The Dead Peasants' Contract: A Sequel to The Dead Peasants File (The Dead Peasants' Series Book 2)

by L. Craig Harris

  “So you believe some parts of the Bible are literally true, but you’re not so sure about others,” Wesley said. “Sir, you need to decide what you believe and make it very clear.”

  The three stood and looked at each other. Christopher didn’t know what to say.

  Chapter Two

  It was hot in the car when Christopher got in. He was mad and the heat didn’t help his feelings. He hated being accosted about his sermons. He knew this was a good message and he had delivered it well, and then this couple had the audacity to question him about it. He glanced over at Rachel. “Did you see that new couple talking to me just now?”

  “I did. What was that all about?”

  “They didn’t like my sermon.”

  “Didn’t like it? How could they not like it?”

  “They said Evolution is settled science.” He pulled onto the roadway and started toward home. “They said I make Christians look like fools when I go against science.” He raised his voice. “Who cares what the Bible says? We have to believe science, no matter what!”

  “You can’t make everyone happy. Just stick to the Word and you’ll be okay.”

  “It makes me mad.” He kept his eyes on the road. “Paul says the gospel is foolish to those who are perishing. Of course we look like fools to those who don’t believe. I don’t like being told I have to compromise my beliefs to make everyone happy.”

  After lunch, Christopher sat in his easy chair. It wasn’t long until he drifted off to sleep for a Sunday nap. His cell phone woke him after twenty minutes. It was a text from one of the elders at the church: let’s meet tomorrow at 6:30pm. He had begun to cool down, but now his heart sped up again. Why would the elders want to meet? There was nothing scheduled. This is never good.

  Rachel came and sat beside him. “What is it?”

  “Board meeting tomorrow. I wonder if the Boyd’s got to the board.”

  “Everyone on that board loves you. I don’t think some couple is going to come in and turn them against you.”

  He looked over at her. “I hope you’re right.”

  Christopher didn’t sleep well that night. He wondered what they would do if things went badly at the meeting. Things had been going so well at the church, but he wondered if that was coming to a close now. He tried to stay busy before the meeting, but his mind kept returning to it. He immediately felt better when he walked in Monday evening and everyone was so friendly. No one looked at him like they were about to present him with bad news. Travis Reed was the first to greet him and shake his hand. He was so glad to have Travis on the board and in his corner. “How’s Julia?”

  “She’s doing fine, thanks.”

  The men sat around a table in a classroom that they used for a makeshift conference room. The senior elder, Sean Cardellini, spoke first. “How do you think things are going, Chris?”

  “I think things are going pretty well. Attendance is pretty strong.”

  “I agree,” Travis said.

  Christopher looked back at Sean, waiting for him to enlighten him on what this meeting was about.

  “Wes Boyd called all of us yesterday,” Sean said. “Right after church.”

  Christopher could feel redness filling his cheeks. His pulse quickened. This was exactly what he feared.

  “But we want you to know that we support you,” Sean said.

  Another elder spoke up. “I thought it was a great sermon. We need to hear that, but let’s make sure we’re doing all we can to attract young people and young families.”

  “I agree,” Christopher said.

  “We don’t want you to preach anything other than the Word, but when you attack something that young people hear every day, it may keep them from coming back,” Sean said. “I’m just saying let’s be smart.”

  “Ok,” Christopher said. “I understand.” Christopher figured he could preach for several months without bringing this up again. He wondered if he could get out of this meeting without getting into another deep discussion about Creation and Evolution. The room was silent for a moment.

  “Maybe God used Evolution,” Sean said. He wasn’t going to let it go just yet. “Maybe the six days represent time periods.”

  “Maybe so,” Christopher said. “All I’m trying to say is that life is supernatural. We don’t have to know how everything got here. Paul said Jesus is the creator and I’m not backing off of that.”

  “Good,” Travis said. “Don’t.”

  “But the earth seems to be older than six thousand years,” Sean said. “Light from the stars, ice cores, age of the rocks, dinosaur bones … It needs to be more than six thousand years.”

  “But if it was really four billion years old, the moon would be gone by now since it moves away a little bit each year.” Christopher gained a little confidence because he had studied this topic many times. “A really old earth doesn’t make sense either.” He cleared his throat. “Four billion years ago, the sun wasn’t as hot as it is today, so life could have never happened. The earth would have been an ice ball back then.” He looked at each of the men. “Not only that, but the total lack of transitional fossils proves Darwin wrong. He said himself that fossil finds would either prove him right or wrong and they have proven him wrong. The earliest life forms we have found in the fossil record had well-developed eyes. It just doesn’t add up.” He lowered his voice a bit. “It takes faith either way. I don’t even know where the dinosaurs fit in with all of this.” He paused. “I say let’s preach the Word, and if people don’t want to hear it, they won’t come anyway.”

  “I agree with Brother Chris,” one of the other elders said.

  Sean spoke again. “Mr. Boyd was adamant that we meet tonight and I told him we would. But I think we’re all on the same page here.”

  There was more talk at the meeting, but it was mostly small talk. What Christopher realized was that he was still in good standing with the group. No one even hinted that it was time for him to move on.

  *****

  Rachel was home by herself, cleaning the kitchen and waiting for Christopher to return. Their oldest son Jason was in summer session at college. Their other son, Stephen, was in high school and away with friends. She silently prayed the meeting was going well. She didn’t think it would go bad, but she knew how seriously Christopher was taking this. It surprised her when the doorbell rang. She opened the door and saw a handsome man standing on the front porch.

  “Rachel?”

  She knew immediately who he was: Kurt Gregory, her old high school sweetheart. They were quite an item back then, but she hadn’t seen him in more than thirty years. “Kurt! How are you doing?” She grabbed and hugged him. “It’s so good to see you.”

  He looked her over. “You look great! Yeah, I work for an insurance firm and they moved me to Springfield. I saw you on the internet and knew you were here, so here I am.”

  She had a flash of worry as she stood in front of him. He was the one guy of which Christopher was jealous. Christopher would not be pleased if he pulled up and saw her talking to him. But he would be even more upset if she was in the house alone with him. Maybe she shouldn’t invite him in. Maybe she should just keep things right where they were on this front porch for now. “Are you married? How many children do you have?”

  He shook his head. “Well, I was married for a long time, and I have three kids, all grown. But my wife ran off with a guy from accounting last year.” He got a painful look on his face. “That’s why I left Arkansas, too many bad memories there.”

  “So you’ve been in Arkansas all this time? I haven’t seen you since high school.”

  “Yeah, I left Bolivar right after school. I went to college in St. Louis, then moved to Little Rock. But I wanted to move closer to home when I got the chance. My parents are still in Bolivar.”

  She realized it was getting uncomfortable, standing on the porch, she with the door open, but she wasn’t sure she should invite him in. She reached behind her and closed the door.

  “Ho
w about you?” He said. “Are you still married to the same guy you met in college?”

  “Yes.” She nodded. “Yes, Chris and I have been married nearly thirty years. He’s a pastor here. Oh, and we have two sons, Jason and Stephen. One’s away in college.” She thought he might have given a look of disappointment, but it was subtle, like he was trying to hide it.

  “That’s good. Sounds like you are doing just fine.”

  “Yes, thanks. We’re blessed.” She paused. “Christopher should be home any minute. He’s at a meeting at the church.” She looked at her watch. “But I expect him any moment now if you want to meet him.” Just as she said this her phone indicated she had received a text. “I bet this is him.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. Christopher had texted her to tell her he was on his way and that the meeting went well.

  “No, no. He won’t want to visit with anyone tonight,” Kurt said. “He’ll be tired.” He looked into her eyes, then quickly looked away. “I’ll be around.” He turned to head back to his truck. “Maybe we can meet for coffee some day and catch up some more.” He tilted his head. “Don’t worry, I mean in a public place in the middle of the day. I know you’re married now and all of that.”

  Rachel thought that was a little awkward. But she really did want to hear more of his story. “Okay”

  “Good. I’ll be in touch.” He climbed up into his expensive, new truck and shut the door. He started it and looked behind him as he backed out of the driveway and onto the street. He waved as he accelerated away.

  Rachel waved back and went inside, closing the door behind her. She was glad she still looked good after all of these years. They had been sweethearts so many years ago. His visit brought back memories of how they broke up, something she hadn’t thought about in years. Now, it was coming back to her. She remembered how heartbroken she was when he told her he wouldn’t see her anymore. He had moved on to another girl. She remembered lots of crying and yelling. He was so young and handsome back then and all the girls wanted to date him. Her mother had never approved of Kurt and was glad when they broke up, and Rachel resented her for a long time for that. It seemed silly now, but it wasn’t back then. Christopher was her next serious boyfriend and he had always been jealous of him. She wasn’t sure she was glad to see him. Things were going well with Christopher and she didn’t want to hurt that.

  Still, she was flattered that the guy of her high school dreams had sought her out and wanted to get together again, even if it was just for coffee.

  Chapter Three

  Dillon stood at his post inside the Morgan Retail store. He positioned himself just to the side of the exit, making sure no one carried a big ticket item out the door without a receipt. It was pretty easy work, punctuated with moments of adrenaline rush. The excitement was just enough to keep him interested in the job. Sometimes people had food and clothing stuffed in their pants and jackets, so he watched for unusual-shaped lumps.

  It was the day before the Fourth of July. Customers were getting grilling and party supplies. He looked into bag after bag to see hot dogs, buns, chips, pickles, mustard, watermelons and ice tea. A lot of red, white and blue napkins, plates, cups and decoration was moving past him.

  Dillon had been at this post for more than four years now, and knew most of the customers, some even by name and not just by appearance. And they all knew him too. They knew he was fair to everyone, but took his job seriously, not allowing anyone to get any stolen item past him.

  After he and Christopher had gone to Denver, five years ago, and Charles Morgan ended up in jail, he spent eight months locked up himself. That was scary. He wasn’t sure he would ever be free again, but he had turned state’s-witness, and made a deal to earn his freedom. He liked to work and, mostly, he liked earning a living income. He also enjoyed the lights and noise of the store and visiting with the customers and fellow employees. He could smell the bakery where he stood, and the beeping cash registers sounded like money to him.

  A man and woman pushed a cart up to him with a big-screen TV in it. The woman had the receipt in her hand and held it out to him as they approached. He glanced at it and saw the price of the TV listed. “Thank you. Have a good day.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Enjoy that new TV!”

  Dillon had thought he would never work for Morgan again, but the new boss called him as soon as he got out of jail and told him his job was still there. Dillon figured he would take it until something better came along. That was four years ago and here he was, still waiting. But it was okay, he was accustomed to the job now and couldn’t see himself doing any other type of work. At least, so long as he didn’t have to sign the new contract. So far, he had been able to resist the pressure and had no intention of giving in.

  He looked up and saw his boss, William Knowles, coming toward him. William was at least six inches shorter than him and wore glasses. He was several years older than Dillon and always stood a little too close when they spoke. He feared what he was going to say before he got there.

  “Hey Dillon, how’s it going today?”

  “Just fine William. Yourself?”

  “Oh, buried in paperwork. You know how it goes.”

  Dillon nodded at a customer holding up a receipt. “Yep.”

  “So, speaking of paperwork,” he cleared his throat. “When are you going to sign that contract?”

  “I’m not.” Dillon had told him this several times before, but William was unrelenting.

  “Well, corporate is busting my hump about it. They like one hundred percent, you know that.”

  “Yep, I do. I’m not interested in signing it. I’ll just keep working for what you pay me now.”

  William smiled and nodded at a customer. “You okay today Mr. Garza?” He looked back at Dillon. “You know I can nearly double your salary if you’ll sign.”

  “Yes, I know. And I have to get the implant in my back so you can track me everywhere I go. And I might just disappear one day before I retire. No, I think I’ll stay put.”

  “Don’t believe everything you hear.” He looked over and smiled at another customer leaving the store, then back at Dillon. “Don’t let that conspiracy stuff keep you from feeding your family.”

  “My family’s fine, thanks.”

  “That new wife of yours, doesn’t she work at a convenience store at night? Don’t you want better for her?”

  It bugged Dillon that William knew about his wife and her job and shift. But that was just it, Morgan and its bosses knew everything about everyone. And they would use it against you in a heartbeat. Jenny had left him three years ago. She took their daughter, Amy, with her and moved home to Cincinnati. Amy was in junior high school now and Dillon missed her every day. He missed Jenny too, but it got ugly when she left and he had hard feelings toward her. Things were said that shouldn’t have been said. Last year, Dillon married Gabby, a woman who frequently stopped to talk to him as she left the store. He was wary of getting too serious and was happy to just be friends for a long time. But last year, he gave in and they tied the knot. She had two children of her own and so now he had a full house again.

  Dillon glanced at a receipt passing in front of him, then back at his boss. “Mr. Knowles, I appreciate your concern for my family, but I don’t want to sign any Morgan contracts. I’ve got my own insurance and retirement, and let’s just leave it at that.”

  William leaned in a little closer and spoke just above a whisper. “I have to warn you, then, if someone else applies for your job – someone who will sign – I have to give them precedence. That’s my orders.”

  William had been putting pressure on him to sign since he became the store manager, three years ago, but had never before threatened him with his job if he didn’t. Morgan was tightening the screws. Maybe Dillon should quit being stubborn and sign. He would make more money. He had always been afraid the company would murder him and collect the insurance on him, but that was all so long ago … he wondered how long Charles Mor
gan held a grudge.

  Dillon folded his arms. “I hear what you’re saying. I’ll think about it William.”

  “Okay, okay. You know where my office is.” William rubbed the bridge of his nose, put his glasses back on, and turned and walked away. He stopped to speak to a businessman before disappearing into the aisles of the store.

  Dillon was nearing the end of his shift when a couple walked up to him. He didn’t know them.

  The man stuck out his hand. “Are you Dillon McGee?”

  Dillon shook his hand. “Yes, that’s me.”

  “I’m Wes Boyd,” the man said. “This is my wife Mary.”

  Dillon nodded at her. “Hello.”

  Wesley spoke again. “Do you go to East Springfield Fellowship Church?”

  “I haven’t been in a while,” Dillon said, “but yes, that’s my church.”

  “We’ve been going there a few Sundays.”

  Dillon nodded at a customer walking by. “Oh, good. Yeah, I like Christopher a lot. I’m glad you’re going there.”

  Mary spoke. “Well, we like Christopher too, but we have some problems with him.”

  Dillon suddenly felt defensive. His voice went up into falsetto. “Really?”

  “Well, we just think he’s hurting Christians when he speaks out against science. We think he could do more good if he found some middle-ground with young people. We think he could really hurt the future of the church.”

  Dillon cocked his head. “I’m pretty close to Christopher. I don’t know you, but I trust him. I’m sorry you don’t agree with him on, uh, whatever this is, but there are plenty of other churches. If you’re trying to turn me against him for some reason, you can forget it.”

  “No, no,” Wesley said, “We’re not trying to turn you against him, we’re just saying if his friends would enlighten him, it would be better for the church, now and in the future.”

  “When I’m around Christopher, he usually enlightens me. I think I’ll let him preach and I’ll guard this door.” Dillon looked away from them.