Demonic Designs (To Absolve the Fallen) (53 page)

Now, he was dead, and this message was the only clue Abbie had as to his intention.

“Why did you come here, Marcus?” Abbie asked the empty cell, wiping a single tear from her eye.
 
“It couldn’t have been worth the danger.”

She sat on the floor, peering underneath the bench.
 
It was, no doubt, a message meant for her, a message Marcus must have been sure she’d understand, but she couldn’t piece it together.
 
The most obvious use of that name came from a biblical story about the tragic Samson and his love for a manipulative woman.
 
Delilah sought to know the origin of his strength so that she could disarm him and hand him over to the Philistines.
 
He held out for a little while.
 
He’d feed her lies that she would utilize to try to trap him.
 
Every time, the Philistines would barge in, thinking Samson weak, and would die for their efforts.
 
Every time, Delilah would get angry and demand that he tell her the truth.
 
Every time, he would forgive her and tell her another story.
 
Finally, he told her the truth.
 
He told her that the secret of his strength lay in his hair.
 
One night, she cut his hair and handed him over to the guards.
 
Taken as a slave, Samson was blinded and forced to do manual labor for his captors.
 
Eventually, he prayed that God would give him his strength back so he could sacrifice his life to kill the Philistines.
 
God granted him his wish, and Samson died for his trust of a woman.

But that didn’t make any sense.
 
Did a woman betray Marcus to Metatron?
 
No.
 
Abbie knew that wasn’t his meaning.
 
He came here to give her this name.
 
Maybe, Delilah is a literal name of someone Abbie must find.
 
But why?
 
Was she a prophet?

Abbie shook her head.
 
“There must be something I’m missing,” she told herself.
 
“A woman who tricks a man of God.
 
Samson, being a man of God, must have been a prophet.
 
He was captured by the enemy.
 
A prophet is tricked by a devious woman and captured by the enemy...”
 

Abbie’s eye went wide with realization.
 
She spun around and saw a well-dressed man.
 
He looked like Jeremiah with his black hair and his self-assured, almost regal stance, but his eyes were as black as night.
 
He was standing between her and the cell door.

“Abigail Martin,” he greeted.
 
“I’ve been meaning to speak with you.
 
What would it take for me to persuade you to help me?”

“Metatron,” Abbie said, swallowing her fear, “there isn’t anything you could do.
 
What happened to Alex?”

“I can’t tell you that,” Metatron replied smugly.

“It doesn’t matter, does it?
 
You’re going to kill me.
 
What difference does it make if I know before I die?”

Metatron looked shocked.
 
“Why would I kill you?”

“I suppose you’ll play with me a little before I die, then.”

“Oh, no,” Metatron insisted.
 
“You’re much too dangerous to play with.
 
Relax, Dr. Martin.
 
You won’t die at my hands.
 
At least, not today.
 
I have what I want.
 
I admit, I would have preferred to get it a little easier.
 
Then, not so many prophets would have had to die.
 
Don’t get in my way, and I don’t foresee any more needing to die.”

“Somehow, I find it difficult to believe that you have a compassionate side,” Abbie returned.

“Abigail, I didn’t
want
those prophets to die.
 
If Jeremiah would have heeded my warning, none of this would have happened.
 
Everyone forgets that he is a demon; even he forgets.
 
Long ago, before you were born, he pledged his allegiance to me, and I plan to see that he doesn’t forget it.
 
I need his help.
 
Therefore, I need yours.
 
You will tell him that his presence is cordially requested in my castle.
 
He is to come alone, and if he cooperates, Alex will live.
 
If he doesn’t, I promise that I can devise a death for Alex that will take weeks, and, of course, I shall keep you updated on my progress.”

“I presume he knows where to go,” Abbie surmised, consenting to the terms.

“Yes,” Metatron verified with a smile.
 
“He will know where to go.
 
Unfortunately, I cannot stay to chat.
 
I have some preparations to make.
 
And you cannot leave quite yet because I think you would become a nuisance if I allowed you to go free.”

He walked outside of the cell and closed the door.
 
Abbie heard the latching mechanism working, indicating that she was not going to get out of here very easily.
 
She thought about her cell phone sitting at the front desk, along with the rest of her possessions.
 
Not that a phone would have gotten any reception down in this dungeon, but it would have been worth a try.

Metatron stared at her through the bars.
 
“I know you don’t want to believe this, but I really don’t want to kill any more prophets.
 
I do what I have to do for the good of everyone, and maybe, one day, you’ll come to see my side.”

Abbie sat on the bench. “I doubt it.”

Metatron smiled and turned to walk away.
 
“Well, one can always hope.”

***

The door to the apartment opened.
 
Higgins and two of his best guards walked in.

“Alex?” Higgins called.

There was no answer.
 
Higgins looked suspicious.
 
He silently signaled his guards to check out the two bedrooms while he examined the rest of the apartment.
 
Confused, they reconvened in the living room.
 
Higgins sighed and pulled out his cell phone.
 
He dialed Matt’s number.
 
There was no answer.

“Shit,” Higgins said.
 
“Where are they?”
 
Then, he called Elizabeth.

***

“Are you sure, Higgins?
 
Didn’t he just call you?”
 
Elizabeth was silent for Higgins’s answer and then said, “Well, I think I might know where Matt is.
 
Look around for Alex, but, if you don’t find him, stick around the apartment.
 
He should return.
 
I’ll run him down.”
 
With that, she hung up.

Directly after the call, she was paged by security.
 
She walked over and held down the button, “Yes?”

“Ma’am, Jeremiah is back.”

“Thank God,” she said.
 
“I’ll be down to meet him in a moment.”

As she approached his car, Jeremiah was helping Dylan out of the passenger side.
 
She had never met Dylan before, but, right now, she didn’t have the time for formal greetings.

“Jeremiah, we have an issue.”

Jeremiah, who was supporting Dylan, looked at her with tired eyes.
 
“What now?”

“Matt and Alex had a fight.
 
Matt left and assigned Higgins to watch Alex.”

“What?” Jeremiah demanded.
 
“He left Alex alone?”

“Hey,” Elizabeth snapped.
 
“Let me finish, okay?”

Jeremiah looked up into the sky.
 
“Continue.”

“Currently, they’re both missing.”

Jeremiah looked like he was about to drop Dylan.
 
“This had better be really good.”

“I have people trying to locate them through the tracking devices,” Elizabeth continued, calmly.
 
“But I don’t know where they are, yet.
 
I wanted to let you know immediately.”

“Well,” Jeremiah responded.
 
“How about you get me some answers.”

Elizabeth spun, wordlessly, and headed back into the mansion.

Dylan looked up at Jeremiah.
 
“Your help is kind of cute.”

Jeremiah scowled back down at Dylan.
 
“Don’t get yourself too worked up.”

After Jeremiah had gotten Dylan to a room and insisted that he not leave for the night, he went up to Elizabeth’s computer lab, where he saw her hunched over a computer.

“Everyone leave,” he commanded.

Everyone got up and walked out the door.
 
Elizabeth started to follow.

“Not you,” Jeremiah said.
 
“Where are they?”

“You’d better learn to be nice to me, Jeremiah, or I might just walk out, too.”

“I’m sorry, Elizabeth,” Jeremiah added sincerely.
 
“Please, help me.”

She looked unconvinced.
 
“Matt is at the Flow.”

“Big surprise.”

“Enough,” she hissed at him.
 
“You degrade him every chance you get, and I’m tired of it.”

“Where is Alex?”

“Your savior is at some girl’s house.
 
I presume she’s the one Matt and Alex were having an argument about.
 
Jessica Smith.”

“An argument?
 
How so?”

“Alex told her he was from Missouri.
 
Matt accused him of jeopardizing the mission.
 
Alex accused Matt of being jealous.
 
And Matt left.”

Jeremiah rubbed his face with his hands.
 
“Why did he tell her that he’s from Missouri?”

“I don’t know, Jeremiah.
 
I didn’t learn of this until just twenty minutes ago, myself.
 
I presume it has something to do with raging hormones and lack of brain power.”

“Alex doesn’t lack brain power,” Jeremiah corrected.
 
“He’s just in a different place, and he’s reaching out to someone he thinks he can trust.
 
She is probably not a threat.
 
Just the same, we need to check up on this.
 
Have you contacted Abbie?”

“To my knowledge, she’s not back from lockup.”

“Not back?
 
I sent her there about two hours ago.”

“Damn it, Jeremiah,” Elizabeth raged at him.
 
“I don’t know.
 
I’m all by myself on this one.”

“No,” Jeremiah returned.
 
“You’re not all by yourself.
 
I’m here, and so is Lao Shi.
 
Why don’t you two get Matt, and I’ll find Abbie and Alex.
 
Marla can watch over the mansion.
 
We need to have a family meeting.
 
I’ll try to ascertain what Abbie is doing, first.
 
Maybe, Alex needs a little away time.
 
Hanging out with someone normal might do him some good.”

“I’m not part of your family,” Elizabeth mumbled as Jeremiah was walking out the door.

“You may not think so, Liz,” Jeremiah replied.
 
“But maybe it’s just that you hate daddy right now.
 
Don’t forget about your siblings.”