“Wise words, Jack. Try not to forget them.”
I followed him down to the training room. He turned the lights on and tossed me my piece of pipe. Buddy had taken away my lead pipe on the second day, when I narrowly missed his knee during sparring, and we’ve used plastic ever since.
We set up at opposite ends of the room, closed our eyes in prayer, and then began to move about each other. I darted in and landed a blow on his thigh. He lunged back, but I blocked his swing for my shoulder.
We switched ends, circling at a distance. He rushed at me with a scream, but I barely heard it. The Spirit was in control, an eerie quiet coming over me, as I moved in and out against my mentor.
Buddy landed a blow to my side, but my focus was so intense, I didn’t feel it. I responded with two blows of my own, one to the side and one to the shoulder. He stopped, stepped back, and studied me. My movements were fluid, orchestrated, and calculated.
As I watched my mentor, I realized he was breathing heavier than usual, and sweat was beading on his forehead. I had no idea how long we’d been sparring, but I felt completely fresh.
He moved in, swinging at my side and then at my head, causing me to raise my arms to block. Like before, he swung his leg under me, but this time I jumped in the air. As I avoided his leg sweep, I landed a blow on his exposed neck.
He jumped back to his feet and rubbed his neck. A smile slowly creased his face. Without even thinking about it, I leapt two steps up the painted path on the wall, three more across the roof and rolled to my feet behind him. I stuck my pipe in his back like a gun. He began to laugh.
Dropping his pipe, he slowly turned to face me. His face beamed with joy as he walked over to me. Enveloping me with his arms, he squeezed me in a miniature bear hug. “Well done! You’re ready.”
His words brought me out of the battle trance I’d found myself in, and I felt an overpowering joy and the need to laugh. I laughed until I cried, rejoicing that the Spirit now had the ability to flow through me in a way I never thought possible.
When I had pulled myself together, we went upstairs and out onto the patio. We drank iced tea and enjoyed the late August breeze, tinged with the scent of fall.
Sarah came home and joined us outside. She bent over and kissed Buddy on the cheek before taking a seat.
“So how goes the training?”
Buddy looked at me and then Sarah.
“He’s ready.”
She smiled.
“I thought so.”
I’m always the last to know.
*******
When a big event takes place in life, you’re accustomed to seeing friends, family, and well-wishers. Birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, graduations, and such are shared. Those who have guided you, prayed for you, cheered for you, and even disciplined you, are usually present along with gifts, cake, smiles, and pictures.
The Anointing Ceremony was nothing like that. In fact, if it resembled anything, it resembled a funeral. Hushed tones, slow walking, and somber looks were the order of the day.
I sat in the front pew of the Journey Chapel sanctuary on a Tuesday afternoon. Outside, the leaves were beginning to turn and the day was cooler than we’d felt in months. No one who knew me was there. I hadn’t been allowed to tell my mother, Mandy, or anybody else.
In fact, the only people in the huge sanctuary were Buddy, Sarah, Brother Timmons, and Brother Edwards. Buddy and Sarah sat in the front pew across the aisle from me. Brother Timmons sat in a chair on the stage watching over a tray covered with purple silk.
Brother Edwards entered from the back of the sanctuary carrying a glass bottle of clear liquid and moved forward to the pulpit. He nodded at Buddy and Sarah before looking at me.
“Jack Carter, are you ready to receive the Anointing of the Chaser?”
My throat suddenly felt too dry to speak, so I nodded.
“Very well, please come and kneel at the altar.”
I followed his instruction and looked up to see him standing over me with the bottle. He began to pray.
“Heavenly Father, as Jack has heeded your call and committed himself to serve you in the capacity of Chaser, we anoint him with this Holy Water. We commend him to your mission and your purpose.”
The pastor poured the water slowly onto my head.
“May the power of the Spirit and the strength of the heavenly armies be ever at your disposal. May you accomplish your task with honor and faithfulness, never forgetting who you serve, or why you serve.”
Brother Timmons came forward with a towel and wiped my face. Then Brother Edwards nodded toward the tray. When Brother Timmons removed the purple silk, I could see a sword and a cross, similar to the ones Buddy carried with him.
Brother Edwards took the wood cross first and laid it in my left hand. He poured a small amount of the Holy Water over it.
“Heavenly Father, we bless this cross for the work it was designed for, may it ever be used to return souls to you with peace and joy.”
Next, he placed the sword in my right hand. Beautifully made from the Cedars of Lebanon, it bore the seal of the Chaser on the handle. This time he poured the remainder of the Holy Water over the sword.
“Heavenly Father, we bless this sword for the work it was designed for, may it ever be used to return souls to you, be they unwilling.”
Brother Timmons stepped back and Brother Edwards indicated for me to get up, the sword and cross still in my possession. When I was on my feet, Brother Edwards smiled at me.
“Jack, repeat after me: I, Jack Carter, accept the sacred task laid before me…”
I echoed his words.
“…and will faithfully carry out the mission of a Chaser, even unto death.”
I finished and Brother Edwards smiled at me again.
“Congratulations, Jack. You are now a Chaser.”
And that was it. No clapping, no hugging and laughing, just smiles as we walked quietly out of the church. I rode with Buddy and Sarah back to their place where we barbecued a few steaks to celebrate. Just a normal Tuesday night in early fall. I have to admit, I expected more, but I had no idea the incredible journey that had just begun.
CHAPTER 13
The leaves rustled in a brisk wind, the smell of fall filling my nose. All around me was freshly mowed grass that stretched as far as the eye could see. Interrupting the grass carpet were stones, all in a row.
I was in a cemetery. I could hear the sound of crying, like a crowd weeping in unison, growing ever louder. It continued to grow until I could make out words.
“David, David, David.”
The scene suddenly faded, only to be replaced by a hospital room, white and sterile. A heart monitor beeped quietly. As I moved farther into the room, I saw a woman sitting in a chair next to the monitor. She was crying, but I couldn’t hear the sobbing, just the consistent beep of the machine.
I watched as the woman stared at the monitor, then closed her eyes. The beeping changed to a long whine, as the line trailing across the monitor went flat. As the persistent whine faded from my ears, so did the scene.
What replaced it was a bright light with a lone figure walking toward it. Suddenly, the figure turned away from the path and ran toward me, passing to my right, giving me a good look at his face.
The light flashed and then disappeared, as if sucked into a vacuum.
I sat straight up in bed. At first, I looked around for the figure in the light, then for anybody. But I was alone in my bedroom, dripping with sweat.
I wasn’t positive, but it seemed likely I had my first chase to complete. It’s the first person God had called me to return to him, and the feeling was one of awe. It’d actually happened; the Spirit was sending me to accomplish his work.
The Anointing Ceremony was only two days ago, but Buddy said there was no way to know when the first chase would come. I looked at the clock. Apparently, it would be four-thirty on a September morning.
I decided to write down the vision so I could bring it to Buddy.
I needed his help with the interpretation, not to mention a little encouragement. I didn’t want to screw up my first mission, even if it turned out to be a simple one.
*******
I arrived at Buddy and Sarah’s house just after seven in the morning. Coffee was on and both were already dressed. I followed Sarah into the kitchen, where Buddy sat at the table, eating eggs. Sarah offered me a plate.
“Yes, please.”
I noticed she had extra eggs made already. She carried the pan over and dumped a pile of the scrambled deliciousness onto my plate.
“Thank you, Sarah.”
“You’re welcome.”
She made herself a small plate and joined us. I watched the two of them out of the corner of my eye and neither seemed surprised to see me.
“I almost feel like I was expected.”
Buddy sipped his coffee.
“You were.”
“Oh?”
“I’m your mentor, and the Holy Spirit revealed to me you had been given a vision. I woke Sarah and we prayed for you.”
I could pretend I was surprised they were waiting for me, but I wasn’t.
“I wrote down the vision and brought it with me. Can I get your help understanding the meaning?”
“Of course. Eat your eggs first, then we’ll take a look at your vision.”
*******
After breakfast, we sat on the back deck while Buddy read my memo about the vision. When he was done, he rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
“You got a pen and notebook?”
“I’ve got my casebook. Why?”
“We need to write down what the vision is telling us.”
I took out the casebook.
“Okay, shoot.”
“In the first part, you’re in a cemetery. That usually means the funeral has already been held. We also know there were many friends and family who miss this person, thus the crying crowd.”
I wrote as fast as I could, trying to keep up.
“We learned the Runner is a man, his first name being David.”
He looked back at the memo before continuing.
“Part two is the hospital room. What do you think the machine means?”
“Heart problem?”
“I agree, probably a heart attack or heart disease. We also learned he is married, because of the woman in your vision, presuming she is the wife.”
I wrote faster.
“What about the third part? I’m sure I’ve seen his face before, but I can’t put my finger on where.”
“The third part, with the light and the Runner coming at you, is how you know the vision is real and not just a dream. The light is obvious, and the spirit of the person turning is the Runner. As you become more experienced, you will learn to study that moment and memorize the face going past you.”
I tried to think back on that moment.
Where had I seen that face?
It was driving me crazy, which I admit was a short trip these days, but I couldn’t shake the feeling I should have known who the Runner was. I looked at Buddy.
“What now?”
“Pretty simple, really. You figure out who the Runner is, then go and cross him over.”
“Oh, I see. Easy as pie.”
He smiled.
“I said simple, not easy. Read your notes and organize them until a picture starts to take shape.”
I looked down at what I’d written and tried to make sense of it.
“David, married, died of heart ailment. Funeral held, so death probably several days to as much as a week ago. Probably a large funeral with many mourners.”
“Okay, what about a physical description from your brief look at him?”
“Let’s see. White, probably mid- to late-forties, dark hair, and light eyes.”
Buddy got up and headed for the house.
“Now, you take what you’ve got, and start researching funeral notices from St. Louis, then the region, and then the state. Finally Illinois, Iowa, and on out in ever-growing circles until you find your man. The rest you know. Find who they likely ran to, and why, then go cross the Runner over.”
“How did you ever do this before computers?”
“How did P.I.s do their job before computers?”
“Legwork.”
“Same answer here.”
He went through the door, and returned several minutes later with a fresh cup of coffee. I was staring at my notes, something nagging at the back of my mind. I reviewed the facts for the twentieth time.
Married, heart attack, forties, and that face. Of course! The funeral letter from Emma Samms! I hadn’t made the funeral but I remembered getting the pamphlet. “I’ve got it!”
Buddy had not yet reached his chair, and turned to face me. “Got what?”
“I know who the Runner is. David Samms. His wife was a client of mine.”
Buddy smiled.
“If we were playing baseball, that is what we’d call a hanging curveball, ready to be knocked out of the park. Now you can do the real work. Find him and cross him over.”
I got up and put away my casebook.
“You want to come with me when I find him?”
“Yes and no.”
“Make sense, will you please?”
He laughed. He seemed to be laughing at me a lot lately, or maybe it’s just with me.
Yeah, right!
“Yes, I would like to go with you but no, I can’t. You’re on your own now.”
I shook his hand.
“Thanks, Buddy. I’ll let you know how it goes.”
“Good enough, and may the Spirit guide you.”
Oh brother! He even talks like Yoda!
*******
I parked the Ranchero down the street from the Samms house. In my time tracking David Samms for his wife, I’d only seen him in three places. His office, the bar where he secretly worked, and home with Mrs. Samms.
The only reason I came up with for David to run was to reconnect with his wife, to tell her words unsaid, or show her something. I wasn’t aware of anyone he’d want to hurt, and the Samms didn’t have any children. He had many friends, but they seemed unlikely targets for a Runner.
It took a lot for someone to be a Runner, and it involved strong emotion to accomplish. Since I knew of no one he would hate that much, it figured love was the trigger for his run.
It didn’t take long to confirm my hunch. I spotted Samms sitting on a bus bench across from his home. It took time for a Runner to gain enough power to manifest, and my guess was he hadn’t nearly reached that point yet, his spirit still invisible to natural eyes.
I got out of the car, slipped the wood cross over my head, and left my sword in the car. I didn’t believe he would be confrontational with me. Since he didn’t know I could see him, I walked right up, and sat on the bench next to him. His face contorted in surprise when I spoke.
“What are you doing here, David?”
“How…how can you see me?”
“No fair, David. I asked my question first.”
“I’ve come to tell my wife something before I go.”
“That’s what I figured. I can see you because the Holy Spirit allows me to. He sent me to tell you what a bad idea it is for you to try and talk to Libby.”
“How do you know her name?”
“It’s my job to know.”
He got up and started to pace, but I sensed he wouldn’t run.
“Why is it bad for me to talk to her? What I need to tell her will make a big difference in her life.”
“Oh, I have no doubt about that, but it is not in the way you think.”
He stopped and stared at me.
“What do you mean?”
“Why don’t you tell me what you were going to tell her?”
“Okay.”
He came back over and sat down next to me on the bench.
“Before my heart attack, I found out my wife had hired a private investigator to follow me. I think she thought I was having
an affair, but I wasn’t.”
“I gather you want to tell her what you were really doing?”
“Yes. I was working an extra job to save money for her anniversary gift. It never occurred to me she would think I was cheating.”
I put my hand on his shoulder and stared him directly in the eyes. I could see the anguish he felt over hurting his Libby.
“Listen to me carefully, David. If you communicate with your wife, you prove the existence of the afterlife. If she obtains this information, God is obligated to end her time on Earth, not because she did anything wrong, but because you would have removed her free will to choose Jesus or not. Do you understand?”
“I…guess. At least I understand what you’re saying, but I don’t understand how all this spirit stuff works.”
It occurred to me David might not be going to heaven. It was pretty clear from what Buddy told me, and from my knowledge of the Bible, not everyone I cross over is going to a better place.
Nonetheless, my job here was to cross over David Samms. In all Buddy had taught me, the actual rules on how I accomplish it were not part of the lessons. To a person like me, this means I get to make up my own rules, and that was what I was about to do.
“David, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll deliver your message to Libby, and in return, you’ll do what I need you to do to cross over into final rest. Fair enough?”
“Sure, but how do I know you’ll keep your word?”
“Because you’re going with me. Come on.”
I started across the street to the Samms home, and David quickly caught up with me. When we reached the door, I pushed the bell and stood back. David stood frozen in place next to me, apparently afraid to breathe.
Do Runners even breathe? I’m not sure.
Within a couple moments, the door opened and Libby Samms appeared. She was clearly surprised to see me at her door.
“Mr. Carter? Is there something wrong?”
“No, Mrs. Samms. I received your note about Mr. Samms, and wanted to say I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you, but it really wasn’t necessary to come all the way over here.”
“It’s no trouble. The reason I came is because I didn’t tell you all I knew about your husband.”
CROSSOVER (THE CHASER CHRONICLES Book 1) Page 8