The Light of His Sword (3 page)

“Excuse me,” She began, “I’m sorry to bother
you, but I’m not very mechanical, and I’ve never owned a car
before.”

He turned to gaze down at her.

She added, “Could you show me how to put gas
in my car?”

A huge smile crossed his face, and he
chuckled softly, “My pleasure, why don’t you pull the car up next
to the pump and I’ll give you a hand.”

Alyssa’s heart pounded as she slowly backed
up the car and pulled in next to the gas pump. She felt like a fool
inching her way backward then moving slowly toward the pump, but
she didn’t dare go any faster in fear of hitting the pump. She
smiled nervously at Samantha, who was perched high in her seat
overseeing her mother’s progress.

“You’re doing it mommy,” She encouraged,
“You’re almost there.”

She stopped the car and got out, as the
truck driver moved to the back of her car. Alyssa came up beside
him, followed quickly by Samantha. He offered her his hand and
said, “My name is Gabe.”

Alyssa shook his hand and answered, “My name
is Alyssa, and this is my daughter Samantha.”

“Nice to meet you.” He offered Samantha his
hand. She grinned from ear to ear and shook it eagerly.

Gabe said, “Your tank access is here under
the license plate. Just screw off the cap and choose regular gas.
You can use a credit card or pay cash inside.” He showed her how to
choose her options and how to use the pump. When he was done he
asked, “You ladies take care, and if I were you, I’d avoid
traveling at night. Two pretty ladies such as you are much safer
traveling in the light of day.”

Alyssa could see the sincerity in his face.
He was the first man she’d ever known other than her father who was
kind and helpful without expecting something in return. “Thank you
for the advice.” She answered, “You’re very kind.”

“My pleasure,” He smiled at Samantha,
adding, “Take care.”

Alyssa pulled out of the Travel Center.
Samantha sat beside her and ate the pastries. She offered her
mother one, and then offered her the energy drink Gabe had given
them saying, “You look really tired. Don’t fall asleep; this car is
too big for me to drive.”

Accepting the drink, she pulled the tab and
took a sip. It was sweet but tasted strange. Shortly after she
forced herself to finish the drink, her hands became a bit shaky.
Her thoughts felt as if they were racing as fast as her pulse. She
reached over and turned the knobs on the console that appeared to
control the radio. A thrilling fast-paced song rang through the
car. Alyssa tapped her fingers against the steering wheel in beat
with the tune.

The energy drink was as Gabe described. It
kept Alyssa alert for the next few hours. The next time they
stopped at a gas station, she bought sandwiches and two more energy
drinks. Finally, as the sunset turned pink and orange, she pulled
into a small, rural roadside hotel. Alyssa went into the office and
checked in with her grandmother’s credit card. She took Samantha
into the small restaurant located just off the lobby.

Samantha ate chicken nuggets shaped like
dinosaurs while Alyssa dined on meatloaf and mashed potatoes. The
food was spicy and salty, but it felt wonderful to have a hot meal.
By the time, they reached their room Alyssa was exhausted; the
energy drinks had finally worn off. She gave Samantha a bath then
took a quick shower. She used the bar of hand soap to wash their
dresses and undergarments in the bathroom sink, then wrung them out
and draped them over the shower bar to dry. She yawned and crawled
into the bed to curl up next to Samantha, who was already under the
covers fast asleep.

Her thoughts went to the road ahead and the
truck driver’s words. It never occurred to her that the long trip
to her grandmothers might be dangerous for a woman and child alone.
She glanced at the solid white door leading into the hall then rose
and pushed the small safety bar into place. She climbed back in
bed, rolled over and inhaled the musty scent of the thin pillow.
Regardless, nothing was going to stop her from getting Samantha to
safety. They would travel only during the daylight from now on and
stop only for gas and food.

Her thoughts went to her grandmother. She
and her mother communicated with her for years using that Post
Office Box. Her mother was the one who risked discovery and
punishment by sneaking out at night once a month to fetch the
letters from the post office. She never brought them back with her
but always told Alyssa what they said. They spoke of her love,
concern, and constant offers to help them escape, but her mother
was too frightened to try again. When her mother fell ill last
month, she gave Alyssa the key and told her of a weak spot in the
fence. She told Alyssa where she hid her writing supplies and
stamps. She told Alyssa to write to her grandmother and plan an
escape.

Alyssa could see her mother’s pale face in
her mind. She’d grown weak so quickly. At first Alyssa thought; she
had a bad case of the flu, but she never recovered. Her short brown
hair began to fall out in clumps, and her stomach cramps became so
strong they were crippling. No one ever came to check on her, not
even the night she died. She and Alyssa were alone when her mother
took her last breath. In her last moments, instead of fearing her
death, her mother concentrated on Alyssa. She made Alyssa promise
she would do everything in her power to get Samantha to her
grandmother’s farm.

As soon as Alyssa promised she would escape
with Samantha a calmness came over her mother. The grimace of pain
left her face and her eyes glazed over. She whispered, “God has a
plan for you. He will be with you on this journey.”

They never spoke of God at the compound.
Punishment at the tip of a whip would happen if you dared even
mention God, Jesus, or Heaven. The elders believed in other deitys
whose names twisted your tongue and could only be whispered in the
darkness of the candle lit sanctuary.

Alyssa stared up at the ceiling and
considered her mother’s words. Her last conversation with Walton
leapt into her mind. Instead of comforting her upon her mother’s
death, he smiled and said, “It’s best to forget the dead. They’re
part of the past and have nothing to do with your destiny. We need
to concentrate on Samantha and insure she is always with us. It was
revealed in the sanctuary that whoever is Samantha’s caregiver when
the end of days begins will be spared from the lake of fire. She is
the future; she is our destiny, and we shall never be parted.”

Waking with the dawn was a daily routine at
the compound. Alyssa was shocked to discover they’d slept until
almost 10am. Samantha cuddled close to her mother in the night. She
lay sleeping on Alyssa’s shoulder. Alyssa wrapped her arms around
her and kissed Samantha’s forehead.

“Time to get up my darling.” She said giving
her a hug.

Samantha stretched, opened her eyes and
smiled up at her mother. “This was the softest bed I’ve ever
had.”

“Yes, it is wonderful.” Alyssa agreed, “I
bet grandma’s beds will be just as soft.”

“Does she have a puppy?” Samantha frowned,
as she sat up in bed.

“I’m not sure,” Alyssa, answered softly,
“She always has a dog. When I was little her dog was a sweet cuddly
farm dog not a guard dog like back home.”

Samantha considered her words then climbed
out of bed and headed for the bathroom. A few minutes later, she
appeared with their clothes. They dressed and headed to the
restaurant for breakfast.

When they entered the small dining room,
Samantha broke free of her mother’s hand and rushed to a table
where Gabe sat eating breakfast. He rose as Samantha reached him
and offered her hand. Chuckling, Gabe shook her hand and glanced up
at Alyssa as she approached.

“We keep running into each other.” He said
with a smile.

Alyssa couldn’t help but smile back at him
as she took Samantha’s hand. He was dressed in another flannel
shirt, this time it was a deep blue to match his eyes. “Yes we do.”
She agreed, uncertain how to proceed she added, “Have a nice
breakfast and travel safely.”

“Thank you,” His smile softened, “Same to
you.”

She led Samantha to a table across the room.
It was best they didn’t get too close to anyone right now. Gabe was
very kind, but she was not used to dealing with anyone outside of
the compound, and it was best to keep to themselves.

They sat down and ordered breakfast gazing
out the window at the beautiful fall day. The leaves had changed to
gold and red hues. Stray leaves skittered across the parking lot to
land in the grassy area at the far edge of the two-story hotel.
Alyssa’s eyes followed a large leaf as it danced across the parking
lot.

“Mommy,” Samantha’s voice trembled when she
spoke.

Alyssa reached for her and pulled her near.
Samantha’s eyes were wide and full of fear. Time seemed to slow as
Alyssa followed her gaze, knowing what she was going to find. Her
breath left her as three men walked inside. The first man was tall
and thin with graying hair at his temples. It was Walton. He wore
the same light gray shirt and black trousers all the elders wore.
He stopped just inside the door waiting for the others to come to
his side. The second man, Maxwell, was slightly shorter but more
muscular with shoulder length mousy brown hair and black eyes. The
third, Orson was a very large, stout man with no hair and just
enough teeth to chew soft food.

Gabe sat facing Alyssa. He saw the stricken
expression on her face and turned to watch the elders walk slowly
toward her. Tension filled the air. Samantha slid from the booth to
hide under the table. Alyssa forced the image of Walton writhing on
top of her from her mind. She wasn’t in the compound now. She was
free. He could not take her if she were strong.

Walton stopped at the edge of her table. He
glared at her with open disgust. His eyes burned with anger. Alyssa
felt a familiar intense fear rising up inside her. She could feel
the evil emanating from him. It snaked up her nostrils. It left a
metallic taste on her tongue. His very presence seemed to pull all
the happiness out of the air.

Maxwell and Orson stood behind Walton as he
whispered through clenched teeth, “I thought your first little
jaunt would have taught you a lesson.”

Alyssa forced herself to hold his gaze and
said, “It taught me everything I needed to know.”

Walton’s smile dripped with fury, “Then you
understand the price you must pay.”

A whimper came from under the table as
Samantha began to cry. “Make him go away mommy! Make him go
away!”

The fear in her daughter’s voice fueled
Alyssa’s ire. “Leave us alone.” She said loudly, glancing at Gabe
to find he was on his feet and headed their way.

“Are these men bothering you Miss?” Gabe’s
voice held a commanding air.

Walton turned his iron gaze on Gabe. He
recognized Gabe from the café. He hesitated only a moment as his
face screwed into a knot of anger. Walton said in a seething tone,
“This woman is my wife, and that is my child. Stay out of it.”

Gabe ignored Walton, his gaze never left
Alyssa. It was clear he was waiting for her to respond. She felt a
sudden surge of energy rush through her. Gabe’s presence gave her
hope.

“I don’t want to go with them.” She said
confidently reaching under the table to take hold of Samantha’s arm
and pull her gently up onto the seat.

That was all he needed to know. Gabe moved
closer, standing nose to nose with Walton. His whisper dripped with
venom, “You heard the lady; you can leave now, or I can help you
out the door.”

Walton’s eyes flashed with challenge. Yet he
turned his back on the annoying stranger and glared at Alyssa with
open hostility. His face contorted in a deeper rage than Alyssa had
never seen before. Maxwell and Orson stepped between Walton and
Gabe. Walton growled, “Get up you little bitch. We are going
home.”

Once again, time seemed to slow to a near
stop as Walton reached out and took hold of Samantha’s arm. Alyssa
watched in shock as Gabe flew into action. He punched Maxwell in
the face breaking his nose. In one swift movement, he reached out
to catch Orson in mid-lunge and tossed him to the floor. Orson
jumped up as Gabe turned on Walton and grabbed him by the throat.
Walton released Samantha as Gabe jerked him away from the table and
threw him to the floor.

“Go!” Gabe ordered Alyssa as he turned to
face Orson.

Alyssa scooped up the terrified Samantha,
who buried her head in her mother’s chest. She ran out the door and
raced to their car. Alyssa didn’t stop to look back at the melee;
all she wanted to do was escape.

Gabe made quick work of Orson with a few
select punches to his face and groin. Walton jumped on Gabe’s back
before he could turn to face him. Gabe leaned forward using
Walton’s momentum against him. He pulled Walton over his head and
sent him reeling into a nearby empty table. Gabe stood over the
elders waiting. They did not rise to face him again.

He turned to the waitress who stood near the
entrance gawking at him and said, “I’m sorry for the damage. Have
the manager add the cost of the table to my bill.” Gabe flashed a
glance of warning at the elders then headed toward the door.

The waitress nodded blankly and stared past
him at the men he left behind.

Gabe stared after Alyssa’s car as she sped
off down the highway. His eyes grew dark as he glanced to the spot
where her car was parked. A large oily spot stained the pavement.
Her trouble wasn’t over. Moving to the only other car parked near
the diner, Gabe pulled out a small pocketknife. He drove the knife
deep into the two right tires. Turning back toward the diner Gabe
met Walton’s glare as he stood staring out the window. Walton’s
breath came in gasps as his rage swelled. He shot daggers at the
unknown hero but made no move toward him. Gabe climbed into his
truck and headed down the road after Alyssa.