by Ted Peters
The spotlight from the helicopter scanned the crowd. Finally, it settled on Leona, Graham, and her comrades. Now, all could see the persons about whom the president was speaking.
“I will withhold her name for the time being,” he continued. “But do not underestimate the amount of gratitude each of us here tonight owes her and her volunteer army. Open your eyes wide. Right now you are looking at a patriot. More. You are looking at an icon of patriotism whose shoes I am unworthy to untie.”
A pair of hands clapped. Then a second. Soon the entire crowd burst into vigorous applause. Ill at ease, Leona’s mouth dropped open. Her eyes registered confusion and fright.
“Please, Graham,” Leona whispered impatiently. Graham put his jacket over her head. Photographers were arriving. With his left arm on Leona’s left shoulder, he led her through the crowd to the Shedd Aquarium parking lot. Hillar followed close behind. All three stepped into a taxi and headed for South Shore.
“How did you know where to find me?” Leona asked Graham.
“The GPS beacon. I bet you didn’t lose your cell phone.”
Leona looked out the windshield, then down at her shoes. “I shed a lot of human blood tonight,” she said mournfully.
“I gather your machine mind has turned off,” said Graham.
Leona looked up at Graham with glistening eyes.
Hillar peered through the back window and watched the president’s helicopter rise and disappear into the night sky.
62 Sunday, Chicago, 6:00 am
It was 6:00 am when Leona’s alarm sounded. She had roughed out her sermon outline during the previous night’s late bath. As was her custom, she rolled out of bed and headed downstairs for the coffee pot. Midnight stood up and stretched but remained on the bed, watching her mistress shuffle out the door. As Leona walked through the living room, Buck, who had been sleeping with Graham on the downstairs hide-a-bed, looked up at Leona as she passed. Graham did not stir.
After her morning liturgy of orange juice—the last gingerbread man had been eaten the day prior—and pouring a full cup of Peet’s, she passed through the living room once again. Buck’s nose was flat on the blanket in sleeping position, although his eyes were open and he was aware of Leona’s presence in the room. Graham’s body under the blanket was still. Leona bent down and softly kissed Graham on the forehead. She whispered, “Thank you, Graham.”
Buck’s body did not move. Yet, his eyes shifted to look at Graham’s. Graham’s eyes were also open, even though he did not move. Buck and Graham acknowledged their shared awareness through eye contact.
Leona tiptoed up the stairs to flop once again on her bed. Midnight resumed her curled position on the pillow. Leona was nearly awake and almost ready to face a Sunday that would begin with worship. She took a moment to go online and book a flight for Monday to Oakland, the airport nearest to Berkeley, nearest to Professor Elliot.
Time to check my emails? It would take a minimum of mental energy to skim through and pick out the urgent ones. Sipping her coffee, she opened her AOL.
One email caught her eye: Re: “For God and Country.” She opened it.
Dear Rev. Lee Foxx,
I looked up your church on the internet. You are the pastor of Trinity Church. Perhaps you were once a Boy Scout. If so, you remember the award that scouts must earn before they can become and Eagle: Pro Deo et Patria (For God and Country)>
My son, Tommy, is ready to begin work on his Pro Deo et Patria. He needs a clergyman to evaluate his work and approve his credit. Would you be willing to work with my son?
Sincerely,
(Mrs.) Jacqueline Simonson
Leona pondered the contents of this email. Then, she hit “reply” and wrote:
Dear Mrs. Simonson,
Thank you for your inquiry. You should be proud that your son, Tommy, wants to work on his Pro Deo et Patria. This may be one of the most noble awards. It testifies to loyalty, our loyalty to God and to our nation as well. Unfortunately, I am not qualified to help. I wish you well as you look for a pastor who is.
Sincerely,
Rev. Leona Foxx
The moment she hit “send”’ the parsonage phone rang. She reached for the bedroom extension quickly, hoping the ringing would not wake Graham downstairs. A man’s voice spoke to her. “Reverend Foxx?”
“Yes.”
“This is Doctor Solomon Wieder at the South Shore Hospital. I have someone here who would like to speak with you. Will you take the call?
“Yes, of course.” She could hear the transfer of the phone from one hand to another.
“Pastor Foxx?”
“Yes.”
“This is Victoria Walker. I’m Cupid’s mother.”
“Oh, hello!”
“Cupid told me all about you. She is so fond of you. I already feel like you’re one of the family. Thanks for what you do for Cupid.”
“Well, Mrs. Walker, Cupid is a doll. I enjoy having her here. She can visit me anytime.”
“That’s Miss Walker, Pastor. I’m here in the South Shore Hospital. I just had a baby this morning, in the middle of the night, actually.”
“Congratulations.”
“Could you possibly get over here today to ooh and ahh about my new baby? After all, you’re my pastor now.
Leona chuckled. ”Yes, of course, I’ll come. I’ve got church this morning. I’ll try to get there in the afternoon. What room are you in?”
“I’m in five fifteen. Thanks, Pastor.”
“Bye.”
“Bye.”
Leona hung up the phone. She took a sip of her Major Dickason. Then, she spoke to herself out loud. I’m her pastor. Wow. Gotta call Angie.
Also by Ted Peters
Click HERE to continue the adventure!
Leona Foxx is a killer with a conscience.
She kills like a machine, yet loves with a heart.
Sometimes violence is Leona's only path to love.
The black op with the white collar, Leona Foxx, takes on renegade Transhumanists making themselves kingmakers by selling espionage technology. Leona’s strategy is to turn superintelligence against itself in order to preserve global peace. Can a mere human prevail against the posthuman?
If you want to grasp the promises and risks of enhancing human intelligence in a world riddled with competition for supremacy, buy this book.
Cyrus Twelve
Leona Foxx Suspense Thriller #2
Coming August 15, 2018
Available for pre-order now!
About the Author
The Leona Foxx series of espionage thrillers is the fictional creation of Ted Peters, a Berkeley scholar and author of non-fiction books dealing with science and religion. Although distinctly a fictional character, Leona is a synthesis of a number of real life people on both sides of the violence fence. On one side, like her real life model, she has been a CIA operative undercover in Iran, experiencing imprisonment, interrogation and the threat of execution. Leona is both a victim and perpetrator of violence. On the other side, again modeled on someone in real life, she is conscience-driven to pacify, negotiate, heal, love, and care. As a pastor in a racially tense neighborhood, she gives total devotion to her God of grace while pulling the trigger on her semi-automatic. Leona is a killer with a haunting conscience.
Ted Peters has served as a pastor on the south side of Chicago, as well as a professor of theology at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, a member school of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. His first-hand experience with violence in the inner city, combined with academic teaching, has led him to wrestle with the nature of human nature and with the question of why we human beings kill one another in the name of some higher good.
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