Security to the holding cells, on the double! shouted Colonel Peters. Billy stood rock still, not believing what he’d just seen. He looked at Angela who stood next to him in her ethereal form, as did Theliel and Mihr. The three looked back at him as both men bowed deeply in the group’s direction.
I told you they didn’t have a demon, Angela said. Hugh and Planche both had enormous amounts of energy streaming out from their chests where their heart would be. The energy shot out in all directions to the point of almost obscuring their views of the two men. A nimbus of white light surrounded both of them. A short, steady thick cord of energy connected both men to Angela. Billy followed the connecting energy lines from the two men to his companion, and moved his eyes to her face from where the cords touched her chest. Angela shuffled her feet nervously.
We are on your side, my good colonel. We mean you no harm, Hugh de Paynes said, as he and the man he’d identified as Planche Dumas’ ethereal forms regarded Billy and Angela passively. The two women clad in white smiled warmly.
At that moment a team of two security personnel burst through the door and into the room and fanned out scanning the area with drawn pistols, searching for a target. The two men’s physical forms remained in prayer. None of the ethereal forms took note of their entrance.
Guardian Two, you have some... Colonel Peters never got to finish his sentence.
Suddenly, two more security men entered the room backing up their team mates. As the fourth man entered and assumed his position in a practiced maneuver everyone noticed the stone-skinned creature who rode atop his shoulders. The ethereal forms of their guests erupted into action the moment the creature came into view.
Flaming swords sprang into existence in the hands of the four angels as both Hugh and Planche reached into the ropes of energy emanating from their chests. When they pulled their hands out they held a three foot length of the energy cord that writhed with power as they began to wield them like swords. The stone skinned creature leapt off the security man, raising his axe high to strike at Hugh. Theliel and Mihr stepped in front of Angela and Billy as the other two angles spread out toward their attacker. Hugh expertly raised one cord of power over his head and snapped the other weapon twice. Two fiery darts of force shot at the attacking demon who moved his axe to deflect the incoming attacks. It was a mistake.
Hugh brought his raised rope of force down in a smooth, sharp blow, slipping it just past the creature’s axe. The demon realized his weapon was out of position just as the blow struck him in the head. The cord of force seemed to stiffen and become rigid at the moment of impact, slicing cleanly through the beast. Both halves fell to the floor as tendrils of deep, black smoke shot out and equally dark ichor splashed onto the floor. Everyone took a step back reflexively as the black material pooled for a moment before seeping into invisible cracks in the floor and vanishing. Likewise, the writhing two halves of the creature dissolved and soaked into nonexistent openings in the otherwise unmarred floor and were gone. Movement in the room caught everyone’s attention immediately.
The security man the demon had been riding stumbled. His arms drifted aside and lowered as his head drooped slightly. He dropped to one knee heavily as his partner rushed to his side.
“Slade, you hit man?” his partner asked, searching for a wound as the other two security men folded in on them to and searched for the invisible attacker. The ethereal forms of Hugh and Planche whisked back into their bodies as the two men’s physical forms raised their heads and stood. The security guards instantly trained their weapons on the two men.
“Don’t move.”
“Freeze!”
“We mean you no harm. We are men of God. Your friend is in need of our services,” Planche said, but he wisely did not move toward the men.
“Tell them Colonel. We can help your soldier if you’ll let us?” Hugh asked, raising his upturned hands.
Angela didn’t wait for a response. She floated over to the man and began speaking softly in his ear. Billy couldn’t make out what she was whispering, but he knew the man couldn’t possibly hear her either because she was in the ether and he was not.
Stand down, the colonel said over the net. Both security men lowered their weapons. Planche immediately moved to the stricken soldier and began speaking with him. He took out a small book from a breast pocket, a worn and well used book covered in black leather, and pressed it into the gloved palm of one of the man’s hands. The man took the book and looked at Planche as he spoke in low tones no one could hear. The man smiled a slight, warm smile and a tear fell from one eye.
What’s he saying? Colonel Peters asked. Billy didn’t know but Angela spoke up.
He’s saying God loves him and forgives him and if he’ll open his heart to the words of Jesus contained in the book he’s just given him he can pull himself out of the mess his life has become, Angela said as she rose and stood next to the man.
What a load of crap, someone said over the net.
Warning bells and alarms began sounding in Heaven, the base, and across the ethereal communications network.
We’ve got incoming! Sergeant Sanchez shouted.
The four angels in the room began singing what sounded like a Gregorian chant and raised their palms toward the ceiling of the room. Suddenly, a shockwave of force struck Billy as he heard a thunderous explosion of light and sound in the room. When his vision cleared he couldn’t tell where he was or where anything else was. He became disoriented and started to panic. 
Guardians of the Herald is a weekly serial published and copyright by The Cavalier, Mark Malcolm. For more information about this story please join us on our Facebook page community at www.facebook.com/firstchevalierbooks.
