The Fallen Part 4

Something flickered in Strandas eyes. aGabriel?a aYes! Gabriel! The--uh--the Elumi. He was here. Enrico broke the door in and grabbed me by the throat and Gabriel appeared behind mea.a Her voice petered to a halt when she realized what shead said and how it sounded.

aThe angel Gabriel,a Strand said, nodding wisely. aThatas good. Try a mental.a aNo! Really. Iam not making this up.a He nodded at the man behind her and she was half pushed half carried from the room, her arms jerked up so high behind her she had to bend over to relieve the painful pressure. She was shoved into a waiting squad car and the door slammed firmly behind her. Righting herself with an effort, she stared out the window, too stunned to completely a.s.similate what was happening as she watched the chaos outside.

Lights flashed in her eyes, blinding her. A moment later, a cop climbed into the driveras seat, started the car and pulled away.

What followed was the stuff of nightmares. Fortunately, Kylee was still in a state of shock when they arrived at the police station. Coc.o.o.ned by that state of unreality, she was thoroughly confused, but unable to really grasp what was going on, or to feel any real fear. The only thing she did feel was a vast weariness that further impeded her ability to think clearly.

Like a zombie, she merely moved her feet when she was led from place to place, told to sit, told to stand, told to turn.

She wasnat allowed to bathe. The blood dripped for a while and then began to dry before theyad finished taking the pictures they wanted, asking her questions, inking her fingers. When shead been booked, she was taken at last to get cleaned up. Bathing in a communal shower, and being searched, was almost more nightmarish than wearing the blood, though. She was allowed to collapse weakly on a hard bunk for a perhaps an hour and then dragged down to an interrogation room where she spent several more hours.

After repeating her story over and over, she fell asleep in the chair.

n.o.body had bothered to ask if she was hurt until shead finally had the chance to bathe off and Strand noticed she had new bruises blooming. He wasnat sympathetic. In fact, it was pretty clear that he wasnat happy to see evidence that she might be able to claim self defense.

They didnat bother to take pictures of her bruises.

The lawyer shead asked for didnat arrive until the police had already interrogated her for hours. She was almost sorry to see the woman, though, because the first thing she did was demand to have a doctor see her and Kylee was already so near to dropping she had to struggle to keep from bursting into tears of sheer exhaustion.

She fell asleep on the examining table and was woken to the unpleasant discovery that someone was probing her v.a.g.i.n.a. Horror filled her when she realized they were collecting a rape kit. It didnat hit her until the nurse had left with the collected aevidencea that it was proof that she hadnat been in the room alone--maybe.

More photos followed, this time for her defense.

It was horrible that she was downright grateful when she was finally thrown into a jail cell and locked in, but all she could think about was that now, at long last, she could rest. She didnat think she actually rested though. It was more a matter of pa.s.sing beyond consciousness and when she was woken again, she felt nearly as tired as she had before shead lain down.

The inst.i.tutional atmosphere, being woken at all hours without any possibility of rest, and having virtually no privacy made the experience rather like being in a hospital--except worse.

Her attorney met with her sometime during the second endless day, informing her that her arraignment had been set for the following day and arrangements couldnat be made to get her out on bail until then. Afterwards, Kylee slept some, but spent most of her time huddled in one corner on her bunk just staring at a spot on the floor.

Mentally, she wasnat in a much better state than when shead been arrested, but she saw that she was in deep trouble. Strand was trying to charge her with first degree murder, citing the fact that shead come to the city specifically to catch Enrico for her sisteras murder and, when that fell through, had lured him to her room to murder him in cold blood.

She didnat see how he could possibly believe that, but he claimed to, and he claimed to have evidence to support it--which was a h.e.l.l of a note, all things considered. She hadnat done anything to the b.a.s.t.a.r.d and they were willing to manufacture evidence--which they would have to do since she was innocent--yet they knew Enrico had killed her sister and he could walk because they couldnat get evidence? Some frigging justice!

What she couldnat understand was why Gabriel had abandoned her in such a callous way.

Almost as if thinking about him had conjured him, he appeared beside her bunk. She stared at him in blank disbelief for several moments before she decided he really was there. aGabriel?a He was frowning, studying the cell with patent disgust. aWhy are you here?a She shouldave been furious with him for getting her into the mess she was in, but all she could think about at first was that she desperately needed to be held. Scooting off the bunk, she threw herself against him. To her relief, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly against him. At first, she feared it was a prelude to s.e.x--which she definitely wasnat in the mood for at the moment, but he seemed to sense she just needed to be held and he didnat seem to have a problem with it. He smoothed her hair and rubbed her back soothingly.

aWhy have they brought you to this place, dearling?a aThey think I killed Enrico,a Kylee muttered against his chest, beginning to shake with reaction.

He pulled away from her to study her face. aWhy would they believe that?a Kyleeas chin wobbled. aBecause I was the only one there and I was holding his knife. Why did you leave me like that?a He pulled her tightly against his body again. aTo protect you.a aIt didnat work,a Kylee muttered.

Pulling away from her again, he tugged her behind him and settled on the bunk, dragging her onto his lap and cuddling her against his chest. aFrom my enemy, dearling,a he said patiently. aThe one that I had fought that first night. Somehow he tracked me to you. I am not certain that he would have tried to harm you, but I could not be certain he would not when he found me with you. Even if that had not been his intention, you could have been harmed if we had fought there. I drew him off. When I had beaten him, I returned, but you were gone.a Kylee shuddered. Abruptly, she recalled the amana shead run into when she had gone to try to draw Enrico out, the one she had thought might be an Elumi like Gabriel.

The only thing shead managed to do was to nearly get both herself and Gabriel killed, because she was certain, suddenly, that both Enrico and the Elumi had followed her back.

Stupid, stupid mistake! Why hadnat she considered that before?

She found that she didnat want to admit to Gabriel that it was all her fault theyad been attacked. Obviously, he had taken great pains when he had come to her to make certain he wasnat followed.

aSomebody called the police, I guess--heard the commotion. I donat know. I fainted. They were everywhere when I woke up. And I was holding the knife that--a Kylee stopped abruptly and pulled away to examine him. aHe stabbed you with that knife. I saw it!a aYes. He did.a Kylee frowned, confused. aBut--thereas no sign--not at all! Youare--immortal?a He sighed gustily. aWe are not immortal, but we are far more resilient than humans. We regenerate rapidly. Fighting with swords is much more than a matter of honor and skill for us. It is virtually the only way we can slay our adversaries, for if the head does not come away from the body, the body will heal itself.a Kylee settled against him again, too relieved to discover he was unharmed to want to question the how or why of it, though the knowledge left her with an uncomfortable sense of separation from him.

aWeare not the same at all, are we?a she said in a small voice, realizing that that meant they would not be together, could not. She hadnat considered it before because she hadnat thought it would come to matter to her. She had wanted to believe that she could enjoy the pa.s.sion they shared and there would be no strings attached, no baggage to deal with later, but she realized it hadnat happened like that at all. aYouave slain an enemy warrior. I guess that means youall be allowed to go home?a He didnat answer, not directly, which she took to be a yes. aI will not leave you in this place.a Kylee swallowed with an effort, pus.h.i.+ng away from him. aItas a law thing--a human thing. You wouldnat understand. I canat escape. I have to go through with this and try to clear myself. If I escaped, theyad hunt me forever.a He shook his head. s.h.i.+fting on the bunk until he could lie down, he pulled her down beside him so that they were facing one another. aI understand. I will fix this. Trust me,a he murmured leaning close to nibble at her lips teasingly.

Warmth flowed through her despite her certainty only minutes before that she had no desire for s.e.x. She wrapped her arms around his neck, s.h.i.+fting closer, suddenly as needy of his caresses as she was of his pa.s.sion.

Chapter Eight.

Kylee was surprised when an officer took her from her cell to the interrogation room again. For the first time since shead been arrested, however, she was not in shock, not scared half to death, and not exhausted. Gabriel had done far more than give her pleasure. Head given her the comfort she needed to rest in mind and body and a sense of hope.

aMy lawyer isnat here,a Kylee said the moment Strand strode into the room and took a seat.

aSheas on the way.a Kylee nodded and settled in her chair to wait.

aIam considering offering you a deal.a Kylee looked him over. aI didnat think cops made the deals. I thought that had to be somebody from the DAas office.a He shrugged. aYeah, but the deal Iam offering is to influence the DA in your favor if youall volunteer information.a Kylee blinked. He thought she was stupid. Or maybe he thought she was still in the same totally chaotic state of mind shead been in before and not able to think reasonably? aLet me see if Iave got this straight. I give up my right to an attorney, tell you what you want to know, and you promise me absolutely nothing in return. Does that just about cover it?a Strandas lips tightened. aI can make things a lot worse for you.a aNot unless that includes tying me to a post and horse whipping me, because that place sucks and I think Iave already got the worst stinking cell you could possibly have.a aI could stick you in a cell with a girlfriend,a he growled.

Kylee narrowed her eyes at him. aIam going to tell my lawyer you threatened me.a aYou canat prove it.a aI donat have to. If I tell her and then you stick me in a cell with a lesbian, you will have proved it yourself.a aI meant after you get to prison.a aI donat think you have that kind of influence, and even if you did, youare a.s.suming you can prove the case. I know you canat, because I didnat kill that b.a.s.t.a.r.d.a aYou were the only one in the room.a aHe still outweighed me by fifty or sixty pounds besides being a man and a h.e.l.l of a lot stronger than I am! And I sure as h.e.l.l couldnat cut his head off with a four inch knife blade--not unless I held him down and sawed it off with the thing. You know I didnat or you wouldnat be offering me anything.a Strand shot to his feet. aFine. Iall just send you back to your cell then. You can let me know when youare ready to cooperate.a He left then. Kylee relaxed. Shead been sitting in the room almost thirty minutes before it dawned on her that he had no intention of sending her back to her cell. He was trying to asweata her, trying to unnerve her by leaving her to worry and wonder what they were planning. Head tried that tactic the day shead been arrested. It hadnat worked then because she was in shock and too numb to feel much of anything. It certainly wasnat going to work now.

She wouldave gotten up and paced except that theyad left her handcuffed to the table.

Sighing, she tried to focus on something other than her discomfort.

Gabriel had been gone when shead woken and she wondered if head gone back to Pearthen. Head said he meant to see to it that she was freed before he left, but she supposed head realized that there was really nothing he could do but confess to the deed and that wasnat something anybody she knew would do, especially not for a woman they hardly knew.

She thought Gabriel would have anyway, except for his own laws. He would not worry about Earth laws, she didnat think. He could allow the cops to do as they pleased and then just vanish whenever it suited him. That would not be the case with his own people, though, and lord only knew what the penalty was if they caught him. Death, she suspected, which might have been what head meant by that remark before--certain death or salvation.

She supposed she should be absolutely furious about the whole thing, but somehow she couldnat find it in herself to be angry with him. She was glad Enrico was dead. Head brutally murdered her sister and, despite her horror at watching him executed, she was fiercely glad Gabriel had done it, had given her and her sister justice when the law would not.

In her mind, she had killed Enrico herself a hundred times in a hundred ways. She hadnat gone through with it. She still hoped that she could prove that she hadnat and could go on with her life, but she had decided she was not going to regret it whatever happened. In her heart, she knew she would have killed Enrico if she could have.

She was going to miss Gabriel. She understood that he didnat really belong in her world and that he must miss his own world terribly, but accepting the way things were wasnat going to make it any easier.

She loved him. It didnat matter how unreasonable it might seem to anyone else. It was one of those things one just knew even when you hadnat felt anything quite like it before. It was a joy that just seemed to envelop your whole soul when you thought about them. It was breathless antic.i.p.ation whenever you thought about seeing them again, hearing their voice, just being close to them.

She hadnat known him a full week, which even she thought was crazy, but the truth was she hadnat known him a full hour when it had hit her like a ton of bricks, maybe not even a minute. It was just there. One minute he was a stranger, an alien being, and the next shead looked deeply into his eyes, felt his touch, and everything in her had welcomed him as if shead known him forever.

She knew she was never going to feel that way again about another living soul. She thought that distressed her far more than anything about her situation with the cops.

Strand breezed back into the room, interrupting her thoughts. aIave decided to give you one more chance to cooperate. You claimed that someone else was in the room. Give us this guyas name and weall see what we can do about reducing the charges against you.a Kylee stared at the man in disbelief. Finally, she merely shrugged, though. What difference would it make anyway? They were never going to find Gabriel, and it wasnat like he would object to them knowing. aHis name is Gabriel.a aDonat start that guardian angel c.r.a.p again!a Strand said in disgust. aWe know you had s.e.x just before Enrico was killed. We also know it wasnat Enrico and it was consensuala.a Kylee didnat even realize head stopped without finis.h.i.+ng the sentence until he looked beyond her shoulder, his face going taut and pale with shock. Instinctively, she glanced around, too. aGabriel! You came back!a she exclaimed, unable to keep the joy out of her voice.

His gaze flickered over her. There was a glint of amus.e.m.e.nt in his eyes and something else she couldnat quite define. aI gave you my word I would.a Strand, Kylee saw when she turned to look at him again was looking as if head seen a ghost. aHow did youa? What the h.e.l.l are you doing in here?a aI came to confess. I killed the man.a Strandas jaw dropped. After a moment, he glanced around a little frantically and surged out of his seat with such force that the chair toppled over and rattled around the floor. Almost before the chair had hit the floor, someone began to pound on the door to the room which, for some mysterious reason wouldnat open.

aWhy?a Strand demanded after a prolonged silence while he watched the fruitless efforts of his fellow officers to breech the door.

Gabriel knelt beside Kylee and touched the handcuffs, which promptly popped open. aBecause he hurt my woman,a Gabriel answered simply, tapping Kyleeas chin affectionately. He glanced at the detective. aAnd because he threatened the life of my woman and our child.a As he rose to his full height once more, he adisplayeda his wings, arching them as he drew his sword from its scabbard along his back. aIn the way of my people, I took justice for the murder of Kyleeas sister, and protected my woman, as is my right.a aGabriel,a Kylee said, watching him uneasily. aYouare not going to do anything, are you?a Gabrielas gaze flickered to her, but before he could respond, the crash of shattering gla.s.s drew everyoneas attention as the cops gave up on beating the door down and burst through the two way mirror instead.

aDrop the weapon! Now! Drop it!a Gabriel tilted his head curiously at the three cops who had their pistols drawn and aimed directly at him. Grabbing Kylee by one arm, he thrust her behind him, otherwise ignoring the cops who continued to bellow, aPut it down!a aGet on the ground!a but made no attempt to come any closer.

He turned to look at Strand again. aYou will release Kylee and make this go away. She did not kill the man.a aPut the weapon down and weall talk about it.a aI will not negotiate.a aPut it down or weall shoot!a Gabriel looked at the cop that had spoken and smiled, slowly.

Unnerved by the look, the cop jerked on the trigger, firing off a round. The moment he began shooting, the others began shooting as well. Strand dove for the floor. Kylee screamed. The sword moved. None of the officers saw it move and yet it was directly in the path of every bullet, and every bullet hit the sword and ricocheted into the walls around the interrogation room.

When theyad run out of bullets, they merely stared at the apparition, too stunned even to consider reloading or running.

aYou can not imprison me. You can not bind me with your manacles. You can not kill me with your weapons. And I will not be bound by your laws when there is a higher law which gives me the right to protect my woman with deadly force if necessary. Drop the charges against Kylee--or I will return--and you will not be pleased to see me again.a Sheathing his sword, he turned and lifted Kylee tightly against him. aThis may discomfort you, dearling,a he murmured. He turned to study Strand a long moment, and then simply walked through the wall.

Strand stared at the wall for some time before he finally approached it and touched it carefully. The wall felt warm, but it was solid. Glancing around the room in search of anything that looked out of place, he came up empty.

He still didnat believe what he thought head seen. It had to have been some cheesy magicianas trick. He just had to figure out how it had been accomplished. When he turned at last to look at the officers standing on the other side of what had been an observation room, he saw that they looked as if they were coming out of a trance. The men looked at him uncomfortably, and then looked at each other.

aDid you see that?a one of the men, Jim Johnson, asked, awe in his voice.

The two men with him stared at him for a moment. aI didnat see anything. How about you, Clark?a Clark shrugged. aI think Iall have a look at the tapes.a All four men crowded close as the tape reached the point where Strand said head first noticed the man. aThere!a one of the men said, stabbing a finger at the screen. aDid you see that flicker?a Strand frowned. aIt couldave been the light.a His frown deepened when the screen filled with asnowa. As one, they leaned closer. aI canat see him,a Strand said finally.

aBecause he wasnat really there,a Johnson put in.

aI could go for the projection thing considering not one of us. .h.i.t him a single time, but the bullets didnat just pa.s.s through. They ricocheted. Besides, how would a projected image pick Griffin out and waltz out with her? You can see her alright--right up to the point that he pushed her behind him,a Jim Riker, the other man involved in the shooting, said uneasily.

aTry the tape recording,a Clark suggested.

Disgust filled Strand when theyad listened to it. The tape was worse, if possible, than the video. He could hear his voice and Kylee Griffinas up until the point the man had entered the room, but even their voices were hard to distinguish afterwards. aSome kind of electrical interference. Iam going to get this down to the lab and see if they can clean it up any.a aYou sure you want to do that?a Strand paused. ah.e.l.l, yes, Iam sure. Why wouldnat I be sure?a aWe shot the s.h.i.+t out of that room,a Clark pointed out.

aExactly, which is why we need the tape,a Strand growled.

aExcept that thereas nothing on the f.u.c.king tape except us shooting the h.e.l.l out of the room. Theyare going to think we were on something to be that freaked.a Strand settled in his seat once more. aWhat are we going to do?a aGet rid of the tape, dig the slugs out of the wall and patch them.a aWeave got an escaped prisoner,a Strand pointed out.

aWhich you were questioning when you werenat supposed to because shead asked for a lawyer and you didnat call the lawyer,a Riker growled. aThis is a h.e.l.l of mess. Weare all going to get canned over it.a aThere wasnat any evidence tying her to the murder,a Clark put in.

aShe was a witness,a Strand growled, infuriated to think the killer was going to slip through his fingers. He despised being outsmarted--by anybody. The b.a.s.t.a.r.d had admitted straight out that head killed that sc.u.mball.

There was the evidence that it had been man slaughter, not murder one, though. The girl was beat up pretty badly. Was it really worth ruining his career to get the guy on that kind of rap?

Sighing in disgust, he glanced at the other men. aI ainat having anything to do with a clean up unless everybodyas in absolute agreement. Iad rather come clean now than have somebody turning on me down the road because their conscience is bothering them.a

Chapter Nine.

The transition wasnat really unpleasant. There was a stinging sensation all over Kyleeas body and then--nothing. The unnerving thing was what Gabriel did once theyad emerged from the building.

He launched skyward. One moment they were standing in the alley, the next the building was below them and Kyleeas stomach with it. She blacked out again. That time, though, she thought it was from the Gas Gabriel pulled when he shot straight up into the sky.

She roused when she felt them slowing, but full awareness didnat return until Gabriel at last stopped moving. When Kylee lifted her head and looked around, she discovered that they were in the room shead rented. It was a disaster area. Yellow tape still covered the door. Everything in the room had been turned inside out as the police searched for the murder weapon, Kylee supposed.

aWe can not stay here,a Gabriel said after surveying the damage. aI will take you to your home.a Kylee had a very bad feeling that the cops would be right behind them, whatever Gabriel had said and done, but the mention of home was all it took to make her yearn for the peace and familiarity of her own home. She nodded. aYes. Please take me home!a She wasnat certain that she could explain aas the crow flewa directions, but she did her best. In truth, she didnat really care where he took her so long as it was a very long way away from the city, the nightmare of Enricoas summary aexecutiona, jail and the police.

Gabriel surprised her, again. Without any notable difficulty, he took her directly to the city where she lived. Dropping lower and flying slower then, he circled until she identified the area--not an easy task for her at night and from such a viewpoint--and found her house.

She didnat have her keys--the police still had her belongings in custody--but that wasnat an impediment to Gabriel.

As much as she enjoyed being close to him, she was relieved when he set her down at last. Wilting weakly on her couch, she stared around at the room with a strangeras eyes as Gabriel paced the room, looking it over curiously. It seemed like forever since she had been here, when, in fact, it had been no more than a month.

She wondered if she would ever get used to it again, get back into the same, dull, boring routine that shead had before she had left.

She wondered if she would get the chance.

Dismissing it, she turned her attention to Gabriel. aAre you--will you be going home now, too?a she asked finally.

He turned to look at her in surprise. aThis is home.a Kylee blinked, too stunned to think for a moment. aYouare going to stay?a He tilted his head to one side, studying her. Finally, he crossed the room and knelt beside her. His expression was piercing, fierce. aYou are my woman,a he said finally. aYou will bear my son. I will not stay here if you do not want that, but I can not leave my son.a A knot rose in Kyleeas throat. aHow do you know I will bear your son?a He placed his palm on her belly. aI know. He grows here.a Somehow, even though she had had no reason to think it, she didnat doubt what he said. She felt like crying, not because she didnat want to be the mother of his child but because his knowledge of it and his fierce protectiveness towards his child had deprived her of knowing if he wanted her or if he only stayed because of the child.

He seemed to sense her doubts. Grasping her arms, he pulled her from the couch and straightened, holding her close. aI gave my son into your keeping because I love you, Kylee,a he said quietly. aDonat ever doubt that.a Kylee pulled away to look at him. aReally?a aTruly.a A thrill of wonder surged through Kylee, a thrill that was like the best of homecomings--when one had wandered far and wide and finally found oneas way home again. aI love you too. I was afraida.a He smiled wryly. aYou should not have doubted, not when I could not stay away.a Kylee blushed. aI thought that was just a uh a the s.e.x.a He frowned at her. aJust?a A smile curled the corners of her lips. aNot ajusta, but just because of.a Dragging her down on the couch, he spent a leisurely hour teaching her the difference between ajusta, ajust because ofa, and love making.

Kylee was drifting lazily in the aftermath when doubts surfaced again.

aYouare going to live as human?a aYou think I can not?a Kylee smiled at him. aI think you can do anything--if thatas what you want.a aIt is what I want.a Another doubt surfaced after several moments of dreamily imagining their lives together. aYour blood is different than mine. What if--thereas a problem with the baby?a aThere will be no problem,a he said without hesitation.

aYouare sure?a aYes. Your blood will be the same as the infant.a Kylee frowned. aYou mean the infantas will be the same as mine?a aNay. You will--become much the same as I.a Kyleeas eyes widened. aElumi?a aNot precisely, but a hybrid of human and Elumi. The babe is half. It will make the changes necessary to its development.a aOh--does that mean--will my life span be more like yours?a He caressed her cheek. aThis is why I gave my child into your keeping, dearling, to keep you with me.a The End.

ARCHANGEL.

By Jaide Fox.

Chapter One.

Danielle Logan couldnat believe shead finally succeeded in building the next abig thing.a The athinga that would revolutionize the world; eliminate vast amounts of pollution; connect life from one end of the world to the other in seconds a even far reaching s.p.a.ce travel was now a possibility.

She felt like bouncing around the room, she was so excited. Finally, she would have the respect of the scientific community, and she wouldnat have to put up with bureaucratic tic bulls.h.i.+t to have a good life. She would have money, lots of money, for research or whatever. The sense of achievement had her floating on cloud nine, but of course, the money aspect of her invention was a d.a.m.ned fine bonus.

Tamping her excitement, Danielle studied the transporter pods. Shead have to think of a less sci-fi name for them otherwise people wouldnat take them seriously.