The Fallen Queen of Eden Ch. 17

Lilith's exit did not go unnoticed by Adam Benoni. He had watched her leave from his vehicle then followed her for a few miles to a hotel where she checked in. He, of course, immediately reported it to the Preacher-man as well as the absence of Eli Asher. As expected he was told to continue following her. This he did without question, reporting everything from where she ate and shopped throughout the day to her stop at the bus station that evening. Adam sent a quick text and any hope she had of escaping by bus was quickly snuffed out. Despite this, she didn't leave the station for a few hours. At times Adam wondered what she was waiting for. Another bus? Another good Samaritan who could save her as Eli had? Whatever it was, she finally gave up and after putting her suitcase in a locker at the bus station, she began to wander through the streets of downtown Springfield

Several times she stopped in front of closed store fronts and looked through the windows at the items up for sale. She read the plaques on display in the square, but for her they were only words and she barely noticed them. Finally she stopped before a club that had the sound of hot sizzling jazz beckoning to passersby through the open door. Lilith stood listening to the music a moment then went inside. Immediately Adam took out his phone and a few short thumb clicks and a photo later and the Preacher-man knew where to find her.

Lilith wouldn't have been surprised at all to know she was being watched and followed. She was starting to get used to it. A local group was playing the jazz hit 'Fever' and it only made her wish she could go back to Eli. Instead all she could do was drink and numb the sad ache inside of her. After a while she had drank enough that when she turned to look over the crowd, she found that their normal sharpness had become slightly dulled. She reached in her pocket and took out the bus ticket she had purchased and stared at it in disgust. Just a useless piece of paper. Strange how every bus was suddenly in need of maintenance. The demoness was beginning to think she was never getting out of town. Of course she always had her feet to carry her. The Preacher-man couldn't stop her from doing that.

At least Elijah was safe. That was the most important thing. Sitting there she wondered if he had seen her message or if he had tried to look for her. Part of her was hoping that he had, but part of her also wanted to think that he understood why she left and was wisely moving on. Even without the threat of Levi Sethos, there was no way they could ever be together. She was an immortal demon damned for eternity and he, well, he was meant for someone and someplace far better than she.

"I think I must be dying because I'm looking at heaven," said a man's voice next to her. She turned to see a man with too much gel in his hair smiling at her. He was wearing a burgundy leather coat that covered a shirt that was mostly unbuttoned to show off his chest. He might have been attractive were it not for his choice of attire. The way he was dressed he looked as though he should have been on a street corner selling stolen watches. Trying his best to be smooth and confident, he set a drink in front of her. Not in the mood, she slid it back to him.

"Heaven, huh? Well that's highly unlikely since God has a restraining order against me."

"Wait-what?" the guy responded in confusion. Realizing that her response might have been a bit caustic and harsh, Lilith softened. This guy was just a man looking for a good time and an evening's pleasure, just like everyone else. He had nothing to do with the turmoil in her life so taking it out on him was fruitless.

"I'm sorry. I appreciate the drink, but I'm just not in a social mood tonight," she explained and to her relief the guy accepted it and moved on leaving her to her drink.

Lilith turned back to the bar and quickly swallowed the shot in front of her then held it up and shook it at the bartender to get his attention. As he came over she reached into her pocket and pulled out a bottle of ibuprofen and poured out five of the little maroon pills into her hand then promptly swallowed them. Her hand was throbbing again and she just wanted it to stop. If the combination of painkillers and alcohol happened to dentin the pain of leaving Eli, then so much the better. Seeing this the bartender became concerned. This particular painkiller was not a narcotic, but she was still consuming more than the recommended dosage and this could still cause a number of problems such as intensifying the drugs side-effects or make her less alert and more intoxicated.

"I realize that painkillers and drinking are a bad combination, right?"

"Don't care," she answered sharply, shaking the shot glass at him again.

"I'm afraid I can't serve you any more alcohol tonight. If you want water or soda pop then I'm your guy," he answered politely but firmly.

"Do you really think you can stop me from drinking? There is more than one way for me to get alcohol. I assu . . ." Her train of thought momentarily derailed as she stumbled getting off her stool. "I assure you that any male human in this club will be glad to buy me a drink. Especially if they think it will get them a night's pleasure." The bartender didn't doubt that at all. Something about this woman almost made him want to throw away her bill and give her one on the house. If it hadn't been for the pills, he might have done it too.

For a moment his hand hovered over the bourbon bottle, tempted to pour her one against his better judgement, only to be interrupted as a man sat down next to her. Lilith looked over and smiled as she saw it was Kaleb, Eli's friend. Glad to see a friendly face she reached over and hugged him, only to feel him tense up at her embrace. Sensing she had overstepped, she sat back down and apologized. Kaleb told her not to worry, that he was just surprised by her reaction.

"So what brings you here?" she asked, her eyes looking through the dim lights of the club to see if Wynne or Eli were around. "You didn't strike me as the bar type when your friends weren't around."

"Are you kidding? I love this place. The music is good and when I get off work it's a great place to unwind."

"Sooo . . . you're alone?" Lilith's question was hardly subtle and he knew exactly what she was asking.

"Eli's not here. It's just me." His assurance seemed to relax her. "I have no idea why you left him and it's none of my business. I do know he's pretty upset." Lilith looked down at the empty shot glass in front of her. Hearing that she had hurt Elijah stung, but she reminded herself that it was the only way to protect him. "You know what, no more sad talk, no more unanswered questions . . . nothing. For the next few minutes lets just be two friends enjoying a dance together." Kaleb extended his hand to her and she smiled and gratefully took it.

"That sounds good."

The band started playing 'A Poor Man's Roses' as the two began to sway to the music. For the moment she was happy, although whether it was because she had drank too much alcohol or because she was with someone she felt safe with was hard to say. True, Kaleb was not her type, but she didn't care, there was nothing wrong with dancing with a friend and he was still a far cry from everything she was dealing with. She was about to thank him for the distraction when a hand tapped Kaleb's shoulder in order to cut in. As he stepped aside a familiar scent of cologne met her nose and her eyes suddenly fell upon the now clean-shaven face of the Preacher-man as he handed her dance partner a hundred dollar bill. She had been duped.

"All this time you were helping him," she uttered, sadly.

"Sorry, but the money he offered couldn't be ignored."

"Was Wynne in on it too?"

"There was no need to contact Wynne when your friend here was so eager to help me," Levi interjected as he pulled her into his arms. A look of shame filled Kaleb's face before he finally ducked out and left the bar leaving them alone. Levi smiled at her with that same crooked smile as he continued where the dance had left off. The sight of him sobered her up, but for the moment she didn't struggle, just stared at him, deadened to everything.

"You're not fighting me tonight. I hope this means you have come to your senses." She didn't answer, just stared at him with abject resignation. "I have spoken with my lawyer and the final obstacle will soon be removed. As my wife, I will make you very happy, you'll see."

"I do see. I see you for everything that you really are. To think that they call the devil 'the father of lies'," she responded. Levi's dark eyes became threatening and his jaw set at the insult.

"You think you know me so well."

"Oh I do. Your kind has been around almost as long as I have." A strange smile curled her lips. How many times had he quoted verses and bible stories to her and now she would do the same. "And through his shrewdness He will cause deceit to succeed by his influence; And he will magnify himself in his heart, And he will destroy many while they are at ease. He will even oppose the Prince of princes, But he will be broken without human agency." She quoted with ease the words of Daniel 8:25. This man before her was every bit a false prophet, greedy, cold hearted and cruel. Too bad the world seemed blind to it. The biblical reference cut more deeply than any physical pain she could have devised. Adding to that was her laughter. He had always wanted to make her smile and laugh, but this amusement was mocking and he couldn't stomach it. Unable to control his temper he brought his face inches from hers and growled.

"I will have you." He squeezed her broken hand causing her to cry out in pain. He eased up as he noticed a few people beginning to turn their heads. She noticed too and saw her chance as the song ended and the music momentarily stopped.

"Look! Everybody quick! Look!" Heads closest to her began to turn. "It's the Preacher-man himself out partying at a nightclub!" More heads began to turn and phones began to appear. "Quick, get a picture of this!" She grabbed him suddenly and pulled him into a deep passionate kiss. He had dreamed a thousand times of her kissing him like this, but that dream was now a nightmare. Everywhere camera phones were springing up and taking his pictures. There was no way to fix this. He glared daggers at Lilith then started towards the door. Everywhere was commotion and as he left he could still hear Lili laughing.

Levi was seething when he got into his car and ordered his driver to take him home. Everything he had built was on the verge of falling apart. He couldn't stop dozens of nameless revelers from posting his face on social media. Although he still desired her, she was now a threat to his kingdom and she would have to fall. He took his phone and called the young man he knew would be the most eager to please him and the one most suited to be a fall guy, Adam Benoni. The young man was already outside the club as requested by the Preacher-man and waiting for a chance to spy on Lilith. Now Levi had new instructions. He told the young man that Lili was going public with a bunch of 'lies' and would destroy the ministry and all of his good work. He then told Adam there was only one way she could be stopped. Without a second thought the young man hung up the phone and began to follow Lilith as he saw her exit the bar. He had a feeling that he knew where she was going.

His guess was correct. For the first time in a long while the demoness felt completely empowered and free of her chains. Wanting to share her victory she had walked several miles to Eli's home. Her excitement was such that she never noticed how far it was or that her hand was still throbbing from the Preacher-mans 'touch'. The pain didn't matter and she no longer felt afraid. This time she had really hurt him and she knew it. A photo like that, on any social network was going to spread like wildfire. Using the key Eli had given her, Lili walked into his home and began calling out his name, but there was no answer. She went upstairs hoping that he was in his computer room or bedroom but they were empty as well. Hearing the door open, Lilith immediately went back downstairs thinking it was Eli and excited to tell him what had happened. Instead of Elijah, she found a strange young man leveling a gun at her.

Immediately Lilith held up her hands to show him she was unarmed. The young man just stood there, shaking, but not willing to put down the gun. She had no idea who he was but she had seen him following her before. She recognized his sallow skin and gaunt features. One thing she was sure of was that he was working for Levi Sethos and judging by the weapon pointed at her, she had hit a harder blow at the club than she had realized.

"Don't do this," she said, never taking her eyes off of him.

"You . . . you have to be stopped."

"Why?"

"Because . . . because you're one of those people who want to destroy Pastor Setho's ministry," the young man answered, his gun shaking from his anger.

"For once I can honestly say thats not true," she answered as she started to slowly ease her way towards the door. The gunman slowly moved too, never lowering his weapon. "Your boss is a liar and a manipulator and he is destroying his own ministry just fine on his own without any help from me." At her words the young man became agitated and began to shake his head.

"No, no, no, NO! Don't you dare say that about him! He is a good man. He helped me. He got me off the street, got me food, clothes, a job and a place to sleep. No one EVER noticed or tried to help me before." He pulled the hammer back on his gun and at the sight, Lilith decided it was best to try a different tactic.

"Yes, you're absolutely right, helping you was admirable," she quickly agreed, trying to calm him down. "We really should help those in need and show compassion." Where in the world had those words come from, Lilith wondered to herself. In all the ages she had lived she had never given any thought to anyone except herself . . . at least until she met Eli. Her own new found feelings and the fact that she was trying to stall for time in hopes that she could get close enough to the front door and slip through it were fueling her words. The only thing that would be better is if somehow she could talk him out of this and make him see the mistakes he was making. While the preacher-man had initially helped him, Lilith could see that his intentions had not been out of charity but to use him and that seemed more despicable to her than returning to hell. "What's your name?"

"Adam," he answered.

"Adam," she echoed. Why was it every time there was an upheaval in her life there was an Adam somewhere lurking? "It was you, wasn't it? You're the one who has been following me and taking pictures of me." The young man nodded.

"Pastor Sethos asked me to keep you under surveillance so he would know if you were about to cause a problem to his church."

"What else do you do for him?"

"This and that, whatever he asks. Sometimes watching people, sometimes I have to sneak into places and get things or leave things." Seeing the way she stared at him and put him on the spot, he became annoyed and started waving the gun again. "Pastor Sethos takes care of me so in exchange I do odd jobs for him. There is nothing wrong with that," he responded without taking his eyes off of her. Lilith looked at this man. He was probably in his twenties yet seemed barely more than a kid to her. She imagined there was probably a time when his eyes sparkled with life, but now they were dull and surrounded by dark circles. He was tall, but it was difficult to guess a height because he was hunched over as though he were sick and nauseated. His skin was pale and she suspected it was probably cool to the touch.

"Are you okay? You don't look like you feel very well."

"I'm fine!" he snapped, shaking the gun at her. She took a step back not wanting to agitate him more than he already was. "When I'm done here, the pastor will give me what I need."

"He gives you heroin, doesn't he?" Everything about the way he looked screamed opioid withdrawal and heroin was the most common.

"He's helping me with my addiction."

"Is he?" From everything she had seen from the Preacher-man, he was not a kindly benefactor.

"You . . . you can't just stop or you get really sick. Pastor is helping me taper off."

"How long has he been helping you taper off?" she asked. She could already guess the truth, and it made her feel very sorry for this young man.

"A . . . about two years."

"Adam, did you know that patients that have tapered off of heroin have been shown to take between seven to twenty-eight days?" At her words he started shaking his head vehemently. She knew she was playing with fire. The wrong word and he could snap and shoot. "Have you ever been to rehab or even a support group?"

"He talks to me . . . ministers to me. We talk about the path of righteousness and doing God's will. When he sees that I am struggling with my addiction, he gives me a 'pick me up' to take the edge off."

Lilith didn't know the background of Adam Benoni, but clearly, he was a damaged soul. The Preacher-man had reached out to him, created a believer then twisted him to use for his own ends. She couldn't help wondering how many lives had Levi Sethos destroyed along his narcissistic path. This young man had very little left to hold on to except his faith. She didn't want to take that away from him too, but she did want him to see exactly what the Preacher-man was.

"That's great that you want to do God's will." She certainly had never been so obedient, quite the opposite actually, but this was not a time for splitting hairs. "Adam, I'm certain God doesn't want you to kill anyone . . . not even me. Do you have a Bible?" There was a question she never thought she would ever ask anyone. He nodded.

"I picked one up at a second-hand store," he answered. Wow, the sanctimonious twat-waffle couldn't even be bothered to give you a Bible, she thought. Lilith had no use for the holy book, but she had never tried to sell herself as a messenger of God either. Levi Sethos was the epitome of hypocrisy and she hated him with every fiber of her being.

"If you read your Bible then you know what it says about false prophets," she commented, watching as he nodded queried and he answered with a nod.

"Beware the false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them." he recited. "I know what you're trying to do, but you're wrong. The pastor isn't a false prophet. He helps the poor and the sick."

"He's also asking you to commit murder. I believe that's listed as a no-no in those commandment thingy's" She watched his face and in particular his eyes and could see that what she said was registering in his mind. "I don't pretend to be an angel, in fact, I'm about as opposite as you can get. I have met a few angels though. The one I know the best, well, he's not particularly angelic." She was trying to lighten the situation, but Adam wasn't having any of it. "Sorry . . . bad joke." Lilith looked at the black muzzle of the gun then up at the young man and saw the way he scratched at his chest and looked agitated. He was not in his right state of mind and the slightest thing could make him snap and open fire on her. She was hoping she could get him to trust her and hopefully put down the gun. "You know, Adam, I fully admit that I'm not a good person. I have done many cruel and terrible things and I will undoubtedly do more. I am not ashamed nor do I ask forgiveness for it. You've been watching me for some time so tell what you have witnessed with your own eyes that would lead you to believe that I'm trying to destroy your pastor's ministry?"