Wings of Deception (26 page)

Sheila discovered that she really liked small town living and when a house became available
down the street from Honey
,
she bought it.
Though i
t needed
updating
,
she loved its large wrap around veranda and southern charm
.

The next several weeks were filled with painting and restoring the wood flooring that was discovered underneath carpets and
layers of
linoleum
.
It was hard but she enjoyed working in what was to be her new home, her very own home.

Jacks began making short trips to New York often
and
still refusing to talk
ab
out what was going on. On one occasion she walked into his office and found him with his head in his hands and could have sworn he had been crying. She did not believe it was allergies he made out it to be.

Neither Jacks nor
Honey
had confided any sort of feelings they may have
between them
but
Sheila
sensed the friendship between them had changed since her arrival. Bringing it up to Honey one day while she was over helping with some painting
,
she asked, “Honey, I thought you and Jacks were
sorta
close
,
but since I moved here you two never talk anymore. Just say so if I should just mind my own business
,
but is it because of me
?”

Honey stopped what she was doing to answer her. “To tell you the truth I thought we were getting
closer
…
b
ut no, it is definitely not because of you
that we aren’t any longer
. I think my being a Christian has something to do with it.
I may have
tried
too
hard to
convert him.
”

Sheila scrunched up her face and responded
,
“
Jacks’ does have a problem with religion of any kind, not just Christianity. Phooey,
I’m one and we do fine, well until recently that is.”

Honey frowned. “What do you mean, until recently?”

Sheila put her roller down and sat cross legged on the floor looking like teen with her hair pulled up in a pony tail and paint spattered on her face. Oblivious to how she might look she took long drinks from a bottle of water before she answered.

“He has
made some
trips to New York in the last few weeks, mostly on the weekends but he is just acting weird, especially the last time
he came back from one
. And, he won’t talk about
anything besides work with me
.”

“Do these trips have anything to do with the men Morgan was associated with?”

“I wouldn’t think so, when Morgan died they sort of crawled back into their hole. I haven’t heard a word from
any
of them since then. Jacks would have told me if they were still bothering him…but then again, maybe not. He sure has been
acting
weird.
Maybe it’s just because he misses spending time with you.
”

She finished with a giggle at the thought.

“Hmmm
,
I doubt that but I was wondering.
”
Honey said thoughtfully.

“What?”

“You told me that Jacks was being blackmailed
before
and I
just
hope he is not after revenge
of some
kind
.
I can tell he is not the sort
of man
who takes bullying from anyone.
”

“
Eweee
, I never thought of that. I hope not too.
I can tell you, he does not want to fool with any of that bunch!
They are all creepy, creepy.
”

Their conversation ended as
Dwight
pulled up in front of the house in his pickup truck with four young men from the church.

Sheila gave her squeal of pleasure for they had come to help get the painting finished so she could move into her home.

                                                                               *****

Fall replaced the sultry
s
ummer of two thousand and ten for all residents of Mississippi. It was a welcome change
from the hot humid summer
and
Sheila was proud of the end result of her work on her house
. W
ith the help of
her
new friends
she
got all
her furnishings moved in after they were shipped down from New York.

She was grateful for Honey’s hospitality and company over the summer and a week after she moved
,
realized just how much she was going to miss her. Living with her was almost like having a sister
or
as she imagined sisters would be. She also developed a close relationship with Jean who had befriended her when she first moved to town. As shy as she
had
seemed at first, Sheila
was
finding
that she was fun to be around and not so shy once she got used to a person. They were both around the same age and had a lot of the same hopes and desires, but mostly Sheila loved
her spirit. It was gentle and kind and she never had a bad word to say about anyone
.

Jacks came to the house warming she had two weeks after moving in but only stayed long enough to have the grand tour and though he stopped to speak to Honey he did not linger. He did ask about Carol and she said that her and her parents were expected to return home soon and that Carol was doing great. He asked about her sight and when Honey told him that she was still blind, she noticed a slight smirk before he politely excused himself. There was no sign of the quirky sense of humor and underscored charm that she thought she was coming to know.
He seemed tense and distracted
, giving a distinct impression that he would rather be anywhere else tha
n
at Sheila’s house.
This puzzled her and somehow she sensed he was in trouble.
She remembered back to their first conversations and replayed them all in her mind. There had to be a reason for the one eighty
degree
turn and she made up her mind to find out what it was. She would put aside her hurt feelings and think objectively
.

                                                                                TWENTY

T
here were four men gathered around the bedside of
Asa
. They were there at his bidding
for
the time was getting closer that the transfer would have to be made or else
everything
would be lost.
For all of his magical abilities
,
there was one thing he could not do and that was to make a mere body of flesh last more than
its
allotted time on Earth. It was time to change the old worn out one for one that was
in
its prime. One that would give
him
the vitality he needed
now
more than ever and the one that would bring about the destruction of all those who would not join his New World Order.
He had
several to choose from but he
wanted the one that belonged to Jacks for a special reason.
There was a connection and he had waited a long time to reunite with the firstborn of his own son and they would merge together as one real soon.

“
Master you
cannot wait much longer! I have no idea how long I can keep
this
heart beating with this implant. You must step things up
or choose another
!”

These words came from a doctor of sorts
,
though he had no
patient
save the one man,
Asa
. It was his only duty to keep him
physically fit and well.

Asa
gave the man a look that quieted him instantly.

“
I have watched my children and their offspring come and go throughout the years
. This one is my closest relative living and I will not have you pushing a weak
er
vessel at me! This one
is coming around
,
you know it has to be freewill on his part or it will not work! I need
a little
more time with him; he is just now
becoming comfortable with
me. Thanks to
that idiot
Morgan
,
we lost precious time.”

He went into a coughing spasm, while the men argued among themselves.

Abe,
Caney, Chad
and the doctor
,
Arty
,
all held opposing views of what should happen
.

“Enough
, I tell you
!
”

The four
quickly
bowed their heads to him in submission
,
careful not
t
o
further antagonize him for his eyes were
already
blazing a
fiery
red.

“As you wish
,
M
aster
, we are here to carry out any orders you may have for us and nothing
more
.” Abe spoke and the others nodded.

“I will have him ready in time for if I
fail…well
,
we all know what happens…and
that is not an option.
Now leave me to my own thinking
,
for I swear by all that is unholy I will
replace every one of you
!”

The four men left without
any argument
, leaving
Asa
to himself to contemplate Jacks’ next visit. He had used all of his powers to hypnotize
him
into a false sense of security and just a few more weeks and he would have
him willing to do anything
, even willing to go into the ring
with him
.

He liked Jacks
but
he would like having his strong virile body even more.
It was going to be the last one he would need to
inhabit,
for when his kingdom was established he would have his own preferred glorious body back.

He thought he
had
lost him on the first visit
but coaxed him into staying long enough for his voice to work its magic. It was what he did best,
beguiling
people
with his hypnotic voice
and eyes
until they were putty in his hands.

Thinking of the very first people that had fallen into his enticement,
Asa
laughed an evil filled laugh and cursed when it sent him into the hated cough. He quieted it with the glass of water
handed him
by a silent maid
and looked forward to
later in the evening when Jacks was due to join him.

It was imperative that he be the meek and mild grandfatherly type Jacks was beginning to know and not ruin the progress he had already made with him. He was sure
he was getting close to
having Jacks just where he wanted him
. A
fterwards he had much work to accomplish for soon every soul would
have
come through the
flesh and his ultimate deception was growing nigh.

Lying back on his freshly plumped up pillows he made plans as if he already owned the new body. Just a matter of time
and the plan that was set into motion long, long ago
,
was about to make him winner of all and at the same time proving that evil would always supersede good.