Prologue
Saturday 2:37am
It was a moonless night, only the stars in the black sky offering illumination against the darkness as he patiently counted them to pass the time in silence. Counting also served in helping him to not think about his aching muscles, tense from crouching so still for so long. It was nearly time.
He had learned patience many years ago as a child, hiding from a drunken father. His father had been a mean drunk and hiding had been his only means of protection. He had waited it out night after night, until the booze was gone and until the man had fallen asleep and only then would he creep from his hiding place and into his bed. The lessons in patience had served him well, just as they were tonight.
It never hurt to do favors, even in the state penitentiary. Favors meant that people owed you and he had called on paybacks for several of those favors tonight. It had taken him two years to bring his escape plan to light and he was not about to blow it now over lack of patience. All the pieces had fallen into place thus far and all that was left was waiting for this last favor and it would not happen until the moment was right.
Once that happened, his cousin would be waiting for him, with a suitcase full of clothing, hair dye, and everything else he would need to be able to integrate himself back into the human population. Yes, he had thought of everything and soon he would have back his freedom and with that, his freedom to settle a score. That had been planned as well and his connections had kept him updated on his enemy. The enemy was the reason he was here to begin with, but the man had yet to begin to suffer.
He heard a noise and the only thing that moved on his body were his eyes. He listened as the footsteps drew nearer, and then faded into the distance. He longed to wipe at the fine line of beaded sweat that had appeared on his forehead, but the risk of movement was too great. He cursed himself for his nervousness to begin with, generally a man of great confidence, but the prize this time was too great. He had killed once for money, but this time he would kill for revenge.
The only part of his plan he had not yet decided upon was how. Death before had been swift, but he did not want that this time. No, his enemy would know of her suffering, just as he had suffered the last four years. Kidnapping her would be easy, he knew all there was to know about her, he just needed to work out the last few details of how she would slowly die and how he would keep his enemy informed of the progression of her death. He had several options and plenty of time to select one.
The soft buzzing of the gate caused him to smile. Yes, it was nearly time.
*****
Saturday 3:30pm
The key slid into the lock on the front door and Paul let out a long sigh. He was home. The shake-up at the bureau following Mike Deatrich’s arrest had caused some long term consequences, one of which had been Paul’s temporary assignment in the VCS. It had meant months away from the farm, and cleaning up after the killings rather than protecting people from them. All in all, it had been a tough year. He thanked God on a regular basis that Monica had managed to push him back onto the right path, because he wasn’t sure how he would have managed without knowing he could lay all his troubles before his Heavenly Father.
He had finally managed to wrangle back his position with the Witness Protection program, despite the fact that all his superiors said that he was giving up the fast track to the top office. He didn’t care about promotions, he wanted to be back where he belonged, and he belonged helping others.
“Are we going inside or were you planning on just sleeping standing up?” the voice was light with a hint of humor and Paul rolled his eyes.
“I’m savoring the moment. You should learn to do the same, Alexandra.”
She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips together in mock annoyance. She hated that name, and it hadn’t taken Paul long to discover that. Their partnership was only a few weeks old and they were still feeling each other out, but so far it was going well. He was friendly enough, if sometimes quiet, but she didn’t like to get too close to those she worked with. He was unsure as to how he had convinced her to come to the farm with him for the weekend to catch up on paperwork, but he wasn’t questioning it. They had been in the city for months now and he needed a little peace and quiet, if only for a few days.
She was head strong, almost determined to not come with him and he had been equally as stubborn, simply telling her to “Suit yourself”, but then she had begun asking questions about the farm, the horses, and to his amusement, the cats, which were now circling his legs, obviously pleased to see him.
Alexandra shook her head, “I would have never pegged for you a cat person, Gatlin,” She chuckled as she set her briefcase as well as her overnight bag down on the chair in the living room.
“They’re not mine,” He replied, “I’m just watching them for a friend,” He smiled softly, thinking of the little angel to whom they would always belong. It had been over a year and he had almost gotten used to the idea that he wasn’t going to see her again, but he still always said that the cats were hers.
“How long have you been watching them?” She inquired, moving to pet Smokey as the gray cat approached her with natural curiosity.
“A year,” He watched as her eyebrows shot up in amusement and his lips twitched.
“Either you are one good friend, or she is one special girl,” she remarked, watching with interest to see his response.
“Monica is a special friend,” He stated and left it at that, “The bedrooms are upstairs. Feel free to take whichever one is to your liking.”
“I’ll leave you to get settled in then,” She stood up and grabbed her bag as she started for the stairs.
“We’ll decide upon dinner in a few hours and then we can plan on working after that, if that is all right with you.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Alexandra replied as she headed upstairs.
He watched her retreating back and then headed into the kitchen. The people who took care of the house and animals always left his mail on the kitchen table and this time was no exception. His bills he generally tracked and paid on-line wherever he happened to be at the moment, so he quickly discarded those along with any junk mail and advertisements. He sorted through them quickly and efficiently before his hand came to rest on one envelope.
His brow furrowed as he noted that there was no return address, though his name and address were neatly printed on the front of the envelope. He tore it open slowly as he considered the fact that it was probably an invitation to some event that he had already missed and he sighed. It was the one problem with his job. His social life suffered terribly.
Paul removed the card from the envelope and his breath immediately caught at the sight of a small glittery angel on the front of the card. He hardly dared to hope and he hesitated to open it, taking a moment to run his thumb over the angel as he allowed the memories to come flowing back easily to him.
He could so clearly recall her tears and his own when they had finally had to say good-bye. It had been the most bittersweet of moments for them both. He had known she would be all right as she was an angel and Monica in turn had been delighted with his recent faith in God. He chuckled, remembering her abundant happiness the day he had finally spoken to Him after her revelation to David; he had never seen her more joyful and the fact that he had been the one to put that joy in her eyes had warmed his heart.
Paul knew that the chances of the card being from the little angel were few and far between. Chances were, she had moved on and he was little more than maybe a warm feeling in her heart when something would trigger the memory. He only hoped that she was staying more or less out of the trouble that he considered her to be famous for, but he knew that Andrew, his former partner always kept a close eye on the often impulsive Monica. It was the one thing that kept him from worrying about her…much.
He finally forced himself to open the card, and he felt tears dampen his eyes and love fill his heart as he read the simple message, “Just wanted you to know that I think about you often and I don’t think I’ll ever stop missing you. I hope the path you found is still continuing to light your way. Kiss my kittens for me. Love, Monica.”
The agent held the card in his hand and smiled, “I haven’t stopped missing you either, honey. Be safe out there and remember you always have an agent in your corner, not that you need one as you know the Big Guy personally.” He glanced down at the card once more and added softly, “And now thanks to you, so do I.”
He checked the postmark and sighed, seeing that it was a few months old and that it had been posted from North Dakota. He wondered how many more places she had been since she had mailed this.
He heard the floorboards creaking overhead and he sighed once more. It seemed that he was destined to have complicated females in his life. He liked Alex. In fact, he could probably like her a lot were their views on things not so completely diverse. He had invited her to go to church with him tomorrow and she had flatly refused. He had not pushed the issue, instead only shrugging and remarking that she should be able to find plenty to amuse herself with here at the farm in his absence.
Paul supposed it was for the best anyway. His schedule didn’t really allow for him to get romantically involved with his partner and his track record with love wasn’t all that great anyway. Lauren had died and Monica was an angel and he couldn’t help but to shake his head and chuckle at the latter. He had been way off base at the beginning of their relationship and he would never forget Monica’s face the night he had tried to profess his feelings for her. She had been unable to tell him of her true nature at that point, and had tried to smooth it over as tactfully as she could but he had come on with all the ease of a Mack truck going eighty miles per hour on the interstate. He was just glad he could laugh about it now.
*****
Saturday 4:12pm
“A happy ending to another assignment!” Monica said with a smile as she walked arm-in-arm with Andrew and Tess.
The crisp fall air ruffled through her hair and threatened to carry off the soft velvet hat she wore. She ducked her head, but her eyes were still sparkling when she looked up at her friends a moment later. The past two months had been busy, but filled with joyful assignments, from happy family reunions to dramatic changes of heart. They served to renew the little angel’s hope and happiness more than an actual vacation.
“Yes, it’s always nice to see everything working out according to God’s plan,” Tess agreed.
Andrew nodded as he glanced down at Monica. It was wonderful to see her smiling and happy and it was something he’d been able to enjoy quite a lot lately. He had to wonder if the recent assignments had been given to them in part to help distract her with happy things after their experience with Faith. Whether or not that was true with each successful assignment Andrew had watched Monica recover from that trying time much faster than he had expected her to, and it brought him a great deal of happiness to see that.
“So where to next, Tess? Another assignment?” Andrew asked.
“Not quite yet, baby. We have a little stop to make before we start on our next assignments.”
Monica looked over at her supervisor; her curiosity immediately piqued. “Oh? Where?”
A large coach-style bus pulled up alongside the sidewalk and Tess looked up at the sign above the windshield. “Well, now, that’s a surprise, but I believe that our transportation has arrived.”
“A bus?”
“Yes, Miss Wings, and if you reach inside your pocket I think you’ll find your ticket.
“It’s been a long while since I was last on a bus,” she said as she pulled out her ticket.
“Well,” Andrew joked as he stepped aboard, “I hear that it’s just like riding a bike… you never forget.”
Monica’s eyes narrowed and she lightly backhanded him on the shoulder. “Well I’ve never ridden a bicycle, so I wouldn’t know.”
They gave over their tickets and quickly found their seats. Monica smiled with surprise when she saw Lucy’s cat carrier in the seat next to hers.
“I guess where ever we’re going accepts cats,” she said as she grinned and caught Tess’ eye, hoping that she would take the bait.
“Yes, I suppose it must,” Tess replied.
“Oh Tess, couldn’t you give us just a wee little hint?”
Tess chuckled. The look on Monica’s face was half little-girl innocent, half scheming angel. “Not this time, Monica… but I can tell you that I think you’ll be happy when we get there.”
Chapter 1
Sunday 10:25am
All but the most stubborn leaves had fallen, and they made a peaceful crunching sound underfoot as Alex rode through the wide trails that crisscrossed the farm. The smell of wood-smoke was in the air, and she could almost taste snow on her tongue. Every living creature save a few scavenging squirrels seemed to have either gone into hibernation or joined Paul at church. Church. That was another thing she hadn’t pegged Paul as… a churchgoer.
He was very quiet about it and certainly not pushy, but she’d picked up on a few things he’d said, and the fact that he’d been the one to offer to take their last witness to Sunday services. It was a quiet devotion, but it came from a place of certainty and strength. Alex felt that she had her own brand of strength, and it didn’t come from a God she didn’t believe existed.
She was quite convinced that ten years in the VCS would have stripped faith from even the staunchest believer, and she had never counted herself among them to begin with. Sunday school once in a while through her early childhood years had tapered off to Christmas and Easter services in high school, and then nothing at all by the time she reached college. She had simply never found the peace and hope that others claimed to know, and eventually it had been more comfortable not to pretend. If she thought too hard about it she realized that it had made her feel like a failure… a failure at faith, and failure wasn’t something she took lightly. It was why she had transferred into the witness protection program rather than face another potential failure in the VCS.
Looking back over her shoulder she realized that she was quite far into the woods. Definitely farther than she had planned on going. She tightened her gloved hands around the reins and turned the horse back towards the fields and the house.
“C’mon, Scout. Paul’s gonna think we got lost or something,” she said as she pushed him into a brisk trot. “And knowing him, he’ll send out a whole team looking for us.”
Paul had told her that she was welcome to ride any of the horses and she had jumped at the chance. She hadn’t been on horseback since the days of summer-camp and pony club. Of course she hadn’t let him know how excited she was. She had given him a noncommittal ‘maybe’, but as soon as he’d pulled down the driveway she had pulled on her jacket and headed to the barn with apples in both pockets, and only a hastily written note to let him know where she had gone.
As they emerged from the forest into the fields Alex spotted telltale smoke rising from the chimney at the house. Yep. He’d beaten her home. She clucked at Scout and the horse broke into a smooth canter that quickly brought them across the field and up the hill to the barn. He was standing at the big double doors with two steaming mugs of coffee in his hands and a slight smirk on his face.
“So, I guess that ‘maybe’ turned into a ‘yes’, eh?” he said.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, I went for a ride, so sue me,” she joked.
He laughed and leaned against one of the stall doors as she untacked. “I’m glad you went. I’m sure he enjoyed the exercise. Did you have a good time?”
Alex couldn’t hide the sparkle in her eyes so she looked straight into Paul’s face and smiled broadly. “It was wonderful. It’s been too long.”
“Well,” he said as she finished brushing Scout and locked him into his stall, “we’re only a commuter flight from D.C., and I try to get out here as often as I can. You’re always welcome to join me.”
“Thanks,” she answered as she took the offered coffee. She shrugged as she took a sip and looked at him over the rim of the mug. “I think I might take you up on the offer.”
Paul blinked, surprised at the feeling that suddenly caused his heart to race. This wasn’t good. It wasn’t good at all. Complicated relationships were his specialty, and what he had just felt was nearly identical to what he had felt the first time Monica had smiled at him. From an angel of God to a woman who didn’t even believe in God. Yes, he certainly knew how to pick ‘em.
*****
Alex opened her eyes and slowly stretched, trying to awaken her sleeping muscles. She and Paul had worked late into the night last night and then she had awoken early this morning in order to go riding while her partner had been in church. After breakfast and yet another round of paperwork, she had decided that a nap had been in order. She would be able to finish the last bits of work on her plane ride home that evening and would then be able to enjoy her parent’s anniversary party Monday night.
She and Paul were not due back at the agency until Wednesday and he had already decided he wanted to spend the additional time here at his farm, and she certainly could not blame him for that. The place was incredibly peaceful and Gatlin seemed to fit right in with the scenery with his rugged good looks and quiet strength.
The image of her partner gathered in her head and she immediately shook it as she rose from her bed. That was the second time today she had allowed such possibilities to run wild in her mind and she had only too clearly seen the look on his face after she had flirted with him about coming up here with him again. Paul was entertaining such thoughts as well, she had realized, but despite it all, it was a very bad idea. Her college years had been peppered with bad relationships to the point that she had sworn off dating altogether. Then there was the whole God thing with Paul to consider. No, any romantic relationship between them would be destined for failure and failure was something she no longer accepted as part of her life.
She smoothed out her rumpled clothing and ran a brush through her chestnut mane of hair before heading out to the kitchen. Paul had left coffee and a note that he had gone for a ride, but would be back in plenty of time to take her to the airport. After fixing her coffee, she glanced at the note again, thinking that he had uncharacteristically good handwriting for a man. The words were strong and bold on the paper and she shook her head as she balled it up and threw it into the trash. Maybe she should forego the coffee and head for a cold shower before spending an hour in a car with the man. Two days away from him would be good for her perspective.
Absent mindedly, she wandered around the kitchen and she stopped as she noticed a card lying on the counter underneath the telephone. Curiously, she pulled out the card with an angel on the cover and opened it, reading the simple message, “Ah, cat woman,” She said aloud, surprised to find herself feeling slightly annoyed. Paul had called her a “special friend” and now she was wondering just how special and when Monica would be returning to collect her cats and whatever else she had left behind.
The ringing of the telephone startled her and she almost laughed at the thought that it had not been the phone at all, but the snooping alarm. Alex hesitated briefly before she answered it.
“Alex?” The sound of Jason Trask’s voice came over the line in response to her “Hello” and her eyebrows furrowed, wondering what was so important that Paul was being disturbed at home during a few days off.
“Jason, yes. What’s up?”
“I need to talk to Paul,” He hesitated briefly before adding, “It’s important.”
She frowned; not sure she liked what she was hearing. Jason usually called with the latest football stats and even occasionally to inform Paul on the latest antics of his toddler daughter. His tone now though was anything but light; “He’s not here at the moment. Are you all right? Can I give him a message?”
There was silence for a moment before he spoke up again, “Have him call me, Alex, as soon as he gets in. There is something he needs to know.”
She assured him she would before she hung up the phone, her eyes instantly looking out the window and seeing Paul leading one of the horses into the stable. She considered waiting until he had rubbed down his mount and returned to the house, but her instincts told her that this should not wait and she grabbed her coat and headed down the hill to the stable.
“Gatlin?” She poked her head inside and watched as he looked up at her and grinned, “Jason from the agency just called. He said it was important. Why don’t you let me rub her down while you go and see what he needs.”
Paul frowned, not liking the sound of what Alex was telling him, but he kept his concerns to himself, “Thanks,” He stated simply as he handed her the brush and walked slowly up the hill, trying to rid himself of the bad feeling he had in his heart.
Alex finished with the horse and then headed back to the house, her eyes instantly searching for her partner and not seeing any sign of him. When she rounded the corner to his office, she stopped, seeing him standing inside with his back to her, eyes focused out the window.
“Everything okay?” She managed to keep her voice light, though everything in his posture was telling her that things were indeed not okay.
He turned to face her and nodded his head, “Fine,” His voice was curt, which further confirmed her suspicions, “Are you all packed and ready to go? We want to get there in enough time to get you checked in.”
His voice warmed up some and she accepted the fact that whatever Jason had wanted to tell him was personal and he was not going to share it with her regardless of how upset this news had caused him to be. “No, but it won’t take me long,” she assured him before she turned and headed down the hall to her room. She had thought about pushing the issue, but she had a feeling that Paul was not a man to be pushed and besides, she had a feeling that maybe there was another female in his life with whom he preferred to share his heart.
*****
Paul sighed wearily as he pulled his car back into the driveway at the farm early that evening. The last bits of light were beginning to fade from a sky that would soon be threatened with snow and he sighed when he thought about the fact that snow was in the forecast. He had nothing against it and actually found it quite beautiful, but it brought with it memories that at least for today were unwanted. Ever since speaking with Jason, he knew he had little time to live in the past and even less time to look to the future, for the moment anyway.
Alex had been a bit distant at the airport, but he had assured her he would meet up with her on Wednesday and told her to enjoy her parent’s party. She had looked uncertain for a moment, before she had nodded her head and boarded the plane. Paul knew it was for the best anyway. There was no sense in burdening Alex with what had just happened, and he had no desire to share with her the details of his past at this point.
He couldn’t help but to feel angry over the entire situation. It had only been a year ago that he had finally found peace in the things that had happened and now the entire thing was blowing up in his face again. Paul opened the car door and slammed it shut, not even realizing he had done that until the noise of it startled him. He sighed and walked up to the porch, and unlocked the front door before slipping inside.
He tossed his keys on the table in the entry hall and wandered towards the kitchen to make another pot of coffee. It was then that he realized that the scent of coffee was already hanging in the air, complete with a hint of mocha. He drew in a sharp breath and quickened his pace.
Andrew and Tess looked up at him from where they sat at the table and smiled, both amused by his expression of disbelief, “Hello, baby,” Tess was the first to speak up as she rose from her chair to greet him.
“Tess…Andrew…” He shook his head as his face relaxed and a smile appeared. “It is so good to see you both.” He felt as if that was an understatement at the moment but he was unable to help but wonder if their appearance had anything to do with the news he had gotten that afternoon. He dismissed the thought for the moment to hug the oldest angel warmly.
“You’re looking well, Paul,” She remarked with a smile, a bit surprised by his show of affection for her, yet she knew that God and a little angel had done some serious work on his heart a year ago.
“I can say the same of you,” He replied, before giving Andrew a quick embrace with a clap on the back. As he pulled away a worried expression crossed his face as he looked around, “There…um…there hasn’t been any trouble, has there? I mean, where…”
Andrew chuckled at the agent’s attempt at tact, which was something that usually passed him by altogether; “Monica was getting antsy, so she went down to the stable to visit Scout.”
Paul sucked in a deep breath as he felt his heartbeat quicken just a little, “I hope you don’t mind…I’d like to go and say hello…just to make sure she is staying out of trouble, you know…”
Tess looked further amused as Andrew replied, “You do that,” He was pleased that he knew a happy reunion was about to take place. When they had arrived at Paul’s, Monica had tears in her eyes when she realized what Tess’ surprise was and when they had found the agent not at home, he had not missed his friend’s disappointment, “She’s missed you, Paul,” He added softly.
Their eyes met as they exchanged a look and Paul nodded his head, not trusting himself to speak at the moment. He had accepted the fact that he would probably never see her again and now she was here. At the moment, that was all that mattered.
*****
“Yes, I’m happy to see you too,” Monica whispered as she stroked Scout’s neck and braced herself against the horse’s enthusiastic greeting. She dug in her pocket for an apple and smiled at the satisfying crunching noise Scout made as he ate it. “I think he really remembers me, Andrew,” she said as she heard the heavy barn door slide open.
“I’m certain he does. You’re pretty hard to forget.”
Monica spun around and dropped the last bits of apple onto the floor. “Paul.”
His name on her lips was one of the most perfect sounds the agent had heard in a year. He walked down the aisle to her in three long strides and didn’t hesitate before wrapping her up in a warm hug.
“I hope this is still allowed,” he said in a voice that was half-joking and half choked with emotion, “because it’s the only way I can prove to myself that you’re really here.”
“Oh, it’s allowed, Paul… and I feel the same way,” she murmured as she hugged him back with all her might.
They finally parted but before they stepped back from each other Monica reached up a hand and gently touched Paul’s strong jaw. “I’ve missed you a lot… and now here I am and you look just the way you looked when we said goodbye.”
Paul chuckled as he took her hand in his. “Well, you know, all that clean living keeps a man looking young. I could say the same for you, but I don’t suppose you’ll ever change, will you?”
“Not much,” she said as she shook her head, “at least not on the outside.”
The agent seemed to take that as his cue to lift his hand to her face, and he gazed straight into her dark, caring eyes. “You’ll never really change on the inside either,” he assured her. “You’ll always have the same loving, giving heart and soul,” he continued. He knew that one of her fears had been that she would never be the same as she had been before her first assignment with him, but looking into her eyes he knew that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Monica smiled tearfully and then threw her arms around him again. “I think Andrew has been sneaking around behind my back and giving you lessons in exactly what to say to me.”
“Nope… I’m just speaking the truth. That’s something another angel taught me.”
She laughed softly and then released him, but just to arms’ length, keeping a firm grip on his hand. “I’ve thought about you a lot since we said goodbye,” she said as they walked out of the barn. “I was always wondering how you were doing, and if you were all right…”
“And whether I was still trusting in God?” Paul finished the question that she had left hanging, and watched as she nodded her head. “Yes I am. Sometimes it’s been the only thing to keep me going through all the changes. That’s when I wonder how I ever got along before…”
“I’m so glad to hear that,” Monica said as she squeezed his hand.
“I wondered about you a lot too. That protective streak I have is pretty tough to shake. I mean, I knew that you had God and Andrew but I couldn’t help but think that having a highly trained federal agent around couldn’t hurt.” Monica laughed and he went on; “and then of course it took about a month before I stopped expecting to see you just pop up in the middle of one of my cases.”
“You know, I often wished that we would!”
“So how were your assignments?” he asked as he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She definitely seemed much more at peace than the last time he’d seen her, but there was still a hint of sadness in her face, along with a strength he hadn’t remembered.
“They’ve gone very well,” she replied, her gaze wavering slightly as she thought of Faith. “Some have been tougher than others, but in the end they all left me in awe at the Father’s ability to bring peace and perfection into the most imperfect situation.”
“Perfection, eh? Sounds like a goo deal.”
Monica gave a little laugh. “Oh, not your kind of perfection… God’s perfection is all about taking the imperfect and seeing it with new eyes and bringing things together instead of apart. Even the imperfect is perfect in His sight.”
Paul nodded silently as he thought about that. His mind went immediately to Alex. It seemed like he’d been seeing a lot of imperfections and impossibilities lately, and the call from Jason had only added to the list. Maybe it was time to start looking with a different pair of eyes. He gave an imperceptible sigh. Seeing the angels now was such a blessing. Even the darkest past couldn’t compete with their light, and he was determined that he would carry that light into the future. He would be able to face anything as long as he had God beside him.
Chapter 2
Sunday 8:50pm
The sound of running water echoed off the walls of the small, poorly lit restroom. Clear water, swirling around the sink was tinged bright red and then cloudy pink as it circled the drain and flowed away. He hated killing with a knife unless he was sending a message. It was so messy. Unfortunately this time it had been necessary. The old man had been looking at him strangely, and had moved towards the phone. Really, what other choice had he had?
He washed his hands a second time, careful to work the soap under his nails. The smell of blood had stopped bothering him, but the sight of it threatened to raise suspicions in others. The faucet was stiff and it squeaked as he shut it off, and then the old worn-out pipes thudded, deep in the walls. Looking in the mirror assuring himself that the face looking back was nothing like the one that had greeted him each morning in prison. A shave and a dye job had worked wonders. Yeah, it was a shame that the old man had just been a little too curious. Dragging him into the woods had cost him precious time, and Washington D.C. was still three hours away.
*****
”I’m so glad that her brothers and sister remember her,” Monica remarked happily as she watched Lucy interact with her feline siblings. The angels and their human friend were all seated in the living room where they had gathered after the dinner dishes had been washed and put away. The evening had been a pleasant one as Andrew, Paul and Tess had fixed a lovely meal, the agent continually ribbing Monica about only being permitted to fix the salad. She had wasted no time in reminding him that he had liked her coffee pizza from the one meal she had made for him and Andrew had braced himself for Paul to be truthful about the mocha pizza. But if the agent hadn’t really liked it, the little angel was not going to know about it and he even went so far as to suggest that she make it for lunch the following day. The blond angel had chuckled quietly over the pleased look on his best friend’s face as she had nodded her head enthusiastically. Yes, Paul was one assignment he didn’t have to worry about ever hurting her.
“They certainly keep me on my toes,” Paul grinned, shaking his head as Sam jumped up into his lap and began to purr, “I think I rather enjoy cat sitting,” He and Monica exchanged a conspiratorial smile over the fact that he would never claim the cats as his own.
“Looks like the snow is starting,” Andrew remarked as he gazed out the window and saw the fine, white flakes beginning to fall.
Monica looked out the window as well from her place on the couch, “Each flake is as different as each of God’s children,” She remarked, her face reflecting the happiness she was currently feeling.
“Well, in light of the cold, wet stuff, I am heading to bed,” Tess remarked as she rose to her feet. She had to hold back a chuckle as she looked over at the threesome on the couch, deciding not to remark on the little angelic princess being bookended with her two knights.
“How long can you all stay, Tess?” Paul asked softly. He had been putting off the question all evening, not wanting to consider that they would be leaving at all.
“Through tomorrow, baby. By evening, one little angel will be flying solo and Andrew and I will be moving on to some other assignments as well.”
The news came as a bit of a shock as Monica and Andrew both looked up at her in surprise and the Irish angel was the first to speak, “Solo?”
“Yes, baby. The Father and I both think you are ready,” She approached the angel and laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder, “and in your heart, I think you know it too.”
Andrew looked ready to protest, but he stopped himself before saying anything. He knew Tess was right; Monica was ready. Maybe it was him who wasn’t.
“Yes,” Monica remarked, though a trace of sadness lingered in her dark eyes as she glanced over at Andrew. She had gotten very accustomed to his gentle presence at her side and she wasn’t looking forward to not having that.
“We’ll talk about it more tomorrow,” Tess assured her as she headed out of the room, “Good night and don’t you three stay up too late.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Paul remarked with a grin as Tess shot him an amused glance over her shoulder. Once the older angel had departed, he turned his attention to Monica, “Are you all right with all of this?” He knew the answer didn’t really matter. Even if she wasn’t, there was little he could do about it and he had to remind himself that they were angels once again.
“Yes and no,” She remarked softly, looking over at Andrew once more, “You won’t be with me.” She knew this meant saying good-bye to not only Paul, but to him too, at least for now.
Andrew reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze, “I’m always with you, angel, and more importantly, God is always with you, so you have nothing to fear. He’ll never give you more than you can handle,” He hoped he sounded convincing and was reassured when she nodded her head.
“I’m just going to miss you is all,” She murmured sadly, choosing not to say that by that time, she would be missing both of her protectors.
Andrew smiled as he wrapped her up in his arms, “Not for long though, Monica. Before you know it, you’ll be back telling me how perfect everything turned out.”
Paul was still looking slightly disturbed. He had found peace in knowing she had Andrew with her the last year, though he really hadn’t known it for certain. But now he would know for certain that she was on her own and the thought did little to comfort him. His trust in God had grown in the last year, but trusting him with one little angel he was exceptionally fond of was another matter altogether. Yes, God had taken care of her through McArthur and David, but she had worn battle scars from those experiences and he was in hurry to have those repeated. But he was also not about to tell her of his concerns, “Andrew is right, honey. You’ll be back with him safe and sound before you know it.”
Andrew pulled away enough to kiss her forehead before he smiled at her, “I’m going to head to bed myself and leave you two to catch up a bit more. I’ll see you both in the morning.”
Though Monica had a feeling he was more upset about the upcoming assignments then he was letting on, she let it go, knowing she could always talk to him tomorrow, or late tonight as the case might be, “Good night, Andrew.”
“Night, buddy,” Paul called out to him. As the angel departed, he turned his attention to the one remaining, “Now, how about you tell me about this last case of yours?” She looked surprised and he smiled, “There was mention made of it at dinner and I could tell it was something you still felt a little unhappy about. So, c’mon, fess up.”
“I think you see too much,” She teased lightly, though secretly, she was so pleased to be with him again, if only for a little while. Sitting here with Paul made her realize just how much she had missed him the last fourteen months and it was all she could do to keep from throwing her arms around him another hug.
He seemed to read her thoughts as he moved a little closer and wrapped his arm around her small shoulders, “I sure have missed you,” He remarked, watching as she nodded her head tearfully, not trusting herself to speak, “Now, tell me about this little girl.”
He listened with interest as Monica told him all about Faith, and her father and the sheriff. It was an amazing story and he could only imagine her pain when she had found the child’s remains and when she told him about it, he pulled her just a little bit closer. Her voice trembled slightly when she related how they had all found out the truth and he could hear the joy coming through in her words as she concluded with Faith’s journey Home.
“Incredible,” He remarked once she was finished, “It sounds like you were exactly what Faith needed, but yet, I never doubted that to begin with.”
Monica smiled up at him, “She was never supposed to be my assignment. She belonged to Tess, I just had trouble staying out of it,” She had purposefully left out the fact that Andrew had punched Gregory Tate in the midst of the assignment as she didn’t want Paul to know that at times her dearest friend still struggled with his anger. No, that was one thing that was best left in the past, “So, now it is your turn.”
He raised his eyebrows in amusement, “My turn?”
“Yes. Something has been troubling you as I know you well too. I saw the way you would stare off into space at times earlier tonight, so now it is your turn to ‘fess up’.”
He found her perception endearing, but was not about to burden her with the news he had gotten earlier and he wasn’t ready to share anything about Alex just yet. Those emotions were still far too new and he was still trying to sort them out, “It’s nothing I want to talk about, Monica,” He began but saw a tinge of hurt flash in her eyes, “Honey, it isn’t anything I need or want you to worry about, okay? They are things I am still trying to deal with and until I am able to do that, I can’t share them with anyone. When that time comes, if you are around, you will be the first I come to. I promise.” He felt more confident insinuating that she would be around again as he had never expected to see her again, but yet, here she was, looking up at him through big, worried brown eyes.
“If you’re sure…” Her voice held uncertainty and he placed a finger to her lips to silence her.
“I am and as for you, young lady, I think it is time for bed, for both of us actually as it is nearly two o’clock in the morning,” Paul kept his voice light as he stood up and pulled her to her feet, “Your old room awaits.”
A smile formed on her lips as she stood up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek, “Good night, Paul.”
He touched her cheek lightly, still in awe of the fact that God’s very special angel was here with him once again.
*****
“Monica? Angel Girl?”
“Wha… What is it?” Monica rolled over, still half asleep and squinted at Andrew through eyes that were barely open. Even so, she was able to see the serious look on his face and she quickly pushed herself into a sitting position and rubbed at her eyes. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
He forced a weak smile for her sake and rested a hand on her leg. “I’ve been called away. I have to leave right now.”
“Now? But it’s the middle of the night,” Monica protested, knowing that it was pointless to do so.
“I know, but I’m needed.”
The tone in his voice told her that this was not going to be an easy trip for him. “I know,” she said. “I was hoping we’d have a little bit more time, but you have a job to do, and I know first hand how important that is.”
“Take care of yourself, okay?”
“I will. Don’t worry about me.”
“I’ll try not to, but no guarantees. Remember, if you need me… I’ll hear you, and even if I can’t be with you in person, I’ll be right there in your heart.”
“You make sure you remember that goes both ways,” she said with a little smile.
He leaned forward and pulled her into a hug. “I’ll remember.”
When they parted she was blinking to keep the tears in check and he had to clear his throat. He was surprised at how difficult leaving her was. He knew that God was watching over her, but that didn’t seem to make a difference in how he felt.
“It’s still early, Monica. Go back to sleep,” he said as backed away from the bed.
She relaxed against the pillows, but kept her eyes focused on his until suddenly he wasn’t there anymore and she was left staring at the door. A sigh rose from her chest and she blinked slowly, holding onto the image of him in her mind. She was sad at their parting, but she knew that it wouldn’t be for long. God was whispering in her ear, and his words of strength and hope lulled her back to sleep.
*****
Monday 9:00am
“Andrew left already?” As usual, Paul didn’t hide his feelings and the disbelief came through loud and clear in his voice.
“Yes, baby, he was called away in the night,” Tess answered when Monica continued to concentrate on her cup of coffee.
Paul shook his head. “Man, I was thinking we’d have a little more time. I guess the Big Guy had other plans.”
The way Paul referred to God always made Monica smile and even with the turmoil she was feeling, this time was no different. “Maybe after all our assignments are done, we’ll be meeting back up again here,” she offered.
“Well, I hope so, or you’ll have one mighty unhappy cat. I think she’s enjoying the companionship, but I hear that once you’ve seen Heaven, nothing else really compares,” he joked.
“You’re sure it won’t be a problem leaving her here?”
“Monica, don’t give it a second thought. Tim and Gary take great care of the others when I’m not around… the more the merrier.”
“I’m glad… it will give us the perfect excuse to come back,” the Irish angel said with a grin.
“For some reason I don’t think you’d need much of an excuse, Miss Wings,” Tess commented as she buttered a piece of toast.
Tess was right. Monica was smiling and trying to stay light-hearted, but the truth was that Andrew’s abrupt departure had made her a little uneasy. It meant that her own solo assignment was that much closer to starting. Concentrating on the fact that eventually she would be coming back to the farm was much easier than thinking about what her awaited her. She just hoped that it would go as smoothly as all of her recent assignments with Tess and Andrew.
Paul noticed how hard the little angel was trying and he looked outside at the freshly fallen snow, “How about a ride after breakfast, honey?” He offered, knowing she would immediately know that he was trying to cheer her up and take her mind off her problems, but he didn’t care if she knew. He cared about her; in his own way, loved her, and he would do anything to see her smile.
“I would love that, Paul,” She replied with a grin, “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a ride with Scout, or with you either.”
Tess smiled at the exchange, knowing that her Angel Girl had found a friend for life in Paul. Though the agent was at times brash, she knew he had a heart of gold and a heart that held a soft spot for one little angel, “I’ll clean up, so you two can go ahead.”
“Sure you don’t want to come along, Tess?” Paul extended the offer, though he was fairly certain that Tess was not the horseback riding type of angel.
“I’m sure, baby. You two go on ahead and enjoy yourselves. You’ll have to leave for your assignment right before dinner, so you have plenty of time to enjoy the day.”
“You have a coat?” Paul asked as he rose to his feet and watched as Monica nodded her head, before she bolted down the hallway, eager to spend each moment she could with her human friend until she would have to be separated from him as well.
*****
Andrew let out a deep breath as he returned from taking Cliff Miller Home. The truck driver had been happy to see the Father, but the angel was still feeling more than unsettled, especially since this had been his second assignment since leaving Monica early this morning. Walter Evans had been murdered; stabbed to death and his body left in the woods and Andrew would not soon forget the sight. It seemed that no matter how many violent deaths he was witness to, he would never get over the intense sadness he felt at lives that were taken too soon.
Cliff Miller had been killed much in the same manner, just outside the Washington DC city limits in the early hours of the dawn and the angel was certain that the same killer had murdered him as Walter. The man had been dead in the cab of his truck and the police had already started to arrive now that Andrew had returned. He shook his head sadly, as he stood nearby, waiting to see if they found any clues to the killer, but he saw detectives shaking their heads in frustration.
Knowing that they couldn’t see him, he moved in closer to hear bits of the conversation and were he not feeling so heavy hearted about the two men he had taken Home, he would have smiled at the fact that his days working with Paul were still something he carried with him.
“It looks like his work, though we can’t be certain. Devin Jackson was hard enough to catch the first time as he always covers up his trail,” One detective remarked with a shake of his head.
“One would think he would want to keep a low profile, at least temporarily,” His comrade stated in disgust.
Andrew felt his heart grow heavier. If what they were saying were true, he could stand to be kept busy for quite some time.
*****
Paul glanced over at Monica in concern. They had been riding for the last twenty minutes and she had been uncharacteristically silent and even with the hood of her white coat around her head, he could still make out the worry lines that were now on her face, “What is it, little angel?” He asked as she looked over at him, “Are you worrying about Andrew?”
“He’s having a hard time,” She remarked softly, her answer surprising him.
“How do you know? I mean, does God give you some sort of memo or something?”
She managed a tiny smile, “No. But He did give Andrew and me a gift. I can sometimes know what is in his heart, the same way he so often knows what is in mine. He’s being faced with some difficult assignments…”
Her voice trailed off and he had the distinct feeling that she was longing to be there for him, “It’s strange to see you two apart.”
“It feels just as strange to be apart,” Monica admitted, her breath making small clouds of white smoke in front of her face, “I think ever since McArthur, he has only had one assignment that took him away and it was only for a day. Since then, I’ve been blessed to have him with me.”
“Are you nervous about your own assignment?” He watched her carefully for any signs that her words might not match the look in her dark eyes.
“A little.”
“Do you know anything about where you’ll be or what you’ll be doing?”
“No.”
He sighed. It was suddenly every bit as hard for him to set her off on her own as it was for Andrew. He now knew that that the other angel had been at her side continuously the last year and it did little to calm his concern that suddenly she was going to be without either one of them, “You’ll be fine,” He heard himself saying, deciding that confidence was what she needed at the moment.
Monica nodded her head as she fell silent for another moment as she and Paul allowed the horses to walk side by side in the snow, “I know that having Andrew near is not a prerequisite, I suppose it just makes me feel better knowing that he is. The same way I always liked knowing you were nearby as well.”
“I’ve learned something the last year, honey. God always gives me exactly what I need,” He smiled, sometimes still amazed to hear such things coming from his mouth, but it was the truth. Facing the fact that a long time friend had been responsible for the death of his fiancée was something he was glad he hadn’t had to face alone.
Despite the sadness that was in her heart at the moment for Andrew, she could not hide her delight at his words, “Yes, just as God knew how much I needed to see you.”
Her words touched him deeply, “I guess He answered both our prayers then,” He replied as they exchanged a smile, “You look cold. How about we head back? I’ll build a fire and we’ll have a laid back afternoon before we both get ready to head back to work?”
The angel nodded her head in agreement, “That sounds perfect, Paul, just perfect.”
As they turned their steeds around and headed back in the direction of the farm, Monica found herself offering up all the love in her heart to her dearest friend, hoping that he could feel it when he needed it most.
Chapter 3
Monday 5:35pm
A warm fire, cups of hot chocolate, and relaxing conversation filled the afternoon. Monica actually had a hard time remembering that she was in the same house where she had spent some of the most difficult days of her existence. It had been a safe haven then and it still was, but it was so much nicer to be visiting rather than confined.
Tess was just about to start dinner for the three of them when a brief look of concentration passed over her face and she turned to Monica. “It’s time, baby.”
Monica’s eyes widened and she took a deep breath. Then a smile spread across her face. The hours of reminiscing about their recent assignments had served to encourage her. She was looking forward to this new challenge. She knew that it would be a bit lonely without Tess and Andrew by her side, but she was determined to do the best job she could and make them and God proud.
The agent saw Monica’s smile and tried to plaster one on his own face. He was glad that she seemed to have gotten over her earlier trepidation, but unfortunately he had not. He briefly wondered how difficult it would be to tail and angel, then shook his head. Given their propensity for disappearing into thin air, it would probably be impossible.
“Well I guess that this is ‘see you later’ then,” he said as he got up and walked to where Tess and Monica were standing.
“Yes… see you later,” Monica repeated with only a slight tremor in her voice. “Remember, I have to come back to get Lucy… and I have a feeling that the Father will arrange for you to be here when I do.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that, baby,” Tess said as she hugged her young charge. “He has a way of bringing things together.” She pulled away but kept her hands on Monica’s shoulders. “Now you just do your best and listen to what God is telling you. You’ll do fine… just fine.”
“I’ll remember what you’ve been telling me too,” Monica replied with a wink, and Tess chuckled and pulled her close for another quick hug.
“Hey, don’t I get one of those?” Paul asked, a twinkle in his eye.
Monica and Tess broke apart and the Irish angel immediately turned to the agent and threw her arms around his waist.
“Of course you do!”
‘I’ll miss you, little angel. Spending a day with you reminded me just how much.”
“I know what you mean,” Monica said as she concentrated on the feeling of his arms around her. It was almost as good as a hug from Andrew. “But it won’t be as long this time.” She tilted her head up. “And the next time we’re together, I think we need to talk more about you.”
Her eyes narrowed and he felt like she was looking straight into his heart and soul. He wondered if she was seeing a picture of Alex there. He hadn’t mentioned his partner to the angels and now he considered that if anyone was going to be able to give him advice about her, it would probably be them.
“I’ll see what I can do about that,” Paul answered with a wink.
Lucy was suddenly rubbing against Monica’s ankles, as if sensing the imminent departure. The angel bent down and picked up her cat, holding her close and kissing the top of her head.
“You be a good girl,” she said, and then handed the little cat to Paul.
Tess smiled and reached out to give Monica’s arm a final squeeze. “We’ll see you soon, baby.”
“Take care of yourself,” Paul demanded, and before the final word was out of his mouth the little angel was gone.
*****
Monica found herself in what had to be one of the more upper crust parts of the city. In the distance she could make out the Washington Memorial, lit up like a beacon against the dark winter sky before her gaze moved to the large colonial house she was standing in front of. She knew with complete certainty that this was where she was supposed to be as she watched people mingling inside. It seemed to be a party of some sort and it was going on in full swing and she knew that beyond those doors was her assignment.
She glanced down at herself and found that she was dressed elegantly for the occasion and though she had no idea what the occasion was, Monica knew that the Father would let her know in His time. She trusted Him explicitly and knew that as the evening unfolded, she would have all she needed in order to complete the task at hand and as she rested in this knowledge, she walked up to the porch and rang the bell. A moment later the door opened and the little angel came face to face with a young woman with chestnut hair that was up piled up on top of her head elegantly and her shimmering rust colored gown accented the highlights in her hair as well as her brown eyes. Monica knew she could fit in anywhere, but for a split second she felt a little out of place.
The feeling faded almost immediately as the young woman smiled at her, “Hi. I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Alex.”
Her assignment.
The knowledge filled her as she accepted Alex’s hand and shook it, “Monica,” She replied with a smile. Already her natural curiosity was trying to figure out what sort of problem her assignment had, but she forced herself to stay in the moment and not allow her thoughts to run wild.
A brief look of amusement crossed Alex’s face as she remembered the card she had found at Paul’s farm yesterday, even though she was fairly certain that the chances of this young woman being “cat woman” were few and far between. “Come on in out of the cold, Monica.” She moved aside so she could enter and helped Monica out of her coat. “I’m acting as hostess as my brother is too busy flirting,” she explained with a laugh, “I’m not big on these formal affairs, but with my parents both being lawyers, there was no other way to go.”
Immediately feeling at ease, the angel grinned, “Yes. I much prefer something a bit more comfortable,” She replied, thinking how she now felt a far cry from how relaxed she had felt at Paul’s just moments before.
“Well, you look lovely,” Alex assured her as she hung the cream colored coat in the closet. She was trying to figure out whom it was Monica knew to be here as she couldn’t recall ever having seen her before or having heard her parents ever make reference to her, “You know the happy couple, I take it?”
“No, my Father invited me, but I would love to meet them,” She replied quickly as she moved into the living room, hoping to avoid questions about the name of her Father. Alex seemed content with her answer though and quickly moved beside her once more, “Your parents have a beautiful home.”
“A lot of pomp and circumstance, but it makes them happy,” She replied with a chuckle, “I’m just thankful I don’t have to clean it.”
Monica laughed, instantly liking Alex, “Yes, that could be a bit of a chore.”
“Come on. I’ll introduce you. I think they are holding court in the kitchen,” She winked as she led the way through the crowd with Monica in tow.
The kitchen was massive, complete with an old brick fireplace that was burning pleasantly and the angel basked in the warmth it was emitting. Talk and laughter filled the air as Monica looked around her, taking it all in stride. Though the house was huge, the rooms she had seen were surprisingly homey. Alex’s parents seemed to have an eye for antiques and several of the pieces, including the old oak table in the kitchen brought back memories of assignments long ago.
She looked up as she felt a cold glass of champagne being pressed into her hand and she found herself looking at who had to be Alex’s brother. The resemblance between the two was striking, though she surmised he had to be a few years younger than his sister.
“I don’t believe we’ve met,” He grinned at her, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
Alex sighed, “Monica, this is Rob, my younger and flirtatious brother, who really needs to learn to behave himself.”
“A pleasure, Monica,” He replied, taking her hand and raising it to his lips.
The angel found herself feeling amused, thinking that the young man could stand to take a few lessons in chivalry from one angel and one agent. “Charmed, Rob,” she teased gently, her expression letting him know that she was not about to take him seriously and she grinned when he laughed.
“She sees right through me,” He exclaimed with a shake of his head, “I must be losing my touch.”
“You had a ‘touch’”? Alex asked him innocently, causing him to chuckle once more, “Where are mom and dad?”
Rob nodded to the corner of the kitchen, “Over there with their royal subjects.” He replied with a wink before watching his sister lead Monica through the crowd.
“Alexandra.”
Monica watched as Alex flinched at the name, but seemed to accept it as just one of those things that would never change, “Mom, dad, this is Monica. Monica, meet Robert and Kate.”
“A pleasure Monica,” Robert smiled warmly as he took the little angel’s hand.
As she exchanged a greeting with Alex’s mother as well, Monica couldn’t help but to feel that despite the teasing of their children, the middle aged couple was really very sweet and she found herself wondering once again what God’s purpose was for her here.
“I’m going to be heading out a bit early,” Alex told her parents once there was a lull in the conversation, “I have to work in the morning.” She left it at that, knowing her parents didn’t like to discuss her choice of jobs. They considered her work with the FBI highly dangerous and had been completely dismayed when she had gone off to boot camp at Quantico.
“Thank you for everything, sweetheart,” Kate smiled as she wrapped her arm around her daughter’s shoulders, “We’ll see you next week when we get back from Bermuda.”
Monica listened to the conversation as she allowed her mind to wander. The few sips of champagne she had ventured had her feeling just a touch light headed and she wisely put her glass on the table, wondering all the while if something was destined to happen to Robert and Kate and that was the reason why she had been sent.
*****
Paul hung up the phone in his office and walked back into the kitchen, a grim expression on his face. The news he had just gotten was anything but good as since this morning, a third body had been found. He had kept the news of his phone call this morning quiet, not wanting to worry Monica about it, but the killer had yet to be found and it was now nearly impossible for him to hide his feelings.
“Everything okay, baby?”
Tess had stayed for dinner and he had welcomed the angel’s company, using it as time to pry into exactly how Monica had been doing the last year. He had been relieved to hear that she had come far from where he had last left her, despite the heart wrenching assignment with Faith.
“Yeah, just a little problem I need to get myself assigned to tomorrow,” He stated vaguely before quickly changing the subject, “So, where was Monica sent off to?”
“Washington,” The angel replied, missing the alarmed look on the agent’s face, “I don’t have details as of yet, but she has been sent to help a young lady who is about to find herself in some trouble.”
Paul turned away as his mind raced. Though the chances were slim, he was none too pleased with the thought of the little angel being where trouble was headed. Though the city was large, she had an eye for trouble and this was one bit of trouble she in no way needed and he wasn’t at all sure she could handle. It made him wonder if somehow this was the reason he had been reunited with the angels once more and if it was, he found himself wishing that they had never shown up yesterday to begin with.
*****
Andrew sat down on the curb of the sidewalk with his head in his hands. He hated these kinds of assignments. He never minded taking anyone Home to God, but when the deaths were all related and so incredibly violent, he sometimes found himself pondering free will.
His last assignment had taken place on the upper east side of the city (change that if need be-my geography sucks and the internet is proving to be little help) in a high-class residential area and once again the victim had suffered multiple stab wounds. The killer was cold hearted and the angel could only pray that he would soon be caught in order to stop this senseless killing spree.
He looked up as he heard voices coming from two houses down the street and it seemed that a gathering was in the process of breaking up. The laughter lightened his heart somewhat as he was reminded that life was still going on all around him. He just hoped that wherever Monica was, she was safe and that the people leaving the party would soon be safe in their beds as well.
Emitting another sigh, the angel vanished from sight.
*****
“So, do you live nearby?” Alex asked as she grabbed her coat as well as Monica’s. They had spoken a few more times throughout the evening and, as coincidence would have it, they were leaving at the same time.
“No, I’m just visiting,” the angel replied. “I’ve been in the city before, but I’ve never even had a chance to really look around it before.”
Alex didn’t know why, but for some reason, whether it was Monica’s lilting voice, or the open and sincere look on her face, but the agent found herself taking an instant liking to her.
“Well, I’m not doing anything tomorrow. Maybe I could show you around?”
“Really? But I thought you told your parents that you have to work tomorrow?”
Alex leaned forward and whispered, “That was just a little excuse to leave a bit early.”
Monica laughed. “You really didn’t enjoy yourself? You seemed to be having such a good time.”
“Years of practice, Monica… years of practice,” Alex said as she guided the angel out the front door. “Maybe I’ll tell you a few of my other techniques tomorrow,” she finished with a quirky grin.
“I think I’d enjoy that.”
“Great. Where are you staying? I’ll pick you up.”
Monica slipped her hand into her coat pocket. “Umm… my Father checked me into the hotel,” she said as her fingertips brushed against the electronic keycard that hadn’t been there earlier, and pulled it out. “The Downtown Marriott,” she said, reading it from the back of the card.
“Ooh, very nice,” Alex said approvingly, then gave the little angel a nudge. “Sounds like we might be able to compare notes on what it’s like to grow up with successful parents.”
Monica smiled. “Yes… I suppose so.”
“Great, so I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” Alex said as they reached the bottom of the brick stairs and she turned towards the driveway. “Actually, do you need a ride back there?”
“No, I’m fine, but thank you,”
“Okay, if you’re sure,” she said, and then walked to her car when Monica nodded affirmatively. She glanced back to make the offer a second time, and was surprised to see her already gone. “Boy, she must be the fastest cab hailer on the east coast!” she muttered to herself, and then climbed into her car and cranked up the heat. It was only a short drive to her own apartment, but there wasn’t much she hated more than being cold.
Chapter 4
Tuesday 7:25am
Coffee. It really was a wonderful smell to wake up to. Paul pushed himself up onto his elbows and inhaled deeply. Then he chuckled to himself. Monica was gone, but her spirit lingered on.
A few brief minutes later he had dressed and made his way down the stairs to the kitchen. He and Tess had gotten off to a bit of a rough start, but his fondness for the older angel had since grown. He would never admit it to her, but she reminded him of his favorite aunt. She never let him get away with anything either.
“Good morning, Tess,” he called out as he entered the kitchen, but his words hung in the air.
The agent crossed to the table and picked up his favorite mug which was full to the brim with dark coffee. There was a note underneath it, short and to the point.
‘Paul, I have been called away, but I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon. God Bless. –Tess’
He let the paper fall to the table, surprised by how much her abrupt departure bothered him. Hopefully whatever had pulled her away had not been an emergency, and hopefully it had had nothing to do with Monica. He sipped thoughtfully at his coffee as he walked into the study. He had planned on staying at the farm until evening, but with Tess gone he had nothing to occupy his mind other than anxiety. No. Better to get back to the city as soon as possible and take care of business. With any luck Devin Jackson would be as easy to catch this time as he had been the last.
He logged onto his account at work and quickly filed the emails that he could save until later. He didn’t open any of them until he got to the one from Alex. Mentally he slapped himself as he found himself holding his breath as it came up. He had been praying that it wouldn’t have anything to do with Jackson, and his prayers had been answered, but he rolled his eyes at the fact that he had even worried about that.
The short message just let him know that she had arrived safely and the party had gone well. He was about to close it when he noticed the postscript and felt a stab of guilt. It was only one line, but it read, ‘I promise I’m not trying to pry, but I hope that whatever had you upset yesterday has sorted itself out.’
He wished it was that simple. Eventually she was going to have to be told, but the truth was that he wasn’t sure how much she knew about his past, and he wasn’t eager to have their partnership tainted by it. The office grapevine was remarkably efficient, but Alex didn’t seem to have many close friends, even within the agency, so it was possible that she didn’t know a thing and that made him even more uneasy. It meant that he would have to tell her everything, from beginning to end. Dealing with it himself was one thing, and retelling it to someone else, even someone he was already considering a friend, was something else entirely.
The commuter flight back to the city was uneventful and Paul spent most of it thinking of how he was going to tell Alex about their new case. Technically it didn’t fall within their department, but Trask had all but handed it to Paul, realizing that the younger agent wasn’t going to be able to keep his hands out of it anyway.
He had arranged for an agency car to be dropped off at the airport and he picked up the keys at the security office. From all the times he’d flown out and into D.C. he was pretty much on a first name basis with all of them. He traded a few jokes with the officers there, but his mind was already ten blocks away at the FBI headquarters.
Spotting the car wasn’t difficult. It was the standard grey Ford Taurus. What made him narrow his eyes was the fact that there appeared to be someone still in the drivers’ seat. He double checked the license plate against the one he had been given as he approached the car. Yes, it was definitely his.
The passenger side was nearest to him as he walked up to it and the window was rolled down. He bent over, arms on the doorframe and peered inside, questions already on the tip of his tongue. He swallowed them as he saw who it was.
“Andrew? What are you doing here?”
“I think you already know the answer to that question, Paul,” the angel replied as he leaned over and opened the passenger door.
Paul slumped down in his seat and closed the door. “Yeah, I guess I do. I had a horrible feeling that Jackson’s escape might be the reason you were all brought back here.” He looked up sharply. “Monica’s not involved, is she?”
Andrew shook his head. “No, but I’ve taken Home four people who didn’t deserve to die.”
“I’m sorry, Andrew…”
“I’m not blaming you, Paul. You’re not the one responsible, and no I’ve been reassigned to help you catch the person who is.”
“Well I can’t say I’m sorry to have my old partner back on the job, but I think my new one may have a few things to say about that,” Paul replied with a grin.
One eyebrow rose in interest when he heard the slight change in Paul’s tone of voice. “You didn’t mention a partner,” he said.
“Yeah, for about two months now. Her name’s Alex. We’re supposed to be back in the office tomorrow.”
“Alex?”
Paul saw the look of concern flash across Andrew’s features. “Yeah? Why? Is there a problem?”
“No… but Tess told me that Monica’s in the city too… and her assignment’s name is Alex.”
The agent subconsciously gripped the door handle tighter. He hoped that the coincidence was just that, but he doubted it. Monica was assigned to his Alex, and Devin Jackson was wandering around free. The combination was not comforting, to say the least. He looked into Andrew’s face and saw a mirror image of his own worry on the angel’s face.
“Let’s get into the office and see if Alex decided to check in early. After that we can swing by her parent’s place… she said something about house-sitting for them.”
“I’m sure they’re both fine, Paul… it might not even be the same Alex,” Andrew attempted to convince himself as well as the man beside him.
“Yeah, well let’s not take any chances.”
“Agreed,” the angel replied as he turned the car onto the highway and a tense silence filled the air. He didn’t like what he now knew. They had been reunited with Paul during a time when a killer was on the loose and his best friend had just been assigned to someone who may or may not be Paul’s partner. Though Monica had grown stronger over the past year, if suddenly faced again with violence, it had the potential to shake her badly and given the gruesome deaths he had seen the last 24 hours, it was not something he wanted her faced with.
He gave himself a mental shake, disgusted with the fact that he was even entertaining such thoughts. The chances of Monica’s assignment being Paul’s partner were slim. She would be returning to him in a day or so, bubbling over with happiness over how well her assignment had gone. Though it might not be the truth, it was the only one he was willing to accept at this point.
*****
Paul was frowning when he and Andrew walked out of the FBI building some time later. Alex had not checked in early and under normal circumstances, he would not be alarmed by this. But given the fact that Devin Jackson was on the loose and that Monica was working with someone named Alex, he was anything but not alarmed.
“Alex is house-sitting while her parents are on vacation,” He stated as they walked to the car, “I’d feel better if we stopped by there as she wasn’t answering at her apartment. At the very least, I want her to know to be careful until this guy is caught.”
The agent’s words had a cold feeling to them and Andrew found himself wondering if there was more to this than met the eye. However, one thing he had learned about Paul was that no amount of pushing could make him reveal more than he was ready to, “That’s fine,” He agreed. At the very least, maybe he would find out if Monica was with Paul’s partner and knowing his dear friend was safe would allow him to rest a bit easier. If the little angel was not with Alex, then he would also be reassured that she was safe and was just with someone of the same name. It was a win-win situation and after the night he had just had, he was looking forward to possessing that knowledge.
“Thank you again for taking the time to show me around,” Monica smiled over at Alex as they pulled up in front of her parent’s house that evening, “The Twilight Tour was lovely. All the monuments look so much more elegant lit up at night.”
“Yes, they do,” Alex agreed as she put the car in Park and turned off the engine. “I like it because in the winter especially, it is so much less populated than the daylight hours tours, plus there is no rush to get back on the bus.”
*****
The day had been very enjoyable and she and Monica had spent hours talking, covering a vast array of topics. Monica had informed her that she was here on business and wasn’t sure of how long she would be staying and Alex had already found herself feeling a little sad at the thought of her leaving. She didn’t have many good friends as her job just didn’t allow her the time, but she had instantly clicked with the petite young woman and had briefly hoped to ignite a long term friendship. Her job at the agency often left her feeling like “one of the guys” and it was a welcome change of pace to take part in some girl talk for a day.
“Thanks for agreeing to stop by my parent’s place with me. Seems everytime they go away, Rob has something else to do that doesn’t permit him to check in on the house, so it is always my responsibility.”
The angel smiled, “He’s a pretty likable fellow really.”
Alex chuckled, “In his own way, I suppose, though responsibility isn’t really his strong suite. He’s girl crazed but has no desire to settle down. He’s getting quite the reputation among Washington’s most eligible ladies.”
“And what about you?” Monica asked as they got out of the car and started up the path to the house, “Surely, there must be someone in your life.”
“No one worth mentioning,” She replied her mind turning briefly to Paul, “There is only one possibility and I just don’t think it would work out.”
Monica grinned, unable to resist the possibility of playing a little match making, “Perhaps there is someone I could introduce you to. He’s funny, a bit protective, and has a heart of gold that is occasionally a wee bit rough around the edges.”
“Sounds nothing like the guy I work with,” Alex chuckled as she inserted her key into the door, “No thank you, Monica. I’m not sure I would even have time to date anyway,” She glanced up at the sky and sighed, “I hate when snow is in the forecast. While it is pretty, it is also cold.”
“You have a point,” She replied as Alex opened the door and they stepped inside the house and into the warmth.
“It won’t take me too long. I just need to make sure Jasmine and Minnie have plenty of food and water as I’m not sure if I can get here tomorrow. First day back at work and if we get that snowstorm they are calling for, getting here even after work could be difficult,” she explained as she shrugged out of her coat and laid it on the chair in the hallway. “Make yourself comfortable while I check on the cats and make sure everything is locked up and I’ll be right back.”
Monica nodded her head as she took off her coat and laid it down with Alex’s, deciding to take the opportunity to look around the house a bit more now that there weren’t hordes of people here. She looked at the array of pictures that lined the stairway leading to upstairs, smiling when she found school pictures of Alex and Rob, as well as more recent family portraits all the while able to hear Alex bustling in the kitchen. Yes, Alex seemed well suited for Paul, though she wondered why her assignment was so hesitant to meet anyone. Monica supposed that meddling romantically was not part of what she was sent here to do, but she liked Alex and aside from Andrew and Tess, Paul was her dearest friend. She surmised that it could have something to do with her job and she made a mental note to ask Alex what she did for a living, surprised that she had not thought to do so before.
As she worked her way back down the stairs, Monica became aware of the fact that the noises from the kitchen had ceased and her brow furrowed, wondering if Alex had gone to another part of the house to look for one of the cats. She walked towards the kitchen, all the while wondering how Lucy was faring at Paul’s farm. She missed the little cat, as well as Andrew, and she hoped she would soon be able to find out what the assignment really was so she could see them both again.
“Alex?” She called out softly as she entered the kitchen, frowning at the silence and at not getting a response, before a soft mew caused her look down. A small black cat was looking up her with worried green eyes and the angel bent down to pet her, “Where did Alex go, little girl?” She asked softly before she looked up and felt her blood run cold. She could make out Alex’s body on the floor on the other side of the island and the angel felt a scream rising to her throat.
Monica never heard him come up behind her, a blunt piece of metal raised behind her head. All she felt was intense pain before her world went dark.
*****
Devin Jackson scowled as he drove the van down the narrow side streets of the city. He had never planned on Alexandra having a friend with her and it had taken him double the time to tie them up and deposit them in the van, but now the worst of the work of two women was behind him. He could slowly kill two just as easily as one. The only regret he felt was that they were both pretty and under other circumstances, it would be a shame to kill them, but at least the process would be slow. Without food, water or heat, they would last a few days, a little better than a week at best. It was enough time for his enemy to know that he had evened up the score.
