The Incubus, Succubus and Son of Perdition Box Set: The Len du Randt Bundle (20 page)

Dominic slammed
the hood shut and pushed his chest out triumphantly. ‘Mind if I catch a ride
with you to my car?’ He asked.

Does the sun
rise in the mornings?
‘Not at all,’ she said,
almost too enthusiastically. ‘I can’t thank you enough. You’re a Godsend.’ She
dropped him at his car and he followed her home. After a quick cup of coffee
that turned into an hour’s worth of conversation, Dominic said goodnight,
kissed the back of her hand, and left.

*    -    -   
-    *

There was a
knock at Simon’s door. He took a bite from his dinner and stared at the door in
dismay. He wasn’t expecting anyone and was also not in the mood to make small
talk with strangers today. Someone knocked again and Simon sighed.

‘Coming,’ he
shouted down the hallway as he made his way to the door. ‘Who is it?’

No answer.

Simon unlocked
the door and opened it a crack.

‘Could I
interest you in some Bibles?’ a man asked. It was the same man that was in his
apartment only two days ago.

Simon flung open
the door and pulled the man inside. ‘Who are you?’ he asked.

‘I’m here to
tell you what you’ve been yearning to hear. I’m here to give you the answers
that you’ve been looking for.’

‘Fine,’ Simon
said as he led the man to the living room. ‘Let’s hear what you have to say.’

*    -    -   
-    *

‘This looks
delicious,’ the man said as he passed the table with Simon’s dinner on it.
‘Mind if I have some?’

Simon shrugged.

The man took a
slice of bread and dipped it in some gravy that Simon prepared for the beef.
‘This is lovely,’ he said after swallowing the last piece of the slice.

Get to the
point.
‘How did you do that the other night?’ Simon
asked.

The man sat down
on a couch. ‘This is comfortable,’ he said.

Simon clenched
his teeth, and nodded. ‘So answer my question and stop stalling. Who are you,
and how did you do it?’ he asked again.

‘Do what?’

‘Heal my hand,’
Simon said. ‘Before you vanished into thin air.’

The man smiled.
‘The same way you brought that boy back from the dead, Simon.’

Simon’s heart
skipped a beat. ‘How do you know about that...?’

‘The same way I
know about everything you’ve done to date.’

‘This is
insane,’ Simon said.
How can he possibly know everything? Does he also have
a gift from God?

‘You can call it
a gift if you like,’ the man said. ‘But it’s actually the power of the Holy
Spirit. The gift, as you like to call it, is being used as a vessel for the
Holy Spirit to work through.’

‘You know my
thoughts?’

‘When I’m
allowed to,’ the man said. ‘There is very little that I don’t know about you,
Simon.’

Simon probed his
memory. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he knew the stranger from somewhere,
but couldn’t for the life of him remember from where.

‘Have you ever
wondered why you are so different from everyone else?’

Simon pondered
the question. ‘Only recently.’

‘Did you grow up
with religious parents?’

‘Not really, no.
But I don’t see...’

‘And yet you’ve
had a close relationship with the Lord from a very young age, right?’

Simon nodded.

‘There has never
been a single doubt in your mind that God exists, even though no one formally
told you about Him.’

‘Who...Who are
you?’ Simon asked.

‘You’re
focussing on the wrong questions, Simon. The question is not who I am, but who
you
are.’

‘Me...?’

The man nodded.

‘I’m...Simon...’

‘Perhaps in this
realm you are known as Simon.’

‘This realm?’
Simon would have asked him to leave by now; but this man had intimate knowledge
about him and seemed to have the answers to the questions that have plagued him
for years; so he took a deep breath and tried to keep calm while the stranger
steered the conversation.’

‘You wanted to
know.’

Simon’s mind
raced.
This realm? Who was this man?
He closed his eyes and visualized
the stranger’s face. Nothing came up. ‘I don’t...’ Images flashed through his
mind and suddenly he remembered. ‘You! You’re that angel I saw in the parking
lot; the one that stood next to the truck.’

‘His heart is
open,’ the man said. ‘Now we just need the eyes.’

‘You’re an
angel...’

‘Once again, the
focus should not be on who
I
am, old friend.’

‘Old friend?’
Simon asked. He closed his eyes again. More images flashed; images from his
dreams. This man was the angel that fought next to him in his dreams. Simon
shook his head to try and clear his thoughts. ‘Are you telling me...?’

The stranger
said nothing. He merely smiled.

‘Are you telling
me that I’m...an angel?’

Satisfied, the
stranger nodded. ‘That’s right.’

Simon’s head
spun. It felt like all strength had left his arms and legs. ‘It can’t be,’ he
said. Memories of his childhood flashed through his mind. ‘I was born. I had
parents. I have a job; a home. I bleed when I accidentally cut myself.’

‘You’re right
about everything except being born. You weren’t. Your parents adopted you as a
baby from an orphanage that found you “abandoned” at its front door. That was
all part of the ruse,’ the man said. ‘For the mission to be a success, the
enemy could not know about you.’

‘Ruse?’ Simon
asked. ‘What mission? What enemy?’

The man stood up
and entered Simon’s kitchen. A moment later he appeared with two glasses of
water. He handed one to Simon and then sat down on the couch again. ‘A baby
will soon be born into this world. When he is older, he will lead millions of
people to Christ.’

Simon drank some
of the water. His throat was parched and his mind still raced.

‘A conspiracy
was conceived in hell to kill the child and a very powerful demon was sent to
complete the task. But there was a plan to misguide the demon into thinking
that it had succeeded.’

‘And did the
plan work?’

The man shook
his head. ‘Somehow the evil one found out and the plan changed. Instead of
trying to kill the baby, the demon now seeks to divide and conquer the parents,
driving them apart so that it can take possession of the child. The evil one
believes that he can use the child to serve his purposes and if he succeeds,
instead of leading millions to Christ, this child will grow up to lead millions
to their slaughter.’

‘Would it be
possible?’ Simon asked.

The man nodded.
‘Because of free will, it would; yes.’

‘Assuming that
what you’re telling me is true, why didn’t God just blind the forces of
darkness until the child fulfilled his destiny? How did they find out about the
plan to misguide the demon in the first place? Wouldn’t God have known that the
original plan wouldn’t work?’

The man smiled.
‘You have a lot on your mind,’ he said. ‘You of all people know that we don’t
always understand why the Father does what He does. We don’t see the entire
picture like He does. I’m sure that everything eventually turns out the way
it’s meant to. Remember that the Lord’s plan to misguide the demon did not just
affect the demon itself, but the parents of the child as well. Who knows how
many people’s lives were influenced in ways we can’t possibly know or see? Who
knows what happened to the hardened heart of a doctor in the Radiology
department in that split second in time that her eyes locked onto those of a
terrified mother?’

‘None of this
makes sense,’ Simon said. ‘What do I have to do with all of this?’

‘To catch the
enemy unaware and save the child, an angel was required to give up his life in
the Kingdom and spend life on earth as a human being. Only one volunteered for
the responsibility.’

‘Me...?’

The man nodded.
‘It was the perfect cover. The demons suspected nothing. They still don’t.
Simon, you are to use your gifts discreetly to avoid attention, for the time of
your encounter is near.’

‘This isn’t
real,’ Simon said. ‘None of this is real.
You
are not real.’

The man didn’t
say anything.

‘This is
ludicrous! You’re lying!’

‘I am incapable
of doing so, Simon.’

Simon stood up.
‘Get out of my house!’

‘You wanted to
know the truth...’

‘
Get out!
’

The man stood
up. ‘Nine weeks and two days. We’ll show you the pictures once we’re finished
with dinner.’

‘What?’

‘I’m sure that
he will make you both very proud,’ the stranger said, and with that,
disappeared.

Simon fell back
into the couch, wondering if anything that just happened was real. The two
glasses of water that they were drinking from were still there, both very real.

‘Why God?’ He
asked. ‘Why me?’

No answer.

His mind reeled.
No! This can’t be happening!
Simon kicked off his shoes and lay down on
the couch.
This is insane...

    Minutes later,
he was fast asleep.

*    -    -   
-    *

He was charming.

He was
attractive.

He was always
there when she needed someone.

Rebecca looked
at Dominic and the two of them embraced. They both closed their eyes, and for a
moment their mouths only searched. He pulled her closer and pressed his lips
tightly against hers. Her knees weakened and buckled, but he held her upright
and kissed her even more intently.

‘I...I can’t do
this,’ she said, but didn’t do much more to discourage the man that held her so
firmly. She longed to be held like that for a long time now, but Justin didn’t
hold her like that anymore. He never kissed her anymore and never made an
effort to make her feel attractive. So she kissed Dominic without much
resistance.

‘Yes you can,’
he said and picked her up and carried her to the bedroom where he gently
lowered her onto the bed. He leaned forward and kissed her in the neck and she
was lost to him.

It was then that
she woke up. She breathed heavily in the darkness of the room and felt with her
hand at the empty spot where Justin would usually be sleeping. The pressure on
her arms, wrists, and chest subsided a little, but not a lot. It still felt
like someone was holding her tightly and she sat up straight. In the corner of
the room she could sense someone standing there, watching her in the darkness.
She switched on the bed lamp and squinted at the sudden light.

There was no one
there.

She breathed
deeply and lay down again. It wasn’t long before she slumbered off with the
light still on.

‘I think it’s Simon,’ Justin said
as someone knocked on the front door. ‘He’s usually early.’ Justin opened the
door to a smiling Tanya. ‘Oh,’ he said and his face dropped. ‘It’s you.’ He
opened the gate and half-heartedly hugged her as she entered the apartment.

‘Disappointed?’
She asked, but did not wait for an answer. She immediately made her way to the
kitchen.

‘Oh, no,’ he
said as he closed the door and followed her. ‘I thought it was Simon.’ He
quickly tried to change the topic. ‘Long time, no see, eh?’

‘Indeed,’ she
said and then dispersed of the small talk. ‘Becky!’

The two women
greeted one another as if they hadn’t seen each other in years.

Justin rolled
his eyes and retreated to the living room. He was halfway there when someone
else knocked on the door. He sighed and made his way back. ‘Hey bud,’ he
greeted Simon as he let his colleague in. ‘Glad you could make it.’

‘Thanks,’ Simon
said.

‘Make yourself
at home. Rebecca and I will make us something to drink. Would you like some
coffee?’

‘In the middle
of a heat wave?’ Simon asked. ‘No thanks. Although a glass of water would be
great.’

‘Done,’ Justin
said and joined Rebecca in the kitchen. ‘Go meet my friend,’ Justin said and
nudged Tanya from the kitchen.

‘We are
discussing something important,’ Tanya said.

Justin ignored
her. ‘That’s nice,’ he said and gently shoved her towards the hallway. ‘I just
need to speak to my wife quickly. You two can go on yakking in a moment.’

Tanya pulled a
face and then headed for the living room where she reluctantly introduced herself
to Simon.

‘What is it that
you want to talk to me about?’ Rebecca asked once she was sure that Tanya was
out of earshot.’

‘Nothing,’
Justin said with a sly grin. He took a glass from the shelf and asked Rebecca
to hand him some of the water in the fridge.

‘So why did you
chase her away?’

‘Because,’
Justin said and his grin grew, ‘I wanted
your
single friend to meet
my
single friend.’

‘Oh,’ Rebecca
said and giggled. She flipped the switch to the kettle and took a few cups from
the cupboard. ‘That’s thoughtful of you.’

‘I have my
moments,’ Justin said proudly and both chuckled.

‘Would you mind
if I made myself some tea?’ Rebecca asked.

‘Sure,’ Justin
said. ‘Would you mind making me some coffee while you’re at it?’

‘Ahead of you,’
she sang and waved his mug around. She missed this type of interaction with
him. This was the Justin she knew and loved. This was the Justin she married
and missed. ‘Are we going to show them the sonar pictures?’ she asked.

‘Of course,
Justin said. ‘I’m just relieved that everything’s still okay in there. Must
admit that I was worried when the doctor did the scan.’

‘Me too,’ she
said and allowed him to rub her stomach.

‘To think that
soon there will be a huge bump there,’ he said as he wrapped his arms around
her shoulders. ‘We’re having a baby and so far everything is growing fine and
looking strong and healthy.’

Rebecca smiled.
She didn’t want this moment to end. ‘I love you,’ she whispered.

‘I love you
too.’

A knock on the
door interrupted their perfect moment.

Justin sighed.
‘I’ll get it,’ he said and went to open the door.

‘Sorry I’m
late,’ Dominic said as Justin let him in. ‘I was making the pudding and got a
little carried away. My sincerest apologies.’

‘Not at all,’
Justin said. ‘Come in and meet the others.’ He introduced Dominic to the two
making small talk in the living room. ‘I’m going to help Becky with the
coffee.’

‘Oh no you
don’t,’ Tanya said. ‘I’ll help Becks with the coffee. You men sit here and
entertain one another. We’ll be right back.’

Before anyone
could object she was up and out, leaving the three men standing there alone,
each one wondering what on earth they could talk about.

*    -    -   
-    *

‘And...?’
Rebecca asked. ‘What do you think?’

‘Oh wow,’ Tanya
said almost too loud. She stole a quick glance around the corner at the three
men in the living room. ‘Did he fall from Heaven? Because he’s an angel.’

‘Justin thought
you might like Simon,’ Rebecca said and giggled.

‘Oh, not him,’
Tanya said with a hush. ‘He’s okay, but I’m talking about the other one. The
one with the dark hair.’

‘Dominic?’

Tanya nodded.
‘You’re married, so he’s legally mine.’

‘I told you that
you’d like him.’

‘Becks, if I had
any idea he would be like
this
, I wouldn’t have waited two entire weeks
for this dinner.’

Rebecca grinned.
They poured the coffee and then joined the men in the living room.

*    -    -   
-    *

‘This is
delicious,’ Dominic said as he finished the last of the chicken on the plate.
‘Mind if I help myself to some more?’

‘Not at all,’
Rebecca said, pleased that someone at least enjoyed the fruits of her labour.

‘I agree,’
Justin said. ‘This really is lovely, Becky.’

Rebecca smiled.
Too
late. No prize for second place, honey.

Tanya said
something with her mouth full which no one caught. She swallowed hard and then
smiled sheepishly and asked Dominic to pass her the chicken when he was done
with it. She also couldn’t resist a second helping.

Justin placed
his hand on Rebecca’s knee and took a deep breath. ‘We went to the doctor
today,’ he announced.

‘Really?’ Tanya
asked. ‘And...?’

‘Nine weeks and
two days,’ Rebecca said.

Simon looked up
at Rebecca and his heart skipped a beat.

‘We’ll show you
the pictures once we’re finished with dinner.’

Simon mouthed
the words as she spoke them. The angel’s words echoed in his mind. He felt too
weak to even lift his fork.

I’m sure that
he will make you both very proud.

‘Congratulations,’
Dominic said. ‘I’m sure that he will make you both very
proud.’

‘Thank you,’
Justin said.

Simon’s thoughts
were racing. ‘What makes you so sure it’s a boy?’ Simon asked.

‘Excuse me?’
Dominic asked. ‘I’m not sure I understand the question.’

‘You said ‘he’
as if you know for a fact that it’s going to be a boy. How would you know
something like this at only nine weeks?’

Dominic looked
at Rebecca who only rolled her eyes. ‘It’s just a manner of speaking,’ he said.
‘I apologize if my choice of words offended you.’

For a long
moment Simon only stared at Dominic. ‘Would you all please excuse me for a
moment?’ he asked.

‘Sure bud,’
Justin said. ‘Is there anything you need?’

‘Just directions
to the bathroom,’ Simon said and got up.

‘The door right
in front of you as you enter the hallway.’

With a quick nod
to Justin, Simon went to the bathroom. His hand shook as he closed the door
behind him and locked it.

His legs felt
weak, and his mind numb. Looking in the mirror he could see that his face was
almost completely drained of colour. Was it perhaps the chicken? Something
else? He didn’t know, but whatever it was; was poison to his system.

*    -    -   
-    *

‘Well,’ Dominic
said and pushed his chair back. ‘I’ll use that note to go fetch the pudding at
my place.’

‘Need a helping
hand?’ Tanya asked.

‘It’s okay,’
Dominic said. ‘It’s right next door, so I’ll only be a moment.’ With that he
stood up and left the apartment.

*    -    -   
-    *

Simon splashed
his face with water. His stomach twisted and churned.

I’m sure that
he’ll make you both very proud.

He drank some
water and when he looked back up into the mirror, he saw someone standing behind
him. Simon spun around and stood face-to-face with Dominic.

‘How did you get
in here?’ Simon asked.

Dominic brought
his face close to Simon’s and sniffed like an animal. ‘There’s something about
you that I don’t like,’ he said and sniffed again. ‘I can’t put my finger on
it, but your mere presence makes me feel ill.’

‘The feeling’s
mutual,’ Simon said and took a step back. ‘Now would you please leave?’

In a flash
Dominic was upon Simon. The young man grabbed Simon by the throat and slammed
him into the wall. Dominic brought his face close to Simon’s and sniffed again.
‘Who are you?’ he demanded and pulled his upper lip back into a snarl to reveal
razor sharp jagged teeth. The irises of his eyes glowed bright yellow as his
grip tightened around Simon’s throat.

Simon tried to
speak, but the pressure on his throat was unbearable. His head spun and
consciousness was slowly slipping away. It would only be a matter of time
before everything would fade to black.

‘
Who are you?
’
Dominic insisted.

‘Urk—’

Dominic lessened
his grip on Simon’s throat. ‘Speak now, or I’ll kill you where you stand.’

A knock on the
door.

Dominic looked
over his shoulder at the closed door and then back at Simon. ‘You’re lucky this
time,’ he hissed. ‘Next time you will not be so fortunate.’ He then released
Simon’s neck, took a step back, and vanished into thin air.

‘Simon,’
Justin’s voice came from the other side of the door. ‘Are you okay in there?’

‘Hgnnn...’

‘Simon?’

‘I...I’m fine.’

With fumbling
hands Simon unlocked and opened the door. ‘In fact,’ he said, still trying to
catch his breath. ‘I don’t feel too well. Would you take offence if I left?’

‘No problem,
bud,’ Justin said. ‘Can I give you a ride home?’

Simon declined,
and after greeting Rebecca and Tanya, he left.

Just then Dominic
entered the apartment with a warm tray. He smiled cheerfully. ‘Pudding anyone?’

*    -    -   
-    *

A conspiracy
was conceived in hell to kill the child and a very powerful demon was sent to
complete the task.

Simon picked up
his pace. He had walked to Justin’s apartment just as the sun was setting, but
now wished that he had rather driven.

Nine weeks
and two days.

Instead of
trying to kill the baby, the demon now seeks to divide and conquer the parents,
driving them apart so that it can take possession of the child.

Simon decided on
a short cut. He took a side street and quickened the pace.

Only one
volunteered for the responsibility.

‘It’s not true,’
Simon said with what little breath he could muster. He was almost running now.
‘It can’t be...’

You wanted to
know the truth.

‘It’s
impossible!’
You’re lying!

I am
incapable of doing so.

Simon stopped
running and leaned forward against a wall to regain his breath. Dominic’s face
with the yellow eyes flashed through his mind. He could still feel the heat of
the glowing eyes on his skin.

There’s
something about you that I don’t like.

‘How can it be
true?’

A scream nearby
broke his chain of thought. Simon froze. It was a woman, and came from a
construction site nearby. The woman screamed again and Simon instinctively
moved in that direction.

‘It’s no use
screaming,’ a man’s scruffy voice taunted. ‘No one can hear you here.’

‘Please,’ Simon
heard the woman plead in the darkness. ‘Please don’t—’

‘Shut up!’
Another man said and slapped her.

‘Step away from
the woman,’ Simon said as he walked around the corner.

The two men
squinted in the darkness. ‘Who the hell are you?’

‘What difference
does it make?’ Simon asked. His heart pounded in his ears. His entire life, he
always opted for the diplomatic solution to any confrontation. He wasn’t used
to showing anger or giving in to aggression. But something was different this
time. He could feel it. He tried to suppress it, but he realized that he
couldn’t.