Another Deception Read online

  “It was just so weird and so real! I even found the tea bag in the sink this morning where I got up in the middle of the night. Then I go back to bed and the dream continued! I never want to spend another night apart from you Jacks, really! All I want is to have a normal and happy life with you and maybe we can even try to have a baby before I get too old. I hate evil things and…Oh Jacks, why do I still dream of it? I wish evil did not even exist! Never mind, I will not ruin today by keeping on talking of it! I want to talk about good things. Tell me about your trip up to New York.”

  Jacks looked into her eyes. They were so beautiful and bright. He had learned in the last year what it was that caused that brightness. He liked to call it the ‘Jesus light,’ for she swore that she did not have it until she became a true Christ follower and he believed that, for since he also came to believe in Jesus , that same light now reflected in his own dark eyes. Only months after accepting the Lord Jesus Christ into his heart, he was a changed man. Whereas, once he had no belief in a creator or creation, he was now a firm and devout convert from Atheism.

  “It went as well as expected, as far as depositions go. You know how those things are. I answered a couple hundred questions in four different ways. My money is on the fact that they still did not believe me even after that. I hope I never find out if those people get that kid back because if they do and I know about it…”

  He was speaking of a case he worked on before leaving New York involving a special needs child and the foster parents accused of mistreating her. He had worked the case up and the system was just now getting to it. They agreed that he would not have to appear in court as a witness if he came and did his deposition now.

  It was not all he had to share about his trip, he had some interesting news, but he wanted to wait. Honey said no talk of anything evil and it did have to do with Asa in an indirect sort of way. They were going to have dinner with Dwight and Sheila so he decided he would share his news then.

  “What do you say I get these boards up so we can get out of here? I am hungry. I talked to Sheila on the way over, and she says she has a pot roast that will be ready to eat for dinner if we want to come over. Do we?”

  Honey laughed at his enthusiasm with the pot roast but it did sound good and her friend was fast becoming adept at southern cooking.

  “Sounds good to me, I already told Sheila we would come. I will finish upstairs with the window while you nail those boards unless you need me to help you?”

  She knew already that Jacks was not accustomed to using carpentry tools.

  “I got this!”

  He laughed adding,

  “How hard can it be?”

  He was ready less than an hour later to commend those who did carpentry for a living and had much more appreciation for them. When Honey came down he was nursing a beat and battered thumb sheepishly, but the chore was completed and Honey somewhat impressed with the job done. Jacks was everything she could ever want in a life partner but handy man he was not. They left and swung back by their house so they could shower and change before dinner.

  Four months had passed since Jacks and Honey came home from Vegas with their friends, Dwight, Sheila along with seven young men and women, some of them still in their teens. Jacks knew how blessed he was that his spiritual eyes were opened and he was able to thwart the attempt of the evil Asa to possess his body.

  How surprised everyone was when he and Dwight both brought home brides from Vegas. It was now an assumption that it was a planned elopement and only a very few trusted friends knew the truth of what really transpired during the week they were away with evil Asa holding them prisoners for several days. It had been crazy how they escaped! Nothing but the hand of God could have been responsible for the outrageous events, which led to their flight. All Jacks could think about was that he had almost lost Honey.

  It was his idea to make the stop at a small chapel close by the entrance to the airport and have a double ceremony. With the seven kids as their only wedding guest, the two men ended the horror of Asa’s captivity on a more happier note by the simple vow of unity to the woman they each loved.

  How easy it had been for him to commit the rest of his life to loving and cherishing Honey. Without question, this was the happiest time in all of his forty-one years. Even in spite of Asa’s efforts to take over his life. He often thought about how different it would be for him now, if the plan set in motion had worked or if he had never moved to Mississippi. If...but then he had moved to Mississippi and had met the most wonderful woman and he had married her.

  He was whistling as Honey stepped into the shower with him and all thoughts of Asa, the devil, and everything associated with him, fled from his mind as he grinned, thinking that Sheila’s pot roast was just going to have to wait!

  Silently and unseen by the natural eye, two angels stood charge over the home, waiting and watching, lest any evil entity decide to attack the two humans they were protecting.

  2

  In Faith Chapel’s Parsonage kitchen, there was an adorable, plump little girl sitting on the counter as Sheila put the final addition to the salad she was making to go with the roast.

  “There! Now all we have to do is set the table and wait for Poppa to get here! Uncle Jacks and Auntie Honey are coming too.”

  Gem’s solemn round eyes sparked an interest at the mention of her Poppa and she responded by vigorously shaking her head up and down. Sheila laughed at her enthusiasm and lifted her down from the counter top.

  “Come on, sweet thing. You can help me with the table. Do we want candles?”

  Gem responded by clapping her hands while chanting,

  “Candles, we want candles!”

  She then took Sheila’s offered hand and they went to the dining room to set up the table. For her benefit, Sheila made a big production with simple steps of preparing the table for dinner.

  The two of them got along better than Sheila had even hoped for and after four months of being a stepmom, Gem was already calling her Mommy. For that, she was grateful, for they had just found out she was expecting a baby and she was so excited to add to her wonderful family.

  Dwight was thrilled at having another little one, as Gem was growing fast and she was not a baby any more. Almost three, she could hold her own in conversation with an adult. It would be good for her to have brothers and sisters to grow up with and both he and Sheila wanted a large family. He was also happy that Gem had taken to Sheila so well. He knew that when the right time came, they would share with her about another Mommy, who now lived with Jesus. When he thought about Kim, his heart still hurt but since Sheila came into his life, the pain was easier to bear and the love he felt for Sheila, took nothing away from the love he had shared with Kim.

  Aside from pasturing the Chapel’s church, Dwight also worked seasonally as a crop duster. It was a long day for him and he was tired. He came through the door to the sight of his wife and daughter giggling as they put candles in the candlesticks. His heart swelled with pride and he felt his eyes sting. He was thankful that God had placed Sheila in their lives. Gem looked up and squealed when she saw him but he held his hand up to stop her from running to him.

  “Baby, don’t touch me, I have stinky poison all over me. Let me shower and I will squeeze you ever so tight with a hug. I will only be a minute.”

  He smiled at them with what Sheila called his ‘Hoss’ of Bonanza smile.

  “Something smells mighty good. My girls have been busy! Umm, let me go clean up. Be right back for my hugs and kisses.”

  Sheila called after him as he headed for the bedroom.

  “Okay. There is clean clothes laid out on the bed, oh, and we have company coming for dinner. I invited Jacks and Honey. Jacks got home today and Honey was working at the cabin, so I figured it would be nice for them not to have to cook.”

  He called back to her.

  “Wonderful!”

  He was very interested in Jacks trip to New York. There was a special bond between the four
of them since Asa abducted the women. He had dealt with evil his entire life but this Asa person took the cake as far as he was concerned. Pure evil!

  He came out just in time for his hugs before answering the door for Jacks and Honey. The two men followed Honey into the kitchen where Gem claimed Dwight’s arms, as Jacks gave Sheila a kiss and after a chaotic few minutes, Sheila managed to get them all into the dining room. Seats taken and hands held, Dwight said an uncomplicated but touching blessing over the food.

  “Father, we thank you for your goodness and grace and for abundant food and good friends. Let the food be nourishment to our bodies and forgive us where we fail you. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.”

  Four other amen’s followed, with Gem repeating hers a second time. Her little voice said so very seriously,

  “Amen!”

  Plates were passed, while talk was light and lively through garlic-mashed potatoes, roast, asparagus, salad, and French bread. Gem almost fell asleep during the special chocolate mousse desert made just for her and Dwight excused himself while he took her to bed and tucked her in.

  The table was cleared and coffee served when he got back and the four adults were ready for some serious adult conversation. He took his seat and asked the question they were all thinking about during dinner.

  “Jacks, we want to hear all about your trip. Did you hear anything about Asa?”

  “I sort of did. I saw William, you all remember William?”

  Honey and Sheila both exclaimed,

  “William! Yes!”

  Dwight added,

  “Yes, one of the kids from the mountains.”

  Honey was troubled for Jacks had not mentioned to her about seeing one of the young people who escaped with them from Asa’s clutches. Her protest was filled with worry.

  “Jacks, we agreed not to make contact with any of those kids. It is far too dangerous!”

  Jacks was almost sorry for not having discussed the meeting with her earlier.

  “It is okay darling, it was a very private meeting, and it was he who initiated it. He called me just before the deposition and asked if I would meet with him. He said it was important…no, he said urgent, so I agreed.”

  Not understanding what could possibly cause William to contact one of them she asked,

  “What could be so important that he would risk everything?”

  It was upsetting to her, for she knew just how great a risk it really was. If Asa found out the kids remembered anything from their captivity, she was sure they would not live long. When she had deprogrammed them from Asa’s hypnosis, all seven of them understood how crucial it was to show up at their respective homes, without any evident memory of what had happened to them. Their sudden appearance after being missing and assumed dead for two years had made the national headlines. So far, none had revealed the truth of what had happened and the horrible things that they endured at the hands of the pure evil Asa, changed them all. Because of it, they all were now followers of Jesus Christ.

  Though Honey was concerned, she also trusted Jacks’ instinct and was curious to learn more about his visit with William. She listened as he agreed with her.

  “That is precisely what I thought too and believe me, no one could possibly know about our meeting. Will is a smart kid. The reason I did not mention this before is because after the night you had last night, I dreaded to tell you. I knew Dwight and Sheila would want to hear what I have to say also, so I decided to wait and discuss it tonight. I feel that we need to stay up to date on any activities, which concerns Asa. We all know how dangerous he is to all the Christian world.

  Dwight frowned, his eyes taking on a reflection of Jacks seriousness. He knew that things were happening and Biblical prophecy was being fulfilled at a rapid pace. He urged Jacks,

  “Okay, we are listening, go on.”

  Jacks nodded.

  “William saw on the news where a famous doctor was found dead of a drug overdose the other day. When he saw his picture, he recognized him as one of Asa’s visitors while he and the others were held there in the mountains…”

  He hesitated, not sure how to proceed with the story. The last four months had been wonderful not only for him, but for all of them. Dwight and Sheila were expecting a new baby. He and Honey were hoping to be doing the same soon. Half of him wanted to scream, not now Lord, while the other half was excited to be part of what was to come. He certainly was no expert, but in the months of being a Christian, he had learned so much that it was overwhelming! For him to have come so close to evil consuming his life, he could never be thankful enough. Nevertheless, he was well aware that evil was not done with him yet.

  “Jacks, you are frightening me.”

  Honey spoke anxiously, for Jacks’ look was very grave and he seldom had a loss for words. Sheila agreed with her.

  “Me too. Whatever could be worse than being married to Morgan? Or, held captive by that stinking old devil, Asa?”

  Jacks sucked in a deep breath. The last thing he wanted was to have the two women concerned but after what had happened before in New York with the two of them kidnapped, he could not take a chance that they would let their guard down now.

  “At least then we knew what he looked like.”

  “What do you mean we knew? He took Garrett’s body. We still know…don’t we?”

  Dwight became apprehensive by Jacks’ words and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise in alarm. He said it again.

  “Don’t we?”

  “Not any more. I am afraid Garrett looks nothing like Garrett any longer.”

  “Why? What did William know that makes you say this?”

  Dwight pushed. After what he had witnessed personally, nothing would surprise him.

  Jacks sighed,

  “I am trying to tell you. This doctor made several trips just before we were there. I am sure he made even more after we escaped. He was a plastic surgeon in New York. From what I understand he was the best available.”

  Dwight was beginning to understand where Jacks was going with this.

  “So you think that Asa, or Garrett, no longer looks like he did when we were there, because he had plastic surgery? Ah, and you think the man was murdered by Asa’s people, but why kill someone for doing him a service? Wouldn’t he want to reward him instead?”

  Jacks shook his head.

  “No, I think he would not want to leave anyone alive that could recognize him…except for his very top people of course.”

  Sheila felt a shudder go through her body and said heatedly.

  “I never want to see him again, period! Am I scared of him? No! He has already been judged to death…and ….”

  She laughed, but they could all feel the uncertainty in her voice as she kept on.

  “…and I’m sure he has bigger fish to fry, as people down here are fond of saying, than to have his cohorts plague us.”

  She reached over and held Dwight’s hand. She was so happy with him and Gem now, but could not help but to remember before, when she and Jacks first met the two men who would change their lives forever.

  She remembered as if it were just yesterday. Garrett’s visit first and then the next day when Abe Cannon and Morgan Belk walked through the door to Jacks’ law office and practically demanded he be their runner for a senate seat which was soon to be vacated. The dinner she accompanied Jacks to and the following events, which sent Jacks to live in Mississippi and her to Morgan’s mansion to be his wife. It was not what her father, John Herbert had ever envisioned for his only child and she was sure he died from a broken heart. Though his death released her from the blackmail Morgan forced her into marriage with, she desperately missed his presence in her life.

  She placed her hand over her stomach. It was going to be a baby boy, a little boy who would grow up never knowing his grandfather. How thrilled she knew he would be, to know they were naming this firstborn son for him. She smiled and squeezed Dwight’s hand. Realizing the conversation had continued without her, she said,<
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  “What? Jacks, what did you just say?”

  “I said that the, uh, message said I would never be free…Sheila, are you alright? You look a little funny. Maybe I should not have told you about this with the baby and all.”

  Dwight turned to her. The thought of his first wife Kim reverberated through his body. Her death at Gem’s birth would always be a horror to him and he was not sure he could endure another such loss.

  Being a minister was his life, his faith unsurpassable, his humility enduring and yet his humanity inescapable. He felt hurts and pain deeply and because he had suffered loss, he had greater compassion. He was a loving shepherd to the flock God entrusted to him and they loved him.

  Seeing his distress, Sheila felt a rush of shame for causing it. She understood his horror of losing Kim and would do anything not to cause him worry. When they unexpectedly got pregnant, he was almost suffocating. It was as if he thought he had to be at her side constantly until she balked. They had a heart to heart discussion and he loosened up. Still, he was too overprotective at times. She reassured him,

  “Please, I am fine. Sweetheart really, the baby is fine too! I just lost myself in my thoughts for a while there and missed what was being said. I am so sorry. I did not mean to worry you!”

  She kissed her husband’s hand.

  “Now Jacks, what were you saying that I missed?”

  Jacks looked at Dwight with uncertainty and then asked her,

  “You are sure?”

  Giving him the look she used in the past when he would swear, she answered irritated,

  “What? Look, I know that you know me better than to think I am a wimp! Remember who my father was and how he and my mother raised me. It was not to be afraid of any ole scary thing either, including the devil himself!”

  Laughing at her fierceness, they all agreed that she certainly was no wimp. It lightened the mood to one less somber and Jacks hated to continue. However, he felt it was important that his wife and Shelia understand that the evil man once called Asa, was now anonymous and they would not recognize him, even if he were amongst them. Honey rubbed his arm.