Page 61 of Avenging Angel

Owen’s eyes widen when he hears that his sister is, yet again, at the center of an attack. “Let’s go!”

At the pace we’re moving, what took us four hours to travel one way only takes an hour going back. Remaining hidden in the shadows or covering our tracks is not an option for any of us when Daisy’s life is on the line.

The one thing I can say for this team is that they remain calm under pressure. Yes, there’s urgency, but no one is panicking or losing their mind. No one is cluttering the comms with accusations, worry, or suspicions. Everyone is murmuring prayers as we await further news.

Jeremy and Jack are waiting for us at the staging area where we hid our ATVs, their truck idling and ready to take us to the cabin. Before getting in, we ensure all safeties are on before tossing our weapons and rucksacks into the back.

“Thanks for the lift,” I say, slamming the passenger door closed and feeling like a sardine in the back seat.

Jack, who is in the front passenger seat, turns around and looks at Owen first, then me. “Neither one of you needs to be operating a motor vehicle with everything going on. It’s dark outside, and operating an ATV requires concentration even when it’s daylight.”

Jeremy’s eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror. “This is faster, and we all want information. Roger isn’t saying anything until he has all the facts.”

I hadn’t paid attention to the setting sun because my world was already turning dark. I’ve been focusing on the softness of Daisy’s lips, the way she fits perfectly in my arms, and how I might never get the chance to hold her again. Six months I wasted because I was too stupid to admit the connection we shared was real.

Owen isn’t really listening as he whispers a prayer like a mantra. “Dear God, please let my sister be alive. Please let her be alive. Please let her be alive.”

Gripping his shoulder in solidarity, I whisper, “She’s alive. I know it. Daisy still has a mission, and there’s no way she’s going to let a little thing like a bomb stop her from accomplishing it.”

When Owen looks at me with red-rimmed eyes, he gives me a grateful smile. “I pray those words are true, Angel. I’m just afraid she’s running out of lives to spare.”

Scott rolls the window down an inch to let out the cloying air that is starting to feel suffocating under the weight of our minds drifting to worst-case scenarios. “We’ll find out soon enough.”

Vinny comes out to greet us when he hears us get out of the vehicle and trek up the hill toward the cabin. “Here’s what we know so far. Daisy is alive and well. She was performing CPR on Bennett when the police and ambulances arrived, and they’re both currently at Rampart Regional Medical Center receiving aid. That’s the last update I have for you regarding their well-being.”

It’s enough for now. I don’t have to look at Owen to know that his shoulders have lost the tension they were holding because mine have done the same. “What do the police know?”

“Nothing,” Vinny says. “As soon as Jerry informed us of the incident, the call was made to Director Finnegan. Within 15 minutes, two special agents showed up at the scene and took over. It saves Daisy from needing to explain why she and Bennett were breaking into the Bloom residence to start with, or why a CIA officer was committing a felony on U.S. soil.”

Vinny follows us into the cabin, and Faith rushes over to hug me. “Daisy’s okay, Angel. Jaxon and I prayed all the way here.”

Jaxon grips Owen’s shoulder as Owen lets a solitary tear fall. It’s a tear of joy, relief, and his worst fear not being realized.

“Everyone prayed.” Then Jaxon quotes Matthew 18:20, a verse my family has always taken to heart. “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

“Prayer is the most powerful tool in the arsenal,” a voice says in my ear. No one acknowledges the comment, so I take out my earpiece and inspect the device. The voice doesn’t disappear. “Unity and reliance on the Father dims the darkness so one focuses on the Light. He is here and with you all.”

Not meaning to, I say the angel’s name out loud. At least, that’s who I believe is talking to me, although he isn’t making his presence known. “Uri.”

While the name doesn’t mean anything to most everyone in the room, it definitely catches Roger’s attention. “Angel, might I have a private word with you outside?”

“If it’s about my sister, I’m coming too,” Owen says.

The three of us leave the cabin, cross the walking path, and head into the woods to speak privately. Roger looks around. “How do you know that name?”

“Well… uh… um….”

“Daisy used to say that name in her sleep,” Owen says. “I always wondered if she subliminally knew the name of her captor even if she claimed she didn’t know it.”

“It’s not her captor,” Roger and I both say simultaneously.

Owen looks at both of us with a pointed glare. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Uri leans casually against a Douglas fir, gesturing for me to explain. “He’s ready to hear it.”

“Why didn’t you allow me to say anything before?”

Chuckling, Uri says, “You and Daisy were breathing toxic air. Your friends and family would have listened, but they would have chalked up your experience to a hallucination. Ask your friend Roger how the encounter in his youth was received by his peers. Now they’ll know you’re speaking with a sound mind.”