” ordered Ezra.  He then turned the ignition and nodded for Buck and JD to proceed onward. 

 

Once Lucien, Josiah and Vin were in the truck, Ezra pushed the gas pedal and started down the road after his other two companions, knowing very well that they had left their other companion probably to die or worst.

 

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


Chapter: 25

The Twelve Angelic Orders/The Third Choir

 

VIRTUES


Those beings of light that act as generators within the physical realms belong to the Eighth Order of Angels.


They manifest in this Universe as astronomically large beings, and generate various amounts of light.

 

They are called Virtues and also known as the Malakim and the Tarshishim.

 

Said to work miracles on earth, the Virtues bestow grace and valor to those worthy The Virtues are said to be very fond of those striving to achieve more than people say they can. They love all the go-getters and the positive people who try to enlighten and lead others toward harmony. When you are sick or scared call on the Virtues

 

Members of this Angelic Order:

Chamuel
Uriel
Gabriel
Michael


”Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring.

When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.’ And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”

 

Revelation 10:1-7

 

http://www.steliart.com/angelology_angelic_orders.html

 

They had reached Chris’ ranch in good time knowing that their friend in the back of the car needed help.

 

As soon as they got of the vehicles, Ezra took charge.

 

“Josiah, you, Nathan and Buck take care of Vin.  You can put him in Chris’ bedroom.  As soon as he comes to, let me know. We need to find out what happened in there. Lucien, you go with them and stay out of trouble. JD, I want you to get on the computer and find out about that place we just came from.  Break into the County’s computer if you have to and see if you can find some building or floor plans of the place.”

 

“And what are you going to do?” asked Buck, his eyes showing annoyance.

 

“I am going to start interrogating some of my contacts.  We need to find out how deep is Nadia into DeCorsia’s organization.”

 

Buck annoyance dropped at this statement.  He knew Ezra was right and that they needed that information in order to find out what type of heat will they get from DeCorsia once they broke Chris out of his prison.  He then went over to Josiah and Nathan to help them take Vin into the house.

 

*   *    *    *    *

 

It was the next morning when Vin awoke to silence.  He opened his blue eyes and noticed a white ceiling.  Well, at least he wasn’t in the hospital.  That meant Nathan did not think it was too bad.

 

He sat up and looked around the room.  No one was around and he figured the men were busy trying to find a way to free Larabee. Oh, my God!  Chris was still in the woman’s clutches. 

 

He pulled off the light sheet that was across his body and stood up quickly from the bed, a sharp pain stabbing him in the side. He noticed that he was only dressed in his boxer shorts and his chest was wrapped in white stretch bandages. He knew by the tightness of it that it was Nathan’s handiwork.

 

He spied his pants and shirt on the chair next to the bed.  He dressed slowly as not to cause his side anymore pain, all the while going over his conversation with Chris in his head.  He had to tell the others what happened.  They needed to understand what they were going to find and that they would have to take Chris back with force.  His friend was confused and he knew he would not go without a fight.

 

He cautiously walked over to the door, opening it and going in search of his other companions.

 

*   *   *   *   *

 

JD had been at the computer that Chris had in the corner of the living room for the past several hours.  He tried everything he could think of to break into the County’s computer.  He even used a decoder program that he had developed a year ago which would automatically spew out codes.  It was taking a long time but JD knew it would worked.  It was something that he did well, computers that is. He continued to stare at the screen, leaning back in his chair, waiting for his program to work.

 

Ezra was in the living room also, still trying to find some contacts that knew information about Nadia and DeCorsia, but he was having little success.  It seemed, from Ezra’s explicit comments, which surprised JD since Ezra never used profanity, that the reliable had just become unreliable.

 

Just at that moment, JD heard Ezra slam the phone down with force.  JD turned to face him and said, “What’s wrong?”

 

Ezra gradually composed himself and turned towards the young easterner.  “It seems that my stalwart confidents have as you would say, clammed up.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because, Mr. Dunne, they are more afraid of Nadia and DeCorsia than they are of me,” said Ezra, rubbing his eyes.  He was tired and they were getting nowhere.  The longer Chris Larabee stayed under the influence of Nadia Diaz, the more difficult it would be to extricate him from her.

 

“Yes!” exclaimed JD.

 

Ezra did not know why the young man was so happy at his statement.  “And what do you find so amusing, Mr. Dunne?”

 

“Ya need to come over here and see, Ezra,” said JD beckoning him over to his place by the computer.

 

Ezra walked over and stared at the screen that JD was now pointing at.  He saw that it was the welcome-screen for the County Archive Web site.

 

“Thank God for little miracles.  Can you get the information we require?”

 

“I’m on it,” replied JD as he browsed through the web site.

 

“Inform me of your progress when you have acquired what we need.”

 

“No problem.”

 

Suddenly, Josiah, Buck and Nathan came walking into the living room from the kitchen. They came carrying food and a carafe of coffee.

 

“Breakfast is served,” announced Buck.

 

“That’s right, brothers.  Time to break our daily bread,” interjected Josiah.

 

They placed the food on the living room inn table and saw that Ezra and JD were deeply contemplating something on the computer.

 

“Hey, Ez, what’s up?” asked Buck, walking over to the two men.

 

“Mr. Dunne, has succeeded in breaking into the County’s computer site and is currently to acquire the building plans or floor plans of Miss Diaz’ abode.”

 

“Well, that’s some progress, but why get him to break in. It’s public knowledge, you know,” said Nathan, grabbing a ham, egg and cheese sandwich from the tray and taking a bite.

 

“Yes, I do know.  But we don’t have the time to apply for an application.  Mr. Larabee must be removed post-haste from his current situation,” replied Ezra.

 

“Yes. But our main problem is how to get to Chris and what type of security, men and devices does she have at that place,” said Buck, sitting down on the couch and also grabbing a sandwich.

 

“Well, we ask Vin as soon as he’s awake,” stated Josiah, grabbing a cup and pouring him some coffee.

 

“Ya can ask me now,” came a voice from the area of the hall.

 

They all turned to see Vin, leaning against the doorway, holding his side, almost bent over.  The pain that he was feeling was evident on his face and stance.

 

“Vin!” shouted Nathan.  “What are you doing up?”  He then ran over and helped the young tracker to the couch. 

 

Vin sat, grimacing on the way down.  He then took a deep breath, feeling the stretch on his sore ribs.

 

Although nothing showed on his face, the movement was did not go unnoticed by Nathan.  He knew the young blue-eyed man was hurting, but he knew to try and dissuade the man from doing anymore damage was useless.  The man was on a mission and until they got Larabee back, common sense went out the window.  He decided just to make it at least a little easier.

 

“Vin, let me make you an herbal tea.  It’ll at least help to ease some of the pain.”

 

“I’m fine, Nathan.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah and if pigs could fly, I’d be rich.  I’ll be right back,” said Nathan getting up and moving into the kitchen.

 

“So Mr. Tanner, now that you have decided to stay here among the living, can you illuminate on the situation concerning Mr. Larabee?” asked Ezra, also worried about his young friend.  In his opinion, Vin should not be up as he were, but like Nathan, he knew it would be a waste of time to try and tell him otherwise.

 

Vin eyes lowered at the name of Larabee.  He did not know how to tell them.  In fact, he did not know what had gone on back at Nadia’s house.  Did Chris really want to stay there?  He just could not believe that.  Chris was all he had as a family.  They all needed him here, with them.  He did not belong with Nadia and her gang.  They were different from him.  Or at least that was what he thought.

 

“Mr. Tanner?”

 

Vin raised his eyes to meet the others who were waiting with bated breath for him to say something.

 

“I don’t know,” said Vin hesitantly. 

 

The shock showed over their faces as they heard the words that Vin had uttered.  It was uncommon for the young tracker to be unsure of anything.

 

“Vin, I don’t understand,” said Buck, voicing the others concerns as well.

 

“I just don’t know, Buck,” answered Vin, turning in the couch to ease the pressure off his ribs.

 

Nathan had just returned with a steaming cup and handed it to Vin.  Vin held it in his hand, sniffing the cup and scrunching his nose in disgust.

 

“What is this shit?”

 

“Herbal tea.  It’s good for all ailments.  Now, drink it!”

 

“Nathan ya a hard task master, ya know that?”

 

“Well, if you guys would just stay well enough for me to get a rest there would be no need, now would there?”

 

Vin sipped the tea anyway and felt it sooth his dry throat.  The taste had something to be desired, but Vin still felt it work its way through his body to ease some of his pain.

 

“Vin, can you tell us what happened at Nadia’s place?” asked Josiah.

 

“I was followin’ her from the Twenty One Club and I guess I got careless.  The next thing I knew, I woke up in one of her bedroom prisons.  When she came to talk to me, I forced her to show me where Chris was bein’ kept.  When we got there…”

 

“What?  Was he hurt?  Sick?  What?” asked Nathan frantic afraid the worst had happened to Chris.

 

“He was…He was not himself,” said Vin finally.

 

“Not himself?  What the hell does that mean?” asked Buck, frustrated.

 

“Just what I said, Buck!  He was not himself!  Not Chris Larabee!  Not Archangel Michael!” yelled Vin angrily. Then he calmed himself and said, “Not the one we know.”

 

“Vin, could it have been the drugs?”

 

“I don’t think so, Nathan.  But I can’t really say for sure. He…He told me to leave and that he wanted to stay with her.”

 

There were exclamations of “What?”  “I don’t believe it!”  “That don’t sound like Chris.” “You must have misunderstood.”

 

But Vin was too wrapped up in his own thoughts about Larabee’s behavior to answer them. His unusual and unexplainable connection to Chris was getting weaker by the minute. In Nadia’s house, he could barely read Chris’ body language, let alone his feelings.  Usually he could tell what Chris was thinking, but at Nadia’s house it was if Chris had closed himself off to him.

 

“Vin.  Vin!”

 

Vin looked up at Buck startled, his reverie broken. 

 

“Vin, can you tell us about the security there, how many guards, what room Chris was in, anything?”

 

Vin swallowed hard, knowing in his heart that they might have already lost Larabee to his secret dark side.

 

“Buck, I don’t know.  If Chris don’t wanna come back, what we goin’ to do?  Force him?”

 

“Yeah.  That’s it exactly.  If I have to drag his ass back here kicking and screaming, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.  I ain’t leaving him to the hands of that bitch!”

 

“And neither am I,” came another voice from the entrance to the bedrooms.

 

“Well, Mr. Caymen, do you have some insight into this situation that the rest of us don’t?” asked Ezra.

 

Lucien walked into the room and sat in the rocking chair on the far side of the room.  He then began rocking it slowly back and forth, his hands folded in his lap and his blue eyes staring at the men in front of him.  He wondered if they knew how low his brother had sunk in order to infiltrate himself into DeCorsia’s organization, would they feel the same about rescuing him.

 

“You know you will have to bring him back by force, don’t you?”

 

“Why, Lucifer?” asked Buck. “What is it that you know that we don’t know?”

 

“Stop calling me that!” he replied, standing up in the rocking chair.  They could see the fury in his blue eyes.  “You continue to twist the knife when it’s already in my back.  Well, I refuse to put up with it any longer.”

 

Josiah stood up with hands out in front, his palms raised in a calming motion. “Listen, Brother.  We know it’s not been easy for you.  I understand that you have been accused falsely, but it is hard for us to believe that you have changed, considering what went on before.”

 

Lucien sighed despondently and sat back down on the rocking chair, making the chair moved to a rocking rhythm.  “I can see your point, Josiah.  But when I say that I have nothing but my brother’s welfare at heart, it’s the truth.”

 

Buck sneered at that comment.  Josiah turned to him and chastised him with a look.  Buck settled down, but he still seethed with ire under his calm exterior.

 

Josiah then turned back to Lucien.  “God forgives and believes in second chances.  It’s just hard for some of us to believe it when you kidnap him.”

 

“I did not kidnap him.  Michael asked that I come and get him.  That he was in trouble and needed my help. I wished he had called me sooner, but he was so angry and obsessed with the fact of his family’s death. I did not run with Nadia.  I ran away from Michael, from my brother, from the hatred that I saw in his cold eyes cause I knew I did not want to be around when he killed himself. I did not want to watch…watch him die…” said Lucien his voice breaking at the end, he lowered his eyes to his hands.

 

Buck stared at him, amazed at what he saw in the soul of Chris’ half-brother.  It was the same way that Buck had felt about Chris when he started his downward spiral into darkness and the same way he felt now. He did not think that the man cared anything for him, but yet he had proved him wrong.  He also knew how hard Chris was trying to join his family in death and it not only scared Lucien, but Buck also.

 

“Buck, he’s right.  Chris wants to die,” said Vin.  They could hear the despair in his voice.  “I don’t think this time if we bring him back, we’ll be bringing back the Chris we once knew.”

 

“We can’t let Chris stay there.  If Travis finds out, he’ll rescind his parole and we all know where Chris will end up then,” cut in JD. He then turned to Vin and said, “Maybe you were wrong, Vin.  Maybe you saw something that wasn’t there?”  His plea hung in the air.  He had hoped that one of them would agree with him, but they all kept their silence.

 

“JD, son, it’s really complicated and not that simple,” started Josiah.

 

“There are things in Chris’ life that you don’t know about, JD,” added Buck.

 

“No!  I won’t believe it!  Ya can’t just give up on him like that.  Chris has saved our hides more than once and he pulled me out of becoming more than just a juvie inmate.  He gave me a second chance, Buck.  We can’t abandon him now,” cried JD.

 

“Calm down, JD.  We ain’t leaving Chris where he is, but we can’t just go in there and bust him out,” explained Buck.

 

“Buck is correct in his declaration, Mr. Dunne,” said Ezra in thought.

 

“He is indeed,” came Lucien’s soft reply. “Nadia is not stupid and if we go in and try to take to Michael without thought, we could loose him.  Physically.”

 

All eyes turned to look at Lucien. He looked up at the eyes with their questions.  “Nadia will not chance loosing Michael to us.  She rather see him dead.”

 

They all had looks of fear and apprehension on their faces. 

 

“Then we get him back,” said Vin in determination.

 

“And just how are we going to do that, may I ask?” questioned Ezra.

 

“I have a plan,” said Vin, smiling in thought.

 

The others just gazed at him as if he had lost his mind.

 

“Listen.  This is what we gotta do.”

 

And the others turned all their attention to Vin.

 

*   *    *    *    *

 

Chris woke to the afternoon sun gently brushing his face. He sat up and saw that Nadia was missing from his bed.  He knew she was besides him last night, although he could not remember much about what happened before then.  He sat up and stretched tired muscles and he deduced that he was definitely not sleeping all last night.

 

He pulled the cover from his body and noticed that he was naked, except for the bandage around his waste.  The pain was no longer there, but it could be because he still felt euphoria from the drugs of last night.

 

The drugs. He thought about them in disgust. He had betrayed his friends, his family, everything that he loved.  What did he do it for? But then his mind’s eye showed him a pair of crystal blue eyes that showed the love of a brother.   He was a man that would do anything for him and the other five who would do the same. For Vin Tanner and the others he would have braved hell and back in order to save them.  And in his mind, he did just that.  He had sold his soul to the devil and now he had to pay the piper.  He covered his hands with his face in repulsion and hatred.  He could not live like this.  He did not want to live like this.

 

With determination and renewed strength, Chris rose from his bed. He then went over to the dresser that was situated in the room.  He knew Nadia would not let her guests be without the comfort of the basic hygiene materials.

 

He opened each of the five drawers of the dresser and found what he was looking for in the bottom drawer.  He pulled out the shaving kit and pulled out the straight razor that Nadia fancied so much for her men to use.

 

As he watched it gleam in the light, he remembered one night when he and Nadia, drunk as hell, had taken a bath together.  At one time, Nadia disappeared and when she came back, she held a straight razor in her hand, smiling deliciously at him.  She said he needed a shave and that she gave the best service in the state.  That night she had shaved him and afterwards they had made passionate love in that tub.

 

Now as he looked at it, it was his redemption.  A way out to spare everyone that he loved from the pain and anguish that he had brought on them.  It would also be his revenge against Nadia and her kind who had turned his life into what it was now, a living nightmare.

 

He walked into the bathroom and started to fill the tube with water.  He then locked the door behind him, not wanting any interruptions from the difficult task he had at hand.

 

He looked to the tub and saw that the water was high enough and stepped cautiously into, not caring at the fact that the bandages were getting wet.  To him, infection would be the least of his worries.  He laughed silently to himself at the thought, laying back into the tub.

 

He knew he could not put it off any longer.  The cravings for the drug were starting and if he did not do it now, he never would.  He raised the blade to his left wrist and without flinching slit across it.  He watched as the blood flowed freely, dripping down his arm into the tub water, turning it pink.  He then raised his other wrist and with his bloody hand, pulled the blade across it, watching the blood from it, joining its companion into the water.  Sighing despondently, he leaned back into the head of the tub, lowering his arms into the warm water and closed his eyes, feeling the rapid beat of his heart beneath his chest.

 

As he lay there languishing in the warmth, while his blood filled the tub, turning the water darker and darker with every drop, he felt a tenuous connection in his mind.  The connection became a name and a voice.  It said, “Chris, ya can’t do this.  We won’t let ya go!”

 

Chris eyes shot open as he recognized the voice of one Vin Tanner.  But that could not be.  Vin was safe.  He was safe from Nadia and her deadly plans, safe from his betrayal and his weakness that had got him into his current situation and would have got Vin into the same.

 

Chris eyes closed again as a feeling of the serenity filled his being and his mind.  No.  Vin was safe from any pain or anguish.

 

As he was about to sink deeper into the darkness, he heard the voice again. This time clear as if Vin was standing right next to him.  “Chris, we need ya.  I never thought ya for a coward, Larabee!  How can ya leave us like this?  I thought ya cared, Cowboy.”

 

Chris eyes were too heavy to open this time.  He did not know if he replied out loud or not.  All he did know was that he answered the voice, “I can’t Vin.  I can’t do this anymore.  I just want to go with my wife, with Sarah and Adam.  Please, let me go.”

 

The voice came again.  “No, Chris.  I won’t.  Ya have to hang on.  We’re comin’ for ya.  Ya got to believe me.”

 

“Too…late, Vin.  Too…late.” His breathing was becoming more and more difficult and he felt light-headed.

 

“It ain’t too late!  Ya listen to me ya damn hard ass, no good son-of-a- bitch!  Ya stay here! Ya hear me, Larabee!”

 

Chris could not answer him.  He was too tired.  He let the darkness take what was left of his consciousness away hoping to cleanse his soul.

 

*     *    *     *     *

 

At the same time, outside the perimeter of the Larabee’s prison, Vin, Buck, Nathan, Josiah and Lucien crept through the hold in the gate of the property that they had made last night.

 

They were lucky that Nadia’s men were busy dealing with the diversion that JD and Ezra had set up on the other side of the gated land.  A fire was conveniently burning in the gazebo and Nadia’s men were trying to put it out.  They knew it would not be long before the Las Vegas Fire Department would arrive, but they had hoped they would long gone before then.

 

They were almost to the house when Vin unexpectedly dropped to the ground, clutching his chest.

 

“Vin?  What’s wrong?” asked Nathan concerned.  He had vehemently objected to the young blue-eyed gunman coming along.  The first thought that came to him was that Vin had damaged his ribs again.

 

“It’s… It’s Chris,” he said breathing hard.  “Nate!  Chris is dying!”

 

The others looked at him suspiciously, but in their hearts they knew that there was that special connection that Vin and Chris shared.  When one was in trouble, the other knew and they could never understand it.

 

“Vin, how do you know?” queried Buck, his eyes raising in fear.

 

“I…just do.  We got to get to him, now!”

 

“Okay, Vin, okay.  We’re going as fast as we can,” replied Nathan, trying to calm him down.  “Can you walk?”

 

“Yeah. I’m fine.  It’s Chris we need to worry about.”

 

Nathan and Josiah helped him up off the ground and the five men quickly moved to the house entrance.

 

Buck hoped that Vin was wrong, but if he wasn’t, he prayed that they would reach their friend in time.

 

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


Chapter: 26

The Twelve Angelic Orders/The Third Choir

 

The Powers

 

The Ninth Order of Angels is those beings who maintain the laws set into motion we call the physical realms.

 
They are keepers and teachers of the laws and are known as Powers. These are information gatherers and depositors of truth and information to all things that exist.

 

According to tradition, the Powers are Guardians of order (peace & order), a form of Celestial Police Force, who attempt to assure order in the World (according to God's will).

 

In scripture the Powers are said to stop the efforts of "demons" to overthrow the world, or else they preside over demons, making them "evil", as claimed by St. Paul. They are however, the keepers of human history. They are known as the angels of birth and death and they organize the world's religions and send divine energy to keep the positive aspects of religion growing. Powers work through the human 6th sense, and are the angels of warning.

Members of this Angelic Order:

Gabriel
Raphael

The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on Him sincerely.

 
Psalm 145:18

 

http://www.steliart.com/angelology_angelic_orders.html

 

Vin could feel the life leaving his friend and soul mate.  He knew the others had their doubts, but he also knew that deep in their hearts they knew he had spoken truthfully.  He could feel Chris Larabee dying.  He could feel it with every beat of his heart and he could feel something of a definite calmness, a resignation, and finality.  He did not like it at all.  It felt as if Larabee was giving up.

 

They had made it to the house with little resistance from any of Nadia’s security.  They were lucky that JD had found the layout for the building and between him and Vin they had given them a good inventory of the security devices surrounding the premises and inside the house.

 

Vin led them to the floor, still holding onto his aching chest, to where the last time he had seen Chris.  Although he knew Nadia was not stupid, she was definitely too confident about her prize staying where he was put, so he knew she probably had not moved him out of the room yet.

 

“You are sure this is the floor?” asked Lucien of Vin.

 

“Yeah. The second door to the right is where he was,” replied Vin.

 

They went to the room that Vin indicated where Larabee was housed. Lucien moved to the door first, motioning them for silence.  Buck and the others followed positioning themselves around the door. Buck tried to turn the knob and found it not locked, which surprised them all.  Nadia was very sure that Chris Larabee would not escape, for whatever reason, they did not know, but it was more than they could hope for.

 

Buck opened the door and motioned for the others to quickly move inside, while Lucien covered their backs.  He took a last look into the corridor and closed the door behind them.

 

Once inside the room, Larabee was nowhere within the bedroom.  He clothes were strewn across a chair on the far side of the room and the bed seemed to have been slept in, but Chris was not in it.

 

“Buck? Maybe in there?” asked Nathan pointing to the bathroom.

 

Buck nodded and walked over to the bathroom, knocking tentatively on the door. “Chris?  You in there?”

 

There came no answer.  Buck looked over at Nathan and quirked his eyebrows in concern.  He then tried to turn the knob, but found it was locked.

 

Vin walked carefully over to the bathroom door and knocked also.  “Chris, it’s us.  Open the door.  We came to take ya home.” 

 

There still came no answer and Vin could feel his heart pounding in dread at what lay beyond the door.  He then started to bang frantically on the door, “Chris!  Come on, Cowboy!  Open up.”

 

Buck grabbed the young gunman by the shoulders and pulled him away from the door.  He then lifted his leg and aimed a swift kick at the area of the door where the impact would break the lock.

 

The door swung open with a bang and Buck rushed into the bathroom. He was unprepared for what he found.

 

Chris Larabee, Archangel Michael, was lying in a tub of blood red water up to his neck, his arms were floating to the top of the water and Buck could see where the red coloring in the water came from. He body was pale and Buck’s heart jumped at the thought that they might have been too late.

 

“Shit!  Damn you, Chris!”

 

He quickly pulled his lost friend out of the water, at the same time yelling for the others.

 

“Nathan!  Josiah!  Help me!”

 

Nathan and Josiah pushed their way into the small bathroom, shocked at the condition of their friend.  They helped the tall mustached man to carry their friend back to the bed.

 

Lucien stood there in shock.  His eyes bright and filled with horror, his hand covering his mouth, trying to keep from gagging at the horrific sight.

 

“Oh, my God!” exclaimed Vin.  “I knew it.  I just knew it!  Nathan, why would he do something like this?”  Vin’s blue eyes were riveted to the limp body and the dripping blood as they carried their friend out of the bathroom.

 

“Take it easy, Vin,” said Buck.  He let Nathan and Josiah handle Chris, while he grabbed Vin and pulled him to the edge of the bed to sit down.

 

To Buck, Vin looked as if he was about to fall flat on his face due to exhaustion and worry over Larabee.  Hell, none of them had really got any real sleep since this started and now this.  He could not believe that Larabee would intentionally take his own life.

 

“Shit!” said Nathan.  “He’s bled out a lot, Buck.  Josiah, tear up this sheet and tie up his wrists, tight.  I wish I had my bag.”  Nathan felt Larabee’s throat to see if he could feel a pulse.  At first he felt nothing and his heart dropped into his stomach, but then he felt the slight flutter of a weak heartbeat.  “Thank God!  He’s still alive, Buck.  We need to get him to a hospital, fast!”

 

“But why, Nathan?  Why would he do something like this?” came Buck’s question.  He was confused.  He knew Chris was despondent, but he did not think it would lead to suicide.  He knew Chris had more than once courted death, but never he thought at his own hands.

 

“We can’t worry about it now, Buck.  He needs blood and he needs it now!” said Nathan glaring at him.  His eyes wandered to the young blue-eyed man seated at the foot of the bed and noticed that he was also in his own crisis.  “Vin, what’s wrong?”

 

Vin was breathing laboriously, trying to get air into his lungs, but it was becoming difficult.  “Na…Nathan…I…can’t…breath,” replied Vin rasping with each word, doubling over.

 

Buck grabbed the young man before he could fall and held him against his chest.

 

“Buck, Josiah, we need to get them both out of here, now. I think something has happened to Vin’s ribs and Chris ain’t going to last much longer in his current condition.”

 

“Josiah, call Ezra and JD.  Tell them to get the truck into position by the opening in the fence.  Nathan, can we move Chris like he is?” 

 

“We don’t have a choice, Buck.”

 

“Okay, this is what we’re going to do. Lucien, you help Josiah with Chris,” he said turning towards Lucien. 

 

Lucien stood there, still in shock and had not moved since finding Chris.

 

“Lucien!  Get with it, boy!  Your brother needs you now,” said Buck.  He was trying to break the young man out of his distress and to get him focusing at the tasks at hand.

 

Lucien eyes became suddenly clear and he realized that he had to put his feelings away for the moment.  His brother needed him and it was his turn to pay him back for all the times he had took care of him.

 

“What do I need to do?” replied Lucien.

 

Buck smiled. “Help Josiah with your brother.  Get him dressed and then you help Josiah carry him.”

 

“Buck, I can carry Chris.  We going to need someone to guard our backs while we carry these two out,” inputted Josiah.

 

“He’s right, Buck,” agreed Nathan.

 

“Yeah,” said Buck thoughtfully. “Okay, Lucien, once you’ve help Josiah to get Chris dressed, you stand guard while we get them outside.  Josiah, have JD standby with the cars.  Tell Ezra to meet us outside on the side of the house where those copse of trees are.”

 

Lucien was surprised and touched that Buck would trust him to guard their backs.  It meant that they had accepted him again, at least for now. 

 

“Right, Buck,” responded Josiah as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed.

 

As Josiah talked to Ezra and explained what Buck wanted, Nathan busily examined Chris for any other injuries that they might have missed.  Once he had decided that he had done whatever he could, he then moved towards Vin who was still having trouble breathing.

 

“Vin, can you hear me?  Just breathe slowly, okay.  We going to get you and Chris out of here, ya hear.”

 

“I…hear…ya.  H…urts, Na…than.”

 

“I know it does Vin.  Just take it easy and we’ll have you fixed up in no time.”

 

Nathan looked from Vin and to Buck.  Buck mouthed to him, “Punctured lung?”

 

Nathan shrugged his shoulders.  He did not know, but he knew Vin needed to be in a hospital so that x-rays could be taken to determine what was wrong.

 

“Okay, Buck. Michael is dressed,” said Lucien, still staring at the unresponsive Chris Larabee.  He brushed a lock of blond hair out of the serene face and said, “You hang in there, Mickey.”

 

“Great, Lucien.  Now here, take my gun,” said Buck, shifting Vin slightly and pulling out his glock from his side holster. “And remember, be careful.”

 

Lucien took the gun cautiously and glanced at Buck.  He saw only trust there and that shook him to his very core.  Buck trusted him, something that he did not think he would ever have from the rogue.  He simply replied, “I will, Buck. Now, let’s get these two some help.” And he moved to the door.

 

Josiah nodded to them that Ezra would be waiting and he then picked up his burden.  He was surprised at how much weight the man had lost and knew it was due to more of his drug abuse than his attempted suicide. “God,” Josiah thought to himself.  “Hasn’t he suffered enough?”  But there was no answer to come.

 

Buck and Nathan helped Vin to stand, both putting an arm around their shoulders and holding on to the waist of the young man.  They were carefully not to put any pressure on his ribs in fear of doing more damage.

 

Lucien opened the door and stepped out into it, fanning the gun in both directions.  The corridor was clear and as far as he could see and hear, there were no guards around.  He motioned them to follow him outside to the hall and as they did, he proceeded to the stairway to see if it was also clear.

 

*    *    *     *     *

 

Their luck held out all the way down the stairs, out of the house and they had almost made it to the copse of trees where Ezra waited when one of Nadia’s men came bounding out of the trees.

 

“Halt right there and drop the gun!” shouted the man.

 

Lucien stopped dead in his tracks and did as he was told.  He was much closer to the man than the others.  They were still far behind, carrying their friends towards him and the guard.  But the guard did not see them yet.  He had only seen Lucien.

 

“What are you doing here?  Are you the one that caused the fire?” asked the man, stepping closer to Lucien.  The man was dressed in the usual dark suit that tagged him as one of Nadia’s bodyguards.

 

“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” answered Lucien, smiling.

 

“You think this is funny?  You have balls, I have to say that, considering you’re in deep shit,” retorted the man.

 

Suddenly, there was shadow behind the man and Lucien tried not to flinch as the shadow crept closer to the guard.

 

“Did you know that I can foretell the future?”

 

“You can what?  What the hell are you talking about?” asked the guard, confused.

 

“I can foretell the future.  Like, I can say in about two seconds, you will be going on a trip.”

 

“A trip? And where would that might be?”

 

“Dreamland,” replied Lucien, smiling widely now and with that, the shadow hefted a huge piece of wood and hit the guard in the back of the head.  The guard, of course, dropped to the ground, unconscious.

 

“Hello, Ezra,” said Lucien to the shadow.

 

“Mr. Caymen, where are the others and how did you come to find yourself in this predicament?” asked Ezra.

 

“Just luck, Ezra.  Just luck.  The others are behind me. Come on, they need help with Vin and Michael, uh, I mean Chris,” said Lucien leading Ezra back towards the others.

 

When they got to them, they found that Josiah was still carrying Chris in his arms, but looked at if he was tiring and Nathan and Buck dragging Vin between them.  Ezra ran over to help Buck and Nathan with Vin.  He did not like the look of the young tracker.  He was breathing hard and getting paler by the minute, his eyes were glazed and not really focused on anything in particular. 

 

But when he glanced at Chris, cradled in Josiah’s arms, Ezra felt sick to his stomach.  The blond was dressed in the clothes he wore a few days ago, which now hung off the thin, frail body. His eyes held deep circles, a telltale of no sleep or rest for their lost leader.  If that wasn’t enough, he saw the bloody white cloths wrapped around both of his wrists and blood was still seeping out of the sides that stood out against his paled skin.

 

“Lord help us!  What happened?” questioned Ezra frantically.

 

“Can’t talk about it now, Ez,” came Buck’s reply hurriedly.  “We need to get them both to a hospital and fast!”

 

“But if we take them to the hospital won’t Nadia know where they are?  Or better yet, DeCorsia?” posed Lucien.  He was worried about the long arms of Nadia and Marco DeCorsia.  A hospital would not prevent them from seeking out Michael Larabee or Vin Tanner.

 

“He’s right, Buck,” said Nathan.  “But I have an idea.  There’s this private hospital that caters to affluent clients.  They owe me a few favors.  I think we can get Vin and Chris in there without anybody knowing.”

 

“Okay.  Let’s get them to the car.”

 

They all walked quickly towards the hole in the fence, while Lucien and Ezra guarded their backs.

 

When they got to the cars, JD was situated in Buck’s truck and Chris’ truck was parked behind him empty.

 

Ezra opened the doors to Chris’ truck and let Josiah put Chris in the back. Nathan got in the back with him.  They then helped Buck place Vin in next to Nathan on the other side and Buck jumped into the drivers seat. Josiah moved to sit in the front passenger seat, while Ezra and Lucien then got into the car with JD. 

 

All the while, JD was staring at the way his two friends looked.  He was aghast at their paleness and they way they seemed limped in the arms of their fellow companions.  When Ezra jumped in next to him in the front passenger seat, he said, “They don’t look good, Ezra.”

 

“They are currently not, Mr. Dunne,” replied Ezra curtly.  He knew he should not have talked to JD like that, but at this moment his anger at Nadia and what she had done to his friends were at the topmost of his thoughts along with getting their friends the medical assistance they needed. “Listen, JD, I am sorry at my tone, but we need to move fast.  Follow Buck closely.”

 

“No problem, Ezra.  I just hope they goin’ to be alright.”

 

“They will, Mr. Dunne.  They have to.”

 

At that JD started the truck up and followed after the Buck who had just pulled away from the street, burning rubber.

 

TBC

 

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