Chapter 14, Part 1: Deals with the Devil

                                    

                                          
Dulce, March 2025

The angel stood outside the delivery man's house, waiting for the delivery man to come out. And once he did, the man would deliver him to the military base, along with everything else.
Leon - that was his name - was unaware, of course.
The angel had remained unseen and would remain unseen until he sneaked inside the mountain. All he needed to do was climb onto the truck with the rest of the merchandise.
An archangel in need of a lift. How the mighty have fallen!
He chuckled at his intended pun, his black wings fluttering in response to the light breeze.
The house's door opened, and a middle-aged Apache emerged from within. The angel's gaze followed the human as he approached his car and unlocked it. A woman came out of the house next, carrying a box and tossing it into the truck.
Back and forth they went, loading boxes that scraped against metal, the monotony and labor of the task irking the archangel like a dull ache. He was bored, all rolling eyes and annoyed huffs, thinking how much faster he could have the job done simply by snapping his fingers. Humans were so frail, so bereft of abilities.
And yet, here they were, the focal point of the universe, the protagonists of the grand play on the cosmic stage, actors in a Shakespearean drama where hell was empty and all the devils were indeed here.
A bitter smile settled on his lips. The Divine Force knew. He had been the one bathed in self-righteousness and ignorance.
Once the couple finished loading, Leon entered the car and turned on the engine. The angel jumped on the back, light as a feather. To enter the base, this was his sole option. 
At least it was a pleasant drive. As the road stretched out before them, a serene feeling descended upon him — the untamed wilderness, the silence, the tranquility of the valley as it surrendered to darkness created an atmosphere of peace. He stole a fleeting glance at the driver. Leon appeared to appreciate it as well.
Not long after, they reached Archuleta Mesa.
Once the car pulled to a stop in front of the towering mountain, he flew a short distance away and waited. To his amusement, a previously hidden gate opened at the mountain's foot.
He smirked - camouflaged entrance, an energy field that prevented teleportation. In other words, advanced alien technology. The conspiracy theories about this location were correct. Nevertheless, he didn't expect to find any non-terrestrials hanging around. His brother made sure all aliens stationed on Earth evacuated before the Arrival.
Michael... The memory of his brother stabbed his chest like a blade.
His heart ached with the weight of his decision. The path he chose to take was treacherous, but there was no other way. Michael had succumbed to fury. Someone had to help the humans.
He had to help the humans.
The angel slipped through the open gate, a burden on his chest. He waited again for them to unload the boxes inside the base, the process much faster with three young soldiers on the task. When they were done, Leon waved them goodbye. He watched the man walk away as the gate was closing. He had a feeling this wasn't his last encounter with the reserved Apache.
With a shake of his head, the archangel sent the premonition to the wind and trailed behind the soldiers as they passed another set of steel gates and entered the main part of the base. The massive establishment curved into the heart of the mountain impressed him. He cast glances around, taking in the surroundings. How should he handle this? There were many people here. Worse still, they were a mix of military personnel and civilians. If he suddenly made an appearance, he would wreak havoc.