The Paladin (14 page)

"What do you think?" asked Zack.

"I think that the people around here see too much in a rock slide." Judge Smith took off his round eyeglasses and wiped them with a handkerchief.

"The other day on the news they were talking about some village in Italy that was calling for the Vatican to investigate a water stain that looked like Jesus. Folks need to worry about what matters instead of going off half-cocked because of a worn out downspout!"

"You have a point, sir," said Zack. "What I don't understand is how you know where to find it with such…precision?"

The judge took Zack's arm, and looking around, leaned in close.

"Cherokee Lake covered most of that part of the county when the dam was built. Son, it's the best fishing spot on the whole lake! But let's keep that little tidbit to ourselves."

"I'll take it to my grave," Zack said with a smile.

"Now, Zack, if you go out there—and I strongly advise against it—be careful. It's nothing but jagged rock and thorn bushes, not to mention the snakes."

"Snakes?"

"The place is just teeming with cottonmouths and copperheads to the point you would think they were trying to keep people away."

"Thank you, sir, I'll be careful," he said shaking the older man's hand.

"In a couple of days me, Jerry Rose, Tim Hill, and Gary Jones are going fishing out there. You know those three: something crazy always happens when they get together. Why don't you join us, Zack? Should be a hoot!"

"I will take you up on that," said Zack. "Haven't been fishing in years."

"I'll call you tomorrow," said Judge Smith.

Zack excused himself and, with the map in his pocket, traced his way back to Sara.

***

Maggie, now sporting a red wig and dressed in a green and white smock stolen from Mountain Florists, quietly slipped through the church's playground door.

In her arms was a long white flower box. The box had a large plastic window that gave a view of the two dozen yellow roses that camouflaged the rifle underneath. She breathed a sigh of relief when the door swung open.

She pulled the black tape free and shoved it into her pocket. Taking a deep breath, she carefully made her way to the projection room.

Once Maggie saw that she was alone, she opened a large air return vent set into the wall. Opening the long box, she extracted a slim .22 rifle and a clear plastic bag containing four cigarette butts.

Maggie had retrieved the butts from an overflowing ash can that sat beside the door of a convenience store across town.

"Funny the things you can pick up at a yard sale," she said taking the .22 in her hands and checking the ten round magazine.

Having outlived their usefulness, she dumped the expensive box of roses into the sheet metal lined vent. She carefully dumped out the four cigarette butts onto the floor.

"There, that should do it. The DNA on those should keep the police busy and off my trail."

Maggie wiped her brow with her gloved hand. The stress of the situation, along with the thick red wig, was making her sweat profusely.

I may be going to hell for saving the world, but I'll be damned if I'm also going to prison.

16

Zack was showing Sara the map that Judge Smith had drawn, when a grim-looking Brenda marched down the aisle with three people in tow.

Brenda and her guests stopped before Zack and Sara.

"Zack Cole and Sara Johnson, I would like you to meet the Reverend and Mrs. Miller and…
Abby
." Brenda spit the name out as if it were unclean.

Zack looked past the tall man and his wife and zeroed in on Abby. The dark-haired woman with the bored expression was a beauty, a fact that was never lost upon Zack Cole.

David Miller extended his hand and shook Zack's.

"I'm sorry for your loss," said Zack.

"Thank you, Zack, please call me David. I understand that you were the people closest to Will."

"Yes, I was his best friend," Zack said.

Sara and Mrs. Miller, both weeping, engaged in an embrace.

"This whole thing seems so surreal," said Mr. Miller, "I keep expecting to wake up and find Anne alive and that this whole thing was nothing but a nightmare."

"I know what you mean," said Zack. "Please, won't you sit down, sir?"

Zack extended his hand toward Abby. She took his hand, and to his surprise, pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Looks like someone works out," she whispered into his ear.

"Excuse me?" he exclaimed, when he felt a hand take his arm. Zack turned to see Brenda tugging at him.

"Zack, could you please focus? I need to talk to you."

"Go away, Daisy Mae, can't you see he’s comforting me in my time of mourning?" asked Abby.

"Abby, let the boy go," said David Miller. "This is a church after all!"

Abby gave the bewildered Zack a wink as Brenda pulled him away.

"How sleazy can you be? I can't believe you are trying to hook up at Will's memorial! Please, tell me you found out something else about Silas."

"One, I wasn't hooking up. Two, I did find one small thing."

"What?"

Zack gave her a big grin and said, "I know where the Jesus Rock is, in fact, I even have a map."

Brenda squealed and hugged him hard.

"After the service, I'll go get it," he whispered in her ear. You'll have your mom back in no time."

"Thank you, Zack. You've been so wonderful. I—"

"Hey, Blondie, I thought you were the dearly departed Will's girlfriend," Abby said, cutting Brenda off in mid-sentence.

Disengaging herself from Zack, Brenda turned to face Abby.

"We broke up before he went out to California," said Brenda. "What are you trying to say?"

"I think what I'm saying is that your inability to satisfy Will got him and my sister killed!"

"Why, you bitch!" said Brenda taking a step toward Abby.

"Whoa, Rambo," said Zack grabbing Brenda's arm. "Now isn't the time. Think of Will."

"Abigail Rebecca Miller! Behave yourself, or so help me I'll turn you over my knee," warned her shocked mother.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," said Abby wearing a particularly evil grin. Snatching Zack by his tie Abby said, "Come on, pretty boy, and keep me company. I need some air."

As she dragged Zack up the aisle he looked over his shoulder at Brenda, "I'll be right back."

Barely able to contain her anger, Brenda sat down hard in a chair next to David Miller.
I didn't deserve that!

"I'm sorry about Abby's ill-mannered remarks," said David Miller, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "When I get Abby home, I promise to string her up."

"Can I watch?"

"I'll video it."

Brenda smiled in spite of herself.

"Abby and Anne were very close and this…
thing
has been hard on all of us, especially her."

"I understand," said Brenda, "but I still want the video."

***

Abby led Zack out through a side door and the two sat down on a wooden bench. Abby produced a pack of cigarettes and offered one to Zack.

"I don't smoke."

"What's the matter, you want to live forever?" she said as she lit one.

"Well, duh?" he said.

"Well, you won't. Might as well enjoy yourself in what little time you have left."

"I guess losing your sister makes you see how quickly life can slip away."

"I have something for you," she said fishing around in her jacket pocket. "Here you go."

She handed Zack a small pack of photos.

"The police found one of Anne's cameras and I made copies for you."

"Thanks, that was real nice of you."

"I'm special like that."

Zack opened the paper envelope and took out the glossy photos of Will and Anne.

One picture in particular caught his eye. It was of Will and Anne cheek to cheek. The photo was badly tilted, obviously taken at arm's length. They were both smiling brightly.

"Is this Anne or you?"

"We were twins," said Abby. "Anne got the crazy idea to be an actress and went out to Hollywood. She played in a string of really bad horror movies. I guess that makes her a ‘Scream Queen.’ She was a lot better than the crappy parts she got stuck with."

"I can hardly tell you two apart."

As Zack scanned the images, he realized he had to stop. He raised his head and closed his eyes. Helping Brenda had kept him so busy that he had not fully accepted the fact that Will was gone.

The realization that Will was dead and that he would never see him again hit home like a ton of bricks. Zack fought hard to shore up the crumbling damn of his self-control.

"Come on, tough guy, let it out," Abby said.

Abby ground out her cigarette and wrapped her arms around him.

For the first time in his life, Zack broke down completely, mourning for his lost friend and for himself. Abby, dropping her tough girl façade held him close and tenderly stroked his hair.

"I don't know if this helps any, but from the look on my sister's face, Anne really liked Will. And my sister had very good taste in men."

"He was the best. He deserved better than what he got. What they got."

Zack drew back from Abby wiping his nose on a handkerchief he found in his jacket pocket.

"So, Zack, after the service is over, you want to me to comfort you some more?" she said with a grin.

17

Regaining a bit of her self-control, Brenda left the Millers in the care of Sara and went in search of her father. To her amazement, she found the Right Reverend Johnny talking to an elderly man sitting in a wheelchair.

What in the world is old man Beck doing at a memorial for Will Carlson?

John Mills looked up at the approach of his daughter.

"Brenda, would you come here? I want you to meet someone."

Brenda, this is Mr. Beck. Mr. Beck, this is my daughter Brenda."

John Beck extended a withered, shaking hand and took hold of Brenda's.

"My, but you are a very pretty girl. I am so sorry about the loss of your young man."

"Thank you, sir."

"Mr. Beck has asked to speak at Will's memorial."

"I didn't know you knew Will, Mr. Beck."

"His Uncle Owen did quite a bit of work on my house over the years and I have to say that the man was more artist than carpenter. On occasion, young Will would come along and I found him to be a delight."

Brenda looked down and saw a gold watch hanging from Beck's vest.

"That is a beautiful watch, Mr. Beck."

"Why thank you, I've had it since Hector was a pup."

"May I see it?" she said.

Beck looked uncomfortable, but then said, "Of course, my dear, but be very careful, it is quite old."

Brenda held the heavy watch in her hand, admiring the artisanship.

"It's so pretty," she said. "And heavy, too."

"They don't make them like they used to," Beck said.

Brenda opened the watchcase and read the deeply engraved inscription on the inside cover.

To Rufus Pritchard for gallantry over and above the call of duty…

The room seemed to spin as the truth hit Brenda like an exploding bomb.

"Are you all right, Miss Mills?" asked Beck.

"Yes…I, um…will you excuse me, Mr. Beck?" Brenda said as she returned the watch. "I need to sit down."

"It’s all right, Miss Mills, today will be very trying. My prayers are with you."

Brenda could not get away fast enough. She numbly stumbled away, threading her way through the increasingly crowded room and back to her seat.

I can't believe it; he has the watch Zack told me about! Beck has Prichard's watch. The one LaBeck stole. Beck is LaBeck, the one who murdered Prichard's wife!

That means that the beast was Beck's wife, who Silas had supposedly killed. The crazy story in the journal is true!

Brenda felt like she was suffocating.

The journal said no man-made weapon could stop the beast, but Silas did stop her. Zack mentioned something called a Collamarr…said it was a spiritual prison…the only thing that could trap the beast. Could the jar that the kidnappers want be the Collamarr? Oh my God! Old man Beck is behind the kidnapping of my momma. He wants to get the jar so he can release the beast!

Brenda looked up at the podium. Two crimson-coated ushers set up an easel on which they positioned a poster-sized picture of a smiling Will. She felt a sharp stab of guilt go through her heart.

Only two people in my life have ever truly loved me: my mom and Will. That bitch, Abby, was right: I did kill him. I could have prevented it, but I didn't. I can't let the same thing happen to my mom.

Wiping her eyes, Brenda stood stiffly and intercepted her father as he walked toward the podium.

"Dad, I have to talk to you," she said.

"Not now, we have to begin the service," he said gruffly.

Brenda grabbed his arm.

"Zack knows where the canister is," she whispered.

"Are you sure?"

"He told me that after the service he was going after it."

"Yes!" Mills exclaimed as he grabbed Brenda. "I need to make a phone call."

Pastor Mills motioned for the choir director. He whispered into the man's ear and then hurried from the room.

The choir rose and the musicians began to play softly as a signal that the service was about to begin. Zack and Abby soon joined Brenda. Abby smiled at Brenda while she walked with her arm around Zack.

Brenda returned her smile with a blank stare.

"Are you OKOK, Brenda?" Zack asked.

"I'm fine," she said stiffly.

***

Maggie carefully peered over the open windowsill when she heard the music below. She quickly acquired her quarry. Zack was sitting between two smaller women; an easy target for her rifle.

"It won't be long now," she said softly, checking the rifle for the twentieth time. Maggie would let him say goodbye to his friend before she arranged their impromptu reunion.

***

The choir sat down as the Right Reverend Johnny Mills bounded up the steps of the stage and began his act.