Angel Fever

35

ALEX GLANCED IN THE REAR-VIEW mirror every few seconds as he drove them back to Pawntucket. How fast could angels fly – ninety miles an hour? More? He was taking no chances. They were already going well over a hundred, but he edged the speedometer up higher.

Willow sat tensely. The expression on her face tore at him. Her mother. Oh Jesus, not her mother – and not like this, with him and Willow so helpless to do anything. Hasn’t she been through enough already? he thought savagely.

Suddenly he was hurtled back to the time after his brother died. He’d spent months expecting to see Jake around every corner, had dreamed of him almost every night. When the CIA had taken over the operation of his father’s camp barely a month later, Alex had hit the road gratefully, not wanting to interact with anyone – not wanting to care about anyone ever again.

Willow had brought him back to life.

The drive to Pawntucket seemed to take both years and scant minutes. A few miles from the turn-off, Alex glanced at Willow. “Where’s this park?”

Her face was like a statue’s. “On the other side of town, on Route 16.”

The dashboard clock read 5:44. “Once we get into town, you take the truck – I’ll help with the attack,” Alex said. “We’ve got to keep the angels away from you. They’ll sense what you’re doing otherwise and kill you.”

Willow’s face paled, but she didn’t argue.

“Look,” he said harshly, downshifting onto the exit. “I know this isn’t the best time, but it’s the only time we’ve got. Give me a clue what I’m fighting for here, Willow. Am I just trying to save the world? Or is there a chance for us?”

She winced. “Alex—”

“Check out the clock,” he bit out. “I could die in sixteen minutes.”

Willow looked at him then; he could see her reluctance. “I don’t know,” she said in a quiet voice. “I meant everything I said, Alex. I can’t go from grieving you to being your girlfriend again like nothing happened. I just can’t. I feel so—” She broke off, closing her eyes hard.

“I don’t know what I want if we survive this,” she said finally. “All I know is that right now…it’s not you.”

It felt as if his soul were being ripped out. He wanted to argue, point out that, yes, she was angry at him and had a right to be – but was she really going to throw everything away?

Except he knew that, to her, it felt as if he’d thrown it away already.

A jumble of sensations came: the look of her in the morning, hair rumpled, green eyes smiling. The feel of her in his arms, sending his pulse soaring. Talking with her for hours – exchanging a look with her across a room, their eyes a private world.

They were in the outskirts of Pawntucket by then; Alex went as fast as he could down the damaged streets. When he finally responded, he hated what came out – but it was the only thing he could do.

“You can find me if you want to, right?”

Willow’s brow creased. “Psychically, you mean? Yes, of course. If you’re still in this dimension, that is,” she added somewhat bitterly.

His didn’t look at her. His voice was low and controlled. “Okay, then. If we live through this, then once I know you’re all right, I’ll leave. If you want me, you can come and find me.”

Willow started to say something and stopped. She nodded, her expression pained.

As they neared the square Alex leaned on the horn, blasting it non-stop. People scrambled down roofs to run towards him. He lurched to a halt in front of the diner. Up above, someone had started ringing the town hall bells; the peals were urgent, echoing.

He and Willow got out; as she rushed round to his side to get in, he couldn’t help himself – he gripped her face and kissed her hard. “I will always love you, no matter what,” he said fiercely. “Do not die.”

As the truck sped off, Alex could see people racing into the square from all directions. Seb came sprinting from the school; he had the machine guns with him and a rifle over his shoulder.

As the bells died to nothing, Jonah came tearing down the town hall steps. “Is – is this it?” he panted out.

Alex nodded grimly. “Yeah. This is it.” He leaped up onto an old pickup truck; the snowy truck bed rocked. Two hundred tense faces stared up at him. He refused to think about the slaughter at the base.

“Okay, listen up!” he called out through cupped hands. “We have got to stop the angels from getting past us. We found the gate; Willow’s on her way there now, and they’ll kill her if they realize.”

He could sense the crowd’s sudden hope at the news and was brutally glad that he had that much to offer them, at least. Because Christ, they were going to need all the help they could get.

He glanced hurriedly at the tower clock. “They’ll be here in eleven minutes. I need three buffer zones. The south-east end of town is the first one – who was going to set off the nail bombs on the outskirts?” About seventy people raised their hands. “Good – wait until the angels are in range, then the second you set off your bomb, run for one of the fortified houses; take them out as they come. Go!”

The group raced off, disappearing away into the streets to the south. “Who are the best shots left?” called Alex. To his relief, no one wasted time being modest; about forty hands rose.

“You guys are the third buffer zone, streets north of the square – do not let the angels get past you. Take the machine guns with you. Hurry!”

Beside the truck, Seb held up the machine guns. Two of the AKs snatched them away as the group took off running.

With their footsteps still echoing, Alex said to those remaining, “Okay, the second buffer zone is right here. Take cover and set off the nail bombs when you first see the angels; once the bombs go off, get up onto the roofs if you can – otherwise use the square; you’ll need as clear a shot as possible. That’s it – go!”

Alex jumped down from the truck as people started darting off. Seb was heading towards the third buffer zone; Alex grabbed the half-angel’s arm. “No, stay here – you and I will take the angels as they cross the square, then join the third zone.” Seb nodded.

Jonah’s face was apprehensive but determined. “I’m not fighting,” he said in a rush. “I’m going to take the shortwave up into the tower and broadcast this – let the world know what’s happening.”

Nina still stood nearby; her eyes widened. “Up in the tower?” she echoed. “But I thought you’d be with the fighters on the ground!”

“I’m not a good shot and you know it,” Jonah said tightly. “But I can do this, and people need to know what’s going on.”

She looked close to tears. “No! You’ll be the first thing the angels see when they come over the square – they’ll go right for you—”

“We do not have time for this,” Alex cut in savagely. “Jonah, if that’s what you’re doing, then for Chrissake hurry!”

With an agonized look at Nina, Jonah turned to go. Alex grabbed his wrist. “And do a good job,” he added in a low voice. “I want the Voice of Freedom to tell this exactly like it is.”

Nina flung herself at Jonah suddenly, hugging him tight. “Oh god, be careful.”

“I’m sorry,” he said as he clutched her to him. “I have to do this—” He kissed her hard, then ran off towards the town hall. Nina struggled to compose herself and then raced off too, her footfalls echoing.

In the sudden silence, Alex and Seb ran for the doorway of Drake’s Diner. A garish painted mallard still flew on the glass door. Drake’s – the best in town! read the cheery lettering.

The square was utterly still, with shadowy figures pressed in every doorway. Alex’s eyes flicked up to the clock. Two minutes. Scanning, he could feel the great angelic force heading their way now, and his skin crawled at its sheer size. Even more than he’d thought – there must be five thousand. Christ, how long would the first buffer zone be able to hold that back?

And how many people were about to die?

Seb seemed to pick up on this. “You’ve done all you can,” he said, still gazing out at the square. “And you did well, with only minutes to prepare them.”

Things had been slightly strained between him and Seb since that morning in the boys’ bathroom; it seemed stupid now. “Listen, stay alive during this, okay?” Alex said, glancing at Seb’s profile.

Seb gave a dry smile. “Yes, look who’s talking.”

They fell silent then as the first explosions came from the south-east – blast after thundering blast. As the sound of gunfire started, Alex stood poised, watching the sky above the square. The rifle in his hands felt cool, ready.

“Here we go,” he muttered, and then shot Seb a look. “Can you sense her? Is she okay?”

Seb had his rifle pressed against his shoulder, his stubbled face intent. He paused, then nodded. “She hasn’t gotten through to the angels’ world yet.”

Be careful, babe, thought Alex. Please, be careful. And then flashing white wings and angry, glorious faces appeared over the square, and there was no more time for thought.