40. Doug Finally Sees the Light (D1)

__ Michael stopped where the road split. The broader snow-covered lane to the left would head back into town. The thin band of gray-lit snow breaking the trees to the right would lead to St. Peter's church. "This is the way?"
__ Maggie Morrow, now appearing much more mature than her eight year-old frame, stepped forward and pretended to sniff the air, examine the bark on nearby trees, study the snow at her feet for evidence of earlier trails. She said, "Snow already covered most of everything. Can you feel her no more?"
__ The archangel slowly shook his head. A tear glistened in the corner of his eye.
__ "It'll be okay, Mr. M. I promise."
__ A groan sounded from Doug still slung over Michael's shoulder like a large sack of flower. Michael knelt and gently lowered him into the snow.
__ Shaking himself awake, Doug said, "What happened?" Then he registered Maggie and Michael and it all came back to him. He shuddered and scooted away from them. "Stay away from me, Munson, or whoever the hell you are."
__ "Not hell," Maggie said.
__ Michael, in Munson's form since the killer's death hours ago, held up placating hands. "If you remember, Douglas, it was you who fell on the stone. I didn't actually hit you."
__ "Yeah," Maggie offered. "You were acting crazy. You were gonna hit us."
__ Doug's breathing fell less heavy and he stood on shaky legs, dusting himself off. He examined the road to his right, behind his two companions, and over his shoulder.
__ Thumbing the direction over his shoulder, Doug said, "That road dead-ends at St. Peter's church."
__ Michael nodded.
__ "She's there? Is that where he took Ardy?" Doug started to turn, head down the snow covered lane, when Michael's hand stopped him. The grip made Doug wince, "What are you doin', Munson. We gotta help--"
__ "She's dead."
__ Both men turned and looked down at the little psychic girl who announced the fact as though she were commenting on the cold.
__ Doug knelt before her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Listen to me, sweetheart, she's not dead. We have to hurry so we can save her."
__ Maggie scrunched up her face and looked up at Michael who raised an eyebrow as if to say, want me to tell him?
__ Michael offered. "Doug. You have to listen to her."
__ "To her? What about to you? What are you doing to save Ardy?" Doug stood and positioned himself in front of the man to challenge him. His voice raised in a harsh whisper, he said, "Ever since you came into the picture, you've tried to kill us, rape her. You brought all this down. You are the one who came onto the scene with your guns and knives and rope. It was you who kept us prisoner in her store. You're the murderer. You are the one keeping me from going to her even now!"
__ Maggie patted at Doug's arm and kept repeating, "No, no, no, no," but he wasn't listening.
__ And his voice got louder. "I tried to tell her not to come after you. I tried to protect her. I tried--" His voice broke and he sniffed back tears.
__ "Doug, don't cry," Maggie pleaded, her own chin quivering.
__ Michael's grip on Doug's arm loosened and he raised his other hand to Doug's cheek. "Douglas, listen to me. I'm a soldier. I'm not equipped to handle this and I don't have time right now."
__ "He's right," Maggie said.
__ "On the way here Maggie explained the whole thing to me. There is a plan, Douglas, and it's not yours. It's His." Michael pointed skyward.
__ "What are you talking--?"
__ "It's too complicated. And it's not complicated at all." Glancing to Maggie, Michael said, "From the mouths of babes, Douglas. The mouths of babes." Michael pushed past Doug and started down the narrow road.
__ "What are you doing?"
__ Michael turned and looked at the store owner and the little girl. His smile was weak. "What I was made to do."
__ "I'm coming with you," Doug said, anger fresh. Maggie grabbed him around the leg and held firm.
__ "No, Douglas. That's not how it's written. Please do this for Ardy. Listen to the girl. She will explain everything."
__ "No. I'm coming." Doug pushed Maggie back and started after Michael.
__ "Doug!"
__ He stopped.
__ Michael continued, "You were right."
__ Doug cocked his head and gave it a slight shake as if to say, About what, exactly?
__ Michael's blue eyes closed. When they re-opened, they were Munson's brown eyes. Weariness cascaded over his body and his expression was one of sorrow and deep, deep regret. The change was subtle, but it was enough to scare Doug back a few steps. Maggie hugged him as Munson spoke.
__ "You were right, Doug. This was all my fault." Munson spoke through tears that formed narrow streams down his cheeks. "I'm paying for it now. For all of it. For my whole life. I've been used to play a part here today - as you have. As Maggie has. As," he sniffed, "Ardy has.
__ "You were right, Doug. I was an evil man, unforgiven because I didn't seek the forgiveness as you have.
__ "Look around you. You know something larger than any of us is coming. The darkness. The cold. The abilities you and Ardy, and Maggie, all have. That's not happenstance, Doug. That's not coincidence or some miraculous turn of cosmic energy."
__ Doug shook his head. "This can't be God's will. He can't be allowing all this pain and suffering. This - This chaos is not heavenly. It's --"
__ "Hell. You're right." Munson blinked, smiled, "Why do you think he sent Michael here?"
__ Doug stared. Blinked. He forced all the rationale from his mind. He pushed away the Star Trek and X-Files and movies and TV he loved so much, perhaps too much. He thought about the only thing that could make sense in all of this; that what Munson was saying was true. Doug went to church regularly, he prayed hard. He wasn't involved in missions or church groups, but he was regular. He understood.
__ Or thought he did until today. "I don't remember this in Revelation."
__ "That's because it hasn't happened yet," Munson offered. He came back to Doug, rested a hand on his shoulder. "You saw me die. You know where I was, what I have to go back to."
__ Doug nodded slowly. His chin quivered in pity for the man.
__ "I'm telling you what I saw with my own soul. Hell is readying for war."
__ Doug's eyes grew wide. He glanced down at Maggie who was nodding in full understanding, as if this little girl could possibly conceive --
__ Munson stepped back. "You were right. I was a cold-blooded killer. I had lost my way as the seed spread on poisoned ground. But I had known it once. When I was little." He looked at Maggie and smiled the smile of a proud brother. "God is sending me in there with his archangel to face not only my demons, but the demons of the world."
__ Doug shook his head. "I-I still don't understand. How do we compute in all this?"
__ "He's coming back, Doug. This is it. The big game. We're all getting off the bench now to play our part. He will come again in glory to judge both the living and the dead."
__ "And his kingdom will have no end," Doug finished the prayer, his expression shifting from ignorance to shocked disbelief.
__ "Maggie was blessed with the answers you need, Doug." And with that, with a blink from brown eyes to blue, Michael turned and walked purposefully toward the church in the snowy dark.
__ Feeling useless, Doug called out the only thing he could think of, "Save her."
__ Michael barely turned his head in acknowledgment.
__ Maggie pulled on Doug's sleeve. "She's already been saved, Mr. Testerbird."
__ Doug took a deep shaky breath and crouched in front of the girl. He nodded, "Okay. Now tell me what I have to do."
__ Maggie smiled. Then her smile faded. "You have to have very strong faith, Mr. Testerbird. More than me or Mr. M, or even Ardelene. Yours will be the hardest part of all."
__ He nodded again. "I can do it."
__ Maggie looked at his forehead as though she could look into his mind and read his thoughts, which she could. She said, "I'm not Yoda, and you're not Luke, and Darth Vader is not in there.
__ "It's easy to say you can do it because it's easy to say it in the movies."
__ Doug forced a laugh. "But I can. I'm going to do it for her, for you. I have to."
__ "Really?"
__ "Really."
__ "Then you're ready to betray me - a little girl - to the devil?"