Into the Light (31 page)

“Lucky, I guess,” Jacob said with a smirk as he reached for my shampoo.

I felt my cheeks rise, loving his expression and the tone of his voice. I didn’t know—and couldn’t ask—about things on the Assembly or with his flying, but I knew that lately he’d seemed stressed. It wasn’t anything he’d said, more what he hadn’t. The only thing he’d shared was that Xavier, the pilot who came to the Northern Light, had been ill and until there was a replacement, there was more work for him and Brother Micah.

Though I wanted to help, without being disobedient and questioning all I could do was help him relax. Running was one way, but I witnessed his expression of pure bliss only after we’d come together as one. Even if I hadn’t loved every second of making love to my husband—and I did—I’d willingly have given myself to see that.

As he massaged shampoo into my hair, the scent of flowers replaced the musk, and the warm water continued to rain.

“Do you think I could ever go away with you? So we wouldn’t need to be apart,” I asked.

Behind me Jacob tensed. I spun around, putting my small hands on his chest. “I’m sorry if I shouldn’t have said that.”

One side of his lips turned upward. “Don’t be sorry for wanting to be with me. I love having you with me.”

I exhaled and turned back around. “I know I have my job, and it couldn’t be done without permission, but if I could, I’d love that too.”

“No matter where we are, I love you.” He kissed my neck.

As I craned my neck toward his lips, my heart was full. We kissed. “I love you too.”

CHAPTER 32

Jacob

The small airstrip nestled in an unassuming valley of the Rocky Mountains was near Whitefish, Montana, as the crow flies. To drive from Whitefish to the Western Light required off-road vehicles. Accessing the Western Light’s campus by land was almost as difficult as driving to the Northern Light, in Alaska. That was Father Gabriel’s plan—keep them remote.

Passing the challenges Father Gabriel and the Commission had put before me, I’d finally earned the right to learn the specifics regarding the unique calling and activities of the Western Light. Not its fellowship or religious activities; those mirrored ours, as did the Eastern Light’s. To the unsuspecting tourist or resident of the nearby ski towns, the Western Light was nothing more than a group of religious zealots who kept to themselves. Those people had no idea of the billion-dollar operation happening in their midst.

The Light’s tax-exempt status, as well as the freedoms afforded by separation of church and state, kept all of The Light’s campuses a mystery to outsiders. Father Gabriel might have stated in the beginning that God had given him visions of The Light’s current greatness; however, even as an Assemblyman, I wondered if he had ever fathomed its current magnitude.

The Northern Light was the brightest, the most profitable. However, this campus, the Western Light, was doing better than many Fortune 500 companies, a fact most would disbelieve based solely on its outward appearance. The Western Light’s deceptive facade was even more important than ours. Though driving to the Western Light was difficult, flyovers were much more common in Montana than Alaska.

While our community concentrated on the production of product, the Western Light had a twofold goal. Primarily it packaged and distributed the pharmaceuticals. Its second goal was production of Preserve the Light preserves. Most of the females of the Western Light worked around the clock—literally, in shifts—producing and canning preserves. The jams and jellies were made from local berries, grown in the community. The Western Light followers who weren’t part of the chosen worked tirelessly in the gardens, the greenhouses, and the preserve plant, producing and canning. If they weren’t working there, they were in the packaging plant, preparing the pharmaceuticals for distribution.

Production of the preserves never stopped. To the outside world it was the acceptable source of income for The Light. To those who were chosen to understand, Preserve the Light was the cover for the illegal distribution of pharmaceuticals created at the Northern Light.

Members of the Western Light’s Assembly and Commission organized all the logistics. Father Gabriel had chosen the location of this campus perfectly, as Canada made the perfect market for low-cost medications. With Brothers Raphael and Benjamin’s research, the pills and capsules created by the followers of the Northern Light were indistinguishable from those produced by mainstream pharmaceutical giants. Since Father Gabriel’s followers worked not for worldly goods or money, but to maintain their standing in the community, production costs were minimal. The followers believed they were making the medications to help others.

They were, just not the
others
they thought.

When I first entered The Light, it was through the smallest campus, the Eastern Light, in Detroit. At that time I was led to assume that the production and sale of illegal drugs was the focus. Over the last three years I’d learned that illegal drugs were present, but only as the smallest piece of The Light’s revenue pie. The crack and meth produced and sold through the Eastern Light were more of a diversion—Father Gabriel’s backup plan. If the time ever came when the operation was discovered, each campus had enough paraphernalia to give the perception of a large illegal drug network. The investigation would satisfy the FBI and ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Though they would boast the closing down of a large illegal drug organization, in reality they would have stopped only the tertiary source of income.

Even the preserves made more profit.

Until my recent promotion, I hadn’t known the breadth and scope of the entire operation, governed by Father Gabriel, on three campuses, with twelve Commissioners—four at each campus—and thirty-six Assemblymen—twelve at each campus. The hundreds of non-chosen followers were completely unaware.

Being Father Gabriel’s pilot offered me access that others didn’t enjoy. I had the pleasure of flying to Father Gabriel’s mansion outside Detroit, though I was never invited up to the big house; I’d seen the telecasts that gave the appearance of mundane surroundings while knowing they were recorded in the large luxurious mansion. Keeping those secrets had been some of my first tests. Passing those first tests undoubtedly aided my rise to the chosen.

Sharing my knowledge wouldn’t benefit anyone. It would result not only in my banishment, but also in the banishment of whomever I told, including other members of the chosen. I wouldn’t nor could I risk that. Micah and I were the only followers at the Northern Light who saw things away from that campus.

Each challenge presented to me was a test or a stepping stone. The only way to access the knowledge of the inner workings of The Light was to succeed. With the addition of a wife, I hadn’t only passed one of the final tests, I’d become vulnerable. That vulnerability made me less of a threat, less likely to breach The Light’s trust.

That vulnerability was one of the reasons Sara’s desire to have children could never be fulfilled. I couldn’t increase my susceptibility. There was already too much at stake.

Over the past three years, each decision I’d made and each action had worked together to gain Father Gabriel’s confidence. It also helped that Xavier had recently become ill. Since his replacement wasn’t trusted enough to ship product, Father Gabriel decided that I was.

Finally I’d been entrusted to deliver a full order of pharmaceuticals. While I finished the transaction, from the depths of my jean pocket, my cell phone buzzed. Though the men before me were capable of appearing as nondescript as any member of The Light, they were undoubtedly professionals. Father Gabriel didn’t use run-of-the-mill traffickers in his organization. This well-oiled machine required over-the-top devotion as well as top-notch performance. Kinks in the system were eliminated with the utmost proficiency. Without a doubt my phone could wait. I’d come too far to appear as anything other than completely devoted. I couldn’t risk becoming an eliminated kink.

Under the cover of the hangar, my plane sat emptied of merchandise and fully refueled.

“Brother Jacob,” said Brother Michael, the leader of this small party, offering his hand.

Though I was larger physically than Brother Michael, he’d been on the Commission of The Light from the beginning, and the aura of power and control that surrounded him was equaled only by that of Father Gabriel. He was one of the four founding fathers. While everyone within The Light was given a biblical name, only the founders had been given the names of archangels. According to Father Gabriel that was because, like the archangels, these three men and he were with God, welcomed into His holy of holies and His private sanctuary. Brother Raphael at the Northern Light and Brother Uriel at the Eastern were also among the founders.

Brother Michael’s power didn’t come only from his aura; the two large men on either side of him helped to maintain his standing. They obviously were more than members of the unloading crew. As Brother Michael and I discussed the transaction, his bodyguards made no attempt to conceal the weapons strapped to their sides. If I were to guess, each had at least one more gun strapped to the inside of his ankle. I knew I would, if I could, but delivering the pharmaceuticals unarmed was one of Father Gabriel’s requirements. He said it was a show of faith to our brothers.

Even if I could, I wouldn’t have argued. This was Father Gabriel’s show and they were his rules.

We shook. “Brother Michael, I’ll be sure to inform Father Gabriel that you inspected the shipment personally.”

“Yes, do that, and let him know I’m pleased.” Michael tilted his head toward the big guy on his right. “Brother Reuben has something for Father Gabriel.”

I looked in his direction, my gaze scanning his large muscular frame. Whatever he had for Father Gabriel wasn’t a payment. Actual money never changed hands. Untraceable overseas accounts kept people like Brother Noah at the Northern Light extremely busy. The billion-dollar operation had the whole checks-and-balances accountability thing happening. It involved accountants from all three campuses. That was the one part of the business I’d yet to learn. As far as Father Gabriel and The Light were concerned, money handling wasn’t my thing, nor was accounting. I was first and foremost a pilot.

Brother Reuben reached inside his jacket, suspiciously close to his gun, and paused. The dramatization was for effect. I was the new kid in this assignment and no doubt was being tested at every turn. I nodded with a cocky grin, letting him know I didn’t fall for his ploy, all the while praying he wouldn’t shoot me before I made it back to Sara. Finally he removed an envelope from his jacket and handed it to me. The outside simply read
Father
.

“Thank you, Brother Reuben,” I said as I took the envelope and turned back to Brother Michael. “Brother, is there anything else you’d like me to pass along to Father Gabriel?”

“No, everything appears in order.” He stepped forward and patted my shoulder, sharing a grin of amusement at my reaction to Brother Reuben’s show. “I believe this will work well. Father Gabriel’s judgment has not been proven wrong yet. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other.”

“Thank you, Brother, I’m honored to have been chosen.”

“As you should. You’ve reached an honorable level within The Light in a short time. Keeping our chosen with us and productive is our goal. To that end, my brother, have you seen the forecast? It’s been changing by the hour. Perhaps it would be better if you chose to stay here until tomorrow. Northern Light is a far journey.”

I smiled respectfully, hoping the new vibration of my phone would continue to go unnoticed. “Thank you. My flight plan has me landing at Lone Hawk for the night. I won’t be heading back to the Northern Light until morning.” I wasn’t sure if his invitation was another test, but my flight plans were set and clear. Even with a small plane, it was best to have records of arrivals and departures. Lone Hawk was one of my favorite airports, privately owned with few questions asked. Even so, I’d never land my plane there with a full load of product. Once I landed, I planned to buy supplies. I wasn’t looking for anything to draw attention, only normal living-type stuff, things to make my stop believable. Besides, it didn’t make sense to fly back to the Northern Light in an empty plane.

I checked my watch.

Yes, right on schedule
.

“Very well, Brother, safe travels.”

Once I completed my preflight checklist and was in the air, I checked my phone. It hadn’t vibrated since I’d spoken with Brother Michael, and due to the recording device in the plane, I wouldn’t be able to return a call until I landed at Lone Hawk. Above all, I didn’t want to risk anyone from the Western Light questioning my ethics.

When the screen came to life my pulse quickened. I’d missed one call from Brother Benjamin’s phone and five from a burner phone.

Shit!

After the incident with Brother Timothy and Sister Lilith, I’d set up an emergency chain of communication. The long and short of it was that I was simply gone from the Northern Light too much. Even if Father Gabriel believed that the entire episode with Brother Timothy and Sister Lilith had added to Sara’s eventual success, I refused to allow anything like that to blindside me again. While having a wife increased my risks, with this system, I increased my odds. It was a gamble, but I believed Sister Raquel would help, if necessary.

According to the screen, it was time to cash in the chips.

Once I had the Cessna secured on Lone Hawk’s tarmac, I searched for the manager, Jerry. He was a quiet man, friendly in an unobtrusive sort of way. I made my way back to a small apartment area near the back of the hangar. I didn’t know if he lived there all the time, or just when he was working. Either way, I was happy when he answered my knock.

“Jacob, I saw your approved arrival on the CBP e-mail. Welcome back to the big city of Whitefish.”

“Thanks, Jerry. I have some business in town and was hoping you had that truck here I could borrow. I’ll bring it back in the morning, promise.”

“No. Sorry. That piece of shit has seen better days.” His furrowed his weathered brow. “But I’ll tell you what, my old lady’s Chevy Tahoe is sitting out back. She ain’t going nowhere tonight. Besides, I’ve got my new truck if she needs a ride. You’re welcome to take the Tahoe into Whitefish.”

“Thanks, Jerry. I owe you.”

“Next time you’re here, you can bring me some of that Preserve the Light jelly. The old lady goes nuts for that stuff.”

“I’ll do my best,” I promised, taking the keys he handed me and heading toward the beat-up Tahoe.

If Raquel had used that burner phone, it meant only one thing: trouble, serious trouble. As we’d agreed, I could answer a burner only with a burner.

Before checking into the cheap hotel, I stopped at a gas station and purchased two burners. Something in my gut told me one wouldn’t be enough. Once in the hotel room, I plugged them both in and recalled the telephone number I’d hoped I’d never need to call. I waited for the ringing to stop. Once it did, I asked, “Raquel?”

“Brother Jacob, tell me she went with you.”

“What are you talking about?”

Her voice changed to a low whisper. “Sara. Benjamin said you asked the Commission about her going with you on some of your flights. Please tell me that you did it, you took her without permission, and she’s with you.”

I had asked the Commission, but I sure as hell wouldn’t bring her on one of these trips. The last thing I wanted was to have my wife around Michael’s goons. I took a deep breath. “Raquel, I left her in our apartment. She was in the kitchen cleaning up after breakfast.” I tried to hide the trepidation. “She couldn’t have come. I didn’t have the Commission’s permission, and besides, she was scheduled to work in the lab today.”