Fallen Watcher E-Book

Kelly Hollingshead

• Herausgeber: BQB Publishing
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

A paranormal suspense that brings good and evil into different perspectives.

Riley's world is torn apart on his wedding day when he and his wife Allison are involved in a hit and run accident and Allison doesn’t survive. When Jonathan, Allison’s guardian angel, chooses to fall to Earth to remain by Riley’s side, the evils of Hell are unleashed to destroy both Jonathan and Riley.

A ferocious battle of good and evil surrounds Riley as Jonathan tries to save him and the ugliness of Hell tries to consume him.

Leseprobe

Fallen Watcher: Volume 1 in the Riley Series

© 2021 Kelly Hollingshead. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopying, or recording, except for the inclusion in a review, without permission in writing from the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Published in the United States by BQB Publishing

(an imprint of Boutique of Quality Books Publishing Inc.)

www.bqbpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

978-1-952782-00-8 (p)

978-1-952782-01-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021933361

Book design by Robin Krauss, www.bookformatters.com

Cover design by Rebecca Lown, www.rebeccalowndesign.com

First editor: Caleb Guard

Second editor: Andrea Vande Vorde

To my wife Melissa and our daughter Brynn: Thank you for not giving up on me and encouraging me to take this leap of faith.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 17

CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 19

CHAPTER 20

CHAPTER 21

CHAPTER 22

CHAPTER 23

CHAPTER 24

CHAPTER 25

CHAPTER 26

CHAPTER 27

CHAPTER 28

CHAPTER 29

CHAPTER 30

CHAPTER 31

CHAPTER 32

CHAPTER 33

EPILOGUE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rain was falling hard, and the wipers were working furiously to keep the street visible. “This weather just won’t let up,” Riley commented to Allison. She sat next to him, her wedding dress rumpled up in her lap. Of all days, today was the day they were blessed with a downpour, and she’d handled it with grace.

“Well, the good news is that rain on a wedding day supposedly means good luck,” she said with a smirk. It had been raining off and on for the past several weeks; odd to have this kind of weather in Texas, where most of the time the humidity was so thick that you could almost shower in it.

Allison and Riley had been dating for over eight years before he finally got the nerve to ask her the big question. He could remember that in his youth he’d said that there was no way in any shape, form, or fashion he would ever be married. His friends had actually branded him “BFL” (bachelor for life), and now, as they were leaving the reception, he started to smile. He couldn’t believe this day had finally come. The wedding was small, just the way the two of them had wanted it: family, a few close friends, and nothing more. They had not wanted a huge wedding but just enough so the people closest to them could share and celebrate this moment.

Allison’s career had really started to pick up once she had finally broken her way into film. She had always been drawn to theatre, and she went from performing in small town plays to doing local television commercials to signing her first movie deal. Riley was much simpler. He started a lawn mowing business in high school, which helped him pay for college. The part-time lawn mowing led to a full-time business—now he had a crew that worked for him.

Riley and Allison were complete opposites, but somehow it made their relationship work. They met in high school: She was the cheerleader, but Riley wasn’t the jock. On Friday nights when Allison was cheering on the football team, Riley was either in the stands watching Allison or, when the team was away, catching up on homework—or working on acquiring another client for his steadily growing business.

Allison glanced at him sideways. “What are you grinning about?” she asked. “Oh, wait, I kind of have an idea,” she said, gently slapping him on the arm.

Jonathan, Allison’s guardian angel sat in the back seat. Neither of them knew he was there, or that he even existed. His job was simple and complex at the same time. He was to provide comfort when she needed it, to protect her without hesitation, and to love her with the hope that one day he would be able to welcome her into Heaven. To complicate things, he now had to offer the same thing to Riley. However, Jonathan couldn’t have asked for anyone better than Riley to walk by Allison’s side.

“Come on,” Riley started back at her. “Just think, you’re the one that tamed the wild beast.”

“Excuse me,” she retorted mockingly, “but I believe I’m the celebrity here.”

“Sweetheart, you start filming a week from today, so it’s not as if the paparazzi are beating down our door just yet.”

Before she could follow up with a comeback, out of nowhere, the front of a truck smashed into the passenger side of their car, too quick for either one of them to react. Allison’s head jerked hard to the left and then back to the right, crashing with a dull thud against the passenger-side window. Riley’s neck made a cracking sound, and then darkness seeped in with silence.

Riley started coming back to the steady beeping noise he knew all too well. At first that sound offered hope, but now it seemed to mock Riley with each steady beep. His body was in a cold sweat, and he realized bedsheets were tangled up in his legs, making him feel trapped. The strong smell of antiseptic brought him fully to his senses as he realized that, again, he’d been dreaming the same dream that haunted him every time he closed his eyes.

He was lying on a couch in Allison’s hospital room. It had been over three weeks now, and each time the dream came back clearer and with more detail than the time before. Initially, his mental image of the tragic scene that stole his happiness was simply the headlights of the truck. Now everything was clearer, to the point where Riley was now starting to make out faces in the crowded, broken scene—but not of the driver of the vehicle that hit them.

The beeping machine pumping life into his wife and the soft glow of light beyond the closed door were the aftermath of a dream that had become reality.

An older nurse by the nickname “Granny,” which seemed to have been given to her by everyone at the hospital, had been Riley’s constant. She always offered him a soft smile, and from Riley’s perspective her work with Allison was flawless with never a wasted movement. It seemed she never left the hospital. Riley couldn’t think of a time he had to call for a nurse or ask for an update.

All he wanted was for his wife to wake up so that they could go home and start their new life together. He wanted her to prove all the doctors wrong and walk out of here like he knew she could—as if this horrible thing had never happened. However, the doctors told him that she would not, and that the one thing he could do for her was to tell her goodbye and let her go.

How am I supposed to do that? What do doctors really know? They think they can play God, but they can’t. And where was God that night, anyway? This whole thing had him questioning everything he had once believed in. His whole life, Riley was the kid that could be found in church on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. Anytime the doors were open, he was there with the rest of his family. Not that it bothered him growing up in such a strong Christian home; it was all he knew. This new world that seemed to be growing so fast around him that it scared and worried him. No one was satisfied as they waited impatiently for a better future, hoping that it came in a box that they could all afford.

To make matters worse, the person that had put his wife in this state was never found. Not so much as a trace. The police couldn’t explain it, although they had tracked the license plate back to an owner that had been dead for the past ten years. So, obviously the truck had been stolen, but there were no fingerprints, no DNA sample, nothing. It was just too frustrating to think about. Furthermore, witnesses never saw anyone in the truck abandon the scene. It was as if they had been hit by a ghost, who then vanished into the wind. It was just one more reason he was glad he and Allison had bought a house outside the city. He didn’t like crowded places and found it hard to relax in the busy streets of Taupe City.

Riley laid there quietly on the couch in the darkened room. The door opened and Allison’s nurse, Granny, came in. She was an older woman in her sixties with a kind disposition. She reminded Riley of a woman full of knowledge and understanding who was never too busy to lend a hand. Her eyes were a piercing, steady blue and always seemed to hold empathy behind them. Just looking at the woman spread peace through Riley. He had grown close with the nurse over the past three weeks. While friends and family, and even Allison’s jerk of an agent, had come and gone, this woman had remained, not just because it was her job. She seemed to take to Riley and was his one constant in such dark times.

Granny stood at the end of the hospital bed, picked up Allison’s chart, and made a few notes. “You may want to step out for this part, sweetie. I need to move her so that she doesn’t get bed sores. I’ll work her muscles so that they stay strong.”

This was one of the odd things about Granny: she had just walked into the room and somehow knew he was awake, watching her. She seemed to be so perfect and so caring in everything she did. It was no wonder she was head of the nursing intensive care unit.

“Granny,” Riley said. “Just do what you need to. Please, don’t patronize me. I’m aware of the rules and what’s going on. And in case you haven’t noticed, ‘visiting hours’ don’t apply to me.”

The nurse looked at him for a moment, her mouth starting to open as if to say something, but she stopped and continued with her work. Riley chastised himself for speaking to her that way. He pushed the covers off and sat up on the couch, running his hand through his sweat-dampened hair. “Look, I’m sorry, I’m just dealing with a lot right now, and it’s just that I feel absolutely helpless.”

The hospital bills were starting to add up, and even though Riley had a stable job and people working for him, he hadn’t been able to secure more jobs to make sure that his small business kept growing and producing. Constant thoughts of money, as well as the new house, wore on his mind. Although he had plenty in savings, Riley always thought of it as rainy-day money and never touched it.

Granny walked over and put a hand on his shoulder. “No need for an apology. You’re dealing with more than one should have to.”

Riley looked up at her, caught a glimmer in her eyes, and found a sense of peace starting to set in.

“I can’t say I understand what you are going through, but I can tell you that in the time I’ve worked here, I’ve learned that a little prayer goes a long way.”

Trying not to be rude to Granny again, Riley gave her a fake smile and changed the direction of the conversation. “Any changes?” he asked, hoping for a miracle.

Granny sat down next to Riley, took both his hands in hers, and placed her calm but serious eyes on him. “This will be hard for you to hear, but you need to understand exactly what is going on and what to expect.” Riley felt his face starting to warm. Granny held her gaze on him and didn’t waver. All he could do was look down. “You know that when we received Allison, she was basically already gone. It was a miracle that you survived without a scratch. What this machine is doing is giving life to your wife for as long as you need it to—until you can accept things and let her go,” Granny said, ever so calmly.

He continued staring at the floor, unable to meet her gaze. The tears came too easily these days, tears of anger that blurred his vision.

“I know you’re hurting,” Granny continued. “I can see it and feel it all over you, but you need to understand this wasn’t your fault. None of this was your fault. Things happen in life that can’t be explained. It’s all part of God’s perfect plan. We don’t always understand it, but that’s what makes Him God, and in the end it all works itself out.”

Riley wanted to tell her to get out, because right now the last person he needed to speak with was God.

“And blaming Him will only take you so far, and then you’ll be right back where you started,” said Granny. “Why not try a different approach: Turn toward Him, instead of away, and see where that leads you?”

“Granny, I do want to see the silver lining, but right now it’s just too much—with my wife lying there fighting for her life.”

Eyeing him, she gave his hands a squeeze. “In these last few weeks I’ve always told you to do what you think is best, and not to rush anything. Well, now I’m telling you that it’s time for you to say goodbye, because time seems to be running out. Allison would not want you to spend the rest of your life arguing with doctors and shutting everyone out of your life until you’re holding onto nothing other than thoughts of what could have been.”

Realization brought tears to his eyes that, indeed, he had made quite the spectacle of himself thus far. Cursing the doctors and ordering people out, even going so far as telling Allison’s parents that if they were so eager to move on then they knew where the door was and not to let it hit them on the way out. Yes, he’d made quite the spectacle thus far.

His voice was barely a whisper. “H—how do I do that without feeling so guilty that I just gave up on her?”

Granny thought for a moment. “You just realize that Allison was fighting to get back to you too, but she just couldn’t, and that you two will be united again someday.”

Hearing that, Riley broke down into Granny’s arms. Holding him, she stroked his hair and let him cry himself out. After sitting there like that for a while, Riley realized he’d literally squeezed Granny harder than he probably should. He loosened his grip and started to get up. “Granny, I don’t know if I can do this alone. Will you help me with this next part?” He trailed off again, not seeming to be able to catch his breath or finish his sentence.

She pulled him close and whispered, “We’ll do it together.”

After a long pause, Riley sat there, just wanting to take this all in. These were going to be his last moments with his wife. Riley looked at Granny, right into her beautiful blue eyes. Without saying anything more, she simply squeezed his hand once more.

The physicians had told him from the beginning that his wife would never wake up—she was brain dead—and that he would need to let Allison go. Every time they repeated this to him, Riley told them to get out of the room, or deflected by asking them if there was a chance that she could wake up. If so, Riley wanted to give her that chance. But this time was different. There would be no further arguing or asking about the what-ifs. Now, looking at the situation for the first time with an open heart, he realized that having a machine keep his wife alive was beyond selfish.

Walking over and standing next to Allison’s bed, Riley looked down at his wife. “Sweetie,” he began softly with Granny at his side. “I need you to understand that what I’m doing is out of love. I believe you gave it everything you could. I just wanted to be selfish—to keep you in this world with me. I can’t explain how much I love you.” With his voice starting to crack, Riley trailed off for a moment until he regained some of his composure. “I know there is a better place waiting for you. I’m just sorry that I couldn’t do more for you. Know that I will always treasure what time we had together, and . . . ”

Riley bent down and kissed her forehead. He noticed a small tear rolling down Allison’s cheek. Granny slowly reached over and turned off the machine.

Granny whispered into the transmitter on her shoulder. “Doctor and respiratory therapist to room 317, please.” She then looked over at Riley, taking his hand. “This was out of love, Riley. Don’t ever think otherwise. You will meet Allison once again.” She gave his hand another squeeze.

As he looked down at his wife for the last time in his life, holding onto Granny’s hand for strength, Riley found he could no longer speak. Granny pulled him into her embrace as the room became busy around them with people in scrubs.

They listened to the beeps become slower and slower and then stop. A flat line moved across the monitor. Allison was gone.

Jonathan had failed at the one thing he was assigned to do: protect her. But now she was gone. Allison was gone. He had been her guardian angel and he had failed. The world and life as he knew it seemed to cave in around him, and he didn’t know where to go or what to do next. Help me, Father, to understand this. I know you have a perfect plan, just help me understand it. Communicating with God offered him assurance. But in his angelic heart, he struggled with the fact that this was all part of a perfect design. He never used to have a problem believing this until now. He found himself questioning God.

However, now there was another human who, this very moment, was going through incredible pain. Jonathan was only able to save one of them from the carnage on what was supposed to be the couple’s happiest day of their lives: their wedding day. Now, as he stared down at the one he had saved, feeling overwhelmed by loss and helplessness, he hated knowing that even with all his abilities, he wasn’t adequate enough to do the one task asked of him.

Standing there, unseen by those passing by, Jonathan stared at the broken human and realized that not only had Riley’s life changed completely, but that attempts on his life would come again and again until he was dead. The demons, those of damned souls, would continue to hunt this human because, after all, that’s what they did. Suddenly, he was aware that he was clenching his fists. He didn’t blame the human—he blamed himself. With all the power that he possessed, why couldn’t he have been a little quicker? The power from God alone surely should’ve been enough—to be able to move with the speed of thought, with the power of a thousand men, in one swoop of a wing—yet it hadn’t been enough.

Jonathan immediately enjoyed Riley from the first day he entered Allison’s life. He loved the way Riley treated his beloved Allison—always being sweet and kind to her no matter what life had thrown at them. Watching the two of them fall in love and stand by each other through it all was a blessing. If opposites really did attract, then they were the prime example. She was outgoing, where he was not. Where she excelled in sports, academics, and seemed to be able to juggle everything with ease, he was business-savvy and able to repair anything mechanical. Together they made the perfect combination of how life and love were supposed to be mixed together. Jonathan would stay for as long as he could. Nothing was more important than staying here for his other human, the one Allison had loved so deeply.

Moving closer to Riley, Jonathan saw how fragile he had become. He studied him—his brown hair, light-colored skin and the blood-stained tux he wore. Riley was doing his best to hold it together, not screaming and demanding for someone to give him an update. Jonathan placed his hand on Riley’s shoulder, willing a sense of peace to flow into Riley like a running stream. However, the peace was rejected, and where love and patience once abided, now hate and pent-up anger bit his hand, causing him to release his hold.

Jonathan heard a woman’s voice behind him. “He’s hurting, Jonathan.” He turned to see who she was talking to and was shocked when he realized she was directing her words toward him. How could she see him? Babies could see him, and small children if he wanted them to, but not adults.

“I know what you’re thinking,” she said, interrupting his thoughts. “You’re wondering how I know you’re there. Well, that’s a story for another day. I know how much you loved Allison, but she’s gone now. Have you decided what you’re going to do next?”

Still amazed that this woman could see him, Jonathan looked down at the elderly black woman. Although she was small in size, she had an aura about her that commanded attention. As if everyone in a room would turn to her for guidance hanging on every word that she spoke.

“You could let things transpire as they will and move on to your next assignment,” she continued. “There’s nothing wrong with that. There will be another to take your place and help this human through these trying times. Or, you could choose to fall, as others have done, and be the one to protect Riley the rest of his days, staying by his side instead of being assigned as someone else’s guardian angel. However, you know that means you can’t go back until God comes to get His children. You will never be able to serve as another’s guardian, even long after this human passes on.”

He had heard of angels falling before, to stay with their human, but the human lifespan was so short that it seemed a waste. He had been doing this for only a short time, just since he was assigned as Allison’s guardian angel. Was he ready to become a fallen, to serve as Riley’s protector on Earth? There would be so much he would have to give up.

Every time a baby is born, an angel is created. As soon as they are spoken into life by God the Father, they know exactly what they are to do and whom they are to protect and help guide for the rest of that human’s life. Once the human passes on, they help welcome them into Heaven. If the human was a nonbeliever then the guardian has to say goodbye. No matter how much they wanted to give their life so that their human never had to touch the fires of hell, Lucifer had made this rule, since he had invested himself throughout the nonbeliever’s life, poisoning their thoughts and sculpting the way he wanted them to be.

Nonbelievers and believers had their own guardian angel, until their life moved on from this existence into the next. Then the angel was given a choice to either spend their time worshipping in Heaven or moving on to their next assignment as a guardian to someone new.

“It’s not a waste, Jonathan, but it is your choice,” the woman said. “After Riley is gone, years from now, you will find other ways to help people. I do it by working in this hospital. I like to be on this level with people so I can help them through their trying times. Still, this is your choice, friend, and I will pray for you. But know that Riley is going to be put through trials. Someone, whose name I will not speak, is coming for him.”

“How do you know this? What trials will Riley be forced to endure?”

“I know because I was once someone’s guardian angel. I had the same decision to make that is now presented to you. The trials are always different so I have no way to tell you exactly what to be prepared for. Just know that they will bring great pain. Not only to Riley, but to you as well, if you fail in protecting him.”

Even though Jonathan was new to being a guardian angel, since watching over Allison was his first assignment, he felt that he could trust this woman. Just as she was just about to walk away, Jonathan asked one more question.

“What is your name, guardian?”

She now smiled at him, as if she hadn’t been called by that in such a long time.

“I don’t feel as if my real name holds any value anymore.” A pained expression passed over her for a second, and then just as quickly as it came, it was gone. “Just call me Granny. It’s a nickname that others have given me in my role at the hospital. One that I have learned to love.”

Giving him one last smile, she turned and went to Riley, Jonathan let his thoughts take him to Allison’s room. Standing next to her bed, he reached out and took both her hands in his. “I’m sorry, beautiful. I will forever be so sorry for not being able to do more for you, but because of how much I love you, I will look after Riley for you, and although I won’t be there to welcome you into Heaven, there will be plenty of others there. They will take you in with open arms. God the Father is there, waiting for you. I would gladly do it all over again with you, even if the result was the same. I’m so proud of the woman you have become and to have been your guardian. I want you to know that it gave me great joy for you to have been my first, and last, to protect.”

He leaned down and kissed Allison, then he let his thoughts take him outside the hospital.

Standing there, looking at the hospital, knowing that inside this building there was both hope and pain, Jonathan shook his head and walked away. He wasn’t sure what to do next, so he walked at a slow pace that matched his heavy mood. I have to go through with this. I made a promise to my sweet Allison and must go through with this.

Suddenly a feeling of urgency came over him as if time was of the essence. His thoughts took him to the clouds above the city. Standing atop them, he looked out across the beautiful scene of the city, lit up at night. If he were to become a fallen, he would have to give up many of his abilities, including his beautiful, but battered, wings. He would never be asked by God the Father to watch over another of His children as a guardian. What scared him most, though, despite what the future held, was that he would lose his powers—not all, at least, but most. The trials that were coming for Riley would cause Jonathan to taste death, bleed, and breathe air for the first time.

Stretching his wings out, adjacent to his body, he looked at them and thought of all that they meant to him. Over six feet in length, the feathers that at once could be as soft as a silky, smooth cloth could also be resistant to anything that might be hurled his way by any of the demons who, in the past, had tried to tempt and lure his precious Allison.

Enveloping his wings around him so that he could feel the warmth of the feathers, Jonathan breathed in deep the smell carried upon them—the wind of the open road mixed with the smell of meadows after the last drop of rain. This would be the last time this scent would fill his nostrils. Stretching them out once more, he took in their beauty. Others might look upon them and see the flaws of countless battles, the tattered wings, the ruffled edges that would never run smooth again, but he also saw the complexity of what they meant to him—would always mean to him. It was like gazing upon the most beautiful sunrise and realizing that it was the last one you would ever see.

Kneeling down and closing his eyes, he spoke to God. “Thank you for it all, this short time I have been a guardian. I will always serve you. I did not come to this decision lightly, and with your permission I would like to embark on serving the human, Riley Smith, in these troubling hours, and walk with him for as long as he will allow me. I love you, Father. Please grant me this.”

Ending his prayer with an Amen, Jonathan found himself starting to slip from the clouds. A hard crack of thunder echoed off the ground, the ground his feet would soon touch for the first time. As the ground came closer and closer, he did not fear the fall or the impact. Fear was never a factor the entire time he was a guardian watching over his Allison, but now the fear of the unknown began to drip into his thoughts. He didn’t know what he was to do next.

Jonathan had always known what he was supposed to do from the beginning to the end of each and every day in Allison’s life. But the unknown—not knowing if Riley would accept him and how he would comprehend all this—was absolutely terrifying. With that last thought consuming him, the ground that seemed to be so far away was now right beneath his feet. He closed his eyes and waited for the impact. Ten seconds seemed to go by, then twenty, until finally a minute seemed to have come and gone.

Opening his eyes, Jonathan found himself kneeling on the ground, his fingertips touching the cold surface and the rain pelting off his back. He felt his back muscles tense to spread his wings, but there was nothing there. The space that once bore them was now empty. The weight and meaning that they carried were no longer of any importance. It was the payment he must make for being allowed to help his new friend, Riley—that is, if Riley would have him. But the loss of Allison was deeper than words could describe.

Jonathan was now in an alley. He took in his surroundings, making sure no one had seen him, when something caught his attention. As he would soon learn, he had retained his keen sense of hearing as well as his ability to read the thoughts of someone near him. He walked toward the street and saw a woman pass by, walking alone. Perhaps she had just left work and was hurrying to get home in this weather. Her thoughts, though, were what caught his attention—all jumbled and on top of each other. Jonathan could see a nervousness all about her, something he couldn’t shake. Then he saw two men walking behind her, their pace a bit quicker than hers, like predators stalking their prey.

Jonathan crossed to the other side of the street, behind the two men. The young woman turned the corner and the two men followed. In an instant they were out of his sight. Quickening his own pace, Jonathan turned the corner only to find they had disappeared. Scanning the empty street as it was being blanketed by rain, he couldn’t see anything. Suddenly, a scream pierced the night. He followed it to an alley and rushed over to find the two men had cornered the woman. She was doing her best to fight them off. One was behind her, holding her, while the other man was in front of her, tearing her purse from her hands.

“Please, stop, I don’t have anything valuable!”

“Oh, sure, like we’ve never heard that before,” one of them sneered at her as he held her by her arms. “You have something that’s better than cash.”

The other man began rummaging through the contents of the purse. He pulled the wallet out and tossed the purse aside. “Bingo,” he said, opening it. Finding no cash, just cards, he cursed under his breath and closed in on the woman, “No cash, so it looks like we’re going hungry. You’ll have to pay for that.” He bared his ugly, stained teeth. “Hold her still, Joe, I’m first.” The woman screamed, but the man behind her put one of his hands over her mouth. “Let her yell, Joe. I like it when they yell.”

“Stop it now, before you do something you’ll regret.”

The man turned abruptly to see Jonathan behind him. He was significantly bigger and taller than either man. “Whoa, what kind of a freak are you?”

“You two can still walk away from this, but let her go, or I’ll make you do it myself,” Jonathan said coolly.

“Get a load of this huge freak, thinking he’s gonna get a taste of our catch,” Joe said. “We aren’t playing, you big freak. You know the saying, ‘the bigger they are, the harder they fall.’ Get him, Mike, mess him up good.”

The other man pushed the woman aside and pulled out a knife. “Let’s go, big man. You wanna play?”

“Yes, I do want to play,” Jonathan said as he walked toward him. “You see, it’s been a bad day. It might cheer me up to teach you two some manners.” He showed no sign of fear at the knife being waved back and forth in front of him.

Mike lunged at Jonathan with the knife, but Jonathan caught the man’s wrist and snapped it with one quick movement, causing his fingers to go limp as the knife fell to the ground. Still gripping the man’s wrist, Jonathan gave him a direct punch to the throat. The man dropped to his knees, grasping his neck.

Jonathan then turned his attention to Joe.

“Enough of this,” the second robber said as he reached behind him and pulled out a handgun. Before he could squeeze the trigger, Jonathan was upon him, taking his weapon and pitching it to the side. He held Joe’s head in the palm of his hand and slammed it against the wall. As Jonathan released his hold, the man fell limp at his feet.

Jonathan then turned around to see if he could help the woman, but she had grabbed something from her purse and sprayed him in the face with it. Sticking his hand up to block the spray from his mouth he looked at her dumbly. “Miss, are you okay?”

Still aiming the can at Jonathan, she had a look of pure terror on her face. She stared at the spray can and then dropped it. “Please, please don’t hurt me,” she said, her voice trembling. “Take whatever you want, but please don’t hurt me. I won’t tell anyone, I swear.”

“I won’t hurt you,” Jonathan replied. “I’m simply here to help. My name is Jonathan, and I promise I won’t hurt you.” He wiped at his eyes to get whatever solution she sprayed into them out of his vision. A bitter aftertaste followed, causing him to perform an act that he’d never done before. Spitting several times to be rid of the solution that had gotten into his mouth, satisfied that most of the bitterness had dissipated, Jonathan spoke.

“There’s a hospital not far from here. If you like, I’ll take you there so that you can be checked out.”

The woman, still shaking and trembling, put her hands over her face and began to sob. Not knowing if he should approach her, Jonathan turned his attention to the woman’s belongings. He gathered them up and put them back in her purse. Jonathan then stood, walked over to the gun and knife, and picked them up. Lastly, he walked over to one of the assailants still lying on the ground and shook his head at him in pity.

“I can tell you that you and your friend are traveling down a path that only leads to hurt, torment, and pain. All the wrongs you have done in your life will be nothing compared to the fires of Hell that will one day nip at you. There will only be more torment for you unless you take up a new path.”

“Please—I don’t want to die; please don’t kill me!” the man begged. Jonathan crouched down until he was face-to-face with the man and gave him an icy stare. He showed him the gun in his hand, and the man began to beg for his life. “Oh no, please, don’t do this! I’m sorry!”

“The things that I have seen would cause you to soil yourself,” Jonathan replied. “You cannot imagine what I could do to you. Turn yourself into the cops, own up for your bad deeds, and I won’t come back for you.”

Jonathan closed his hand around the gun and squeezed. He opened his palm and revealed nothing more than a twisted, misshapen piece of metal and dropped it on the ground. He then bent the blade of the knife back on itself, rendering it useless. “I’m not joking. Turn yourself in and choose a new path. Seek refuge in the Lord our Savior. And know that if I wanted you dead, I would have done it by now.” And with that, Jonathan stood and turned to walk away.

“Who are you?” the man called out.

“My name is Jonathan. Remember what I have told you.”

Walking over to the woman, still not knowing how to comfort her, he simply offered her the purse. Not looking at him, she took the purse. “Thank you,” she offered in a small, nervous voice.

“May I accompany you to the hospital?”

Looking up at him, new tears began to well in her eyes. “Okay, yes, thank you.”

“You are very welcome.” Jonathan offered her his arm. She shied away.

“Not to be rude, but, um . . . you smell like pepper spray.”

“Pepper spray,” Jonathan said, running his tongue along his mouth and then looking down at his coat and pants, and then back at the woman, with a puzzled expression. She shrugged her shoulders, and her mouth relaxed into a small smile, revealing an attractive young woman, whom Jonathan guessed to be in her early thirties. She wore a business suit under her now dripping wet overcoat.

“Most people,” she said, “are not immune to pepper spray as you seem to be.”

“Oh,” he said. “I see. Well, I’m not immune to it—it must be the rain—it’s washing it away.

“I’m so sorry.”

Jonathan led her out of the alley. “Don’t give it another thought, Miss. I’m just glad we both came out of this alive.”

“My name is Allison,” she said. “Well, my actual name is Mary, but everyone calls me Allison. But my parents and a few friends sometimes call me Mags since it’s my initials.”

Jonathan suddenly stopped. He felt the sting of that name, his beloved he had failed. The person he had watched night and day her entire life. What he wouldn’t give to hear her laugh again.

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

Hoping the shock he felt wasn’t registering on his face, Jonathan quickly composed himself. “No, nothing is wrong; just this weather sure will take it out of you, and it seems to be doing that to me. I must be getting old. Let’s get you inside where it’s warm.”

She chuckled. “You, old? Please, you can’t be more than thirty.” The light conversation continued all the way to the hospital. Once there, Jonathan asked Allison if there was anything else that he could do to help.

“You’re not coming in?” she gave him a queer look. “I figured you’d need to be checked out as well.”

Jonathan tried to think of an excuse as to why he didn’t want to walk back into the building where his sweet girl lay dead. “No, there are other young women I must rescue,” he said, giving her a small smile. He started to extend his hand, but then remembered the pepper spray and pulled it back. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it hard. While looking up at him, her eyes started to tear up.

“Words will never be able to express how grateful I am for you. Thank you, so much.” Releasing his hand, she dug inside her purse and took out a card. “This is my business card. If you ever need anything from me, please call.” He hesitated, not sure what to say, so she took the initiative and put the card inside his top right jacket pocket.