Railroad police officer Mike Wilson’s beat is ten feet by ten thousand miles, which makes it tough to catch a perp when the crime is technically outside his jurisdiction. But when he foils a major drug deal, he ticks off the wrong kingpins. And he discovers just how far outside his jurisdiction he’s strayed—as a nest of demons now targets him for revenge.
Dawn spent centuries honing her battle skills in the angelic army. But she quickly ditched her hard-won Major General’s stars for her dream job: Guardian. For thirty years she’s watched over Mike as his faith has grown despite scars on his soul, she’s poured her heart into writing him encouraging notes which he may never see this side of Heaven, and she’s dreamed of the impossible—meeting him face to face. But when Mike’s life is threatened, Dawn’s warrior instincts drive her to crash the forbidden barrier between realms to save his life.
To say the least, her split-second decision stirs up a hornet’s nest of infernal proportions, driving a wedge of doubt between their hearts. And touching off an epic battle between Heaven and Hell—with Mike’s very soul as the prize!
Railroad police officer Mike Wilson’s beat is ten feet by ten thousand miles, which makes it tough to catch a perp when the crime is technically outside his jurisdiction. But when he foils a major drug deal, he ticks off the wrong kingpins. And he discovers just how far outside his jurisdiction he’s strayed—as a nest of demons now targets him for revenge.
Dawn spent centuries honing her battle skills in the angelic army. But she quickly ditched her hard-won Major General’s stars for her dream job: Guardian. For thirty years she’s watched over Mike as his faith has grown despite scars on his soul, she’s poured her heart into writing him encouraging notes which he may never see this side of Heaven, and she’s dreamed of the impossible—meeting him face to face. But when Mike’s life is threatened, Dawn’s warrior instincts drive her to crash the forbidden barrier between realms to save his life.
To say the least, her split-second decision stirs up a hornet’s nest of infernal proportions, driving a wedge of doubt between their hearts. And touching off an epic battle between Heaven and Hell—with Mike’s very soul as the prize!
Prologue
The following account was originally written purely for internal distribution. Rather as a lark, I requested permission for a special communication. To my great surprise it was granted, with the proviso that everything be handled on a strictly unofficial basis. Accordingly, names, dates, and places have been changed to protect the innocent on the one hand while shielding those so obviously ridden with guilt from embarrassment on the other. Likewise, information which must regrettably remain confidential for the present has been deleted, but by way of compensation I have included additional material in this edition which may help you to better understand our world and our interactions with yours.
You will note many events which occurred at times or in places where I was not present to observe directly. In reconstructing those events I rely upon material gleaned from other observers or, in some cases, from the interrogation of prisoners. This latter source of information is notoriously unreliable and I utilize it with a great deal of trepidation. I urge you to take accounts which so originate with rather a large grain of salt.
I would also encourage you not to rely too strongly upon my little asides and observations. While I do believe they have validity, my own understanding is still very far from perfect. There are many underlying details which remain secret, even to me. If you wish to have truly reliable information as regards the spiritual realm, I would encourage you to turn to the sixty-six official communications we have made over the past four millennia, which are available in a conveniently compiled format...better known as your Bible.
—Ariel
Chapter One
Introduction
There are good days and there are bad days. But for every day since Michael was conceived, on that late winter night thirty-plus years ago, there has been a letter. Sometimes short and sweet, sometimes long and detailed. Altogether they comprise a comprehensive diary of his life, filling several large mailbags. Dawn treasures them (as do I!) and we look forward to the day we can finally deliver them to him in person, hopefully as souvenirs of a life well lived.
From a good day:
Dear Michael: You rode a bicycle today, all by yourself! That’s wonderful!
From a not-so-good day:
Dear Michael: You can blame me for calling your mom’s attention to you in the store. You know better than to try to sneak candy like that! It’s stealing! What’s worse, it gives the other side another piece of evidence to use against you. I can only plead childish innocence for so long before it starts to ring hollow, even to me!
From another pretty good day:
Dear Michael: I hope that you had a blast at Astroworld! You and your dad rode five roller coasters! I hope you don’t mind but Ariel and I reached through and copied your lunch in Western Junction. Just for a taste, you know! The barbecue sandwich wasn’t bad but I personally preferred that stuffed baked potato your Dad ordered. I know it’s a long shot but someday I’d like the chance to visit that park with you.
From another not-so-good day seven years later:
Dear Michael: So Astroworld closed today, forever. I thought perhaps it might be sold to some other company, but it’s being torn down and demolished. Sic transit gloria.
And, from a really bad day a couple of years before that:
Dear Michael: I don’t exactly know how to say this to you....
* * *
While there is a pair of eyes on every one of you every single minute, it may not always be exactly the same pair of eyes. We do like to take the occasional break, after all...talk with friends, relax, sing a bit, recharge batteries...but then it’s back out to the Border. We have a pitch staked out there which is close enough for a good view but far enough back to keep from sparking any confrontations with the enemy—well, for the most part.
And so it was that I returned from a quick trip Home one quiet night to find Dawn in an uncharacteristically silent mood, watching Michael through the portal as he slept. A quill was in her right hand and she was tapping it nervously. “Writer’s block?” I ventured.
“No, I’m finished,” she absently replied.
I haven’t been a Counselor for nearly a thousand years for nothing. “Dawn, we’ve been best friends since before there was a before,” I said. “It’s not like you to be this quiet.”
“Just...thinking.”
“About what?”
“You know.”
“The big day?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you know when it’s going to be?
“Ariel, I don’t want to know. I want to be as surprised as he is!”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“It’s just...we’re so different!”
“Sometimes that can be a very good thing!”
“But what is he going to think? I mean, when he knows?
I laughed, and transitioned into something closer to what you might call Full Dress Uniform. It’s impressive. “Dawn, I understand that humans tend to be very positively affected when they meet us for the first time. I doubt that you have anything to worry about!”
“Ariel, please! Yes, I know how to put on a show! But what happens when the show’s over? What happens when he gets to know me, for who I am, not just what I am?” There was a pause, and then she asked, “Do you think he’ll like me?”
I chose my words carefully. “Well, if he doesn’t, I think he needs more help than this Counselor knows how to offer.”
“I wish I knew.”
A brief silence; then she added, “Fifteen minutes.”
“What?”
“I just wish that I could cross into his world for just fifteen minutes. Not to do anything ‘special’, not really. Just to get to know him, and give him a chance to know me.”
“Oh, nothing ‘special’?” I replied with raised eyebrow. “You want to break protocol, cross the Border, possibly touch off a major interdimensional incident, for a spot of tea and a chitchat?”
“I know, I know,” she sighed.
“I do admire your spirit. But we both know you wouldn’t be satisfied with fifteen minutes. Next there would be fifteen more, then an hour, then a night, then pretty soon you’d be living there. Just wait. You’ll meet him soon enough.”
“Yes. You’re right.”
I turned away, thinking my work was done. Then I heard her mutter, “Even so...it’d be a nice start.”
I still can’t say exactly when it all started. But, if I had to lay a wager—I’d choose that very moment.
Mike is a railroad cop, one of the good guys. Dawn was a high-ranking officer in the angelic army and is a skilled warrior, but she gave that up to take a dream role as Mike's Guardian. She has wished to meet him face to face, and she gets her wish when Mike's life is threatened at work. She acts to save his life and finds herself on the Earth side of the border, in the flesh and against protocol on both sides. And once the forces of Hell realize this, they will stop at nothing in their effort to capture Dawn and wrest Mike from Heaven's grasp.
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12 NASB).
Eric Bowen gives us a tale of good and evil of eternal proportions. As Ephesians 6:12 says, Mike doesn't battle just against criminals. He also fights against the demonic entities that egg the criminals on, and they do not want the side of evil to lose. But Mike has heavenly help on his side. Does this mean he'll win every battle? No, but if we've read the Bible, we know who wins the war.
"Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8 NASB).
Bowen's vision of spiritual warfare also squares pretty well with Scripture as I understand it. Our pastor has often said that demonic entities are constantly looking for ways to gain a foothold into the lives of believers, and that is portrayed here. The demons seek to pull Mike away from his faith, to win him for their side, and they never let up. Mike may not always see it, but there is always a battle for his soul and the souls of those around him.
I enjoyed the depiction of angels as having different roles in Heaven. Some are warriors. Some are counselors. Some are guardian angels for humans here on Earth. And while we see angels as messengers in Scripture (think the angel Gabriel talking to teenaged Mary), we also see that they do battle (see Daniel 10:12-13), just like Dawn and the other warrior angels do here. Could it be as Bowen envisions? Maybe!
The battle scenes and the lengths the demons go to to deceive Mike and to take Dawn out of the fight were pretty intense and kept the pages turning. The interactions between Mike and Dawn were also well written and heartfelt. I mean, imagine finding out that yes, you really do have a guardian angel, and here they are in your living room! The romance aspect doesn't really square with my understanding of Scripture, but Mike and Dawn are very sweet together, and regardless of whether I think it's possible, I was cheering for them.
If you're a fan of Christian speculative fiction, you'll enjoy Guardian Angel.