“Jeffrey, we will save you. Our Lord Jesus Christ will save you,” said Pastor Glibson, eyes sparkling.
Jeremy suspected the whole lot of them were crazy. Lyrna, for one, was not evil. If Earthlings knew anything about fizdrufts, they'd know that fizdrufts detected evil and were inherently good. Maybe Pastor Glibson and the Truitt family weren't crazy, only confused. It wasn't often, after all, that Jeremy encountered individuals who were even willing to consider the existence of demons and supernatural powers. He had to give them the benefit of the doubt. If he wanted the respect of not being regarded as crazy when he talked about being visited by an angel and traveling behind the air, he'd have to be open-minded in his dealings with others. Jeremy took a deep breath. “Pastor Glibson, the truth is –” Jeremy imagined all the faces staring down on him in the tarp, eager and hungry. Could he be honest with them? “The truth is I'm not Jeffrey Truitt. I'm from the planet Watico.”
The crowd gasped but were immediately silenced by Pastor Glibson with a stern look and a level hand. “Go on, my dear boy.”
“A phenomenon did occur and it might be the effect of some supernatural powers, but I've barely had time to process it myself. Seeing as how you're all religious people,” pride swelled in Jeremy's chest, “I should tell you that an angel visited me and that it said the end is near. So you might want to... prepare or something.” Jeremy's pride quickly deflated.
Even the crickets went quiet.
The old man teetered on the edge of the wooden table, his hand trembling. He turned to his procession and calmly said, “Bill, please come here and assist me in releasing the boy from the tarp.”
Bill came forward and began to cut the ropes with bolt cutters. Part of the tarp was opened with a knife. Jeremy could just fit his head through, but his shoulders were too wide. Another cut in the tarp was all that was needed. Bill cut. Jeremy leaned forward to squeeze through but instead Lyrna rushed forth, her claws out and hissing. The men recoiled as Lyrna leapt over the congregation and ran off into the night. The women crossed themselves and began to pray and some of the men ran off in the direction after Lyrna, but Pastor Glibson remained calm. “Everyone, please settle down. Let's settle down. We'll let the cat go. Jeremy, are you ready?”
Jeremy smiled. Lyrna would be all right. “Could someone grab my hand?” Jeremy pushed his hand through and felt a large, strong grip pull him out. Once his upper body was free, the rest slipped out easily.
Suddenly Pastor Glibson shouted, “Grab him!” and all of the men fell upon Jeremy and forced him down onto the table. Bill quickly tied Jeremy's arms and legs, pulled the rope underneath the table and secured it at the metal legs at each corner.
Chapter 21
Besieged
The spaceship doors opened and Raaychila, Ronny, and six security guards walked along the enclosed platform that led to the IIU Space Station. Raaychila noticed that a great many IIU spaceships were missing. “Busy day,” she said as she braided a purple scarf through her hair. Ronny, the Chief Security Investigator, nodded.
At the end of the corridor, the entry gate opened and soon they were inside the IIU Space Station. A senior IIU officer froze upon seeing them and darted behind a column.
He quickly dialed Ms. Fritz.
“Hello?” said Ms. Fritz from the other line.
“Ms. Fritz, we have a problem. Vinya Raaychila and some Watican security forces are here. What should I do with them?”
“Get rid of them! What do you think? We can't have them sniffing around! They're probably looking for me. I was supposed to show up at Wantoro's castle to be detained. Get rid of them quickly. They already know too much.” Ms. Fritz hung up the phone.
The senior IIU officer emerged from behind the column, grinning uneasily. He greeted Raaychila. “Hello, Vinya Raaychila. Welcome to the IIU Station. As you can see, we've been very busy searching for your son. I trust your husband sent you to receive news on Jeremy?”
“I've sent myself, actually. He's waiting for Ms. Fritz.” Vinya Raaychila watched in astonishment as another IIU spacecraft lifted off at the gate.
“We have new intelligence about your son's whereabouts. If you come with me, I'll have some of our people bring you up to date.” The man bowed and then led Raaychila and her guards to a boarding deck. “Just wait inside this ship and someone will be right with you.”
Vinya Raaychila, Ronny, and the six security guards filed into the small IIU craft. Outside, an IIU scout approached the captain. “We have to clear out soon. The Mothership is leaving for Earth in less than two hours.”
Raaychila frowned and looked at Ronny. “Did you hear that?” She pressed her face against the window and watched as the IIU captain and scout disappeared around a corner. “I'm going to give Wantoro a call. Hold this.” The bangles on Raaychila's wrists jingled as she thrust her purse onto Ronny's lap. She put her phone to her ear. “Wantoro?”
“Yes? Hello. Any news?” answered Wantoro.
“Well the captain at the station said they have new intelligence on Jeremy.”
“That's great news!”
“Has Ms. Fritz arrived yet?”
“No, no word on that. Are you okay?”
Raaychila hesitated and walked to the back of the room. She lowered her voice. “I'm okay, but I'm getting a strange vibe, probably nothing.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, the station was literally empty and we're waiting to hear from some members of the IIU. They have us sitting in one of their crafts. The thing is, I overheard someone mention Earth.”
“Earth!” said Wantoro. “What do you mean, Earth! If he's gone to Earth he needs to be intercepted immediately! That's, what, a three year journey? Whoever kidnapped him and Maren will have a two week lead at best! We'll send our fasted crafts!”
“Ssh, ssh! I don't know, no one's said anything. I don't know! I only thought I overhead –”
“Raaychila, this is serious!”
“I know. I'm sorry for getting you wound up, nothing's been confirmed yet. I'm going to talk to someone shortly and I'll call you then. Relax, we shouldn't jump to conclusions. I–” Raaychila sighed and flung her long braid over her shoulder, “I only called because it's eerie how deserted this place is. But honestly I don't know anything yet.”
“All right.” Wantoro brought the volume of his voice down. “I'll try to stay calm. I'll call when Ms. Fritz arrives if I don't hear from you. Stay safe.”
“Okay. I love you.”
“Love you too. Speak to you soon.”
“Here they come,” said Ronny, pointing out the window.
Raaychila clicked her phone off and rushed over to the window. She peered outside. Around twenty armed IIU scouts walked calmly to the craft's back hatch door, the overhead lights reflecting off of their crisp white uniforms. “Why are their weapons drawn?”
The spaceship hatch door opened and three shots fired, one straight through a Watican guard's head. Blood splattered on the white wall and the guard dropped. Raaychila screamed. One of the Watican guards fired through the first line of IIU offense, instantly killing two scouts.
“In here!” Ronny dragged a confused and frantic Raaychila to the front compartment, closing the door behind him. “We have to get out of here!”
“Oh, hurry Ronny! Hurry!” she squeaked.
Ronny flipped the start-up switches. The engine roared. Suddenly the front hatch door opened and two IIU members appeared in the doorway. A bullet ripped through Raaychila’s cheek and she collapsed on the seat. Ronny slammed his hand on the hatch door lock and the door sealed shut. “Raaychila, stay with me!”
Shots continued to fire outside and in the back compartment. Ronny pressed the button to shut the back hatch door.
Ronny pulled the craft upright, simultaneously exerting pressure on Raaychila's wound with his free hand. The craft wobbled but withstood the shots from outside. Ronny knew he had to get out of there before the others managed to board their crafts in pursuit. The c
raft lurched forward and sped through space.
Raaychila, covered in blood and shaking all over, grabbed Ronny's hand.
“Stay with me,” said Ronny. “I'll get you back to Watico!”
“Ronny, I...” Raaychila's voice trailed off as she gasped for breath.
“You're going into shock. I have to control the bleeding.” Ronny took his uniform jacket off and ripped the sleeve. He quickly wrapped the cloth around Raaychila's head.
“They... Jeremy! They have Jeremy!” said Raaychila.
Ronny pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed Watico's Emergency Squad.
Raaychila tried to keep her eyes open. She shivered and gasped every time a dull sleep crept over her, her eyes rolling back. Sound began to fade. Ronny, too, was fading.
Chapter 22
The Demon Within
Jeremy struggled with all his might to break from the restraints. He snarled and flung his head wildly about. The men closed in around him as the women pushed in from the outskirts for a closer look.
Pastor Glibson splashed holy water onto Jeremy's face. “God arises; His enemies are scattered and those who hate Him flee before Him. As smoke is driven away, so are they driven; as wax melts before the fire, so the wicked perish at the presence of God.”
The assembly crossed themselves.
“Let me go!” said Jeremy, still trying to break his restraints.
Pastor Glibson continued, “We drive you from us, whoever you may be, unclean spirits, all satanic powers, all infernal invaders, all wicked legions, assemblies and sects. In the Name and by the power of Our Lord Jesus Christ, may you be snatched away and driven from the Church of God and from the souls made to the image and likeness of God and redeemed by the Precious Blood of the Divine Lamb!”
More holy water splashed onto Jeremy's face. Jeremy gnashed his teeth and cursed, the ties on his wrists were beginning to cut off circulation to his hands. Suddenly, Jeremy felt a surge of energy deep within his sternum. A blue spark shot up from his chest and his hair stood upright.
The crowd gasped and withdrew from the table. Pastor Glibson splashed more holy water onto Jeremy and yelled, “Most cunning serpent, you shall no more dare to deceive the human race, persecute the Church, torment God's elect and sift them as wheat! The Most High God commands you, He with whom, in your great insolence, you still claim to be equal! 'God who wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth' (I Tim. 2,4). God the Father commands you,” more holy water. “God the Son commands you,” another splash. “God the Holy Ghost commands you!”
Jeremy found that if he willed himself free, and focused all his energy into his sternum, that he could make electricity surge through his body. He concentrated as best he could despite the numbing pain that traveled up his arms. His sternum spewed blue sparks.
“I can see the demon!” yelled Henrietta, pushing towards the table. “Get out of my boy, devil!” Henrietta dug her fingernails into Jeremy's flesh, ripping down his arm. Jeremy screamed. A blue zap threw Henrietta to the floor.
Pastor Glibson splashed more holy water onto Jeremy as Bill and Bobby grabbed loose ply boards from the rafters. Jeremy snarled and zapped as he struggled. Bill dealt the first blow. The ply wood cracked onto Jeremy's leg. Jeremy screamed as a second blow landed on his chest. His body burned, but somewhere in the back of his mind he heard a faint voice calling his name.
“Jeremy! They have my Jeremy!” It was his mother's voice. Jeremy could feel vibrations rippling through his body. He'd leave this place. He'd follow the voice, if he only willed to. Jeremy tried to concentrate. He slowed his breath down. Another plank struck him across the face. Concentrate! Jeremy took in another breath, exhaled, and his body began to rattle.
“Jeremy!”
Plywood struck the top of his head.
Jeremy floated up through the tunnel. Just beyond the tunnel was the familiar purple Haze. “Mother?” Jeremy swam through. Soon, animals were drifting past him.“Jeremy, I'm sorry!”
Jeremy turned around and saw a bear pulling his mother slowly through the Haze by a chord attached to her sternum. The bear stopped and turned towards Raaychila. It licked her face. Blood poured out from a hole in her cheek.
Jeremy's eyes widened in fright. He swam to her, weaving in and out of animal spirits and their dead. “Mother? What's happened!”
Raaychila looked at him and gasped. His body was covered in bruises and blood. Raaychila, frightened, said, “I'm sorry Jeremy. Have I died? Are you dead?”
“I'm not dead, are you...?” Jeremy felt a hollowness in his chest. He began to weep and threw himself at the skirt of her green dress. “No!”
The bear yanked Raaychila's chord and pulled her slowly through the Haze.
“Mother!”
“I don’t understand!” screamed Raaychila.
Jeremy's body began to vibrate. He opened his eyes and was back on the table in the Truitt's shed.
The congregation, which had scattered outside, flooded back into the room. Jeremy had no energy left to struggle, to sparkle; he could only cry.
Pastor Glibson raised his hands in the air. “Praise be to God!”
Chapter 23
The Watican Army
Vor Wantoro sat at a table surrounded by advisors. He rubbed his temples. It had all happened so fast. “We'll follow the IIU. Dispatch the army. Call in the reserve.”
Twenty men and women sat, unblinking, before the Vor, their hands clasped neatly in front of them. The fate of Watico depended on their vote, but ultimately the Vor's emotions steered the ship.
“To Earth, sir? Do we have enough supplies for all our troops?”
“Of course we do, I've declared a state of emergency. We leave in three hours. The sooner we leave, the sooner this will all be over!”
“And Vinya Raaychila?” asked a hoarse voice.
Wantoro froze. Everyone waited in silence for his response. “She,” he ran his hands through his hair and frowned, “comes with me.” Wantoro walked out of the room and slammed the door behind him.
A Watican army consisting of five hundred large crafts, each carrying twenty smaller crafts for a total capacity of ten thousand soldiers and personnel, loomed on the horizon. The ships lurched forward at near light speed and the atmosphere roared. Blue, purple, and pink streaks lined the sky. Wantoro hoped to catch up with IIU forces within the next forty-two hours. If they could take any prisoners, they might be able to piece together a coherent narrative, beginning with the kidnapping of Jeremy, Maren, and Lyrna, and leading up to the attack on Raaychila and Watican security forces. The destination of the IIU and of Ms. Fritz was concluded to be Earth, though Wantoro couldn't begin to understand why.
Gillian and Mateo entered the parlor of the Watican Mothership through sliding glass doors. “Wantoro, we're so sorry!” Gillian and Mateo rushed forward to offer their condolences, both looking thinner and paler than the last time the Vor had seen them.
Wantoro raised his slumped head, his thick black hair uncharacteristically tangled, and managed a weak smile. “Gillian, Mateo, we're all in this together. There's still hope. Raaychila,” it pained him to say his wife's name, “remains in critical condition, but she's not lost yet. And our children...”
“How long has she been in the coma?” asked Gillian in a soft voice.
“Nine hours, thirty-seven minutes.” Wantoro sighed, covered his face, and began to cry. His great shoulders heaved as tears pooled in his hands.
Chapter 24
Locked
A week had passed since Jeremy first learned of his mother's death. He remained confined to the shed, chained to the back wall, his despair and hunger increasing. Jeremy rarely saw sunlight and subsisted mainly on water, potatoes, and bread. He had tried to escape for a few nights, but found his electrical abilities to be unpredictable at best, and his attempts at crossing over into the Haze unsuccessful.
Jason approached the shed doors. Jeremy knew it was Jason because he always whistled the s
ame song and always out of key. Jeremy cringed at a particularly shrill b-flat.
“Hey demon boy!” said Jason, opening the shed doors. “Ma's got some scraps of bacon left, thought she'd be nice and give you some of the fat. I told her she'd be better off usin' it to grease the pan.” Jason flicked the clumps of bacon fat onto the floor by Jeremy's feet. Jeremy knelt on his knees and lowered his mouth to the floor to eat. The smell made him salivate. His hands and feet remained chained to the back of the shed.
“Hah! Not Ma’s favorite no more, are you? She’s gonna let me sit at the head of the table next week. It’s my birthday. I’ll be a man, and I’m gonna say, ‘Clean my shoes, boy!’ and you’re gonna listen. And if you’re good, maybe I’ll let you have a piece of my cake. Maybe. Probably not though.”
At that moment, Bill arrived. He grabbed Jason by the arm. “Boy! How many times I gotta tell you to leave your brother be. Always dilly-dallyin' in here. Did you give him the bacon fat?”
“Yeah, geez!” Jason pulled his arm back from his father and rubbed it. “If you care so much, why not let him back inside?”
“Come on, you!” Bill held the shed door open and Jason shuffled through. After the door closed, Bill said, “We're just waitin' to see if the demon's really gone. Your ma says we have to be patient, the Lord –” his voice trailed off. Jeremy heard the front porch door screech closed as they entered the house.
Jeremy closed his eyes and took a deep breath. How could he have lost both Maren and his mother? Jeremy lowered himself to the floor, hoping to lick up any extra bacon fat that he had missed.
A branch creaked outside. Jeremy lifted his head and stared at the shed doors.
“Lyrna want in.”