The Four Horseman

The peace out in the desert was humbling.
The heat of the day was dissipating as the small town started its evening routine. Birds wheeled overhead as tables and chairs were placed outside numerous restaurants and bars. The place didn’t have much of a tourist trade but they made the best of what they had. The atmosphere was not as relaxed as normal despite the warm breeze and scents of jasmine and wall flowers in the air. The people talked of Reno, violence now spreading to Las Vegas itself and the conflagration growing. More trouble had broken out abroad too, in London, Paris and the Middle East. Everywhere the sense of doom was taking hold and nobody knew why.
Except for the six people enjoying beer and tex-mex in the best of the bars.
They looked relaxed, a girl with violet hair cuddled against a cherub faced boy. Another dark haired girl with a ready smile sitting in the lap of a movie star handsome man and chatting to the muscled man lounging in the chair next to them, all of them delighted by the story being told by a shorter man with a Mohican.
“I swear to the big man that you were going to miss.”
“I never miss short shit.”
Syn gave Matt a smug smile as his friend slapped Johnny on the back.
“That demon was going down, he was just lucky.”
Lilith giggled at Claire as a play by play fight broke out complete with spoons, forks and alcohol playing the part of their friends and various otherworldly creatures. Zacky just shook his head with rueful smile, there had never been two more perfect men to be Horsemen and he was glad that now he would get to add his score to the tally. He glanced away and over to his left, seeing the barman and the owner glaring at each other.
Zacky could hear it all despite the chatter from the other tables and the laughter from his friends. The barkeep had been cheated and he knew it, complaining in Spanish that just because he was undocumented didn’t mean the owner could take the bulk of his wages. The owner knew the man could complain all he wanted but one call to the authorities would see him and his family deported. Zacky felt his jaw set and kissed Claire before grabbing the glasses and going up to the bar to get another round.
“Four beers, one vodka and coke and a whiskey please.”
The owner disappeared and the barkeep attempted to smile as he served.
“Don’t worry….keep the change.”
The man stared at Zacky and the large tip before smiling. So few were this generous and he thanked the dark haired man profusely before putting the note into the tip jar. Again the Horseman approved, honesty had become so fleeting and rare that it was worth rewarding and the barkeep would stay safe with his family through what was to come.
“Very generous sir, thank you.”
“No problem.”
The owner shuffled away from the doorway, intending to remove the tip jar later on. Zacky didn’t look up or merely even acknowledge the screams as a stray spark from the fire in the back room caught the owner’s beer soaked apron and rapidly consumed it and began on the man. He balanced the tray as the staff and customers rushed to the man’s aide, not that it would matter, and passed around the glasses to his friends. They were staring at him, amused faces on most and slightly worried on two. He ran his fingers down Claire’s cheek, his voice reassuring.
“Justice comes on swift wings. I don’t like assholes.”
She smirked as he winked and prodded his friends to drink up. Syn downed his pint in one and finished Claire’s whiskey as the sounds of an ambulance grew in the background. A sly prod from Matt would soon see a fight break out and they wanted to be on the hilltop above the marker where Jimmy waited to be released by dawn. There would be opposition, Satan would not want Death to stalk the land and interrupt the battle with Michael and the boss that was soon to come.
“How long?”
Johnny looked at his watch and then back up at Matt.
“Seven hours.”
Matt nodded, his gaze alighting on two men who were arguing and adding that little push of violence that was necessary. The desert peace was broken by spreading flames and angry words as the building started to burn and the men launched punches at each other. He followed his friends out into the street, Lilith had loosed imps to the brick works on the church tower out of pure spite and was now betting with Syn on how long before it fell. They crowded into the jeep and Syn fired up his bike, Lilith perched behind him. Matt fixed them all with a gaze.
“The tomb is on the outskirts of Santa Fe. I suggest Syn and I head north with Lilith and keep the opposition occupied. That leaves Zack to take Johnny and Claire with him and release Jimmy. It’s actually Claire we need.”
The girl looked up, surprised.
“Me?”
“None of this was coincidence, its your handprint that will open the seal.”
Claire looked terrified, her hand immediately grasping Zacky’s.
“Woah, you never said I was that involved.”
Matt shrugged, his grin mirroring Syn’s.
“God loves his puzzles, I swear if we let him on Sudoku we would never see him again.”
Lilith rolled her eyes as Syn gunned the bike, she could feel the enemy drawing in and they needed to put some distance between them. Brief goodbyes were said, Matt would find a separate vehicle to follow Syn leaving the jeep for his friends. It was a chance for the three immortals to let loose and spread the message to another state, another little piece of heaven.
Syn loved the feel of Lilith clinging to him as they roared out of the small town and into the valley below. The darkness spread out in front of them lit only by the odd fire balls she sent into the sky that set the bushes alight. Soon they were riding through a field of fire, Matt roaring up beside them on a huge bike that he had liberated from the bar they had eaten in. It was breathtaking, the night lighting up around them and now he pointed up.
“Incoming.”
Above them black winged creatures wheeled and hissed in the sky, the flames lighting up the sky and almost touching them. Syn swung the bike and reached for the twin handguns in the back of his belt. It became a shooting match, Matt swinging his great war hammer as Lilith sent more fireballs at the creatures. They screamed and died and burned, the fight causing the fire to grow and spread outward becoming a dangerous entity in its own right that would soon swallow forest and towns alike.
“He ain’t even trying.”
The hint of disgust in Syn’s voice hid a fear he knew Matt shared. If the fight was slow here then it could mean that the plan hadn’t worked. That their friends were basically walking into a trap. Lilith wiped her hair back from her face, concern written in her features. She had the feeling that Satan would keep them fighting small scale battles while he worked to keep Zacky away from the tomb itself.
“We should ditch this, follow the others.”
“That means leaving these assholes to feast on the natives.”
As if to echo Syn’s words they all heard the screaming starting up as the few winged things left had turned towards the little town they had just left. Ahead a rolling black cloud was heading their way on a rush of wind and brimstone. Matt balanced the hammer on one shoulder and put on his shades against the glare from the spreading fire.
“They were going to die anyway. Let’s get through this and go help Zacky.”
The three stood shoulder to shoulder, Lilith between the two men as another great wave of demons roared into the field. As the explosions grew louder and the conflagration spread even the ground started to burn as heaven and hell met in what had once been a small desert town.

Notes