Falling Hard Ch. 04

"Hell's Bells" rang out from somewhere below her. She reached into the slim pocket of her dress and pulled the cell phone out, flipping it open.

"It's probably my friend," she muttered to Athan. She glanced his way before turning her back on him. She took several more steps away from the demon before speaking into the phone.

"Hello?" Her voice was cautiously quiet.

There was a click. Then, a bored-sounding woman's voice droned over the phone:

"This is an emergency call from the Office, Universal Security Department. You will be connected momentarily to General Banner. This line is protected and neither your thoughts nor our end of the conversation can be heard except by the intended parties, as long as you keep the phone to your ear. Please remain on the line."

"What? I don't understand."

The voice droned on, "Listen very carefully to everything that General Banner says to you. Please hold now for the General."

There was another click, and then a loud, authoritarian voice blasted at her through the phone.

"VIRTA!"

She nearly dropped the phone from shock.

"Y-yes?" Her voice was tiny.

What was this about? She was getting a call from one of the top brass at U-Sec?

Of course! They knew Athan was with her. She began to sweat.

She stole a glance back at Athan. He wasn't paying attention to her or her phone call at the moment. He looked busy scanning the streets and the sky, pacing.

The bossy voice came through the phone again.

"Open Code 15!"

There was a click.

The dry female voice responded, "Code 15 activated, sir. You may begin your commands."

Before Virta could absorb what this was all about, the General spoke again.

"Angel Virta, run Soldier Program, Code 15."

Confusion and fear swept through her as his words sunk in.

"W-what did you say?" she squeaked.

No response. There was static all through the phone line.

Then she realized the static was not in the phone, but inside her own head.

"Sir," she called out, panic rising, "what's going on?"

But he no longer talked to her as though she were a living being. All his words were commands and activation codes that made no sense to her. At least not to her conscious mind.

But the chip in her brain was picking it up just fine.

She felt pulses of energy and molecules of heat zinging around inside her, slowly at first, but picking up speed. She gasped at the painful, strange sensations.

Her mind sought answers.

Code 15.

It was not something she'd thought about in nearly a year.

Office workers were required to attend Department meetings, and one day each year they held a mandatory meeting on Security.

Virta had not looked forward to the meeting. It was a whole day of sitting in a conference room, listening to agents from U-Sec talk to them about dull policies, procedures, and warnings. Boring stuff.

Virta and Mick sat together, nibbling on Sweets and drinking Substance. Mick actually listened to the Instructor and scribbled down notes, but Virta sat doodling dirty pictures.

She elbowed Mick to take a look at her latest creation, and grinned with satisfaction as he tried to hold back a laugh. Crimson stained his cheeks.

Keeping his eyes on the Instructor, Mick pushed Virta's drawings underneath the folder in front of her... out of the instructor's watchful line of sight.

Virta tried to stop him, but knocked over her Substance. It spilled all over the pages of the open U-Sec folder. The Instructor was there in a second, glaring down at her, irritation all over his face.

"What's the problem?" he growled.

"I spilled my drink."

The Instructor rolled his eyes. "I can SEE that. Maybe we should stop allowing food and drinks in the conference room. What do you think, Virta?"

She lowered her eyes, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Sir. I won't do it again."

He finally walked away, shaking his head, still talking about policy while she dabbed at the mess.

She pulled out her artwork and continued embellishing it, tuning out the rest of his dull presentation.

But Virta HAD paid attention when they talked about the microchips.

The chips were implanted in all newer angels. U-Sec reminded them each year what the capabilities and uses of the chips were... to prevent any unauthorized exit from Heaven, for tracking purposes, to diagnose any mental or medical related problems (though rare with angels, they could happen), and miscellaneous purposes as needed.

The instructors had been careful to explain about Code 15's: They were only used in military personnel, only in emergencies, and only then in the intermediary zone between Heaven and Earth. All angels except full-time and reserve soldiers had the code 15 capability disabled.

Mick had whispered to her that it had taken a lot of pressure from angel rights groups to get that code disabled from non-military personnel chips. She'd been paranoid anyway, until Mick checked her file and assured her that her chip actually had been disabled for 15's. His chip was fine as well. She'd been so relieved...

"...It's a go!" screamed the General into her ear.

Virta bit her lip and glared into the phone. She couldn't make out what he'd been saying to the chip in her head. It didn't matter. He had already gotten through to the part of her he needed.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked.

But she knew exactly why they were doing this. It was just that her mind couldn't accept it. This couldn't really be happening, could it? General Banner had initiated the command which would take control of her body away from her, and turn her into a weapon of mass destruction.

She heard a strange clicking sound in her brain, and strobes of light began to flash by her vision. It became harder to move her body.

She did not consent to this. Her will had been bypassed so they could use her as a suicide bomber - to kill the dangerous demon that now stood mere feet away from her. And her damned angelic body has no choice but to follow through.

All of her power was being summoned, harnessed to detonate. Even the self destruct of a weak angel like herself would let loose the equivalent power of small tactical nuclear weapon. It would produce a supernatural, supersonic shock wave and extremely high temperatures, incinerating all celestial life within the blast radius of just under two miles. She would die instantly, of course.

But, all the angels in the streets and nearby buildings would also be killed.

Mick.

She glanced down the street at her best friend's house, where she knew that he, Flash, and Carol were waiting on her, enjoying themselves at the party. Where she SHOULD have been if only she wasn't so stupid.

Chatter and loud angelic laughter startled her to attention. Angels were leaving Worship and filling the streets.

Her eyes zeroed in on two happy partners, locked arm in arm, walking home from Worship.

"So, Wade, is it gonna be karaoke with Ray and Summer, or do you wanna catch that new documentary at the cinema? I hear it's fascinating."

"Is that the film about the origins of black holes?"

"Yeah. My boss was an extra in the film, so I'd really love to see it."

"I don't know, Charity. After spending all day in that cramped cubicle, I was hoping to have some time outside, get some fresh air, stretch the old wings...."

"We could go to the movie and karaoke tomorrow night then. When we get home, let's call Ray and Summer and get a game of Air Ball going at the park!"

"I'm feelin' that," said the man, squeezing her middle as they walked. He stopped and leaned down to tousle her hair. "I love you."

Charity turned to look at her partner and threw her arms around him.

"I love you too, angel-baby!"

They laughed together and nuzzled each other's faces.

Virta could no longer make out the individual voices as they blended into the noise. She watched the partners lock arms and float away until she lost them among the crowds.

There was a stab in her heart, on top of all the pain coursing through her elsewhere.

Though she wished she could put all the blame for this mess on the Fallen One, she knew she had only herself to blame. He was just being what he was -- Evil. Was it not her own lust and stupidity that got her into this mess in the first place?

If she hadn't poked around where she shouldn't -- if she hadn't been on Demons Dot Com, if she'd just gone straight to Mick's house instead. She wouldn't be on a collision course with her death at this very moment.

She glanced back at the demon. He was keeping an eye on all the activity filling the nearby streets.

That's what this was all about. Using her to get to him.

Athan probably knew this was going to happen. Of course he did. It was a terrorist plot. His being there alerted U-Sec, and they knew their "bomb" was already in place with the enemy. Now he was just watching to make sure she went off right where he wanted her -- there were going to be mass casualties.

Hell, he'd probably helped developed the microchip and the Code 15 in the first place, before he left the Office, she thought.

She knew his plan: Athan was going to spirit himself away in the nick of time, when it was too late for Banner to call off the Code. Athan would sit with his buddies, drinking beer and high-fiving each other as they counted down her detonation, and then cheered the destruction from front-row seats.

Satan himself would give Athan a raise, or a bed full of virgins to defile, or whatever it was that evil angels liked.

This was all her fault. What a stupid, stupid angel she was!

She was just a means to an end for Athan. Thousands of innocent angels would die, buildings would crumble, and another piece of Heaven would be chipped away.

"No!" she gasped.

Virta was aware of movement to her side. She turned to find Athan approaching her.

"Virta, what's going on?" he asked. He glanced at her and back to the streets.

When she didn't answer, he stepped closer, his eyes on her again.

Was he aware that he was being blocked from reading her mind? Based on her agitated reaction to the phone call, he must surely be trying to read it now.

In fact, he did turn the full force of his eyes on her then.

She knew he was watching her to make sure she didn't hang up and try to escape. He wanted her to detonate here in the town, and not fly out in space where only she would be killed; the blast out of reach of other angels.

Yes, Athan just wanted to make sure she didn't do anything to jeopardize his evil plan.

Her heart began to pound wildly. There was sweat running down her body. She stepped away from him. The phone hung at her side. Her eyes were wide, her face felt frozen in shock.

Athan stepped forward. "Virta, give me the phone."

It sounded like a command to her. She had to struggle with herself not to raise the phone up and place it into his outstretched hand.

She continued to back away, just out of his reach.

She couldn't decipher the look on his face, nor in those nebulous eyes. She was in pain; she was afraid. She turned away from him again.

"I refuse this!" Virta cried into the phone. Her voice shook with fear to be speaking that way to such a high ranking angel, even if he HAD just ordered her to a suicide mission.

Banner's rough, booming voice came to her over the phone, addressing her personally again:

"Doesn't matter, you little bitch! You have no say in it. Besides, when you were created, you took the oath. You signed a statement to defend Heaven against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Look at this as the ultimate sacrifice you can make for your Government. You WILL Code 15. That's an order."

Before she could respond, she heard a click and someone else came on the line, the nasally-sounding female voice again.

"Sir, Clean Up Agents are ready to be dispatched to the scene following the detonation."

"Oh, god." Virta gasped.

She hadn't realized she was backing up until she backed into the solid wall that was Athan. She whirled around to look up into the dark, raging anger of his eyes.

"Un-fucking-believable!" he said, glaring down into her face.

Every muscle in his body was tensed. His face actually did look demonic to her at that moment. He swore in languages she'd never heard.

"Let me guess: U-Sec, right? Banner?" he snarled. He didn't give her time to answer.

"Damn it! I didn't detect Code 15 capability in your chip. They developed some way to hide it from me. Otherwise, they know I would never have come here."

She dropped the hand with the phone to her side.

"H-how-"

"Virta, give me the goddamn fucking phone!" Athan's voice was as forceful as the General's, and she found herself extending the phone out to him with a shaking hand.

He jerked it away from her.

"Hey!" She screamed toward the phone now in Athan's hand. "Help me! Sir, please stop this!"

Athan put the phone up to his ear.

That looks so comical, she thought. Such a big man holding my pink, dainty cell phone in his huge fingers!

Now, why would her mind allow such thoughts when she was mere minutes from death?

"Banner, you son of a bitch!" Athan roared into the phone. "I'm gonna rip you apart with my bare hands!" His voice was a threatening snarl.

She stared at the phone in his hand, and then her eyes went to Athan, who was glaring back. His stare was unreadable.

Suddenly, he hurled the phone with such brutal force that it shattered into thousands of pieces on the golden street. Virta watched wide-eyed. She knew that would be her fate as well in a few minutes.

"I can't believe they called a fucking Code 15." She didn't know if Athan was speaking to her or himself.

"I swear I'll make that bastard pay! He doesn't know it, but he's got an appointment with me in Hell. And, he's going to keep it."

He clenched his fists in immense rage. She could only stare at him in horror.

They'd left her, a sacrifice of her life for their cause. They didn't even cancel the Code.

She began to cry bitter tears that wracked her body.

"Why didn't they cancel the code?" she shrieked. "Why, oh my god, WHY didn't they cancel? They didn't cancel it. They didn't call it off." She kept repeating the same words over and over, her poor mind and body nearing the end of what she could bear.

Athan would be gone in a second, and her death would mean nothing. Maybe they didn't care about her, but why let thousands of innocent souls die? She was going to die. And, take half the town with her, killing innocent angels, and her best friend, Mick.

She had to fly! She could fly a mile per second. But her wings wouldn't move. She'd been trying them since she first heard the words, "Code 15."

Her body was shaking hard. She could barely hold herself together. Athan was in front of her in a flash, strong hands on her shoulders.

"You know they don't give a damn about you." he snarled.

She could only stare up at him.

"They're making you into a fucking suicide bomber, Virta!" He was furious. "What could they have done worse to you in banishment, than what they're doing now?"

His voice seemed to take on a desperate tone then. His grip on her shoulders became softer. "I wanted you to leave with me. You're immune to their stupid commands when you Fall. I would never ask you to do this, Virta. This kind of shit is just one of the many reasons I left."

The last bit of moisture that hadn't been dissolved in the inferno of her body came trickling out of one eye: A single tear that sizzled and danced on her cheek and evaporated under Athan's shadowy gaze.

He seemed to jerk then as if he'd caught a whiff of something alarming... something so terrible it startled even him.

Athan swore in some ancient, long-dead language. He caught her terrified eyes in his.

"No fucking way." He snarled. "Don't even ask."

"K-kill me," she croaked softly but firmly. "You know it's the only way to stop the bomb."

"No."

"Please. If you never do one good thing in your life, I beg you... kill me. I want to save my friends and these innocent angels. Please find it in your heart not to make me a terrorist along with you."

His face flamed with sheer rage and frustration. She watched him turn his back on her. His huge body was shaking; his fists clenching and unclenching.

He didn't turn back around to look at her when he spoke. His voice was as tense as a stretched thread: "Virta, I'm not going to kill you. Do not ask me again." The threat in his voice was unmistakable.

She gulped. Of course he would not kill her. Just one angel dying instead of thousands? That would not win him any honors with Satan, now would it?

There seemed to be nothing she could do. All her energy was being used in the buildup.

Virta felt her power begin to rise further - the original angel power that would make humans bow low before her and quake in fear if they saw it in full manifestation. But now, it was about to be turned inside out of her body.

She watched Athan turn to those on the streets. Many of them had already begun to stop and point, whispering at him in curiosity and fear. There was no doubt he'd been recognized. Cell phones were out, and calls were being made to the Most Wanted Hotline.

Athan walked toward the street. "Hey!" he shouted.

Angels who hadn't seen him before now stopped what they were doing to look up at him. Recognition struck them, and their faces went ashen, their mouths and eyes gaped open: This huge demonic entity was coming after them, shouting and waving his arms.

"Listen to me!" he thundered, "Everyone get the Hell out of here, NOW!"

They began flying. Angels left the streets in a rush. It was utter chaos.

But within a minute, most of the street was empty.

She saw Athan turn and start walking back to her, his dark eyes blazing.

Her body and brain rumbled as the energy increased. She clenched her eyes shut.

He knew what was happening. He would be gone a second from now, as quickly as he came. He'd be safe and sound, somewhere far away. The demon would leave her to die. Why wouldn't he?

But deep down, she couldn't quite think of him that way now. Her heart knew there was something more to him. Perhaps she'd known it since she'd laid eyes on him. He wasn't quite what the website had said.

She realized she wanted to see his face, those eyes, with her last second of existence, before he transported away from the scene of destruction. His glorious face would be the final thing in her mind as her atoms split.

"Athan," she began, without opening her eyes. Her voice was a whisper. She was too weak and in too much pain for anything more.

"...Athan, please... Please, don't leave me yet."

There was no sound from him. No response.

She opened her eyes.

He was gone.

She cried out. She was frightened, alone.

Virta stood helpless, waiting to erupt. She could only move her head a little to each side now. Her eyes searched wildly for him though she knew she was alone under the tree.

A glance to the left showed the angels were gone from the street. They'd listened to him. Her eyes followed the street down to Mick's house. It wouldn't be standing for long. Surely he and the others had escaped out the back door when they heard the commotion.

She never thought she'd die so young. Two thousand years was just a drop in the bucket for most angels. She felt bad for Mick; he would miss her terribly.

She felt bad for herself. She would never get to be human, never know what it was to have a human body like Mandi's. She'd never hold a man's cock in her hands or taste it in her mouth. She wouldn't know the feeling as it plunged into the depths of her body.

What did pizza taste like? Virta would never know. Mandi sure loves it, she thought, a small smile on her face as she had final thoughts of the girl.