“If you had any idea what’s going on outside, you’d wished we brought more,” Matt said, sneering.
“I am full aware of what is happening to the world. Everything you’ve seen, and will see going forward has been foretold for thousands of years.”
Tyler turned to Matt, eyes hinting at frustration. “Go get the others, tell them it’s safe. The sooner we get away from here the better.” Tyler didn’t have a problem with religion, other than the way religious types constantly felt the need to shove it in your face at every turn. Even though he found himself in a church, he found the preacher’s words unneeded at best, irritable at worst.
“You don’t have to tell me twice.” He tucked the gun into his pocket and went back out the front door.
“You three the only ones here?” Tyler asked, circling the preacher.
“Does it matter how many are here? My roof offers sanctuary to those who wish to seek it.”
“It matters if you want us to put the guns away, but since you are intent on doing things the hard way.” Tyler turned to Ralph and Davis, who were both watching the side door. “Sweep the rest of the building a room at a time. Make sure we’re the only ones here.”
“That will not be necessary,” the preacher said, voice sounding firm. “The rest of the building is empty, save for a sick woman and her husband in the nursery. Members of the congregation. Pleasant, nonviolent people.”
Ralph turned to Tyler as if he now questioned the order, but a simple nod told him all he needed to know so he and Davis went through the doors leading to the rest of the building and started their sweep.
The first of the group entered the front doors a few minutes later while the rest came inside at a steady pace until the back two rows of pews were filled with people from Al’s group. A few of the people paced through the aisles to stretch their legs, knowing this may be the last break for a while.
Two of the men brought Marcy in on a makeshift stretcher and laid her out on the floor. Tyler made his way through the passing crowd to take a seat on the floor at her side. Her chest was moving at a more steady pace now, not nearly as labored as it was in the morning. Is this a good sign?
The preacher stepped down from the stage while his two helpers continued with whatever it was they were doing up front. Tyler didn’t care enough about it to get involved.
“I assume you are here for sanctuary?” the preacher asked, approaching Al.
Al shook his head. “We’re here because one of our cars broke down. Figured this was as good a place as any to hole up in until we get the issue sorted out. We don’t plan on being in your hair a minute longer than necessary.”
“You and your people are not a bother. The lord has told me to expect more people to flock to my church in coming days, he just didn’t tell me when.” He smiled and looked into the air. “Wish he would’ve told me it would happen during the tribulation from the start. I would’ve been better prepared.”
“Tribulation?” Al spat. “I doubt that had anything to do with anything.”
“Tell me, good man,” the preacher interrupted. “Your companion, the one with the gun mentioned things were bad outside. Did you ever stop to ask yourself why things got bad suddenly?”
“People do bad things. People in charge disappeared, everyone else decided to do whatever they wanted. Classic breakdown of society.”
“People disappear, you say? Where, may I ask, do you believe these people disappeared to?” The preacher’s face was animated, full of energy at the chance to discuss the finer points of the end of times with someone who seemed eager.
“I don’t have a damn clue, but bet your ass I’m gonna find out. Not about to give up on my daughter and her husband like that.” Al’s face, on the other hand, was red with rage. The conversation grated on him like a talkative waiter at dinner.
“Your daughter and son-in-law are the lucky ones.”
Al clenched both his fists though it pained him to flex the one in his bad arm. He took a few steps towards the preacher until Judy stepped in front of him and held him back. “The only lucky one is you. Lucky my wife was here to save your sorry ass.”
The front door opened with a loud bang. A large, brutish man with short brown hair stepped through the threshold holding an aluminum baseball bat in one hand and a pistol in the other. He wore a wide grin on his face as if he was happy to have found a party to crash.
“What the good preacher means is that your daughter was taken away by the one above to protect them from people like me.” He leveled the pistol at Ronnie and fired.
Continued in Episode Eight
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The Demontouched Saga
Demontouched - The Complete Saga
Demontouched - Book 1
Fallen - Book 2
Reaper - Book 3
Vessel - Book 4
Sacrifice - Book 5
Risen - Book 6
Echoes of Tomorrow
Season One
The Demontouched Saga
Demontouched - The Complete Saga
Demontouched - Book 1
Fallen - Book 2
Reaper - Book 3
Vessel - Book 4
Sacrifice - Book 5
Risen - Book 6
The Nephalem Files
Sparked
Vampire for Hire
Dead of Night
Astraea Renata Books
Far Too Young to Die
Echoes of Tomorrow
Season One
Echoes of Tomorrow Season One: Episode Seven (Echoes of Tomorrow: Season One Book 7) Page 4