“What’s taking Mia so long?” Collin said, sounding a bit irritated. He placed a paper on the page to mark where he left off. He stood up and went to the kitchen then he immediately came back out, “are you guys sure she went to the kitchen?”
Azriel looked up from his book, “yeah, why?”
“She’s not there.”
The two brothers looked at each other then stood up. They all went to the kitchen, only to find a glass of water and an unopened can of pork and beans on the counter. They looked around the kitchen to find any clues, then Merikh stepped out the back door and whistled. They heard a snarl coming from outside followed by a howl. Then they heard Merikh go back inside and said, “sniff around and find her.”
Collin and Azriel stepped back as Merikh’s hellhound sniffed around. Then they heard it howl once more and ran outside. Merikh looked at them, “you guys coming or what?”
***
I woke up with my hands tied up. I tried feeling where I was hanging and found it was a large hook. I felt the same panic I felt when I was in Mr. Roth’s dungeon. Then three men stepped forward and placed metal bowls in front of me. “We got the cat bones, an angel’s wing feather,” then he paused and took out a switch blade, “and the heart of a Nephilim.”
I reached up to the big hook and lifted myself up. I knew I became stronger but I didn’t realize I was this strong, ”w-w-w-wait,” I said with my legs open, feet up. “Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, what if the instructions you read was for locking the gates of Heaven? Or what made you so sure that what you got is the right recipe in closing Hell?”
The three of them were looking at each other. One of the guys was getting a little bit twitchy, like he wanted to stop what they’re doing because they’re not really sure if they’re doing the right thing. The guy in the middle was starting to doubt it as well, then the guy beside him was thinking then he looked at me. “Are you trying to distract us?” he asked.
“Uhm, no,” I put my legs down, “I was just asking. Making sure you’re doing the right thing and not, you know, cast your brothers and sisters out of Heaven. Because if you do, oh man, they will all hunt you down. You three really want that? What are you guys? Some kind of regular angels or are you one of those with a harp and sits by the clouds?”
The one in the middle rolled his eyes, “we do not have a harp, for your information. But we’re cherubs.”
“Cherubs?” I said then laughed, “you’re fucking Cupid?!” I laughed even harder then one of them walked up to me and slapped me across the face. I let my tongue feel the side of my lip for any signs of blood, then chuckled, “you slap like a baby.”
He was about to hit me again when suddenly a man told him not to lay another finger on me. I searched for who it was but I don’t recognize his face nor his voice. He walked towards the three cherubs, then smacked each one of them on the back of their heads. “All I asked was get the Nephilim. I did not say anything about you laying a hand on her,” he said then he looked at me, “apologies, Mia. These three just don’t know what they’re doing.”
“And you are?” it was bold of me to ask so smugly.
“My name is Remiel, but they call me El.”
“Okay, El, so, uhm, what the hell am I doing here? Why do you want my heart?”
“To close the gates of Hell, of course.”
“And you have the recipe for it. Who gave it to you?”
The three cherubs looked at one another and then looked at Remiel, “I am not in any liberty to tell,” he formally said.
“Was it Hermesiel?”
The four of them stared at me, a bit shocked. “So I am right?” I chuckled again, “and you four idiots believed a dead angel?”
“Wait,” El said, “Hermesiel is dead?”
I looked at each of them, wishing they were joking but I don’t think they are. “Uhm, yeah,” I continued, “she was found dead in an alley in New York.”
Remiel placed both his hands on top of his head, “damn it,” he whispered. “Who told you about it?”
“Well, Azriel said the angel’s name is Zophiel or something.”
“Shit,” he whispered again. He motioned for the three cherubs closer to him. He was telling them something then the three of them disappeared.
He walked closer to me, “are you sure it was Hermesiel that they saw in that alley?” he asked.
“Well, that’s what were the angels were saying. I mean, didn’t you guys hear anything from your other heavenly brothers and sisters?”
“They left me out when –“
“You fell from Heaven?”
He looked at me bewildered. “Don’t worry, you’re not the first fallen angel I’ve met. I mean, Merikh –“
“You know Merikh? Where is he?”
“Well, I couldn’t tell you for sure where he is ’cause,” I chuckled, “you kidnapped me.”
He just looked down and walked away from me. I think this bastard’s gonna keep me here for a very long time.
I can tell that I’ve been tied up for hours, not only because my arms are getting a bit numb, but also because I am so damn hungry! Remiel kept going in and out of this place, reading something on the table then going out again. I was getting bored when I thought about sending a little message to Azriel. I closed my eyes and started thinking of a song.
***
The trio couldn’t do anything but wait around in the B&B for some signs, or anything, for that matter. Then Azriel furrowed his eyebrows, Collin and Merikh looked up at him. “You okay, man?” Collin asked.
“Sshhh,” Azriel said with his hand up, asking him to keep quiet. “I can hear a…a…a song?”
“What song?”
“It’s Party in the USA”
Collin laughed, “dude, are you into Miley Cyrus or something?”
“No, you idiot, remember when Mia sang a song in her head?”
“Yeah.”
Azriel made a gesture like he was telling them that this is Mia trying to contact them, it was Collin’s turn to furrow his eyebrows. Then when he realized what was happening his face beamed and asked Azriel to contact her.
"Mia? Mia, can you hear me?"
"Azriel? Hey! Good, you got my message."
"Uh, yeah, Party in the USA? Really?"
"Hahaha. I couldn’t think of anything else. But anyway, I don’t know where I am but I am all tied up again and uhm, this looks like I’m in some old, not a warehouse, kind of like an old factory?"
"Okay, uhm, we’ll find factories around the area."
Azriel opened his eyes and walked over to the reception area. The other two followed and found him scavenging around the area, “aha!” he exclaimed, holding a map of the USA. He brisked walk towards a table and opened the map. Collin and Merikh stood around the table. “Okay, so, what’re we looking for?” Merikh asked his brother. “Uhm, we need to find some old factories around the area. Mia said she’s probably in any of them,” he replied as he quietly look at the map. Then he walked back upfront and looked for some pens in the reception’s drawers. He found a few markers and walked back to them, “okay, uhm, Collin?” he said.
“Yeah?”
“I know you’re a smart person so, uhm, can you somehow connect your phone to the internet?”
Collin took his phone out and turned on his mobile data network. “Okay. What do we need?” he said, opening his browser.
“Just look for old factories and I’ll mark ‘em here on the map.”
“How do you expect us to go to those factories without a car? The truck’s not here, remember?” Merikh reminded them. “Oh yeah,” Azriel replied, “but either way, we gotta know where to look for Mia. You know, just in case.”
“You know, for someone who likes her, you sure are very pessimistic about finding her,” Collin commented. Azriel chuckled, and his brother rolled his eyes, “it’s not that I am pessimistic about it. I mean, she turns up okay every time we go save her. Besides, she’s a Nephilim. She can take care of herself.”               
Both Azriel and Collin looked at each other, “you assholes better not use telepathic interactions, I will hear that, too, FYI.”               
They replied with a laugh.
***
Remiel went back inside where I was tied up for the nth time. “Hey. Hey!” I yelled for him.
He turned his head to me, “what? What do you want?”
“Well, first, I want some food because I’m not like you who can’t get hungry. Second, would you mind telling me what the hell am I still doing here?!”
He walked closer to me and grabbed my face, “you’re still here because we’re waiting for someone who wanted to have you. You’re a great deal to some and getting paid just to bring you to them alive,” he clicked his tongue, “is going to make this vessel of mine a few hundred richer.”
“And you’re up for that?”
“What do you think?” he turned his back on me as I lifted my legs up, wrapping them around his neck. I tried burning the rope with my powers, which I forgot I can do, I know. Dumb. Then Remiel grabbed my legs and threw me on the other side of the room. I bumped my back on the pipe and let out a loud grunt. I slowly stood up and saw Remiel, cracking his neck like he’s preparing for some boxing match. He walked towards me and I swung my knuckles to his face. He stepped backwards then stood up straighter. He punched me and it was my turn to bend down. I checked my lips for any blood, and there it was. I stood up and swung another punch at him, harder this time. He fell onto his back, I walked closer and kicked him on the stomach. He grabbed my leg and pulled it. I fell on my ass, and he crawled on top of me. He placed his hands around my neck, choking me. With all my might, I swung my knuckles on his face one more time. He let go of my neck and fell to his side, groaning in pain. I crawled towards him and placed a hand on his head, just like what Azriel did to the monsters we fought. He started to yell as my bright golden light pass through my hand, burning the angel inside of him. I whispered “I’m sorry” as he lay on the ground, lifeless. I stood up and dusted myself off.
The three cherubs came back and saw Remiel laying on the floor, then they turned their eyes on me. I looked them square in the eyes, untucked my wings, and the three of them scurried out of the room. Once they were gone, I tucked back my wings and laughed. Proud of myself for scaring those little babies out. I was about to walk out of that room when I saw what Remiel was looking at the table. It was a list of names, I just don’t know who, so I grabbed it. Placed it inside my back pocket and got out of there. I was walking when I heard a car. I ran towards the side and took a peek at whoever arrived. There, parked outside was a black car, probably a Rolls Royce. Then a man came out, he was wearing a black leather jacket and a black shirt. He went straight inside the factory when another man went out of the car. He was wearing a suit, and he just stood there as soon as Leather Jacket came out. He explained something to him then the man in a suit shifted his eyes in my direction. I quickly hid and ran to the other end of the factory, whispering “shit” a couple of times. I was about to turn right when the man in the suit was standing in front of me.     
“Mia, long time no see. Remember me?” he said as he laid a hand on my waist and pulled me close. I fought him off by grabbing him on his wrist and neck, smacking his back on the wall. “Why are you here?” I asked, pressing harder on his neck. He let out a laugh, “you got stronger. A lot stronger.”                
His eyes trailed down my body then back to my eyes. He’s still the same pervert I knew, I thought. “If you’re no longer a vampire, what are you? A demon?”
He turned his meat suit’s eyes as black as night and turned it back into regular eyes, then smiled. “You got that right, sweetheart,” he smugly said, “I know very well you turned into a full-on angel, which is really, really…hot.”
I heard some footsteps behind me. I turned my head to the side and I saw Leather Jacket standing there. I felt a pointy thing on my side, “is that a knife or are you just happy to see me?”
“Let him go,” he demanded. I took my hands off Mr. Roth’s eerily younger self and raised them to show them I’m not holding anything. Leather Jacket grabs me on the wrist, still pointing a knife at me, then he led me to the car with his boss following us.
We were nearing the car when another car drove in. I heard a familiar voice shout, “hey!”
The three of us looked in the direction of the other car and saw Merikh, climb out of it. Then a bullet hits the roof of the car, Collin was the one who pulled the trigger. Leather Jacket pushed me in the car, Collin pulled the trigger again. Mr. Roth went inside the car as well and told the driver to “step on it”, leaving Leather Jacket to fight them.
***
“Collin! They’re getting away!” Merikh yelled as he fought the man in a leather jacket. “I got it,” Azriel said and he disappeared. Collin and Merikh were taking turns hitting the man, both of them were not sure if he’s a monster or he’s just a regular man. Collin took the gun and pointed it onto the man’s arm, then pulled the trigger. The man shouted and placed his hand on his grazed arm. Merikh hits the man on the head with his staff, when the guy in the leather jacket fell to the ground, he went on top of him and punched him in the face. “Where are they taking her?!” he shouted.
“Screw…you,” said the man, then he punched the man across his face.
“I will ask again. Where the fuck did they take her?!” his voice boomed, he punched him again and again. Collin ran to him, stopping him from punching the man to death.
“That’s enough, Merikh. He’s unconscious,” he said softly, as he helped him up.
Merikh pulled himself away, then Collin walked over to the man and looked for a phone or anything that will lead them to Mia. Azriel came back, “I was able to stop the car along the highway, but you gotta come over there now.”
Collin and Merikh’s eyebrows were both furrowed as they exchanged looks then back to Azriel.