“Come on and tell us the rest.”
Jacks smiled at her hoping she was forgetting to be upset for him not telling her earlier.
“Okay, I was telling you all that while in New York, Sang-Mi insisted that I stay with her so we could catch up and she had my room ready for me. It was late when I got there so we did not get a chance to visit until the next morning. After she made me my very favorite breakfast, she asked me many questions about our imprisonment and escape. I thanked her for her help and tried to get her to tell me how we could have been invisible like we were, but she only said to thank God and to remember the miracles Jesus preformed when he was on Earth as man. I told her that I did not know she knew anything about the Bible. She answered that if one has to tell another that one is a Christian, then one might not be living, as a Christian should. She asked me if I had learned anything from the years I had known her.”
“Well?”
Sheila said when Jacks paused.
Jacks had a sad look come over his face as he remembered this part of his life. When he was a teen, doing foolish things and how Sang-Mi caught him while trying to leave her restaurant with friends without paying. He was the only one she did catch and his life changed because of her. At seventeen, she instilled in him a desire to do better, to set goals, and to get an education beyond high school.
“She taught me not to steal, cheat and lie….she taught me love, for she was the first adult I ever knew who showed me love. She taught me to respect the Earth and all of its inhabitants, to help people, children especially, who could not help themselves.”
He smiled.
“She taught me much more. Then she told me a story. It was a story about a wolf that found a baby fox in the woods and took him to nurse. The baby fox only knew that the wolf was kind, feeding him and keeping him warm. The wolf knew the Fox could not understand her, but by her actions, she taught the fox love. She also taught him how to survive. Though the wolf knew that the fox would grow up someday and go off on his own, she also knew that he would take what he had learned from her to his own kind. In time he would learn much more but she had given him a good start.”
Jacks stood as he finished.
“Sang-Mi could never teach me about God because I was so angry I refused to hear anything about him or any sort of religion. However, she knew if she showed me kindness and values, one day I would no longer be angry. She said that she had a dream that in time, He would open the door for someone else to teach me about Him, and that dream happened. It was when all of you came into my life that I had my eyes opened and was ready for Jesus to come in to my heart. For this, I am ever grateful and I want you all to know how much you mean to me.”
He was standing behind Honey’s chair with his hands on her shoulders. He reached down and kissed her head.
“Honey, you are truly the other half of my soul. I cannot imagine life without you.”
“You know I feel the same.”
Honey looked up at him. It was unusual for Jacks to show so much emotion and she was sure there was more for them to hear. She also knew he was saving the worst for the last.
“Okay,”
Dwight spoke softly. He also felt that Jacks had some bad news for them.
“We agree and we all know that God works in mysterious ways. We also know when you are avoiding the most important thing here, Jacks. You might as well give it to us. What is it?”
Jacks shook his head in admission.
“There is no easy way to say this. I received a message before I left New York that there is a woman who is still a prisoner of Asa’s.”
Sheila interrupted him.
“We know that there are a lot of people still there in the mountains, Jacks!”
The sadness returned to his eyes.
“This one is supposedly my birth mother.”
“What?”
“You don’t believe another of Asa’s lies do you?”
Dwight insisted, while Honey stood up and wrapped her arms around her husband. Asa’s lies had tormented him before, when he pretended to be his grandfather.
“Oh no…surely you do not believe this!”
Jacks looked miserable, but he continued for there was more.
“The man who told me this was at the airport when I was about to board. He told me that it was not over between Asa and I, and that he did have proof of this claim and it would come to me soon. He also said that not everything Asa told me before was lies. There was some truth and I would soon know why he could not leave me alone.”
Dwight shook his head.
“Well, we certainly do know that the devil has a way of polluting the truth with untruth. Did he say what this proof was?”
“Just that it would come to me soon and when it did, I would bend to his wishes.”
Dwight was adamant when he stood.
“We will just see about that! Come on let us pray. In no way will we bow to this evil. We will not even entertain the thought! Father, we believe that we can claim Daniel 10:12, where the angel tells Daniel: Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.”
Honey remembered her strange dream the night before and shivered as Dwight continued,
“We know that it is also recorded in Daniel chapter 6 that an angel “shut the mouths of the lions” (verse 22) that would otherwise have maimed or killed the prophet Daniel, who had been thrown into a lions’ den. We know that even the apostle Peter who was imprisoned, was awakened in his cell by an angel who caused the chains to fall off his wrists and led him out of the prison to freedom! Though these are dramatic incidents Lord, what we four witnessed that night on the church top was very real as was the miracle of our escape from the devil in the mountains and we are convinced that Jacks was chosen before the foundations of this Earth for your service. Lord, we pray your protection on Jacks and us all as we now go about your work. In the precious name of Jesus, we pray. Amen!”
25
Another Deception
3
Detective Cranford headed down the hall towards the lounge. He needed to take a break from all the paper work that had piled up on his desk since his last partner demanded to be placed elsewhere. He was really in a mood and his long time partner, Purcell’s death was weighing heavily upon his mind. How he would love to get his hands on the person responsible. That would not happen for it was determined that his death was caused by some retard found with the knife, but had no idea where it came from. Cranford was sure he had no knowledge of the crime either but somebody wanted that case closed and closed is what it got.
“Conroy Cranford?"
The voice came unexpectedly out of nowhere, pulling him back to the present. Cranford slowly turned from where he was fixing himself a cup of coffee. The voice belonged to a man he had never seen before. He looked at him apprehensively.
“That’s me and who might you be?”
“Captain Davis told me I could find you back here. My name is Frank, Frank Dear, sir! I...I am your new partner.”
He could easily tell the new ones. They always bought a new suit for the job. Cranford had to admit though that this one had good taste. Looked like a real good suit, even if he did not personally like the tie…oh well, hell, let’s get on with it.
“You call me dear?”
“No, sir! My last name is Dear.
“Hmm.”
Cranford narrowed his eyes at the much younger man. Rookie was all he could see and it ticked him off that Davis would stick him with another young, wet behind the ears, rookie! After having Purcell for so long, how was he supposed to settle for such? He sighed deeply before taking the extended hand in his for the new buddy shake. Still wondering what was wrong with the way men used to shake hands, he thought such is life, as he silently thanked God this was his last year before retiring.
“Ok son, let’s set some boundaries right up front, so
we get along and all. To me you are just a kid, but if you swear not to call me Conroy, I will not call you kid either. You are welcome to call me Cranford or some call me Roy. Either one will do. Another thing...you smoke?”
“Uh, yes sir! Sometimes I do, sir!”
“Drop the sir already, this is not the military and do not smoke around me. I am allergic. Got me?”
“Yes...uh,”
“That’s all, except...”
Cranford searched the young man's brown face. He felt a certain pity for him. He still remembered how innocent and enthused a person who was coming in a rookie, untarnished and unsoiled was, and he also remembered how the real truths chipped away at that innocence until the finished product was what he saw every day when he looked into a mirror. The reflection never lied and it never told secrets either. Yeah, there was pity.
“Shift starts at eight sharp so do not be late. I won’t wait, just so you know.”
“Yes, sir!”
Cranford could not help but smile as he walked away. He had a lot to learn, this new guy, but he looked like a bright, intelligent young man, so he should learn fast anyway. He would try hard not to run this one off. Making retirement would be so nice! This was his third partner since Purcell...poor Purcell...poor dead Purcell. Just like that, he was back in the past, remembering. Not wanting it to, he felt it sucking him in...Like a fan in reverse until he was reliving the horror of the evil which had taken Purcell's life and would have his too, if he was not careful.
He went back to his office and did due diligence on his new partner. He shook his head when he read that the man was twenty-nine and his honors through the academy were exemplary, though the last few years were a bit sketchy. Rookie hell, the guy was a bloody genius!
Cranford mused over the file for a while and after satisfying himself that the match may not be a bad one after all, he was actually thinking it was nice in one aspect to have a younger partner. They had more energy and they always wanted to please their superiors…well, at first anyway. He laughed, thinking about the last partner he ran off by his ridiculous demands. Maybe he would go a little easier on this one…just need to make the year out…
The phone rang, startling him from his thoughts and answering it, he responded to the person on the other end with,
“Be right there!”
Another sore spot and reason for Cranford’s early retirement was he had been passed over again for the empty captain slot made available a few months earlier. It was the third time and another slap in his face, when the department brought yet another outsider in to fill the job that obviously he would never get.
Making his way to the boss’s office, he knocked on the door.
“Come on in! Cranford, thank you for coming promptly, we got a situation and I need your help out in the field. Do you remember a few months ago when there were several murders connected to the Abraham Cannon case?”
“Not likely to forget when all that happened. I lost a partner remember?”
Cranford’s words, meant to be sarcastic were ignored, along with the resentment flashing in his eyes.
“Yes, Purcell was a fine officer and great loss to this department.”
The captain’s name was Gary Davis, but somewhere along the way, he picked up the nickname of Boots. He was a nice-looking man and extremely fit. He wished for more height but his five' ten" frame worked well enough for him.
He told Cranford to take a seat and asked him if he would like coffee. Cranford declined the coffee and took a seat. He felt uncomfortable. His gut feeling was that he was not going to like what was coming. He went over all the cases that had come in recently as he sat waiting while the Captain answered a phone call. After that, there was another interruption, which caused him to have to leave the room. Apologetically, he assured Cranford that he would be right back and left.
Cranford stood and stretched, then walked to the wall where there were several framed credentials and certificates hanging. When he had studied them extensively, he wandered around to the back of the desk looking at personal photos, which were sitting around. There was one of a pretty woman, probably the wife, and another of the same woman with two small kids. They have to be his. They both look just like him…he did not mean to meddle, but his eyes fell on the papers laying on the desk and without thinking about it, he read the memo on the top. Wishing he had not, he hurried back around the desk and sat back in his seat.
Calmer when the captain came back in full of apologies, Cranford forced a bit of a smile and patiently waited for the dreaded assignment, he knew he was about to get. When he left the room, it was with full disclosure of the project and he was sick to his stomach. Ignoring his protest, the Captain insisted he was the only one available that was capable of handling such a highly classified mission. Eight months left to go and sitting behind a desk would have been his preference.
Back in his office, he stood at his window and watched the cars dart in and out of the lanes. Five stories up and he could still hear the everyday noises of the concrete city. People yelling, whistles blowing and horns warning people to watch out, dominated the air. Maybe he would miss all the excitement when he retired and again, maybe not. At sixty, he had already given the force thirty years and that was after twelve years of serving in the military. Ever since the age of eighteen, he had worked in law enforcement. There never was a time he wanted to do anything else. Now he just did not want to do it anymore. He had seen too much, knew too much, to believe in the integrity of the system anymore.
There had been two marriages. The first one produced a son he never had a chance to see grow up. His ex-wife remarried and moved to the west coast. The second one lasted thirty-five years. Nancy…she certainly had been the better half where they were concerned. She never complained and was chipper no matter what. Even when they could not have children, she was the stronger of the two. Then after years of centering her life on him, she died from cancer. Wasting away, never blaming, and never giving up, until the very end when she asked him to let her go. She was tired and he loved her enough to do as she asked. He quit begging her to stay and she slipped away into that other world she so desperately believed came after death.
He indulged her in this belief although he was never convinced that there was anything after a person died. He went to church with Nancy and believed in God. He just was not sure about what came after death, but he sure hoped Nancy got her hereafter, for she truly deserved it.
A knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts and realizing his brown eyes had grown misty with tears, he quickly dabbed at them before gruffly bellowing,
“Come on in!”
He studied the excited face of his new partner and whispered under his breath,
“God help us!”
29
Another Deception
4
Hair pulled up in a ponytail, clad in denim pants, a tee shirt and wearing some sturdy boots, Jean climbed to the very top of the peak, which she could see out her window every morning. It made a beautiful picture when the sun burst out from behind the mountains with its array of spectacular colors. She took a deep breath in wonderment at the even more impressive view from where she was now standing looking down.
It had taken her three hours to make the climb, and well worth the effort. Now, she planned to have a picnic before tromping back down to where she was house sitting. She was in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. It was not the first time she ever stayed away from her friends and family back in Mississippi long enough to catch up on her writing projects.
When she needed a break, she took long walks but this was the first time she had hiked this far. The view was well worth the effort and she drank in the wonder of it all.
To look at her, you would never guess that she was the adventuresome type. Generally going about with no makeup and wearing the most unflattering glasses, she actually led a very placid life. She was tall for a woman, at five-nine and a bit too slender some thought. With a shocking hea
d full of copper colored hair mostly kept controlled by pulling it back in a ponytail. Her face was pretty in an earthy sort of way, in spite of her ridiculous glasses. Her personality was shy but everyone knew her heart was big. She was a favorite in the nursery at Faith Chapel and she loved children. It was by choice she was still single at thirty years old. At fourteen, she lost her first and only boyfriend to a terrible and tragic swimming accident. It was as if part of her died with him and she just was not interested in dating other men.
No matter how many were pushed at her, every attempt to ‘fix her up’ failed. Eventually friends and family honored her wishes and left her alone. She poured herself into the romantic novels, using them as a substitute for the real thing.
Sandwich eaten and a bottle of water finished, Jean reluctantly prepared her backpack for the hike back down the mountain. She breathed in the beauty one last time, and then with her bag strapped onto her back, she took the staff she carried when hiking and started the return down. She could not help but sing on the way, for sheer joy bubbled up inside her and she could not contain it. Song was her favorite form of praise and she knew it pleased God too. What she did not know was that she was not alone.
There was a man following her. While keeping his distance, he stayed close enough to keep her in sight while unseen by her. He was a local and had been fishing in a stream when she crossed over it on her climb down.
Curious, he wondered who would trespass on private property with signs posted. Since it was not hunting season, there was little to worry about but he was curious. With a face that could use a shave, he was in his late twenties and because of an early childhood accident, he walked with a slight limp. His granny had always called him handsome and he supposed he would do in the looks department, but he knew people called him the gentle giant because of his size and demeanor. Not one person could ever remember seeing him lose his temper or even say a harsh word to or about anyone. He stood a good six inches over six feet tall and his name was Howard, but most who knew him called him Hidey. The land belonged to him, and his grandfather before him.
Another Deception Page 3