The Paladin (13 page)

"What's that?" she said pointing at the opening.

"Oh, that's our projection booth, but the projector is so expensive we haven't bought it yet. I think that for the time being they use the room for storage."

"Do you think I could stay behind and pray?"

"Of course dear, but I'm afraid that people will be barging in and out. This afternoon we are going dedicate our new sanctuary and at the same time have a memorial for one of our former members."

"It seems like you are going to be busy."

"Yes, the memorial in itself goes to show how special our pastor is."

"What do you mean?"

"Not only are we giving Will a memorial, but the sanctuary is being named after him."

"This Will must have been a great guy," said Maggie.

"Hardly," said Suzan. "I never much liked him myself. He was a smart as—aleck, and general pain in my rear, if you know what I mean. The rumor is that when the pastor's daughter broke up with him, that he began to stalk her. He made all kinds of sick threats and the pastor even had to get a restraining order."

"Sounds like a creep."

"Exactly," Suzan said. "Now we get to worship the Lord in the new Willard Byron Carlson Memorial Sanctuary."

"That is a mouthful!"

"Now, you take your time, Steph, and when you're done, stop by the front desk and we'll fill out a visitor's card."

"Sure thing, Suzan."

The plump woman exited through a second set of doors. Maggie gave her five seconds before finding out how to reach the projection room.

Just as Suzan said, the small room was littered with cardboard boxes and stacks of chairs. Moving to the open window, which gave an unobstructed view of the sanctuary below, Maggie began to feel lightheaded. She knew that the next time that she looked out this window, it would be to kill a man.

Maggie turned and made her way down the steps toward the vacant school section of the church. Entering a dark classroom, she crossed to an outside door that led to a playground. Opening the door, she cautiously peered outside, but no one was about.

Pulling up her t-shirt, she peeled three strips of black tape free and applied them to the latch. Closing the door, she tested her handiwork by pulling on the door a few times. The taped door swung inward easily without locking.

I now have my way in. I had better get back to Suzan before she gets suspicious and comes looking for me.

As she closed the door to the classroom and started down the hallway, Maggie heard someone approaching. Quickly, she pushed through the only door in sight, but in her hurry she failed to look at the brass nameplate on the door. She closed the door quickly and found herself in the pastor's office.

She nearly fainted as the doorknob began to turn. Maggie leaped across the room and entered a closet. She had just pulled the door closed when Pastor John Mills entered his office carrying a bottle of Grey Goose vodka.

That isn't communion wine he's toting,
she thought as she peered through a crack in the door.

Mills crossed the room and opened a cabinet revealing a fully stocked bar. He took a tall water glass and poured it full of vodka.

Taking a generous gulp, he set the glass on his desk a started toward the closet where Maggie was hiding.

Sucking in her breath, she balled her fists, preparing to stun Mills and escape, hopefully before he got a good look at her.

Just as the unsuspecting minister's hand was mere inches from the doorknob, the phone rang.

Turning back to the desk, he pushed the speaker button and picked up his glass.

"Hello, Pastor Mills."

"Daddy? It's Brenda."

"Brenda! Did Zack find that damn jar yet?"

"I think he's close. We found this satchel full of stuff and it had a map to some land Silas owned."

"You need to light fire under his ass to find it or it's the end of me."

"You? What about Momma? You weren't the one kidnapped!"

"That's what I meant," he corrected. "If I lost your mom, why, I would be destroyed."

Maggie watched as Mills rolled his eyes and took a drink.

"What if they get the jar and then won't give her back? What if they kill her?"

"Now, now, don't you worry," he said. "I am an outstanding judge of character. This is a business deal, nothing more. I talked to your mom just this morning and she said they were taking excellent care of her. Just remember that the sooner we get our hands on Silas's jar the faster we get her back."

"I don't like it," Brenda said. "But, I guess you know best."

"Always remember that, girl," he said with a grin. "Don't forget I need you to pick up some people at the Knoxville airport because I'm too busy with preparations for that asshole's sendoff."

"Don't you ever call him that again! Will was a good man…the man I should have married. His only sin was losing his money!"

"Look here, you bitch, now isn't the time for us to be at each others' throats. Too much is at stake. I apologize for my crude comments about Will."

"Well, OKOK, who am I picking up at the airport?"

"The Miller family. I invited them to the memorial. I mean after all, it was their daughter that was murdered along with poor Will."

"OK, no problem."

"Well, get here as fast as you can. I want you to take my Escalade; there should be more than enough room. Their flight will land in about an hour."

"Give me about twenty minutes, bye."

"I may get out of this mess yet," he said with a grin as he hung up the phone.

The phone rang again. Mills saw that it was Suzan and he uttered a string of profanities. "What now, Suzan?" Mills asked as he picked up the receiver.

"Tell him that we paid for white roses and we had damn well better have white roses!"

Mills listened for a few minutes while draining his glass.

"Tell me again why I keep your fat ass around? I'll be right over, try not to screw anything else up before I get there!"

Slamming the phone down, he stalked from the office swearing under his breath.

Maggie frowned.
This foul-mouthed drunk is the man of God Suzan was talking about? Talk about pulling the wool over your eyes. Beck must have kidnapped Mills' wife and Zack is trying to find Silas's vessel to pay a ransom. Funny thing, Pastor Mills doesn't seem too broken up about his wife being snatched.
I think he is closer to a shit stain than a man of God.

Maggie waited a moment before leaving the closet. Easing the office door open, she saw that the coast was clear. Wasting no time, she ran back to the classroom and left by the door she had disabled.

***

Sweating bullets, Maggie drove her car away from the Christ Redeeming Apostolic First Church of Prophecy.

Come on girl, hold it together!
She thought.
I can do this…have to do this. Too much is on the line. All I have to do is kill an innocent man whose only crime is trying to help a kidnapped woman. Damn it! Why couldn't he be another rapist werewolf? Then this would be easy.

Maggie pulled into the parking lot of a convenience store. She had barely stopped the car before she broke down and began to cry. After a few minutes, she regained control and blew her nose into a paper napkin.

"Don't have time for this," she said. "I was the one who wished for a life of adventure. I got my wish all right, in spades. Thank you, Larry! I need to cowboy up cause I know for certain this has to be done or billions are goners."

Please God, don't send me to Hell for killing a man in your house,
she prayed.
I know he didn't do anything to deserve this…if there was any other way, I would do it; you know that…you know everything. I'm begging you; please give me strength to do the right thing.

Maggie opened her eyes and leaned back in her seat. Reaching up, she pulled off the platinum wig and tossed it into the passenger side seat.

"I am asking God to give me the resolve to murder a man in church," she said softly as she ran a hand through her bobbed hair. "Am I screwed up or what?"

15

Zack opened the passenger side door of his truck and helped Sara out into the church parking lot. She stood a moment smoothing her somber black dress. Zack, dressed in a black pinstripe suit that was just a bit too big for him and a gray tie, looked uncomfortable.

"You look handsome, Zack," she said, as she adjusted his tie. "It has been ages since I saw you in a suit and tie."

"It will be ages until you catch me in one again," he said, tugging at his collar.

"You would think that someone as crazy as you are over old gangster movies would like to dress up," she said.

"Noir is ultra cool," he said."But, I'm not a suit and tie kind of guy."

"I don't know, Zack, to see you in Gordon's suit makes me think of Bogie."

"Don't even think about it, sweetheart," Zack said in a terrible Bogart impression. "I don't want to be caught dead in one again, unless it is my own funeral."

"You'll change your mind one day," she said. "Now, let's get inside where it's cool. I'll bet it's at least ninety in the shade."

They arrived early for the service, but the parking lot was already half full. Several small knots of people were milling about the entrance, most of with whom Zack was unfamiliar. As they entered the church, a woman in a dark red jacket and black trousers approached the pair. On her lapel was pinned a tag that read:
USHER.

"Are you Mr. Cole and Mrs. Johnson?" she asked.

"Yes, we are," said Sara.

The woman gave them a bright smile and said, "Welcome to our church home. My name is Connie. If you will come with me, we have reserved seats for Will's family."

With Connie in the lead, they walked into the huge sanctuary and down to the front row where the seats were segregated by cards marked:
RESERVED FOR FAMILY.

"Is there anything I can get you?"

"No, we're fine," Zack said.

"Good, here is a program," she said producing two from her coat pocket. "I believe, Mr. Cole, that you are the second speaker."

Zack suddenly turned white and snatched the programs from her hand.

Sure enough, under ‘Scheduled Speakers,’ there was Zack's name.

"There must be some mistake. I can't get up in front of all these people! I don't know what to say."

"I'm sure you will do fine," Connie said patting him on the back. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have other guests I must attend to."

"What am I going to do, Sara?" he moaned.

"Just tell everyone how much Will meant to you and how you will miss him," Sara said squeezing his hand. "Nobody is going to give you a bad grade. It will be fine, trust me."

"I need air," he said "Will you be all right here?"

"Go. I'll be fine."

Zack gave her a kiss on the cheek, and then walked out of the sanctuary. He fought the overwhelming urge to run to his truck and drive back to Georgia.

"Zack? Zack Cole, is that you?"

Zack looked around, startled by the familiar voice. He smiled at the older heavyset man who approached him.

Judge Roy Smith was both a family friend, as well as Sara's lawyer. Judge Smith was an avid fisherman and some of Zack's fondest memories growing up were of himself, Will, and the judge, out on the lake drowning worms.

"Judge Smith, it is good to see you, sir," Zack said.

The older man took Zack's hand in his own and said, "Good to see you as well, son. I just wish it were under happier circumstances."

Zack just smiled and shook the man's beefy hand.

"I thought the world of Will, and I can't get over his death. I tried to help him clean up the mess Owen had made and to settle his affairs. I even tried to talk him out of going out to that damn desert, but you know how stubborn that boy could be."

"Yeah, he was mule-headed," Zack said. "God, I miss him."

"Zack, if there is anything I can do, don't hesitate to ask."

Zack looked at the judge and smiled.

"If you could tell me where I could find the Jesus Rock, I would be much obliged."

"Jesus Rock? Why I haven't heard it called that in a good fifty years. While this is against my better judgment, get me a piece of paper and I'll draw you a map."

Zack's brain slipped a gear.
Oh my God! It can't be that easy!
Stunned, Zack fished the program out of his pocket and handed it to the older man.

"OK, my boy, first go to the Panther Creek Park and take the Lost Road Trail," he said, "you know where that is?"

"No, sir."

"Just ask when you get there everyone knows where it is…makes you wonder how it got lost," the judge said with a smile. "But anyway, go to the end, just before it loops back toward the visitor center, it's about two miles. You will find a trail marker, Deer Run Trail, take that. It's about three more miles. About a quarter mile from the end, it swings toward Cherokee Lake. There, you will find a section of barbed wire fence covered with no trespassing signs. Now, this is where it gets hairy. Leave Deer Run Trail and cross the fence, walk about a mile to a mile and a half and bingo you're at the Jesus Rock, or what is left of it. Mostly it is just a big pile of rubble."

Zack took the map, not believing his good luck.

"I can't thank you enough, judge."

"Oh, it's nothing, son," he said. "But why on earth would you want to go way out there?"

"I found an old map drawn back in the forties and it had the Jesus Rock labeled on it. Sara said she had never heard of it. I was curious why they called it the Jesus Rock."

"Your cousin was only a child at the time," said the judge. "I was a teen when it collapsed. There used to be a big rock formation that sat at the end of a low rock bluff that a few nearsighted folk thought looked like the Lord."

"The Jesus Rock."

"Precisely. I don't remember much about it myself, but my dad always said it took more imagination than he had to see the Lord's face in that rock."

Zack chuckled.

"Anyway, the rock collapsed and fell off the bluff the night of your great granddaddy's alleged legal infractions. Old-timers said it was a dark omen and avoided the area like it was cursed."