They were sitting at an oak breakfast table and before she could answer his question he asked, “Did you refinish this too? Excellent job!”
“I would like to take the credit but can’t. Honey did it all and I keep telling you how much I love this town and my house. I would never go back to New York, never!”
“Honey did this? I did not know she had such a talent…uh…how is she?”
Sheila figured he was there for a reason, so this was it!
“You could always ask her yourself, you know. You did tell me not to be nosey in your personal life.” She said the words softly and he felt the heat rise to his face. He knew he had been sharp with her lately.
“Look, you don’t have to tell me, I was just wondering. I ran into Andrew at the court house and he mentioned a trip, that’s all.”
“You want to know for what reason?” Her teasing fell flat.
“I just do, now are you going to tell me or not?”
“Okay, okay. She is doing a semester of teaching at some college up in Connecticut. I know she is excited about being invited. It is supposed to be a great honor and all. I thought you weren’t interested in Honey.”
“Just curious I told you. That’s all. You want to show me the house again while I am here. There were so many people here before that I barely got to really see it.”
“Yeah, come on. Did I tell you I went out on a date?”
“Naw, for real, who?”
“Pastor Dwight, don’t laugh! He is precious and besides, it was only dinner. I am not sure either of us is ready for anything serious but it was fun and he is a good man and after…well he just is.”
Now it was she who was blushing and Jacks was thinking it was no casual dinner.
“Glad to see you are getting out some anyway.”
They walked through the house and Sheila showed off every little detail, making him notice things. He made all the right comments but his mind was only half on it as the other half was still thinking about Honey leaving.
“What about her job?”
“What? You’re not even listening to me are you? Honey’s job is secure and will be waiting for her when she returns. Did you hear what I said about this railing? It was originally in the….okay, I see you are not into the history of my house. Want to stay for supper?”
“You mean dinner?”
“No, I mean supper. Down here your largest meal of the day is called dinner whether it is evening or in the middle of the day and if you have a light noon meal it is considered lunch…if you have a light evening meal it is supper!”
They laughed and Jacks shook his head. “I really needed to know this huh? In answer to the ‘supper’ invitation, not this time. I have to stop in at Wal-Mart for a few things on the way home, but another time. Thanks for the tea though, you are really catching on to the southern way of living.”
“Yeah, you think?”
They walked to the door and she opened it for him. “Bye Jacks, see you in the morning.”
“Yeah, see you at the office.”
She waved, watching until his car disappeared. So you do have feelings for our friend Honey! You just never know what might happen when you pray.
TWENTY-TWO
Deep in the Mojave Desert, nestled in the majestic Sierra’s, activity was going on hidden from the general public and Asa was directing it all from the stone house.
He was filled with excitement for his ships were ready to fly at his command. World affairs were lining up with the ten horns of power coming into place. The Christian sect was polluted to his satisfaction with the people heading most denominations more interested in power than the God they preached. Laymen argued over petty differences, causing even more division and confusion. He was thrilled with the progress his own seed had made down through the years. Now there were only select groups who were actually causing him major consternation and he had his followers dealing with them at an increased pace now. It was just a matter of time for them too. It was going to be a glorious day when all should bow down to him proclaiming him King of Kings!
He was disappointed that Jacks did not show but he held his fury for he knew it would do him no good. Instead he used his telepathic powers to insure he would not cancel the next one. He intended to have the transfer ready by the next full moon and there were still resisting forces surrounding his protégée that he must deal with. There had been worse case scenarios in the past for he had used many bodies since the flesh world had begun thousands of years ago, as his own beautiful body was held in chains until this Earth age should end.
He had Jacks believing everything he had told him. It was easy enough with his vast experience at deception. Even with the protection of his angel, Jacks was no match for him. His unbelief in the Christ was all just icing on the cake. Asa’s thoughts brought him sheer gratification even much more than the daughters of man had over the years and he could just taste his victory. His evil filled his body and his face contorted into something that even frightened his servants, causing them to cower before him and he laughed at them. The fools.
TWENTY-THREE
Honey was excitedly planning her three months stay up in Connecticut. She would be replacing the regular professor who was on Maternity leave. The time away from her everyday routine would do her good but she would miss all her friends. The last year had been one of the happiest she had ever had and she knew it was because of God and her new friends. It was funny, but once she became a Christian her old friends slowly drifted away. Surprisingly she missed them very little. She treasured her new Christian friends.
She decided to have a small going away party so she could tell them all goodbye at the same time. Sheila was helping her and they called everyone and invited them to come. The last call was made and Sheila asked, “You’re not inviting Jacks?”
Honey did not look up from the list she was making for the food she was going to have. Too casually, she replied, “No, I am sure he would not come even if I did.”
“You could try. Hey, it would do him good to be in a room full of us terrible Christians; it might rub off on him.” She giggled and Honey looked up at her thoughtfully and sighed. “I have been praying for him you know. There is something that has been bothering me and I haven’t been able to figure it out.”
“Talk to me about it, I have been praying for Jacks five years now. You know he is not a bad person and I just feel like something terrible happened to him when he was little. He won’t even talk about his childhood and all I know after all this time, is that he was left at an orphanage when he was two.”
Honey agreed. “I know that he is passionate about the work he does and it makes sense that he probably suffered as a child. It comes out in strange ways for some of us. The sad thing about abused children is that a lot of them grow up to be abusers themselves. Only some of us grow up determined to break the cycle and I know that Jacks is one of those. And me too, maybe that is why I feel such a connection to him, for we both suffered through our young years. I don’t know.”
“I do.” Sheila sat on the edge of Honeys desk that was in her den. “I know there was something a lot more than friendship happening between the two of you and it scared Jacks’ silly! He does not even know how to commit; I could tell you some stories….”
“Okay girl, I am sure you could but don’t, please!”
Sheila got up and walked around looking at the pictures hanging on the wall.
“I won’t then. I love this picture, when you get tired of it can I have it? It would look great in my hall way.” It was a large still print of roses which had been hanging there for longer than Honey could remember. It had belonged to her mother.
She laughed as she got up and walked over to where the girl was standing.
“I tell you what, why don’t you take it now? I think I am ready for a change in here. All the remodeling you have done has got me to thinking I need a serious update here. When I get back how would you like to help me redecorate?”
&nb
sp; Sheila squealed her eminent squeal of delight and clapped her hands. “Yes! I would love that, you’re on!”
Honey laughed at her enthusiasm. If she still had a sister she would like her to be just like Sheila. Her mood dampened just a bit thinking of Bea but it did not last long for Sheila was the sort of person you could not be depressed around for very long. Taking the picture down, she stood it by the door just as the doorbell rang.
It was Dwight. She let him in and he was wearing a big smile. Honey knew it was meant for Sheila and smiled too, thinking how some things just seemed to be so easy for some people. Watching Dwight take interest in another woman after Kim, gave her a good feeling and it was the best thing that could happen to Sheila after what she had been put through too. They were both dear to her and she was happy they had discovered something more than friendship with each other.
Hi, come on in! I was just about to get us a soda, want one?”
“Sure. Hey Sheila, I saw your car out front and wanted to see if you have plans for this weekend, because if you don’t, you are invited to attend the Sesame Street ice show Saturday in Jackson. How about it, wanna come?”
They were following Honey to the kitchen and without seeing her face Honey knew that Sheila was beaming when she said, “I would love to, so that is a yes!”
“Great, Gem is all about those characters these days, so I got tickets.”
Honey handed them bottles of coke and pretended hurt feelings. “I guess I am not invited, but don’t worry about me, I will just work in my flower beds…or something.”
Dwight knew she was teasing but offered, “I can still get another one if you want to come.”
“That’s okay. I don’t think I would enjoy it, being the odd one out. But now if you can get that cute guy on CSI for my date…”
They all laughed for she was a serious CSI addict. They went out to the patio and Dwight told them funny stories about Gem. He kept them laughing for Gem was becoming quite the little character.
They had been lounging out there about fifteen minutes when Honey felt something brush against her arm. Screaming, she jumped up out of her chair causing both her guests to do the same.
“What is it Honey, what’s wrong?” Dwight was by her side instantly.
She swallowed hard and still shaking said, “There was something there.” She pointed to behind where she was sitting in her chair near a butterfly bush. “It is gone now.” She was looking for whatever it was, moving the branches around some. Dwight walked behind the bush and came back with a half grown kitten.
“Would this be the guilty party?” He laughed but seeing Honey was still upset he turned serious. “Aw, come on, it’s just a kitten, not the big bad wolf. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t laugh.”
He put the cat down and watched it scamper away.
“Dang, it scared the daylights out of me! And it didn’t feel like a cat either, it felt wet and that kitten was not wet!”
It would not have made her feel any better to know that gathered around them was something worse than Dwight’s big bad wolf. Forces of evil were being held back by angelic beings. A fierce battle was going on, but Ragas was a champion and he had many friends with him. The imp that had actually touched his charge was now deep in the abyss. But there were more and more coming at Honey and he definitely had his hands full.
After Dwight and Sheila left Honey felt as if a dark cloud had settled over her home. She went to her bedroom and kneeling in front of her window she prayed, for exactly what she did not know but her prayers were like a sweet savor in the nostrils of her God and the evil that hated her so, had to back off.
She slept fitfully that night. Jacks was in and out of her dreams.
The next morning she called his cell. It went straight to voice mail.
“Hi Jacks, this is Honey. If you get time today give me a call back.”
She was surprised when he did. It was after she went to work and was in a session with a patient so when she was through, she called him again. This time he answered.
“Hi, sorry I missed your call this morning but on my way to work there are lots of holes in the service on my road. What’s up?”
She got right to the point with why she was calling. If he was going to say no, she did not want to prolong the conversation.
“I wanted to invite you to my going away party Friday night. I am having some people over and thought you might come. You may have heard that I will be teaching a semester at CU. I really would like it if you could be there.”
“Friday?”
“Yeah, around seven, I’m just having a few of my friends over before I leave so I can say good-bye.”
“Okay, I can do that.”
“You will come?”
“Sure, why wouldn’t I?”
Honey cautiously said, “I don’t know, I guess I thought since you have been avoiding me…”
He interrupted her, for though she was right and he had been avoiding her, he jumped at the invitation because he was anxious to see her before she left. “Honey, things have been super busy for me lately. Really, I would love to see you before you leave. The only thing is, I won’t be able to stay very long. I have an early flight Saturday.”
“Oh. Where are you going? I’m sorry Jacks, you do not have to answer that. It is none of my business.”
“Hey, it is no big deal. I am just going to New York for overnight.”
“I see.” Honey was not sure she did see and asked, “Jacks, would you answer me if I asked you why you are making these trips? You know, when all the stuff was going on with Carol, you told me about the men behind it all. I am worried that you are getting mixed up with these same people.”
“Hey, you are jumping to conclusions! Slow down, and I will answer your question. Yes, it does involve some of those men indirectly but the trips are to see…someone else. You know it was Morgan behind the whole Carol thing and who had Judge Langley murdered. What you do not know is that he was working alone, it had nothing to do with the council.”
“What council, you never mentioned anything about a council.”
“It is a group of people who strive for a New World Order, making the Earth a better place to live. They do all sorts of good things and of course they also get blamed for lots of bad too. Just like what Morgan did. It reflected on anyone he was associated with.”
Honey could not believe what she was hearing, for it sounded like Jacks was making friends with the very same people he once abhorred.
“I am not sure I understand.”
“Hey,” He cut in. “I got to go, someone is here to see me. I will see you Friday night.”
“Okay.”
They both hung up. While Jacks was so busy he did not have time to think about the conversation, Honey could think of nothing else. It explained why he had been acting strange towards her. How could he dismiss what Carol had said to him? How could he trust anyone associated with that Morgan man? She asked Sheila that evening when they were having supper together and she had repeated the conversation to her.
“Why do you think he is getting involved with them?”
It was hard for Sheila to imagine Jacks could like any of the men she had met but then again they all had a common denominator. They were not believers. She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know Honey. I am pretty sure Jacks won’t be explaining to me considering he knows what I suffered with Morgan, but you know the saying, birds of a feather flock together.” Quickly she added, “Now, saying that does not mean I believe Jacks is like them. I’m just saying, they do have common ground so maybe he …oh, I don’t know Honey. I just want him to be alright because I know he is confused about everything. And now I am too. Did he really say that they did all this ‘good’ stuff for the world?”
“Yes, he did and when he talked he seemed almost excited, like maybe he was one of them or something. I got this creepy feeling and I am worried. He told me once that no matter what happened, I should never believe he was like them. His words. So
now it does not make sense that he is basically telling me that he is like them and maybe even one of them now and that it is okay. Something is not right, I just know it!”
Sheila nodded, “Me too, now I feel like I haven’t been paying attention, with all the house renovations and all going on, I have been so caught up in my new life. I feel so bad. He was there for me before, now I want to be there for him. What can we do?”
“I am not sure, but we have to do something. We have to try and find out more about these trips…he is coming to my party Friday night. He said he could not stay very long because he is leaving Saturday morning for New York. I will be wrapped up with everything but maybe you can get him alone and find out more, you think?”
“I can try.” Sheila looked doubtful. “He hates when I question him.” Suddenly she brightened up. “Wait a minute! What about Carol? She will come with her parents; maybe she can ‘see’ something.”
“No, absolutely not!” Honey voice was sharp and she immediately repented. “I am so sorry Sheila; I did not mean to snap at you.”
“It was a bad idea I know, and what was I thinking? Anyway, I will do what I can to get Jacks to open up to me. I just wish you could find some time to be alone with him. I believe he would be more willing to talk to you about all this.”
Honey was silent as she finished her meal. Maybe there was a way she could have some private time with him but she was not ready to share her thoughts with her young friend yet. She waited for her to leave before she made her move.
It was not something that most people would approve but Honey had never been one to care about what people thought. When Sheila had left, she got Jacks on the phone and when she got off she had convinced him to stay the night at her place and leave for the airport directly from there. It made sense she told him, for she had a guest room and he could get more sleep by not coming to her party and going back home Friday night.
There was one problem. She couldn’t help but wonder if she was being completely honest with herself. Was this to help Jacks or was she doing this hoping to bring back the closeness she felt had been coming to their relationship? It was something she could not answer but she prayed that what she was doing was for the right reasons, for in her heart she knew it was too late; she already loved the man called ‘just Jacks.’
Wings of Deception Page 14