Chapter 2

Boston Mass. 2019

“Abigail Davidson” Ornias said, he had been talking the entire trip but Daniel was not paying attention, his mind was elsewhere. “That’s our target. She is single, 37 lives alone, had a set of twins at 14, the result of rape. Oh, this is interesting,” he said burying his face in the mini version of the Book of the Damned. “You know her daughter, you have scene her in passing Danny”

“Ornias, how many times do I have to tell you my name is Daniel. Not Dan, Danny, or any other variation,” Daniel said, irritated! “And how could I know her daughter? I'm 347 years old.”

“She is an Angel of the Damned,Lucy. Apparently Abigail abandoned the twins when they were born and they got shuffled around the foster system, until they ended up in the wrong one.” (Lukas was shot at 13, Lucy took her own life shortly after that.) I can only assume that Lukas went to heaven, I have never seen him before.” Ornais finished showing a picture of the twins when they were still alive.                                                                                                                                                                                               

“Interesting” Daniel agreed. He looked up at her apartment building again and then proceeded to follow Ornias down the street to the nearest hotel. On the way, Ornias bumped into a businessman in an expensive suit. As he apologized and helped to steady the man back on his feet, he managed to take the man’s wallet. Ornias was a shapeshifter. While he was annoying,however, having him around certainly had its perks. 

“Michael Watkins,” Ornias said, looking at the man’s ID. He then quickly shifted himself into the form of the tall businessman with the same suit. “Thank you, Mike.” The two of them managed to find a cheap enough hotel that it could be charged to the credit card without raising suspicion. Passing Daniel off as his son Ornias booked a double room, connected by a door. Daniel was thankful he did not have to share a room with Ornias. Daniel needed a break from the watcher Abaddon had sent with him.  

Once in his room, Daniel collapsed on the floor. The weight of everything that had happened in the past two months had been heavy on his mind and he didn’t know how much longer he could bear it. 

He never thought he would find love in Hell, but he did. Daniel saw her every time he closed his eyes. Falling asleep was nearly impossible, the pain of the images that played in front of his eyes when he closed them made every nerve ending he had left stand on end. He lay there on the floor of the hotel room for what seemed like hours, until his body gave in to the exhaustion and he fell into a dreamless sleep.  

Suddenly Daniel was sucked downward. He fell in slow motion, watching as everything passed before his eyes; the carpet from his hotel room, to the lobby where late-night guests just wandered in from their flights, down into the cement and the dirt that made up the ground, then even deeper. Daniel fell all the way back to hell. 

There she stood, her iridescent purple eyes filled with love and kindness. She smiled at him. 

“I love you, Eliza….” Daniel began but was cut short by the sounds of her screams. Her face turned from joy to horror as the flames licked her skin. Daniel tried to run to her but he was stuck in place. “Elizabeth!” he screamed over and over again as if someone would hear him and help her, but there was no one. 

“Souls, Danny my boy,” Daniel heard Lucifer’s voice in his head as he watched Elizabeth burn. “Bring me souls, it’s the only way to keep her safe.” 

Daniel woke up in a cold sweat, because he knew that was not just an ordinary nightmare, it was a vision. Quickly he threw his shoes on and quietly slipped out of his hotel room, while Ornias was still sleeping. He walked around the city aimlessly, trying to get the image of Elizabeth burning out of his mind. When he finally reached his destination the sun was just peeking through the clouds. He was there, Abigail’s apartment building.  Daniel could not figure out why Abigail’s soul was so important to Lucifer. “It is a part of the prophecy,” he remembered Lucifer saying something along those lines. What prophecy? They never once explained that damn thing to him. He stood and kept watching the window, even though he could see much. Abigail surely lived at the top, still he stood.

Cold and still as he watched from across the street. He just couldn’t fathom the size of the apartment building, although he had been standing on this corner looking at it for hours. The sun started to come up and streaks of the sunlight began to hit the windows. Daniel could see  movement behind the front doors of the building.   He watched as Abigail ran out of her apartment building doors, and was very surprised at her beauty. She had vibrant red hair that stood out against her green sweater, and big bright green eyes. Daniel was curious as to where she was going, so he followed her for about half a block. Then he had an idea, a way to make the first move.He took out the little piece of paper he had put in his pocket earlier that night, he wrote three little words on it. Then he appeared in front of Abigail and “accidentally” bumped into her, placing the note in her pocket. Then Daniel walked across the street and waited and watched. Abigail, just sat down completely oblivious. Just then Daniel saw a man he had hoped to never see again walk into the coffee shop and sit down with Abigail. They talked for a while. 

Daniel could not get past the fact that the Seven were already here, or at least part of them.  Daniel always worked alone, well with Ornais. But he wasn't much help collecting souls, he was just there to keep record and report back to Abbadon. Daniel refused to work with Them, The Seven. He made a silent vow to himself the day they told Lucifer about him and Elizabeth. A vow he intended to keep. He was going to kill them all. 

“Danny, “Daniel heard Ornias calling out, “Danny, where are you?”

“Over here you annoying little prick.” Daniel answered.                                                                                                         

“You know we are a team right?” Ornias asked. 

“NO! We are not a team, you are my babysitter. Now shut up and let me do my job! “Daniel raised his voice, and started walking down the street, completely forgetting that had left a note in Abigail's pocket.  Ornias followed and quickly fell in step with Daniel.  He was silent the whole walk back to the hotel. 

“Why is Pride here?” He asked Ornais, once they were back in his room. 

“Because Abbadon doesn’t want this screwed up and The Sins are here as a precautionary measure. Abigail’s soul can not be damaged in any way when it makes its way to Hell.”

“Then why the fuck did they send me to collect it? They know how I operate!” Saying that Daniel was frustrated was an understatement. He was livid! Abbadon knew how much her children exasperated him. She must really not care how long they stayed top side. 

“Daniel,  how long are you going to hold on to this ridiculous vendetta?” Ornais asked, following Daniel as he walked into the other room.

“As long as they are alive, do you not realize what they stole from me?”Daniel answered by slamming the door and locking Ornais on the other side. 

“Abbadon warned them that you were coming.” Ornais continued. 

Daniel sat still on the edge of the bed. The Seven, he regretted having to admit it to himself, but he knew he was going to have to work with them. Daniel despised the Sins, except Sloth. Daniel despised all demons. They were slimy, sneaky things, only caring about causing pain and chaos. Daniel wanted to destroy them all. The Sins were no exception. If it hadn’t been for Pride and Vanity, the twins, he would not be in this mess. He was content in hell, being tortured every day for eternity, as long as he got to see her. Now she has been locked away from him. Daniel was going to make the Sins pay for what happened in hell. 

 “Daniel, Greed has requested a meeting and Abaddon has ordered you to attend.” Ornais said as he walked in and sat next to Daniel.

Ornais called for the taxi to take them to the industrial district where he was instructed the meeting would be taking place. Daniel wondered why he couldn’t just fly there and get it over with, but he remembered something about having to be as discreet as possible.

 The ride was eerie. The driver knew something shady was going on, but he didn’t dare say anything. He just kept looking back and the two suspicious characters in his backseat. Once they arrived at the old abandoned factory, Ornais and Daniel got out and the taxi driver drove off as fast as he could without looking back. 

“Well that was…..” Ornais started.

“Fucking weird.” Daniel finished. 

Ornias waited outside the abandoned factory building,Daniel was dragging his feet. He walked in, his head low, he came face to face  with Wrath. He was a fairly good looking guy. Tall and blond haired, covered in tattoos and wearing a muscle shirt as if he was trying to prove he was the baddest person in the room. Still he was no match for Daniel. 

"Now don't you try anything Daniel. Pride and Vanity are off limits. Understand?" He explained. 

"Look, you sad sorry excuse of a Sin, I understand you being pissed off all the time! I would be too, if my mother was a whore," Daniel began, "but I'm here on business, I'll kill them in my free time. "

"You, little..." Wrath started but was cut off as Greed walked in the door.

Greed was the exact opposite of Wrath. He was short and fat, dressed in a yellow suit. His eyes sat too far apart and his nose looked as if someone tried to pull it off his face by the tip. 

"Danny. How are you my boy?" Greed said. 

"How many times do I have to tell you idiotic people that my name in Daniel. Not Danny. Life really has been shit lately. How about you, Preacher?”

" There is no need for all the hostility, and I apologize, I was told that you preferred to be called Danny,I will certainly not make that mistake again.”

 Daniel was starting to get irritated, his pupils began to dilate and his wings were starting to show from under his jacket. Daniel may not have been anything but a tortured soul himself, but when he was angry he became the equivalent to the deathbringer himself!  

"Ok let's get started," Pride said 

"Pride," Daniel said, cocking his side. "or should I say Paul?" He finished laughing to himself. 

"Abigail has a big business deal in the works, she is selling her company for a little over 4.2 million dollars, we really need this deal to go through. Now I have no idea why Mother decided to send you to this particular soul, but we already have a plan in place," Greed said first. 

"I understand, but answer this: Why the hell is this supposed business deal so important?" Daniel asked. 

Wrath started pacing back and forth, he was beginning to get irritated. "See I knew this wasn't going to work! I told you Greed, I told you." He was murmuring. 

"Calm Down you spaz, I still here aren't I." Daniel chuckled “l don’t see why your own mother sent me to collect her soul if you already have a plan in place. But since I’m already here and Lucifer has Elizabeth and is demanding this soul it  has to be mine." He answered.

"That's an easy fix," Lust started. " All you have to do is sleep with her and boom, the soul is yours. It worked with you."

"Listen here, bitch you don't even get to put your two cents in this meeting." Daniel stated, obviously angry that Lust was even breathing in the same room as him. 

"I was just saying." Lust shrugged. 

"Yeah,  if you say anything else this meeting is over and I'm walking out!"

Lust the one on the top of Daniels shit list. She was the reason he was in this shit in the first place. He still couldn’t believe he had fallen for her.   

“Listen, Daniel,” Greed started. “The rehab center that Abigail founded is a non-profit organization. She doesn’t profit from it; all the money she makes goes back into the rehab center. This plan I have to buy out her company is simply one she cannot refuse, considering the rehab center is going bankrupt and she is unable to keep the lights on.” He continued. “Now while I have agreed to continue business as usual I won’t, and all the money that she gets from me will be covered in my spirit energy causing the greed to overpower her soul.”  

“Oh I see, so after your brother and sister gave Lucifer the fuel he needed to make me his slave you want the credit for my soul. Abaddon gave me this assignment for a reason. This soul is mine and it sounds like you guys are just out of luck.”

Daniels' irritation all over his face. His eyes began to turn black slowly. Greed backed up from Daniel as Wrath stood between him and his siblings. 

“I already told you we are not doing this, not today.” Wrath yelled.

Daniel smirked as he looked up at Wrath, his eyes as dark as midnight. He moved his arms out and exposed his wings. The ground beneath him started to catch fire. 

“YOU REALLY THINK YOU CAN TAKE ME ?” Daniel yelled in a voice so deep it would give you nightmares. “LETS SEE YOU TRY!” 

The sword that Daniel held in his hand appeared, as if from thin air. His feet lifted off the ground as he swung it at Wrath. Lust screamed as she realized that Wrath was cut from his shoulder to his hip. The wound singed as his torso slid off the rest of his body. 

Daniel laughed as the body evaporated. Sins don’t bleed, they don’t really die. The only way to actually kill a Sin is to kill them in Hell. 

“I guess it's back to hell with you, huh.” Daniel said. “And on that note stay out of my way or that,” he pointed to the scorch mark on the cement where Wrath's body lay. “will  be you.” 

Daniel walked out with his wings still exposed. Ornais was in utter shock. They walked in silence all the way back to the hotel. Mostly because Ornais was afraid. Daniel only put his wings away when he was back in his room.

Once back in the room, Daniel made a beeline for the showere. He felt as if he had to wash away the things that he had done. The hot water felt so good running down Daniel’s back. The tense muscles that held his wings in place ached. His whole body hurt. His mind hurt. Most of all his heart hurt. Daniel hated what he had turned into. Striking down Wrath, although he was a loud mouth and deserved it, that's not who Daniel was. It was who Lucifer and Abbaddon had turned him into.Daniel let his thoughts run loose as the water ran down his face. Elizabeth. All he wanted was his Elizabeth. 

The thoughts broke him. The tears were long overdue. But angels don't cry. Even those who were Forsaken. His body slid down the tiles til Daniel lay in the middle of the bathtub in the fetal position. He could imagine the things Lucifer was doing to her, his own daughter, and… He cried violent tears. The jerks were painful and uncontrollable. He laid there for what seemed like an eternity, then he sank into the darkness where the nightmares had hid. 

Daniel woke up, hours later, still laying in the bathtub, drenched in the aftermath of his heartbreaking. He quickly got up and got himself together. Ornais was sitting on the edge of his bed, waiting. 

“I heard you crying last night.” He said. “ Abbaddon will not be pleased with you when I tell her.” Ornais continued. 

“I’m getting really tired of you. You know that right?” Daniel started. “I don’t need a fucking babysitter. I don’t need you tattle-telling everything I do and reporting it  back to your mommy. I get the fucking job done dont I? Exactly. I got something for you to go back and tell Abbaddon, how about FUCK YOU!!” 

“Do you feel better now? Cause we have a job to do.” Ornais stated. “They’re moving quickly to capture this soul from you.”

“I know, but what am I supposed to do? It’s not like I can just go in and char it beyond repair like every other one. I have to be careful.” Daniel sighed, putting his head in his hands. He was up against a wall. Every move was documented and reported back to Abaddon. The Seven Deadly Sins had this one, why did he get assigned to it? That was the question on everyone's mind. What was so special about Abigail Davidson, a former drug turned “saint”. Why did Lucifer have to have this one, when she rightfully belonged to God. Daniel was having a hard time wrapping his head around it. 

“So, I see you stirring over there,” Ornais started, “whatever you're thinking about doing don’t. As much joy as it brings me to tell on you, I actually like Elizabeth and knowing everytime you fuck up she gets hurt pains me.”

“So stop telling on me, just let me do my job without any oversight,” the sarcasm was evident in Daniel’s words. 

“Whatever.” Ornais was annoyed at Daniel’s carelessness. He walked out of the room, shut the door behind him, and went to bed. Checkout was early the next morning, and for the first time since they had been working together Ornais had to find somewhere else for them to stay. 

Daniel followed suit, turning off his light and lying down. However, sleep evaded him. He tossed and turned, unable to keep his eyes closed for more than five minutes. What was so special about Abigail Davidson? The question kept him awake.