Hell's Army

Chapter Thirty-four- Born Again

Ingleseid wandered into the lunchroom, eyes peeled fro Samael's new group. They'd snagged another member- Marcie, Wiggs girlfriend. God help them all when he found out.

He almost crashed into Ms Woods, who helped like a startled dog, said, "Oh, good morning, Mr Ingleseid." And hurried off. Ingleseid frowned. There was something very unusual about that woman.

Wiggs stormed into the hall like a thunder cloud, his beady little eyes settling on Marcie. "Are you screwing with me?" he snarled.

"Go away, Nolan," she said, refusing to look at him. Samael's magpie eyes glinted.

"What, you're with him, now?" he snapped. "Is that what it's like?"

"I think you should listen to her," Samael said, ice creeping into his voice.

"What is it about him, huh?!" he yelled at the whole table, all the people who used to be his friends. "What makes him so special?"

Chloe smirked as Samael said quietly, "I think it's time we showed Mr Wiggs just how unwelcome he is here."

The hall exploded.

The whole table was on their feet, a good twenty five students launching themselves at Wiggs. His screams disappeared under a wave of hissing, snarling students. Barely even pausing to think, Ingleseid ran into the eye of the storm, fighting his way through twisted faces to where Wiggs lay on the ground, face red and puffy, eyes bulging as Marcie squeezed his throat.

"Die," she hissed, and it wasn't a girl saying those words. It was an animal. "Just die! Just freaking die!"

Ingleseid wrapped an arm around her waist and heaved her off, Wiggs collapsing to the ground and choking.

The students stared at him, a circle of dead eyes and bared teeth all around him, monsters hiding in school jackets and cheerleading outfits. And amongst it all, Samael smiled.

"Is there a problem, Mr Ingleseid?" he murmured.

****

Follows sat at the wheel of his car, light dancing peacefully across the rear-view mirror.

Zadrian appeared in the front seat.

Follows slammed the breaks, heart hammering in his ribcage.

"Ground rule," he heaved, pulling over. "I am setting a ground rule. No more doing that. You want to pop up out of nowhere, you can call first. Or at least tap on the window or something."

"We're needed."

"Yeah?" he muttered. "What else in new?"

Zadrian paused, pulled something out of his coat. He handed a brightly wrapped package to Follows. "Merry Christmas."

"We are in February, but okay," he said, opening it. Inside was a soft, silky cassock. He stared at Zadrian. "I don't understand."

"Just because you have no official employment, doesn't mean you're not a reverend. You have followed God no matter what he has asked you, saved countless, helped more. Last time I checked, that went above and beyond the requirements.

Follows really, really didn't know what to say, so he settled with, "Thank you."

"Astrel has contacted me," Zadrian said. "She ordered we meet with her immediately."

He bit his lip. "That sounds bad."

Zadrian gave him a grim look.

This wasn't good.

****

Ingleseid burst into Holly's apartment.

"Samael's doing something to the kid's," he said as she poked her head out of the kitchen.