Eventually, he decided to meditate. He wasn’t about to risk sleeping now that using the pentacle was out of the question. He could easily draw it around himself but then he would be trapped, with no-one to break the protective line of chalk.
That night, for the first time, the demons came.
He was taken completely by surprise. Deep in a meditative trance, they were almost in the house before he realized. He had sensed them earlier but just put it down to the lurking presence of the smiling traitor that seemed to haunt him on a regular basis.
It was the demonic screaming that awoke him to the danger he was in. His eyes sprung open in shock. Without being consciously aware of it, his swords were suddenly in his hands. He raced downstairs in time to meet their charge.
The Lemure streamed in through the open front door. There were only about ten of them and his swords went to work with a will, seemingly moving of their own accord. His training had been so intense that he cut and parried instinctively, even though a part of his mind was recoiling in terror.
It was over in seconds, his swords continuing to move even as the ashen remains of the last destroyed demon fluttered slowly to the floor. The encounter had left him completely unscathed.
He stopped and listened, his mind still not quite registering what had happened. Outside, he could still hear the demons screaming. Through the dreadful clamour, he heard something else. It was screaming but it wasn’t a demon. It was most definitely human.
He raced outside and looked both ways down Main Street. The street lights were off and there was no moon. Even though, his sharp demon eyes took in everything clearly.
At the far end of the street, two hundred feet in the distance, he could see a large pack of Lemure surrounding the woman he had tried to help earlier. They had forced her to her feet; she was struggling and screaming but it made no difference to the Lemure. Hoisting her between them, they hurried her along down the street. They were coming directly for him.
He charged at them. A dozen or so broke off from the pack and intercepted him before he could reach the group that held the woman. He fought his way through them but they were persistent. More appeared out of the shadows and soon he was being forced backwards. Over the tops of their heads, he could see the woman being carried further and further away. He renewed his attack but it was no use, as more demons appeared to replace those that had fallen. He continued to fight. Demons surrounded him but he cut them down so quickly most did not even have an opportunity to strike at him.
Suddenly, the demons broke off the attack, melting back into the shadows. Sam sucked in a large breath of air and looked around him. All the demons had gone. Of the woman, there was no sign.
He sunk down on to his knees in utter despair. He had been tasked with helping the survivors but he was worse than useless. He hadn’t been able to save even one poor woman. How was he possibly meant to defend the innocent against such overwhelming odds?
Hikari, Father Rainey and even the Archangel Gabriel were wrong. How could he save others when he had already failed so spectacularly? Not only that, but he was expected to confront and defeat the Antichrist. It was all just a bit too much to take.
With a heavy heart, he trudged back home.
11
PRESENT
“If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath.”
Revelation 14:9,10
Las Vegas had come off relatively unscathed by the Tribulation. Sure, there was some superficial damage caused by the earthquakes and a few buildings gutted by fire, but nothing like what Sam had expected.
Joshua and Grace dismounted and led the horses along the Great Basin Highway that threaded its way directly into the city. It was completely devoid of the abandoned cars that Sam had learnt to expect from most roads. It was even ash-free. Someone had obviously scraped it clear with something like a mechanical snow plough. Surprisingly, they even encountered a few moving vehicles that honked their horns at them as they passed, some of the occupants shouting abuse. Even now, foot traffic on a state highway was obviously not encouraged.
Eventually, sick of the hurled insults, they decided to get off the road and found a smaller tributary road. The sign said East Flamingo which Joshua said would take them into the heart of Vegas. There, he said, was the best chance to find transport to Los Angeles.
Sam took him at his word, knowing no better, while Grace offered no comment, having never been to Las Vegas before.
On the sidewalk, Sam was surprised to see that there were absolutely no demons around. He could sense them — just — but so far they had not made an appearance. There also seemed to be a great number of people around, in stark contrast to Boulder City that had been completely abandoned. It was almost morning and the crowds were beginning to thin, but there were still more people around than he had ever seen before in his life. Most seemed to be unaffected by the Tribulation. He saw people laughing and smiling, all seemingly having a good time. Very strange.
People seemed to avoid them, many giving Sam’s swords a hurried appraisal before quickly looking away. Eventually, unable to take it any longer, Sam stopped a stranger in the street. The man looked well groomed and fed, with slick-backed hair. On his arm was a teenage girl wearing very little in the manner of clothing.
Sam put one hand on the man’s arm. “Hi. Can you tell us what’s going on around here?”
The man looked at him strangely. “What do you mean? This is Vegas where anything can and will happen.”He exchanged looks with his young companion and they both burst out laughing.
Sam kept his frustration in check. “I mean, what’s happened since the Rapture? Where are the demons?”
“What do you mean?” the man asked suspiciously. “They are where they normally are. In the churches and probably in hell.”The girl giggled.
“Why aren’t they out here dragging people back with them?” Sam asked.
The man’s eyed narrowed. Next to him, his girlfriend went quiet. “You’re not from around here, are you? Where’s your mark?”
“Mark? What mark?” Sam was thoroughly confused now.
The man waved a hand at him. “I don’t think I can talk to you any longer. In fact, I think you need to talk to those in charge. Here you go. Just in the nick of time.”
Beside them a police car was pulling up. Two uniformed officers got out and eyed Sam and his friends with obvious interest. “I think you kids need to come with us,” said one of them, opening up the rear door. “Leave your horses. We’ll send someone to take care of them. Get in.”
Sam glanced at Grace and Joshua. They didn’t seem to be able to do anything useful so Sam shrugged. Why not? They had nothing to lose and in fact, these officers might just be able to help them. Besides, he really wanted to know what was going on around here and who better than the police to get answers from?
All three piled into the car, Sam being forced to take his katana off in order to fit in. Curiously, the cops had not removed the weapon. In fact, they hardly seemed to
care that he was carrying it.
“Where to, officer?” asked Joshua.
The officer in the passenger seat turned around. “To the heart of things. There’s someone who wants to have a word with you.”
The cops drove them only a short distance, pulling up outside Caesar’s Palace Hotel and casino. Sam felt decidedly nervous, fidgeting with the sword in his lap. Next to him in the back seat, Joshua and Grace seemed even more agitated, both peering out the car windows, trying to catch glimpses of the people and places they passed.