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21 Years Ago

Ashland, OR

October 24, 2000

The woods were silent except for the loud frantic rhythm of her heartbeat thumping in her ears. Small clouds of steamy air puffed from her lips, as she tried to get her breathing under control. She gritted her teeth as terror threatened to seize every cell in her body.

Stumbling toward a large tree, she grabbed onto its thick trunk like a lifeline. Her eyes frantically scanning her surroundings to see if anyone was coming, chills ran down her spine when only darkness stared back at her. Turning, she placed her back against the tree, its rough bark digging into her skin. Instinctively she lay a protective hand on her swollen belly, as fear once again reared its ugly head. Swallowing was torture, her throat had become raw from breathing in the cold air. There was a wispy fog swirling along the wooded ground casting a creepy feel to the air.

Sarah Garcia had never felt more vulnerable in her entire life than she did in that moment.

Glancing down at herself, she cringed. She was a bloody mess and the bottom of her bare feet felt as if thousands of needles had pricked them.

Escaping without any shoes, no longer felt well justified.

She winced as the harshness of the cold wind washed over her body; biting through the thin crimson nightgown he'd forced her to wear. The nasty wind leaving its mark in forms of small bumps that tingled on her arms and legs, penetrating through her flesh all the way to her bones.

Turning her focus away from her injuries and the cold, she tried calming herself enough to listen. The only sounds that she could hear were rustling leaves and the shallow gasps of her own nervous breathing.

By now they'd already noticed that she was gone and were on the hunt for her. Her water had broke long before escaping into the woods; and even though she got a head start on them⎼a wobbling pregnant woman whose gone into labor could only get so far.

The sharp pain in her lower abdomen made her woozy, her jaw clenched in a poor effort to stop the scream that wanted to tear through her throat as another contraction began to build up.

Knowing her attempt to hold back her scream would fail, Sarah bit down on her forearm. Her teeth digging into her soft flesh as the metallic taste of her own blood exploded in her mouth. Tears ran down her cheeks as her lower back began to slowly seize up, as if the muscles inside were twisting harder and harder, taking her breath away.

Her legs wouldn't support her much longer, she needed to take action before her whole body gave out.

Inhaling deeply she closed her eyes tightly as she said a short prayer before releasing a shaky breath.

Sarah clenched her fists as she scanned the area once more before pushing off from the large pine and heading deeper into the darkness.

"Please God, please keep us safe."

***

Concealed in the shadows of the moonlight, stood a lone figure, barely visible except for the sporadic glow of a cigarette tip. Marcus ran his large fingers through his mop of thick black hair, his leather jacket squeaking as he scanned the woods. The glowing ember of the cigarette fell to the forest floor before immediately being squished into the dirt by the sole of a Timberland boot.

All that was left to do was wait.

For centuries Marcus has been an executioner for Heaven's judgement upon the mortals. He was considered an Angel of Death, his purpose for existence was to claim the souls of the benevolent for Heaven, and to inflict the righteous punishment of death on the irredeemably wicked. Marcus always performed the latter task quickly and efficiently, and was more than happy to relieve his fellow Angels from such a horrible duty.

He felt a deep satisfaction for both obeying the Will of Heaven and the sure knowledge that he once again protected the innocent from forces of Evil.

Marcus was the best there was.

Whenever he was sent to do a mission it was because his Creator ordered it to be done in a way only Marcus could deliver. He never questioned the orders given to him and only considered the importance of his missions. Yet, he never thought he'd receive a command to eliminate a pregnant woman.

Sarah Garcia had put him in a tough spot.

She didn't commit an act worthy of his punishment. In fact, she was forced to bear the child that resided within her without her consent.

However, the ones who commanded Marcus, believed that it was Sarah’s fate to be destroyed by him.

The thought of taking her life didn't sit well with him. He knew when he took her life he would see the true colors of her innocent soul and the horrible things done to her in order for him to be sent to kill her. Marcus clenched his jaw as he tilted his head towards the Heavens, hoping to find the answers to his dilemma hidden somewhere amongst the night stars.

Taking a deep breath Marcus expected to inhale the scent of the forest's fresh night air but instead his senses were invaded by a sweet metallic odor which indicated it belonged to a mortal.

His head quickly snapped in the direction the sweet scent came flowing from and that's when his eyes spotted her.

Sarah.

Even though she was miles away he could see her as clearly as if she were standing right in front of him. His dark eyes studied the frail woman whose exhaustion was quite evident from the dark circles which laid below a set of beautiful sea-green eyes.

Marcus had seen many beautiful women in his lifetime, but to say that Amelia was just beautiful was an understatement. Even though she looked as if she'd been through Hell and back, her appearance reminded him of an exotic goddess as the moon's delicate light enhanced her raven colored hair, making it shimmer with dark hues of blue and violet. A pair of arched eyebrows looked down on sweeping eyelashes with features that framed a button nose. The crimson nightgown she wore looked sensual over her olive colored skin making it highlight her puffy lips.

Marcus stiffened as her electric sea-green eyes captured his, their infinite hues illuminating from the night's light. The longer he stared the deeper he sank, her eyes drowning him as if he were being swallowed up by the ocean's depths. He knew that the mortal couldn't see him from where he stood, yet he couldn't help but take a step back further into the darkness.

Marcus had dealt with many evil beings in his lifetime, but as he watched her small hand protectively rub her bulging belly, he knew she wasn't one of them. As an Angel of Death he was unable to harm anyone whose heart was pure and innocent, and just by seeing the aurora around her he knew she didn't deserve the fate that had been bestowed upon her.

The sudden stench of rotten flesh caused Marcus to become stiff and alert. The only creature that smelt this foul were demons.

His jaw clenched as he inhaled another deep breath, this time focusing on the other scents that had been drowned out by the fresh blood that trickled down Sarah’s forearm.

Definitely demons and lots of them.

Marcus's eyes went back to Sarah, his eyes moving downward to her rounded belly.

Fuck.

He watched as she pushed away from the tree and stumbled deeper into the forest, but not before hearing the desperate plea in her shaky voice, "Please God, please keep us safe."

Without hesitation he was following her into the darkness with the sudden urge to be by her side and for the first time in centuries Marcus wanted to protect the person he was commanded to kill.