Absence of Faith

by Anthony S. Policastro

  "I know you will," he said and slammed the door behind him.

  * * *

  The road to the hospital was grid locked about a quarter of a mile in each direction. People were getting out of their cars to see what was causing the traffic jam. Homer pulled up behind a tall green SUV and slammed his hands on the steering wheel.

  "Damn it!" he yelled.

  He put the car in reverse, backed up about 300 feet, and made a right onto an adjoining street. He parked the car, got out, and started walking towards the hospital. He walked under a canopy of 20-year maple trees that stood on both sides of the street like old matrons guarding some ancient secret. As he walked under one of the larger trees, a small flock of blue jays came to life and descended in a cacophony of screeching and fluttering onto Homer's head pecking the top of his head and pulling his hair. He hunched over waving his hands to ward off the attacking birds and ran as quickly as he could. The birds retreated when he was far enough away. The top of his left ear started to hurt. He touched it and discovered he was bleeding slightly.

  "Damn blue jays," he mumbled as he walked towards the hospital wiping his finger on his pants.

  The double-doors to the emergency room were jammed with seniors seven persons thick and twelve or so wide. Homer pushed his way through the crowd.

  "I have to see Doctor Stokes. I have important information for him. Let me through," he repeated as he squeezed through the crowd.

  "What important information could you have, Homer?" said Charles Skyler, Homer's crotchety neighbor.

  "I have information. Now if you don't mind moving out of the way so I can get through."

  "I do mind. You're not any better than the rest of us. Wait in line," Skyler said moving his body in front of Homer.

  Homer moved to the right and Skyler mimicked his movements several times preventing Homer from getting through. Finally, Homer grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him out of the crowd.

  "Now I said move!" Homer yelled.

  Skyler turned and punched Homer in the face causing his nose to bleed. Homer fired off a punch, but Skyler ducked and he missed. Skyler then ploughed his short, fat body into Homer knocking him on to the ground. The two men rolled and wrestled like two high school boys fighting over a pretty girl.

  Another man in the crowd turned and rushed into the hospital cutting in front of several people. Another man grabbed him and knocked him to the ground. The first man got up and tackled the second man. Soon other men were rolling on the ground next to Homer and Skyler. A couple went over to the fighting duos, attempted to break them up, and was dragged into the melee. The fighting was contagious as two women began fighting their way into the hospital and soon the entire crowd was pushing and shoving and knocking people over.

  Two Monmouth County Sheriff's cars pulled up and four officers got out of the cars. The flashing lights and loud sirens unnerved the crowd and everyone turned to look.

  Homer, Skyler, and the two other men stopped and picked themselves up. The four officers corralled the men between the two cars.

  "Now I don't want to arrest anyone," the tallest officer said. "So I would suggest that all of you go home and we can forget any of this happened."

  "But we need to be in the hospital to be safe. What happens if the devil strikes one of us?" asked a short grandmotherly type with frizzy white-hair.

  "Don't worry we have our top officers working on that and the hospital is on red alert," the officer said.

  "Well, I would still like to be here just in case," the woman countered.

  "That would be all well and good, but you would be in the way of the other patients who really need help. Besides, as you can see the emergency room is full. Now if you can all just go home everything will be all right."

  The crowd reluctantly dispersed and the officer turned to Homer and the other men.

  "I should arrest all of you for disorderly conduct, fighting in public, and inciting a riot. Now do any of you want to press charges against each other?"

  The men looked at each other and shook their heads.

  "Good. I suggest you go home. This has been the fifth hospital I've been to today and I'm getting sick of it. If I see you here again, you're going to jail," the officer said.

  The men nodded and walked away, but Homer moved slowly towards the hospital doors shaking his head. When he was far enough away from the officer, he darted into the hospital pushing and shoving people out of the way.

  "Hey! You! Stop!" the officer yelled.

  The emergency room was wall to wall with people hoping to see a doctor. Homer kept pushing people out of the way like a stubborn wild bull. Many grabbed his arms and shoulders and attempted to hold him back, but he shrugged them off and pulled away. When he reached the reception desk, several older women punched him in the ribs and pulled on his arms. He sucked in a large gulp of air from the blows.

  "Hey, where's Dr. Stokes. I need to talk to him right now!" he yelled at the three nurses guarding the reception desk.

  "You and about two hundred other people," said a tall, large-boned nurse with a drill sergeant's bite in her voice.

  "No, I have to talk to him. It's not about going to hell. It's very important."

  "He's on the second floor, but I doubt if you will get there before dawn. Knock yourself out."

  The police officer followed Homer through the crushing, paranoid crowds, but he wasn't moving as quickly as Homer. Finally, he reached the reception desk.

  "You! Stop there! You're under arrest!" the officer said and drew his 9mm handgun from his holster aiming it at Homer.

  The crowd thinned out quickly upon seeing the weapon and the two men faced each other about ten feet apart. Homer put his hands in the air.

  "I didn't do anything!" he protested.

  "Turn around and lie on the floor!" the young officer yelled back.

  Homer turned around with his back to the officer and the police officer reached behind himself for his handcuffs. Suddenly there were several people screaming and rushing the hall behind them. The crowd violently surged forward like a rogue wave pushing the officer forward. He stumbled, and fell, and the gun fell out of his hand and bounced on the floor. The discharge was like a small explosion in the small space. The officer immediately lurched for the gun and then jumped on top of Homer and secured the handcuffs.

  "Now get up," the officer said.

  Homer did not move.

  The tall nurse with the sergeant's voice rushed out from behind the reception desk and put two fingers on Homer’s neck feeling for a pulse.

  "Turn him over!" she yelled.

  When they turned Homer on his side, his eyes were motionless and the front of his shirt was red from the blood oozing out of the fist-sized hole in his chest. Several women screamed and one collapsed to the floor while two others cried hysterically. The other nurses rushed from behind the desk and gasped at the bleeding man.

  "Bonnie, call for help!" the tall nurse yelled.

  She bent down, placed two fingers on his neck feeling for a pulse, and then shook her head.

  Husk's Directions - Chapter 48

  "What time is he supposed to meet us here?" Frank asked.

  "Now," Chantress replied.

  "Can we just get one drink?" Yanni asked.

  "No," said Carson. "I don't want to miss him."

  "Don't worry, you won't miss him," Chantress said.

  The four sat in Frank's rented SUV in the parking lot at the Ink Well. The cold, white light from the full moon created ghostly shadows in the dirt lot.

  "Is this guy for real?" Carson asked.

  "Yeah, he'll show. He has before. Right, Yanni?" Chantress said.

  "He always keeps his word. He'll show," she said looking out the window.

  "I think we should call the police and let them handle it. This is crazy," Frank said.

  "No. I’m not going to sit back and put Linda’s life in their hands!" Carson said. "If they botch it up Linda’s gone."

  "We
could end up dead. She could end up dead!"

  "We’re not going to end up dead. I’m confident it will work."

  A half hour later, the group heard the roar of a motorcycle. The engine got louder and louder until it was unbearable as Husk pulled alongside of the blazer. He smiled strangely, as the group peered out at him. His lips moved, but no one heard him. It was like watching a silent movie. Husk laughed strangely and turned off the motorcycle.

  "Get in. Let's go," Carson said.

  Husk looked upward at the shining moon and howled. Carson looked at Frank with a questioning look on his face and Frank shrugged his shoulders. Husk swung his leg around and got off his motorcycle. He moved the bike forward engaging the dual kickstand under the chassis. Satisfied that the bike was secure, Husk climbed into the SUV. Yanni introduced everyone and Husk laughed again when she had finished.

  "Husk! What the fuck is wrong with you!" Yanni said pulling on his denim vest with her small bony hands.

  Husk smiled and then his face soured.

  "I'm sorry. This is not easy for me. I had to get a little fucked up to do it," he said.

  "Why?" Chantress asked.

  "It's a long story and you don't want to know," he said.

  "Where are we going?" Frank asked after starting the engine.

  "Head south on seventy one towards Neptune. I think I can find it again in the dark," Husk said.

  They drove on a dark highway for about twenty minutes and then Husk directed Frank to turn off onto a single lane road that was also devoid of lights, homes, and any trace of civilization.

  "Slow down a bit. I think this is it," Husk said straining his eyes. "Turn down that driveway."

  "What are you nuts?" Chantress said.

  "No," he said calmly. "I'm pretty sure this is not it. I'm just checking for a certain tree near the entrance to make sure."

  "Damn it!" Carson yelled. "My wife's life is in danger and you're looking for a fucking tree!"

  "Carson!" Frank yelled. "Give the guy a chance. He's doing you a favor. Don't forget that."

  "Well, he's supposed to know where it is and now we're running around God knows where."

  "Take it easy," Frank said. "We'll get there. Don't worry. We'll get there."

  "Head back towards the highway and run south again," Husk said. "Then take the next turnoff."

  Frank turned the truck around the followed Husk's directions. A few minutes later, Carson turned towards Husk.

  "Sorry," he said.

  "I understand," Husk said.

  Carson saw intense anger and a deep sadness in Husk’s eyes. It reminded him of what he felt now, and the realization sent a shiver down his spine. He had become like Husk - angry, sad and full of revenge and he didn't like what he was feeling, but he couldn't help it.

  The SUV turned left off the highway onto another light less, narrow road. The pavement turned to gravel and dirt and it seemed the road went nowhere.

  "This is it," Husk said, looking all around at the thick brush and trees that hugged the road. "There! That's it!" Husk pointed.

  Frank slowed down.

  "No! Keep going! Keep going! Go down about a mile to a small clearing and pull in there," Husk said.

  Frank found the clearing and drove into it.

  "Looks like someone was here," Frank said noticing the tire tracks of another vehicle in the dirt. The others were silent.

  "Turn around so the car is facing the road in case we have to get away quickly," Husk suggested.

  Frank turned around, shut the engine down and turned off the lights. The darkness swallowed them completely. Seconds later the area seemed to brighten as their eyes adjusted to the white, cold moonlight. Carson grabbed the handle on the door and pulled.

  "Stop!" Chantress said. "There are three rings of defense around the coven stead."

  "What are you talking about?" Frank asked.

  "Guards. They always guard a coven stead and they do it in rings. The first ring is usually people who will stop you and say you are on private property. In the second ring, the guards will run you off the land or chase you out of the area." Chantress explained.

  "And the third ring?" Carson asked.

  "They really scare you," she said.

  "Okay. What areas do you think they would guard the most?" Husk asked.

  "I think the entrance, and the most vulnerable areas, where the woods would be the thickest," Frank said.

  "How many are there?" Yanni asked.

  "We don't know. It depends on how important they consider the ceremony. I'd bet this one was pretty important," Chantress said.

  "Where does that driveway lead?" Frank asked.

  "It goes straight back to the coven stead," Husk said.

  "Okay," Frank said. "Carson, Husk, and Chantress enter the woods over there. Yanni and I will drive the SUV up the driveway. When someone approaches us, we'll tell them we're looking for a friend's house and we're lost. You guys follow the lights to point you in the direction of the meeting. Then approach from the rear. Hopefully, they won't have the rear guarded."

  "Hopefully," Chantress added.

  "Sounds good to me," Husk said.

  "Okay, let's do it," Carson added.

  "Let’s synchronize watches. I got a quarter after. In three minutes, I'll drive in," Frank said. "You got the bullhorns?"

  "Yeah."

  The trio vanished into the woods and headed in the direction of the warehouse that Husk said should be at the end of the road. Frank and Yanni stayed in the SUV. At the appointed time, Frank started the vehicle and headed for the driveway, lights blazing away.

  Husk led the way into the woods and Carson and Chantress had a hard time keeping up with him because of the heavy foliage and narrow spaces between the trees. It was as if Husk was at home; he was comfortable here and he knew how to move through it quickly and silently like a deer.

  "Hey! Wait up," Chantress said in a low voice.

  "Come on. We have to move fast," Husk said.

  The trio came to a small clearing, stopped, and crouched down.

  "There's the lights," Carson said looking down at his watch, barely making out the numbers in the dim moonlight. "Ready?"

  They watched the straight beams of light bounce and flicker through the deep woods until they stopped.

  "That's it. Let's go!" Husk said. The trio moved in the direction of the long beam of light. The woods were not as dense, and the group moved quickly. Husk led the way, Chantress was behind him and Carson was last. The wooded area led to a narrow clearing that resembled a right-of-the-way, as if someone had cleared it for another road.

  "We’ll meet here," Husk said.

  The group jogged along the cleared section. The night air was damp and cool and it smelled rotten. Within minutes, Carson was winded and Husk and Chantress moved ahead of him. When they were about 100 yards from the large shed, Husk stopped.

  "This is close enough," Husk said. "You know what to do?"

  Chantress and Carson nodded.

  "Chantress, you go that way and count to thirty and then stop. Carson, do the same in that direction. I’ll start then Carson then Chantress."

  "Okay, let’s do it," Carson said.

  Chantress and Carson vanished into the woods in different directions and Husk moved closer to the warehouse. He counted to fifty, and then turned on the bullhorn.

  "This is the police. You are surrounded. Come out and no one will get hurt."

  He immediately ran back to the clearing where they had agreed to meet. A few seconds later, Carson’s voice echoed through the woods from a different direction with the same message; seconds after that, Chantress’ voice filled the silence from her position. Several minutes later, all three were back at the original clearing.

  "Okay. They should be rushing out soon," Husk said. "We’ll approach from the rear and hopefully get in."

  "Craaaaack!" an explosion pierced the silence and Husk twisted to the left and fell to the ground.

  "Ahhhhhhhhhh!" he
screamed.

  Chantress instantly darted away into the dense woods and vanished like a spooked deer. Carson crouched down near Husk.

  "What happened?"

  "Ugh! My shoulder!" Husk cried.

  Carson looked and saw a tiny hole in Husk's shirt near his shoulder. The material around the hole darkened. Carson touched it. The shirt was warm and wet.