Confronting the Fallen (26 page)

But
after almost a week, Chris found it harder and harder to get
distracted. The idea of finding Sariel's sword was weighing on his
mind so much that he wondered if he was being influenced by his inner
angel. He didn't try to talk to Sariel though; he was still irritated
by the angel's less than subtle attempt to trick him into putting on
the ring. Chris knew in the end that the choice had been his own and
he was somewhat insulted that Sariel thought him too stupid to see
through such an obvious ploy.

Finally,
he got a chance to talk to Martin privately and casually asked him if
he had heard anything about the trip that the judge had planned. Not
surprisingly, Martin knew all about it, but told Chris that the judge
was still in the planning stage. Chris had no choice but to try to be
patient, the man said.

But
Chris was out of patience. After almost three years of being on his
own, of freedom, even if it had been a dangerous kind of freedom, the
Nest was finally starting to feel less like a refuge and more like a
prison. He needed a change of scenery. And so, the next day he
approached Martin again.

The
man was walking down the main corridor leading from the front door
when Chris caught up to him. Martin looked at him in surprise.

“
Mr.
Wright,” Martin said, sounding puzzled. “As I told you
only yesterday, the judge is still making the arrangements for your
journey.”

“
No,
no, Martin. I know that. I wanted to ask you something else. A
request, really,” Chris said. He felt a bit nervous.

“
Oh,
I see. Well then, what can I do for you?” Martin asked and
waited courteously for Chris' question.

“
Um,
yeah. Well, the thing is, Martin...I'd like to go into town for a few
hours.” He said rapidly.

“
Into
town? You mean Ottawa?”

Chris
nodded and held his breath. Martin stared at him thoughtfully.

“
You
do realize that traveling outside of this house, especially into a
city, would expose you to possible danger, don't you?”

“
Sure
I do. But I've spent a lot of time on my own, Martin. I can handle
myself.”

Martin
looked dubious. “We were attacked less than a week ago, Mr.
Wright. Talon has got to be on high alert right now. I cannot, in
good conscience, allow you to expose yourself to that sort of danger.
Perhaps in a few weeks, but it really is out of the question at the
moment.”

Chris
just stared at him for a long moment. He felt a flash of anger but
tried to bottle it up. He had to sound calm and rational when
speaking to Martin.

“
Are
you telling me that I'm a prisoner, Martin? Judge Hawkes told me when
I arrived that I was a guest. Has my status changed without anyone
telling me?”

“
Certainly
not!” Martin sounded offended, “You are an honored guest,
Mr. Wright. But what kind of hosts would we be if we allow you to
throw away your freedom, perhaps even your life, by letting you leave
at a time like this?”

This
time, a little of Chris' anger seeped into his voice. “I'm
hearing words like 'allow' and 'let', Martin. You don't use those
words when speaking about a guest. Please don't judge me by my
appearance. I am not the child I appear to be. I know that you are
aware of that.”

“
I'm
not calling you a child, Mr. Wright.” The man sounded
exasperated. “It's just a matter of timing. If you would just
be a little patient...”

“
Martin,
I'm leaving. Today.” Chris stared intensely at the man. “You
can try and stop me, of course. But that would just confirm that I am
a prisoner. And I would never help you, the judge or this
organization after that.” Chris thought of something else. “Oh
and Sariel might take exception to you trying to cage me as well. He
doesn't like cages and prisons. And I don't know how he would react.”

Chris
hadn't really meant to make it sound like he was threatening Martin,
but it was obvious that the man took it that way.

“
I
see. There was no need to say that. Mr. Wright. All of us here value
you, and not just because of Sariel. We only want you to be safe.
However, if you are determined to leave, then leave you shall. I'll
arrange for a car and driver meet you out front at whatever time you
wish. He will drop you off wherever you want to go and return for you
at your convenience. Simply tell them at the front desk.”
Martin sounded resigned. “Good luck out there, Mr. Wright. I
hope you come back to us in one piece.” And with that, he
turned stiffly and walked away.

Chris
started to call after him, a wave of guilt almost making him change
his mind. But then he stopped himself. He'd apologize to Martin when
he got back. He really did like him and Chris was sure that Martin
only wanted the best for him. But the chance to get out of the house,
to see some new faces and places and to clear his mind, was simply
too tempting to pass up.

An
hour later, Chris was in a car and on his way. He didn't get a chance
to tell Tyler or Jacob that he was going out, but he was sure he'd be
back before they missed him. The driver, Bennett, had greeted him
gravely and nodded when Chris told him where he wanted to go.

The
car quietly hummed along and Chris watched as the scenery rolled by,
his anticipation level very high as he thought about his upcoming
adventure. He knew that he was taking a risk being out in public so
soon after the attack on the Nest, but the odds of being jumped
during the day in the middle of the city were small; at least he
hoped so.

The
drive took about an hour or so but finally they were cruising through
downtown Ottawa. Traffic was heavy and the sidewalks were full of
people hurrying in every direction. To Chris, it almost felt like
home.

It's
so weird, he thought. Not that long ago, I would have done anything
to get off of the streets. And now that I have a safe haven, friends,
a real purpose in life, I miss all of this. What's wrong with me
anyway?

But
Chris had to admit that he missed the energy of the crowds, the
feeling of life flowing around him like an ever-changing stream.
Sometimes it was almost intoxicating.

The
car slowed and finally stopped at a side entrance leading into the
Rideau Center mall. “Here we are, sir,” the driver said.

“
Thanks,
Bennett,” Chris said and started to get out.

“
Oh,
one moment please,” Bennett said quickly. He turned around in
his seat and looked at Chris. “Do you have your phone with
you?”

“
Yeah,
I do.”

“
Good.
When you're ready to leave, just dial three-seven-one and the pound
sign to get in touch with me. I'll cruise around downtown until
then.” He reached into an inner pocket and pulled out a black
leather wallet. “And here. Martin wanted you to have this. In
case you wanted to do some shopping or eat something, whatever.”
He handed the wallet to Chris.

Chris
peeked inside and saw a bunch of twenty dollar bills. “Wow.
Thanks. That was really nice of Martin.”

“
Yes
sir. Well, enjoy your day and call me whenever.”

“
Thanks
again. I shouldn't be more than an hour or two.” With that,
Chris gave the man a small wave and exited the car.

He
watched Bennett drive away and then turned to survey the area. Chris
was standing near the corner of Rideau Street and Sussex Drive. A
bank of doors led into the mall and people were streaming in and out
constantly. The day was warm, just after lunch time and Chris knew
that the majority of people running around were civil servants.
Ottawa was the capitol of Canada and most of the people who worked
downtown, worked for the government.

He
walked into the mall and savored the sensation of being surrounded by
hordes of people for the first time in a long time. Chris hadn't
realized just how much he had missed this. A true child of the
streets, he thought. Wouldn't Mom and Dad be surprised.

Over
the next hour or so, he wandered around the mall. Its many levels and
many stores were confusing, but Chris wasn't looking for anything in
particular. He was just enjoying being on his own again, free to go
anywhere and do anything that he wanted.

Finally,
he made his way down to the food court on the first level. There were
several sets of stairs and exits leading into and out of the area and
he settled in at the top of a low staircase, leaned against the wall
and just watched the ebb and flow of the crowd. The mingled smells of
burgers, donuts and coffee made his stomach rumble but he wasn't
really hungry.

Chris
smiled as he watched an Asian family, a father, mother, two daughters
and a little son, laughing as they played back some pictures on their
camera. Tourists, he thought. Full of life and love and happily
munching their burgers as they enjoyed their adventure.

There
were groups of young men in suits, arguing loudly about sports teams
and politics.

And
a pair of pretty young women, dressed casually, eating yogurt and
comparing clothes that they had just bought.

Chris
enjoyed it all. This is life. Just people living in the moment, doing
their best. And Satan wants to take this all away. The thought
bubbled up from deep inside him. Probably Sariel, was Chris' thought.
But he wasn't wrong; not this time.

He
wasn't sure how long he stood there observing, when he heard someone
speaking next to him, on his left.

“
So,
the hawk let one of his chicks out of the nest. What an amazing
thing.”

Chris
didn't turn his head but he felt his stomach turn to ice.

“
Amazing?
Why amazing?” he asked quietly, still staring at the crowd.

“
Oh,
come now, Christopher,” the speaker continued. “Surely by
now you realize that that place is more prison than sanctuary, don't
you?”

Chris
had to laugh. “Maybe it was to you, but not to me. Or the
others who live there.”

“
And
yet here you are, alone and unguarded. Now how can that be?”

He
sighed and finally turned his head to look at the speaker. Angelica
stood no more than three feet away, leaning on the wall and watching
him with a playful grin. She was even prettier up close. How the hell
did she find out that he was here?

“
I
needed to get out,” Chris said. “Clear my head, get some
perspective. I'm sure you understand.”

“
Oh,
I do, Chris. I do indeed.” Angelica looked away and over at the
people in the food court. “Look at them. Like insects, aren't
they? Scurrying around, stuffing their stupid faces. No, not insects.
Rats. Yes, like vermin.” Her tone was one of disgust.

Chris
stared at her. “Rats? These are people. People with souls,
created by God.” He glared at her as she met his eyes again.
“I'm sure you remember Him, don't you? You know, your Father?
Your Creator?”

She
hissed under her breath. Her face twisted and she wasn't very pretty
anymore.

“
Don't
mention Him to me, boy. He allowed these worms to flourish. He
desecrated this glorious world with these...things. And He gave them
souls. Souls! So that one day, they would inhabit Heaven side by side
with God's true children; we, His angels. Well, my lord is God's
first-born son, Lucifer.” She leered at Chris as he flinched at
her use of Satan's true name. “Oh, don't worry, little one. My
using his name won't get his attention. I am his servant after all.
Now, if you said it, that would be a different matter. Feel free to
call upon him though. The power you would gain from his favor would
be unimaginable.”

“
Thanks,
I'll pass,” Chris said dryly. He stared at Angelica curiously.
“The judge said that they had never known the name of your
angelic soul. Is that true?”

She
chuckled. “Of course it is. If I had told him who I really was,
well, that would have gone rather badly.”

“
So,
when he rescued you, it was all a trick, wasn't it? You were never on
his side. That's why you told him that you had never betrayed him.”

“
Ah,
so you were watching us when I met Ethan.” She nodded in
satisfaction. “I thought as much.” Angelica studied Chris
through narrowed eyes. “Fine. It doesn't matter at this point
if I tell you. You won't be telling Ethan anything anyway. Yes, it
was a trick. We knew that the judge was working against us and we had
to know about his organization. So I played the damsel in distress,
and my dear mentor came running. So gallant.” She giggled.
“Whatever else he is, Ethan is a gentleman. A fool, perhaps,
but a gentleman.”

Chris
turned away and looked around the area. He didn't want Angelica to
see how angry she had made him by insulting Judge Hawkes. But the
anger was mixed with fear. She said that he wouldn't be telling the
judge anything and he had a feeling he knew what she meant. Where are
the Talon, he wondered as he scanned the food court. She couldn't be
here alone. The air was suddenly thick with menace.