The Creation: Chaos Rising (5 page)

Chapter 8

A slight breeze swept through the air, rustling the few wisps of hair that had escaped the pleated strand running down Gabriel's back. He'd toyed with the idea of cutting it all off, but the bald look that seemed to be so popular these days just didn't suit him. Plus Clarissa had always preferred his hair long.

She would've really liked it now.
The wistful thought flashed through his mind as he recalled the last time his wife had braided it.

You really should spend less time rolling around in the hay,
Clarissa teased as she picked the numerous straw particles from the tangled mass.
You're worse than Gaby!

Gabriel sharply steered his mind away from the past. He let his gaze range over the bustling pedestrian traffic moving along
Detroit's East Jefferson Avenue. With his presence Celestially masked, his vantage point atop one of the numerous light posts dotting the Avenue afforded him the perfect view of the areas many shops and eateries. He focused his attention on Tony's Gourmet Sandwich and Pizza Shop.

Tony's was reputed to be one of
Detroit's finest restaurants. Judging from the steady flow of customers making their way through the shop's leaded-glass doors, Gabriel assumed it to be true.

His new charge certainly enjoyed their entrees. The sausage and mushroom deep-dish pizza appeared to be her favorite. Considering the pizza's high caloric count, and Nina's frequent consumption, it was amazing she was able to maintain her lithe figure. Then again, given the woman's hectic schedule and manic workout sessions, gorging herself on Tony's gastric delights was probably the only reason she hadn't wasted away.

A slight smile creased Gabriel's lips for the woman's peculiar idiosyncrasies. Over the years the Celemor had protected numerous Harbingers. As a rule, most Mortals chosen for the burdensome role were somewhat removed from the accepted parameters of human reality, however they generally shared a few common threads; most notably their unswerving faith to the Almighty and what they perceived to be His way.

Nina Delcielo was their antithesis if ever one existed. She completely despised Mortalia's religious organizations, the number of which seemed to multiply on an hourly basis as more and more self-proclaimed preachers put forth their own twisted version of the
Divine Way to the multitudes of fools who willingly followed them.

Given the sad state of Earth's religious infrastructure, Nina's reluctance to participate was certainly understandable, but her steadfast resistance to all things "Holy"
was also hindering her Divine progress.  Such resistance could delay the deliverance of her message, and prolong the Celemor's Task; not that he minded.

Over the past several weeks, Gabriel had developed a genuine interest in this peculiar
Child of Heaven
who, ironically, was anything but. He had even considered informing her of his presence. It was all just conjecture of course. The performance of a Task such as this was easier when the subject remained unaware of their Celestial steward, but the notion did add a touch of intrigue to the situation. How would the religiously apathetic woman respond to such a revelation?

The Celemor's gaze fell on a pair of Catholic nuns leaving the coffee shop two doors down from Tony's place, and he couldn't help the wicked smile rising to his lips. What would happen if the stately duo where to learn the real truth of their existence as well; that their reality was only a third of the overall Creation, and hardly the most important.

They would probably drop dead on the spot
.

The nuns continued up the street, and were treated to a barrage of whistles and lewd comments from the trio of young toughs coming from the opposite direction. The nuns ignored their raucous behavior, but there was an eerie familiarity about one of the group that made Gabriel pay closer attention. He tried to focus on their faces, but they were partially hidden by the caps all three were wearing. The angle of the Celemor's position didn't allow for a clear view.

The rag-tag group came to a halt near Tony's place, and took a seat at one of the numerous picnic tables set up in front of the shop. Their conversation appeared casual, but Gabriel quickly noticed their furtive glances toward the Pizza Shop, indicating an interest in something inside. Whether or not it was Nina or Tony's cash register remained to be seen.

He got his answer when one of the three shifted in his chair, revealing the square-jawed squinty-eyed features of Azreal; one of Iblis's Disciples.

The Celemor shifted his position to the light post directly in front of Tony's
. I guess Miss Delcielo will be making my acquaintance after all.

*

"Is this gonna be all for you, Nina?" Tony carefully closed the lid on the box of the steaming pizza.

"Yeah, that'll do it, Tony; although those garlic sticks you just took out of the oven do look rather tempting."

The tall, barrel-chested shop owner chuckled at the woman's wistful tone. He grabbed one of the sticks, wrapped it in a napkin, and handed it to her. "Here, take one for the road."

She graciously accepted the tasty package then took a quick bite. "Oh this is heavenly! If I keep eating like this I won't be able to fit through the door!"

Tony gave her lean frame a speculative look. "I seriously doubt that. The way you rip and run all over the place like that battery bunny, I'm surprised you're able to keep any meat on your bones."

"I'm not that bad, Tony!"

"Oh yes you are. You really do need to slow up a bit, Nina. Maybe settle down with a nice man, and have a few kids."

"You're starting to sound like your wife," Nina chuckled then took another bite of her breadstick.

Tony's eyes widened with mock terror. "God forbid! Seriously, though, you do need to schedule some fun time for yourself."

"Well I did go to Saint Christopher's anniversary bash a few weeks ago," Nina responded defensively. Her inability to maintain a lasting relationship was often the topic of discussion with the Scavelli's. It was their life's mission to get Nina, whom they jokingly called "the Lone Ranger", married off.

"I guess that's a start," Tony said brightly. "Meet any prospects?"

"Not a one! I swear, Tony, there's a shortage of eligible men in this city."

"Well don't give up just yet. Maybe you'll meet Mister Right at the rally."

Nina laughed. "We can only hope. And speaking of which; I want to thank you and the Misses again for donating most of the food. Are you sure you don't want anything in return? I can easily factor your expenses into our budget."

Tony waved her offer aside. "Nah, you keep your money, Nina. It's a good thing you're doing for those kids, and we're just happy to be a part of it. Now go home and eat before that pie gets cold."

Nina's stomach growled a reply. "You don't have to tell me twice." She made sure the pizza's lid was secure then made her way to the door. "Give Maria my love and I'll see you guys Friday evening."

Nina left the shop feeling surprisingly upbeat. A welcome change from the stress she had endured while planning the upcoming rally for the Recreation Center. The process was tedious, but Nina felt it necessary to start things off with a bang. A festive gala to celebrate the Center's official opening fit the bill perfectly. She just wished the
other
preoccupation in her life could be handled as easily.

The past couple of weeks had seen a decrease in the frequency of her premonitions, but what they lacked in quantity was more than made up for in clarity. A couple of them were so vivid they prompted Nina to make a few anonymous calls to the Detroit Police Department's fledgling psychic hotline. Whether or not her tips were acted upon she didn't know, but the fact that there was no mention of the forecasted events on the news or in the paper led the budding Prophet to believe the police had taken her warnings to heart.

Perhaps Tyree was right about her abilities being Divine in nature. She had to admit the prospect of becoming a heavenly fortune-teller, though still ludicrous to her, was a lot more palatable than the fear that she was degenerating into a delusional nut-case; particularly if it saved lives.

"Hello," Nina spoke to the three young men seated at one of the courtyard tables.

The burliest of the three rose from his seat. "Hello, yourself!" He gave the pizza box and Nina's figure, nicely displayed in her beige cotton pant-suit, an appraising look. "That's a lot of pizza for a fine little honey like you. You sure you can handle all of it?"

The predatory gleam in the big man's black eyes filled her with apprehension. "Oh, I think I can manage," Nina told him politely, tightening her grip on the box.

"I'm sure you can," another of the three said as he and the third punk joined their companion. "But why bother? My buds and I would be glad to take some of that pie off your hands."

Nina definitely did not like the direction this conversation was taking. "I appreciate the offer, fellas, but really I'm fine." Her heart rate increased when she noticed there were no other pedestrians around, and she was an unhandy distance from Tony's entrance.

An angry look crossed number one's face. "What, you to good to share?" He snatched the pizza from Nina's startled grasp, and her fear gave way to indignation.

"Hey, give that back!" She grabbed for the box, but found herself restrained by punks two and three, the latter placing a meaty hand over the struggling woman's mouth to prevent any screams.

Nina was just starting to panic when the sound of a ball hitting a bat sounded in her ear. The hand covering her mouth fell away, and its owner dropped heavily to the ground.

The smack was repeated, and Nina's second captor joined his partner on the sidewalk's unyielding concrete.

The startled woman blinked several times, uncertain what to make of the bizarre turn of events. A shadow fell across her vision, and she gasped at the sudden appearance of the stranger now standing beside her.

He was tall, dark-skinned, and dressed in a pair of gray khakis with a black polo-style t-shirt fitted tightly against an extremely muscular physique. Long black hair, braided in a thick strand, ran down his back. His eyes, a shade of brown so dark they almost seemed black, were fastened with disconcerting intensity on Nina's remaining aggressor whose own eyes widened with recognition.

"Gabriel."

The Celemor acknowledged the Disciple's muttered comment with a barely perceptible nod. "I believe you're holding something that doesn't belong to you."

Azreal's hands tightened on the pizza box. He spared his cohorts a brief glance. Both had regained consciousness, and were now rising shakily to their feet. Azreal's baleful gaze shifted back to Gabriel's expectant glare, and a smug look settled on the Disciple's face.

His Master's question had been answered which meant that this little show was over. The Disciple was tempted to bring his own power to bear for the indignities suffered by his friends, but his instructions on the matter were clear. Azreal knew better than to risk Iblis' censure. Vengeance against the upstart Celemor would have to wait.

He casually handed the shaken woman back her pizza. "Sorry for scaring you, lady." A hint of contrition colored his voice. "We were just having a little fun." His comment was directed at Nina, but his eyes never left Gabriel's face."

Nina released an indignant snort. "You guys need to reevaluate your idea of fun!"

Azreal's gaze briefly settled on the woman's trembling form then met the expectant stares of his companions, neither showing signs of their earlier discomfort. "Let's get out of here." He shot Gabriel a final scowl then followed his friends as they hustled up the street.

The Celemor watched their progression for a moment then turned to Nina.

"Are you alright?"

Nina turned grateful eyes to her rescuer, and breathed a sigh of relief, most of the tension from her ordeal draining away. "Yeah, thanks to you! I'm not sure what would've happened if you hadn't popped up when you did."

Gabriel smiled at the compliment. "I was on my way to grab a cup of coffee next door when I noticed what was going on. The situation looked a little tense so I decided to step in."

"Well I'm sure as hell glad you did. I'm Nina, by the way." She extended her right hand, and Gabriel gave it a firm shake.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Nina. I'm Gabriel."

"Well it's certainly a pleasure to meet
you
, Gabriel." She craned her neck upward so she could get a better look at his face.

At first glance he appeared to be African-American, but there was a sharp element to his features that put her in mind of the Saed brothers who owned and operated the small, middle-eastern restaurant down the street from her apartment.

Nina risked a glance at her attackers, and breathed another sigh of relief when she saw that they were already a good distance away. "Boy, you sure put the fear of God into those three."

Gabriel couldn't help but smile at the irony of her statement. He was also glad she hadn't heard the Disciple identify him by name. That could have made things awkward. "Bullies like that always talk tough, but they're usually cowards. That's why they travel in packs, and pick on people they consider weaker than them. I'm just glad they didn't hurt you while they were trying to prove they're manhood."