The Beauty is in the Flaw

Chapter 6

The instant the door crashed in Michael took his shot, Sandra's head snapping back with the impact. Charlie and Audrey screamed as Sandra fell, the baby flying from her arms. As Michael fired again, pushing Sandra's body out to door, both Jeep and Audrey rushed forward, their eyes fixed on the falling bundle. Jeep was too far away, but the teenager was not, catching the baby even as she landed hard on the tile floor, the wind knocked out of her. Even so, as she struggled to catch her breath, she hugged the baby close, shielding him with her own body. Charlie gasped in relief, but it was short lived.

Silhouetted by the blinding light outside, a massive figure strode through the door. Tessa eyes widened as he became visible. Taller than Michael and easily twice as broad, he towered over the rest or them, his cold ice-blue eyes surveying them all in turn, lingering for a long moment on Tessa, his expression impassive and focused. His immense frame was arrayed for battle, his breastplate and pauldrons shining in the light and a gigantic, deadly mace held in his hand. Audrey cried out in shock while the others looked on in horrified amazement as Gabriel spread his huge iron-grey wings, his gaze shifting to the girl at his feet. Jeep froze a few feet from her, his hand still outstretched to reach the teenager.

Audrey and Gabriel locked eyes for the briefest of moments before the Archangel brought his mace to bear, his face twisting as his arm swung the weapon towards the girl. Audrey managed to twist away just in time as the mace crashed through the tiles with a loud, metallic thud. He brought the bladed mace to bear again, this time only missing Audrey by a hair as Jeep lunged forward and pulled her back, yanking her to her feet. Tessa pushed Charlie toward the pair of them as Bob opened fire. Gabriel just spun, his feathers deflecting the bullets with little more than insubstantial pings. Tessa and Jeep pushed Charlie back into the kitchen as Audrey laid the baby in her arms. Bob continued to fire ineffectually at the angel.

With a soft metallic swish, the gunfire stopped. Jeep, Tessa and the girls looked back to see Bob staring down in shock at the deep slice Gabriel's wing had made across his stomach. The diner was silent as his blood began dripping to the floor. With a snarl, the archangel backhanded the diner's owner, sending him flying clear over the counter into the kitchen. Jeep yelled out in agony as his father crashed into the stoves before landing heavily on the floor.

"Don't, Jeep! No!" Michael was there in an instant, pushing Jeep towards the back of the diner as the boy screamed, trying to reach his father. Bob didn't move from where he fell. Tessa pulled him back too, helping Michael get him away from his father's body. The former angel grabbed Jeep's face, forcing him to make eye contact. "No! The child! Get the child out of here." Tessa frowned, only just realizing what her lover was planning to do.

"What about you?" He didn't break eye contact with Jeep, even as she practically screamed in his ear, desperation sinking in. He just continued to speak to Jeep.

"Don't be afraid." His voice hardened as he thrust the keys to the police cruiser into his hand. "Find the Prophets. Learn to read the instructions." Jeep was bewildered, as was Tessa, who felt a familiar sense of resolve settle in the pit of her stomach. Jeep continued to yell at Michael as he walked away, toward Gabriel.

"Prophets? What Prophets? What instructions?" Michael turned, pointing past them.

"Go! All of you." Tessa pushed past the others, single-mindedly heading for Michael.

"No. No! I'm not leaving!" Michael grabbed her shoulders, his fingers digging in almost painfully. Their eyes connected, and she saw there the same desperation and determination she had.

"Go, Tessa. I need you to keep them safe. I need you to get them out of here!" She almost snarled at him, trying to fight off his iron grip as he pushed her back too. She caught a glimpse of Gabriel's face over Michael's shoulder. She saw his expression soften for a moment before the resolve she feared most in settled in his eyes. She was all but sobbing now.