Falling Hard Ch. 17

There is one more chapter after this one, and Falling Hard will be finished. Thank you for reading. I appreciate votes, comments and feedback. It is motivating to me, and I try to answer any email that has a return address. Thanks again.

* * *

Virta was on her knees on the floor. Her hands shook as she held the relic over Athan's bare chest. Her mouth was dry but her eyes were filling with tears. It was not the first or last time she would second-guess this plan. He'd given her one part in his plan - one task for her to complete. But it was the hardest thing for her to do.

Athan was on his back on the floor of Virta's apartment with his shirt unbuttoned all the way. She watched his muscular chest rise and fall as he struggled to keep his breathing steady. Virta could see his face tense up as he prepared himself for the onslaught of the relic's terrible power.

"OK, I'm ready." The strain to remain calm was evident in his voice.

No, she would not do this. How could she put that thing on him? She knew what it felt like, though she had only worn it for a very short time. There was no way she could willingly press it against his flesh.

"I said, I'm ready, Virta." Athan's voice was louder in her ears than before. "Rose will be here any minute."

Her fingers shook as she moved the relic closer to his chest, to his heart. She watched his eyes as he watched it coming closer. When it was an inch from his chest, she paused again.

It was sickly fascinating - the way the skin rippled slightly from the radiant power of the relic. It practically lunged for him, ready to dig its spikes into his heart. No, she could not do this.

"What the hell are you waiting for?" His voice startled her and she nearly dropped the relic on him. "Soldier, you've got your orders. Do it!"

Unwillingly, her hand opened and the relic fell onto his chest. She heard a gasp of air in his lungs and a low groan. Unable to watch his agony, she raced to the sliding glass door, wrenched it open, and started to run. That was the plan, after all.

She couldn't do it. Virta clenched her hair in her hands and leaned up against the building, panting. She felt like such a coward. She should be in there with him right now, holding his hand, stroking his forehead and comforting him. She should be taking the stupid relic off him and locking her door so that maybe the world would leave them alone.

They could make love like they did before, when he had her up among the stars. She decided to go back in there and tell him this was all a bad idea. There was still time before Rose showed up.

Virta knew Athan could hear, see, and feel anything that happened to him from here on out, but had no chance of protecting himself from as much as a fly. He was completely vulnerable. She felt she had to protect him. That feeling was new to her. He was always the protector, not the one who was weak and helpless. Only now, he was.

She opened the door and stepped inside just in time to see Rose and two big angels coming in the other door. Athan was lying very still on the living room floor. Rose looked from Athan to Virta, a shrewd smile on her face. Virta was stuck in her spot like a deer in headlights.

"You see? I knew you would call me. So tell me, what did he do?" Rose marched right over to Athan's motionless body and stood over him as if she was the champion of a knockdown, drag-out fight. "You mentioned the contract."

Virta stuttered, and then spoke in a distraught voice. "Y-you were right, Rose. He's a cruel bastard. He - oh my god - he had his way with me. He made me his slave." She wiped at her eyes.

Rose's lips curled into a snarl. "Oh shit. You're just lucky that where he's going, he won't be able to enforce it. You know he set you up for that, right? I mean, the papers weren't under lock and key, I'm betting?"

Virta looked back down at Athan. He was quiet, just staring off into space with dark, pain-filled eyes. She shook her head.

"You see, he's a tricky one, letting your own natural curiosity be the rope that hung you."

Virta took a deep breath. "I managed to get the relic on him and call you. Thank God you came so quickly!"

Rose walked up and put an arm around Virta, patting her back in a show of fake sympathy. "There, there, honey. I tried to warn you. It will be all right. You'll get your revenge soon enough."

Rose bent down to examine Athan more closely. "Just like old times, right, Athan, baby?"

She grabbed his chin between her hands and planted a big, sloppy kiss on his lips. Virta clenched her hands together. She wanted to kick Rose's ass so bad, but she had to keep the plan - the bigger picture - in mind. That is, if she hadn't fucked it up too much already.

Rose drew back and landed a punch as hard as she could on Athan's cheek. His head jerked back a bit and then fell limp again.

"I've wanted to do that for a long time," she said, rubbing her fist with the other hand. "Tough bastard though. Ouch, that hurt."

Then she motioned to the tough-guy angels standing by the wall. "Rod... Smokey... have at him, boys. I want him softened up a little for the General."

She leaned down again in Athan's face. "This is a little taste of what you'll get back in Heaven, love," she said, grasping his chin tightly. "And payback for what you did to me the last time we were together like this."

She got up and moved back to stand by a horrified Virta. "And for what you did to my friend, Virta," she added. Rose draped her arm around Virta's shoulder again. Virta wanted to elbow her in the ribs, but she stood still.

The two angels began kicking Athan. Virta shook Rose's arm off and walked back to the sliding glass door. She looked out with tears welling up in her eyes. She couldn't stand to hear the thuds as Rod and Smokey's boots made contact with Athan's defenseless body. She shut her eyes to keep the tears from coming out. A hand was on her shoulder.

"Go ahead, Virta. Take a turn at it."

Virta looked down at the smaller woman.

"What? No."

"There's absolutely nothing he can do to you now. Don't you want to -- "

"No! I think your men are doing a bang-up job of making him suffer already. Why are you playing around, Rose? Banner will be waiting. Are we going or not?" Virta was angry and afraid, and she couldn't stop it from coming out in her voice. She yanked at a lock of her own hair to keep from punching Rose.

Rose's eyes narrowed. "Oh, we're going, but don't worry. We won't be late. It just takes seconds to get there from here."

Virta glanced back to the scene on her living room floor. She winced as another blow landed on Athan's face. He was bleeding onto her carpet.

"That's enough!" she yelled at the angels.

They stopped and looked up at her in surprise. Rose put her hands on her hips. Just then, someone came barreling through the living room door. Everyone but Athan turned to see who it was.

"Mick, what are you doing here?" Virta was horrified to see her best friend in the middle of all this, casually dusting off his black pants before looking up at them.

"I know you," Rose began, glaring up as she took him in - from his dark hair and blue eyes to his black ops clothing and boots. "Mick. But you're as much a demon now as this brute on the floor!"

Rod and Stoney left their pummeling of Athan and started toward Mick.

"I'm not here to rescue him!" Mick said, holding his empty hands up in front of him. "You can see I'm unarmed."

"What then?" Rose asked, eyes glaring. She folded her arms across her chest impatiently.

"Banner broadcasted a message for me. If I help bring Athan in, I'll be reinstated as a Heavenly angel. Complete pardon."

Virta's heart sunk to her stomach and she forgot to breathe.

"I received no such update from the General," Rose said, one eyebrow cocked suspiciously.

"Check your receiver again. I'm sure it's there by now."

Rose pulled the small device from her hip pocket and put an ear bud in. She turned and walked away, facing the wall. After a moment, she put the device away and turned back around.

"Alright... You were telling the truth. However, I don't like this. I learned long ago the foolishness of deviating from a well thought-out plan. If you're going along, you have to do what I say, Mick. Now let's get him ready for transport."

Everyone was busy but Virta, who stood against the wall staring down at Athan. Her mind was going a mile a minute to try to figure something out. Mick surely didn't believe that the General would do what he said. Was reinstatement even possible? She had surely never heard of it. Mick wouldn't betray her like this.

She walked to where Mick was bending over Athan, reinforcing the knots that were binding him. Virta whispered to him as quietly as possible. "Mick, don't do this. You know Banner is lying. Think of what he did to Flash and Carol."

Mick didn't answer, just kept at the knots.

"Please, Mick. Don't be a part of this."

"It's too late, Virta. You're a part of this, so I'm a part of this." Mick finished tying the knot and stood up.

"If you're doing this because you feel responsible for me, then don't worry about it. Everything is going just according to plan."

"Is it really?" he said coolly and walked away to the other side of the room where Rose was talking with her angelic thugs. Virta looked back down into the battered face of the man she loved. Athan's eyes were closed.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered.

She heard them approaching and looked up. Mick took her by the arm. She jerked her arm away from him and stood with her back to the wall again. She couldn't stand feeling so helpless anymore.

"Guys, pick this beast up and let's go."

Virta watched as Rod and Stoney grabbed Athan. They hoisted him off the ground with their arms locked under his, holding him up, one angel on each side.

Rose took out another device from her bag and set it on the floor in the middle of the room. Bright rays of light shone out, shimmering and wavering. Rose motioned for Rod and Stoney to go first. They walked to the light, pulling Athan along with them. As they stepped into the concentrated beams, they disappeared into thin air. Mick went next, and then Virta, and Rose brought up the rear.

All Virta did was walk into the light, and continued walking right into another world. They were in a huge, grassy field with trees on all sides. A blue, cloudless sky was overhead. She couldn't see a sun anywhere in it though. The colors here were unusually vibrant and it took Virta's eyes a moment to adjust. Fresh air and the scent of the lush, green field blew gently over her.

She looked at those by her side. Rose was next to her, hands on her slim hips, staring intently at the trees ahead. Rod and Stoney were just behind them with Athan in the middle. She did a quick check of Athan but his eyes were barely open and his head was hanging down. Mick was standing in the back like the coward he was.

She turned back around and movement caught her eye. From the tree line stepped marching angels, row after row. It was an awesome, fearful sight. She saw General Banner riding through the trees on a white horse. Virta watched in fear and trembling as he crossed the field with his small army of angels. They kept coming in formation until they surrounded the small group.

The General slid off his horse and gave the reins to an angel, who led the horse a few paces back. The General stood in front of Rose then. But his eyes looked over her head, staring down at Athan. Rod and Stoney pulled their catch up so he could see better. It got very quiet.

"Athan," Banner said. "Here we are, after all these years. Wouldn't it have been so much better to have remained on my team? You know the prophecies as well as I do. In the end... we win."

That jarred Virta. She glanced at Rose. The other woman's eyes were locked on the General. Her face was radiant at just the sight of him.

"General," Rose said. "It's so nice to see you again." She gave a salute. "I'm the reason you have Athan. I brought him to you just as you commanded. Though it took me longer than I hoped, I didn't let you down. He's yours."

Banner nodded. "You will be given everything you deserve when we all get to Heaven. Nevertheless, Virta made this possible too. He was vulnerable because of her."

Virta shivered as Banner's eyes raked over her. She felt naked under his gaze. The look he gave her was one of pure disgust, however. "She'll get what she deserves too," he said. Then Banner's attention went back to the captive demon.

Virta startled as Rod and Stony pitched Athan forward and he went to his knees. He stayed there for a moment, but fell with his face down on the ground at the General's feet. Virta cringed at that and had to fight the urge to try to catch him before he fell, or at least prop him up. It was all so wrong. Athan should not be so helpless in front of the General.

"Pick him up," Banner said to some of his men.

Two burly angels walked forward and grabbed Athan by his upper arms. They grunted as they hauled him to his feet, turned him around, and began dragging him away. Virta looked into his eyes but they just stared back at her, lifeless and dull. The relic is doing its thing, she thought, feeling the panic rise in her chest.

Where was Bel and his army? They were supposed to be here, set Athan free and fight the General. So why was that not happening? She couldn't let Banner take Athan from her. She started to move forward. She would grab the relic from him herself. She only made it a few steps after Athan when the General's soldiers took hold of her.

That's when all hell broke loose.