The wind and rain died down somewhat as the Monkees and their captors moved away from Jerusalem. Still, the sky was dark and the wind blew mightily. The Monkees might've tried to escape in all the bad weather, but Dr. Chronos had told them if one tried to escape, the other three would be knifed. So, finally, they came upon some hills and the nine of them walked up a short hill to a cave about halfway up. It looked like any other cave in the area, but if one looked closely, one would see the small solar panel/windmill hidden among the rocks and scrub. A wire from the device ran into the cave. Thus, Dr. Chronos and his men had power from the sun by day and the wind at night. The Monkees were shoved inside the cave opening. They were inside a tunnel chamber that went for many feet inside the earth. By the light of the lamps hanging on the walls, the Monkees could see a few side chambers that branched off from the main tunnel.
They guessed one of those chambers held the Doctor's time machine.
"Like our base?" Dr. Chronos asked, noticing the Monkees were looking around, "All the comforts of home."
"Your home, not ours, shotgun." Mike replied.
Mark, who was holding Mike, punched Mike in the side. Mike fell to his knees.
Dr. Chronos chuckled. "Oh, such a clever answer." He smirked, then motioned to Larry. The henchman put his knife against Davy's throat. "Now why don't you three get out of those wet clothes, hmmm? And take off the sandals as well."
Seeing the knife at Davy's throat, Micky, Mike and Peter obeyed.
Soon, they were only wearing their underwear. Ian took the rope belts the three of them were wearing and cut them into pieces. Then he and Mark took the ropes and tied the three Monkees' hands behind their backs, then tied their knees and their feet together as well.
They were forced to sit against the wall. When they were secured, Davy was also obliged to take off his tunic and sandals as well.
But when Davy had taken his tunic and sandals off, he was dragged over to a rocky pillar on the other side of the tunnel. Davy was forced face-first against the pillar and his hands tied together on the other side of it. The pillar was wide and Davy's arms just fit around on either side. Davy was unable to move at all.
"What are you going to do to him?" Peter asked.
"You'll see." Dr. Chronos smiled as he and his men went into another chamber to change their clothes.
While they were gone, the Monkees tried to get loose, but had little luck. Davy tried to move his bound hands back and forth against the rough pillar to free himself, but he was bound too tightly.
"I hope Elizabeth is ok." Mike whispered to the others.
"Mary Magdalene will take care of her." Micky whispered back, "But who's going to take care of us?"
"Have faith, Micky." Peter said quietly. "That's all we can do."
Soon enough, Dr. Chronos and his men came back into the main chamber. Each of them had something in their hands. As they approached the Monkees, they could see their captors had thick strands of electrical cord with them.
"You four ruined my life's work." He said darkly. "You four have denied me my revenge on the Christian church." The Doctor began to slowly wind one end of the electrical cord around his right hand, leaving one end dangling. "So now we will make you four suffer like your savior."
"We only kept you from changing what was supposed to happen in the first place!" Davy exclaimed, getting scared, "Just because you have a problem with the church, doesn't give you the right to ruin it for other people!"
The doctor and his goons walked over to Davy, slowly winding the cords around their hands, leaving an end loose. It was now clear they were going to whip Davy.
"I'll think we'll start with you, little troublemaker." Dr. Chronos growled.
"No, please!" Davy cried, then whispered, "Holy God, help me, come to my aid."
Suddenly, visible only to the Monkees, Elizabeth appeared between Davy and his captors. She was dressed in a white gown, but no wings. Motioning for her friends to say silent, the angel quickly turned and stood directly behind Davy and hugged him, covering him with her body. Elizabeth whispered in his ear.
"Be still, and know that I am with you." She said, then kissed the back of his head.
Davy smiled at the warmth of Elizabeth's body. He was no longer afraid.
"Let's give it to him!" The doctor said to his men. The five men began whip Davy's back, but because Elizabeth was behind him, shielding his body, he felt nothing. Elizabeth, in full angel mode, felt nothing either. It didn't take long for Dr. Chronos and his men to realize that Davy was neither screaming in pain, nor were their whips leaving any marks on his body.
"Stop!" Dr. Chronos yelled. "That angel is here! She's protecting him!" He and his men began to look around the tunnel.
"Show yourself, angel!" Dr. Chronos screamed.
Elizabeth turned from Davy and made herself visible to the doctor and his goons. Davy's bonds dropped from his wrists.
"I'm right here, Dr. Chronos!" Elizabeth shouted angrily. "And you've done quite enough!"
The doctor and his men spun to face Elizabeth, but before they could do anything, the angel raised her hands and sent balls of purple energy slamming into the five of them. Doctor Chronos and his men were thrown into the air and landed hard on the ground several feet away towards the cave entrance. Stunned, the five men struggled to their feet, but Elizabeth walked toward them, fire in her eyes, and raised her hands again. This time bolts of white energy slammed into them, throwing them into the air out of the cave. They tumbled down the side of the hill and landed in a heap in the cold mud at the bottom.
The Monkees looked in awe at the angel.
"Remind me never to get you mad, Elizabeth." Micky said.
Elizabeth smiled and touched Micky, Mike and Peter. Instantly the ropes fell off them and they were free. They stood up and all four Monkees gave Elizabeth a group hug.
"Thank you, Elizabeth." Davy said, "You came just in time."
The other three Monkees said the same.
"You're welcome, boys." Elizabeth replied. "I'm just sorry I let this happen to you."
"It wasn't your fault, Elizabeth." Peter replied. "It could've happened to anyone."
Everyone laughed at that, and the guys let go of Elizabeth. They found that they were no longer wet and cold. The angel waved her hand and the Monkees found themselves dressed in their tunics, cloaks and sandals.
"Now, let's go see what's happening to the good doctor." Elizabeth with a satisfied smile.
The Monkees chuckled too, followed Elizabeth over to the cave entrance, and looked down the hill. They saw Dr. Chronos and his men lying immobile in the mud, unable to move.
"Doctor Chronos!" Elizabeth called down to him. "Think you and your men are ready for a talk, or would you like to lie in the mud for a few more hours?"
Mark, Henry, Larry and Ian shouted curses at her, but Dr. Chronos silenced them.
"We'll talk, angel." Dr. Chronos said, teeth chattering.
"Good! Come on up then." Elizabeth replied.
The doctor and his goons found they could move once again and slowly stood up and walked up the hill and into the cave.
The angel and the Monkees gave them a wide berth as they came inside. Elizabeth pointed at the ground and a campfire appeared. Doctor Chronos and his men quickly gathered around the fire to warm themselves up.
Elizabeth and the Monkees waited patiently until the five men had warmed up a little, then Elizabeth walked over.
"Sit down, all of you." She said.
The doctor and his men obeyed, his assistants still glaring at the angel.
"What are you going to do with us, angel?" Dr. Chronos said bitterly.
"First of all, my name is Elizabeth, not `angel' and what happens next depends on how this conversation goes." Elizabeth replied. "Tell us why you think the Christian church killed your wife."
"I guess there's no harm in that." The doctor replied. "Many years ago, before your four helpers were even born, I was married to the most beautiful woman in the world. Rose was her name." Dr. Chronos smiled at the thought. "She and I were Catholics, married in the Catholic Church and all that, though she was more devout than I was. I had just received my Doctorate in Physics and had started to teach at the University of Los Angeles. One Sunday, only a few months after we were married, the weather was very bad out. I didn't want to go out in the bad weather, but my wife had it drilled in her from childhood that to miss Sunday mass was a mortal sin."
Dr. Chronos looked darkly at the Monkees and Elizabeth. "So she went out and began to walk to our church. That was the last time I saw her alive."
The pain was very clear in Dr. Chronos' eyes. "As she walked to Sunday mass, a driver lost control on the wet streets, jumped the curb, and...struck and...killed my wife. He then crashed into a tree and died as well." Tears began to roll down his cheeks. "All because the church brainwashed her into going to mass every Sunday!" He yelled. "If she had stayed at home, she'd be alive today! Everybody was oh so sympathetic to me, saying how sorry they were that she died. I tried to make the priest apologize. He refused. The coroner gave me another blow; my wife was in the early stages of pregnancy when she died!"
Dr. Chronos face went red with rage. "I made a vow to get revenge on the Catholic church for what they had done to me! What they had done to my Rose! Many months went by before I hit upon a plan to hurt the church; prevent it from even forming! So, I started work on my time machine, but lacked the needed funds. A man named Mr. Zero approached me, claiming he had a grudge against the church too. He gave me the money to fund my research and hire my four assistants here. Everything was going fine, until you and your helpers showed up! I want someone to pay for what the Catholic Church did to me!" Dr. Chronos shouted.
He started to get up, but Elizabeth raised her hand and he was forced back down.
Elizabeth shook her head. "You're a brilliant man, yet you've let hate and anger guide you and you've let yourself be deceived by Satan."
"What do you mean?" Dr. Chronos asked.
In reply, Elizabeth looked at Mark, Larry, Ian and Henry. She pointed a finger at them. "Show yourselves, your true selves!" She commanded.
Instantly, the four men gave unholy screams. Their skins turned pitch black and their clothes disappeared as thick black hair covered their bodies. Black wings with claws at the tips sprang from their backs, and their eyes turned red while fangs grew in their mouths. Doctor Chronos skidded away from the sight and backed himself against the wall of the tunnel, his eyes wide in utter terror at the site.
The Monkees gripped each other in terror. Never had they seen such a thing! Elizabeth came over and reassured them.
"You have nothing to fear from them, boys." The angel promised. "They were the ones who attacked me earlier before you found me on the beach. I beat them before and I'll do it again if I have to." She said, looking over at the hideous creatures.
"What did...you do to them?" Doctor Chronos stammered.
"I made them reveal what they were the whole time; demons in human disguise."
The four demons growled at Elizabeth, but made no move towards her.
"Demons?" Dr. Chronos repeated.
"Yes, Dr. Chronos." Elizabeth replied, "It seems Satan didn't trust you with human help."
Dr. Chronos could only stare at the angel. She gave him a little smile and continued.
"I have another surprise for you. This one might be a little more pleasant."
Instantly at Elizabeth's side was another angel, all in white with brilliant wings. She had brown shoulder-length hair and green eyes. Dr. Chronos gasped when he recognized her.
"Rose? Is that you?" Dr. Chronos asked, amazed. "My sweet San Antonio Rose?"
"Yes, Tim. It's me." Rose replied.
"I've missed you so much." Dr. Chronos said, tears coming down his cheeks.
"I've missed you too, but I've been saddened by what you've been doing since I went away." Rose replied.
"I...I did this all for you!" Dr. Chronos replied quickly, "I wanted to avenge your death!"
Rose shook her head. "Why take vengeance on the church? They didn't force me to attend mass that Sunday. I went of my own free will."
"You told me you were taught you'd have a mortal sin if you missed mass!" Dr. Chronos replied hotly.
"A mortal sin if I purposely missed mass, Tim." Rose replied softly. "If the weather was nice and I chose to stay home. But if there are circumstances that stop you from going, like bad weather, then it isn't a sin." Rose came closer to her husband. "I went to church because I wanted to, my husband, not because of some church edict. There is something else you should know, Tim. This is the reason Elizabeth asked me to come here. To tell you the truth behind my death."
"What's that?" Dr. Chronos asked.
"As my soul left my body and it was taken by my guardian angel to be judged by God, I took a last look upon the Earth."
Rose paused then continued. "I saw Satan leave the body of the man who drove the car that hit me."
Dr. Chronos and the Monkees gasped.
"Satan....Satan killed you?" Dr. Chronos stammered.
"Yes, Tim." Rose answered, "For whatever reason, he made the driver jump the curb and kill me."
"No! No!! I don't believe it!" Dr. Chronos shouted, climbing to his feet. "He's been the one helping me with my plan!"
Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet trembled, the vibrations getting louder and stronger each second. Elizabeth, Rose and the Monkees huddled together.
"Earthquake!" Peter shouted.
"No, something much worse Peter." Elizabeth said.
With a huge cracking sound the top of the hill that the cave was on was ripped off and the cave was exposed to the elements. The rain began to pour down on the inhabitants. Elizabeth and Rose stretched out their hands and protected the Monkees from the rain.
Suddenly a man appeared in front of them, floating where the roof of the cave used to be. He was wearing a red suit with a black cloak. A ring of red fire surrounded him. He leaned on a walking stick with a skull at the top as if he was standing on solid ground.
"Yes and it was a very good plan, too, if I might say so myself." The man said. It was Mr. Zero, better known as Satan.
The four demons bowed to the ground at their master.
"You planned all this?" Dr. Chronos shouted at Satan.
"Of course I did, you stupid mortal!" Satan laughed, "It was an easy matter to influence the driver to imagine a child running across the street, so he'd drive onto the sidewalk and kill your wife!"
"Then he took advantage of your grief and anger and supported your time travel work." Rose finished.
"You used me!" Dr. Chronos shouted.
Satan merely shrugged his shoulders and turned to the four demons still bowing down. "You four have failed me. Twice. First, you failed to stop the angel Elizabeth, then you didn't prevent her and her friends from foiling my plans." He sighed. "Go back down where you belong, I'll punish you later. Severely. Now go."
The four demons turned into dark funnel clouds and sucked themselves into the ground. Satan then turned to Dr. Chronos.
"Now what shall I do with you, Dr. Chronos? You failed me as well. I invested a lot of time and money on you and you failed to give me results."
"Yes, stopping the formation of your enemy, the Christian church!" Dr. Chronos yelled.
Satan lowered himself down to the ground and began to walk towards Dr. Chronos. "Very true, Doctor. And I am not happy about that at all!" He shot a red beam of light at the scientist, but it was blocked by a white beam coming from Rose and Elizabeth.
"Get out of my way, angels!" Satan growled, "You might've defeated my demons, but you're no match for me!"
"He's right, Rose and Elizabeth. " Dr. Chronos said, "Stay out of this. I've caused enough suffering as it is."
"No, Tim." Rose replied. "Satan has no power over you, except what you give him. Ask for God's forgiveness for your sins, and feel his Holy Spirit fill you once again."
Satan growled and leveled a huge fireball at the angels. They were barely able to deflect it. Satan raised his hands and another fireball appeared between them, ready to be launched at the weakened angels.
"I said stay out of this!" Satan shouted, "Before I..." Satan got no further, because the four Monkees tackled him, knocked him down and began to punch him. Satan waved his hand and the Monkees flew off of him and landed several feet away, stunned. He stood up and brushed himself off.
"I'll deal with you four later." Satan thundered, then turned to see Dr. Chronos kneeling down, looking up into heaven. "Lord God, I'm sorry!" Dr. Chronos sobbed, "I'm so sorry for what I've done and what I tried to do! Please, please forgive me!"
Rose and Elizabeth glowed brightly for a moment, then walked over to the sobbing man. "He has forgiven your sins, Tim." Rose said quietly.
Satan screamed and hurled another fireball at the three of them, but it faded before it could reach them. Hissing in anger, he looked at the Monkees who were slowly getting to their feet.
Satan hurled a fireball at them too, but it disappeared before it even got close.
"You're beaten, Satan." Elizabeth said, "They are all under God's protection. Go back to where you came from!"
"This isn't over!" Satan screamed, "It will never be over, until I have all souls bowing down to me!"
"And we'll be around to stop you, evil one." Rose replied. "Now leave us!"
In a blaze of fire, Satan vanished.
The Monkees slowly walked over to Rose, Elizabeth and Dr. Chronos. He bowed his head at the four musicians.
"I am so sorry for what I've done to you boys." Dr. Chronos said tearfully. I let my anger get the best of me and I've done so much harm. Will you forgive me?"
"We forgive you, Dr. Chronos." Davy replied. The other Monkees nodded their heads.
"Its time to go back to our own time now." Elizabeth said, "But first, I must take care of something." Smashing, breaking sounds were heard for several seconds.
"What did you do?" Micky asked.
"I caused the cave walls of the chambers behind us to collapse." Elizabeth replied, "So nobody will no what happened here."
"Let's join hands and concentrate on getting back to the twentieth century." Rose said. Everybody formed a circle and joined hands. "Concentrate on your home." Elizabeth said to the Monkees. Suddenly, it was quiet and dark. Within a few seconds, they were standing in the living room of the Monkees' pad. The guys helped Rose and Elizabeth sit down on the couch.
"Finally." Mike said softly. "Safe and sound."
Alternate Chapter 14
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