Gabriel felt his flesh grow cold as if the window were open and the cool morning air was blowing over the fine hairs on his skin, ‘Demons… it’s been a long time.’

A knot settled in his stomach. His eyes turned toward the door that led to his basement. ‘I’m going to need help. But I also need answers. Even for a Seraphim with the Thousand Eyes, calling on Angel Hunters is one hell of a step up. Oh, and I need guns, lots of guns… and knives… lots of those…’ He drew a hand across his face, ‘At least most of my contacts are alive… more or less.’ He thought and went to pick up the same pistol he’d so recently put away.

After shoving it into the holster on his belt he went to the heavy door that led downstairs. He opened the door to the darkness and descended without bothering to turn on the light. He glanced up at the socket where the bulb sat swaying back and forth, buffeted by the force the air carried when he swung the door open.

The stairs creaked underneath his boots as he made his way through the shadows, ‘How long do I have?’ He wondered when he reached the base of the stairs, it wasn’t the first time for that question, but knowing what he now knew, it seemed like he would have less than he thought.

Gabriel moved through the darkness as if it were the daylight of the outside world, he walked over to the far wall, reached down, and opened the chest within. ‘Demons. Angel Hunters. Demons. Angel Hunters.’ He thought the words again and again, running through everything he knew of them, ‘Maybe we’ll get lucky and they’ll just try an air strike instead.’ He thought with a snort and thrust his arm down into the chest, his fingers tracing over weapon after weapon.

His hand closed around the pommel of the thing he sought. “O ye mighty God of War, the followers of I Am, cometh. In my youth I offered you the peace of old age for the will and strength to bear blessing and curse alike. Give me the blessing needed to bear the sword of the Scourge of God once more, and make it into a weapon suitable to carve my name into the nightmares of my enemies.” He whispered the prayer, and when he closed his fingers around the pommel, the Sword of Mars cast a red glow into the darkness as it reshaped itself, growing shorter, befitting his preference for close combat.

He took out the sheath that went with it and as he slid the blade with its narrow, curved tip within, the sheath glowed in turn and reshaped itself for the knife.

He slid that onto his belt and thrust his hand back into the darkness as soon as the light faded. He found his next weapon of choice. A preternatural calm settling over his heart, he drew out a small bottle filled with small capsules. “Gah… I’m gonna hate this.” He groaned and shoved them into his shirt pocket.

He then reached down and snatched up a wallet made of thick leather with a stiff front and back, he opened it and ran his thumb over the contents. ‘Good, good. Cards, fake identification, and some cash.’ He shoved that in his pocket as well and reached in one more time.

Lastly, he drew out a small long box of rounds meant for his pistol, then he took out another from beneath that one. He reached down again, and his fingers grasped at nothing. ‘Two boxes… right, this was all I had left at the time, aside from what’s upstairs. I’ll need more. Great, just great, Gabriel, now you’re going to have to go see Joan.’

‘I might need these sooner than I thought.’ He chuckled and patted the pills in his pocket and managed a gallows laugh before he returned to the stairs, they creaked again, protesting his return before he shut the door behind himself and then clicked the lock shut.

He then ventured to his bedroom, the covers were strewn about unmade, not even a sheet to be found, just a thick blanket and the old thick mattress he’d had for the last few years. Light streamed in through the windows, creating a contrasting space of white amidst the dim nature of the otherwise little lit room.

It was plenty regardless, Gabriel went to the old pine wardrobe in the corner and flung it open, his clothes lay mostly piled on the floor of the furniture and tumbled out when the doors flung open. ‘Probably days before they figure out she didn’t go to my brother’s place. Think, could he have anything leading them here? Maybe if…’ He asked himself while sorting the clothing in front of him. There, hanging where they’d been left the last time they’d been worn, was an abundance of women’s outdoor wear. He began sliding the clothes hangers around, searching for something suitable.

“Come on, I know you didn’t just bring hunting clothes the last time you were here…” Gabriel grumbled as he slid one camouflage set of clothing after another out of the way. ‘Did you really need nine sets?!’ He wondered as he finally came to something.

Far from camouflage which, ironically, would stand out in a city, what he found was a set of women’s hiking clothes. Simple jeans, a sweater, and, he looked down and kicked some of his clothing out of the way, “A pair of boots, women’s size seven. Perfect.” He said and bent down to pick them up.

‘She probably hasn’t been properly fed in a long time, or given water either.’ He pondered as he left the bedroom behind, tucking it all crumpled up under one arm.

He returned to the infirmary but didn’t go inside. “Here, change into these.” He said and tossed it all to the floor at her feet. “I’ll get you some food and water. It’s been a while since you’ve had much, right?” He asked.

She bobbed her head up and down, looking down at the heap of clothing, and the dust left on it, then back at him.

He didn’t wait for an answer, instead he walked away on swift feet until he reached the kitchen.

Gabriel flung open the refrigerator by the dirty, broken handle, the light within flickered a little before, for once, remaining on. “No. No. No. Definitely no. Expired. Really expired… condiment, wouldn’t give that to a dog…” He muttered and rustled and rattled through various bottles, old food that wasn’t going to last long in the stale refrigerator when it had been put in weeks or months before.

The faint odor of mold was at least minimal, but there was one useful thing. He snatched up an empty plastic bottle and took it to the sink, he turned it on and the chrome curved spout rattled in defiance. Gabriel smacked it a few times, shaking it back and forth, and then a slow trickle of water poured out and he stuck the bottle beneath it to slowly fill up. While it filled he reached to the old metal bread box and pulled it open.

Inside a number of wafers sat still sealed in their plastic wrapping. “Blessed be the waters of life, that giveth all who drink of it, endurance everlasting.” He held his hand over the slowly filling bottle and when it nearly capped off, he turned the tap off.

From there he went to the cabinet above the sink and pulled his bowl down. Tearing open the packaging, he dumped the communion bread wafers in, then took up the bottle and returned to within a few paces from the infirmary. “Are you dressed?” He asked a little louder than was probably needed.

“Yes.” Her silken voice reached his ears and he went the last few steps to enter the room again.

She was, though the laces were not done.

Seraphim set the book aside, her eyes roved over him, and then centered on the food and water. “Here.” He said and thrust them out at her. “Eat. Drink. We need to be ready to move soon.”

“We do?” She asked, “But, why can’t we stay here?” She asked.

“Because my brother is a sentimental asshole… no, he was… was a sentimental asshole.” Gabriel sighed, “He almost certainly saved my letters, and even if those didn’t come from this house, they came from the local mail facility, even though I bought this place through a shell company, there’s only a handful of places out this way and I’m sure they’ll hit every one of those houses, probably at the same time.”

“How can a company of shells buy things… are shells your currency?” She scratched her head, and Gabriel shook his head.

“No. Just eat, just trust me, they’ll find this place, sooner or later, but probably sooner, and I don’t have enough bullets or pills for everyone they can send this way. Especially not their Angel Hunters. Fucking hellhounds…”

She looked concerned, but he thrust the food out another inch with insistence, “Just take it, eat, drink, and be quick about it. I’ve got a go-bag ready, but it was just for me. Not for a we.” He asserted, and Seraphim’s stomach growled. Her hands darted for the chipped wooden bowl and the bottle of water.

Seconds later she was chugging the warm water down and tossed the bottle aside, then shoved her hand into the bowl and began shoving the wafers into her mouth in small heaps, stuffing her cheeks to bursting while Gabriel went down to one knee and began tying her laces. “I’ll show you more things later, but the more I think about it, the less time I think we’ve got, got me?”

She nodded and chewed faster.

He yanked the lace tight, went to the corner of the room where an empty bag sat, and then rushed to the cabinet and began throwing bandages, medicine, and other possible needed supplies inside, then yanking the zipper shut, he shoved the bag out to her as soon as she dropped the wooden bowl to clatter on the floor.

“How’s your leg?” He asked, keeping his heart rate under control as he breathed slowly in and out.

She took the black canvas bag and then reached down to touch her wounded leg. “It feels better, but it isn’t all the way healed yet.”

“That figures.” Gabriel muttered, “Just give me five minutes.” He said and left her alone again. He went out the front door and over to the garden hose, he snatched it up, turned on the faucet, and dragged the green tube over to where his jeep sat.

The water burped out for a moment before the flow kicked off and began to flow more rapidly, the crystal clear water was cold to his hands and splashed out into the dirt of what passed for a driveway, he then lay the hose in front of his jeep and rushed back into the house.

No sooner than he did than he heard the noise of a click, “Luther! Luther come in you asshole!” A woman’s voice shouted.

“Oh… fuck… me.” Gabriel cursed and rushed to the radio.

“Yeah what?!” He shouted into the mic.

“Armageddon!” Joan shouted, and the transmission died.

“How… this fast?” Gabriel wondered, ‘So much for having days.’ He said to himself and rushed to the infirmary.

He burst through the open doorway and reached for Seraphim, grabbing her hand, his eyes stopped her mouth as soon as she saw them. “We’ve got to go, now.” He urged and pulled her from where she sat, she landed on her good leg and let him pull her against himself, without thinking, he looped her arm over his shoulder and rushed her out the door, pausing only to grab the handful of rounds off of the small shelf, and grabbing the rest of the wafers off the counter when they went out through the kitchen door.

“This way.” He said and pointed to the dark green jeep. He yanked the door open and half pushed the angel onto the seat before he ran around to the other side and jumped in behind the wheel. He reached up for the key he kept hidden above the sun blocker, shoved it into the ignition, and the engine roared to life.

“Hold on!” He shouted and gunned it hard.

She looked back, the sound of howls came off the mountain top. “Don’t worry, I’ve bought us some more time, I put running water between them and the car, that’ll kill the scent!” Gabriel reassured her as the jeep bounced on the dirt and gravel path and raced down the long hill.

“Even if they got those after us, it’d take time for any extraction teams to head out this way, we have time… fuck I need to stop setting flags…” He cursed himself again as Seraphim stared blankly at him.

“Who… are you?” She asked him with her eyes growing wide.

Gabriel said nothing, far in the distance at their backs, an explosion shook the ground and rattled the frame of the jeep itself as they made their escape.

“Gabriel.” He answered, and leaned back against the black fabric seat as they hit the main road. “And I’d say it’s nice to meet you, but my house just blew up thanks to you and my asshole brother, so you could say I’m less than pleased. So let’s leave the questions to me for now, alright?” He answered, behind him in the rear view mirror he could see the fires rising up off the mountain side, and smoke that no doubt carried the ashes of some unfortunate demons, went with the flames which licked at the sky.