“We have a choice,” Derek
announced. “One of us can use the
laptop, and one of us can go to the police and see if they have anything on the Reverend James Hicks, although that title
could be self-styled.”
Rachel checked the time. “I get on okay with Jon Redding. I know that morgue almost as well as I know
my own kitchen.”
“Remind me not to eat at your house
again,” Derek commented lightly.
She laughed. “I’ll go speak with him an’ Officer Houseman. I have the first family support group
session at twelve thirty so I may not be back till late afternoon, but, if I
learn anything vital, I’ll call.”
“Thank you.”
Rachel left him alone to switch on the
laptop and connect to the Legacynet. He
doubted he would find anything in the Legacy’s database but he had long ago
made it a practice to start there. Once
that was exhausted, he could always try the archives of the local press.
So Philip is working hard for good and
Alex is helping him. They are
safe. What is Nick doing? Is Reverend Hicks the middle man? And what is the importance of the house on
the hill? It must be important or Peri would not feel a need to check it out.
The computer showed it was searching
so Derek left it to work while he went to the diner and got coffee and a
sandwich for later. His mind was trying
to figure out a surefire way to get any information gathered back to those who
needed it. It would be difficult. Rachel was right. Derek wasn’t a telepath.
He couldn’t communicate. He took
hope from the fact that Merlin couldn’t communicate either, yet she was still
doing it.
Or was she ..? Derek halted, frowning. Maybe the visions he was seeing were fake,
sent by someone or something else to lead him along a false trail. Maybe Philip and Alex, Nick and Merlin were
all dead … Instead of feeling
optimistic, he should be mourning.
Now Derek could understand what the
families were going thru. They didn’t
know what had become of their loved ones.
Neither did he.
I choose to be positive, he thought as
he moved on. I choose to believe these
visions are true. I choose … I am not a victim. I have control. I .. am a Legacy
Precept.
*****
Merlin strolled to the trees at the
far end of the street. Nick was
watching his surroundings, working out the best places to create chaos. She knew he was as on the ball as he could
be. He was alert and aware. And she was using him as a test subject in
an experiment.
By the trees, Nick looked around and
shrugged. “Good view of the entire
place. What happens when more people
enter? The road just gets longer?”
“It must do. New homes pop into existence.”
“Big time saver,” he commented. “I’ve seen enough. When it gets dark tonight .. you an’ me will be in our element.”
“Okay,” Merlin agreed, turning and
strolling back.
That was interesting. Nick hadn’t noticed the road going on into
the trees. He hadn’t even been tempted
to look up, see where it might go. He
just hadn’t seen it. And Nick was
alert. If he hadn’t seen it, she was willing
to bet no one else had seen it either.
A house on the hill. A house which, so far as she could see, was
built at the end of the road. It wasn’t
one side or the other. It was simply
there. High up, so it could see
everything happening below it.
She shifted her viewpoint and nodded
slightly at Aquila’s silent remark.
It wasn’t at the end of the road at
all, but at the beginning …
*****
“Dr Corrigan!” Rick Houseman greeted,
rising to his feet. “Did we call you
back?”
“No, you didn’t. I need your help with something,” Rachel
replied.
“Is it connected to the case? I’m not being picky but Lieutenant Horn is
riding us pretty hard. He wants
results.”
“We believe it is connected, yes.”
“Can I get you some coffee?” he
interrupted.
“Thanks.”
“Sit down,” he invited.
Rachel sat down at the other side of
the desk. “Don’t ask me how I believe
that it’s connected, just trust me, okay?” she went on when he returned with
the coffee.
“Okay.”
“Can you go thru your file an’ see if
you have any reference to, or of, a James Hicks. Possibly Reverend James Hicks.”
He nodded slowly. “I know those names like the back of my
hand, doc. There’s no Hicks on the
list.”
“Okay. How about .. before
your file starts?” Rachel leaned
forward. “It could be that no one
actually reported him missing. I’m
willing to bet your file doesn’t include everyone who has vanished. Some people –
drifters, for instance – may have been in the area and no one realized. Some people don’t have relations or friends to make a report.”
“Then there may be no reference to a
James Hicks.”
“Could you look anyway? I don’t know how far back you’d need to go.”
Houseman nodded again, but didn’t
otherwise move.
“There a problem?” Rachel queried.
“Is this guy the one responsible for
cutting off heads?”
“I don’t know,” Rachel replied
honestly. “He could be. It could be someone else.”
“But .. he’s inside the thing.”
“Yeah,” she nodded. “He runs a church in there but he may not be
a true minister.”
“Okay. I’ll look for you. You
wanna wait?”
“Yeah. I’ve got till midday.”
*****
Aquila joined Philip at the edge of
the play area. “They like it.”
“Yes, they do. There’s only one thing they lack .. or so
they tell me. A rope for jumping.”
“One like this?” she asked, smiling
and holding out a coiled length.
“I don’t know how you do it but I’m
mighty glad you can. Joanne! Your rope.”
The little girl raced toward him,
grabbed the rope, turned, turned back, said “Thanks, Father!”, and ran to
rejoin her friends.
“I’m pleased I could help,” Aquila
murmured. “Your service this morning
was enlightening in many ways.”
“Was it? I didn’t win any converts.
I only exchanged words with a man in a terry robe.”
He sounded depressed.
“The Reverend Hicks of the church of
the midnight mass,” Aquila said. “And
you did more than exchange words, Father.
You got him royally pissed.” She
smiled broadly. “Seriously, did you
expect people to give up the riches of the lives they have to join you in this?”
It was starting to rain again. The children ignored it and played on under
the watchful scrutiny of the grownups.
“I thought some consciences might be
troubled enough to force a change of heart.
Money is the root of all evil.”
“And the Catholic church is extremely
rich. Merlin is extremely rich. Are they evil?”
“You know what I mean.”
“Yes.
The pursuit of money is the root of all evil.” She kicked idly at the ground.
“I think you were a little naïve to expect such a reward from an initial
attack. But it was a good move,
especially the children’s laughter.
That struck a solid blow.”
“It didn’t work.”
“It began the process. It signaled that things are going to
change. Some hearts have been closed a
long time, Father Callahan. It may need
several knocks to get someone to answer.
Don’t give up trying. Hicks is
expecting you to surrender but that doesn’t mean he’ll win by default. He isn’t
fighting.”
Philip looked around sharply.
“If this is a war,” Aquila went on,
“it’s a very strange one. I’ve been in
arenas and I’ve fought. I’ve done a lot
of fighting in a lot of situations, and, most of the time, they say it isn’t
war. This .. it’s different again. You did something unexpected today. You took the initiative. Don’t give it up.”
“He isn’t fighting?”
“No.
None of them are. Okay, some may
throw stones at your windows and leave used hypodermics where they can be found
but there’re no pitched battles taking place.
If you want my advice – ”
“Please,” Philip invited.
“Go out, check the road for dangerous
items and clear them away, then let the children play in the street. Let their parents see them, hear them, but
don’t let the children talk to them. If
they want to talk, they have to switch sides.
It’s time to up the stakes and put pressure on the other side. Issue some terms.”
Philip nodded. “Good idea,” he agreed quietly.
*****
Nick was sorting thru the contents of
the two backpacks. He had ammunition
and explosives spread over the bedroom floor, and he was having the best time
of his life.
“My first choice is the church,” he
said. “We can’t target homes – although
the crack house is a prime target.”
“It’d be interesting to see what
happens,” Merlin remarked. “Would it
simply reappear, do you think?”
“From what I’ve observed, no one
actually lives there. The people who
are dealing – their homes deserve a little retribution. Damage rather than destruction, but some
serious damage.” Nick looked up, his
expression thoughtful. “I haven’t seen
any processing labs around here. How’s
the stuff getting in?”
“Don’t know,” she replied.
“Are the users still gonna have the
habit once they get out?”
“I’m not sure but .. I don’t think
so. Last night, or earlier this
morning, I kinda figured my way to the theory that today is the same day as
yesterday, an’ the day before. The
air’s a little stale here. There’s so
much open space an’ trees, an’ no traffic to pollute the atmosphere, you’d
expect the air to be fresh.
Invigorating. But it isn’t. It’s stagnant because .. nothing’s
changing. It’s the same day repeating
itself.”
“The day. Not the people.”
“Right. An’ I think there’s a reason for that. If things developed, the balance would be upset. How many affairs are going on? You seen any pregnancies? Any women with small children over this
side? Children who have been born since
they got here? I haven’t. Similarly, no one’s died .. of any cause. Drug habits .. if they were allowed to take hold, would mean
people doing nothing except getting stoned.”
“Some of ’em are,” Nick pointed out.
“Yeah but .. when a user first starts
using, it’s small amounts. Just to get
a kick. It isn’t a true habit. It’s only later – weeks, months – that their
whole lives turn to focus on the next fix.
Some of these people have been here years, yet .. it’s only the first
day.”
He nodded. “Okay. What does that
mean?”
“I don’t know, Nick. The question I need to answer is .. why is
no one fighting? The war between good
versus evil. Evil has the odds stacked
in its favor. Good is definitely at a
disadvantage. They could fight. They have the street. Common ground. Why aren’t they using it?
Evil could win the war but it doesn’t appear to want to. Why is that?”
“Maybe,” Nick shrugged, “they haven’t
been shown how to fight.”
*****
Derek glanced up at the beep. His eyebrows rose. The Legacynet had found a match.
James Hicks, Reverend. He
clicked on the link and leaned forward to read what it said.
James Hicks. Minister in San Jose, turn of the century. He first came to the Legacy’s attention in
nineteen-oh-nine when he was implicated by several of his congregation in
Satanic practices and rituals involving beheading of animals and live
sacrifice. Before an investigation
could be started, he disappeared. He
has never been found. The case remains
open. Additional item.
Derek clicked on the additional
item.
James Hicks has a sister – Agatha –
who apparently disappeared with him.
She was not implicated in the initial report and is of no interest to
the Legacy. It is possible Agatha Hicks
was not willing to accompany her brother but was forced to.
So .. there were two of them, Derek
mused. Beheading. Sacrifice.
Ritual. This fits a pattern.
He picked up the phone to call Rachel
and pass on what he’d discovered. While
it rang, Derek began a fresh search in the San Jose press archives.
*****
Merlin was definitely feeling in a
testing frame of mind. She’d tested
Nick. Now she wanted to test the other
local residents. Nothing big. Just a curve ball to see how they reacted,
and how the town reacted. That didn’t
sound as strange as it might. Merlin
knew it wasn’t alive in the strict sense of the word, but it was capable of
reaction. The question was at whose
behest?
Aquila, you ready for some jiggery
pokery?
It’s about time, Aquila replied with
deep satisfaction.
Now .. a nice, clean shot across the
bows. A crisp line .. right down the
middle of the street.
Absolutely, Aquila purred.
The light promptly died in the
room. Nick glanced out the window.
“That blew up pretty fast.”
“Yeah, didn’t it?” Merlin agreed.
The sky was filling with cloud. Dark gray cloud. Thunder rumbled. Nick
went to the front of the house and opened the door.
“Have you seen this?” he asked. “The sun’s coming out over there.”
“Wow … ” she murmured, watching over
his shoulder.
Doors were opening on both sides of
the road and people were hesitantly emerging.
The people over the street were smiling, closing their eyes against the
unexpected light and heat. On this side
of the street, however, the temperature was plummeting. Rain began to fall. It was only a light shower but it soon
became heavier and faster. It stung as
it hit. Those who had gone onto the
sidewalk to peer up at the sky had to run for shelter.
Nick folded his arms. “You wouldn’t have anything to do with this,
would you?”
“What gave you that idea?”
“The way the rain’s making an
incredibly neat edge down the exact middle of the street. That isn’t what I’d call exactly natural.”
“Nothing in this town is,” Merlin
responded. “Let’s just watch for a
while. See what happens.”
A few minutes later, Aquila said that
she could feel resistance but it was only slight.
“Balance starting to correct itself.”
“What?” Nick asked.
“There’s a little resistance. The balance is trying to correct
itself. The pattern’s been disrupted.”
She fought it and it rained
harder. Lightning flashed and struck a
tree. With a long, groaning crack, it
fell and narrowly missed someone’s house.
Thunder boomed. And, over the
street, people were laughing and pointing fingers. Philip was praising God.
Then, wisely, he ushered them back inside. It couldn’t last forever, but it was a well timed lesson.
Merlin let the storm go on for another
twenty minutes then brought the experiment to a conclusion. The people hadn’t expected it and had
reacted with shock. The town had tried
to correct it and had been beaten back.
She hoped the well timed lesson had been learned. Questions would be asked and answers
demanded. She was looking forward to
it.
“That was you,” Nick said.
“Oh, sure. Philip began the war with an opening salvo. I just gave this town another one, and
Philip put it to good use. Now we get
to find out what happens next.”
*****
“Derek, I’m gonna have to leave. Rick Houseman’s still trying to find
something. As yet, he’s turned up zip,”
Rachel confided. “I can’t wait here any
longer.”
“Give him my number. Tell him to call me straight back. I may have a starting point for him.”
“Okay,” she agreed. “Wanna share?”
“San Jose. Turn of the century. It
seems the Reverend Hicks really is a Reverend.”
Rachel paused. “Houseman’s gonna find turn of the century
hard to accept.”
“No one can argue with the truth,
Rachel, even though it may prove to be unpalatable. Tell him to call me.”
“All right.” She closed the line and put her phone in her pocket. “Officer Houseman, Derek said to give you
his cell phone number and ask you to call him straight back. He’s found a starting point for your search
on Hicks,” Rachel said, pulling out a business card and noting Derek’s number
on the back. “I have to go. I have the first meeting of the family
support group to attend. You will call
him, won’t you?”
“Sure thing, doc,” he agreed. “Good luck.
Those folks could sure use the help.”
“Thanks,” she smiled and left the
office.
Turn of the century … That was a hundred years ago!
Rachel shook her head as she walked
down the corridor toward the parking lot.
A hundred years … How many others had simply fallen thru the
cracks and ended up there?
She pushed open the door and felt a
smothering blanket of hot air wash over her then something was shoved in her
face.
“You are ..?” someone asked. “Are you a consultant brought in to advise
the San Stefano Sheriff’s Department?”
“What is your opinion on the
bones found ten miles outside town?”
“Is there a serial killer loose in the
community?”
“Why has the Sheriff’s Department
closed the road?”
Rachel blinked in the bright lights
and sea of earnest faces, then took a step back. “You have to ask the Sheriff’s Department. As for me .. no comment.”
“Who are you, ma’am? Why won’t you answer our questions?”
Rachel couldn’t back up anymore so she
sidestepped, lowered her head and pushed her way between them. She hurried past TV trucks, reporters,
cameramen and sound guys.
Well, it was all in the open now. She walked quickly to her car, got in and
drove away, praying no one would follow her.
The families of the victims had overcome a great deal of mistrust to
agree to a support group. The last thing they needed was to have their
emotional trauma broadcast to the nation on live TV.
*****
“You are kidding me, right?” Rick
Houseman queried.
“No, I’m not,” Derek briskly
responded. “San Jose. Nineteen-oh-nine. There was a Reverend James Hicks who was the minister at the First
National Church. He disappeared
following some rather unsavory goings on, along with his sister Agatha
although, from everything I’ve learned so far, she was never involved. I’m on the internet now, attempting to learn
more from the local press archives.”
“I’m assuming he was a grown man when
he upped sticks and vanished,” Houseman commented. “That’d make him way over
a hundred years old.”
“This isn’t .. another town, Officer
Houseman. It’s a paranormal
phenomenon. If it were another town,
don’t you think you or your predecessors would have found it by now? You can’t let the facts blind you or
paralyze you. Work with them. Try accessing the San Jose PD records. I need to know as much about this man and
his sister as I can.”
“Well .. okay, Dr Rayne. I’ll try for you.”
He didn’t sound like he was going to
have much success.
“Do your best,” Derek rejoined. “And call me back.”
“Yes, sir.”
Derek closed the line and shook his
head. It did them all good, he knew, to
get out on fieldtrips and mix with the people they helped, but, more often than
not, it was an uphill struggle to explain what they did without rousing
suspicion or leaving themselves open to ridicule. The whole thing was very stressful anyway and often it was other
people’s attitudes which made it worse.
It was a very rare man indeed who could just accept them for what they
did and who they were, and take what they said as the truth.
“If only you knew the half of what we
do,” Derek muttered as he turned back to the laptop.
*****
Nick went out to join the group on the
street. It was his civic duty as a
concerned citizen to share in the public outrage.
“Wow, some storm. They often happen like that?”
“Hell, no. First one I’ve known since I got here.”
“Did you see the lightning hit that
tree? Man, that was close.”
“Missed the Brompton’s house by
inches. Scared the crap outta ’em. She’s having hysterics.”
“Reverend Hicks is there, trying to
calm her down.”
“I got bruises. That rain hit so hard, I got bruises.”
Nick nodded. “Strange, wasn’t it, the way the sun came out over the other side
of the street?”
“Yeah … Like a .. a total reversal of fortunes. For a while there, we had the crap thrown at us.”
“Did you see the way they came out an’
laughed?”
“I guess it’s fair,” Nick commented.
“No, it isn’t fair! We chose to live over
here an’ we chose that for a reason. It
wasn’t easy! The big house an’ nice
weather is our compensation for making the tough decision.”
“Don’t tell us you don’t like living
this side of the street,” Kevin Sumner accused.
“It has its upside, I’ll grant,” Nick
replied steadily.
“Then what right do they have to laugh
at us?” someone else asked.
“Maybe because we were getting a taste
of what they have to live with day in, day out,” Nick replied.
“No way, man. They don’t have storms like that. They don’t get lightning hitting trees.”
“You think, maybe, it was something
they made happen ..?” someone asked in a hesitant voice. “To get back at us.”
“Like .. magic?”
“No, like .. act of God. I heard they’ve got a priest over there.”
“Can a priest do that?”
“He’s more likely to be able to do it
than any one else. It’s like .. he’s
got a direct line.”
“You think?” Nick frowned. “If it’s true .. what does it tell us?”
“Nothing. It tells you nothing,” Reverend Hicks said, striding into their
midst. “It was a temporary
aberration. You see? The sun’s shining again.”
Heads were lowered, voices silenced.
“The priest has no power, unlike
me. I saw the damage which was done and
I called upon our Lord to stop the tempest.
He answered. The priest did not
cause it but I ended it. I have
power. He does not. Don’t allow him to make you think otherwise. Go to your homes. Rest. Tonight, in church,
we will debate our response to the ridicule.”
The group broke up immediately and
Nick went back inside.
“Hicks is claiming he stopped it .. or
rather the Devil stopped it at Hicks’ request,” he reported. “But, until he showed up, they were pretty
vocal. Talking act of God.”
“Yeah?” Merlin queried.
“An’ suggesting Philip did it.”
“Well, it’s nice he should get the
credit.”
“Merli, what’s our next move?” Nick
asked.
“I think you should brief Aquila on
where to plant some explosives.
Tonight’s gonna be .. busy. An’
noisy.”
*****
“I’ll be .. damned,” Houseman
whispered.
“Rick, it’s in the open. Parking lot is stuffed full of TV crews,”
Redding announced around the door.
“Lieutenant Horn is blowing a few vital gaskets.” He paused.
“What is it? You found
something?”
“Dr Rayne gave me a lead. It came thru.”
“Something I can pass on to Horn?”
“I wouldn’t,” Houseman replied, “not
if you wanna keep your job.” He
pointed. “James Hicks. Disappeared after taking a runner from San
Jose.”
“So ..?”
“Nineteen-oh-nine. Rayne thinks he’s inside the .. thing with
all the others. Apparently, he runs a
church in there.” Houseman
gestured. “He had .. has .. a record of
sorts. Domestic violence. A neighbor reported him on three different
occasions for beating on his sister.
She needed hospital attention once.
Because he was a minister, he got off with a warning. That’s all they could do – the sister
wouldn’t press charges.”
“Nineteen-oh-nine ..?” Redding
echoed. “It’s two thousand-two now.”
“I know.”
“Just .. what the hell are we involved
with?”
“Beats me, Jon. Will the roadblock keep the reporters out?”
“Jeez .. it has to. We don’t want them running into trouble.”
Redding raked a hand thru his hair.
“Well .. maybe we can use this Hicks guy. If we tell the TV crews that he was responsible for a killing
spree way back when an’ the bones were recently discovered, that the road is
closed while we comb the area for more …
You think they’d buy that?”
“Honestly? No.”
“As a last resort.”
Houseman considered. “Maybe.
I gotta call Rayne back. Tell
him what I’ve found out.”
“You ask him what he’s found out in
turn. Fair’s fair.”
*****
“Hicks also said it was a temporary
aberration,” Nick added as he prepared C4 for use.
“Oh, did he?” Merlin smiled broadly. “We’ll see about that.”
Within five minutes, the storm was back,
louder and harsher than it had been before.
“How long are you gonna keep it up?”
Nick asked.
“Well, as Philip told me recently,
this place is .. outside the real world an’ so the usual civilities don’t
apply. I think I’ll wait until people
start running outta the church.”
“Not in?”
“Oh no. Running to the church shows they’re scared enough to want Hicks
to make his request again. He’s already
told ’em it worked last time. This
time, it won’t. When they run outta church, they will have lost patience
with him an’ his credibility will be hurt.
Aquila? Go over the road an’
tell Philip to come out into the street when he sees the people leaving Hicks’
church. It’ll be his chance to make a
very big impression.”
Nick laughed softly. “You can be so bad at times.”
“No rule says I can’t be bad, Nicky,”
Merlin grinned. “Just like there’s no
rule which says I can’t have a little fun.”
*****
Derek studied the printout. It was a stark contrast to the police
reports. That painted a picture he felt
was nearer to the truth. The press
reports had been written thru a rose tinted glass. A man of the cloth. Never
married. Devoted to his
parishioners. When he vanished so
abruptly, the press had written about it in terms of a grand mystery. Yes, there had been an investigation. The obvious reason for the sudden departure
was that James Hicks was a thief but every penny was exactly where it was meant
to be. There was a photograph of the
abandoned house. They’d taken a few
items of clothing but had left everything else.
Not a thief, Derek mused, but a
practitioner of the Satanic arts. A
parishioner tipped off the Legacy and it makes perfect sense that another
parishioner would warn Hicks. If I knew
the Legacy was after me, I think I’d run too.
He’d called Rick Houseman back and
asked him to email a copy of the police investigation into Hicks’
disappearance. It had arrived within
ten minutes and Derek had been surprised to see it was a very thin report. Maybe the police, knowing the real story
about the minister and his predilection for violence, had been glad enough to
see the back of him that they couldn’t be bothered to investigate more than
examine the accounts.
Yet .. was the man a true
practitioner? That took skill and years
of commitment. It was possible he was
just a cruel man who had found a convenient excuse for his torture of
animals. The Devil never turns away a
true believer, no more than God does.
And the Devil tends to give more rewards in the form of wealth, power,
sexual attraction. Yet Hicks had lived
a apparently modest life and hadn’t appeared interested in sexual
conquest. It’s possible that .. he
began cruel and fell into evil thru minor, relatively innocent dabbling, Derek
reflected. Even just saying the words
could have brought him to the wrong person’s attention. Then, once the Devil had sunk a claw into
his soul, Hicks couldn’t break free.
That would mark him as a potential resident in the phenomenon. Exposure to the supernatural, the
paranormal.
As for the sister – Agatha Hicks – she
appeared to have been a recluse. There
were no pictures of her. She had no
friends, no visitors. Never married ..
possibly because her brother said no one was good enough for her. Apart from her name in the reports, she
might never have existed. She lived
like a ghost and had vanished just as silently. She was probably inside the phenomenon too.
I think that’s a fair
investigation. Now I have to discover a
way to get the information to Peri …
*****
Philip was waiting out of sight,
watching the door to the church opposite.
Aquila had told him when to move and what to do, but not what to
say. Inwardly, he was laughing at the
sabotage. It hurt no one and only
struck at over-inflated pride.
Inside the church, the hail was
hammering on the roof. Women were
crying. Men were demanding that Hicks
make it stop.
“You did it last time!”
“You said it was temporary and
an aberration! It doesn’t seem so
temporary to me.”
“Why’s it come back? Are we failing somehow? Are we doing something wrong here?”
“Because, if we are, that’s down to
you. You told us what to do an’ we did it.”
“This is your fault!”
Hicks stood by his altar, shaking his
head. “This isn’t … You don’t understand – ”
“Damn right we don’t!” Rafael Ramirez
accused.
“Hey,” Nick called, apparently trying
to calm everyone down while playing Devil’s advocate with a relish, “give the
guy a break. This is only a little rain
an’ hail. Maybe the Lord was busy with
other stuff. Try again, Reverend.”
Hicks gave him a venomous look.
“Yeah, try again!” Kevin Sumner urged.
The shout went up. Hicks swallowed and, in front of his angry
congregation, called on the Devil to end the tempest .. just as he’d told them
he’d done last time. Then they waited
and nothing happened. The anger both
deepened and turned to scorn. People began to leave.
“No!
Wait!” Hicks shouted.
“Wait! I command you!”
“Yeah, sure, Reverend. Whatever you say.”
They huddled outside, trying to pick
the best moment to make a run for it.
Philip stepped out into the blazing sunshine over the road and stood
there for a moment, watching them.
“He can’t help you,” Philip
called. “There’s only one way to true
salvation. You know it as well as
I.” He looked up. “In God’s name, I command the storm to end …
”
The hail eased back to rain, the rain
eased to a light drizzle, the cloud began to break and the thunder grumbled
into silence. The drizzle stopped and
the sun came out.
“Who are you?” Rafael asked.
“Just a priest,” Philip answered
gravely. “Father Callahan.”
They glanced back at the church of the
midnight mass then, speculatively, over the road.
“Anyone who cares for good in the
world is always welcome,” Philip concluded and turned to go back inside.
“Thanks, Father Callahan,” Paul
Brompton called.
Philip paused. “You’re welcome,” he smiled.
*****
When Rachel got back, she looked
exhausted. “So much pain an’ anger, and
it all comes from within. They’re not
angry with the ones who’ve disappeared, they’re angry with themselves. It’s the usual reasons – I’ve seen it so many times before. Did they say or not say something? Did they do or not do something? They feel they’re being punished .. an’ they
don’t know why.”
She sighed. “But .. they all felt the support group was a good idea. They believed they were alone, each
family. They learned today they’re not,
an’ they were .. shocked, I think, to discover how many families are affected
by this.”
“You did a good thing today,” Derek
said.
“Yeah, I know. An’ I’ll appreciate it later when I’m not so
tired.”
“How about you take a nap before
supper?”
“That is a great idea,” Rachel
groaned, smiling. “Did you find
anything on Hicks?”
“Quite a lot,” Derek replied. “And I’ll tell you .. later. While you sleep, I’m preparing the order in
which I have to pass the information on.”
Rachel nodded. “When will we try?”
“Later again,” Derek decided. “In the early hours of tomorrow.”
*****
Nick chewed on his steak. “It was classic,” he said. “You should’ve been there.”
Merlin shrugged. “I’m just the weak, scared little woman,
staying home to cry in the rain. You’re
cruel for leaving me to cope alone.”
“You would’ve loved it. Hicks is
definitely on the run.”
“Don’t be so sure of that. A storm?
Enough to make him throw in the towel?
Upset him, sure. Force him into
retreat, not yet. He’ll be defensive
now. He’s been challenged, albeit
indirectly. He won’t like that. He’ll hit back.”
Nick chewed as he thought, then
swallowed and reached a hand for his wine.
“You’re starting the war.”
“Someone has to. Philip’s prepared to fight for what he
believes in. I’ll goad Hicks into
fighting too.”
“An’ then?”
She grinned. “Smash him down an’ grind the bits left into dust.”
“That I have to see.”
“And you will. Nicky, did you notice anything strange when
we were out this morning?” she asked.
“No.
Why?”
“Later. First, we have to go to church.”
*****
Alex tucked in the last child and
gazed down at him. “Sleep well,” she
whispered, smoothing back a damp strand of hair.
Andrew’s eyes were already drifting
shut.
She left him and went outside. “The end to a momentous day,” she remarked
to Philip.
“To be sure,” he nodded.
“They’re exhausted, every one of
them.”
“Thank God for small mercies,” he
commented. Philip grinned quickly but
it faded fast. “Let them sleep well
tonight. Tomorrow, they become our
secret weapon.”
Alex frowned. “They’re children, Philip. You can’t use them.”
“I have to, Alex. They live on this side of the street. They’re part of my army.”
“How?
How will you send those little ones into battle?”
“I won’t. I’ll send them in to play.
It’s where they’ll play which
will matter.” He gestured. “Out there.
In the street.”
“The street?” she queried, her eyes widening.
“They’ll be safe. We’ll watch them and Aquila will make sure
no one hurts them. And they’ll do a
power of good and cause a lot of grief and heart searching. Just by playing where others can see. A secret weapon.” He nodded at her.
“Goodnight, Alex. Sleep well.”
*****
Nick spent an hour showing Aquila how
to prime and plant the explosives and the targets. Then she’d gone out to sow the seeds for some early hours
mayhem. He and Merlin waited for her to
return then they went to church.
James Hicks had recovered well from
his earlier humiliation. He appeared
calm and in control but Merlin noticed there was a fine tremor in his
hands. He was angry and didn’t have it
completely under control. He soon
whipped his congregation into line with some powerful words of prayer and then
launched into his sermon which, in essence, was the debate on how he would deal
with the ridicule heaped upon them all by the ragbag band of do-gooders over
the road.
Slowly, the congregation started to
shore up their faltering allegiance to his church. Merlin’s eyes narrowed.
He raised his fists to the ceiling for
the thundering conclusion which would rally inalienable support to the cause.
“And Lucifer will send his legions and
they will come armed with whips of flame and bathed in fire and brimstone! And his vengeance will fall from the sky to
devour all those not under his
protection! He has made his will known
to me. He has given me the power to
strike down his enemies. But you, my
children, you who are faithful, will all be saved from his wrath.”
In the roused, breathless hush which
followed, someone started applauding.
Slowly. Derisively.
“Who is that?” Hicks demanded, his
gaze raking the pews. “Stand! Show yourself!”
Merlin got to her feet. “It’s me.”
“Peri. The newcomer.”
“Can’t fault your memory, sir. Reverend Hicks, you talk a fine speech but,
if I’m to put not just my life but my soul on the line, I want proof that I’ll
be saved. I wanna see this power you’ve
been given.”
“You task me?” he whispered.
“Yeah. I task you.”
He paused. “Very well,” he then accepted.
“What would you like me to do?”
Merlin glanced around. When she’d begun to clap, people had
shuffled away from her but now they were watching cautiously.
“How about you make fire fall from the
sky? I’d say that’d be a good
demonstration of your fitness to lead these people, lead us, into war.”
He glared at her. “All right.
But not in here.”
“Don’t wanna burn down the church,”
she agreed mildly, then her voice, like her eyes, hardened. “Let’s take this outside.”
James Hicks strode down from his
pulpit and marched along the central aisle.
His congregation silently filed out after him.
“This should be good,” Nick remarked
softly, grinning.
“We’ll see,” she murmured.
Outside and a fair distance away, he
halted and drew in a deep breath.
“Lucifer, your loyal servant calls upon you. Let fire rain from the sky!” he shouted, raising his clenched
fists to the heavens.
People looked up. Nothing happened and Nick’s grin widened,
thinking the man just loved to dig himself deeper each time he opened his
mouth, but then it vanished as flames did indeed begin to fall. He glanced at Merlin as everyone around them
oohed and aahed like it was a firework display on the Fourth of July.
“Did Lucifer really hear him?” he
breathed.
She shook her head. “It’s a show. A sham. Lucifer’s got
nothing to do with this. If he did, believe
me, those flames would be a lot bigger an’ a lot nastier. This is closer to home.”
“Someone in the congregation?” he
queried.
“Nah.
Hicks is getting his power from someone but not from within his church.”
“George was a demon. There could be more.”
“There could. I haven’t found any.”
“Then who? Who’s doing this? The middle
man?”
“Convinced now?” Hicks inquired as he
came to a smug halt before them.
“For now, yeah. But I still don’t believe you’re the best
person to lead this church in a war,” Merlin replied.
“Then who? You?” he queried
scornfully.
“Why not? Why’d you think you’re the only one with power? I got pulled in here for a reason, Reverend. Maybe it’s to take over an’ show your people what true evil is.”
He flushed. “You’re trouble.”
“Sure I am,” she agreed, laughing in
his face. “Isn’t that what evil’s all
about? Creating disorder, dissent,
trouble? I’ve been here three days
now. I haven’t seen you do much at all. Truth is, you have no idea what you’re doing
or who you’re messing with. C’mon,
Nick. Let’s leave the Reverend to think
over his choices.”
She strolled away, Nick following and
guarding the rear.
“I think we just shoved a stick into a
hornets’ nest an’ gave it a damned good stir,” he commented.
“Sure, but he’s no threat. An’ a battle of wills between me an’ him
takes the focus an’ the heat off Philip, Alex, an’ all the good people over the
street.”
“So .. who’s’ the real enemy here?”
“The middle man.”
“An’ where’s he?”
“You must have noticed. This place has one road,” she said. “Good is one side. Evil is on the other.”
“Yeah, I can’t miss that,” Nick
retorted.
“Right. An’, although you didn’t see it this morning, the road goes up
that hill.”
He turned, frowning.
“What d’you see up there?” she asked.
He looked. “ A house. A big house,”
he admitted. How could he have missed
seeing that?
“What’s its position?”
Nick peered. “It straddles the road.”
“One road which leads to, or from, one
house. The house on the hill. Now .. who lives there and which side of the
war are they on?”
“Maybe it’s time to go scouting,” Nick
suggested.
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