by Sean Platt
The rear gate was left unguarded, secured with only a padlock – easy enough to pick open with a paperclip and a tension wrench.
He’d have to be quick. If he wasn’t back before lunch was over, he’d have a tough time getting in undetected, and would probably wind up sharing a cell with Carl, wherever the hell they were holding the kid. Or worse, inside a box beside the girl, Rebecca.
Will picked the lock, slipped through the gate, stepped from the path and raced into the woods three inches deep with snow, still frozen from the night before. His eyes scanned the forest, hoping like hell he wouldn’t find any monsters. He didn’t think he would, but to hear people talk, you’d think the woods were infested. Maybe they were, but everything looked eerily quiet at the moment. No birds chirping and no animals foraging, nothing but a light, cool breeze and creaking of trees.
Where is it?
He’d seen it so clearly in his dreams; it hadn’t been far. Will was fairly certain it was just south of The Sanctuary, circled by forest on all sides except the west, which faced the front entrance.
He glanced at his watch. 12:35.
Lunch would be over at 1 p.m., and then the back of The Sanctuary would be filled with workers, laboring on the church.
Will walked deeper into the woods until the stone wall of The Sanctuary was only a suggestion. He wondered if he should have gone north of The Sanctuary. If so, he was screwed. He’d been walking a while and wouldn’t have time to make an about face that mattered.
His heart raced as he glanced at his watch again.
12:45.
It was as if time were speeding up to conspire against him.
Where is it?!
He was turning back in defeat when he saw what he’d left The Sanctuary to find.
The white tarp covering the car, exactly as he had seen it in his dreams.
He raced over, whipped the tarp off, then drew in his breath with a whistle.
There it was, just as he’d seen in his dream. Some sort of modified BMW Z8. If the dream was correct, which of course it would be, the guns were in the trunk. Will searched for the tree he’d seen in the dream. The tree with the hole in the trunk.
It took him a moment to find. Once he did, Will reached into the dark, damp hole, and found the keys The Sanctuary’s new visitor had hidden. He carefully pushed the trunk button, hoping like hell he wouldn’t accidentally set off the alarm. The trunk popped open, putting the large, black bag of weapons on full display.
Will grabbed the bag, which felt like it weighed 50 pounds, then shut the trunk, put the bag on the ground, and pulled the tarp back over the car. He slid the car keys into his pants pocket, and glanced at his watch.
12:54
He raced back to The Sanctuary, heart pounding in his chest as he sucked in deep mouthfuls of freezing air.
At the wall, he squatted down and opened the bag, careful not to get snow on his pants. He withdrew a Glock and a box of bullets. He slipped the shells into his pocket, and the gun behind his waistband in the small of his back, hidden by his jacket, then hid the bag against the outer wall, behind a small cluster of trees, where it wouldn’t be seen unless someone was looking directly at it.
With the bag concealed, Will raced to the gate, scanning the yard beyond. He could hear others, not too far off, but had yet to see them. The gate was fairly well hidden at the rear of the property, behind the barn and maintenance shack. Unless someone was in the rear of the garden, behind the barn, or walking along the rear wall, he was reasonably covered. Will stepped inside the gate, closed it, then retrieved the padlock he’d taken when he left and clicked it shut.
He turned around, and saw Brother Rei standing there.
“Hello,” Will said, acting perfectly normal, no idea what he’d seen.
“What were you doing?”
“I thought I heard someone out there,” Will said.
Brother Rei eyed him suspiciously, then walked toward Will and looked outside the gate. “Did it sound like a person?”
“I’m not sure,” Will said. “I thought so. But it could have been a demon, maybe?”
“I’ll have some men search outside,” Brother Rei took Will by the elbow, leading him away from the gate. Will hoped they didn’t search so well that they found either the weapons or the car.
“Come with me,” he said. “I’ve been looking for you. We need to talk.”
Will swallowed the lump in his throat, and followed Brother Rei back to the main house, the gun in his back a 12-ton stone that might fall out and crush his cover at any moment.
Brother Rei led Will to a room on the bottom floor of the main house. Will didn’t know if the office was Brother Rei’s, The Prophet’s, or someone else’s, but it was sparsely furnished. Just a desk, with two wood and leather chairs on either side, and a large metal filing cabinet against the rear wall. On the desk was a manila folder with a stack of papers inside.
“Have a seat, Brother Will.”
Will sat in the seat in front of the desk, as if he were about to interview for a job, rather than sit through the interrogation he expected. Will had seen the way Brother Rei was watching him lately, like a dog trying to divine the meaning of life. Brother Rei knew something was off about Will, and was trying to figure out exactly what it was. Or maybe he thought something was off about the whole lot of them, and Will was the easiest to go after. Mary and Desmond would defend one another, as they would Luca or Paola. Linc was roughly the size of a shit brick house, and men like Brother Rei never went after men like Linc unless the odds were heavily stacked in their favor.
Will was the weakest link, the one most likely to break their group’s chain.
“I’ll be right back; I just want to tell the others not to disturb us,” Brother Rei said, excusing himself from the room and closing the door behind him.
Will looked around, plotting the sudden escape he might have to make. The office window was barred, as were most of the windows on all three of the houses, so jumping out the window was out of the question. The room was small with no other doors, so if things went south, he’d have to go out the way he came in, then contend with whoever was standing guard.
“I’m sorry,” Brother Rei said, re-entering the room and taking a seat in the leather chair behind the desk. “Now, let’s get to know Brother Will a little better.”
“Okay,” Will said, shifting uncomfortably in his chair, gun pressing hard against the small of his back.
“A little birdie told me that The Prophet isn’t the only one who dreamed of October 15 before it happened. That you, too, had visions.”
“Well, I’m not sure I’d call them visions,” Will said, not sure where Brother Rei was headed with his line of questioning. “They were more like dreams that happened to come true. And it’s been months since I’ve had any.”
“You and I both know that nothing just happens, right?”
“I suppose,” Will said.
“And what did these vis . . . dreams tell you?”
“Not a whole lot,” Will lied. “Just bits and pieces, really. The one thing I remembered most was the date, of course. And that a lot of people would disappear all at once.”
“Rapture, you mean?”
“Well, I’m not sure what to call it,” Will said. “Nor did my dreams explain it, really.”
“And how long have you been having these dreams?”
“Decades, on and off.”
“And you never thought to warn anyone?”
“Well, I warned people I worked with at the Air Force. They thought I was crazy.”
“People can be doubting of The Truth. So, what did you do in the Air Force? Did you fly?”
“A bit, at first, but then I was a researcher, of sorts.”
“Of sorts?” Brother Rei said, eyebrows raised. “What does that mean?”
“It’s too complicated to explain,” Will said, wishing he’d said something with a thinner skin of truth. The truth was something he couldn’t explain to most p
eople, let alone a fundamentalist who saw things in two ways, either of God or the Devil.
“Why, because I’m just a dumb rube who doesn’t understand technical jargon?” Brother Rei said sharply, his eyes no longer disguising his disdain for Will.
“Did I do something to offend you?” Will asked, surprised at how quickly Brother Rei had dropped the courteous act. Will wanted to calm the man, and get the hell out of the room before things got out of hand. This was not part of the dream, and Brother Rei’s interference was a danger to everything.
Brother Rei smiled, though his smile had the warmth of an igloo. “How did you come to meet the boy? This child with such powers?”
“Luca? I dreamed of him,” Will said. “Something told me I’d meet him, and I did.”
“Something. Not God, though, right? Because God doesn’t speak to you?”
Will wasn’t sure what to say. There wasn’t much room for navigation. He could tell the little weasel wanted to pick a fight; it was all Brother Rei could do to keep his fist from suddenly swinging at Will. This man was a bully, a power-hungry one at that. Will had seen his kind, dealt with his kind, plenty of times before. He was a petty, little man with inadequacy issues, looking to make a name for himself, however he could.
Brother Rei might have been looking for a reason to spar with Will, but Will was smarter than the weasel by a wide berth. Will wouldn’t give in to the attempts. He would remain calm in the face of Brother Rei’s fury, no matter how quickly it rolled to a boil, or how high the bubbles rose.
“So, tell me, Brother Will. How close are you to Luca?”
Will didn’t like the innuendo in Brother Rei’s voice or the arch in his left eyebrow when he said ‘close.’ Had Brother Rei discovered his secret, or was he simply guessing? In any event, homosexuality didn’t equate to pedophilia, and Will would have to hide his outrage if that’s where Brother Rei was going with this.
“What are you asking?” Will met Brother Rei’s dark eyes, almost daring him to voice his ugly suspicions.
“Just trying to figure things out, is all,” Brother Rei said with a devious smile. “Do you think Luca is possessed?”
“What?! That’s crazy.”
“Do you not believe in demonic possession? Have you not seen enough of what’s happened outside, or been paying attention enough to know what it means?”
“Don’t you have better things to do with your day than spend it asking me questions about my faith? What is the point of all this?”
“The point, Brother Will, is to determine which side of eternity you and your little group are standing on. Brother John may have been fooled by your act, but I’m not so naive and trusting as he.”
“If you don’t trust us, then why have us here?”
Brother Rei smiled at this as if it were some kind of joke, and that it was all he could do to keep his laughter contained. He leaned across the desk, lowered his voice, and said, “You’re right; you shouldn’t be here. Please, let yourself out.”
Will was confused, “Out of this room, or leave The Sanctuary?”
“Both. Go tell your friends their time is up. The Sanctuary offers no solace to sinners.”
Will felt the acid churn in his gut.
What have I done? I can’t get the rest of them kicked out.
“Listen,” Will said, trying to smother the flames of his reckless behavior. “I don’t know what I’ve done to cause offense, but it wasn’t intentional. I’ve abided by your rules. All of them. And I’ve not spoken a word against your customs. I’ve helped in every way I’ve been asked. So, if there’s something I’ve personally done to you, please forgive me. But don’t take it out on my friends. If you want me to leave, I’ll leave right now.”
Brother Rei stared at him, then sat back and folded his fingers on his desk.
Whatever the weasel had expected to happen, Will had thrown him with his offer. Brother Rei’s eyes, and the uncertainty lurking like fear within them, said he was contemplating his next step with caution.
“You will leave? Just like that? Right now?” Brother Rei asked, surprised.
“I’d like to take a few of my things, and tell the others I’m going. But yes, I’ll leave.”
“And what will you tell the others? That I pushed you out, made you go away, gave you an ultimatum?”
“No, because then they’d leave here with me, and I don’t want that. I don’t have to believe what you believe to think they are still safest here. I even told them so when The Prophet asked Mary to choose here or outside. I’ve never been one to stay too long in one place. They know that, and aren’t likely to think much of it.”
Brother Rei leaned forward a second time. “The Prophet and Brother John are kind men. The Prophet has already once allowed the wrong people into our Sanctuary. I, however, was not a kind man before coming here. And I have no problem tapping into that darkness to preserve the light of this holy place. I will allow you to leave, but you must do so today. And you must convince the rest of your friends that this was your idea. Because even though The Prophet gave them a choice, I will never allow them to leave, at least not with the child.”
“Luca?” Will asked.
“Yes. He is a gift from God, and it would be an affront to allow him to be corrupted by your world. If they attempt to leave with him, they will die. Each and every one of them, including the girl.”
“I can’t believe The Prophet or John would allow that,” Will said.
“The Prophet isn’t doing especially well. He’s come down with something vile. To be blunt, I’m not sure he’ll live to see the completion of his church.” The corner of Brother Rei’s mouth crinkled, just enough to make Will certain he had something to do with The Prophet’s sudden illness.
“And John? Certainly you don’t think John will stand by and let you take control of this place, let alone murder his friends?”
“John is not a concern,” Brother Rei said. “I have won the loyalty of my brothers. If there’s a war for the heart and soul of The Sanctuary, have no doubt, I will be the victor. I have God, and the men, on my side.”
Will stared at him, then smiled.
“Why are you telling me all this?”
“You’re leaving,” Brother Rei said. “And I have two guards outside this room right now to ensure my absolute safety. These men will be your shadow until you leave. And you will leave promptly after dinner. I’ll make a big announcement, let everyone know how truly sorry I am to see you go. You will be given a car and some supplies. Then we’re done here, do I make myself clear?”
“Yes,” Will said, anxious to get the hell out of the tiny room.
Will stood and headed for the door, tempted to turn back, and put a bullet in Brother Rei. Maybe three. But that would be changing things, and Will knew that was forbidden. Brother Rei was in the dreams of what was to come, so that meant he was still alive. Even if Will were to get a shot off, fate would intervene long enough to keep the weasel breathing.
Will was strapped in, committed to the roller coaster ride, all the way to the end. He knew all too well the dangers of attempting to change fate.
Forty-Nine
Luca Harding
Luca wasn’t feeling well before lunch, but he didn’t say anything to anyone until he had a mouth filled with meat he couldn’t chew, let alone swallow. Everyone gave him looks that said they were sorry he was sick, except for Brother Rei, who gave him a look Luca didn’t understand, even though it made him feel a little bit black inside.
Luca excused himself from the table, then crossed the courtyard and went into his room. He slipped into bed and turned toward the wall with his hands cradling his stomach. Since Scott was gone, Luca had the room all to himself. The woman who cleaned the house, Sister Louise, was scrubbing the hallway on the other side of his door. Luca could hear her thoughts and they were making him sad. Louise was nice on the outside, and always smiled whenever she said hello, but today Luca could hear her thoughts, wondering if Luca were indee
d possessed.
He turned toward the window, wanting to find Rebecca, since he lost her in his dream last night. He’d been worried about her all day, and was glad that the funeral took place outside The Sanctuary so she didn’t have to hear Brother Rei talking about Scott’s “Heavenly reward,” which he got when he was fighting the bleakers, or the Demons, as everyone at The Sanctuary always called them.
Luca kept listening for the sound of Rebecca’s thoughts, but her thinking was nowhere to be found.
Listening for people’s thoughts, he’d discovered the prior day, was like TV channel surfing, like his dad used to do. Sometimes his dad would know what he was looking for and go straight to that channel. But most times he didn’t. When his dad didn’t know what he wanted to watch, he would point the remote at the screen, press the arrow, and flick from show to show until he found a station that looked promising. Often, his dad would watch the channel for a few seconds, lose interest, then move onto something else. When he finally found something entertaining, he’d drop the remote in the “Remote Boat,” then sip his glass of water, smiling. Picking up on people was the same way, but less entertaining.
If Luca knew whom he wanted to hear, or when he was looking at the person directly, getting in their thoughts was easy. But when he didn’t know, he had to do a lot of dipping. Dipping was what Luca called it when he had to go into someone’s thoughts just long enough to figure out whose mind he was inside.
He kept trying to find Rebecca’s thinking, but he couldn’t go dipping since the only person he could hear thinking was Louise.
“He picks his nose . . . and all that urine around the toilet! That’s all bad enough, but it’s his eyes that are the worst. That boy’s been branded by the Devil as sure as he misses the bowl.”
Luca didn’t want to be inside Louise’s head anymore, but he still couldn’t find Rebecca. He was almost ready to turn back to face the wall, since his tummy hurt less in that direction, when he heard her.
“Are you trying to find me?”
