“I’ll be staying in the efficiency tonight, if that’s okay, Rachel.”
“It’s fine.”
“The cemetery isn’t far from here, and I’ll leave before the sun comes up.”
“Will you take Bear with you?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon?”
“Lord willing and the creek don’t rise.”
She allowed herself a smile, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. “I need to go back inside.”
I watched her walk away. She appeared to be noticeably older than when I was here just a few days earlier, and some of the bounce had left her step. I turned and walked back to the room. I had time for a nap, and had no doubt I would need it.
*******
I awoke from my nap to find Bear staring at me. Her eyes told me I’d slept through her dinnertime and, therefore, mine. I got up and washed my face in the kitchen sink, trying to shake off the sleepiness.
It was dark outside and a quick look at the clock told me why my stomach was grumbling; it was after eight. I fed more Alpo to Bear, who gave me a look of disdain, before settling in to eat myself. I microwaved a bowl of soup, buttered a couple pieces of bread, and parked in front of the TV.
The news was on, but I wanted some mindless background noise; The Price is Right fit the bill. As I finished the soup, I considered calling Mandy, but decided against it. I wanted my focus to be centered on the chase and calling her might only raise a distraction.
It didn’t change the fact that I missed her like crazy. I placed a call to Brother Gary Edwards instead.
“Hello?”
“Gary, this is Jack.”
“Jack! I was just thinking about you. How are things going?”
“Actually, I’ve set a plan in motion that will hopefully resolve the situation.”
“That’s awesome. Is there anything I can do here?”
“Yes. Will you call the church to pray?”
“You know it! I’ll announce to Journey Chapel that one of their own is on an outreach and needs assistance with spiritual warfare.”
“That would be great.”
“Anything else, Jack?”
I hesitated.
“If there was a problem with Mandy, would you let me know?”
“Are you asking me to call you?”
“No…no, I’m not. Forget I said anything, okay?”
“Said what?”
I smiled into the phone. “Thanks, Gary. Bye.”
I hung up. It buoyed my spirit to know the church would be praying.
Journey Chapel’s congregation had served as prayer warriors for Chasers since the church was built, but they were never given any of the details about what the ministry actually did.
Dinner and lack of sleep from last night had made me drowsy again. This time I set the alarm on my watch before drifting off to sleep. Two in the morning was coming way too soon.
*******
As it turned out, I didn’t need the alarm. I was wide awake at one thirty. I dressed in my usual outfit, a cross between James Dean and Johnny Cash. Black Dockers, White Reebocks, and a black bomber jacket over a white t-shirt.
Bear sensed what was going on and sat watching me while I got ready. When she saw me put the Chaser sword through my belt loop, she started to do circles near the door. Like a Border Collie who knew it was time to herd sheep, Bear knew it was time to chase a Runner.
The air was cool outside, but not uncomfortable, and we were in the car and on our way by two fifteen. Oak Forest Cemetery was less than fifteen minutes away, and I found myself praying under my breath, as the Mark Twain Forest passed by outside.
Climbing a hill on Highway 99, I arrived at the black-iron gates by two thirty, pulled them open, and drove slowly into the small rural cemetery. I’d chosen it because of its location on top of a hill, so we wouldn’t be surprised, I knew Bear would sense Douglas long before the Runner could sense us.
I picked up no indication that the Serpent had beaten us here, and closed the gate before finding my way along the dirt road that circled the silent gravestones. At least one member of this deceased community had been wealthy, and their large stone burial chamber gave me something to hide the Ranchero behind.
I exited the vehicle with Bear by my side, and walked toward the entrance, staying behind the thick oak trees that had given the cemetery its name. I took up a position just a few yards from the gate, behind two tree trunks that grew from a single base.
I sent Bear over behind a tree on the other side of the gate. She lay down and watched the gate. I would trust her instincts from here, and let her decide if and when to attack.
We were ready, and now I could only wait and hope my trap would work. The sun was just beginning to peak over the eastern Ozark hills, and it was likely I wouldn’t have to wait long.
Chapter 9
Despite my best effort to focus, I found myself daydreaming of Mandy. Surely, the bullet wound was healing well, and I bet she’d probably be up and around when I got home. Of course, that was assuming I made it home. A low growl from Bear brought me back to the present.
I hadn’t expected Douglas to just drive up and call out my name, and so it wasn’t a surprise I couldn’t see a vehicle. Bear’s growl let me know the Runner was coming, but I had to spot him. Unfortunately, Bear hadn’t learned to say ‘Hey, he’s over there!’
Staying low, I scanned the road leading up to the cemetery. A car came by, but kept going, disappearing in the distance. My hope was that Douglas would stop to open the gate and I could surprise him, but I was disappointed.
Moving slowly, along the inside of the cemetery fence, I saw a form coming toward me. He was close enough now that he could probably sense me as easily as I did him. He was about my height but thinner, and wore an old army jacket with matching fatigues. Even though I couldn’t see a weapon, I knew he didn’t come for a chat.
He was quickly coming up on Bear’s position, and I gave the big dog a ‘lay low’ gesture with my hand. She actually managed to make herself smaller. She didn’t move as the Runner passed by her, only a couple feet to the side.
My heart pounded as Douglas crossed the road in front of the gate, and came directly toward me. I tensed my muscles, drew my sword, and sprung.
His eyes revealed his surprise, but only for a second. I hit him with a perfect shoulder tackle, knocked him onto his back, and followed him down to the ground. Landing hard on his chest, I was surprised not to hear the wind escaping from his lungs.
Instead, he thrust both hands up under my chin, arching my head back until I had no choice but to roll off of him. He was faster than Harbinger, matching my speed step for step. I turned quickly as he stood, and delivered a blow to the side of his head with my fist, stunning him briefly.
As I moved closer, he swung with his flattened hand in a sideways chop and caught me across the throat. Pain shot through me, and I began to gag. I staggered back, bent over and gasping for air. He didn’t follow.
When I could stand upright again, I looked up to find him staring at me, a handgun pointed at my chest. “Stay where you are, Chaser.”
I wasn’t certain I could talk, but I tried anyway. “Still using a gun, I see.” I sounded like a strangled toad.
“I don’t care about your silly Chaser rules and traditions. I’m only interested in not getting crossed over. I do whatever I feel is necessary to stay on this Earth.”
“You’re forgetting one thing.”
“What would that be?”
“Every time you fight a battle with the weapons of this world, rather than spiritual ones, you lose more of your power to change from physical form to spirit.”
The look on his face told me this was news to him.
“You’re lying!”
“Nope.” I grinned at him, which, considering he was the one holding the gun, might not have been the wisest move. “You mean you’ve spent all this time as a Runner and never sought out information
on how it works?”
“I know all I need to know.”
“Really? Think about it. After you killed Brother John, did you have trouble returning to spirit form?”
Again, his face gave him away. He was angry now. “It doesn’t matter. I’m killing you anyway, just as soon as your contact gets here.”
I’m still alive because he’s waiting for the contact. That tells me he was sent by someone on the Council or…
“Who sent you here?”
“That’s none of your business. Where’s your contact?”
“That’s none of your business.”
Rage poured out of him now. “You know what? I think I’m done here. I get rid of you and I’m set for as long as I want to be on this planet.”
“Really? Has someone promised you protection?”
“That’s right, and all the money I need to live a new life. It’s practically like being reincarnated as a rich man.”
“You realize there is no such thing as reincarnation.”
He smirked at me. “There is now!”
He raised the gun until it was pointed directly at my head.
“Bear!”
The huge dog sprang from her hiding place, took a single jump, and launched herself at the Serpent. He sensed her coming and swung the gun around, firing once. Bear crashed into the Runner, sending him staggering toward me. I was on him in an instant.
Twisting his arm up behind his back, I nearly ripped it off as he screamed. I took my sword and placed it across his throat, pressing his larynx closed. “Who sent you?”
He tried to pull the sword off his throat with the other hand, but I jerked up on his arm, causing him to fall to his knees. His cell phone fell out onto the ground and landed next to his gun. Both were out of his reach.
“Tell me who sent you?”
“To Hell…with…you.”
“You’re going to Hell, but I’m not going with you.”
I pressed harder with the sword, cutting off his air. The use of earthly weapons had weakened him, and he faded faster than Harbinger did. As he settled back to spirit, I pulled the sword from his throat and drove it into his chest.
A flash and I was alone. I fell onto my back, but rolled over quickly.
“Bear? Bear!”
She was lying on the dirt road, blood seeping from an unseen wound. When I got to her, her eyes looked up at me, but she didn’t move. I ran my hands over her, looking for the source of the blood.
“It’s okay, girl. We’ll get you fixed up.”
Finally, my hand settled on a wet spot near her tail. When I touched it, she whimpered with pain. I turned, grabbed the Serpent’s phone and his gun, and ran for the Ranchero.
Two minutes later, I stopped the Ranchero next to the motionless dog, picked her up, and set her in the back. Throwing the cemetery gate open, I tore out down the dirt path onto the highway, and headed east.
I grabbed my own phone and called Rachel.
“Hello?”
“Rachel, it’s Jack. I need the number of a vet.”
“A vet?”
“Yes, a veterinarian! Bear’s been hurt.”
“Okay, where are you?”
“About thirty miles west of Sikeston.”
“Hold on.” The line went quiet for a moment. “Highway 60, middle of town, Sikeston Animal Hospital. I’ll let them know you’re coming.”
“Thanks.”
I hung up and floored the Ranchero. Looking over my shoulder to the back of the car, I saw my spirit companion panting, her chest rising and falling too quickly.
Hang in there, Bear. Please…hang in there.
*******
Forty-five minutes later, I found myself a seat in the small waiting room of the vet clinic. Bear had been taken in back, and they were prepping her for surgery. I was alone except for a TV playing in the corner, but I ignored it.
Pulling out the cell phone I’d gotten from Richard Douglas, I turned it on and loaded up the call history. One number showed up repeatedly, especially on the days surrounding the death of Brother John. There was also a single call to the same number yesterday, at one-forty-five, just after I finished briefing the Council.
I checked my watch. I wasn’t going to make today’s scheduled briefing at one. I called Rachel.
“Hello?”
“Rachel, it’s me. I won’t be able make the briefing at one.”
“Okay. What do you want me to tell them?”
I thought about it. What to reveal and what not to? Bear was supposed to be out of surgery within a couple hours.
“Reschedule for five.”
“Consider it done. How’s Bear?”
“They took her from me as soon as I arrived; I didn’t get to ask any questions.”
“Okay, I’ll be praying. See you at five.”
I hung up and looked at the clock.
I should call Mandy, but right now, I didn’t have anything to tell her. Just that I wasn’t dead, but then again, she didn’t know I was confronting the Serpent today.
I decided to put off calling her until I was on my way home.
*******
An hour and a half later, the double steel doors that had swallowed Bear when we arrived reopened. This time it was the doctor himself, a scrub mask hanging off his face, revealing his smile.
“Jack Carter?”
I stood and shook his hand. “Yes?”
“She’s a very lucky girl. Do you want to see her?”
“You bet.”
He led me back through the doors, turned down a hallway, then left into a brightly lit operating room. Bear lay on the table, a tube down her throat, and her pale tongue hanging from her mouth. Something was missing but I couldn’t place what it was.
I moved close to her head. “Is she okay?”
“Yes. She’s still under sedation, but she’ll be coming around soon. The bullet hit her back, near the base of her tail.”
I looked toward her back end, and realized her tail was gone, a thick bandage in its place.
“You had to remove her tail?”
“I’m afraid so. The bullet left almost nothing intact to provide blood flow to it. The missing appendage won’t bother her, but some male Bernese may not find her as attractive.”
I laughed, allowing the joke to release some of my tension. “Thanks, Doc. When can she go home?”
“We’ll keep her overnight, but she should be okay to go in the morning.”
I stroked her face, relief washing over me. “Great.”
My mind turned to the other situation that needed dealt with, and I excused myself. Before I took Bear home, I had a Judas to expose.
Chapter 10
I called Rachel on my way back to Council headquarters to let her know that I would be on time for the meeting. I also had another request. “I need to meet alone with Brother Paul before I speak to the Council.”
“Why?”
“I’d rather not say. It’s something for his ears only.”
“Members of the Council may suggest you’re leaking info to someone in advance of the rest.”
“Isn’t Paul the Council Leader?”
“Yes, but…”
“It’s a chance I’ll have to take.”
“Very well, Jack. I’ll tell him.”
“Thank you. I’ll see you soon.”
If things went according to plan, Bear and I would be on our way home in the morning.
*******
Rachel met me at the door, wearing a look more serious than before, if that was possible.
“Brother Paul is waiting for you in his study.”
I followed her through the empty hall.
To my left, I saw flowers set up around the edge of a makeshift stage, and lying on the stage was a large, sealed pine box. At each end of the box were three gold candle stands, each with multiple candles lit and glowing softly. It looked like something from an old western.
“Is that Brother John?”
“Yes. His f
uneral is tomorrow morning.”
“Who gets invited to a funeral like that?”
“Anyone who has regular contact with the Council.”
I thought of the man I’d met only once, and the love he exuded, as well as the warmth. It hurt and made what I was about to do more important than ever.
Rachel knocked on Paul’s office door, opened it for me to walk through, and closed it behind me. Brother Paul got up from his desk and came toward me.
“Jack, it’s good to see you.”
“Thank you, Brother. I’m glad to see you as well.”
We embraced, and then he took me by the arm, guiding me to a couple of chairs. “Please, sit and tell me what you need. Do you bring good news?”
“I do. Richard Douglas has been crossed over.”
Paul’s face lit up as he clapped his hands together. “That’s excellent! Well done!”
“Thank you.”
His smile disappeared. “There’s something else, isn’t there?”
“Yes. I was unable to get the name of the traitor. However, I did confirm someone was feeding him information.”
“I’m not surprised, but why did you want to see me in advance of the meeting?”
“Do you have men assigned to act as guards for the Council?”
“Of course. It’s a calling, much like being a Chaser.”
“I would like you to have some present at the briefing.”
Paul’s face reflected his concern. “Okay, but why? They are not usually allowed inside the hall to hear Council business.”
“I have a plan. If it succeeds, the traitor will be revealed, and guards will be needed to arrest him. They can remain outside, but should be available at a moment’s notice.”
Brother Paul stared at me for a long time before speaking again.
“What is this plan?”
“I’m sorry, but I must keep it to myself.”
“Very well.” He stood. “I will have four guards available.”
My watch said it was time for me to sit at the table in front of the marble stage. I got up and went to the door. “I’ll see you out front in a few.”
INNER DEMONS (THE CHASER CHRONICLES Book 4) Page 6