It is 2007, and Los Angeles police officer Anna Beckman already knows that the path one seeks is not always where one should be. As she enters a dilapidated house with her partner, Tom, no one knows the massive struggle that is taking place within her mind. Even so, all of that becomes irrelevant as Tom flies backward and lands at her feet, dead. In another life long ago, as she lay bleeding within the chaos that surrounded Dresden, Germany, little Anna was given an amazing gift after a haunting voice informed her that one day, the soul of female god, Quetzalcoatl, would be reborn. With no memory of her previous life in Dresden, Anna now has a new destiny. Chosen to be the savior for her planet, she is now on a mission to save the world from an evil so devious that its only goal is to steal souls and leave no human untainted. If Anna fails to protect Earth from the darkness, the human race will cease to exist. In this epic fantasy, a police officer must rely on her special abilities as she embarks on a dangerous mission to discover who murdered her partner and purge the evil from humans-before it is too late for all who inhabit Earth.

Soul Of Quetzalcoatl

By Edward R. Maher

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2012 Edward R. Maher
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4759-5372-5

Contents

1. To Serve and Protect..............................................12. Tom & Anna........................................................173. The House.........................................................204. Dresden 1935......................................................285. Vergewaltigen.....................................................326. The Church........................................................387. Picking up the Pieces.............................................408. Pablo's Story.....................................................519. The Chief.........................................................6110. Tom's Funeral....................................................6811. Bullying.........................................................7712. College..........................................................8813. San Diego - The Club – Two Years Later.....................10314. Seven Sands......................................................11215. Police Academy...................................................12116. Chinese Gentleman................................................14617. The Shooter......................................................15118. The Bad Sergeant.................................................16219. The Incident.....................................................17420. The Assassin.....................................................18321. Discovery........................................................19422. Destiny..........................................................19823. Van Nuys.........................................................21224. Anna's FBO.......................................................22125. Paris............................................................24526. Germany..........................................................25827. New York.........................................................27228. CIA..............................................................28029. Saving Mom and Dad...............................................30030. Protecting Mike's Family.........................................31031. The President....................................................31632. Secretary of Defense.............................................34533. The Park.........................................................35334. Cabin Attack.....................................................36535. The Final Option.................................................37036. Eerily Quiet.....................................................37737. Dying............................................................38238. Back From the Dead...............................................39539. Closure..........................................................407

Chapter One

To Serve and Protect

Officer Anna Beckman had her back pressed hard against the aging exterior clapboard of the porch wall next to the front door. Death, poor maintenance and time had been harsh to the house. The paint was badly chipped and peeling. The dried siding along the eastern side of the house was warped and pulling away from the structural framing.

At first glance, where the siding had split and twisted the framing looked like the ribs of a giant prehistoric monster. Instead of calcified organs only the mundane weather-laden asbestos insulation was exposed. Better Home and Gardens it wasn't. This sad excuse for a house would be their worst nightmare.

Her bulletproof vest protected her back from the rough exterior. It did not, however, shield her from the stench that warped though the walls. It smelled of sudden death and horrible loss. Tom, her partner was on the opposite side of the doorframe waiting to burst through. She saw his nose twist from the stench and shrug it off with a twist of his face. She couldn't ignore it, not today.

Nothing felt right about this call. With the 911 and the uneasy quiet that hung around her like a cloak, it felt wrong. Even the night air seemed to be thicker, syrupy even, than when they first arrived. Anna's mind was racing as she looked over at Tom. Everything about being here was really creeping me out and yet Tom doesn't seem to share my concern and it was pissing me off. Logically, I knew my irritation was misplaced, but still ... Anna was seriously wondering if she was having an anxiety attack. My mind felt like it was high on road rage.

Another rare emotional feeling of apprehension crawled from deep inside her and screamed, leave; leave! Anna pushed it down and tried to force herself to ignore the warnings. So many conflicting thoughts thrashed against her normally stable persona. Was this fear? It couldn't be, she reasoned. She hadn't felt fear since she was a child-loss, yes, but not fear. It was just nerves. She told herself. Besides, this was her job. She couldn't just walk away and ignore a code 10-10 (shots fired).

* * *

In the middle of all this brain cell turmoil, a quiet thought gently bubbled to the surface. She pondered why they were chosen for this assignment from all the other officers. They were an hour away, whereas other officers were cruising only twenty minutes from the scene. Finally, why risk the lives of fellow officers by not providing backup, particularly in a neighborhood where a cop's uniform was a target? She knew Dispatch wasn't as familiar as the cops that worked the city day and night. However, a person would have to be from a one-horse town in Kansas to not know how bad this section of LA really was.

Realizing she was rambling and knowing how unproductive and totally unlike her it was, she put a stop to it. She found she was also repeating herself, bringing up issues for which she presently had no answer and no time to waste. Her father would frown on her speculations. He would say, "If you can't bring two or more possible solutions to the table about a problem, stay in bed. Who knows your problem better than you do? Besides, most of the time Anna you'll already have the solution."

Thinking it would sound absurd to Tom she decided not to mention the little dance number taking place in her brain. Anna wasn't sure exactly when she realized her mind was being violated. She was confident she wasn't crazy, so that left one possibility and it wasn't good. When her abilities first began manifesting in high school, crazy became the first letter in the alphabet. I thought I was losing my mind. It made sense, people that start to believe they're superheroes are nuts. Everyone knows that. Whatever this thing is, its now sweeping though my mind like a hurricane and my memories, the thing that makes me the person I am are being lapped up like chicken soup.

Like a small miracle somewhere within Anna's mind a singular spark of a thought managed to reach her conscious mind. She was now sure something or someone was assaulting her mind. Somehow she also knew if she didn't do something she would disappear, forever. She had to fight back, but how? Fortunately, with that small spark came the kernel of an idea.

With the attack first came she hadn't recognized it for what it was, except it made her feel like crap. A year ago she suffered tachycardia after being stabbed. She learned later that night she healed supernaturally fast. Blood all over and not a scratch on her. Her mind and body compensated by triggering her ability to heal.

Her pulse ramped up to over 150 bpm, plus she broke out in a cold sweat and she felt faint and weak. Until now she hadn't any idea what it was like to have her mind screwed with. Anna considered telepathy to be fakery, supernatural bullshit. Now that it was happening to her it was so obvious. Fortunately, her sanity and sense of self remained intact, but not for long. Whatever it was, it was powerful and she was unprepared. It felt so filthy and slimy it could only be unearthly evil.

Without conscious thought Anna found herself battling to keep her thoughts focused and her soul closed off to slow the assault. Abruptly, she was shocked to suddenly find herself on a landscape unlike anything on earth. Void of life and clarity it stretched to infinity in all directions. A scarlet, yellowish sky stained with rust dominated the area over the vacant landscape. In a twisted way it was beautiful and serene. She felt safe and let herself relax a little. She was horribly wrong.

Reality shifted and the skies abruptly darkened with ragged strings of orange and green exploding across the panoramic backdrop. The abrupt change took Anna by surprise, but no more so than the feeling of terror and heightened anxiety that overwhelmed her.

A living, undulating darkness was creeping toward Anna, covering the expansive rustic sands with its quivering and pulsating mass. Her feeling of isolation was replaced with revulsion and fear. As the encroaching darkness neared Anna could now see it wasn't one living organism. Rather, it was an infinite numbers of oleaginous, tar-like, worms shaped like peach slices. There were so many their masses covered the ground as far as could be seen. They were twisting and elongating as they crawled, slowly, inexorably toward her. Initially, her stomach developed a mind of its own and tried to expel everything it contained, but was rewarded with only dry heaves. She wanted desperately to run, but couldn't. She was powerless.

She was anchored where she stood. Every inch of her body was now covered. She could feel her skin squirming, trying to divest herself of the shitty, slimy things. Their contact felt disgusting. The ungodly worms swarmed unwelcomed onto and into her body violating every orifice to reach the deep reaches of her mind. There was no stopping them. This was the first time she'd been defiled like this and felt lost. She had no idea how to fight an internal violation of her body and soul.

What's worse, she could feel their intense, perverse pleasure while they fed on her. They were absorbing every insufferable pain she felt as they forced their way in. She knew, without knowing how, what they wanted. They sought to reach her mind, to destroy her, to suck the life out of her mind.

She was out of her element. Having no idea how to push the evil out she had no choice but to observe and hope for an opening. One part of her consciousness struggled to understand why this was all happening to her. The other part said, "Not important, not now, not yet!"

Anna could feel parts of her mind beginning to disappear and it scared the shit out her. She was finding it hard to admit she was scared. In the scheme of things it really didn't make any difference; it would soon be over. There is a chance, a slim one she can save herself if she can find the quintessence of her being and keep it pure.

While this struggle took place her unsolicited and vile "guests" attempted to use that moment of weakness to take control. Anna couldn't see her enemy, but could "feel" them. As such she refused to give up to something so evil. All her life she fought against being taken advantage of and damn if she was going to change now. She wasn't winning, but her determination was slowing their efforts. She would soon be gone.

Life and the path you seek is not always where you should be. That couldn't anymore obvious than it is now. Anna can remember when she was twelve and how simple everything was. That all changed when she entered high school and not for the best. It was a constant struggle what with the weird stuff that became her life.

Her mother and father were very tolerant to a fault. They were careful not to spoil her, but that was impossible. They loved her too much. The only thing they stood firm on was getting her a car. Unlike most teenagers, their decision didn't piss her off. They felt a car was too dangerous, but strangely offered to purchase a motorcycle for her. Happily, the motorcycle was exactly what she wanted, but didn't think there was a chance in hell it would be on the gift list. It must have been her inadvertent irreverence with cars, bumpers and fenders that sealed the deal.

Anna loved the freedom her bike gave her. She would go careening around town after school to let off steam then home to do her homework. Weekends were her island in the sky. She was free to go to the movies or hike in the woods.

Her favorite day of the week was Saturday morning eating breakfast at McDonalds. Being the presence of four Egg McMuffin bacon sandwiches, two potato hash browns and a large diet Coke was heaven. On second thought, So was eating and drinking all of it. Her dad would sit mesmerized and amazed at her ability to put down all that food. Dad once said it was good that money wasn't a problem or she would starve. She never had to worry about gaining weight. It was a gift. What she wouldn't do for the opportunity to return to those days. She wasn't a religious person, but today she needed help and would take what she could get.

* * *

For the first time in her life Anna prayed. She prayed to leave this horrible place. She prayed to live, for her essence to be whole. She wanted so badly to destroy whatever they were and who sent them. Suddenly, she was back to her world and now she could see! I'm back! I'm back and alive.

Concentrate; concentrate! Though Anna could no longer see the slimy monsters she could still feel them. Now back in the material world she better understood their sinister purpose and how they did it. They weren't real, except in her mind. Whoever "they" were had twisted her perception in on itself and used her mind to create the images in her mind. The mental attack was to confuse her reality, to cause her to lose hope.

How she managed to get out of that place she had no idea. It couldn't be as simple as ... No, it can't be. Anna's logical mind couldn't accept the possibility her prayer saved her. Instead, she took a more logical approach. Somebody or something was attacking her using those little monsters. From what she could surmise they couldn't exist on our plane of existence, outside the neural network of her brain. All those covering her body disappeared when she transitioned. If she could force massive amounts of our world (data) into her mind and body it might act to overload their appetite and destroy or reject them. They weren't meant to be in our world, nor were we meant to be in theirs.

Anna continued to repeat rhythmically over and over details of the yard and house while searching for something real to focus on. Settling on the dying porch she was amazed at the sharp detail now visible to her. Where she previously saw an old porch she could now see minute details that numbered in the thousands. I'm not sure if what I'm doing is the right, but I have to do something.

Almost on queue, instead of regaining control, her thoughts began to tumble into a chaotic assembly of abstracts that seemed more confusing than helpful.

Suddenly, I felt I was losing my balance. The world was shifting with my mind along for the ride. Being fearful I made the wrong decision my confidence was fading away. I had no idea what to do next. The alien-like worms sensing my fear were again feeding on my insecurity. Physically real or not, unless I recover quickly I'm done.

Salvation came when she closed out everything except for one of the porch nails and focused on it. When she knew the world of the nail she allowed the world around it to expand. The individual details grew until the true character of the decaying house was revealed. As her new perspective of reality expanded her mind began to clear, just enough to see she had a chance. Her father often told her that the devil was in the details. She didn't think he was referring to this house, but to her developing mind. I think dad knew a lot more than he ever let on.

Anna trusted she now had a handle on her distress. Expanding her attention to the tattered and broken screen door exposed the minutiae of the top hinge. The hinge had long ago loosened from the frame. Grotesquely twisted, it was now hanging haphazardly against the house's outer wall. Torturing winds had banged it against the already abused porch wall. Only two remaining loose hinges and a prayer kept it from falling noisily onto the dying porch. She visualized how each thread on the screws was struggling to contain the hinges. It wasn't enough. She frantically searched the porch for more and was rewarded with the decaying porch boards. This could work!

While she struggled her exterior showed no sign of the massive struggle that was taking place inside her mind. Instead, her core persona was thinking of Tom's welfare. I had to get it together and fast. Tom depended on me to do my job, just as I relied on him.

The weather beaten and graying porch boards were warped forcing the rusted nails to escape their wood prison. Some had already reached safety and were long gone. Others persisted to hold faithful to their responsibility and remained secured to the underlying support beams. As tenacious as nature was, several aging boards refused to give in. They remained safely fastened down. Others weren't so loyal and were breaking free from the weakened tongue and groove. The porch was becoming more difficult for foot traffic to navigate with each passing day.

Some of the windows on the east side of the home were broken allowing the outside environment to invade the house. Even compared with other aggressively deteriorating vacant homes on the block this house somehow managed to show less street appeal. That included the one that burnt down three blocks over.

With a jerk of reality Anna brought her attention back to the job at hand. She discovered her attention to detail was unbelievable. She was seeing beyond the commonplace. Sucking in a deep breath she gasped. Shit, that was different. I'm starting to feel like a petri dish of discovery.

She never knew when one of her abilities would manifest. Reflection raised a couple questions, but it didn't really make any difference if she fought off this recent attack herself or it was an intervention. Regardless, she was glad her prayers were answered. She had never prayed before and was a little uncomfortable with it.

Anna was sure many Comic Con ticket holders this year wish they had her abilities, but they had no idea what they were giving up. These powers screwed up her social life, indirectly got her best friend dead and brought her to this moment. There were many times she wanted her unique skill sets gone. Her teenage years were hell. Set apart from those that might discover her secret she became a loner. It was an ongoing challenging trying to restrain or hide her extraordinary mental and physical skills.

As such, sensing danger was as much a curse as a blessing. Anna worried someone would eventually notice when she anticipated danger and reacted in kind. Her abilities being exposed wouldn't be in her best interest. Being locked up didn't appeal to Anna's sense of freedom. She would do whatever she must rather than waking up one morning as a lab rat with a food bowl and water bottle with a tube.

Other than one episode she never told her parents about her life at school and what she had to endure. Somehow, she intuitively knew that there was nothing to be done. As much as part of her despised the person she was becoming there was a sense of commitment and acceptance that slipped in like a ghost.

Anna couldn't turn her ability off and it came with a nasty side effect, a constant noise like bees swarming. It was as much a part of her as the air she breathed. There wasn't an "off" switch, nor could she control it with scalpel-like finesse. It assaulted her every minute of every day and night since childhood. Only a country boy from the open fields of Kansas and dropped into Times Square would truly appreciate her predicament.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Soul Of Quetzalcoatlby Edward R. Maher Copyright © 2012 by Edward R. Maher. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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