Looks had nothing to do with why I kept her. Buddy had told me about some very special dogs who worked as companions to Chasers. They’re rare, and to pick up on a Runner who I hadn’t even sensed myself was something amazing. She’d given me warning long before I was in danger. The Lord had given me a powerful gift.
I removed her documents from the manila envelope. They said she was a purebred, around three years old, and had been brought to the Humane Society by someone moving to an apartment. I could find no reference to a name.
“What should we call you, girl?”
Her heavy tail swished back and forth on the floor.
“King David fought a bear, and you’d certainly be as frightening as any bear. How about Bear?”
Her tail answered with a rapid up-and-down thumping.
“Bear, it is!”
The phone rang. “Hello.”
“Hey Jack, it’s me.”
“Hi, Mandy. What’s new?”
“Nothing. I wondered if you wanted to get a bite to eat tonight?”
“I’ll tell you what. Why don’t you come over here? I’ll cook and you can meet my new roommate.”
“You have a roommate? Since when?”
“She moved in today.”
“She?”
I was enjoying this a little too much.
“Yeah, you’ll like her. See you around six?”
I was enjoying this WAY too much.
“Okay…See ya then.”
The line went dead, and maybe it was wishful thinking, but Mandy sounded a little jealous.
Yeah, I know. Wishful thinking.
CHAPTER 16
Mandy arrived shortly before six. I heard a knock at the door, and Bear’s tail quietly thumped the floor. Obviously, my new roommate likes my best friend.
Mandy’s hair was up in a ponytail and she had makeup on, but her outfit was casual. Just orange capris and a yellow blouse. I’m not sure what I expected, maybe an evening gown, trying to outdo my new roommate.
She came into the living room. “I’m not too early, am I?”
“No, I was just finishing up the salad. You want something to drink?”
“Got any iced tea?”
“Sure.”
Just then, Bear came sauntering into the room. Mandy swooned. “Awwww, who’s this?”
The jig was up. “Mandy, I’d like you to meet my new roommate, Bear.”
“This is your new roommate?”
“Yup. Mom brought her over this morning, and I decided to keep her.”
“She’s beautiful!” Mandy knelt down on one knee, ruffled both ears, while accepting a healthy dose of dog kisses.
I admit I was jealous of my roommate, but not surprised. Mandy loved animals, all animals, but especially dogs.
Mandy looked up at me, but continued to shower affection on Bear. “Why did your mother think you wanted a dog?”
“She was at the Humane Society with a friend, and the Lord told her to bring this dog to me.”
Mandy stood, one hand still on Bear’s head. “Really? That’s awesome.”
“Yeah. At first, my reaction was ‘no way,’ but it didn’t take long for me to be convinced.”
I couldn’t tell her about the Harbinger sighting, but Mandy didn’t seem to have any trouble understanding why I’d kept Bear.
“What kind is she?”
“Bernese Mountain Dog, they’re from Switzerland originally.”
I went to get the drinks and when I returned with two iced teas, Mandy was on the couch, Bear sitting in front of her. After handing Mandy her tea, I sat in the chair across from them. Bear got up and came over to me, lying down in her already-familiar spot, next to my feet. I scratched her chin.
At least my dog hasn’t completely abandoned me!
Mandy got back up. “Oh, I almost forgot. The Tasers are in my car.”
She went outside and returned a couple of minutes later with the two Taser guns. “Here you go. I wish you’d tell me what you’re doing with them.”
“I can’t. Please just trust me.”
“You know I do, Jack. I’m just curious, that’s all.”
She handed me the first gun. Painted gray, with two yellow plugs in the end of the barrel, it looked like an oversized water pistol.
“That is my personal one. The range is about fifteen feet and will discharge for about ten seconds.”
I looked it over, being careful not to touch the trigger. “How’s it work?”
“The button on the right side of the trigger guard charges it. You aim at the center of your target, and pull the trigger. The two yellow caps are blown off, and the spears fire. As soon as both spears penetrate, the circuit is completed, and your target is tased. The spears are barbed to help prevent them from falling out.”
I pressed the charge button, and the gun crackled to life. It sounded like caged lightning, and Bear’s ears perked up. I shut it off. Mandy handed me the second gun.
“This is my police-issue Taser. It operates the same, but has a range of thirty-five feet, and carries roughly twice the bite of the first gun.”
It looked identical, just slightly larger, and the caps on the end of the barrel were orange. “I really appreciate this, Mandy.”
“You’re welcome, and tell Buddy not to hurt himself!”
I laughed. “I will. You hungry?”
“Famished.”
“Then, let’s eat.”
*******
After dinner, we had a glass of wine and watched some ‘America’s Funniest Home Videos.’ She left just after ten o’clock, and I had no sooner shut the door than my phone rang.
“Hello.”
“Jack, it’s Buddy. You still awake?”
“Nope. I dreamt my phone was ringing, and got up to answer it. Are you real?”
He snickered. “Very funny.”
“I thought so. What’s up?”
“Did you get the Taser guns?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, I need you to come by here tomorrow. I’ve got something to show you.”
“That’s fine. We need to make final plans for the next day, anyway.”
“See you around nine?”
“Works for me. Goodnight.”
*******
The next morning, I headed out to Buddy’s with Bear riding shotgun. I found her presence comforting, and hoped she could be the partner I’d never had. The idea of having her watching my back was very appealing.
We pulled up at Buddy’s, and Bear’s tail immediately started flicking back and forth, alternately hitting me and the passenger window.
She knows good spirits when she senses them, that’s for sure.
Bear followed me out of the car, I’d already discovered she didn’t need a leash, and walked beside me up to the door. Buddy was waiting for us. “I see you have a new friend.”
“Yup. This is my new partner, Bear.”
Buddy came out onto the front porch, knelt down, and held Bear’s head between his hands. She sat perfectly still as Buddy stared into her eyes. If anything was said between them, I didn’t hear it, but the staring match lasted a minute or so.
What now? Buddy is some sort of dog whisperer!
Finally, my mentor stood up and smiled. “She’s a very special dog, Jack. A gift from God.”
I looked from Buddy to the dog, and back to Buddy. “Did she tell you that?”
Buddy laughed. “Not exactly! Where did you get her?”
“My mom was at the Humane Society. She said the Lord told her to bring the dog to me.”
Buddy nodded. “Well, Bear is welcome in this house anytime. Come on, I want to show you something.”
We went inside and through the kitchen. Sarah sat eating a fresh-baked muffin and sipping a tall glass of milk. Bear made a beeline for her, and sat next to the table. Sarah laughed. “Who is this moocher?”
Buddy did the introductions. “That’s Jack’s new partner, Bear. Can she stay with you for a few minutes while Jack and I g
o downstairs?”
“Are you kidding? Of course. Clearly we share a love of muffins.”
I patted Bear on the head and told her to stay. She didn’t look like she was going anywhere.
When we got to the basement, I found Buddy’s workout room unchanged from the days of when he taught me to move and fight like a Chaser, but he didn’t cross the room to the light switch, as usual. Instead, he turned immediately left, and opened a door leading under the stairway.
I hadn’t noticed the entrance before. “What’s this?”
“My Chaser office.” He pulled a string hanging from the ceiling and a single light bulb came on. It swung wildly, casting shadows back and forth across a wall of photos.
I scanned the pictures, and it was immediately obvious the bulk of them were of Harbinger. They had been taken in different locations, but all featured the same Runner. Some were even black and white. “Why didn’t you show me this before, Buddy?”
“Most of these photos were taken by Justin, prior to him training me. He had better luck tracking Harbinger than I ever did, but all the cemetery shots were taken by me.”
“That doesn’t answer my question. Why did you keep the room secret?”
“For the same reason Justin never showed me his office. He was afraid I would focus my ministry on Harbinger, and not the visions given me by the Holy Spirit. He only revealed it to me about a week before we confronted Harbinger.”
“And you’re showing it to me now because we are about to tangle with the same Runner.”
“Yes. All of the research I’ve done, as well as what was passed on to me by Justin, is in this room. The file cabinets under the desk hold all the notes.”
Justin had died a week after showing these pictures to Buddy. “I don’t like what you’re implying. I trust you haven’t received a prophecy about your death.”
“No, no, nothing such as that. Sarah was instructed to show you the room if something happened to me, but I think you need to see this now. The Runner we are going up against is one of the most cunning and unprincipled ever, and I don’t want you having any misconceptions of the danger.”
“I get it, but there’s no choice. He’s changed the rules of the game and put everyone in peril.”
“Then we better finalize our plans.”
CHAPTER 17
After Buddy and I had crafted our plan of attack, based on his pictures of the cemetery, we had gone to Journey Chapel to meet with Brother Edwards. The time had come for prayer.
Brother Edwards anointed both of us with oil, laid hands on us, and prayed.
“Lord God Almighty, I ask that you send the courage of David with these men, and Holy Spirit, give the strength of Samson to these your soldiers, and Lord Jesus, bless them with the powerful faith of Paul, that they may carry out your will. In Jesus Name, Amen.”
When he was done, we stood and he hugged both of us in turn. “I and the Journey congregation will not cease praying for you.”
Brother Edwards had explained to me when I first was introduced to chasing, that whenever a Chaser was in need of prayer, the congregation was told a missionary is in danger. He never revealed the mission.
Buddy and I left Journey to go to our homes to rest, to pray alone, and to prepare.
*******
The next morning was September nineteenth, and carried with it a hint of fall. The breeze had switched to the north, shaking the leaves out of their summer doldrums, and forcing them to show the beginning hints of red, orange, and yellow.
Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery was located in southern St. Louis, not far from the banks of the Mississippi River. Row after row of white stones filled the grounds, separated by the occasional clump of trees, and surrounded by a two-lane access road.
Buddy had picked me up at four in the morning, and we’d made the drive over in silence. He was dressed in his traditional Chaser outfit, a white robe with a leather belt. Tucked into the belt were his blessed sword, and today, a Taser gun. I’d given him the smaller of the two guns, along with the same instructions Mandy had given me.
I wore my non-traditional Chaser outfit. Black Bomber jacket over a white T-shirt, black jeans, and Reebocks. I had my sword, as well, and the larger of the Tasers. Neither of us brought our blessed crosses. Harbinger wasn’t going willingly.
The grave of Mason’s mother and sister sat near the middle of the cemetery, not far from a stand of maples. Buddy had taken up position to the east, at one end of the trees, and I had set up to the west, at the other end. We had our cell phones, set on vibrate, to let the other know if we spotted the Runner. Bear sat faithfully at my side.
Before going to Journey last night, Buddy had briefed me on what he’d learned while staking out the cemetery.
“Harbinger never arrives at the same time, nor from the same direction, two visits in a row. Last time, he came in from the west, where you’ll be stationed, and he was there before noon.” Buddy pointed at a map of Jefferson Barracks while he spoke. “The time before, he came in from the south, around dusk.”
“I gather he’s always in physical form?”
“Yes, and in the same clothes, including the leather coat. Which reminds me, will those guns pierce his leather coat?”
“Mandy said they’ve made improvements to the barbs, allowing them to go through some pretty thick stuff.”
Buddy looked skeptical, but accepted my explanation. “So what is the exact plan of attack?”
“I intend to confront him at the grave, then tase him. You’ll have ten seconds to come up from behind and shoot him with your gun. At the end of your voltage, he should be sufficiently weakened to return to spirit. I’ll be standing over him with my sword.”
“And if he isn’t returned to spirit?”
“Then we go with plan B.”
Buddy cocked his head sideways, studying me. “Which is?”
“I don’t know yet. I’ll come up with something if I have to.”
As I dressed this morning, I’d decided my ‘plan B’ was my nine-millimeter handgun. Killing Harbinger with anything other than a blessed sword would not cross him over, but it would return him to the spot of his original death. That could save Buddy or me, maybe both of us.
I looked at my watch. Nearly ten and no sign of the Runner. I hoped it wouldn’t be all day. I’d brought some water and a protein bar, which I decided to have now. Looking at the trees around me, I was reminded my favorite season is just around the corner.
It’s going to be a beautiful fall in the Midwest.
I tended to get distracted, which helped pass the time, but wasn’t always good on a stakeout. I snapped myself back to the task at hand.
I finished the bar by giving the last bite to Bear, then put the wrapper in my coat pocket. After a drink of water, I was about to put some in the thermos lid for Bear, when her ears went straight up and her tail went dead still.
“What is it, girl?”
She let out a low growl, not enough to give away my location, but it told me Harbinger was somewhere nearby. I dialed Buddy. It rang several times before going to voicemail.
My adrenaline started to surge, and I redialed the number, all the while scanning for the Runner. It rang once, and suddenly I sensed the same thing Bear had. I closed the phone.
“Chaser! Come out!”
Does he have Buddy?
“Now Chaser!”
I frantically searched around me, trying to place the voice. Of course, I knew who it was, but not where. The booming voice of Harbinger is never mistaken for an ordinary soul.
“I’ll kill him!”
I looked down toward where Buddy was stationed. Sure enough, Harbinger had come out from where Buddy was hiding, my mentor in front of him. A knife lay across Buddy’s throat.
I stood up. “Over here, Mason!”
“I told you not to call me that!” The Runner thrust Buddy forward in front of him, pushing the old Chaser toward me, the knife against my friend’s back.
“
Yeah, well, I don’t listen too good.”
I moved toward him, Bear beside me, crouching and ready to attack. Her teeth were bared, and a low growl emanated from deep within her. Mason suddenly noticed my big companion, and I saw the nervousness cross his face. “I see you got yourself a new pet. No spirit dog is going to save your mentor now.”
“Let Buddy go. This is between us.”
“Oh, really? Then why did he come with you?”
I didn’t have a good answer for that one.
I drew my Taser gun, pointing it at the Runner’s head. “I said let him go.”
“You know I won’t be crossed over by a modern weapon. You can’t bluff me, and you haven’t answered my question.”
I smirked. “I wanted to come alone, I really did, but Buddy hates to be left out.”
The knife pressed against my mentor’s throat, threatening to break the skin. Harbinger returned my smirk. “I know how to make sure you come alone next time. I’m going to kill your mentor, just like I killed his mentor.”
My options were dwindling fast. “You don’t want to do that, Mason.”
“Oh, but I do. In fact, it’s kinda poetic. You know, full circle and all that.”
I was about to run out of time so I made a difficult decision.
Sorry, Buddy. I’ve got to do this. I hope you will understand.
I lowered the Taser and fired it. The barbs exploded from the end of the gun, and lodged in the chest of my friend. Buddy convulsed violently, the current forcing Harbinger to let go, and propelling the knife harmlessly away.
Before Harbinger could gather himself, I drew my nine-millimeter and shot him between the eyes. He collapsed to the ground, fading away like disappearing ink from a piece of paper.
I rushed to Buddy, the Taser having finished shocking him, and touched his face. “Buddy...Buddy!”
He didn’t respond. I jerked the barbs out of him, and raised his eyelids. Both eyes were rolled back in his head. It was then I realized where his head had landed. He’d fallen and struck it against the tombstone of Mason’s family. Blood oozed onto the names of Mason’s mother and sister from the cut on the back of his skull.
JOURNEY (THE CHASER CHRONICLES Book 2) Page 7