Battle Angel

  Maddy wasn’t sure the soldier sounded fully convinced himself, but she nodded from behind her blindfold anyway. She had seen all too clearly how easily the demons were able to cut through the military’s air defenses. With a chill, Maddy imagined what would happen if one of the Dark Ones decided to come for the helicopter. They wouldn’t have a chance.

  “It’s risky flying in broad daylight,” the suited man said, alerting Maddy to the fact that she wasn’t the only one with danger on her mind. “But we haven’t seen any demon scouts in over twenty-four hours, so intelligence thinks we have a window.”

  “Do you, uh, do you maybe, uh, know what they’re waiting for, miss?” Maddy recognized the nervous voice of the young soldier. “Like, as an Angel you can tell?”

  Maddy shook her head sadly. “I wish I could.”

  “They’re overconfident,” the suited man said, most likely trying to bolster everyone’s morale. “We’ll take advantage of this. You’ll see. They’re making a fatal error.”

  Maddy once again nodded in agreement, but her effort was pretty halfhearted. She wanted to believe they could somehow figure out a way to match the demons. . . .

  But if she was being honest, she couldn’t think of how they possibly could.

  A terrific whine sounded outside, and Maddy heard the steady thrum of the helicopter rotors as they began spinning and spinning. Gusts of warm wind blew in through the open door of the helicopter, sending her brown hair streaming everywhere. The helicopter shook with force, and then suddenly she felt it lift off the ground.

  They were in the air for an hour, and Maddy had to wear the blindfold the entire time. It only took a few minutes of temporary blindness to make all her other senses that much stronger. Her hearing captured all the tiny details of human movement inside the helicopter and the mechanical din of the engine; her sense of touch tingled with the feel of the smooth metal under the seat contrasting with the rougher, detailed texture of her jeans. During the flight, the security guard offered Maddy a candy bar, but she declined—she felt the sugar might be so intense on her taste buds that she’d go into shock.

  “Suit yourself,” he said. “But you’re missing out—it’s got peanut butter.”

  Finally they arrived at their destination. The helicopter landed with a soft bump, and Maddy was escorted off. Outside, the air was hot and her mouth felt instantly dry. Maddy could tell they were somewhere in the desert.

  “This way, miss,” her escort said, leading her by the hand into a building. Inside it was instantly at least thirty degrees cooler, and Maddy had never been so grateful for air-conditioning in her life. As they walked she heard a hallway door open, then close after her once they’d crossed the threshold. The security guard seated her in a chair, then finally pulled off the blindfold. She opened her eyes and blinked twice, first to adjust to the light, then to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. Sitting at his desk in front of her, in a nondescript room lit more by the glow of numerous computer screens than by the single window, was President Ted Linden.

  “I’m sorry for all the theatrics,” Linden said, motioning to the blindfold, which now lay crumpled on the desk in front of Maddy. “But my security detail insisted. They still aren’t entirely sure where your loyalties lie.” He searched Maddy’s face with his eyes. “But now that I see you here, I have no doubts. I only needed to look you in the eyes.”

  Ever since he’d dropped in unannounced to visit her at the diner, Maddy had a pretty good opinion of Linden, even if she didn’t always agree with his methods. She had even publicly stated her support for the Immortals Bill once the human-Angel war seemed certain, before the demon menace raised its head. She felt in her gut that Linden was someone she could trust. Otherwise she would not have agreed to meet with him.

  Maddy regarded him now. He looked like he had already aged a couple of years since she had seen him last, just a month or so ago. A wartime presidency aged a person, or at least that’s what they said. But when that theory was coined, there had only been human-versus-human wars. A presidency during a demon war was something else entirely. Maddy stopped herself before she imagined what Linden would look like a year from now.

  “I’m glad you came,” he said. “It’s nice to see you again, Madison.”

  “Likewise, sir,” Maddy said, her eyes focusing sharply on him. This is what she had come for. It was her duty.

  “What can I do to help?” she asked.

  “I’ll be blunt, since time is short,” he said, standing up and looking out the interior window, onto what looked to Maddy like some kind of control room. “Our allies are shoring up defense of their own cities and countries, while also lending us all the forces they can spare. But even those outside forces can’t get through the intermittent demon patrols on the borders of Angel City. It’s not enough right now. You know that. I know that.” Linden paused. “We still haven’t determined why the demons are holding back right now. One theory is that they’re testing our defenses, evaluating the weaknesses so they can exploit them. Another theory, one that I don’t like to believe, is that this is some kind of psychological warfare meant to wear us humans down, until we’re so terrified that we just relent to them out of fear. Whatever the reason, once the demons do attack with their full forces—and believe me, they will—our allies in the rest of the world will know that the aid we’re getting isn’t enough.”

  Maddy nodded silently. At least he wasn’t pulling any punches, unlike the newscasters and pundits, who kept trying to soften the inevitable.

  “Maddy, when you and I first met in your uncle’s diner, I felt I could trust you,” he said. “The Angels and I have had our fair share of differences. I’m the first to say it. But I also know that not all of the Angels support the NAS and the Protection for Pay program. With the Immortals Bill, I wanted to create an atmosphere where the dissident Angels could feel safe stepping forward, out of the shadows. But I’ll admit, the push-back was stronger than I’d anticipated.”

  “Sir, with all due respect,” Maddy said, “did you really expect the Immortals to be happy that you were going to throw them in jail just for using their supernatural powers?”

  “Desperate times call for desperate measures, Maddy. If you’re honest with yourself, you’ll admit the Angels would have never reformed without outside pressure.”

  “Maybe it was too much pressure,” Maddy said. “Sir,” she quickly added, remembering who she was talking to.

  President Linden smiled. “Being a leader is about making hard decisions. And it was my decision that that much leverage was needed. My goal was never to put the Angels behind bars. My goal was to get them to fulfill their original duties on Earth. Which do not include Protection for Pay. Their purpose is higher than that. There was a time when they believed in something higher, and it’s something I know they can believe in again.”

  “Some say humans have no right to mess with Angel affairs,” said Maddy.

  “They gave up that privilege the day they came out of hiding, Maddy. The day they began the Great Awakening and started the whole ball rolling on Protection for Pay.”

  He walked away from the window now and stood in front of her, his hands thrust into the pockets of his suit pants. Maddy hadn’t realized how tall Linden was, taller than she remembered, and lanky, too. He cut a striking figure, even in this moment of crisis. Maybe especially in this moment of crisis.

  “Maddy, I need you to go to the Angels. Personally.”

  Maddy couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. She had been ready to jump into battle, to do whatever needed to be done for her city and her country. But to go to the Angels? After everything they’d said, everything they’d done? After everything Jacks had said and done?

  “They’ll never agree to help,” Maddy said. “Why should they?”

  “World history is full of allies who were once enemies but who came together to fight a common enemy who wa
s even worse. Just look at the Soviet Union and America, at Stalin and FDR during World War Two.”

  “But that’s just it—the Immortals don’t view the demons as a common enemy right now. The Angels believe the demons are here to claim humanity only,” Maddy said. “And right now, I’m thinking they might be right. Only human stuff—I mean, sir, human targets—have been hit in the attacks so far.”

  “The Angels are in hiding,” Linden said. “Why would they be hiding if the demons were only after us?”

  “I don’t know, sir,” Maddy said. “But it doesn’t matter. Because even if the Angels were somehow convinced that the demons were a common enemy, the Council would never see me. Never. I’m nothing but a traitor to them. And even if, on the slight chance they would see me, I don’t even know where to find them. Only those in the most inner circles are brought to the Council chambers.”

  “I don’t want you to put yourself in danger,” Linden said.

  “It’s not about danger, sir,” said Maddy. “I’d put myself in any kind of danger if it meant protecting Angel City and its people. But I simply can’t do what you’re asking. It’s impossible.” Maddy had hoped he’d have some other use for her, but now she saw that the trip had been in vain. “I’m sorry to disappoint you.”

  Linden was quiet for a moment, studying Maddy.

  “But there is one way, isn’t there? There is one who would see you. One who has strong sway among the Angels,” Linden said. “Our sources tell us he has become an Angel forces leader almost overnight.”

  Jacks.

  The name came across her mind in a flash. The very name she had been trying so hard to forget, even though it was constantly running through her consciousness like a mantra. What President Linden was asking of her . . . was impossible. After what she’d done to Jackson at the pier . . . The pain would be too much for him.

  “You mean Jackson,” Maddy said.

  Linden’s gaze deepened. “He’s our best chance, Maddy. The others are too entrenched in their Angel ways, too blinded by popular opinion. Their loyalty is unquestioned. But his relationship with you . . . that’s a completely different story.”

  “I’m sorry, Mr. President. I can’t do what you’re asking. You don’t know what he’s like now. He’s the most loyal and obedient I’ve ever seen him. It’s like he’s a different Angel. I don’t even know if he’ll”—emotion swelled inside her, forcing her to linger on the sentence for a moment—“want to see me. There are just some things about the situation that you don’t know. And, like I said, we don’t even know where they’re hiding.”

  The president’s jaw grew tense. “Our sources say the Angels are still close to Angel City. Maddy, we don’t have another option. Under normal circumstances, I’d tell you to go with your gut. But we need you to at least try this.” The circles underneath his eyes seemed to deepen as he paused. “Maddy. You do understand that this may be our last chance? The Dark Angels will not give us another opening like this.”

  Maddy nodded slowly. She knew that what he was saying was true in theory. But to go to Jackson? To reopen that fresh wound that both of them shared? It was perhaps the last thing on the planet she wanted to do.

  But as she looked at President Linden, she felt a deep respect. She wanted to do what he asked, to help in any way she could. Even if it meant enduring the pain of seeing Jacks, and having to witness the pain it would cause him. She let out a heavy breath as she prepared to give him her answer.

  “All I can promise is that I’ll try.”

  “That’s all we can expect from you, Maddy. Thank you. The Angels have cut off all channels of communication with every government in the world,” Linden said. “They’re not answering any calls, any pleas. They’ve really just disappeared. You, and your bond with Jackson, truly are our only hope of getting to them.”

  “But the phone lines are down, cell service, too. How am I even supposed to get in touch . . .”

  Linden’s eyes twinkled. “We’re the American government, Maddy. We can fix that for you. That’s the least of your worries.”

  And once again, like a sickness that comes in waves, Maddy’s mind cast back to the fury and agony written all over every inch of Jackson’s face as she chose Tom.

  “Just don’t invest too much hope in this,” Maddy said, “because I have a feeling you’re going to be disappointed.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Jackson Godspeed wandered the quieter precincts of the sanctuary, lost in thought as his slow footsteps echoed down the empty hallway. The main portion of the complex was laid out like three wheels, one on top of the other, each one larger than the first, with numerous spoke-like passageways coming out from a central hub that connected them all. Jackson was now in the outermost ring, where he was sure he could be alone.

  The hallway was dimly lit with soft lighting gleaming along the dark marble floors. He paused at one of the openings off the hall, where a small artificial stream ran along a short path, soothing as it babbled. Every so often, he saw a rainbow trout swim up and glisten in the current. But the serene scene still could not calm Jackson’s relentless train of thought.

  The images he witnessed during the first demon attacks remained burned in his mind. To watch his native city endure an assault like that, and for him to do nothing about it, had affected him deeply. And, of course, he also couldn’t help wondering about Maddy, as painful as it was to even think her name.

  Jacks let out a deep breath and made his way back to the center of the sanctuary. He needed to do something besides wander around the outskirts, if only to get his mind off things.

  He hadn’t gotten far when he ran into Louis Kreuz walking with an assistant weighed down with files.

  “Godspeed!” Louis said. Kreuz’s meaty paw overwhelmed Jacks’s fingers as the two shook hands. “Been out in the boonies?” Kreuz motioned toward the outer rings of the sanctuary.

  Jackson was caught off guard. He hadn’t expected to run into the brash head Guardian trainer, and for a moment he felt like he was back in training, being chewed out by Kreuz for some small mistake.

  “Just clearing my head, sir,” Jacks said.

  “You don’t have to call me ‘sir’ anymore, Godspeed,” Kreuz said, grinning. “It’s just Louis these days, now that you’re a Battle Angel.” Jackson didn’t return Louis’s smile. “Seems like maybe you didn’t get too much cleared up out there. Thinking about . . . ?” Louis pointed up, toward the surface, toward Angel City, where the humans were awaiting their fate.

  “I don’t know anymore, sir—I mean, Louis,” Jackson said.

  “The humans did leave us hanging out to dry, you gotta admit,” Kreuz said. “We had our backsides hanging out there in the wind with Linden and that bill.”

  Jackson thought he saw a strange sparkle in Louis’s eyes as he spoke.

  Jacks just nodded and didn’t respond. He’d retreated once again into his thoughts.

  “Well, if you’re lucky, you’ll run into Gabriel. He’s just down there,” Kreuz said. He pulled out an unlit cigar and chomped his teeth on it. “He just walked me out of another meeting. He likes getting air and visiting with the rest of the Angels. You know, he’s got high hopes for you.”

  Kreuz was one of the few Angels with whom Gabriel consulted regularly. Louis had been so instrumental over the years, training generation after generation and churning out groomed Guardian after groomed Guardian, that it only made sense that he’d remain a confidant during this current crisis.

  “Well, take care of yourself, Godspeed,” Kreuz said. He motioned for his assistant, who had busied himself on the sidelines while he and Jackson talked, and the two of them proceeded down the hall together.

  “You, too, Louis,” Jackson called after them.

  Jackson rounded the quieter passageways and headed into the main section of the sanctuary. Up ahead he heard a low hum. In the hub of t
he sanctuary was a tree circled by a round marble fountain encircled by a bench. Just off the fountain was a piazza lined with various high-end stores, as well as restaurants and open seating.

  Up ahead, Jackson saw Gabriel talking with a small group of Angels. Gabriel was easy to spot—he always gave off a kind of glow. The Immortals weren’t used to seeing so much of Gabriel, but it only made sense that he’d venture out into the public more often now that they were all banded together in the sanctuary.

  The True Immortal wore a more casual robe than usual, sleek and contemporary in its cut. Catching Jackson’s eye, he excused himself from his conversation and approached the young Battle Angel with a smile and a clap on the shoulder.

  “Good to see you, Jackson,” Gabriel said.

  “Thank you, sir. It’s great to see you as well,” Jacks said.

  Gabriel smiled, and Jackson thought about how distant and mysterious Gabriel had seemed to him when he was growing up. He was the leader of the Council. The Angel who had taken them out of hiding and formed the National Angel Services. He was a living legend, practically out of a myth. But now that they’d been meeting semiregularly in the solarium, Jackson felt he was starting to get to know the real Angel, the true Immortal behind the figurehead.

  “I’ve just left the company of your old friend Louis Kreuz. We’ve been discussing the human situation again.”

  Color leapt into Jackson’s face.

  “Jackson, you shouldn’t be angry at them,” Gabriel said. “It’s in their nature to err. And we can just no longer protect them from their own selves anymore.”

  “I’m not angry,” Jacks said. But even though he didn’t even know what he really felt, he knew in his heart that he’d just lied to Gabriel. He just knew he didn’t feel right, and that he was just trying to focus on the human-Angel situation without bringing her into it.

  “Yes, well, that kind of . . . energy can be used for much more productive things,” Gabriel said. “For the future, Jacks. Our future.”