The Seeker

By Anthony Morgan

Take a walk with three soldiers returning home from Iraq after burying a mutual friend of theirs from western North Carolina. The chilling horror begins in the small town of High Country Hills NC with their former platoon commander. The dead Private tries to reunite with his platoon commander through his war nightmares. The three solider are also returning home only to find that a war at home is about to begin, one of biblical proportions and their father who they thought had passed away long ago was working to have an epic family reunion. A reunion that could bring the heavens straight down to earth letting the Archangels walk among a world that we know and love today.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anthony Morgan
• Release date: Aug 2, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370336180

Anthony Morgan

Anthony Morgan is Editor of The Philosopher, the UK's longest-running public philosophy journal, as well as host of the philosophy events series, "On Philosophy". As one of the pioneers of the UK's public philosophy scene, he is actively involved in promoting the value of philosophy beyond academia.

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Anthony Morgan

The Seeker

The Seeker™

This novel is a work of fiction any similarities, to any actual event or person living or dead is completely coincidental.

Published by Smash Words Publishing

Copywright©Anthony Morgan 2017

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electric, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author.

First published in the United States of America by Smash Words Publishing

Cover design and image by Rodesign

Dedications

This novel is dedicated to my wife who encouraged me to try and try just a little more.

Angela Morgan

My wife the glue that holds my family together and makes my dreams come true.

Prologue

Austin Snow, Leroy Anderson, and Connor O’Rourke had just arrived at the Raleigh Durham international airport, returning home from their final deployment in Iraq. The three men had served together with another friend Patrick Givens since basic training at Fort Sill Oklahoma. They all thought it was kind of a good luck or a higher power watching over them that they did their basic training together and would later stay assigned to the same unit. The four men always talked about how lucky they were to have ended up at Fort Sill and they were all from the western part of North Carolina, they talked about how each of them were from four towns in Western North Carolina that were less than seven miles apart. The irony is what kept it interesting between the four soldiers the four towns that each of them were from surrounded an old Indian burial ground that was converted into the Belmont Monastery, almost as if they were the four corners of America but only in North Carolina.

The three men had been delayed for about a week since their friend Patrick who was from the neighboring town of Evil Mountain had been missing in Iraq and it took the Army less than a week to classify him as killed in action and burry him in Arlington Virginia with honors.

Leroy gripped Private Patrick Given’s flag from his coffin tightly to his chest as he thought about the teenager that he knew was still in Iraq being tortured. Austin Snow was shocked that the Army could just classify someone as dead without a body and then burry them with honors, he was a good kid, Austin Snow said out loud shaking his head as Connor and Leroy agreed with him by nodding their heads and wiping away the tears from their face.

I should have watched out for him better, Leroy said as he sniffled from the sadness over the loss of his young friend.

Connor unable to respond to anything about the situation, he was the last one to see him alive. Connor kept thinking to himself as he looked at a strange bronze medallion with black leather rope as the necklace, what the fuck was that thing, Connor mumbled under his breath.

Austin gave Connor a slap on the chest, hey you leaving or are you going to keep staring at that weird ass necklace that you found?

Connor snapped out of the daze to see that Austin and Leroy were standing getting ready to exit the plane, hey wait up Austin, Connor replied as he jumped from his seat cutting in front of an elderly lady.

What’s up Connor, he asked with a smile?

Hey can we go have a beer, you know a final farewell to paddy, Connor asked?

Count me out boys I’m going home to see my woman and get me some lovin, Leroy Anderson said excitedly.

You know Connor, normally I would say no because we always get arrested when we drink and I want to get home to see Lynn, just as I know you want to see your baby brother but yeah let’s have one for Paddy, he said patting Connor on his shoulder.

The three men walked down the jet bridge, lee is Lilly picking you here at the airport or do you have to rent a car, Austin asked Leroy Anderson?

Dude how many times, seriously, how many times, it was my grandfather’s name, so don’t shortin it and yeah she’s picking me up, you need a ride I gotta go through valley hills, we can drop both of you off before we head off to High Country Hills, he asked his two friends?

Nah we’re good, we will just split the cost of a rental car after we have our beer for Paddy, Austin replied.

The three army buddies exited the jet bridge together and Leroy said, Our time in the army is over but our brotherhood is forever, as he hugged his two friends before leaving walking towards the luggage conveyer line.

Austin watched as his former platoon leader walk out of sight then cut a half smile and thumped Connor O’Rourke in the ear, you ready for that beer, he asked?

Fuck yeah…more than you know, as he thumped Austin’s ear as payback.

The two friends walked swiftly over to the closet bar and took a seat on the plain black vinyl cushions and chrome bar stools, two house brews please, Connor asked as he flipped a twenty dollar bill on the bar?

The bar tender hurried two house brews and replied, Sorry fellas your money is no good here, not after all you guys have been through.

Connor smiled and looked at Austin whispering under his breath, Fuck yeah baby.

Austin just gave a half ass chuckle before lifting his beer in the air, to Paddy boy a good friend, a great soldier, and an all-around cool cat, he bellowed!

Connor quickly responded, I’ll drink to that.

Hey Connor what’s with that weird ass necklace that you want let go of, Austin asked?

Connor stopped twirling the necklace with the strange medallion, Austin promise me you want laugh when I tell you, he said?

Austin raised his one hand and replied, I swear bro, as he gulped down another swallow of his beer.

This was on Patrick when we were ambushed in Fallujah.

Okay cool so you have something of Patrick’s like I have his dog tags…you know what I still can’t wrap my head around…I still don’t understand why his family didn’t want anything of his, Austin replied.

Austin you don’t understand, I don’t know what happen to Patrick but I do know whatever made his body disappear wanted me having this necklace.

Dude are you going all superstious on me now, Austin asked with a chuckle?

Austin it was half horse, half man and the fucking thing had horns like a ram…and…and it kept repeating that it was the seeker, c’mon what the fuck is that.

Well Connor I think you spent too much time in the desert and it’s unhealthy for you to blame yourself for Patrick’s dissapearce or death or whatever the fuck the army says it was.

First of all I don’t have to do that our presious platoon leader has went all twat on us and I didn’t do anything but watch this fucking thing eat my friend!

Look Connor Patrick was young….

Stop…just read the medallion, it’s like Hebrew or something but the best I can come up with is it belonged to a demon from Mesopotamia.

Dude what would a demon medallion from Mesopotamia be doing in Iraq, Austin asked?

You serious right now because everyone thought you were the smart one; I know you that Babylon and Mesopotamia were all Iraq.

Umm…yeah I knew that, Austin said hesitantly.

Dude don’t you read the fucking bible, Babylon will fall, you know revelations and shit.

Bra I’m sorry…I’m just like not that religious and shit.

Austin you were a fucking altar boy for Christ sake, me that I could understand my family was basically the orgized mob for Valley Hills and the only god we prayed to was the god of bullets, pussy, and money.

Connor calm down, I just never got into the art of religious studies.

You know Austin eat a dick because you’re a liar and I know you’re not telling me everything, as Connor chugged down the rest of his beer and stood and began to walk away.

Abagash the seeker of innocent souls, he’s actually from Lebanon the city of Tyre, a lot of people speculate that this is where God cast out the notorious fallen angel Lucifer, as Connor stopped and turned around swiftly walking back towards Austin Snow.

So, who is this seeker guy, Austin?

First it’s Abagash and you don’t even know if he’s or that medallion is real.

Is this seeker guy a half horse half human with some really big ass ram horns Austin?

Austin didn’t say a word he could only nod his head yes before he spoke, this…if it’s real you need to burn it, Abagash supposley has the key to unlock Lucifer but like I said it’s only rumor.

okay for arguments sake exactly how can some horse dude without thumbs unlock the king of the underworld…just saying, gotta kinda have thumbs bra, Connor O’Rourke said while ordering another house brew.

Austin looked at Connor strangely, dude he’s like the number two man in hell, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say he could get some poor sap to use their thumbs if he needed too…for argument sake, Austin replied sarcastically.

‘All jokes aside Austin do you think this medallion is real?"

Austin held his hand out to look at the medallion and turned glancing at the bartender to motion for another beer, before going back an examing the medallion, honestly Connor I think it’s bullshit but I also think that it is an artifact of some kind maybe from a bagdad market that got dropped in the sand but that’s all but hey it was Paddy’s so, keep it, Austin said as his beer arrived.

Austin that still doesn’t explain what I saw before Paddy died.

Then if it is real burn that mother fucker because the last we need is another hell on earth.

Austin do you think you could possibly dumb it down for me…just a wee bit you fucking nerd.

How do you want me to make it any clearer…HELL…ON…EARTH.

C’mon Austin seriously I know you know the story behind this OshKoshB'Gosh guy, Connor pleaded.

Fine you nitwit…why would you want to know more about angels and demons and shit anyway…never mind don’t answer that, I would like to see my wife in the near future…okay so the story goes that if you wear the medallion around your neck and perform the casting spell the seeker will come for you.

Huh…that don’t make no sense, Connor said scratching his head.

I’m sorry did you want to hear this ridiculous story or not, Austin asked as he gulped another swallow of the cold brew down.

Okay…okay…jezz…don’t be such an ass Austin.

Austin stared at Connor angrily, I’m not even going to go there with you…now as I was saying do the ritual and the seeker will come for you to make a deal but you have to provide a certain number of innocent souls for him to stay alive, now this-demon…Abagash will grant you riches, unlike human powers, and lust…you know shit like that, the shit that you would want but here is the catch once you provide all the souls needed Abagash takes over your body, mind everything because the medallion grows into your skin until it reaches the ribs and burns it into the bone, marking the body forever and that’s pretty much how it goes, Austin said.

If that were to happen how would you kill it?

There are only three things on earth that kill a demon that powerful.

What are they…Connor waited for the answer?

Oh I don’t know I got caught with a girl in Father Donavan’s room and was expelled until my mother told them I was joining the army, Austin said smiling.

go ahead…I didn’t think you had that kind of sin in you Austin, what happen to the girl do you still keep in touch.

Oh yeah every chance I get, Austin replied smiling.

Dude that’s fucked up Lynn’s a cool chick bro.

The smile on Austin’s face slipped away followed by a reply, dude its Lynn you short bus idiot.

Hey fuck you Austin…c’mon let’s get this rent-a-car and get home, as Connor slammed down a twenty dollar bill on the bar and releasing a loud burp from the brew.

Let’s do this Connor, Austin hopped off the bar stool and dropped his arm on Connor’s shoulder.

Connor mumbled to himself, Fuck I forgot you can’t handle your alcohol.

Connor walked over to the Triangle Rent a Car kiosk to get the car dragging Austin who could barely walk from the effects of the two beers. Excuse me ma’am I need a rental and one I can turn in at Valley Hills, Connor asked the attendant?

Absolutely sir, as the attendant handed him a brown clip board with the rental application attached. Connor held the clip board by his teeth and drug Austin over to the oversized blue plastic seats dropping him in one and watching him slide out of the plastic chair and onto the floor. Fucking great…just fucking great, Austin couldn’t you have like grape juice, a juice box or something, you’re a woman trapped in man’s body bitch?

Connor filled the application out quickly and then turned Austin over on his side and relieved him of all of his cash and then paid for the rental car with one of Austin’s credit card, when he noticed that they hadn’t got their luggage yet. Excuse me ma’am can you tell me where the luggage conveyor belt is, Connor asked?

The attendant point and replied, Straight then it will be on the left".

Thanks ma’am, as Connor took off running towards the luggage conveyor belt. He glanced side to side and mumbled to himself, bitch is an idiot, before he realized that he was standing in front of it. Connor waited patiently, grabbing his bag then another half hour went by then grabbing Austin’s bag, Connor strained to carry Austin’s bag mumbling under his breath, what the fuck is in here, as Connor struggled back to the Triangle Rent a Car kiosk and grabbed a rolling luggage rack.

Connor threw his duffle on the rolling luggage rack and then strained to get Austin’s on the luggage rack. Connor looked at Austin and then back at the luggage rack before walking over to him grabbing him by the arm and helping him up and slowly walking him over to the rolling luggage rack. Connor plopped Austin on top of the two large duffle bags and then threw his legs over on to the rolling luggage rack, finally…fuck me, Connor said loudly as he kicked the brakes off to release the luggage rack and gave the attendant a smile and a waive.

Connor gave the rack a swift push as Austin’s legs began to spread over the luggage, c’mon you ass…really, Connor bellowed at the luggage rack, Austin, and the traffic. He began to fumble around in his pocket only steering the luggage rack with one hand trying to pull out the paper work from the rental agency to see what parking space the car was in, A-3, he mumbled as passed their rental car. He looked up to find himself in the B’s, what the fuck, he yelled before realizing that Triangle Rent a Car only had three cars left.

Connor circled the lot twice before finding the rental car and realizing he didn’t have the key to the rental car, Connor screamed again and took off running yelling at the attendant who was closing the kiosk, wait you didn’t give me a key!

I’m sorry sir but you’ll have to come back in normally business hours to address your concerns.

Connor stood there briefly, putting his hands over his mouth as his eyebrows lowered, Connor ran out of the airport stopping to look back at the