The Plan

Merilee hadn't seen her family in six months. Her assignments had taken her all around the world, but no where near the town of Enid, Oklahoma.

She had, of course, read the missing person's reports filed about her. She knew her adoptive parents and husband had put a reward out for any information leading to her whereabouts. Sadly, she also knew the reward would never be paid. No information would be forthcoming.

The once pretty blonde stared at her reflection in the mirror. She no longer bore any resemblance to her former self. Her body, once thin and lithe now bulged with the muscles she'd earned in battle. Her golden locks had been dyed a dull, muddy brown. Her sparkling turquoise blue eyes were now gray and lifeless. They were haunted by of the all the death she'd encountered of late.

Nothing about Merilee was the same. She never laughed anymore. She had no friends and enjoyed nothing. Her life was now one of duty. There was little left of love.

She chided herself for the thought. There was love, of sorts, involved in what she did. She was an angel of God. She tracked down and destroyed evil in all of its forms. She did it for God, for the planet Earth and for its people. But mostly she did it for her own family.

Reaching into the drawer underneath her mirror, Merilee pulled a photograph. She gazed at the handsome features of her husband, Brock and looked longingly at the beautiful faces of her children, Miranda and Seth. Immediately tears began forming in her eyes and she crumpled to the floor.

"No time for that, Meri," came a booming voice. "The war is about to move to a much larger scale."

Merilee turned toward the light she caught out of the corner of her left eye. It was the archangel Michael dressed in full battle armor. His countenance blinded her so she averted looking directly into his blazing eyes.

Your assignment is to go back to Oklahoma. A major enemy his making a move in your hometown.

"What do I do?" The question seemed lame but it required Michael's answer.

"You wait until he makes the move and then you strike. Others will be ready to support you."

"Who am I looking for there? Do I already know him?" Merilee hoped not. She had no urge to kill anyone from her old life; not even her worst enemies. In fact, the as yet unnamed archangel had no real urge to kill anyone. She was simply following orders from a commander that must be obeyed.

"You will know him when you see him. That's all I'm allowed to tell you for now. That, and that you'll know what to do when the time comes." With that Michael disappeared from sight.

Still crying uncontrollably, Merilee wondered how she was going to handle the latest turn of events. She hadn't planned on ever returning home. She feared she would be recognized despite all her changes. If she was, she knew that it would bring pain to her family.

With little left to do to soothe her fears, Merilee knelt in deep prayer; asking for guidance. It came to her as it always did and she suddenly felt better. Packing her bags, she headed for the airport. She wouldn't be using her wings for this trip.

Back in Oklahoma, Brock was just arriving home after work. He was met at the door by the third nanny in as many months.

"I quit!" The woman looked him in the eye as she held her hand. "I want my paycheck now. I'm leaving. Your son is a hellion."

Brock reached in his pocket for his wallet and took out the requested money. He didn't speak a word. He just handed her the cash, entered the door and closed it behind the gray-haired old lady.

"Good riddance," he mumbled as he headed up the stairs to check on his children. He found Miranda still napping. Seth, on the other hand, was tearing apart his room in search of something.

"Hey, buddy, what's going on?" Brock grabbed his son and lifted him into his arms.

"I'm looking for my picture of mommy," the child proclaimed already squirming himself away from his father. "I want to see mommy and I want to see her, NOW," he shouted.

Brock tried to gather the boy in his arms. "You know I put those pictures away because they were making you cry," he told his son. "I don't think mommy is coming back, Seth. You have to get use to that and stop chasing away all the nannies."

"No, I don't" the child screamed as loud as he could. "If you loved me, you'd find her. If she loved me, she'd come back. I hate you both!" With that the child stormed into his closet, shut and locked the door.

At that moment Brock hated his wife more than he had the day he found the note saying she was leaving. He hadn't thought it possible, but it was true. He hated her with every fiber of his being.

At first, he'd tried to find her for the childrens' sake. However, after a few months he abandoned the search, realizing he didn't want her back and that they were all better off without her.

As he headed to the closet to try and coax his son out, Brock's cell phone rang. He glanced at the caller's name and automatically answered it.

"Is it set?" The answer to the question required his full attention. "Good. I assume the president will make the announcement shortly." It was half-question and half matter-of-fact statement. "Nothing can stop this now," he noted. "The whole world is about to change forever."

The person on the other end of the phone was Brock's best friend, Dimitry. The two boys had grown up together, went to medical school together and married in the same year. Their families were almost identical; beautiful wife, a boy and a girl. That is until Merilee had spoiled everything a few months ago.

"The governor assures me that the vaccine will be approved by the president," said Dimitry. "He will sign a bill into law requiring it be given to all children before the end of the year. It's exactly what we hoped for. We're almost there."

"Good," the dark-haired hunk stated as he turned the closet doorknob. Thinking better of it, he turned and walked away. What did he really care if Seth stayed in the closet?

"My clinic's ready to disperse the vaccine as soon as it's approved. It won't take long at all," confirmed Brock.

"Finally, we'll be in control of it all," came the return on the other end. "Who ever believed Armageddon would be so easy to pull off?"

Seth didn't like the sound of the laughter her heard coming out of his father's throat. He wanted his mother. He needed his mother and he was determined to find her.