Anna's Way (Ditch Lane Diaries Book 2) Read online

  Ditch Lane Diaries:

  Anna’s Way

  by

  D. F. Jones

  Anna’s Way

  Ditch Lane Diaries, vol. 2

  Copyright © D.F. Jones 2015

  I S B N : 978-0-9861227-1-2 ebook

  I S B N : 978-0-9861227-2-9 paperback

  All rights reserved.

  Notes:

  Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and complying with copyright laws.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, including, but not limited to, any electronic forms, and information or storage systems without the explicit written permission of the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is completely coincidental.

  Cover Art by Jones Media

  Editing by Alicia Street

  Proofreading by Jody Wallace

  Digital Formatting by Author E.M.S.

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Prologue – Sympathy for the Devil

  Chapter 1 – Undercover Angel

  Chapter 2 – Southern Nights

  Chapter 3 – You Made Me Believe in Magic

  Chapter 4 – Angel in Your Arms

  Chapter 5 – Feels Like the First Time

  Chapter 6 – Don’t Bring Me Down

  Chapter 7 – We Are Family

  Chapter 8 – Makin’ It

  Chapter 9 – Separate Lives

  Chapter 10 – On the Dark Side

  Chapter 11 – Sunglasses at Night

  Chapter 12 – Cherish

  Chapter 13 – Yah Mo B There

  Chapter 14 – All She Wants to Do Is Dance

  Chapter 15 – Crazy for You

  Chapter 16 – Love Is a Battlefield

  Chapter 17 – Lay Your Hands on Me

  Chapter 18 – Against All Odds

  Epilogue – Heaven

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Books by D.F. Jones

  Excerpt from RUBY’S CHOICE

  Fun Fact: Chapter Titles are songs from the late 1970’s through the middle 1980’s.

  Enjoy.

  Dedication

  To my wonderful husband, my two beautiful sons, and my lifelong friends.

  Prologue

  Sympathy for the Devil

  Nashville, Tennessee 1961

  From the top floor of a Third Avenue high-rise, Luc watched the busy traffic of pedestrians and vehicles on the street below. Ants, little ants. He randomly read humans’ thoughts and placed a bevy of decadent sins and temptations in their minds. And today he was in a particularly bad mood since rumor had reached him that some human wards purportedly held powers of angels.

  Luc had once been one of the three most powerful angels in Heaven—until he got tossed out. He had ruled the Earth and its inhabitants for the last six thousand years, fighting an angelic war over Earth’s unworthy species: the humans.

  Luc’s meeting with a potential angel recruit and informant, Zenuael, could change his military strategy in the war. He tapped his long slender fingers on the plate glass window.

  A delivery truck below turned into the driveway of the department store building across the street when a car pulled into the truck’s path. The truck squealed its brakes, but Luc waved his hand, and the truck ran over the top of the Ford Falcon. The two human males occupying the car suffered internal injuries and eventually died. Two of Gabriel’s angels looked up at him, and Luc laughed, giving The Creator’s angels the thumbs up. Luc said, “Oh, it’s the little things that make life worth living.”

  The rebellion had been the last time he’d seen those two angels. Luc began to shake with anger as he went back in time and relived the moment Michael pushed him out of Heaven.

  * * *

  In the Beginning

  Luc walked into the Rose Garden, a place where the angels met to hang out with their friends and looked for pairing partners. As he walked past the pale pink rose path, the female angels all turned their heads to smile, and several he had slept with in the past called out to him.

  “Hi, Luc.”

  “Looking good, Luc.”

  “I love you, Luc.”

  He threw his hand up in salutation and chuckled as he read the thoughts of the females. Luc had the urge for a new hook up, and there she sat, Kaduntz, a gorgeous female who hadn’t submitted to him yet.

  Luc made his way through the male angels who were all vying to make their connections to different females. He stepped over to Kaduntz and leaned against the white column with a trellis of climbing roses in pastel pinks, yellows, and creams. The color of the climbing roses set off Kaduntz’s long strawberry-blond hair and creamy, soft complexion with her warm amber eyes. Luc said, “Kaduntz, you are lovely. You’re fairer than these delicate roses, and I want you. Go out with me because I want to hear you hit the high notes.” He chuckled.

  Kaduntz narrowed her eyes and straightened her shoulders. “Luc, just because I’m a soprano in your heavenly choir of angels doesn’t give you the right to speak disrespectfully to me.”

  Luc leaned next to her cheek, and a sigh escaped her lips. “Oh, Kaduntz, you know I can read your thoughts, and you’re in full bloom.” Luc cut off the conversation and grunted. “We’ll pick this up after worship. The old man is summoning me.” Luc dematerialized to the palace entrance and walked into The Creator’s sanctuary.

  Upon entering the throne room, Luc instantly knew something was wrong. The Creator looked pissed, and His fingers curled into a fist. Luc glanced over his right shoulder to make sure The Creator was looking at him and not someone else.

  The Creator rose from His throne and shouted, “Everyone leave us, now.”

  The Prince along with a dozen of His warrior angels left the room. Luc held a special place in The Creator’s heart, His favorite angel. They were tight. Luc made Him laugh, and he could never remember seeing The Creator get angry, much less shout.

  “Luc, you disappoint me, son. Did you honestly think you could recruit the entire worship division to rebel against me and I wouldn’t find out?” The walls of the sanctuary vibrated, and Michael and Gabriel appeared on either side of The Creator with their wingspans at full extension.

  Luc straightened his shoulders; his chest puffed out, and his translucent wings spanned upward. “Do not talk to me in that tone old man. I am Luc. My worship angels are ready at a moment’s notice to help me take your throne.”

  Michael stood in front of the Almighty and shouted, “Blasphemer. You’re not worthy to stand in The Creator’s presence. You try to incite a rebellion within the walls of Heaven, and my army will crush you and your singing angels.” Michael’s sword jutted underneath the nose of Luc. “Lord, give me permission to run this traitor through.”

  “SILENCE.” The Creator seemed to double in size and strength, but Luc didn’t back down. He stood with his legs slightly apart, his hands on his hips. Luc was every bit as good as The Creator, if not better, to run Heaven and all of its subjects. He even had angels in both Michael’s and Gabriel’s camps ready to come under his leadership. The Creator said, “I created you, Luc. I gave you one-third of heaven’s angels to worship ME, not you. And you betrayed me. I strip you of your rank and position. I’m sending you to the new planet I’m creating called Earth. You and your lot must leave immediately, or I’ll have Michael’s army cut you all down.”

  Luc became irate. “You cannot strip me of my rank and position. I will cut you down.
” Instantaneously, the throne room filled with Michael’s soldiers.

  The Creator went down the steps to stand in front of Luc. He turned to Michael and said, “Escort Luc and his angels out of Heaven to Earth’s realm.” The Creator left the room with Gabriel at his side.

  Luc started throwing punches at Michael and he screamed, “No. You can’t do this to me.” Michael counterpunched each jab, grabbed Luc by his wings and escorted him from the palace. Luc called on his worship angels, and Michael called his army. Opening the palace doors, all of the angels in Heaven stood around, looking confused by the rumblings under their feet. Michael had two of his soldiers restrain Luc’s arms while he continued to hold Luc’s wings.

  A third of Heaven’s angels known as the worship angels’ voices rang out loud and clear, “Luc. Luc. We’re with you, Luc.”

  Michael’s army surrounded the worship angels. “Today and henceforward, Lucifer’s name will not be spoken within the walls of Heaven.” Gabriel’s angels flanked Michael’s army, and they pushed Luc and his followers kicking and screaming out of Heaven.

  As The Creator worked on the formation of the third planet from the sun, Luc and his army of demon angels made their home in the Earth’s lower mantle, close to the liquid core known as Hell. Once Earth’s formation was complete, Luc and his army were allowed to surface on the planet’s continental crust.

  With an air of superiority, Luc stood before his army in the Garden of Eden next to the tree of life. His waist-length, glossy, jet-black hair fell over his shoulders in waves. Luc had strikingly beautiful features, and his dark, soulful eyes looked at his followers. “I am proud, and I am strong. I am God of this planet. Earth is our home, and we will continue to grow in numbers and strength.”

  Kaduntz stepped away with a third of Luc’s army. She yelled over the crowd, “You are the great deceiver. You alone are responsible for getting us kicked out of Heaven. The angels who stand with me now will never follow you.” The earth angels disappeared from Luc’s presence.

  Luc shouted at the remaining angels, “If there are any left in this group who do not wish to follow me or be a part of this army—leave now. I want your complete and absolute devotion and loyalty. If you cannot give it to me, then leave now.”

  Luc’s army began to chant his name. “Luc. Luc. Luc.”

  Luc bowed to his army. His translucent wings spanned out and shimmered with a rainbow of colors. “My true and faithful subjects.”

  * * *

  Several days later

  The Creator entered the Garden of Eden and Luc materialized to sit in the tree of life. The Creator had made new beings in his likeness called humans. The old man kept trying Luc’s patience. The Creator showed His new beings the layout of the garden and pointed to the tree of life.

  The Creator’s snowy white hair fell in one long braid down his back. He wore a long-sleeved white silk shirt over white linen trousers and stood in his bare feet. The Creator’s ageless and timeless face beamed with light and love and His sapphire eyes sparkled as He gave the new beings a warm smile. The old man used to look at him with undeniable love. Luc growled, clenching his teeth. The old man said, “My dear Adam and Eve, I have given you this beautiful garden. You will never want, and you will never hunger. You will live forever. My beautiful humans, the only thing you mustn’t do is take from the fruit of this tree.”

  Luc wondered if the old man knew he sat in the top of the tree with fruit He forbade His humans to eat. Was the old man baiting him? Or was he baiting the humans? The humans nodded in agreement with the old man. The old man vanished from the garden in a flash of incandescent light.

  The human female began to explore the garden as the male slept. Luc appeared before the female. Her hand went over her mouth. Luc, the most beautiful angel in the universe, appeared to Eve as the light of love. He crooned a litany of beautiful words to the female. “The Creator has given you great beauty, Eve. He has given you this beautiful garden. Do you know why The Creator forbade you to eat the fruit of this tree?”

  “No,” she said timidly as she shook her head.

  Luc had a way with females, and the human was no different. Eve walked over and ran her fingers through his silky ebony hair, and Luc had to control his emotions not to smack the female down for touching him. But if he could get the humans to betray the old man, it would give him leverage and a way to meet with The Creator. Luc caressed the female’s face, and she closed her eyes and purred. This female is too easy.

  The female opened her eyes and lovingly looked into Luc’s. With innocence, she said, “The Creator forbade us to eat the fruit of this tree. There are many other trees filled with fruit in the garden.”

  Luc kissed the back of her hand and smiled. “Oh, my beloved, He just wants to test you. He wants to see if you’re strong. He wants you to eat the fruit because then you’ll have the same knowledge He has. You’ll be like Him in every way. Eat the fruit and share with your mate. You’ll see I’m right.” Luc kissed her on the mouth.

  The female ate the fruit, and at Luc’s urging, she gave the forbidden fruit to the male. Luc neglected to tell the humans what it had just cost them. Suddenly, The Creator filled the space and screamed, “Luc.”

  Luc smiled and appeared before the old man and bowed. “See how easy it is to rule? The humans are mine now. Go home, old man.”

  The old man shook the earth. The clouds rolled across the sky, thunder boomed, and lightning struck the ground before the two humans. He shouted to the humans, “Leave this garden at once. You have disobeyed my only command. You’re not worthy of this garden.” He turned to Luc and Luc held his chin up in defiance. The old man said, “You have drawn your battle line, and I will draw mine. You have given away the decision of what is right or wrong so the humans may choose for themselves. They will toil until death, and you will speak as their accuser, but mark my words, you will make retribution.”

  “What did you expect, old man? You gave this planet to me. Did you honestly think I would allow those humans to occupy my space without being subject to me?” Luc stood with his legs apart and readied himself for another battle with Michael. He looked around, but Michael didn’t appear.

  The Creator shook his head slowly. With sadness, He said, “Luc, you had much potential, but your pride and arrogance have sorely disappointed me. You may still come to the heavenly meetings on the humans’ behalf.” The Creator disappeared.

  * * *

  Luc, as the ruler of the Earth, controlled and manipulated time. The humans became a source of entertainment for him and his demon angels. Occasionally the earth angels led by Kaduntz thwarted his fun. Then the Prince came to Earth as a man and Luc offered him the chance to rule the Earth with him. Together, they would have been unstoppable, but alas, The Prince’s people served him up to the cross.

  What Luc failed to realize was that The Creator had given the humans a different choice with the Prince, who took over for Luc at the heavenly meetings on behalf of the humans. While opening the doors to humans, the Prince’s sacrifice shut the doors to Heaven forever to Luc.

  More determined than ever, Luc vowed to take as many of the human souls as he could from the Prince and the old man. Earth belonged to him, and he would not let it go without a fight. The humans became pawns in this game of chess over life on Earth.

  Fast forward six thousand years after being cast out, and the rules of engagement changed again. Luc waited for new intelligence from a potential spy named Zenuael.

  * * *

  Luc sought out spies from heaven’s guardian angels and military unit known as the AAF (Angel Armed Forces). During the mid-twentieth century, one of Luc’s prospective spies scheduled a meeting to discuss new information regarding The Creator using humans as wards. Luc cultivated new spies, and Zenuael, a lieutenant in the AAF, had shown promise and interest in jumping the fence.

  Luc had commandeered the top floor of a suite of offices from Tennessee bureaucrat Charlie Boatwright, who currently served jail tim
e for poisoning his district’s watering hole in exchange for money. Money, money, money—the best way to bring any human to his knees.

  The interior office walls were painted a crimson red with white wainscoting. Luc had opted for the human’s post-war modernist look with a George Nelson desk next to the plate glass windows, and on the left side of the room sat a Herman Miller black marshmallow sofa flanked by Noguchi glass-topped end tables.

  There was a soft knock on the double doors and Luc’s manservant Cole walked inside. “Sir, Zenuael has arrived. May I show him in?” Luc wished he had millions of Cole Steeles, so easy to manipulate and eager to carry out any request or demand.

  Luc sat down behind the desk in a sleek black leather chair. “Yes, show him in and wait about ten minutes, then come back and tell me I have another appointment. Sometimes these angels who play both sides of the fence waste my time.” Cole bowed and exited the room.

  Cole Steele had sold his soul to be rich and powerful after being humiliated from the Stock Market crash in 1929. Cole had proved to be one of Luc’s best recruits. He had bestowed on Cole immortality and youth until Luc decided he no longer needed him. In the meantime, Luc would give Cole the wealth and power he craved, but not until he worked decades proving his loyalty.