expected or hoped. “Samyaza. What brings you here?”
“You, as it happens,” said the Watcher, smiling easily. His head suddenly darted in a direction just over Sam’s shoulder. For a moment, he looked slightly shocked. This was swiftly replaced by an expression that Sam could only describe as calculating. The Watcher looked at him sharply. “You do know what follows you?”
Sam shrugged nonchalantly, trying to out-cool this impossibly suave creature. “The Devil’s Hand, if I’m not much mistaken.”
The Watcher nodded. “They are still some distance away but I will keep this short. The longer you delay here, the closer they become. I’ll cut to the chase — I know what the Powers That Be have done with Aimi — with the two of you. And with what was between you.”
Sam gritted his teeth and said nothing.
“I, of all… people, feel your pain,” he continued. “I know what it is like to love and then have it taken from you.”
“Get to the point,” said Sam, tight-lipped. He really didn’t want to discuss the matter with a Grigori.
“Very well. This may be hard to hear but it is what it is.” The Watcher took a breath as if gathering his thoughts. Sam hadn’t seen him do that before. It would seem that Samyaza had something of importance to impart. “Gabriel has made a pact with Satan.”
The Grigori watched Sam carefully for a reaction. He was destined to be disappointed, however. Sam now had a tight rein on his emotions. Outwardly at least. Inwardly, his thoughts were awhirl. He should’ve expected this. How could he have trusted Gabriel? Irritatingly, his father had been right after all. Even though his heart was thudding rapidly in his chest, no expression betrayed him. He wouldn’t give Samyaza the satisfaction though. Like his angelic and demonic relatives, Samyaza could be infuriatingly smug. Perhaps that was how all these creatures treated mortals, even mortals like Sam…
“The pact involved the Anti-Christ and the false prophet. The deal is that when Christ returns at the end of the Tribulation in three and a half years’ time, both these creatures will be sent to the deepest pit in Hell, to the eternal lake of fire, there to remain for all eternity, with no hope of escape. You are familiar with this?”
He was indeed. It was in the Bible although interestingly, it was the first time he’d heard talk about the false prophet. Sam knew that the prophet was meant to rise with the Anti-Christ but if he was around, he was keeping a low profile so far.
“But the real key point of the pact involves the identity of the Anti-Christ. As you know, both you and your brother had the potential to take the place at your father’s side. You were the rightful heir, having defeated your brother so therefore, you are, for all intents and purposes, the Anti-Christ.”
Sam opened his mouth to protest but the Grigori held up one hand. “Yes. I am well aware you declined, thereby infuriating your father for all time but that is as may be. Heaven and Hell are all about the wording, especially when it comes to contracts or pacts. Often they adhere to the letter rather than the spirit of the law. And the wording here is clear. The Antichrist. That could be interpreted as your brother… or you.”
Sam digested this, feeling the cold anger grow again inside him. Gabriel was playing a dangerous game. This was the second time she had betrayed him. Once, he could forgive, but twice? He said nothing though, for fear that his anger would betray him, much like her.
“So the Antichrist will be sent to the eternal lake of fire when Christ returns,” continued Samyaza. “That’s plural. Antichrists.”
Sam marveled at Gabriel’s double-dealing, but he had to admire the plan. Like most great plans, it was simplicity itself. Sam was always going to be a thorn in Heaven’s side after the return of Christ. What were they meant to do with him? He wasn’t welcome in Heaven and he simply could not be allowed to remain on the Earth when Jesus created his thousand year kingdom of paradise. It would just be embarrassing having a half-demon around. And they couldn’t just send him to Hell. He’d shown he was easily capable of transporting himself out of there. So there was only one place left: the eternal lake of fire at the bottom of the deepest pit in Hell. Only one place was worse — the bottomless pit where his father would be confined for a thousand years, and they couldn’t send him there. That was reserved for Daddy only.
Sam was at a loss. The betrayal was complete. What had he done to deserve this treatment? He’d lost everyone he cared for in the Rapture. Not only that, but he’d done everything Gabriel had asked of him, battling the Antichrist and demons, thwarting his father and rescuing what innocents he could. Why wasn’t that enough? Why would she punish him after that?
“So, what does my father get out of this? Why would he want both sons in the lake?”
“I believe Gabriel offered him certain… concessions, in exchange for his agreement. I don’t know what they were, but the inducement must have been considerable.”
“This doesn’t change anything,” said Sam, the words sounding more noble than they had to right to do. “It doesn’t change who I am. I’m not suddenly going to stop doing what I’m doing. Just because Heaven doesn’t keep its word, doesn’t mean I don’t have to.” He spat the words out like ashes. He meant it, too. Damn Hell and his father and damn Gabriel and Heaven too. He’d do what he did best, what he always did — take care of himself.
“It doesn’t have to be like this though,” said Samyaza.
Something in the Watcher’s tone brought Sam up sharply. “Go on,” he said. “I’m listening.”
“You are the son of Satan. As such, you have great power — power that largely remains untapped at present. With my help, that can change.”
“So I can do what exactly?” asked Sam.
“With the help of my brethren, you and I can make our own plane of existence, a plane that is neither Heaven nor Hell nor Earth; a place in between, where we will be safe, always welcome. A place to call home. Think about it. I am like you. When Christ returns, there will be no place for me. I am not welcome in Heaven or Hell although I am able to travel to both parts freely. I make my home here, on Earth but shortly that will no longer be an option. Join with me. Together we can make this a reality.”
Sam thought about it. He had to admit it was tempting. Finally he had an alternative to spending eternity in Hell. But surely there would be repercussions? Would Heaven and Hell just allow this to happen? There had to be a catch — there always was with Samyaza. The Watcher had his own agenda. “What about Aimi?’ he asked.
Samyaza smiled again. “I knew you would ask and I have an offer to sweeten the deal. I have just explained that I can travel to Heaven. What do you think should happen?”
Sam had known the Watcher could travel where he liked, it was just that the mere thought of it was too ridiculous to contemplate. Him travel to Heaven? Impossible!
“You can transport us both?” he said, hoping his voice didn’t sound too eager. So far, he’d been rather proud of how he’d controlled his emotions.
“Most certainly.”
“And get Aimi out too?”
Samyaza nodded mutely. “We will discuss the details later. Right now, you have other pressing matters to attend to. Time is up once again, I’m afraid.” The Watcher was looking over his shoulder again. Sam guessed that the Devil’s Hand were closing in. Even engrossed in the conversation, Sam was ever conscious of their movements, knowing that ever minute he delayed, they got that much closer.
The Watcher took flight. He hovered above Sam for a moment as if he’d forgotten something.
“You know, you never told me how you got out of Hell,” said Sam, yelling in order to be heard above the flapping of Samyaza’s great wings. Years earlier, during the battle between Sam and in brother in Hell, Satan had banished Samyaza to a deep pit in his Kingdom for interfering. The Watcher had never mentioned it and Sam had never thought to ask. He did now though.
“Perhaps another time.” The Grigori winked at him. “Now is the time to run.”
Sam turned. Approaching down the highway in the darkness were five figures. They were spread out, equidistant from each other in a rough line, still several hundred feet away but closing rapidly thanks to their long, loping gait.
Sam would face them. Eventually. But now was not that time. He had things to do, plans to make.
He turned east and sprinted off. The true test of his endurance was about to begin.
