by Deena Remiel
“Services will begin in ten minutes. All followers are to make their way to the prayer tent. Again, services will be in ten minutes. All followers are to make their way to the prayer tent.”
“Okay, that was creepy.” Emma involuntarily shivered. Michael walked over to give her a reassuring hug.
“Yeah, hearing Agremon’s voice all around us definitely ranks up there with all that is creepy. Looking around, I can tell they’ve got not only speakers in the trees, but security cameras, too. It’s not a problem in terms of us getting identified. We’re perfectly shielded. It’s getting the others out of here unnoticed where those cameras are going to cause a problem.”
“Can you guys do anything about them?” she asked as she dug through her bags to start unpacking.
“I’m going to go and tell the others, if they haven’t noticed them already. I’m sure Gabriel can do something nifty like set up a loop when we start herding these people out of here. I’ll be right back.”
“All right, I’ll finish unpacking and setting up the tent.”
She felt strange, setting up their temporary home with everything in its place, his and hers. Could she dare allow herself to fall for the illusion of this happily married couple down on their luck and looking to The Source as their last hope? Well, it wasn’t that far from the truth. Coming here was their last hope to get Hannah back and to purge Namirha and Agremon from their lives.
As far as the married part, well, she still believed in the idea of marriage when two people fall in love. And she believed she had fallen in love with Michael. But she certainly didn’t want to believe in something that would probably fall apart when this whole ordeal was done and over with. Strong emotional situations lead to quick fiery relationships that soon fizzled out. Well, that reason wouldn’t hold. She’d known Michael for six years. They worked together, side by side, on many projects and were a great team. Yes, she countered herself, but you’ve only truly known all about him for four days! And the biggest issue of them all is he’s immortal! You’re certainly not going to live forever. How’s that for a kick in the pants?
As she held this silent battle, she nibbled at her bottom lip again, inadvertently folding and refolding the same shirt. She heard the swoosh of the tent door and looked up. Michael stood in the doorway, holding the flap back.
“I have to admit I’ve been spying on you.”
“You have? How very sneaky of you. And what dark secrets have you uncovered?”
“No secrets, I’m afraid, but I have come to one conclusion.” He walked in and sat down on the cot next to her.
“Oh really, what is that?” She shifted a bit to give him more room.
“If there was a contest for best shirt folder, I think you’d win hands down.”
“What? Oh, ha, look at that. I, um, well. All right, I’ve got nothin’.” She laughed her worry off and quickly changed the subject. “Did you talk to the others? Is everyone set?”
“Yes, everything is fine and the Saviors and Protectors are readying themselves to get as many newcomers as possible to leave the site. It’s going to be tricky making sure others don’t notice the departures. But with the service about to begin, I think everyone headed towards the prayer tent should be distraction enough.”
Emma put the shirt away and picked up Hannah’s picture. “God, Michael! We’ve got to find her. I can’t take being separated from her much longer. I feel like a part of me has been cut away.”
“I do, too, honey. I do, too.” With conviction clear in his voice, he continued, “We’ll find her. I know it.” He reached out to hold the picture while he put an arm around Emma. Suddenly, both felt a jolt of energy so strong it should have knocked them to the ground, but instead, it sealed them to the picture and to each other. A bright light surrounded them and they heard Hannah’s voice. Mother! Michael! I’m here and I’m safe. I’m in the dark green tent next to the prayer tent. And then, just as suddenly, the light faded away, leaving them holding the picture of Hannah in their white-knuckled hands.
“Holy crap!” Emma cried out.
***
Michael gave her a cautionary look and the quiet signal.
“I’m sorry,” she apologized. “This Trinity business is freaking me out. But she’s here and she’s safe. I almost can’t believe it. You did hear her, too, didn’t you? It wasn’t my imagination. You heard her, too, right?”
“Yes, I did. This is great. We now have a connection to Hannah. Let’s go.” He took her by the hand and they walked out of their tent as though going to the prayer service. They followed her directions as well as the thread that now connected all three together.
There was a definite buzz in the air as they walked through the camp. As expected, newcomers gave off waves of excitement, trepidation, and desperation. Followers gave off a very different energy; waves of subjugation, faith, and of all things, collective thought. That was deeply disturbing, and something that needed discussion when the Brethren were all together.
Michael noticed the other teams already making a dent in the crowd going to the prayer tent. It was obviously easier to keep newcomers from entering than to get followers out of thrall and to safety. Given how many newcomers there were, just this morning, this would have a huge impact on their success later. But still, there were far too many getting by. Mindful of security cameras, he walked over to Gabriel and Urie.
“Hey, we found Hannah, or rather she found us. Anyway, she’s okay. We’re going to her now, but as far as all of these hordes of people, do you think we could find a way to mask this place so no more people can get in?”
“That’s an awesome idea,” Urie considered. “But if we did that, we’d have nothing left of ourselves to give Hannah and our troops when they come. Besides, that would be the biggest red flag ever letting Namirha know we were here.”
“Wait a minute,” Gabriel interjected. “Maybe we could set something in place that would control the amount of people that came in, you know, like to reduce the flow. If we could let maybe every tenth person enter, we would drastically reduce the amount of people we need to usher back out. It wouldn’t take that much energy for that. Urie, come back to the tent with me. I’ve got an idea where I can locate the proper incantation. Oh, and I’ll be able to set up a loop on those security cameras, no problem.”
Michael walked back over to Emma who was surveying the area as though her life depended on knowing exactly where everything was located. Well, it did actually, so she definitely got points for recognizing that. “Why are they going back to their tent?” she asked.
“We’ve got a way to reduce the amount of people coming in today. I don’t have to tell you what that means.”
“Nope. Better odds for us. I like it. I hope it works.” She walked further into the site, her hands banging against her thighs in a steady pattern. “I can’t stand it anymore. Let’s get her, Michael. I need to hold my daughter, now.”
He nodded, and without another word, they walked quickly along pathways that circled the prayer tent. There were many tents and campers of all shapes and sizes set up, all unoccupied at this point given that the prayer service was about to begin. There was one tent, though, that stood out from the rest. It was a deep green color and larger than the rest.
“This is it, Michael! I know it,” she whispered excitedly. They were about fifty yards away from it now. She pulled on his arm trying to run towards it.
“We can’t just go barreling in there. Stop, Emma! Calm down and think.” He tugged back and grasped her securely in his hands.
“Jesus, I’m sorry,” she sputtered, shaking her head as if to clear the mess away. “I need to get to her. I’m desperate.”
“I know, sweetheart. But we gotta play it cool, now. We’re almost there, so look sharp. I’ll go first. When I signal you, come quickly.”
“I’ll do as you say, I promise.” She took a couple of deep breaths, shrugged her shoulders and rubbed her hands over her face. And then she signaled to Michael that
she was ready.
“Here goes,” he muttered, and he was off.
Chapter Twenty-One
The coast was clear. Michael waved Emma to come forward as he watched for any signs of Agremon or other henchmen that Namirha probably had nearby. But the place seemed deserted. He listened by the tent’s opening as she scurried next to him. He heard voices. One was definitely Hannah’s, the other a woman’s.
He put his finger to his lips to make sure she stayed silent and motioned that he was going in, alone. She nodded. His Brethren speed assured a quick and silent entrance. He immediately put the woman to sleep with the touch of his hand to her forehead. Hannah remained quiet while he whispered for Emma to come in.
She rushed inside and scooped Hannah up into her arms before Michael could even blink. Hannah clung to her mother. Her smile reached her contented eyes, and she showered Emma with kisses, receiving just as many back.
“Oh, my dear angel, I’m so glad you’re okay. I’ve been worried sick about you. We had no idea what had become of you. Oh, thank God you’re alive. Thank God,” she murmured incessantly in Hannah’s ear.
“Mother, Michael, we have to talk quickly. I’ve a lot to tell you.” They sat on her cot together and she continued, sharing everything Namirha had planned; everything that she had culled from his evil mind. “One other thing; I have to stay with Namirha.”
“Are you out of your mind? We came here to get you out of his reach! Michael, talk some sense into her, please!” she begged, grabbing his arms. He didn’t say anything. He stood there with a look that told her she wasn’t going to like what he would say at all.
“If we take her now, Namirha will know we were here and took her.”
“Why can’t it be that she wandered off and ran away? You put her guard to sleep, for heaven’s sake. That supplies reason enough for Hannah leaving the tent.”
“He would still wind up sending his minions out to locate her, and when they found her, he’d tighten security that much more.” Michael rubbed a hand over his face, barely hiding his grimly set lips. “No, Hannah’s right, unfortunately. She has to stay.” And then, his voice brightened suddenly. “Wait a second. We created a binding thread between the three of us with the picture. I know it flowed one way before, but with us all together now, we can create a stronger thread that goes both ways so that we can basically talk to each other.”
“I still don’t like her staying here,” Emma scoffed gruffly. “But if this is how it’s gotta be, then how do we go about creating a threaded link?”
“Well, let’s all hold hands and I’ll do the rest,” Michael suggested. As their hands closed around each other’s, the power of the Trinity ignited. A pulsing energy flowed through all three like an electric circuit. As Michael spoke the sacred incantation, his lips moved, but he made no sound. Threads of light wrapped around their hands, binding them together, and slowly faded into their skin.
“I’m feeling a warmth seeping into my hands,” Emma noted, “like toasty, warm gloves on a snowy day.”
However, it was not a snowy day. It was a toasty one-hundred-two degrees at the moment, which Michael knew was making the creation of the link quite uncomfortable for everyone involved. He saw Hannah wincing ever so slightly, but putting on a brave warrior front, she didn’t say a peep. No sooner than it had started, the task was complete. Michael saw the relief wash over mother and daughter.
“Oh, Michael, Namirha gave this to me as a gift. I haven’t worn it yet. Can you look at it and tell me if I can wear it and still be safe? It looks like some kind of an amulet to me.” Hannah held up a necklace that looked similar to his talisman but with different inscriptions on both sides.
“Let me have it and I’ll tell you.” He reached for it and closed his eyes as he held it in his hands. Hannah watched as creases formed between his brows. “It’s a talisman, made by Namirha.” He continued his assessment. “There is one layer of power that is a standard protective shield, then an additional layer of power wrapped around that. A dark power meant to wrap around your heart and mind in order to isolate you from the Brethren and your mother.” He opened his eyes and look deeply into Hannah’s.
“It is strong, but I’m stronger.” He waved his right hand over the amulet and it trembled, then stopped. “I’ve destroyed the thread. It’s safe now. It was meant to control you. You can wear this now without fear, but understand, Namirha expects you to behave as though you were under his control.”
“Understood, thanks,” Hannah replied.
“Well, now what do we do?” Emma asked, biting her nails. Michael could see she was a bit rattled by the business-like manner in which her daughter spoke and rubbed her arm.
“You two go to the prayer service.” Hannah hugged her mother one more time. “Keep an eye on who the key people are working for Namirha. I’ll stay here and continue doing whatever a six-year-old would do while keeping an eye on Namirha. When you or I know anything, we’ll make contact. Make sure my warriors know where I am and that I’m all right. Have someone come here to create a threaded link with me as well. Don’t worry; nothing’s going to happen to me until my birthday. We still have four days to carry out our plans.”
Emma walked out first, but not before turning one more time to look at her daughter. Hannah smiled back. Michael woke up the woman, making sure she would think she’d dozed off from boredom.
***
Together, they walked back to the prayer tent, and as they entered the huge circus-like structure, she tensed. “Are you sure we’re shielded? We can’t be detected?” she whispered.
“Yes Emma, I’m sure. We’re protected, I promise. We appear to be like any other person here. Let’s grab a seat and watch an immortal madman at work.” She felt his reassuring hand in hers as they looked for a good place to sit.
They found two seats near the back mixed in with lots of newcomers, perfect for being inconspicuous, and they watched and listened. Namirha was standing on a stage that was lavishly dressed with richly textured fabrics of red and black. There were candelabras on either side, and behind, hanging from the top of the tent and suspended from invisible wires, was a huge red and gold painted pentagram. A knife that had something carved into its blade hung beneath that. In front of the pentagram were six chairs occupied by three men and three women dressed in red robes. Center stage was Namirha, dressed in a black satin robe with a red collar.
Emma shivered as she looked upon the monster who planned to sacrifice her daughter on their birthday. Not in this life or ever. Her nails dug viciously into her clenched fists. There was no podium for him to stand before. He walked back and forth across the stage vigorously, waving his arms in fervent gestures to emphasize some point he was making. She decided to listen to the madness.
“I know how you are feeling. Times are tough, my children, no jobs, no homes, no real God to pray to any longer. Your God has forsaken you because He has fallen from grace himself!” At that moment, Namirha pointed to the sky. “That’s right! He has failed you all and disobeyed The Source’s commandments. Yes, your God bows down to another! The Source is angry that your God would allow such strife to befall you.” He pointed out to the audience, one person at a time. “How careless and irresponsible of Him to let so many of you lose your jobs and homes that took years to acquire while working your fingers to the bone.” He clasped his hands together as if in prayer.
“Don’t worry my children, for He will be punished for his sins and The Source shall take care of you now.” He jumped down off the stage and started running through the crowd, stopping every now and again to look people directly in their eyes. “Who is The Source, you wonder? Can he really save me, you hope?” He threw his arms up wildly into the air. “I am here, my children, welcoming you home to The Source, because I am The Source! I am the one and only! All others bow down to me, and you, my children, will benefit the most from coming home today. Behold the gifts that await you. And there’s more when you pledge your faith and souls to me.”
“They’re passing out hundred dollar bills, along with medallion necklaces; just like the one he gave to Hannah.”
“No wonder these people are going crazy.” She shook her head.
“Emma, their minds are being controlled by wearing those amulets of Namirha’s making. So he’s not as strong as he was the last time we clashed. Very interesting. No wonder he wants Hannah so desperately. He’s losing his powers.”
“Hmmm. Mr. All Powerful is not so much, eh?” she quipped.
More of Namirha’s followers came from behind the stage to help give out the money and the medallions to the frenzied mob. People all around Emma pushed and shoved each other to reach for whatever they could get and put the necklaces on without a thought.
“They’re blinded by the almighty dollar,” Emma snorted in disgust.
“Yup. Namirha knows what he’s doing. He’s buying their souls.”
Michael and Emma took the money and the medallions so they wouldn’t seem out of place. They pretended to put the medallions on, but really dropped them to the floor. Their own talismans would serve as a look-alike. When the money ran out and medallions hung from everyone’s necks, Namirha spoke again.
“My children, if you want a better life than what you have now, then you must give yourself to The Source. Have faith that The Source will provide for all of your needs and you will hunger no more.” At this point his voice changed from a normal man’s voice to something beyond evangelical, something dark and sinister and base. “Give yourself to The Source, to me! Let your souls link with mine and you shall be rewarded!”
