“Here, take this and defend yourself.”
I hefted the half-inch-thick, galvanized plumbing pipe. I looked at him with a grin.
“Seriously? What about you?”
He picked up one of the plastic pipes.
“Don’t worry about me. Now come on, try to hit me.”
I wasn’t comfortable with the idea of trying to maim my mentor.
“I don’t know Buddy, I mean…”
He moved so fast I found myself rubbing my thigh without a clue as to why it hurt. He had darted in, struck my leg, and darted back before I could twitch.
“Owww, that smarts! Not bad, but come on, I could kill you with one blow from this …”
Again, he attacked, this time to the side of my ribs, and I just partially blocked it with my elbow. I was going to have a bruise.
“Okay, that’s enough, old man. You’re going down.”
I raised the pipe, feinted to one side, and then swung for the other side of his waist. He deflected my blow harmlessly away with his pipe, and before I could regain my balance for another swing, he struck the side of my head. Things spun for a minute, and when I regained my senses, he was standing watching me.
“You’re not even trying!”
I’m being mocked by Yoda!
Putting two hands on the pipe, I assumed an attack pose. I was pissed.
Rushing at him, I swung with as much speed as I could. Several lunges and swipes, each one deflected. I stood back, panting slightly and sweating a lot. He looked like he had just woken up from an afternoon nap.
Gathering myself again, I rushed him with all I had, even screaming as a distraction. He deftly stayed just out of reach, deflecting blows, until he lunged back at me. He brought his pipe up over my head, and as I raised my arms to block him, he swung his leg under me.
My feet flew out from beneath me, and my body toppled to the mat. His pipe struck me on the on the side of my neck as I went down.
It happened with such speed I decided against getting up. He’d made his point, and I was pretty banged up.
“Well, that was fun,” I said, from my position on the floor.
“The speed you receive from the Spirit is the ability to anticipate, react, and move with a quickness no human can match. It is not about running fast.”
“I can see that,” I rubbed my neck. “Actually, I can feel it as well.”
He extended his hand and helped me up.
“There’s more.”
I rolled my eyes. “Great.”
Buddy walked over to the speed bag hanging from the wall.
“You ever use one of these in your workouts?”
“Sure, occasionally.”
“Show me what you’ve got.”
I planted my feet and started to punch the bag, slowly at first while I got my rhythm, and gradually faster until I had a good momentum. After a few minutes, I grabbed the bag, and stopped its motion. Buddy smiled.
“Not bad. Mind if I give it a try?”
I stepped back, wiping sweat from my forehead, and Buddy took my place at the bag. He closed his eyes for a few seconds before banging at the bag. I’ve seen professional boxers who were fast, but they weren’t even in the same league as what my mentor was doing while I watched.
His motion was slow, deliberate, but I couldn’t see the bag. It was less than a blur, and if it weren’t for the noise, I’d think it was some sort of trick. He stopped as suddenly as he started. I was speechless, and when he turned toward me, he wasn’t even breathing hard.
“When you allow the Spirit to lead, He can see and move things around you with inhuman speed, yet they appear in slow motion to you.”
“What were doing when you closed your eyes?”
“I was giving the Spirit control, getting self out of the way, and asking His leading. You’ll be asked to chase people who are bigger, stronger, and faster than you are. Only by harnessing the gifts of a Chaser will you be able to cross over the toughest cases.”
He offered his water bottle to me. I accepted, thirsty and tired. I drank nearly half before handing it back to him. He declined, grinning at me.
“It wasn’t for me. I brought it for you.”
“Nobody likes a wise guy, Buddy. I should know.”
He laughed and walked over to the path painted on the wall.
“Do you think you could take a run at this, and climb the wall on your feet?”
“I doubt it.”
Without saying anything more, he closed his eyes and leapt up the wall, taking two steps before taking two more on the ceiling, flipping and dropping to the floor upright. I was stunned, again.
“How old did you say you are?”
His smile gave away the fact he was enjoying himself immensely.
“You try.”
I moved over and lined myself up with the path. Focusing all my energy, I ran at the wall, leaping up with one foot and then stepping with the second. The second never touched the wall as I collapsed in a heap. He helped me up.
“Nothing you’ve seen me do is relevant to age or experience. It’s all about letting the Spirit flow through you, and the Spirit is stronger in you than it has ever been with me.”
“How do I let it happen?”
“Ask, and get out of the way.”
For what seemed like the tenth time, I rolled my eyes.
“Oh, is that all.”
He came over and put his hands on my shoulders.
“Sit.”
I did, and he sat across from me on the floor.
“Close your eyes and focus on God. Don’t think of the wall, only of doing what the Spirit instructs. With your heart, tell the Spirit to guide and lead, and let Him worry about the how.”
I did as Buddy said.
“Now, I want to you to stand slowly, maintaining your focus on the Spirit, and face the wall. Do what the Spirit instructs.”
I stood for several moments, eyes closed, and praying for the leading of the Spirit. Without making a conscious decision, I found myself moving forward, climbing the wall. One step, two steps, three steps. Next thing I know, I’m lying in a heap on the floor.
“What happened? I was almost there.”
Buddy helped me up again.
“You did well, the Spirit had control, but focus under stress takes time. It took me twelve tries to accomplish what you just did on your second.”
“Really? Twelve?”
“Twelve, and I thought my mentor was going to lose his mind. Eventually, I learned to get out of the way, and just obey.”
He tossed me a towel from a pile in the corner. “That’s enough for today.”
We went back upstairs, and Buddy fixed us a couple sandwiches. As we ate, he began to talk about faith.
“I know your faith in Jesus and His salvation is strong. You wouldn’t have been called if it weren’t. What you need to do now is read the stories of Abraham and Moses.”
I gave him a surprised look. “I’ve read them many times. Why do I need to read them again?”
“Focus on one thing. Obedience.” He sipped his orange juice. “Abraham went to his wife because God told him to. He obeyed, regardless of the probability of a child ever coming true. He focused on what God told him to do, not what God said would happen.” He took a bite and washed it down with some juice. “Likewise, Moses went and told Pharaoh to free the Jews, focusing on what he was told to do, not whether the plagues would actually happen.” He paused while I absorbed what he said. “Obedience to the task.”
I was familiar with the stories from the Old Testament, but had never looked at it that way. “So I’m to run at the wall, not worry about how to climb it?”
“Exactly. Obedience allows the Spirit to flow through you so you can accomplish the mission you’re given.”
“And the speed in battle you showed?”
“Same thing. Mine is to go to battle. The Spirit flows through me in the combat and allows me to do things I couldn’t ever do on my own.”
&nbs
p; “Why can’t just anyone do the same?”
“They can in their own lives and callings, but the gifts of the Chaser, including the ability to sense and see Runners, are given only to those called to chase.”
I rubbed my temples.
“How come every time I’m with you, my head hurts?”
“Well, if you defended yourself better, I might not have hit you so hard.”
“Very funny. You know what I mean.” I stood up. “There’s so much to learn.”
I started for the door.
“I gotta go to the office and try to make a living. Same time tomorrow?”
“See you then.”
*******
Despite being sore from my training with Buddy ‘Chuck Norris’ Daniels, my afternoon at the office was productive. ICM hired me to watch one of their disability claimants, and two other calls came in to inquire about my services. I was about to leave for home when the door opened.
“Hello? Anyone home?”
“Hi, Mandy. What brings you down here?”
Her hair was tied up in the usual bun she preferred when working. She wore no makeup, not that she needed any to begin with. She preferred her work to do the talking, not her looks, and I’ve never seen her look remotely provocative on duty. At least, not intentionally. “I was following a lead at an office down the street and thought I’d pop in.”
Her face scrunched up as if she’d just stepped in vomit.
“Oooh! What happened to your neck?”
I reached up and touched the spot where Buddy had landed his last blow. It hurt, and I flinched involuntarily. I went into the bathroom to look in the mirror. An ugly bruise of green and yellow had formed.
“I did some sparring with a friend this morning. Obviously, he got the better of me.”
She followed me to the bathroom and reached up to touch my neck.
“That’s awful. You okay?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
She withdrew her hand, concern still painted on her face.
“Who’s this sparring partner? Do I know him?”
“What makes you think it was a him?”
She rolled her eyes at me.
“Let’s say I was hoping it wasn’t a woman.”
“Jealous?”
She laughed.
“No, just hoping my best friend wasn’t getting his butt kicked by a girl!” She put her hands on her hips. “So, you didn’t answer my question. Who is this sparring partner?”
“His name is Buddy Daniels. He came into the office last week. He has a really nice home gym, and he invited me to work out with him.”
“Well, tell this guy to go easy on you, or I’ll have him arrested for assault.”
It was my turn to laugh.
“I’ll pass that on to him. You want to grab some dinner?”
“Love to, but I can’t. I’m due back at the station for a meeting before I can call it a day.”
“Okay. I’ll walk out with you.”
As we got to the street, I caught movement in the alley across the way. Harbinger was watching us, or rather me, and I wondered if he’d been there all afternoon. Mandy nudged me.
“Hey, what are you looking at?”
“Oh, I thought I saw someone across the street I recognized.”
She got in her car, which was still in one piece for going on a week, and I closed her door.
“I see your car is still unscarred. How long will that last?”
She laughed. “No telling! See ya later.”
“Bye.”
When she’d driven off, I crossed over to the alley. Harbinger was gone, but the unsettled feeling was still with me. I scanned the entire street, but couldn’t find any sign of him. Still, the hairs on the back of my neck wouldn’t lie down.
I crossed over to my car and got in, searching the street once more in the car mirrors. I couldn’t see him, but I could sense he was there somewhere, watching. He’s following me, and I needed to be careful.
CHAPTER 12
For the next three and a half weeks, I followed the same routine. Sparring in the mornings with Buddy and working on my cases in the afternoons. Saturday was my own and on Sunday, I went to church with my mom. Mandy even came along a couple of times.
Gradually, the bruises were becoming fewer and the sparring matches grew more even. But when push came to shove, Buddy still had the advantage.
“You’re not letting the Spirit take control! Let go and allow the Spirit do the work.”
Still, I was making progress. My understanding of what I was to do, and what the Spirit would do, increased every day.
One Friday, my phone rang before five in the morning.
“Hello?”
“Jack, this is your mother.”
I tried to focus. “What time is it?”
“It’s early, but I needed to know you’re okay.”
“I’m fine. Why?”
“I don’t know, just one of those things. I felt the need to pray for you and then had to call. Sorry to wake you.”
“It’s okay, Mom. Go on back to…” Something moved outside my window.
“Jack?”
“It’s nothing Mom. I’ll call you later.”
I hung up and slipped off the bed. Staying close to the floor, I grabbed my gun. I crawled out of the bedroom and made my way around to the kitchen door. From there, I could see the hedge outside my bedroom window, and the man hiding next to it.
There was no mistaking who it was. Harbinger. I stood up, kicked the kitchen door open, my gun trained on his head. He spun in my direction, saw the gun, and froze. Judging by the grin, which slowly creased his face, he wasn’t frozen in fear.
“You gonna shoot me?”
“If I have to.”
“You know that won’t cross me over.”
“True, but it’ll keep you from trying to cross me over. What are you doing outside my window?”
“I’ve come to deliver one last warning. I know you’re training with Chaser Daniels, and your training is nearing the end. Soon, you’ll have your Anointing Ceremony, and I’ll have no choice. I will kill you.”
“You seem to think I have no say in this threat you keep making. Funny thing is I’m not afraid of you. Maybe other Chasers have been, maybe you’ve been able to intimidate them, but I’m not easily frightened.”
As I said it, I realized I meant it. This guy didn’t intimidate me like the first time I met him. I knew he could kill me, but I also knew I was getting stronger.
He hadn’t managed to kill the man training me in decades. That fact alone gave me at least as good a chance as Buddy against any Runner.
For the first time, Harbinger looked slightly unsure of himself.
“It’s not too late for you to change this path you’re on. Tell Chaser Daniels you’ve changed your mind.”
“But I haven’t changed my mind. Now are you going to leave or do I have to persuade you?”
He rushed me with such speed he was hard to see, but I didn’t fire the gun. Seeming to float in front of me, his face inches from mine, he growled.
My spirit remained calm as his eyes bore into mine, and I stood my ground. He couldn’t hurt me—not yet—and we both knew it.
Before I could react, he vanished around the side of the house. Even though I couldn’t see him go, the Spirit in me left no doubt—he was gone.
I closed the door and put my away my gun. My heart began to pound as I broke into a cold sweat, much like someone who has done something crazy, then realized what they’d done.
The calmness I felt during the altercation was replaced now by are you nuts?
I sat down to keep from falling down.
My phone rang again. “Hello.”
“Jack? Jack, are you okay?”
“Mandy? What you doing up at this hour?”
“Your mother called me. She said you hung up on her, and she was worried about you. She wanted me to drive over and check on you. Everything all right?”
> “Yeah, I’m fine. I had a Peeping Tom, but I chased him off.”
“Did you get a look at him? We can file a report.”
“No, that’s not necessary. Thanks for calling, but I’m going back to bed, and you should too. I’ll call Mom so she doesn’t worry.”
“Okay, bye.”
I hung up and called Mom.
“Hello.”
“Mom, it’s me. Everything is fine, and I’m going back to bed now.”
“Did Amanda come by?”
“She called, Mom, and I told her the same thing I’m telling you, go back to bed.”
“All right, Son. Bye.”
“Bye, Mom. Oh, one more thing.”
“Yes?”
“Thanks for praying for me.”
She was quiet for a moment before answering.
“You’re my son. I’ll never stop praying for you.”
She hung up and I stared at the phone for a minute. If she only knew how much I needed her prayers now.
*******
I was late getting to Buddy’s for our morning sparring. My alarm had been turned off during the commotion earlier in the morning.
“You’re late.”
“Thank you, Captain Obvious. It turns out I have good reason to be tardy.”
“Okay, let’s hear it.”
“Harbinger visited me again early this morning.”
He pulled out a chair and sat at the kitchen table, offering me the other seat. As had been the norm lately, Sarah was out. I sat down and recounted the encounter. He didn’t say anything until I was done.
“You said he seemed unsure of himself for a moment?”
“Yeah, seemed that way.”
“I’ve never seen any sign of fear from Harbinger, not when he fought Justin, nor in the encounters I’ve had with him. He must sense your lack of fear. It’s the very thing he feeds on to get an advantage over an adversary.”
“He’s fast. I was able to track him and sense him, but man was he quick.”
“Don’t mistake his hesitancy as weakness. He is a most formidable enemy, and every encounter with him comes with grave risk.”
“I get it, don’t be cocky. I hardly have reason to feel that way, since I’ve never been in spiritual combat, and he’s over a hundred years old. Only a fool would be anything but cautious.”
CROSSOVER (THE CHASER CHRONICLES Book 1) Page 7