Alistair considered it for a moment. Stephen would be upset if Alistair didn’t allow it. Those who felt Stephen should lead might see it as an opportunity to sow discord. And Pastor Buchanan’s disappearance, if nefarious, would most likely be an attempt to get at Stephen.
Alistair grabbed Stephen’s shoulder and looked him in the eyes. “Ye’re right. Ye should come with me, mukker. Can ye keep ye emotions in check?”
Stephen nodded.
Alistair walked by his friend and out the door; Stephen followed. “Out of curiosity, how did ye hear?”
“A lady named Max told me,” Stephen replied as they walked down the corridor.
“Max? I don’t think I know her.”
“It doesn’t surprise me. She said she’s an Outcast.”
Alistair stopped and turned to Stephen. “An Outcast? So she’s Fallen?”
“No. She’s Mighty. But she says she was thrown out for not following strict protocol. She intervened in a situation where no Fallen had been involved and was cast out.”
“That doesn’t sound right. We only cast people out when we’ve discovered they have become Fallen. Mighty are free to come and go, to be as involved or uninvolved as they decide.”
“That’s not what Max says.” Stephen shrugged. “I’ve looked inside her and can confirm she’s telling the truth.”
Alistair continued down the hall. “I’ll look into that some more. Something doesn’t sound right.”
The two men turned the corner and stopped in front of the council doors. Alistair knew that the room on the other side was full of elders wondering why the meeting had been called. Some—if not all—had already noticed the absence of Benjamin Buchanan.
Alistair breathed deep and let it out. He heard a familiar voice inside his head, It’ll be okay. I’ve got your back.
Alistair replied. “Thanks, mukker.”
The doors opened.
Chapter 3
Several of the elders in the council meeting room took notice when Stephen and Alistair entered, though most looked otherwise engaged in various conversations. Stephen knew all the council members and a few elders. He hadn’t realized, however, how many elders he hadn’t met, or even heard of. They had come from all over. It was standing-room only.
As they moved through the crowd, Stephen searched the mood in the room. Most were unsure why the meeting had been called. Only a few knew with certainty what was taking place. Though Stephen had seen it happen before, he understood that calling impromptu meetings with all the elders—leaders, teachers, trainers, and council members—didn’t happen often.
Stephen stopped near the front as Alistair continued up to the council members huddled behind the semicircular table. One seat was empty from the council—Charles’s.
Colvin stepped up next to Stephen, dwarfing him. Having been his prophet trainer, he had known Colvin to always be in control of his emotions. This time, his friend’s emotions were all over the place, making it hard to sort through them all.
“Colvin, what’s going on?”
“You don’t know?” Colvin nodded to the council members, his varying shades of gray hair barely visible in the dim lighting.
“Pastor Buchanan? Yeah, I know about that. But something else is going on with you. Your emotions are a mess.”
Colvin turned to him. “We need to talk after the meeting. I have questions I think you may be able to answer.”
Stephen wanted to know more. Colvin had always been open and honest with his thoughts and opinions. This seemed secretive, very unlike Colvin. Before Stephen could inquire further, the sound of a gavel came from the council table. All eyes turned toward the council and Alistair.
Sam called the meeting to order. “I’m certain everyone is wondering and has, perhaps, heard rumors as to the reason for this meeting. It falls to me to inform everyone that Benjamin Buchanan—the David—has gone missing. We do not know much at this point, only that he has disappeared. He hasn’t responded to any attempts at communication. A team was sent to his house and anywhere we could reasonably expect he may have gone. Nothing. Commander Brahms has had our most elite recon personnel searching for any leads.”
Commander Brahms, wearing his golden dress robes, stepped up to the council table and stood next to Sam. Stephen couldn’t remember seeing the commander looking so troubled or old. Still, his brawny stature was imposing compared to Sam’s leaner frame.
The commander cleared his throat. “Here’s what we know. We believe Benjamin Buchanan went missing twelve days ago. We aren’t a hundred percent certain when he disappeared.”
“Not certain?” a voice called from behind Stephen.
The commander answered, “We all know the David—Benjamin—would come and go. He, like most of us, has other responsibilities outside of Enclave. It took us a couple days to make certain he wasn’t simply out of pocket. Aside from his home, the church, and a couple other places he frequents, we’ve checked hospitals and local law enforcement. A missing person’s report has been filed.
“Our teams have been scouring the DC and St. Louis areas looking for any leads. We’ve checked the Enclave locator database and determined that he did leave Enclave twelve days ago. It appears he traveled by medallion.”
Sam placed a hand on the commander’s shoulder. “Thank you, Victor.”
Sam waited until Commander Brahms left the room before continuing. “As head of the council, it falls to me to announce that the Council of the Mighty has voted. Alistair Stewart will fulfill the duties of David pro tem until Benjamin Buchanan is found, or the council has sufficient cause to make Alistair’s appointment permanent.”
With this announcement, murmuring arose. Stephen watched Alistair, who showed no reaction to the noise. As Stephen listened, he let the hum of chatter fade into the background, searching for the thoughts and true feelings of everyone in the room. Many had their doubts. Not about Alistair’s loyalty or ability, but of Alistair’s experience as a leader. Would he be able to make the tough decisions? Could he handle the politics?
Sam held his hands up to silence the crowd, which only got louder. Alistair would be the youngest David ever. Elders’ discussion amongst themselves grew louder. Other council members stepped forward to assist. The elders continued to talk and question.
Stephen eased his thoughts to all in the room. Let’s hear them out. There’s more to be said.
Eyes turned toward Stephen. Though all had heard of Stephen’s gift, few had experienced his ability to push his thoughts into the minds of others. Even Sam had turned his gaze toward Stephen.
“That wasn’t necessary,” Sam said. “But thank you.”
The council head turned his focus back to the group. “We all want Benjamin to be found and brought back to us safely. None more than me. To do this, we must move forward, being both focused and unified. Time is of the essence.
“We believe this has happened to divert our attention from the looming battle that we all know is imminent. Fallen must believe this will weaken us. They have reason to believe this. I have heard the discussions and rumors going around. I can tell you with certainty that a divided Mighty will not be able to defeat Fallen. If you have concerns, express them now.”
A deep and loud voice from behind Stephen spoke up. “We were told Stephen is the key to winning this impending battle. Why is he not leading us?”
Stephen turned to see an older man he didn’t recognize staring back at him. He looked back to Sam, who also watched Stephen.
“May I?” Stephen asked.
Sam nodded and motioned to the empty spot next to himself—the same spot Commander Brahms previously had occupied.
Stephen walked toward Sam and the council, then turned to face the elders. “Prior to Alistair’s appointment as David pro tem, I was given the honor of expressing my opinion to Pastor Buchanan in the presence of our esteemed council members. Alistair was my suggestion.”
With this announcement, a small gasp echoed in the chamber before falli
ng silent again.
Stephen continued. “Alistair is very capable. I’ve heard some of your concerns. And I understand. But putting your faith in any one single Mighty, myself included, would be an error. Instead, you have before you an entire council capable of advising and guiding Alistair to be the leader I know him to be and the leader you deserve. Alistair is intelligent and brave. His foresight is a credit to him and will serve him well in this position until the David—Pastor Buchanan—is found and safely returned to us.”
Stephen looked to Alistair and smiled.
Alistair mouthed “thank you” followed by a slight bow, a gesture of respect among the elders and council.
Stephen returned the bow, but held it. Others followed Stephen. Before long, the entire room had bowed to the David pro tem.
****
Elders talked amongst themselves as everyone filed out of the council chambers. Stephen felt the strong emotions and scattered thoughts, which sounded like waves of white noise beating against his mind. He needed to get away—to put distance between himself and the crowd, at least until things settled down. The elders would soon issue an official statement from Enclave, making the talk louder than now.
Stephen looked down an empty corridor and noticed Colvin standing at the end. His former teacher then turned away and walked around the corner. Stephen hurried to catch up to him.
“You wanted to talk?” Stephen asked.
“Yes,” Colvin replied. “But someplace private. We don’t need to be seen together right now.”
Stephen didn’t understand. The two of them being seen together would be commonplace. As teacher and student, the need for concealment was strange, even with everything that had happened. “What’s going on, Colvin? Why the secrecy?”
“Not here. Can we go to your trove? No one can bother us there.”
Stephen nodded and took hold of Colvin. The corridor faded into a purple mist in an instant. Just as quick, the mist disappeared and the two stood in Stephen’s family trove. Stephen watched Colvin, expecting the inevitable surprise and confusion.
With eyes wide, Colvin looked around, mouth agape, before settling his gaze back onto Stephen. “How can you vanish from inside Enclave and into a trove?”
Stephen pulled his unique medallion resting against his chest from inside his shirt and showed it to his mentor. “With this, I haven’t found a place I can’t vanish to or from.”
Colvin stared at the emblem. “May I?” he asked, hesitating to reach for it.
Stephen removed the chain from around his neck and handed it to Colvin. He watched the elder Mighty rub his fingers over it, looking it over front and back. Stephen wanted to know what Colvin was thinking.
“Don’t,” Colvin said.
“Don’t what?” Stephen asked.
“Don’t think about getting inside my head,” Colvin replied, tapping his finger to his own temple, before going back to handling the medallion. “I recognize that look on your face, and feel your energy moving.”
He handed the medallion back to Stephen. “Just ask me what you want to know.”
Stephen sighed. “Sorry about that. Habit. The medallion—”
Colvin interrupted. “I’ve only heard about this. It’s called the Mighty Eye. Turn it sideways and it resembles an eye.”
“Where did it come from?” Stephen asked.
“I’m not sure. I don’t know much more about it.”
“Figures. Everything seems to be a dead end. I’m still trying to learn more about my lineage.”
Colvin’s eyes softened. “Give it time, Stephen. In all this, something will surely turn up more information.”
Stephen nodded. “I guess.” He looked back to the family tree engraved on the wall, then back to Colvin. “What did you want to talk to me about? It seemed urgent.”
The mood changed. Stephen knew that whatever it was caused Colvin to feel a great deal of stress.
“Stephen—” Colvin looked him in the eyes. “The Outcast who came to you—is she safe?”
“Yeah, she’s . . .” Stephen realized he hadn’t mentioned the Outcast to anyone other than Alistair yet. “How did you know?”
“I’m their connection. Zander, an Outcast, use to be a good friend of mine. We were part of a team for several years. He and I have stayed in touch over the years. And he owed me.”
“So you made sure I knew. Why didn’t you send them sooner?”
“I let him know as soon as I could. There’s more going on than you know. The war is nearly here, and we’re vulnerable.”
“Because Pastor Buchanan is missing,” Stephen said.
“No. We’re vulnerable because the Mighty are not one team. And I think Fallen has infiltrated us.”
Stephen thought for a moment. When a Mighty fell, their medallion no longer worked for them, at least not to gain access to Enclave. “How could that happen?”
“It’s possible that someone could gain entrance by traveling with others. Once in the mist, a person will be carried away in the spirit wherever the mist leads. The other possibility is that someone is being influenced by Fallen and doesn’t know it.”
“I’m not sure which would be better. A Mighty turned Fallen, or Fallen pulling the strings of a Mighty. Either way, we need the David back.”
Colvin smiled. “Agreed. When was the last time you saw him?”
Stephen looked around. “Here, my wedding night.”
“Take me to the very spot you saw him. As a judge, I can see things in situations that others sometimes can’t.”
Stephen led him to the large wooden entranceway that had once been disguised by a wardrobe. Upon entering, Colvin rushed past Stephen and stopped at the sword, which continued to stick out of the stone floor. He knelt down and touch the floor, looking closely at the blade, then the hilt.
Stephen said, “I last saw him right in that spot, just after the wedding ceremony. He and Oracle wanted to talk to me.”
Colvin snapped around. “You’ve met Oracle?”
“Yeah, a couple times actually. It turns out I know him. He’s—”
Colvin held his hand up and interrupted. “No! I don’t want to know who Oracle is. That information is too important.” He rubbed his fingers together and smelled them. “Olive oil?”
“They, uh . . . Pastor Buchanan anointed me.”
Colvin stood and approached Stephen. “You? He anointed you as the next David?”
“Not exactly. He specifically told me it wasn’t my time yet. But it was amazing. I felt power like I’ve never known fall on me. My body felt like it was on fire. I feel different. I can’t say how. Just different.”
Colvin looked back to the sword, then to Stephen. “Anything else? I’m sensing there’s more.”
“I heard a voice. The Almighty has called me to search out His sheep to return them to Him. What does that mean?”
Colvin shook his head. “I don’t know. It’ll come to you though. It’ll burn in you until you can’t do anything else. Our God is a consuming fire. When He calls, He is relentless.”
“So, any lead on Buchanan?” Stephen pointed back to the sword.
“No. Nothing.” Colvin frowned.
“We’ll find him. And we’ll be ready for the war. Let me know if you learn anything else.”
Stephen grabbed hold of Colvin and took him straight to his living quarters. His mentor looked around and grinned.
“Colvin, please don’t say anything about my medallion.”
His mentor smiled back at him. “That belongs to your line. It’s nobody else’s business.”
With that, Stephen vanished back to his apartment in St. Louis where Patty and Max waited. He knew they would want to know what had happened.
Chapter 4
Stephen waited under the Gateway Arch of St. Louis. The wet weather that day kept the people from crowding downtown. A cool wind blew in off the river just beyond the arch. Stephen usually didn’t like the humid air. His mind, however, was focused elsewhere. He ha
d two people he needed to meet with, the first of whom was headed his way.
Seeing Danny approach in his police uniform sent chills up Stephen’s spine, reminding him of their first meeting, when Waltz had died. Danny had come to the funeral and to Stephen and Patty’s wedding. The man’s build, his brown hair and blue eyes, made Stephen think they could almost be brothers. But it was only after the wedding, when the David and Danny had anointed Stephen with oil, that Stephen came to understand Danny’s place among Mighty. He was known of, but very few had ever actually met him.
“Thanks for coming, Danny.”
“Anytime. Waltz was family to me, and so are you.”
“Do you know about Buchanan?” Stephen asked.
“I know that he has been taken.”
“Can you help? Is there anything you can do?”
Danny sighed, looking lost for a moment. Stephen sensed the turmoil inside, but chose to wait for Danny’s reply rather than invade his friend’s privacy. “I could choose to see where he is being held, but I won’t. I’ve seen the pain he’s in. I’d be tempted to intervene. But it would be for nothing.”
Before Stephen could object, Danny continued. “You don’t understand how my gift works. You know how Alistair’s visions as a seer work—they act as a recommended course of action for him. If he doesn’t do what’s in the vision, bad things happen.”
“He’s made that clear, yes. Is that how yours works?” Stephen asked.
“Not quite, but close. I see possible futures. Along with them, I see what is needed to take the right path, the Almighty’s path. There are key points that alter things. Benjamin’s disappearance is one of the points, like a placeholder. If something changes it, the timeline will get messed up from where it’s supposed to be—off track. I’m afraid that if I looked for Pastor Buchanan that I wouldn’t be able to let the path take the course it’s supposed to take. It has to be you who makes this journey and travels that path. No one else. I can pray for you though.”
Danny turned to walk away.
“Where are you going? I want to talk with you some more.”
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