“Like that guy,” Brian pointed.
Audrey turned and just saw an elegant gentleman walking across the street.
Dieter looked. “That’s a cat-faced gargoyle.”
“Boys, I have a bad feeling about this,” Audrey said.
“We’ll run interference. You get the boys to the car and get to the farm,” Dieter said.
Acalan was looking over at the park, drawing inspiration, when he saw the teens drop their stuff and run to confront a man at the entrance to the park. The woman, he had seen with Brian Martin and the double stroller earlier, pushed the stroller quickly away, heading for the other park entrance.
A very tall man with a beige duster stepped in front of her. Another stouter man dressed similarly was walking up behind her.
“Grandma Z, something’s going on at the park. I’m going to check it out,” he called, running down the stairs, and picking up her old steel-shaft umbrella as he pushed out the front door.
“Excuse me,” Audrey said. “Would you mind stepping aside? I have to get the kiddies home.”
“Audrey Stavros.”
“Yes.”
“I’m here to collect your son. Which one is Luke?”
“Who are you?’
“Here, this will explain who I am and the contract I have taken,” the Other started, reaching for the contract.
“You’re an Other?” Audrey barely got the words out.
“Yes. And if you are familiar with me, you should know I travel with an associate,” the tall Other motioned behind her.
Audrey turned around and confirmed that her last escape route was blocked. “Where is the contract?” Audrey asked, stalling. She speed-dialed Orion while the man pulled the contract out.
“Audrey?”
“Dear, there is a pair of Others here in the village park to collect our son.”
“I’m on the way,” he said.
Audrey shook her head when the contract was produced. I’m sorry, you will have to wait for Luke’s father. In this town, you must present contracts to the patriarch of the family,” she lied.
Quazar looked at the tall black youth and repeated, “Get out of my way.”
“I’m sorry, but it’s not often I get to see a gargoyle in Big Bear Lake.”
Quazar tried not to look surprised. “I have business here.”
“What is your business?” Mark asked.
“Collecting valuable things. My associates and I are fulfilling a contract while retrieving quite a collectible.”
Acalan rushed across the street, which caught the attention of his guardian angel Esther. She followed on his heels.
“Missus, you left your umbrella in the store,” he called to Audrey.
Audrey was a bit confused but sensed that the tall man brandishing an umbrella was coming to her aid. “Thank you! My children are defenseless against the elements.”
Acalan looked at the babies in the stroller, and he thought at first that they had wings. One had white wings, and the other had black wings. He shook it off as he did most of his visions.
“Hello, it’s about time we caught up,” Esther said, preparing herself to fight the Others. She was alone, but she would give it her all.
Both of the Others turned around when the angel arrived already brandishing a sword.
Audrey used this opportunity to turn the stroller around. She bent down, put Brian’s hands on the stroller, and hissed, “Run and hide the babies.” She waited until the boys were a few yards away before she launched herself on the back of the tall Other.
Momentarily surprised, he staggered under her weight. He threw her off, but she came back at him. Baffled, he tried to remember if killing the mother of the child was in the contract.
“Leave that woman alone! Someone call the cops!” Acalan shouted.
Dieter turned around and ran to help. He dialed home at the same time.
Mark stared down the man in front of him and growled, “Is that your mess over there?”
Quazar wasn’t exactly sure what he was dealing with. Was this an American teenager or was it a demon? They behaved similarly. Both were volatile. Either way, he had better be careful.
Brian pushed the cart as fast as he could. He screamed, “MURPHY!”
Varden screeched and Luke cried. Brian pushed the stroller down the hill towards the park’s entrance to the graveyard. He thought that would be a good place to hide the babies. With all the tall headstones and crypts, three little kids should be able to disappear.
Murphy dropped the bale of straw he was storing. He felt something was wrong. He moved to the farmyard.
“MURPHY!”
Brian was calling for him. Where was he?
Mia landed and looked at him. He held up his hand to stop her from talking.
“MURPHY!”
“Brian is in trouble.”
“Where?”
Cid ran out of the farmhouse shouting, “The Others are trying to take Luke in the village park.”
Mia picked up Murphy and took off.
The guardian angel faced off with the stout Other. Audrey and Acalan took turns assaulting the tall one.
Dieter arrived. He caught Audrey as she was thrown off. He set the exhausted woman down and took her place in the fight.
From above, Mia saw her son enter the graveyard pushing the stroller. She told Murphy, “Take the boys to the Countess. She’ll protect them until we can settle this. Come back and help me. I don’t have a weapon.”
Murphy dropped down to help the boys. Brian hugged the ghost. “We gotta get out of here!”
Mia flew into the melee, knocking the stout Other down. She nodded to the angel who tossed Mia her sword. Mia drove it through the heart of the entity. She pulled it out and turned and recognized the tall Other. “Not you again.” She called over to the angel. “They have come with six henchmen. This is an extermination squad,” she said, returning the sword to the angel. “You must protect your charge.”
“Mia?” Acalan said, stunned.
Mia ignored him, addressing Dieter, “Take
