Chasing Christmas

by Steven Hunt

  “Hold on there, fella. We aren’t through yet. I still have something to say.” Flagg snickered.

  Teddy couldn’t move. With each shift, the cloak tightened. Teddy dropped his head as another of Bud’s sermons flooded his mind. “I hold to the Truth and the Truth will set me free!” The cloak fell off and his mind cleared.

  Teddy stood, squaring his shoulders. “What do you want, Flagg?”

  Flagg allowed his mouth to gape open. “Impressive! It seems if you have learned something. But what’s with the attitude?” He slapped his forehead. “That’s right. You’ve only received the lessons of faith and hope. You’ve yet to learn about love. If you’d already been taught about love, I’d expect you’d have a better disposition…a better attitude.” Flagg closed the gap between them. “Tsk, tsk. I guess you’re not through after all. Pity. The sand is running out, my friend. But, hey, maybe you can use your hope to turn the hourglass over one more time.” He chuckled.

  The repulsive sulfur smell of Flagg’s breath wafted over him. Rotten eggs and onions? Teddy couldn’t place the contents of the odor, and he really didn’t want to. It turned his stomach. Sweat beads formed on his forehead. He stepped away from Flagg. “Just tell me what you want, Flagg.”

  “Why to check on you, my boy. Is that so horrible?”

  “I need to go. Now.”

  “Not so fast. I have something for you.” He turned toward the trees adjacent to the log. A rustling of dried leaves and twigs crunching under the pressure of footsteps grew louder. The sulfur smell intensified, causing Teddy to gag. An impenetrable gray mist rose from the ground, encompassing the trees, the clearing and the underbrush while encircling the clearing where Teddy and Flagg stood.

  From the direction of the breaking branches Teddy could make out the rough outline of a man. A man walking toward him. Teddy rubbed his eyes, but the image continued to be out of focus because of the thick mist. The man stopped thirty yards from him, still within the edge of the soup and far enough to not be clearly seen.

  “Well, what do you think?” Flagg asked. He wore a wide, sinister smile, his deteriorating mouth forming an ominous pit.

  “Who is it?”

  Flagg laughed. “You don’t recognize your own brother? It’s Walt Junior!”

  Teddy’s mouth dropped open as his head jerked back in the direction of the paradox. He watched the man, not believing his eyes. It couldn’t be! Walt was dead. Teddy’s knees weaken. He struggled to breathe. His mind spun. Lightheaded. Afraid of collapsing, he searched with his hand for a tree trunk or a rock or anything to hold him up, his eyes still locked on the man. His voice cracked. “How can this be? Walt died years ago.”

  Flagg faced him. “Anything is possible for me, Teddy. Just think what I can do for you if we became true friends.”

  Teddy glanced at Flagg. How did he know those were the words he’d said to Jason?

  “I like you.” Flagg stepped closer to him. “But you must also consider what I can do if we were enemies.” His beady eyes danced with the evil that surely coursed through his veins.

  Teddy stared at the blurred image of Walt. “Why doesn’t he come closer?”

  “He’s not quite complete. It’s hard on a body when it’s been dead as long as his. I’m sure you can understand.”

  It did look like Walt. Flagg had demonstrated his power, but what if Walt’s image was just another trick? Teddy had enough trouble believing in things he could not see, how was he to believe he’d seen someone who’d died eighteen years ago? But how could he refute what he saw? Teddy squinted at the figure. It had Walt’s nose, jaw line, and the height was close. If the mist would just lift…

  “So how’re the lessons going?

  “Wha…” Teddy glanced at Flagg before returning his eyes to Walt.

  “Pay attention, boy. I asked how your lessons were going. Has Christy brainwashed you enough for you to buy into her ideas? Or are you ready to flee…again.”

  Teddy’s eyes shifted between Walt and Flagg. “I guess…I don’t know.”

  Was this really his brother? If Teddy could just see him clearly he’d know if Flagg was lying or not. He squinted, trying to see the image through the mist.

  Did Flagg say something?

  Flagg leaned against a tree trunk. With his fingernail, he picked at his rotten teeth. “Isn’t it about time you forget all this touchy-feely stuff and come with me? I’ve already shown you I’m the more valuable friend. The longer you wait your wife’s relationship with your old business partner is getting stronger, if you know what I mean. I can help with that. One flick of my finger and ole Frank is gone. Poof. Did you know that Frank is pressuring Jane to hold a quick funeral for you? That way they can get on with their lives without your memory hanging over them forever.”

  Teddy was about to ask for the figure to come closer when a fragrance of peaches and lilacs overpowered Flagg’s stench. Teddy swiveled his head, spotting Christy standing alone at the edge of the clearing. The aroma originated from where she stood. “Teddy, do you not have somewhere to be?”

  “Aw, not now.” Flagg ran his boney hand through his stringy hair as he looked away.

  “Well…yes. But—” He pointed to the man in the mist.

  “You need to be on your way. I will take care of Flagg.” Christy snapped her gaze toward Flagg.

  “Now wait one minute, little lady. I was having a nice, harmless, private conversation with my friend and I don’t appreciate your interrupting—”

  “Silence!” Christy ordered, pointing at Flagg.

  Flagg’s mouth slammed closed. He shook his head.

  Christy turned to Teddy. “I told you this man is not to be trusted. He is a master of deception and lies.”

  “Was anything he said true? About Walt?”

  “Nothing with him is true. Truth can only be found in one place. That is what I have been trying to teach you, Teddy. Now, you need to be on your way.”

  “What about him?” Teddy nodded toward Flagg.

  “I will take care of him.”

  “Won’t you need help?” Teddy asked, comparing her smaller size to Flagg’s larger stature.

  Christy held her arms out to her sides. “I have with me more than enough help. Now go.”

  Teddy turned his back, slowly resuming his journey through the woods. A sound similar to the flapping of thousands of powerful eagles’ wings thundered from behind him. The deafening roar forced him to cover his ears.

  He wanted to watch Christy handle Flagg, but the power and authority she’d shown pressed him to obey. He needed to stay on the little girl’s good side. For a small package, she possessed an enormous punch.

  26

  Jane opened the door, intending to continue her private search for Teddy. Jeb stood on the porch, his fist raised to knock. Startled, Jane stepped back.

  Mandy moved behind her mother.

  “Deputy, what brings you all the way out here? Has there been any news?” Jane asked, patting her chest. Her heart thumped as if she’d run a marathon.

  Jeb removed his hat, holding it in both hands. “No, ma’am. I just have some questions I hope you have time to answer. You know, with the investigation.”

  “Oh, of course.” Jane held the door open to allow Jeb to enter. “Would you like to come in?”

  Jeb nodded. After he’d stepped through the threshold, he faced her. “I’m not taking you away from anything, am I?”

  “Nothing we can’t do later.” Jane shot Mandy a knowing glance. She felt a strong urge to continue their search, but she didn’t want Jeb to know their plans. With the lack of support they’d received from the police, she wanted to keep their personal searching secret.

  “I’m concerned about some items at the accident scene. Since you’re familiar with Teddy’s car, I thought you might be able to shed some light on some of these…um, concerns.”

  “Yes, of course. Anything to help bring Teddy home to us.” She wrapped an arm around Mandy and squeezed.

 
Jeb fidgeted. He rubbed the toe of his boot on the rug. “Do you know if the car needed any repairs—any of the equipment malfunctioning? Something your husband had a problem with, but hadn’t fixed yet?”

  “No. He labored over that old car until it was perfect. If something had gone wrong, he would have repaired the problem right away.”

  “He even worked on it throughout the night if something bothered him.” Mandy injected.

  Jeb shook his head. “I’m having trouble understanding the lack of skid marks on the road. If he lost control, there should have been plenty of rubber left on that pavement. Unless, of course, there was something wrong with the brakes.”

  “He didn’t tell me if there was, but then he didn’t mention much of anything since his parents’ deaths.”

  “See, here’s my concern…I’ve talked with several accident reconstruction experts in Springfield and St. Louis, and they all said that if there wasn’t a malfunction with the brakes, the accident may have been intentional.”

  “Intentional? Are you saying that he deliberately drove off that mountain road?”

  Jeb looked her in the eyes. “I’m not saying anything…yet. I’m still investigating.”

  “What does that mean—intentional?” Mandy asked. Jane saw tears forming in her daughter’s eyes and regretted not sending her from the room before speaking with Jeb.

  “It means this accident could have been faked. Maybe an insurance scam? Since we cannot find your…um, Teddy…we have to look at all the angles. We cannot find any trace of him at the scene, making us suspect that he’s still alive.”

  “He’s alive?” Mandy asked. Her face—wet with tears—brightened with excitement.

  “I didn’t say that,” Jeb answered, holding his palm toward Mandy. “I said we can’t find any clues to his death, making us suspect he’s alive.”

  Jeb rotated the brim of his Stetson between his fingers. “But, if he is alive, it brings to question why he faked the accident. And then we’ll have to investigate other angles—criminal or otherwise.”

  Jeb stepped toward Jane, cutting into her personal space. “Has your husband contacted you?”

  She leaned back. “No. Of course, not. If he had, I would have called.”

  “If you hear from him, I need to know as soon as possible. I’m sure he can shed some light on what happened.”

  “If he telephones, you’ll be my first call. If anyone can answer your questions, it’ll be him.” Jane tried to determine if Jeb was playing her or if he already knew what had happened.

  “Have you filed for his insurance yet?”

  Jane’s eyes grew wide at the suggestion. “No! That’s the last thing on our minds.” Her shock quickly changed into anger. The nerve of him to suggest that Teddy had planned his accident to collect his insurance money. And then to insinuate that she was involved in the fraudulent scheme! Her fists balled as heat filled her face. The living room suddenly became too cramped. Her anger propelled her forward. “Let me get something straight, Deputy—”

  “Jeb, please.”

  It was her turn to invade his personal space. She detested the smug look on his face. To be honest, it annoyed her to the level that she wanted nothing less than to pelt some sense into him. “As I was saying, Deputy, let me get something straight. If Teddy planned or didn’t plan his accident, if he considered or did not consider for us to file for his insurance, if he is running from something or is not running from something, my daughter and I”—she wrapped her arm around Mandy’s waist—“will not be assisting in your investigation so you can file criminal charges against him and send him to rot in a prison somewhere. How dare you suggest that my husband planned all this! Do you know the tremendous grief my daughter and I have felt? The feeling that we’re the only ones to care about finding him?” Jane turned away, trying to calm herself. Her heart pounded in her ears. Her turtleneck collar restricted her breathing. She inhaled a deep breath before blowing it out slowly. Feeling that she had regained a small portion of her control, she faced Jeb. “If you have any other questions, you can contact our attorney. Good day, Deputy.” Jane opened the door for Jeb to leave.

  Jeb replaced his hat and stepped through the open door. “Ma’am” He muttered with a nod of his head.

  Jane slammed the door. She staggered to the stairs before crumpling on the bottom step. “I don’t know if I can maintain this strength much longer.”

  “What’re we gonna do, Mom?” Mandy sat beside her.

  She wiped her face then turned to her daughter. “I’ll tell you what we’re not going to do, Mandy. We’re not going to help the police put your father in jail because he made a poor decision. They don’t understand that the man who drove his car off the mountain was not the same man that you and I have loved throughout the years. What I am saying is your father would never break the law intentionally. I don’t care what Jeb thinks.”

  She stood and moved to the closest window, peeking through the drapes.

  “What are you looking for?”

  “I guess I’m hoping to see your father walking up the drive. So this nightmare can be over. Being wishful, I guess.”

  “He’ll come home, Mom. If there’s any way he’s able, he’ll come back to us.” Mandy joined Jane at the window.

  Jane forced a smile. “Hey, I’m supposed to be the one cheering you up. And I know he will, honey. What I don’t know is how long we can remain strong while fighting the police. I get the feeling that they want to crucify him.” She wrapped Mandy in hug. “What do you say we do as we planned? Let’s go back out there and look for your father. And, while we’re doing that, we’re going to pray.” She kissed Mandy on top of her head.

  “But what if Jeb is right, Mom? What if Dad did drive off that road on purpose? What if he grew so tired of us that he wanted to kill himself?” Jane felt Mandy tremble. She tightened her embrace.

  She knew that Mandy’s worries were legitimate, and they were things Jane had thought before. She asked herself the same questions more times than she could count. “We’ll tackle those problems later if we have to, OK? Let’s just not think about them now and concentrate on finding your dad. When he gets home, we’ll approach the problems together—as a family, OK?” It was easy telling Mandy to not think about the reasons Teddy had left even though Jane knew there would be plenty of sleepless nights until he finally came home.

  “But, Mom—”

  “Don’t even think like that, Mandy.” Her daughter had always craved structure. Since Teddy had disappeared, her life had been uprooted with fast-food meals, countless hours on the road searching for him, and time spent staring out the windows. Major changes would have to be made when Teddy came back. Even before his disappearance, Mandy had shown signs of feeling abandoned and those feelings had caused her to display rebellious fits. The fits had quelled some over the last several days since Mandy’s every minute had been consumed with finding her father, but Jane knew her daughter had only stopped because she was worried. “Do you understand why we can’t think of those negative things?” Without waiting for an answer, she continued, “We must keep our faith that the Lord will guide him home to us again. More than ever we need to trust and have faith that Jesus has sent an angel to protect your daddy and lead him home.”

  She wiped the tear from Mandy’s face as she said, “Now, let’s go see if we can find him.”

  After Mandy walked out of the house, Jane sighed. She’d almost broken down in front of Jeb. It took every bit of her strength to fight back the tears. It would have been a huge mistake to show Jeb that she’d reached her last drop of courage. From the rumors she’d heard about the sheriff’s investigator, she knew he would have attacked like a hungry wolf if he saw she was vulnerable. He would be back and he wouldn’t relent until she had broken. Even though she remained in the dark about Teddy’s whereabouts, Jeb would not stop until he had something incriminating.

  For a second time she looked out the window. She’d spent many hours looking out this win
dow, searching the wood line, the driveway, and the long front yard, praying that she would see Teddy walking to the house. As she scanned the yard, tears silently cascaded down her face. She clutched her hands over her heart. “Come home, Teddy. We need you.”

  27

  Forty minutes later Teddy broke out of the thick underbrush into a clearing edged by a seven-foot-tall, chain-link fence with a serpentine of razor wire guarding the top. The grounds inside the compound didn’t look much different than the land outside the fence other than all the trees and underbrush had been cleared, providing a golf course-like scenic picture of lush, rolling hills with the Ozark Mountains as the backdrop.

  “What is this place?” he wondered aloud. What did the tall fence and razor wire protect? Was its purpose to keep people in or keep them out?

  Per Christy’s instructions, he walked along the fence, stopping every hundred yards to scan the opposite side of the fence. Voices in the distance echoed over the field.

  He plodded on, constantly listening and mentally calculating the distance. After thirty minutes of his stop-and-go method, Teddy spotted a group of people several hundred yards inside the fence. Identically dressed, each person wore a camouflaged uniform and desert tan combat boots.

  Soldiers?

  This had to be a mistake. Of all the people to teach him about love, a soldier would have been last on his list. Wasn’t it their job to fight? To shoot and blow things up? “Kill or be killed” his father, a Vietnam veteran, used to say. And now one of these trained killers had been tasked to teach him about love? Ridiculous.

  As the thought crossed his mind, he scolded himself for judging. Hadn’t he doubted Ezi’s ability to teach about faith because he lived in a poor, filthy home? And what about Yebo? He’d doubted her capacity as an instructor of hope from the beginning since she was homeless. Now he doubted a soldier could teach him about love. The words he’d heard in the community center returned to his mind. Give her a chance. He wasn’t certain if his new teacher would be a woman, but the message rung true. He had to give this instructor a chance. Regardless of his or her occupation.