“Sure.”
“You sound unclear,” Pastor Pendell said as he slowly climbed the steps. He stopped beside Collin and looked at him. He was close enough that they could see each other in the dark. “Are you clear?”
Collin held his gaze steady, clenched his jaw briefly then gave a curt nod and said, “Yes.”
“If you would like to join our Bible study, you’re more than welcome. Your knowledge of the good book doesn’t seem to be where it should be,” he said.
His barely veiled condescension made Collin clench his fist. He knew he couldn’t hit the man regardless of how powerful the urge was.
“Unfortunately, I’ll be helping cover a guard shift near the bridge. Gotta keep your kingdom safe, right?” he shot back.
“Indeed.”
Pastor Pendell glanced back over his shoulder as something caught his eye. Collin noticed and looked in the same direction.
There was a shout and some loud talking, but it was much too far away for them to make out the words.
Through the gap in the wall where the bridge crossed the river, they could see two bright lights shining out in the fields. He saw at least two figures in the glow of the light.
They looked at each other briefly.
“Then God said, ‘Let there be light.’” Pastor Pendell started back down the stairs.
“First Genesis,” Collin said, following.
“Good. Maybe you don’t need to attend tonight after all.”
Collin shook his head and began to jog toward the bridge to meet the torchbearers. The steady crunch of the pastor’s shoes could be heard behind Collin, but the older man couldn’t keep up.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
As soon as Collin reached the bridge, he took a rifle from one of the citizens filling in on guard duty.
He could clearly see two hooded figures crossing the field, heading toward the bridge. The glow of their torches lit up the field with a bright orange glow.
Two Eagles stopped working, grabbed their rifles, and flanked Collin as he crossed the bridge. He motioned for the two soldiers to fan out.
“Keep your eyes peeled. This may be a diversion,” Collin said. He held his Bushmaster AR-15 at the ready and scanned the darkness, but he couldn’t see beyond the glow of the torches.
The light from the workers on the wall was enough to illuminate the immediate area but it didn’t light up the fields, which were hundreds of yards wide, by Collin’s quick estimation.
When the cloaked figures were within fifty yards of where he stood, he took two steps to the right and took a kneeling firing position, in case anyone had taken aim on him. Kneeling made him a smaller target in case the two people foolishly decided to attack.
“Halt!” Collin shouted. “Stop right there and remove your hoods. I want to see your faces.”
Both figures stopped where they were. The taller of the two lowered a sack about the size of a backpack from their shoulder.
Collin immediately thought it might be a bomb and regretted letting them get so close.
Too late now.
When the taller of the two pushed back their hood, he was shocked to see Anna. He stood up slowly, but didn’t lower his rifle, instead he shifted his aim to the smaller figure.
“Christ, Anna? What the hell?”
“It’s me. I’m fine,” she said. Her nose was scrunched up like she was sick or disgusted. He couldn’t tell which it was.
She turned to look at the shorter figure and gave them a quick nudge with her elbow. “Take off your hood, it’s okay.”
A small hand came up slowly and pulled down the hood, exposing the face of a young boy.
Collin gasped and nearly tumbled over.
It was the boy from the other day. The same one who had crawled out into the field and stolen the two claymores. The boy that looked like his son.
He looked from Anna to the boy. After a moment, he lowered his aim to the ground. He wouldn’t shoot either of them, but it made him suspicious of an ambush.
“Is anyone else out there, Anna?”
She shook her head. “Not that I know of.”
The boy stood quietly and stared at him. Collin stared back. He wasn’t sure what to say so he turned his attention back to Anna.
“What’s going on?”
“Brady, the leader of the Vipers, sent me to retrieve some of the cure,” Anna said.
“How do the Vipers know about that?”
“Major Logan,” she said simply. “Apparently, he squealed like a pig.”
Collin looked past Anna and the boy, scanning for any movement, but he saw nothing.
“Where is Major Logan?” he asked.
Anna shifted in place, looking awkward. Her eyes flicked over to the boy, then back at Collin.
“Actually, I’d rather not say in front of my escort,” Anna said with an apologetic look and a quick gesture toward the boy.
“The child? He’s your escort?” Collin was curious about that.
“Yes. It’s not like I had a choice. The Vipers assigned him to escort me. Plus, he knows the way between the Viper’s camp and Goshen.” She shrugged. “I don’t.”
Collin shot her a curious look.
“He’s a very impressive young man,” she said.
“We’ve seen what he can do,” Collin said with a grunt. He looked the boy up and down, expecting some kind of trick. “How did you survive those barbarians?”
The question was mostly for Anna, but he wanted to see if it would stir the boy’s anger. The kid was watching him, carefully. Weary, but also appraising. He didn’t react to the slight against his group. Collin was impressed. He showed great restraint and control over his emotions.
Collin caught the end of her rolling her eyes at him.
“They kept me alive because I promised them a share of the cure.”
“Is that yours to bargain with?”
Anna opened her mouth to answer, but he cut her off.
“That’s on top of what you’ve already stolen? You delivered every drop of BT76 that we have to them,” Collin said.
Her mouth dropped open at the accusation. She sputtered and crossed her arms over her chest. “You...”
“I know what you did.”
“You know nothing,” she said defiantly.
Collin reached into his cargo pocket and pulled out the radio that he and Koby heard her talk to the Vipers on. He dangled it between them, swinging it by the antennae.
Her eyes grew wide, she gasped and covered her mouth. Her cheeks blazed noticeably red even in the glow of the torches.
Anna turned to the boy and shoved him. “Run, Hunter. Run!”
They both took off like frightened deer, bounding through the fields.
“Damn it,” Collin said, dropping his rifle and taking off after her.
Behind him, Collin heard shouts and before he’d closed half the distance to Anna, he heard and then saw a flare overhead. It cast odd, shifting shadows over the area as the flare drifted down slowly from its parachute.
Before they reached the midpoint of the field, Collin caught up and kicked her foot. Anna grunted as she slammed into the ground. A cloud of dust billowed around her.
Collin looked unsuccessfully for the boy. It was too late, he melted into the inky darkness.
Collin turned and jogged back to Anna. She had rolled onto her back and was panting. He stopped next to her and put his hands on his knees, breathing hard. They sprinted more than one hundred yards.
“Goddamnit, Anna,” he said between big breaths.
He stood up and looked toward the bridge. Pastor Pendell stood at the apex of the bridge, with his hands on his hips. Even from a distance, Collin could tell the pastor was furious.
“Come on,” Collin said, holding out his hand to help her up. “Don’t run again, please.”
Anna sat up and looked down at herself. She shook her head and bits of dirt and pieces of vegetation fell out of her hair. Another flare popped and burst into light. The
two beacons made shadows dance behind Anna as she stood up, shook her head again and dusted herself off.
She looked right at Collin. “Don’t trust the pastor. He’s not a good man, Collin.”
He gave her a knowing smile and nod.
“And Logan was with HAGS this whole time. Did you know that?”
Collin grabbed her arm to dissuade her from running again. They began to walk toward the bridge.
“You know your mom has been worried sick about you.”
“She’ll be fine. This is more important. You can’t trust them,” Anna insisted. “Major Logan wanted to start a coup against the pastor. He was going to kill him and take over Goshen.”
Collin looked at her. He sensed the truth. “I always knew there was something off about him, but I can’t pass any judgment until he’s here to defend himself. Besides, the pastor will be sure to have his say as well.”
She smiled weakly when he mentioned Logan. “Just don’t let them kill me.”
“I doubt it will come to that, Anna.”
“You don’t know him like I do.” She gestured toward the bridge.
The pastor started walking toward them, which confused Collin. He should wait on the bridge where there’s more light and safer if the Vipers still intended to spring a trap. The Pastor stopped when he reached the bag Anna had dropped.
Pastor Pendell tilted his head like a curious dog as he looked at the bag. Then he picked it up and began to tug at the zipper, it must have been stuck because it took him a few tries.
“Pastor, no!” Collin shouted. They still didn’t know what was inside and he didn’t want the pastor to set off a booby trap. “Drop the bag.”
He was too late. Pastor Pendell held the bag by the handles and spread it open.
Collin gripped Anna’s arm and hustled her along. By the time they had closed to within twenty yards of the pastor, his face contorted, whether in pain or rage Collin couldn’t tell.
“Secure Anna,” Collin said, motioning to the Eagles that had escorted the pastor from the bridge. Two of the men jogged over to comply with his order.
Pendell’s eyes widened wildly and he squealed. A strange piercing sound that made everyone nearby wince. The bag dropped from the Pastor’s hands. He cringed away from it like whatever was inside might strike out at him. The Eagles hesitated and turned back toward the pastor.
Collin pushed Anna toward one of the men. The soldier took her arm. Collin jogged over to Pastor Pendell and took his arm. The holy man looked like he might topple over. He was as pale as Collin had ever seen a black man get.
“What’s in the bag?” Collin asked. He gave Pendell a light shake to get his attention, but the pastor just stared at the bag with a look of utter disgust on his face. He look at Anna and said, “What’s in the bag, Anna?”
She just shook her head.
Collin got the impression she knew, but didn’t want to say. He let go of Pastor Pendell, walked over to the bag and picked it up. A strange, sickening smell wafted up at him. The last flare was nearly to the ground and it’s light was waning but he could see something dark and twisting in the bag. It looked like string or rope but when he pulled the bag’s handles apart and took a closer look under the dim light he realized it was hair.
Hair? Twisted, damp, and sweaty looking hair.
Collin’s gut twisted itself into a knot as his body reacted to the sight. He still wasn’t fully conscious of what exactly he was looking at. He looked up at Anna. She had a sad look on her face, her hand was covering her mouth and tears glimmered in her big, beautiful eyes.
Collin looked at Pastor Pendell, who knelt, muttering something, likely a prayer.
He released one of the bag handles and slowly reached into the bag. His knuckles brushed against the inside of the bag, the rough heavy-duty nylon soon giving way to a wet, sticky texture. Collin grasped the stuff he saw inside and slowly pulled whatever it was out of the bag.
As he pulled his hand out of the bag, holding its contents between his fingers, he hand to pull the bag down with his other hand because it became stuck. He could see that it was hair.
Then an ear emerged from behind the edge of the bag. Collin’s eyes sprung wide at the realization. His skin suddenly felt a chill and he had the urge to drop whatever it was he was holding. With massive effort, he freed the contents from the bag and held it high.
Everyone gasped at the sight.
Twisting in Collin’s grasp was the severed head of Major Logan. Torn skin, veins and connective tissue dangled from the portion of neck that was supposed to be attached to his torso. The knot in his stomach cinched itself tightly and Collin had to fight the urge to hurl right there. Amazingly, he retained his grip on the man’s hair.
Pastor Pendell yelled in anguish. The sound snapped Collin out of his daze. He became hyper-aware of the others and their reactions.
Rather than holding it aloft like a morbid lantern, he picked up the bag and shoved it back inside.
Pendell yelled again, angrier this time.
Even with the head covered, the image of Major Logan’s eyes rolled up in his head, his mouth frozen in a scream, and the flecks of blood splatter around his mouth and across his cheeks, would be burned into his memory forever. One of the Eagles stepped forward to take the bag, but Collin raised his hand to stop him. As unsettling as it was, he would handle it himself.
“No. Nooooo,” Pastor Pendell bellowed. Then he sprung up, quick as a rabbit, pointed at Anna and yelled, “Shoot her.”
Every stared at him.
“Whoa, wh-” Collin started to say.
“No. I want her dead. Now!” Pastor Pendell jabbed his finger in her direction. “Davies, I order you to shoot this traitorous bitch right now. If you find that little rat she slunk back here with, shoot him too.”
“I had nothing to do with this,” Anna said, pleading with the pastor. “Please, you have to believe me.”
“We will not be swayed by your evil words, witch woman,” the pastor raved.
Davies stepped forward and unsnapped the holster that held his silver Colt 1911. He racked the slide as he raised it and aimed it right at Anna’s head.
Collin held his hand up and stepped in-between Davies and Anna. “Stand down, Davies. This isn’t how things are going down.”
Davies looked at Collin briefly then refocused on Anna. His gun was still raised although Collin was pushing it away. He gritted his teeth and said, “I don’t take orders from you, Collin.”
“Shoot her. Damnit, Davies. Shoot her,” Pastor Pendell said. His face contorted in rage.
“Without Major Logan, you take your orders from me, Davies,” Collin said. “Listen to me. We will put her in detainment and hold a hearing. We don’t know what happened and we don’t execute our own.”
“Davies, we are Holy warriors. We must punish the wicked,” Pastor Pendell said, spittle flecked his chin. His eyes were wide and wild. “Do your duty.”
“Nathan, look at me,” Anna said softly. “You know me. You’ve known me all my life. You know I would never consent to this barbaric behavior. I didn’t kill Logan, I didn’t steal anything.”
Nathan Davies shifted slightly, but continued to point the gun at Anna.
“Nathan, please don’t kill me. Don’t help this man who has caused so much unnecessary pain and strife for all of us.” She pointed at the pastor. “Pastor Pendell is just trying to protect himself and all of the lies he’s built his position on.”
“Lies! Don’t let her heathen tongue confuse you, Davies. Shoot her now,” Pastor Pendell screamed at him. “Shoot her! The Lord demands it.”
Collin saw Nathan blink a few times and glance at Pastor Pendell and Anna. Then he flicked the safety off with his thumb.
“Don’t do this, Davies. If you pull that trigger you will be put on trial alongside Pastor Pendell,” Collin said.
Pastor Pendell stalked closer to them, sidling up to Davies. He stretched out his arm, parallel the Nathan’s gun arm and pointed a
t Anna. “Shoot the whore,” he said softly. His voice sounded snake-like and sinister, it sent a chill down Collin’s neck and made his shoulders shiver.
“The last person to call me that ended up with his head in a bag,” Anna said through clenched teeth.
Davies looked at Collin and it was plain he was struggling with the decision.
“Put down the gun, Davies. Put it down and save yourself a lifetime of regret,” Collin said evenly.
Pastor Pendell glared at Collin. Then he dropped his arm and leaned in close to Davies’ ear. The pastor’s breath made Davies tilt his head to avoid the awkward closeness.
“You will shoot her or you and your family will be banished from Goshen and fed to the Vipers,” Pendell hissed. “Only the saved will be saved.”
Anna pleaded with him softly in the background.
Collin shook his head. “Lower the gun, man. Don’t do this.” He stood ready to knock the gun away if he thought Davies was going to shoot.
With a heavy sigh, his arm dropped and Davies pointed the gun at the ground. “I can’t do it,” he said, starting to sob. His gun thumped into the dirt.
Collin stepped forward onto the gun so he couldn’t change his mind.
“Arrest Pastor Pendell,” he said to the other Eagles.
Anna dropped down to her knees, crying.
Two men immediately stepped forward and grabbed the pastor.
“You did the right thing, Davies,” Collin said, patting the man on the shoulder.
Pastor Pendell roared like a wild beast and twisted out of their grasp. Collin barely had a chance to react before Pendell slammed into him. Collin staggered back a few steps and tripped in a shallow furrow. Davies splayed out in the dirt next to him.
Collin glanced back just in time to see the Eagles diving for Pastor Pendell as his gnarled hands wrapped around the pistol.
A shot rang out just before they tumbled to the dirt, wrestling for control of the gun.
Chapter Thirty
Anna’s body jerked slightly as the bullet penetrated her breastbone and tore through her vital organs.
In a split second, her eyes rolled back and she slumped to the ground. Blood trickled out of the small hole in her chest, while the rest poured out of her into the dusky earth below her.
Praying for War: The Collin War Chronicles Page 28