If Angels Fall

FORTY-TWO

Something as big as an elephant was inside Gabrielle’s head beating to get out.It hurt.

She tasted something horrible in her mouth, likevinegar and medicine. Open your eyes. Can’t. They’re too heavy. Maybe they’restuck shut. Lying on something soft. A bed? Where is she? It didn’t smell likeher room. Her house. It’s smelly here, like something rotten, like a scaryplace. Where was she?

Squeak-creak.

Where is she? What happened? The party. JoannieTyson’s birthday party at the park. The carousel. Butterflies in her stomach.Rhonda King throwing up. Gross! The man outside the bathroom. Jackson. He foundJackson. A quick secret peek in his truck. Want a soda? You spilled somebut-the wet cloth-can’t breathe-Jackson barking-the cloth drippingmedicine-fighting-kicking.

Squeak-creak. Squeak. Creak.

Don’t open your eyes!

Something-someone touched her cheek. A soft warm hand.Small.

Please. Please. Please. Don’t hurt me.

She had to open her eyes. Had to. Okay. A little boy.On his knees looking down at her. A boy who was smaller than she was, staringat her. She blinked at him and sniffed. The boy looked sad.

“Who are you?” he said.

“Gabrielle Nunn. Who are you?”

“Danny.”

“Where am I? Have you seen my dog, Jackson?”

Danny didn’t answer.

“Where’s Mr. Jenkins? He knows my dad.”

Danny just stared at her.

“Where is this place?”

Danny said nothing.

Gabrielle sat up and looked at him until a tiny lightof recognition glimmered on her face. “You’re the little boy on TV, the one whogot kidnapped-you are!”

“Where’s my daddy?” Danny said. “Can I go home now?”

Newspapers covered the basement window. It looked darkoutside. Were those bars, like jail? A dim bulb hung from the ceiling, like inGabrielle’s dad’s garage, painting the grungy, cracked walls in a pale light.Where’s the TV? Were there people who can take her home? Where was Jackson?Where was Mr. Jenkins? She was confused. She didn’t like this place. There werethree mattresses, ripped, with stuff coming out of them. They smelled. Whythree? The door was closed. Garbage and stuff plastered the floor. Yech!

“Danny,” she asked, “who lives in this place?”

He just sat there, his face dirty and white, like hewas sick or sleepy or something.

“I don’t like this place. I want to go home now,” shesaid.

Danny offered her a chocolate-covered, vanilla creamcookie.

“It’s got a bite already.” She didn’t touch it.

Danny bit into the cookie.

Gabrielle knew she was with the boy who got kidnappedand had his picture on TV everywhere. The boy everybody was looking for allover the place. Suddenly she realized a terrible thing.

She was kidnapped, too!

“Danny, where is this place?”

He just stared.

“What’s going to happen to us now?” she asked.

Danny’s fingers were sticky from the cookie. He wasreally littler than she was. His chin crumpled and his eyes clamped shut and hebegan crying in a ragged voice like he had been crying forever. Gabriellewanted to cry, too, but something inside took over. Big kids look after littlekids, they told you in school. Gabrielle put her arm around him.

“Don’t cry, Danny.” She sniffed. “My daddy will takeus home.”

“I want to go home, now.”

“Me, too. I wonder who lives in this place?”

Danny pointed a tiny finger to the door. “The man whotook me.”

Squeak-creak. Squeak-creak. He was out there!

Gabrielle’s stomach bounced. Gooseflesh crawled alongher arms.

Squeak-creak. Squeak-creak.

She hated Mr. Jenkins, whoever he was. He had trickedher. He lied. Where was Jackson? He must have stolen Jackson from her. He was abad man. She was in trouble now. Her mommy and daddy told her never talk tostrangers. No matter what. But he had Jackson and said he knew Daddy. Nomatter what. She broke the rules and it was all her fault. Mom and Dad weregoing to be mad. She had to tell them she was sorry she broke the rules. Theywould come and get her if she told them everything. Maybe she wouldn’t be intoo much trouble. Gabrielle knew what she had to do. She had to tell her momand dad. But how?

Telephone.

If you ever get lost, Gabrielle, just call home.

She would call home right now.

“Where is the phone, Danny?”

He pointed to the door. “Out there.”

Squeak-creak. Squeak-creak.

She was scared. She looked around the room again.

“Danny, you sure there’s no phone in this room?”

“Out there.”

Gabrielle stood, she was a little dizzy. Maybe sheshould just sit here and wait. No! She had to do it. She had to, so shewouldn’t be in trouble. She had to phone home. And she had to pee.

Squeak-creak. Squeak-creak.

The grease-stained burger boxes and bags crumpled asshe moved to the door. What if the man was watching from a spy hole, ready tocome in at any second? The wrappers, napkins, empty drink cups, boxes, and bagsrustled. Something squished. Yuck. A half-eaten burger. Stale ketchup bledunder her shoe. In the far off corner some wrappers were moving.

By themselves.

Gabrielle froze.

The bags moved a little, trembling like something wasgnawing on them. Gabrielle watched. Maybe it was Jackson? What else could itbe? It had to be Jackson. Gabrielle cut a path to the corner.

“Here, pup,” she cooed, lifting a large bag just as agiant rat with ketchup dripping from its mouth flew at her, coming so close shefelt its tail slap against her palm!

Gabrielle screamed, jumped back, falling.

A vanilla cream cookie whizzed by the rat’s head.

“Go away!” Danny shouted, reaching into his bag foranother.

Gabrielle scurried to Danny. Together they firedcookies at the rat. It had touched her. She was scared.

The door swung open.

Mr. Jenkins. Only, he didn’t look so friendly now. Abig silver cross was swinging from his neck. He spotted the rat, disappeared,and returned with a baseball bat.

“Vermin!” he screamed, bring the bat down swiftly,missing the rat. It squealed, the bat went clank and garbage scattered.

He yelled, swinging the bat down again.

The fierceness of the man’s attack frightened thechildren more than the rat did. His eyes were huge, popping out of his head,the white parts as big as eggs. His hair wild like a nest o angry snakes.Spittle clung to his beard.

Keller swung again, making a wet, squishing sound. Helaughed, his bat dripping with the blood of the rat. Gabrielle screamed. Kellerlooked at her.

“It is done,” he said, moving toward the children.

Keller’s expression changed. Raphael and Gabriel werebefore them. He saw their auras.

The light of one million suns shone upon him.

His rage was replaced by rapture. Like a victoriousbattle-weary soldier, he laid his foe at the throne. The bloodied, pulpycarcass, fur and mangled intestines, lay inches from Gabrielle and Danny.Gabrielle stifled her sobs, trying not to look.

“W-We want to go home, now. Please Mr. Jenkins,” shepleaded.

Keller did not hear her.

“You have come, Gabriel. God’s emissary. You have cometo me!”

“Please, Mr. Jenkins! Let me phone my mommy anddaddy!”

Remembering the bat, Keller lifted it to his face,examining the blood with fascination.

“I am cleaned in the light of the Lord. I have tastedthe blood of my enemies. None shall defeat me, for my mission is divine and Iam truly invincible.” He moved his fingers over the blood-slicked club. “I amcleansed in the light-I have tasted the blood of my enemies.”

“My mission is divine. I am truly invincible.”

Gabrielle pulled Danny tight to her.

Keller went upstairs to the bathroom and ran the bathwater.

God had answered his prayers.

One more angel and the choir would be complete.

Then the transfiguration would begin.

Wiping the tears from his face, he stood and kissedhis crucifix.

It was time for the second baptism.