Chapter 2 - Group

While unable to work without a Social Insurance Card, James received $10 each week as allowance. Fortunately, that was more than enough. He neither smokes nor drinks and shelter and food are provided by the group home.
James frantically used the computer in the group home to search about the accident. Yet there were no helpful information. After he gave up on the search he began to consider his future and eventual return to China.
James spent most of his time diving into the books that were abundant in Greenview library nearby. He is an avid reader and reads just about anything.

One night, as James was returning from the library, he felt a sense of uneasiness. A cat ran past him and turned around, staring at his eyes.
“Hide!” a raspy voice whispered strongly.
Instinctively, James took cover behind a garbage dump.
A group of men wearing sporty T-shirts and shorts approached another group of similarly dressed guys. They looked around. Seeing nobody, they began to make transactions of money and marijuana. James had no idea that they were dealing drugs.
Suddenly, someone from the gang of men smelled the existence of other human. He walked towards the dump. He sniffed around and gestured a few others to join him. Watching him take out a .22 revolver, James breathed heavily.
He slowly tries to walk around the dump to hide behind the dump, but there were no way out without catching everyone’s attention.
“Run!” the same raspy voice whispered again to James’s ear.
James was reluctant to run. Two seconds later, it was too late. A gangster approached him from behind.
“What are you looking at?” shouted a man in early twenties.
James did not know how to answer, but he begged, “Don’t kill me.”

At the same time, the cat jumped out and morphed into a human-shaped character. The figure murmured something as it began to levitate, then, a dozen black balls flew towards the two groups of gangsters, accurately hitting each one. The balls traveled so fast that the gangsters had no chance of dodging them. Instantly, all the gangsters fell.
Then, a black Volvo S80 sedan lurched from the corner, coming to a sudden stop. The black figure took James, threw him into the backseat and got into the car. A black man drove the car speedily.
“Is this the one?” he asked.
“Maybe.” A female voice answered. “The church has been very discreet these days. He might be the ‘one from the east’ mentioned in the prophecy.”


Two blocks away, in St.Peter’s Cathedral.
Father Michael Douglas was reading in his room. A dark figure sneaked into the room, holding a Glock pistol with silencer.
Father Michael sensed the incoming threat, whispered, “holy shield” and quickly turned back. The bullet travelled quickly yet stopped by a layer of force shield, dropping down to the floor. He also summoned a pillar of light rising from below where the dark figure stood.
The figure quickly shifted sideways and quickly approached Father Michael. He stabbed a dagger right through the shield and twisted it firmly.
Father Michael did not stop to wait for death. He turned around and punched the person right in the face.