by B. Groves
Emma and Miranda stared at him in shock, neither could find the words when he appeared.
“I’d give more, but I lost my job,” Kyle said.
Miranda turned away in embarrassment and fiddled with some flyers. Emma pushed back her hair and leaned closer to Kyle, her facial expressions showing her displeasure.
“You’ve got a lot of nerve,” she said. She had to yell because of the band.
Kyle acted surprised. “Nerve for what? I live here. I’m a resident of Wolfpine. I can donate to whatever I want.”
“Please leave, Kyle. You’re not welcome at this booth.”
“I came to donate to my favorite church and that’s how I’m treated,” Kyle sniffed. “I’ll take my twenty back, please.”
Emma was about to speak when Miranda practically pushed her to the side. “Thank you for your generous donation, Reverend.” She side-eyed Emma. “Some people don’t understand why you were invaluable.”
Emma’s puffy lips turned into a thin line of disgust. “Please, leave.”
Kyle and Miranda exchanged knowing looks.
Miranda gave him a half-smile, but Emma was looking around as if she wanted to find someone.
Realizing she might try to signal a police officer, Kyle said, “Have fun, ladies,” and walked away from the booth.
It made his heart swell knowing that Miranda still supported him although she had to do what the church elders told her. He hoped to one day speak with her alone and tell her everything from all the people he tried to exorcise to Olivia, and what happened to Clara Reid. He would have Alison by his side to confirm his story.
He told no one what he did over the years except for a select few. He kept it to himself because he didn’t want anyone else to get hurt while he tried to free those poor souls from their evil invaders.
Kyle eyed Samuel Manes as he made his way through the crowd of people.
He inched his way closer to the statue that would be dedicated to missing Vietnam soldiers.
Kyle stood behind a taller family while the principal of Wolfpine High School—John McCready—spoke to the crowd, greeting residents and visitors alike. He thanked everyone for attending the yearly festival which brings much needed revenue to their small and humble town.
Once he finished, Chief Carter stepped to the podium and again thanked everyone in attendance. He also reminded everyone about safety, where to find help, etc.
Carter introduced Samuel.
Kyle held back a smirk. The mayor was wearing a bandage over his nose. The bottom of his eyes turned black and blue.
Kyle may have lost his job, but it gave him satisfaction knowing he injured Samuel and the mayor had to face the crowd that way. Samuel had always been careful about his appearance and looking less than perfect must have been embarrassing for him.
Samuel shook Carter’s hand and stepped to the podium. The crowd hushed around Kyle as they waited for their beloved mayor to speak.
Samuel adjusted the microphone and spoke to the crowd.
Kyle begrudgingly admitted that Samuel was a great speaker. He rallied the cheering crowd like a politician on a campaign trail.
First, he spoke about the town’s accomplishments and how the town went from a rundown place that no one ever stopped at, to the premier destination of vacation goers who visited the Smoky Mountain National Park.
He welcomed all the visitors and new residents and thanked all the people who made the town run efficiently.
He never brought up his broken nose, but Kyle heard whispers about it through the crowd.
Samuel moved on from the general speech and to the next part—the dedication.
“We’ve never had anything like this before in Wolfpine and it is a great honor to be here today among many who served in our United States Armed Forces. Because of the generosity of many people, we’ve worked on this memorial to the Vietnam Veterans who gave the ultimate sacrifice many years ago,” Samuel said.
Kyle’s eyes darted around. His heartbeat began to slam against his ribcage. It was almost time to step into his role.
He turned his head to the left and realized someone was making their way through the crowd right for him.
Jason…
“You asshole,” Kyle muttered. “I’m coming for you.”
Kyle moved to his left and tried to bury himself deeper into the crowd.
He listened to Samuel’s words.
Kyle was almost to the stage. Jason was having a hard time stepping around the bodies in the crowd.
Samuel said something about saluting our veterans and pulled the cover from the statue.
An audible gasp and a few screams echoed through the crowd.
Miguel had defaced the statue with red spray paint.
A simple circle with eyes, a mouth, and horns were painted across the chest of the bronze soldier.
Samuel’s shocked face made the damage glorious to behold.
Samuel turned back to the crowd and stared at them for a moment. Kyle watched as Samuel’s shock turned to fury.
Jason stopped in his tracks to stare at the statue with his mouth wide open.
It was now or never.
It was easier for him to step closer to the stage since most of the crowd had backed off.
Kyle was now only feet away from Samuel who was busy trying to reassure the shocked crowd that the authorities would find who was responsible for this abomination and give them swift justice.
“I can tell everyone who’s responsible,” Kyle called out.
Kyle didn’t have to put on an act once he spoke. The past five years, the lives ruined, the missing, and the dead were enough to give Kyle the ammunition he needed to fuel his anger.
Some people turned to Kyle in confusion, and others were still staring at the statue.
“The devil spray-painted on the statue says it all, doesn’t it, Samuel?”
Kyle caught the horrified looks of people close to him. He noticed a few people glaring at him but he ignored them.
Samuel turned and stared at Kyle in shock.
“I’m... I’m not sure what you’re talking about, Reverend Ellis,” Samuel said, stepping back to the microphone. “You’ve had a hard week, Reverend, but—”
“Week? I’ve had a tough week? Try five years, Mr. Mayor.” Kyle turned towards the crowd and continued. “You say this man saved this town. You say he brought it back from the dead, but at what price? What price did we pay for that?”
Kyle spotted Marion Woods. “Marion. Where’s your daughter?”
The older woman turned away from Kyle, but Kyle wouldn’t give up. He reached for his phone and pulled the video of Marion’s daughter, Jamie.
Most of the crowd wouldn’t see the video, but he strolled closer to Marion and made her watch it.
“Remember this? You came to me for help. Where is she now?”
Marion’s eyes filled with tears. “She disappeared.”
“Mrs. Woods, I’m sorry your daughter is still missing,” Samuel said from the stage. “It’s been devastating for you and your family. You don’t need to add to her pain, Reverend.”
Kyle turned to face Samuel and pointed a finger at him. “It’s because of you. We became a statistic because of you.”
Kyle noticed police officers moving closer. Carter stepped down from the stage and marched over to Kyle.
“What the fuck are you doing?” He whispered.
Kyle grinned at his friend and yelled, “He’s the devil. He’s Satan. This man who came to our town and became our mayor has killed and maimed good people. Clara Reid is dead because of him!”
The crowd gasped in unison. Kyle saw the anger play over Samuel’s expression.
Kyle lifted his shirt and showed his bruises and part of the crowd gasped. “His bitch Jason did this to me and then he killed Clara Reid. When are you people going to wake up? We have Satan right here with us.”
Kyle felt arms wrap around him and tried to drag him away from the stage.
As Car
ter was guiding him away, Kyle cleared his throat and yelled in his best evangelical voice.
“This man is the devil! He will destroy us all! You don’t know who this man is! He is Satan himself. He rose to the Earth from the fiery pits of Hell!”
Kyle let Carter and another officer drag him away as Samuel stared him down. His eyes never turned black like Kyle hoped they would, but at least the crowd had turned back to him and Kyle thought he heard grumblings of doubt in people’s voice.
Carter took Kyle to a back alley and dismissed the other officer telling him to control the crowd and make sure Mayor Manes stayed safe.
When the officer left, Kyle gave Carter a smirk.
“What in the fuck were you thinking? People will demand I throw you in a cell.”
Carter waved his hand around. “Was this your big plan? Where’s Miguel? Where’s Alison?”
Kyle cocked his head at the police chief. “She should be with her team by now and hunting the place where the real victims are, not Emma’s decoy at her barn.”
Carter flinched and shook his head several times. Kyle went from pride in his act to shear disappointment knowing his friend had been betraying them all along and Alison had been right with her suspicions.
“You’ve known all along haven’t you?” Kyle asked, his eyes narrowing at his friend. “All these years avoiding the feds as this town spiraled its way into darkness. Watching as I tried to save lives and you never said a word.”
Carter removed his hat and fiddled with it. His face flushed with guilt but he stared Kyle right in the eye.
“If it hadn’t been for me, you’d be in jail… or worse. Samuel wanted you taken out a long time ago when some of those things told him about your exorcisms. Once you brought in Alison, and Clara Reid confessed, you had a mark on you. I saved your ass again because, yes, the feds are breathing down my neck and I told Samuel if you die, then we’re fucked.”
The pain of Carter’s betrayal made him ball his fists, but he held back from punching the older man.
“We can’t win this, Kyle,” Carter said. “They’re too powerful.”
Kyle stared at his friend. “We can if you let the hunters do their job. Now tell me where the rest of the nest is.”
“How were Alison and her team going to find out?”
“She had some plans for Emma, but you can tell me, so I can meet her there and help them.”
Carter was about to open his mouth when both men heard screams from the crowd.
Carter took off down the alley and back into the festival.
Kyle thought he heard a dog barking and growling and followed Carter into the street.
Miguel was running through the crowd with an agitated Simon.
“Miguel!” Kyle called out several times while Miguel paced around with Simon in tow.
He turned and spotted Kyle and Carter walking towards them and moved closer.
Miguel was out of breath and sweating. Simon was circling while whining and barking.
Simon wagged his tail when Kyle kneeled to face him. “Hey, buddy. Where’s your mom?”
“I can’t find them,” Miguel said. “I saw Simon with some woman who was taking him to a police officer and I claimed he was my dog.” Miguel held up his phone. “I gave Olivia a little throwaway phone after Alison healed her and she’s not answering and neither is Alison.
Fear and dread coursed through Kyle when he heard what Miguel was saying.
“Did you call the other hunters?”
Kyle stood up straight and looked around the festival. He searched faces hoping that Alison would appear out of the crowd with Olivia and they could go forward with their plans to take down Samuel Manes.
His eyes wandered over to the stage. Samuel had disappeared while some workers stood around the statue.
He searched the crowd of people for Samuel’s assistant, Jason, but there was no sign of him either.
His breath caught in his throat. Simon whined and barked again while thousands of thoughts rushed through Kyle’s mind.
“They’re regrouping. If they were taken, it’s obviously a trap,” Miguel said. The man was on the verge of tears and Kyle couldn’t blame him. He’d already lost his wife a month ago and now he could lose his daughter.
Kyle set his eyes on Carter and asked, “Where are they?”
Carter’s eyes darted between Simon, Miguel, and Kyle. He lifted his hands in the air.
“I don’t know. I honestly—”
Realization widened Miguel’s eyes. His nostrils flared as worry turned to fury.
“You,” he snarled at Carter.
People stopped to stare but Miguel paid them no mind.
“It was you helping him,” Miguel’s voice turned to a low whisper. His face had turned an even deeper shade of red. “You stood by and watched as lives were lost. You were there the day a demon murdered my wife and said nothing.”
Carter lifted his chin in defiance. “If it wasn’t for me being compliant. Your little girl would sit in juvie charged with her mother’s murder.”
“Asshole!”
Miguel rushed Carter and grabbed his shirt and shook the man while he cursed in English and Spanish.
A crowd had gathered in shock and some were cheering on Miguel but others were looking for more policemen to intervene.
Kyle walked over to the men and said, “Stop! We need to find them”
Kyle couldn’t step between them since he was holding Simon’s leash.
Two police officers shoved their way through the crowd and pulled Miguel off Carter. Miguel continued to struggle and called Carter a few more names including a traitor.
The police officers started to cuff Miguel when Carter spoke up. “Let him go.”
The order stunned the officers along with the crowd and the two men tried to argue but Carter shook his head. “This man has been through a lot. Let him go.”
The three police officers stood there stunned, but they released Miguel who threw a few insults their way.
“Get back to work. We need to shut this shit down.” Carter turned to the small crowd and yelled, “Nothing to see here. Time to head home, folks.”
Carter straightened his shirt and adjusted his hat. He looked between Miguel and Kyle. “I don’t know where Alison and Olivia are. I don’t even know where the rest of the missing people are. I did what I needed to do to protect you two.” He nodded between the two. “Reverend, you’d be dead and the kid would be facing life in prison. I don’t know where the fuck they are, but this needs to end.”
Deep down Kyle knew Carter was right. Although he was helping Samuel cover up the missing people, in his own way, he helped Kyle and Miguel as well.
Miguel knew it too and his shoulders slumped. “I hope you’re not lying,” Miguel said.
“I’m not,” Carter answered.
“He’s not.”
A female voice came from behind Kyle.
All three men turned to stare at Miranda. The shy and mousy woman stood there with her hands rubbing together.
“Miranda?” Kyle was confused. Did she know something?
“They probably took them to Samuel’s. Samuel bought his land and an old barn behind his property.”
Kyle and Miguel stared at each other with mouths open. He had them all along. It had been obvious, but not. No one questioned Samuel and where he lived because he’d become a god in this town—a savior of sorts.
“Goddamn,” Carter muttered. “I never thought…”
Kyle approached his former assistant and asked why. Why did she work with an evil person? Why would she sell her soul to a demon?
She stared back at Kyle. Her watery eyes never wavering because she knew the question by the look on his face.
“I did what I had to do, Kyle. Samuel threatened my grandchildren if I didn’t cooperate about you and give him information,” she answered.
“All this over a church?” Kyle asked.
Miranda shook her head. “No. It’s not about the chu
rch. He never cared about that. He cared about how you were sticking your nose where it didn’t belong. I tried to keep it vague, but he was persistent. When he showed me his real self, I… I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t believe the devil entered our church.”
Kyle reached out and put a hand on the older woman’s shoulder as tears gathered in her eyes. “I understand. This is almost over and you’ll be free.”