It is 2007, and Los Angeles police officer Anna Beckman already knows that the path one seeks is not always where one should be. As she enters a dilapidated house with her partner, Tom, no one knows the massive struggle that is taking place within her mind. Even so, all of that becomes irrelevant as Tom flies backward and lands at her feet, dead. In another life long ago, as she lay bleeding within the chaos that surrounded Dresden, Germany, little Anna was given an amazing gift after a haunting voice informed her that one day, the soul of female god, Quetzalcoatl, would be reborn. With no memory of her previous life in Dresden, Anna now has a new destiny. Chosen to be the savior for her planet, she is now on a mission to save the world from an evil so devious that its only goal is to steal souls and leave no human untainted. If Anna fails to protect Earth from the darkness, the human race will cease to exist. In this epic fantasy, a police officer must rely on her special abilities as she embarks on a dangerous mission to discover who murdered her partner and purge the evil from humans-before it is too late for all who inhabit Earth.

Soul Of Quetzalcoatl

By Edward R. Maher

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2012 Edward R. Maher
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4759-5372-5

Contents

1. To Serve and Protect..............................................12. Tom & Anna........................................................173. The House.........................................................204. Dresden 1935......................................................285. Vergewaltigen.....................................................326. The Church........................................................387. Picking up the Pieces.............................................408. Pablo's Story.....................................................519. The Chief.........................................................6110. Tom's Funeral....................................................6811. Bullying.........................................................7712. College..........................................................8813. San Diego - The Club – Two Years Later.....................10314. Seven Sands......................................................11215. Police Academy...................................................12116. Chinese Gentleman................................................14617. The Shooter......................................................15118. The Bad Sergeant.................................................16219. The Incident.....................................................17420. The Assassin.....................................................18321. Discovery........................................................19422. Destiny..........................................................19823. Van Nuys.........................................................21224. Anna's FBO.......................................................22125. Paris............................................................24526. Germany..........................................................25827. New York.........................................................27228. CIA..............................................................28029. Saving Mom and Dad...............................................30030. Protecting Mike's Family.........................................31031. The President....................................................31632. Secretary of Defense.............................................34533. The Park.........................................................35334. Cabin Attack.....................................................36535. The Final Option.................................................37036. Eerily Quiet.....................................................37737. Dying............................................................38238. Back From the Dead...............................................39539. Closure..........................................................407

Chapter One

To Serve and Protect

Officer Anna Beckman had her back pressed hard against the aging exterior clapboard of the porch wall next to the front door. Death, poor maintenance and time had been harsh to the house. The paint was badly chipped and peeling. The dried siding along the eastern side of the house was warped and pulling away from the structural framing.

At first glance, where the siding had split and twisted the framing looked like the ribs of a giant prehistoric monster. Instead of calcified organs only the mundane weather-laden asbestos insulation was exposed. Better Home and Gardens it wasn't. This sad excuse for a house would be their worst nightmare.

Her bulletproof vest protected her back from the rough exterior. It did not, however, shield her from the stench that warped though the walls. It smelled of sudden death and horrible loss. Tom, her partner was on the opposite side of the doorframe waiting to burst through. She saw his nose twist from the stench and shrug it off with a twist of his face. She couldn't ignore it, not today.

Nothing felt right about this call. With the 911 and the uneasy quiet that hung around her like a cloak, it felt wrong. Even the night air seemed to be thicker, syrupy even, than when they first arrived. Anna's mind was racing as she looked over at Tom. Everything about being here was really creeping me out and yet Tom doesn't seem to share my concern and it was pissing me off. Logically, I knew my irritation was misplaced, but still ... Anna was seriously wondering if she was having an anxiety attack. My mind felt like it was high on road rage.

Another rare emotional feeling of apprehension crawled from deep inside her and screamed, leave; leave! Anna pushed it down and tried to force herself to ignore the warnings. So many conflicting thoughts thrashed against her normally stable persona. Was this fear? It couldn't be, she reasoned. She hadn't felt fear since she was a child-loss, yes, but not fear. It was just nerves. She told herself. Besides, this was her job. She couldn't just walk away and ignore a code 10-10 (shots fired).

* * *

In the middle of all this brain cell turmoil, a quiet thought gently bubbled to the surface. She pondered why they were chosen for this assignment from all the other officers. They were an hour away, whereas other officers were cruising only twenty minutes from the scene. Finally, why risk the lives of fellow officers by not providing backup, particularly in a neighborhood where a cop's uniform was a target? She knew Dispatch wasn't as familiar as the cops that worked the city day and night. However, a person would have to be from a one-horse town in Kansas to not know how bad this section of LA really was.

Realizing she was rambling and knowing how unproductive and totally unlike her it was, she put a stop to it. She found she was also repeating herself, bringing up issues for which she presently had no answer and no time to waste. Her father would frown on her speculations. He would say, "If you can't bring two or more possible solutions to the table about a problem, stay in bed. Who knows your problem better than you do? Besides, most of the time Anna you'll already have the solution."

Thinking it would sound absurd to Tom she decided not to mention the little dance number taking place in her brain. Anna wasn't sure exactly when she realized her mind was being violated. She was confident she wasn't crazy, so that left one possibility and it wasn't good. When her abilities first began manifesting in high school, crazy became the first letter in the alphabet. I thought I was losing my mind. It made sense, people that start to believe they're superheroes are nuts. Everyone knows that. Whatever this thing is, its now sweeping though my mind like a hurricane and my memories, the thing that makes me the person I am are being lapped up like chicken soup.

Like a small miracle somewhere within Anna's mind a singular spark of a thought managed to reach her conscious mind. She was now sure something or someone was assaulting her mind. Somehow she also knew if she didn't do something she would disappear, forever. She had to fight back, but how? Fortunately, with that small spark came the kernel of an idea.

With the attack first came she hadn't recognized it for what it was, except it made her feel like crap. A year ago she suffered tachycardia after being stabbed. She learned later that night she healed supernaturally fast. Blood all over and not a scratch on her. Her mind and body compensated by triggering her ability to heal.

Her pulse ramped up to over 150 bpm, plus she broke out in a cold sweat and she felt faint...