The Fallen (Angelic Redemption) Read Free Page A

to foul
up our big adventure. There, you happy? Hope so because that’s all you’re getting
for now.”
    Frowning, Lila snapped her fingers at Sophie. “I
know you can move faster so do it.”
    “The police will be here soon.”
    Lila smiled, her hazel eyes clearly amused. “Yeah,
it doesn’t work like that. Your neighbors didn’t hear anything and no one
called the cops. It’s just you and me and a bunch of dead villains. If we don’t
hurry, we’ll be joined by a bunch of live ones too.”
    Sophie finished dressing then sighed loudly as
reality took hold.
    “I can’t come with you.”
    Lila’s smile widened. “Look, I get that you’re
scared. I totally do, but my vision from God says you’re coming with me. You
get that, a vision from the Lord about you? So even though you’re not feeling
all that helpful right now, your needs don’t supersede His. Now hurry up or I’m
going to conk you over the head and drag you to the car. Either way, you’re
coming with me, but why make it so adversarial so soon?”
    Sophie studied Lila, certain the woman was insane.
Yet Sophie had hungered for an adventure and one had shown up looking for her.
Resigned to her fate, she threw a few essentials into a backpack.
    Following Lila out of the apartment, she noticed
how none of the neighbors seemed alarmed by the commotion and no sirens
approached. While Sophie kept expecting reality to break into this new
situation, the women arrived at an Escalade in the visitor parking lot without
incident.
    Despite no apparent threats, Lila hurried Sophie
into the car and rushed to the driver’s seat, nearly in a panic. Speeding away
from the apartment, Lila scanned the night for possible dangers. Next to her,
Sophie relaxed and allowed herself to enjoy this new adventure.
    “Is this your car?” Sophie asked, eyeing the
pornographic dice hanging from the rearview mirror.
    “Nope. Stole it off some gangbangers after I tore
up my last ride. No worries though, those guys won’t be a problem. It’s the
villains we need to stress, not to mention the rogue hunter.”
    Nodding, Sophie watched Lila who used a red light
as an opportunity to check her weapons.
    “What are we going to do once we find this Joaquin
guy?”
    Lila glanced at Sophie with a grin. “I’d think
that’d be obvious. We’re going to kill him.”

Chapter Three
    Three Years Ago
    In a desolate slice of Mexico, Joaquin watched the
fire’s flames mingle with the sun’s roaring heat. The flames danced before him
and his dark eyes were colored by their salsa. The image was hypnotic, but he
was not hypnotized. His cluttered mind refused to enjoy the delicacy of the
image.
    As his blood soaked clothes withered under the
heat of the flames, Joaquin buttoned a clean beige shirt. Scanning the horizon,
he viewed only untouched despair as dirt whirled around his idling sedan. Lost
in this place, Joaquin finally shifted the car into drive and headed in whatever
direction it was pointing.
    The first sign of life was a broken motel with a
name that loosely translated into home. Pulling into the parking lot, he left
the car to idle while his always vigilant mind surveyed the surroundings. His
eyes paused on the motel sign which lay upside down after years of harsh
weather, neglect, and target practice. Even with the overwhelming misery of
this place, Joaquin sensed no threat here, at least not to him. Turning off the
car, he enjoyed the silence for a few minutes.
    Itching at his chin, Joaquin felt relief at
discovering new facial growth. He was still human and his body could still
change. A momentary reassurance after a wild day of agitation, Joaquin embraced
it as he left his car.
    The motel’s front office was accessible through
an open frame with the door leaning against a nearby wall. Joaquin stepped
through to find a couch with no legs and a bullet-ridden counter. Behind the
counter though, two young people were in love.
    They smiled at one another, never taking notice
of