When she returned, they visited until the nurses ran them out despite Jack’s protests. They said goodnight and left hoping not to have to wait too long for a taxi back to the hotel. Just their luck, one was sitting right there when they exited the building.
“What luck, come on!” Sheila was already claiming it and Honey laughed at her. They were sliding into the back seat as Sheila defended her actions.
“Hey, I know this place and if you don’t watch it, someone will grab a taxi right out from under you….this is New York, remember? Take us to Thirty-fourth and Lincoln.” She directed the driver.
They never made it back to the hotel.
TWENTY-NINE
Jacks answered his phone when Dwight rang the next morning.
“What do you mean? They never showed back up at the hotel last night? They left here and said they were going straight there and get some rest. You guys hung out here at the hospital the whole night before. I know you were all tired out.” Jacks said as he sat up on the bed.
“I know. That is what the clerk told me. She never saw them come in and they would have to go by the front desk to get to the rooms. Neither are answering their cells. I called Sheila last night and left a message. This morning both phones say the party is unavailable. I am worried Jacks. Maybe those people are retaliating at us for upsetting their plans.”
“Have you called the police?”
“I called them just before I called you. They say they can’t do anything until they have been missing for twenty-four hours. I was not able to reach the detectives. I thought you might try. They said yesterday that they wanted to talk to you. Will you let me know what you find out?”
“Yeah, I will. Don’t go worrying too much. There is probably a good explanation. Sheila knows a lot of people here and they may have stayed overnight with some of her friends.”
“You really think that could be it? Then why not answer the phones? No. I think something has happened to them. I am going to come back there as soon as I can make arrangements for Gem.”
“Hold off on that Dwight, until I call you back. Let me check on a few things first.”
He would hate to see him waste a trip. They were most likely as he had said, with friends. Then why weren’t they answering their phones?
“Okay. If I do not hear something real soon, I am on my way back!”
Jacks made a few calls to people he knew, that also knew Sheila. No one had seen or heard from her. He then scrambled around trying to find the card that Cranford and Purcell had left the morning before, when they came to talk. He was getting terribly frustrated, when he finally found it and called the number. He explained to Purcell his concern about Sheila and Honey. The man told him that he and Cranford were coming to the hospital and would stop by the hotel on their way.
Within the hour they were in his room.
“Did you guys find them?” Jacks asked anxiously as they entered the room.
Cranford shook his head. “They never returned to their room last night. We put an APB out on them and got our people checking out all the taxis for the time frame you say they left here. We are just waiting to hear something. Meanwhile, we need to ask you some questions about what happened on that rooftop the other night.”
“That’s fine, but I am more concerned about my friends right now.”
Purcell was looking at his notes and said, “We understand and believe me we are doing everything possible to locate them. I am curious as to what you think may have happened to them?”
Jacks did not answer right away and when he did he was truthful. Not to be would do no good.
“I think Asa has them. I believe he is angry with me and wants to strike out. What better way than to kidnap Honey and Sheila.”
“How well do you know this man?”
“I met him only a few months ago. He claimed to be my grandfather.”
“And you believed him?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Why?”
“Because he had a letter from my mother….and he carries the same marks that I do.”
“What kind of marks?”
Jacks blushed pushing past the embarrassment he was feeling. “There is an unusual birthmark on my groin, and he has the same. He said it has been in the males of our family for generations.”
“What is so unusual about it?”
“It is a circle with an x inside it.”
The two men looked at one another and Jacks knew they thought he was crazy.
“Look, no one has ever seen this thing….except maybe….”
“We get it. There must be quite a few women in your past. Go on.”
Purcell smiled at Jack’s discomfort.
“The letter he had told him that I carried the mark, so when I first met him uh, he showed me his.”
“Okay. If he was, or is, your grandfather, why would he want to hurt you? It makes no sense.”
This was going to be the hard part. Jacks did not really understand it himself but he wanted the detectives to know everything. “Asa felt that he did not have long to live and as his closest relative and heir, he wanted to transfer all his wealth and power to me. At least that is what he made me believe.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean and I know this is going to sound crazy, but I believe there was more to it than that. I now believe he wanted to take over my body. Wait! Before you say anything, let me finish.”
He put his hand up when he saw both men about to interrupt.
“I know this is hard to swallow. I am not sure I believe it myself. I am more and more persuaded that this is a weird situation. I really believe the ritual that was interrupted by my friends, was one that left Asa dead. I also believe that Garrett took my place in a sacrificial transference. The man I knew as Asa is gone, but the spirit that was in his body is now in Garrett’s. This thing, whatever you want to call it, is not happy with me. He probably feels like I cheated him or something. I don’t know. I do know those girls are in danger and we must find them quickly!”
Purcell was jotting in his notebook as Jacks was talking. When he was through, he looked at him and stated, “I think you are right. This is not the first time something like this ever happened. Cults, devil worshipers, you name it, and they are all out there. I want to be honest with you on this, since you have been so with us. The likelihood of us finding these women alive is not very good. We have numerous cases of bodies found that have been used as sacrifices. Even more are reported missing and never found.”
Jacks held his head with his hands in dismay. If he was the reason for Honey and Shelia’s deaths, he could never forgive himself.
Purcell tried to give him some hope though. “I did not say this would happen. I am just saying it is a high possibility. We are going to do everything we can to find them. What we need, is something that we do not have yet. Something you might be able to add to what the others told us. Now. I want you to start at the beginning and tell us everything. Even what you may think is unimportant.
Jacks lay back remembering the day Garrett walked into his office with the offer of a senate seat and began his story.
Two hours later, the detectives left his room. He immediately got himself up and dressed. Without anyone seeing him, he managed to leave the hospital. He had spilled his guts to the detectives. Now he would do what he had to, to find Honey and Sheila. He started by calling Dwight, telling him to stay where he was in case the girls showed up back home. Though Dwight was reluctant to do this, he said he would, if Jacks would promise to keep him informed. Then he went to Sang-mi’s.
Sang-mi was an icon in her neighborhood. She knew everything and everybody, even some notorious underground people. She always told Jacks to stay within the law but it never hurt to befriend certain ones who did not.
When Jacks explained the whole story to her, there was no surprise on her face, just understanding. She insisted Jacks stay with her while she dug around to find out what she could about the men Jacks was
looking for. With his description of the house made of stone and the names he gave her, she disappeared for almost the entire night.
When she returned, it was just before daylight and Jacks was fast asleep. She woke him and revealed all that she had learned which was much more than he had anticipated. It was with great concern that she warned him against continuing on in his quest, for she feared the outcome would be disastrous. She was afraid for him. What she learned was that he was not fighting against a man but an evil which was with great powers.
I appreciate your concern for me Sang-mi but I would not be me if I cared only about me. Those two women mean a lot to me. I can’t just leave them to his mercy. I will find them. They have a God who will help me. Thank you for all that you have told me. It will help me more than you can know.
“You no listen to Sang-mi. Sang-mi know this God you speak of. His power is greater than the evil one’s. Sang-mi do for you also, helps of the spirit world. Go! Bring back woman you give your heart to.”
Jacks was already pulling on his clothes as she talked. When he was done, he hugged her to him and thanked her again for what she had done.
THIRTY
“Hey! Where are you going? I said the Rutherton Hotel. You are going the wrong way!”
The driver ignored Sheila’s admonishment and keep on driving, speeding up.
“I said, we are going the wrong way to get to the hotel! Can you not hear?”
He turned around slightly, nodding and smiled at them. It was then that Honey recognized him.
“You were driving the car the other night when I went with Jacks to see Asa! What is going on? Stop this car and let us out. Now!”
“Sorry miss, no can do. I have orders to deliver you to the master.”
Sheila and Honey looked at each other in horror. Sheila sucked in her breath and said fiercely, “You stop this car right now, or you will be in more trouble than you know. I don’t care what orders you have!”
She tried the door handle and it was locked. Honey did the same and hers too was locked. Now, they were afraid and if there had not been a window between them and the driver Sheila would have gone over the front seat and attacked the man. Instead she told Honey to call for help on her cell. She had left hers at the hotel.
“Good idea!” Honey scrambled in her purse for her phone pulling it out. She quickly dialed 911. It did not ring so she redialed it.
“I cannot get through Sheila! What is wrong with this thing?”
Sheila reached for it and looked closely. “There is no service! How can that be? I know there should be service here on a main road. Here. Keep watching it and trying it. I am going to try to talk to this idiot.”
Honey took the phone and kept punching 911, while Sheila implored the driver to let them go. She had no more success than Honey had with the phone.
“Jeepers Honey, what are we going to do? What could those creeps want with us?”
“I have an idea that it may be payback for messing up Asa’s plan that night on the roof. We have to stay calm, no matter what and not act scared. Let’s pray.”
Sheila nodded. She was afraid, as she took Honey’s hand and they prayed.
“Father, we know that you have a plan for us. That we are under your protection against all evil. This evil that is trying to come upon us, we rebuke in the Holy name of Jesus.”
Then she started singing a song she dearly loved about having angels all around and Sheila joined in. The driver was uttering all kinds of filth but they drowned him out with their voices, declaring that they were surrounded with a host of Heavenly beings and under their protection.
Honey recognized the road that led to the gate of the stone house. She exclaimed, “Sheila, this is the road to Asa’s. I am sure of it. Look, there is the gate! He has brought us to the stone house!”
“Great! Now what do you think they intend to do with us. I have a feeling this is not a social visit. How creepy is this?” She remarked, as the car wound down the sinister drive to the massive stone front of the house.
Seeing it in the light of day, Honey was surprised at how huge it really was. When the car stopped, she whispered for Sheila to follow her lead. Sheila nodded in response.
The driver got out but did not open their door; instead he disappeared for a while before reappearing with Garrett. But there was something strange about him as she watched him converse with the driver then with a direct look at them, turn and walk away.
“What is going on?” Sheila asked. Honey shook her head. “I have no idea, but don’t worry. We are going to get out of this and when we do, these people are in for it!”
The driver got back in the car and drove around the house to the backside. There was an enormous area and a weird sort of aircraft in the middle.
“Okay! Now I am getting freaked!”
Honey soothed her friend. “Don’t! We have to keep our selves calm or we can’t think clearly. Please, try not to get excited.”
The taxi pulled up to the plane and two more men appeared. One opened Honey’s door taking her by the arm while another did the same with Sheila. They were escorted up steps of a half moon- shaped airplane and into a space that held six passenger seats. Windows circled the entire thing from one side to the other and neither woman had ever seen any airplane like it.
They were strapped into seats and the two men stood guard until Garrett and another man came on board. Garrett barely glanced their way, taking no interest in them until Sheila screamed out at him. “Garrett, how dare you treat us like this? I have no idea what you think you are doing, but it will not work. You won’t get away with kidnapping! Are you out of your mind?”
Garrett looked at her with eyes that revealed a loathing for her. “On the contrary, my dear, we will get away with it and have already.”
He sneered at them and added. “I have no wish to hear you two whimpering back there. Unless you want your mouths taped, I suggest you keep them shut.”
Honey pulled Sheila back into her seat and shook her head fiercely, indicating for her not to say anything else. The last thing they needed was to be tied up or have tape over their mouths. Sheila grudgingly settled back in the seat as the aircraft rose up into the air and took off.
Within minutes they were headed to where, they did not know. Honey had slipped her cell into her pocket. She knew it would not work in the air but when they landed, she hoped to be able to use it. The men had not searched them and as long as she had the phone, there was a chance.
It was late and though both were weary, they were not able to sleep. It was still dark when they landed on what seemed to be the side of a mountain. The strange aircraft landed in the same manner as it had taken off. It hovered over the landing spot and slowly descended. When it was still, the door opened and the same men pulled them off and the others followed.
Both Sheila and Honey were wide eyed as they watched a wall close in around the whole landing spot. They found themselves inside something they could not even imagine.
“Did you see that?” Sheila hissed in Honey’s ear.
“Yes, but I am not believing it. Where could we be?”
Honey was looking around in amazement at their surroundings. The floor was vast and it took several minutes to walk across it. A button pushed, opening a door which appeared in the rock wall. Once inside, the door closed and they were in a room half the size of a football field. It was busy with people streaming everywhere, coming and going from many different openings. One, they were led to. Garrett signaled for them to continue as he and the man with him, turned to go in another direction.
“Wait! Garrett, what are you going to do with us?” Sheila spoke, trying not to show her fear.
The man turned back around. “For starters, do not ever call me by that name again. You may refer to me as Asa, if there is a need. What I am going to do with you, you will find out soon enough. But first I have another to add to your little group. I am sure both you will be happy to know that Jacks will join us before too long
.” He spoke to the men. “Get them out of my sight!”
The two looked at each other in bewilderment, as the men shoved them through the opening and down a hall that was more like a tunnel. Why would Garrett want them to call him Asa? They were both thinking the same thing.
There was something eerily familiar about the place. Honey thought it was because it reminded her of the stone house. Here was much more light.
She kept touching her cell, praying it would hold a charge until she had an opportunity to use it. Looking at the massive amount of rock and stone that surrounded them she doubted if it would work anyway. She had noticed that in the large room there were all kind of monitors and equipment and thinking there had to be communication to somewhere.
She and Sheila did not speak as they were prompted on. Eventually they came to another door which was opened and they were thrust forward into it. The door was shut closing them in a room furnished with any necessities they might need. Three beds lined the walls and as many chairs scattered around. Alone, the women hugged each other for comfort, both close to tears.
“What do you suppose they are going to do to us? Honey, I am terrified! I feel like I am back with Morgan. I do not think I can handle this. What are we going to do?” Sheila’s eyes were brimming with her unshed tears.
Honey composed her own self, for she was feeling distressed too. But, she was the older of the two and she was going to keep Sheila calm and as unafraid as she could.
“Darling, please don’t cry. I know it looks bad but maybe they just want to scare us….and it is working. We must not show fear. That is what they want. That….that man! Who does he think he is anyway? Kidnapping is a federal offense and he will surely pay when he gets caught.”
Her words were meant for comfort, instead they brought a new horror to both of them. Sheila threw herself on the bed and wailed, “That’s just it! He won’t ever let us go, because if he did he would get caught. Don’t you understand? They are going to kill us!”
Wings of Deception Page 20
