Alan Price and the Colossus of Rhodes (The Nephilim Chronicles) Read online

  Alan felt his eyebrows furrow all on their own. “With affects, I think.”

  “A man after my own heart,” Michael winked. “Here we go.”

  Out of nowhere, the sun’s bright rays faded. In seconds, the sky turned black and everything fell away. All that remained was Michael, Alan, the desk and the chairs on which they sat.

  Alan could feel fear begin to creep slowly down his spine; his heart started beating faster and faster. He looked at Michael to see the man still smiling and now pointing to the dark sky.

  As Michael again picked up the conversation images made out of golden outlines followed events that he described and performed like trained dancers across the dark sky. Alan’s mouth dropped, eyes fixated on the beautiful scene playing out overhead as Michael started his story. “I’m going to date myself here but a very, very long time ago when the earth was still young a battle took place in Heaven. The battle waged for the fate of both Angels and man. One third of Heaven’s Angels sided with a Usurper who staged a coup for the rule of Heaven and earth. He was mad with thoughts of grandeur and power.

  The fighting was beyond bloody; it was horrific. The death toll for both sides was surpassed the total of survivors of the engagement. The war went on for years. Finally, the power-hungry Angel was defeated. He was cast out of Heaven with the rest of his followers; they were stripped of their wings and sentenced to wait their final judgment on earth.”

  Alan stared at the open sky as images following Michael’s words continued to play out overhead. He wanted to smile in awe and probably would have had the circumstances of the supernatural light show been under any other condition. Instead, Alan held his lower jaw firm and contended himself with tracking the amazing bright lights acting out scenes of the forgotten past.

  “To ensure that casualties of this magnitude could never happen again,” Michael continued, “all weapons capable of killing an Angel were destroyed. My brothers, sisters and I now watch over earth. The Creator has not abandoned humankind to live under the rule of the Fallen.

  With inferior numbers and strength, the Fallen on earth will not engage us directly. In return, we are content for them to live out their sentence quietly here on earth until their day of judgment comes.

  However, just because they won’t defy us directly doesn’t mean our troubles are finished. Over the centuries, tactics have changed. The Fallen have found their own followers to do their bidding. They have given certain powers and abilities to humans whom they manipulate to do their will. It’s a loophole they have found to avoid physical conflict while still getting what they want.”

  Michael paused here as the scenes in the sky faded and the darkness regressed. In seconds, the sun was out again and Alan felt himself breathing a bit easier. “They thought they were so smart. Little did they know that we are capable of the exact same thing. So now, instead of a full-out war, we are playing out a kind of shadow game on earth. The Fallen have their wayward followers and we have those whom we have chosen to represent us in this cold war.”

  Michael leaned back in his chair with his arms open. “So there it is, as honest and plain as I can put it. You have the truth. Now, feel free to ask any questions I’m sure you have.”

  Alan’s mind was blown. Dozens of questions were pushing to the front of his mind while he struggled to accept his new reality. The question that came out first was the one that he had wondered since the first night he knew he was different. It was short and simple but one that had haunted him for the past four years. “Why me?”

  Michael nodded as though he was aware that was going to be Alan’s first question. “You need us, Alan. You need us as much as we need you. We saw an opportunity to help each other.”

  Alan slowly shook his head. “But my depression, the anger I feel, the—“

  “All reasons that we chose you.” Alan’s confusion must have shown because Michael continued. “Think about it, Alan. You battle with depression and loneliness. You were bullied, beat up and abandoned and here you stand. Here you are still living and breathing, as strong as ever. What you have thought of as your weaknesses your entire life has made you stronger, Alan. The battles that you fight day in and day out have forged your will into something few people possess.”

  Alan laughed to himself, “It doesn’t feel like a blessing.”

  “Regardless, it has made you stronger than the people beside you who don’t battle with these issues.”

  Alan slowly nodded letting the new information sink in before he asked his second question. “Are there others like myself and Danielle?”

  It was Michael’s turn to nod. “Yes, a select few spread across the globe. It is an honor to be chosen. Very few are or will be. We select from where the need is the greatest, where the Fallen have chosen to actively recruit.”

  “What do you want me to do?”

  “For now, we need you to learn and train. Speed is just the first of the many gifts you have at your disposal.”

  Alan remembered the beating he endured at the hands of Dominic Drencher. “Strength is another one and—“ Alan was reminded of the first night he found out he was different. “Flight?”

  Michael shook his head. “No, unfortunately not flight—I mean to say that it is very unlikely for a human with our powers to be able to fly. That ability has been reserved for Angels. No human has been able to do it before.”

  “Then how did I…” Alan realized the answer to his question even as he asked. He looked at Michael with newfound respect. “It was you, wasn’t it? You saved me that first night.”

  Michael shrugged. “Everyone needs a helping hand. Besides, you didn’t jump. The wind pushed you. Even then, whether you knew it or not, you were fighting to survive. You are a survivor, Alan.” A sly smile spread across Michael’s lips showing perfectly white teeth underneath. “I’m proud of you despite the items you chose to borrow from; banks, grocery stores, clothing departments, malls, outlets, car dealerships, amusement parks, gas stations and zoos. Really? Alan, a zoo?”

  Color rushed to Alan’s face and he felt his palms begin to sweat as if on cue. “Oh, I uh. I—“ He felt as though he had been called into the principal’s office on a celestial level.

  “It’s okay,” Michael said. “I wished you would have found your way on your own but nobody’s perfect. Just reassure me that your thieving days are over.”

  Alan swallowed and nodded. “And for what it’s worth, I returned that monkey back to the zoo.”

  Michael started to laugh. “Yes, I know you did. I’ve been keeping my eye on you.”

  A comfortable silence followed as Alan worked through this new revelation on his own.

  “That’s it?” Michael asked. “No more questions?”

  “Besides training, what do you want from me? What am I training for?”

  The smile slowly disappeared from Michael’s lips. “I wish I knew, Alan. Something is happening, an extra coldness to the night, the darkness coming just a little bit sooner and lasting a few minutes longer. The Fallen have increased their activity and their followers’ numbers are swelling. Something is coming down the pipeline. Rumors are spreading and talk of some kind of forgotten demonic leader preparing to return to power is making its way to our ears. Whatever it is we would like you and Danielle to be ready for it when it comes.”

  “And the Fallen? What if—“

  “No, you don’t have to fear them. They haven’t made an attempt at open war on us or one of our chosen since the war in Heaven. They know they don’t have a chance. You only have to worry about the humans they have corrupted, like Dominic Drencher. Danielle will have more information for you and certain tools you will be able to use to keep you safe. Trust me, once you tap into your full potential, people like Drencher won’t be bothering you.”

  Alan sat quiet. Everything—all of the questions he had wondered for the past four years were slowly being answered. Far from the answers he expected, but still answers.

  “You are not alone, Alan. Yo
u never were. Take some time to adjust to the truth. Danielle is assigned as your support. She can answer any other questions you have. And I am always available to you as well.”

  Alan stood sensing an end to their meeting. He felt numb from the crown of his head to the bottom of his feet, still trying to process the twist on history and draw connections to how his life would continue.

  Michael extended a hand. Alan took it as Michael made eye contact. “I’ve been around for quite a long time. There are just some things I know. I know you’re stronger than you think you are, Alan. Trust me.”

  Chapter 26

  “How’d it go?”

  Alan took a moment to gather his thoughts as he closed the car door behind him. He sat silent for a moment staring at the grey car dash before answering.

  “Oh my gosh, you’re in shock! Alan, Alan, are you okay?” Danielle turned to him and placed a hand on his arm. Her eyes were huge as she searched for an answer on his blank face.

  “I’m not in shock. I’m fine. I mean as fine as I can be after having a heart to heart with an Angel.”

  “Archangel.”

  “What?”

  “Michael is an Archangel. He’s like the boss of all the Angels. I just kinda left that part out. I figured you had enough on your plate. You should probably start reading up on this stuff.”

  Alan raised an eyebrow in Danielle’s direction and noticed she still had her hand on his arm. Danielle must have noticed it at the same time because she retracted her arm as if she had been burned. “Oh, sorry. Ummm… So yeah, crazy stuff, right? I remember when I was first told the truth.”

  Danielle pulled into the busy midday traffic and headed back towards Alan’s penthouse. “So, first things first. We’ll go to your place and gather your things. Since they know where you live now it won’t be safe there anymore.”

  Alan was woken from his daze at Danielle’s words. “Wait a minute, I’m moving? Where?”

  “Yep, we can’t have you stay at your penthouse anymore. You’ll move in with me into the facility the Organization provided for us. It’s pretty cool, lots of—“

  “You’re still going to call them ‘The organization’ even though I know that they’re Angels and I’ve talked to Michael?”

  Danielle shrugged as she switched lanes. “Why not? Unless you can think of another name we can safely use in public without drawing attention. And it’s really not that far from the truth, they are a kind of celestial organization.”

  Alan had to admit that she had a point. They couldn’t go around talking about angels and demons in public, at least not without a fair amount of stares. “What are we called now?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Yeah, we have Angels which are apparently real and our employers, the Fallen are demons. But what are the humans called that have entered this war on both sides?”

  “Nephilim.”

  “I’m sorry, what?”

  “The technical term for us would be Nephilim. We refer to those recruited by the Fallen as dark or demonic Nephilim. It’s a Hebrew term. Depending on what translation you believe it either describes the combination of Angels and humans or giants among men. I mean it’s not a perfect translation since we aren’t half-breeds or ogres, but it’s the closest word we have. You know the saying, ‘When you have oranges’.”

  “I don’t think you’re saying that right.”

  “Of course I am. When you have oranges, make orange juice.”

  “It’s lemons.”

  Danielle turned from the road and fixed Alan with a stubborn look, realizing she was wrong but not willing to admit defeat. “Let’s agree to disagree, Alan.”

  Alan let out a deep breath as he stared out the window. Danielle’s insistence wasn’t what was bothering him, not after his conversation with Michael. Life would never be the same. He looked at unsuspecting people walking to and from stores. He saw hands hailing cabs, drivers tuning radios and talking on cell phones. They had no idea what was really going on, and now that Alan did, life for him would only become stranger.

  Chapter 27

  “Don’t worry about packing things like a toothbrush or shampoo, we have all of that,” Danielle said as she wandered around Alan’s penthouse. “Sweet place by the way. You really went all out with that stolen money thing.”

  Alan was in his room throwing clothes into a dark duffle bag. He smirked as he was reminded of how he had thrown money into the same bag years before. Then a thought crossed his mind. “Danielle?” he said over his shoulder as he threw another pair of jeans and socks into his bag.

  Danielle popped her head into his room. “You have a home gym and a library?”

  Alan looked up at her and smiled. “Yep. Lifting and reading—two great things to do to pass time when you’re a loner. Hey, I’ve been wondering about something. What about all the money I took?”

  “What about it?”

  “I mean, am I going to get punished for stealing all those years? I can’t imagine Angels are big on things like theft.”

  Danielle crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe. “Don’t worry, they aren’t going to lynch you or make you pay everything back. Sure, they would rather you started to use your gifts for something constructive but as long as your thieving ways are behind you, you’ll be fine.”

  Alan nodded and continued to pack. He was reminded of his conscience that would speak to him when he was about to steal. The whispers convicting him that he knew deep down he was using his gift for self-gain when he could be helping others. “These years they were watching me, they wanted me to make the right choice. They wanted me to stop stealing and look deeper into why I was given my gifts.”

  Danielle’s face was solemn. It was clear she did not enjoy the topic. “I don’t want to beat you up about it but, yes. They were giving you a chance to make the right decision before they stepped in and nudged you along. Who knows? They might have given you a few more years to find your way if it hadn’t been for all the recent demonic activity. But you’re here now and that’s what’s important.”

  Chapter 28

  “No way. This is it?”

  “Sure is.”

  “And you’re sure there is no way we could have just used my penthouse?”

  “Nope. Trust me; it’s not much to look at but it’s safe and wait till you see the inside.”

  Alan was trying to imagine living in a warehouse as Danielle pulled to a stop. The building looked as though it would fall apart during the next storm. Rust covered the steel outside paneling from warped roof to bent door.

  Danielle had taken him to the city’s warehouse district outside of town. “It’s perfect,” she said. “With your speed, the distance from the city won’t be an issue.”

  Alan shouldered his duffle bag as he followed Danielle to the door. “Am I being punished?”

  “What? No.”

  “This feels like some kind of punishment.”

  “Easy there, give it a minute.”

  Danielle walked right to the corroded front door. From what Alan could see, it was an ordinary looking warehouse panel with a rusty knob and a worn hole for a key. Danielle looked up to the roof. Alan followed her gaze but saw nothing. “Agent Danielle Turner, code name Valkyrie.”

  There was a brief pause before the door slid open with a puff of steam. Alan jumped back surprised by the motion and steam rising from the door.

  “Welcome to your new home,” Danielle smirked and walked inside.

  Alan coughed, embarrassed. He gathered himself and slowly walked inside. Danielle was right. The interior of the place was nothing like the outside.

  The warehouse was massive with a high-domed ceiling and intense bright lights spread all around. Alan steadied himself so he didn’t jump as the steel door hissed close behind him. The warehouse walls which looked like they were ready to crumble at a moment’s notice from the outside, were actually camouflage. Thick steel paneling met his gaze on all sides.

  “Come on, ro
omie,” Danielle said, “I’ll give you a tour of the place.”

  Alan followed her through the large building as she pointed out specific rooms and areas on the way to his own living quarters. “So, this is the training room. You’ll be spending a lot of time in there. Over here is the communication room, that’s where I do the bulk of my work. Kitchen is on the left, conference room on the right and you’ll have your own private bathroom attached to your room.”

  Alan nodded, taking in the scene. The inside of the warehouse is what he imagined the future to be. Everything was brightly lit with sparse decoration and large amounts of free space in every room. White mats covered the training room floor; the conference room was one large area with an oval table, chairs and a monitor on one side of the room.

  “And here you go.”

  Alan nearly ran into Danielle, still looking over his shoulder at the spotless kitchen area. He stepped through a door into a mid-size room furnished with a bed, dresser, closet and a door leading to his bathroom. “Ange—I mean, our organization isn’t too fond of decorations, are they?”

  “Nope, but there aren’t any rules on what you can or can’t put up.” Alan threw his bag on the bed and turned. Danielle was smiling to herself looking around the room. “I don’t know. I kind of like the look. There’s something about simplicity. I think a lot of people trade the idea for material things they don’t really need.”

  Alan nodded thinking about her statement. “So, what’s first?”

  Danielle snapped back to reality from wherever her mind was traveling. “Oh right. After you settle in, you’ll start your training.”

  “Right, training.” Alan crossed his large arms and looked Danielle up and down. “I don’t want to seem rude. I mean you can heal people so who knows maybe you can do all kinds of other things too, but how are you going to train me? And in what?”