Beyond Life (25 page)

*****

It was almost time and Raphael took Claire’s hand and gave it a squeeze. ‘I’m going to send Ron and Sandy back, okay?’ Claire nodded and said her goodbyes. Although Ron protested, he was glad to go now that he knew there was no chance of Val being hurt by Gary or Big Ed or whatever the man was calling himself these days.

‘See you later,’ he said and gave Claire a quick hug. He didn’t want to make a big deal of the goodbye, knowing that if their efforts didn’t go to plan he might never see her again. Sandy followed Ron’s lead and as they left Raphael called for Gabriella and his mother.

Gary shouted for the prison warders but none came. For one of the few times in his life he was scared because he knew he didn’t stand a cat in hell’s chance against the big fella. He recognised the look in the man’s brown eyes, which mirrored that of his own before committing holy hell and he braced for the attack. His mind was working overtime trying to come up with a plan that would cause him the least grief. Maybe if he showed the big fella what an evil bastard he could be the man might recruit him to his team, and Gary would work with him until he was strong enough to mount a challenge. The bitches walked toward him and he was determined to take at least one of them out. Focusing on the smaller man on the right he tried not to give the game away. He pounced but the guy dodged his move and the other man shot around the back of Gary, and he felt something hard make contact with his shoulder. The pain from the metal rod was excruciating and he fell to his knees in agony. They made light work of tying his hands around his back and though frightened, he made eye contact with their leader and the look he gave him was one of defiance. The leader circled Gary unhurriedly and said something in his own language. As the two men pushed Gary onto his side on the stinking floor he knew that the warders wouldn’t be putting in an appearance any time soon, and that they could take as much time as they wanted. He prepared himself for a good kicking but gasped when their actions showed him what was going to happen next. He doubled his efforts calling for the warders until a smelly rag was shoved in his mouth and he could shout no more.

‘Not long now,’ said Amanda. ‘This isn’t going to be pretty to watch so make sure we’re ready as soon as it’s finished.’ No one said a word as they turned back to the scene below.

‘I had three children,’ said the leader as he undid his trainers. ‘One girl and two boys and now I have only two boys,’ he nodded to the men and they removed Gary’s tatty flip-flops and pulled down the bottom of his prison suit.

‘An evil bastard kidnapped my girl two years ago, along with eight others and she’s now dead, murdered by dirty bastards who get off by sticking their dicks in innocent children,’ the man undid his jeans and slipped them off. Even though he was still wearing pants, Gary could see that his prick was stood to attention and his eyes almost bulged out of his head at the size of it. Knowing his fate he writhed and struggled but had underestimated the strength of the two smaller men who had him in a vice-like grip.

‘I’m in here because all the men involved are now dead and I’m going to rid the world of dirty bastards who prey on innocent children.’

The words faded as the metal rod they used to hit Gary earlier was inserted into his anus. He screamed but no sound came out. The object was removed and he was pulled up, the men forcing him into position for their leader. Gary screamed again as the leader tore away at him and he felt his insides being ripped to shreds. The mental anguish was worse than the physical pain and tears of humiliation and shame escaped from his eyes as he felt the Daddy’s disgusting moves, and listened to him telling him what a dirty bastard he was. Eventually he climaxed and withdrew. The man dressed as if nothing untoward had happened and Gary wondered if he’d ever recover from the humiliation. He needn’t have worried. The man smiled at him and said something to his bitches. Gary saw the glint of steel and they untied him and each grabbed an arm.

‘You will go to hell, but not just yet,’ said the big man and he left the room chuckling to himself as if someone had told a very funny joke.

They managed to cut his wrists while he was still struggling and ignoring the blood, they tied his hands again but this time in front of him so that he could see his life-blood oozing from the wounds. The pain was excruciating and every time Gary felt he was about to lose consciousness they brought him back. When the blood clotted they deepened the cut and he begged and screamed and cried but no noise came out. Eventually he lost consciousness for the final time and met his death with blessed relief.

The sight of Gary’s death had sickened Claire. As much as she despised the vile creature she found watching anyone’s suffering hard to bear. The angels felt the same but they had had centuries to condition themselves and build their own personal protective barriers. She watched with the others as the gruesome hands pulled and prodded then started to drag his soul downwards.

‘It’s time,’ said Amanda and Claire shook herself out of her reverie and prepared for action. Seeing the others join hands to form a circle she followed suit and they sped through the atmosphere at an exhilarating pace, followed very closely by three hosts of angels all prepared for the fight.

There were too many evils around Gary’s soul so Amanda called an order to the other angels. Claire tried to pay attention to what was happening as both good and evil souls flew past her, some in an upward direction and some downward. She looked at the other three in her circle. Their eyes were shut tight and she could see the look of concentration deep on all of their faces. She didn’t need to be told what to do next but still found it difficult to ignore what was going on around her and to close her own eyes. As soon as she did a veil of peace and love descended upon her and Claire immediately started thinking of love and goodness. The circle shuddered and she knew they were under attack. She felt pain and assumed correctly that the evils had targeted her as the weakest link. Claire fought a mental battle to ignore the pain and think only of lovely things. She thought she was winning and when Gabriella’s voice announced
we have him
Claire relaxed her guard - a fatal error. She didn’t feel any prodding hands but a sensation of travelling downwards. She heard Raphael shouting and knew instinctively to keep her eyes closed and renew her concentration one hundred fold. She shuddered to a halt and soon the direction had changed and she was on the up. Gentle hands took hold of hers and she was part of the circle once again. She sensed that something wasn’t right and opened her eyes. The picture below her was her worse nightmare. Raphael was being pulled by thousands of hands. Their eyes locked and the unspoken message was for her to stay with the circle.

‘Let him go, there’s nothing we can do,’ Gabriella’s voice confirmed what they wanted from her, just in case she hadn’t understood Raphael’s unspoken instruction.

Claire thought she’d lost the love of her life when she’d died. She’d been lucky to find Raphael and if they thought she’d simply give him up without a fight, then they didn’t know her very well at all. If he was going to hell she’d either go with him or save him, after all, he’d saved her from the horrendous fate. Her resolve wavered when she thought back to the evil probing hands. Had she dwelled on them she might have faltered. Claire put all thoughts of the evils out of her mind and concentrated on her love for Raphael. Feeling the need to make her actions known, she remembered watching a black and white TV series as a child. ‘Geronimo,’ she called as she flew downwards through the ether, intent on bringing back her angel.

‘I don’t believe it,’ said Gabriella, trying to work out whether Claire was totally stupid or brave beyond belief.

Amanda summoned all her strength and launched Gary’s soul to Gabriella.

‘Look after him until we return.’ She watched the tail end of Claire disappear after her son and smiled to herself. The girl had talent and gusto and it would take all her strength and cunning to bring them both back. ‘Go home,’ she said to Gabriella. ‘And deal with this one. I’ll take the hosts and bring them back.’ Amanda recognised the look from her daughter but wasn’t in the mood for an argument. ‘We don’t have much time and I need you there, just in case.’ Gabriella wasn’t happy with the role given to her but got the message loud and clear. She watched as her mother and the others followed Claire and Raphael, all spoiling for a fight, but none of them confident of the outcome.

Epilogue

Cindy closed the tall double-doors to her mansion and tried to frown. Her forehead hardly moved and she was glad the injections were doing their job but frustrated that the naughty driver was late. She flicked back her almost white blonde shoulder length hair with a perfectly manicured hand and looked at her nails wondering if the French manicure had been the right decision or if she should have gone for her trademark lemon. A bark no more than a squeak diverted her attention to the lemon handbag containing one of the world’s ugliest breed of dog. To Cindy she was a cutie-pie and her squashed face was beautiful in a doggie sort of way. The dog’s jacket exactly matched the colour of the bag and had its head been covered, an onlooker might not have noticed the perfectly camouflaged animal.

‘Oooh, Eddie, diddums,’ said Cindy. ‘Are you a good girl? Is Eddie a good girl?’ Her voice was almost as highly pitched as the dog’s bark and she lifted it out of the bag and held it to her as if it were a baby.

‘I’m a fucking, Pekingese and I’m female!’ thought the dog fleetingly as he looked up at the vision in lemon whose voice grated on him like fingernails being dragged down a blackboard.

Cindy misinterpreted the look from her beloved Eddie. ‘Well cheeky girl, you pee pee in my pretty handbag and that’s what happens,’ she now held the dog in front of her and Eddie looked down to see the lemon coloured nappy on his nether regions. It dawned on him that as well as being female, he was dressed in a lemon coat and a lemon dog nappy. Despite what had happened prior to his death, he couldn’t imagine feeling more humiliated. He’d often heard people look at dogs in bows or clothes and comment that it was a good job they couldn’t feel embarrassed. Well newsflash, they damn well could!

Cindy giggled, leaned forward and rubbed noses with her dog. The animal barked and its eyes looked as if they were about to pop out when it received an electric shock from its crystal studded training collar.

‘Naughty girl,’ said Cindy. ‘Mamma’s going to take you to meet Raymond and you’re going to make some baby Eddies.’ she gave the dog a big kiss leaving a layer of bright lipstick on its head. Big Ed knew that whatever torture he’d have to endure in future, this really was his own Hell on Earth and the sooner he departed this particular life the better.

He could stand it no more and when she loosened her grip slightly to return him to her bag he saw a chance for escape. He nipped Cindy hard enough to draw blood and shocked, she dropped him onto the driveway. Eddie ran as fast as his little legs would carry him into the path of the approaching chauffeur-driven car. The driver didn’t see him and Cindy screamed as her prized possession was squashed under the front tyre. Eddie felt immense pain and intense relief as his soul left his body.

The gnarled hands started prodding instantly but these were soon accompanied by firm but gentle hands, and eventually the latter won out. Something wasn’t right thought Big Ed until he opened his eyes again.

He looked down at himself dressed in a lilac coat and matching nappy on his nether regions, then he looked at the person holding the bag he was in. She looked like a dumb blonde he thought as his eyes took in the vision in lilac in front of him. Confused, he looked at himself again. ‘I’m a fucking, Pekingese and I’m female!’ he said as he experienced a strange feeling of deja vu.

‘We’re going to meet Jeremy and make baby Fifi’s,’ said the woman as she tickled him under his chin. A slow growl left his throat as he planned to escape from this living nightmare as soon as he was able...

*****

Gabriella sighed. The last battle had been tough and had Claire not disposed of the man’s father, might have been too close for comfort. Although good had prevailed over evil, none of them yet knew whether her mother, Raphael and Claire were on their way back or had been taken by the other side. Gabriella had enjoyed the praise from God and the other members of the Committee, but couldn’t even allow herself a mental pat on the back until the final outcome was known. She’d heard that her mother was no longer on the Committee but hadn’t been told why – despite her bravery Gabriella knew her mother was considered a maverick and she wondered if God had been testing her, and she’d failed due to some of her questionable decisions. She also knew that her mother would be less than pleased and didn’t fancy being in God’s shoes on her return. She couldn’t bear to think that they may not return and when God had offered her a place on the Committee Gabriella had turned it down.  She knew she was mad, but had seen how it had restricted Raphael and they were similar in so many ways. She was happier fighting the never-ending evil that pervaded all of their lives, and didn’t know if she’d ever be ready for a place on the Committee. If the worst happened she would need to fight to bring them back rather than have her wings clipped and sit around making decisions.  Whatever the outcome, it would take both sides quite some time to recover and gain total domination in the future.

*****

Amanda, Raphael and Claire were preoccupied trying to save each other and avoid hell’s gates. They didn’t notice what was going on in a cave deep below the ground where bats and cockroaches were going about their normal daily lives. They were all totally oblivious to the large number of serpents amassing outside, and so were the Committee.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to my husband Allan for his love and support, to my editor Philip McAllister-Jones for his sage advice and reality checks, and my friends for their encouragement.