Divine Intervention - Kevin Long (me reader .txt) 📗

Divine Intervention
Written by: K.long

New York
United States
January 26, 2009

Harvey Serling, a forty-six year old veteran of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation is engaged in a furious foot pursuit with Roderick Sands, a notorious mercenary with which Serling has been tracking for the last five years of his career. Soon the chase enters Greenwood Cemetery.
Serling, who is trailing Sands by more then one hundred feet begins to struggle, leaping and dodging through the obstacle course of headstones and stone buildings. His thirty-three year old nemesis on the other hand is doing just fine. This begins to worry Serling. As the gap continues to widen, Harvey Serling decides he has had enough. He brandishes his service pistol and yells “I SAID FREEZE!”, as he fires two shots in Roderick Sands direction. The shots flew as intended, narrowly missing Sands yet startling him enough to cause him to take shelter inside a nearby mausoleum.
Serling, relieved by the chance to catch his breath begins calling to Sands,
“ Give it up Roderick, its going to end here.”.
Roderick gives no answer and as Harvey begins to move toward the mausoleum he calls again,
“Come on Sands, you don’t want it to end this way do you? Don’t make me come in there!”.
Still no reply by the time Harvey had reached the wall of the mausoleum, he put his back against it and began going over that scenario that is about to take place. He says to himself,
“Roderick Sands must go alive. He cannot take the easy way out, he has to be punished for his crimes. I know I am going to have to go in. I know bullets will be exchanged. I must shoot to disarm. Once again, Roderick Sands MUST GO ALIVE!”.
Once he was in the right mindset, Serling pushed himself away. As he spun himself around to face the inside of the mausoleum, he raised his hands(one clutching his pistol, the other a flashlight) and brought them to rest one atop the other stretched out in front of him. It took a split second for Harvey’s eyes to relay the sight before him.
Standing in the middle of the mausoleum was man dressed in brilliant white from head to toe. At the end of his outstretched arms were two semi-automatic pistols, one nickel plated and the other black from butt to barrel. The nickel plated pistol was pointed in the direction of Agent Serling while the latter was pointed directly at Sands.
“ Whoa,” Agent Serling exclaimed, “ Whoa there buddy. My name is Harvey Serling, I am an Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. That man in there is a suspect I have been tracking for the past five years. I appreciate you detaining him for me. How about we lower our weapons, ill slap some cuffs on him and we’ll be out of your hair and on our way?”
The “Man in White’s” reply came back in a calm and almost soothing voice explaining he was not going to lower his weapon but that Agent Serling may enter the Mausoleum un-harmed. Suddenly a strange feeling swept over Harvey.
He wasn’t about to lower his weapon if no one else was and although his will was fighting it, it was as if his body took over and he crept in out of the external light. The inside of the mausoleum was lit by an immaculate amber colored stained glass ceiling. There was also a subtle glow that seemed to be emanating from the “man in white” which Serling was accrediting to his suit. Either way it was lit enough that Serling shut off and lowered his flashlight. Not knowing where to point his weapon, Harvey moves back and forth between the “ Man in White” and Roderick Sands. Sands on the other hand was standing weaponless and Serling takes note of his pistol on the floor.
“ Listen, I have no problem with you, I’m not even worried that you are carrying two weapons. Honestly I have been chasing this man for so long, I just want to apprehend him so he can pay for his crimes and I can move on with my life. So what do you say? How about you lower your weapons and we can all go on with our day?”, Serling pleads again.
“ I know who you are Harvey,” the man speaks
“ I also know who you are, Blood Money Mercenary Roderick Sands. I am aware of all your crimes against humanity. I know of your case against this man Agent Serling. Allow me to introduce myself. I am an Archangel, my name is Michael. I have been dispatched to carry out a sentencing which has been passed on Roderick Sands.”
Sands looks at the man and immediately begins pleading with the man to spare his life. Serling on the other hand was not the least bit convinced. Now thinking he had a genuine nut-job on his hands Serling begins to think of a different plan of attack.
The first thought that crossed his mind was to plead to Michael to accompany him in the apprehension and he could help with the punishing as soon as the judge had given a ruling. Suddenly Michael begins to repeat the idea out loud. He then turns to Roderick who was standing quietly watching the two. Michael begins to name all of Sands victims, including those which hadn’t made it to Harvey’s lists yet. When he finished he looked back at Serling, who had a puzzling look on his face. Although Harvey couldn’t explain it he still wasn’t convinced.
Harvey also wasn’t going to allow the last five years of his life to go down the drain, angel or no. Rage begins to swell in Agent Serling. It slowly takes over the otherwise rational man causing him to start shouting.
“ Listen you crazy bastard, you are not an angel. You need to lower your weapons now before I choose to take you in as well!”, Serling yelled as he felt adrenaline rush through his body causing him to move his finger over the trigger of his pistol.
This slight movement caused Michael to move to his trigger. As he slowly began to depress it, Roderick sands felt compassion. The very man that was going to put Sands away for life was about to take bullet trying to save him. Before he could think, he leaped in front of Agent Serling.
Michael saw this movement and followed him with the black pistol. After the percussion of the weapon filled and escaped the mausoleum, Sands fell to the floor. Harvey immediately crouched by his side while Michael lowered and holstered both his weapons. Roderick Sands was dead.
Michael reached down into Sands pant pocket and returned with a ring containing one key.
“This key will get you into Roderick Sands storage unit located here in New York. Ballistics will show that Sands was killed with your weapon.” and with that Michael walked outside. Harvey looked down at Sands for a second saying his peace and thanks for the incredible gesture and then called to Michael as he moved in his direction.
“Just wait a minute!”, But as Agent Serling walks into the sun he sees that Michael is no where to be found. He leans his back against the wall and pulls a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. Harvey pulls one from the pack with his teeth and then returns that pack to his pocket. Just as he begins lighting the smoke, Michael walks back around the corner of the mausoleum. He sees a look of disbelief which still resides in the agents eyes so he begins to explain.
“What you just took part in in there was a punishment. This was a punishment that could not be inflicted by any mortal. Roderick Sands had already been tried for his crimes and found guilty for making an otherwise good man, yourself, change your ideals and personal beliefs just to apprehend him. I was dispatched to sentence Roderick Sands before Sands put an end to another good life which I assure you would have happened had I not intervened. The overwhelming feeling of rage which caused your trigger finger to twitch was caused by me to induce a feeling of guilt and atonement in Sands. This caused him to give his life for you instead of taking your life from you. Roderick Sands must now spend eternity in hell paying for his crimes.
Once again, the ballistics will match that of your service pistol as well as the casing on the floor inside the mausoleum. Take Care Harvey. Ill be seeing you.” and with that Michael turned and began walking down the path away from the mausoleum.
After he had taken about ten steps, Serling(still not convinced) threw his cigarette to the ground and began to smash it with his foot. As he looked up from his shoe to give Michael what for and read him his rights he was stopped mouth wide at the sight of an empty pathway. Far away sirens break the silence as Agent Harvey Serling finds himself alone in Greenwood Cemetery, New York, United States of America.
The sign above the mausoleum reads “Fides unto dues ut is servo suus grex”
“Trust unto God, as he protects his flock”

Publication Date: 01-18-2010

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