Wings of Deception (20 page)

Jacks slipped the letter into his pocket and went back to the Blackjack table
,
playing for a while before he moved on to another game
. He spent a few hours in the casino playing cards, throwing dice and even playing on different machines
,
acting as if he were really into gambling, while noticing a nondescript man in his own age bracket managing to appear more often than coincidence would allow and he knew Morgan Belk was having him followed.

He was right. The man’s name was Danny Cruise and he arrived close behind Jacks when he entered the casino. Having orders to log his activities, he sat at a table opposite the one
where
Jack’s
was sitting
.

Watching him talk to several people who
came
up to watch the game, he paid no attention to Honey when she paused at the table and moved on
. When Jacks got up and headed toward the restrooms he decided not to follow for it might be too obvious
.
When
he
came back and
started
meandering
around Danny stayed close enough to keep him in sight. He was convinced that the man was just having some fun
,
but
kept a tail on him
until he
left the casino and headed home. When Jacks
turned off on the small road that led to his house
, Danny kept going.

Jacks
had
fingered the
guy
right after he left the office. Now he
hoped he had kept him entertained enough. He drove down the secluded road
,
anxious
to get there and read Sheila’s letter. Hopefully it would give him something to use in his plans.
It turned out to be
vital
. She had written.

Jacks,

I am writing this mostly in the bath as it
is the only place I can truly call private! It was so good to see you
,
even for such a brief time and I am so sorry I have involved you in this mess I have become tangled up in.

First
of all,
Morgan thinks I am in love with you
,
because
he assumed it was you when I told him I
had already
committed my heart to someone else. I admit I let him
think it
,
hoping it
would
discourage
him. When it didn’t and things went from bad to worse, I tried to tell him it was not you
,
but God
,
I
was committed to
but
then
he did not believe me. He thought I was only protecting you from his
wrath.

I do
n’t
know a lot
,
but there have been things I have overheard and
there are
people I
am
shocked to
learn
are
close friends
with
Morgan and Abe Cannon.

These are some things I have picked up on: There is a council of some sort to which both men belong. It is highly secretive and wider spread than you would think. I have overheard Morgan having phone conversations with leaders you would be shocked to hear the names of. There are ranks
;
Abe
is higher ranked than
Morgan
, but they are both in the highest ranks here in the USA. They
claim many good works and at first tried to convert me from my beliefs.
I d
on’t
know what, but there is something really BIG about to happen and the Monday night meetings here
have been
getting more and more intens
e
. Morgan is horrible after one of them and I won’t even describe what he subjects me to
!

I have to go….later

Last night Morgan got a phone call after we were upstairs and I am sure I heard him say “Mr. President!” He went into the other room but bits and pieces were loud enough to hear
,
though I didn’t make sense of it
at all
.

I pray all the time and I know God will deliver me. I know you do not believe in Him but
at least
you are not filled with hate
as they are. Morgan curses
s
weet Jesus
all the time
. I fear in
the
love/hate he has for me that the hate will win and he will
surely
kill me and daddy. Jacks I know you will help us.

……………….

It is Sunday and two men came here to the house.
They shut themselves up in the library and
Morgan
was beside
himself
with anger when they left. When I asked him what the matter was
,
he just glared at me and told me I just better be glad I was married to him
for protection
or I just might
die like some of the others
would like for me to
. Jacks, something terrible is going to happen, I just know it!

………………

Thank God it is Monday! Morgan was up half the night on the phone and is still here. I cannot write more until he is gone.

……………..

Finally
,
he left and tonight daddy will be here. I will give him this to mail. I used the name on the card
and the address. She must be someone you know you can trust.

I need to tell you that one
of Morgan’s
call
s
last night must have been about you. You
name was mentioned.
He was talking to someone named Crenshaw and he laughed when he said your name.
There was something mentioned about a test. I don’t know what it means but
Jacks, please be careful
and please get me out of here as soon as you can think of a way.
I don’t know how much longer I can last
here
but I do know there is a reason for all that has happened and I trust God completely.

I will try to send a letter with daddy every time he comes. If I think of anything or hear anything I will tell you everything.

Sheila

Jacks
could feel the
color
drain from his face
when he read the last part of Sheila’s letter. The
man
Crenshaw
was theirs too
!
It was a test
and he had played the fool!

“Jacks, you are in
trou-ble
!”
He moaned under his breath.

. Who
was
this
council trying to squash
?
Who was at the head of
it
? He would find out and he would beat Morgan Belk at his own game.

He shuddered thinking how sincere
Crenshaw
had come off
,
all the while
probably
laughing at
him
. It was a good thing he
shared
very little with him.

He thought about how he could turn things around on Morgan and was
coming up with some good ideas when his phone rang and it was the subject of his thoughts on the other end.

“Hello Jacks, I thought I would see how things are going down in Mississippi. Got anything exciting happening yet?”

Jacks
’
was calm when he answered,
“Yeah, your man Crenshaw would like to eliminate you
,
for one.”

Morgan said surprised, “
What do you mean?”

“Look Morgan, do not take me for
a
fool. I know Tom Crenshaw is in your pocketbook and you set me up…again. So I had a little fun with it, hope you don’t mind. I really had him going though.” Jacks laughed heartily as if it was just too funny.

Morgan was not laughing though and his voice was angry when he asked,
“Alright, so how did you know?
It was that kid wasn’t it?
”

“Are you kidding me?
No one had to tell me anything.
Do you think I would trust you any more than you trust me? Well I
would never,
so let’s stop with the game playing. I want to meet with your superiors Morgan
,
so set it up. I am through dealing with a patsy
like you
.”

“Oh really, so I take it you’re not
too
concerned about our girl here then?”

“Morgan
she is not our girl and
you are full of crap! You are not going to harm
her
.
I know that even if she doesn’t.
You
have
gone mad with obsession, anyone can see that.
”

“And her father, what about him, you do
not
care about what happens to him either
,
I suppose?
That’s g
ood
,
because he kicked the bucket yesterday
.”

He wait
ed
for Jacks reaction which was slow coming.

“You had him killed?
No you wouldn’t
,
because it would not be in your best interest
to do that
.”

“
You are wrong; I say good riddance to
t
he praying old fool!”

His anger evident, Jacks pushed harder.

“
What really irk
s
you is
that now
you have
no leverage over Sheila
,
with
her father
gone
.
She will leave you
now
for
you
kn
o
w her well enough to know that she
was not worried about
what happened to her
, it was always her father she was concerned about.
”

“I w
ill not
lose her!”

The
very
thought him physically ill.

Jacks
retreated
carefully
as his practice at being a lawyer had taught him
. “
But you are right.
Aye, the fellow was an old coot, it was time
for him
.
I always say, the only good Christian is a dead one….except for a select few that is. Sheila
happens to be my very good
friend
.
I
suppose I
could put in a good word for you, if I got something in return.”
 

“
Y
ou want to meet the
master
so
bad
,
that you would encourage Sheila to stay with me
?
He won’t see you. He sees hardly anyone now
days
but I
will think
about it
.
Oh
,
and
I
will
give Sheila your…condolences.”

The phone went dead and Jacks let himself feel all the emotions he refrained from showing
to
Morgan.

“Good-bye
,
you freak of nature you!”

He got himself a cold beer and
relived the conversation in his mind.

He
truly
hated
hearing
about John Herbert. He did not know Sheila’s father well, having only been around the man a few times in the four years Sheila worked for him, but he was a pleasant man and Sheila adored him. Poor Sheila, she must be horrified losing someone she loved
so much
with Morgan her only source of comfort.
Again he felt responsible.
If only he had
not
taken her to that damn dinner none of this would be happening!

A g
ood
thing
that he
was quick witted enough to turn the tables on Crenshaw.
Thank God for Sheila’s letter. It was just in time.
Of course
now this
meant one more enemy added to his fast growing list. What puzzled him was the fact that Tom Crenshaw was
supposedly
a big Christian himself. It meant
they
had infiltrated the Christian sect
and was most likely how they came to hear about the little girl who was making quite a stir in the religious world.