The Whispering Room

In the moonlight, Ellis could see the thick bulge of the poison sacs beneath the gleaming eyes. The odor emitted from the open mouth was dank and foul, like stagnated water, but Ellis didn’t mind it.

The thick body curled and writhed, and he laughed again. “You’ll not get away from me,” he said. “I have big plans for you.”

He’d brought a burlap sack from home, and with one hand, he shoved the snake inside, then with the other hand, he drew the drawstring tight. The sides of the bag moved and shivered as the snake searched for a way out.

Careful to hold the bag above the drawstring, Ellis set off through the woods.

He emerged half a mile downstream where a brush arbor had been erected on the bank of the swamp. An old-timey revival meeting was in full swing, and he moved in closer to watch, though he had no intention of participating.

She was there. He could see her blond hair glistening underneath the string of lights powered by a nearby generator. While the congregation swayed and clapped and some members even passed out cold as the rapture overcame them, she remained as still as a statue.

Ellis moved to the side of the arbor so that he could see her profile. Bathed in all that light, she looked like an angel, and his heart raced as he watched her. Ellis had all the confidence in the world, but truth be told, he was still a little in awe of her.

Which was why, up until now, he’d been content to remain her follower. But over the past few days, he’d been getting antsy. All this plotting and planning… Why not just snatch the kid and be done with it?

He knew the answer, of course. The sword of God had to be wielded with both valor and discretion.

On the makeshift stage, two men held snakes high above their heads as the preacher, eyes closed, hands lifted to heaven, spoke in an unknown tongue.

His rich, baritone voice echoed through the darkness, across the swamp, and stirred something deep and primitive inside Ellis’s soul.

Moving to the back of the arbor, he felt his control slip away as the power of the moment swept over him.

Against his will, he began to quiver and shake all over, and his knees turned to jelly. When he collapsed to the ground, he lay in the dirt, eyes rolled back in his head, tongue flicking in and out as he began to writhe and twist like the moccasin in the burlap bag beside him.

The spell lasted only a moment, but when he came to himself and sat up, his heart pounded in elation because he knew without a doubt that his seizure had been a sign.

Ellis Cooper was, indeed, one of the chosen. A warrior, a prophet, a demon chaser with the power of God behind him.

Twenty

As soon as she could get away the next day, Evangeline drove over to see Lena Saunders. Josh opened the door, showing not the slightest bit of surprise at her unannounced visit.

“Nice to see you again, Detective. I’ll go get Lena.”

This time he merely waved her into the living room as he continued down the hallway toward the back of the house.

Lena Saunders appeared a few minutes later. Today she was dressed all in white and her blond hair fell in thick, gleaming waves to her shoulders.

“Hello,” she said as she glided into the room. “I wasn’t expecting to see you again so soon. I’m delighted, of course.” She waved toward the chair Evangeline had occupied the day before. “Please have a seat.”

“I don’t need to sit,” Evangeline said. “This won’t take long.”

“What’s on your mind?”

“I’ve made some calls, done some background research,” Evangeline said. “I don’t have anything to report yet on Rebecca Lemay’s whereabouts, but I’m working on it. I spoke to the administrator at Pinehurst Manor and he’s agreed to see me. I’m driving up there as soon as I can get away. It’s possible the hospital will have a forwarding address for Rebecca.”

“What about the old Lemay house?” Lena asked. “I’m convinced someone saw Rebecca there a few days ago.”

“I’ll have a look around,” Evangeline said. “But it’s out of my jurisdiction. All I can do is ask a few questions. The sheriff down there is under no obligation to cooperate.”

Lena nodded. “I understand. But hopefully you’ll be able to get more out of him than I’ve been able to. You’ll give me a call if you find out anything?”

“Yes, but don’t expect a daily report. This could take a while. It’s not like I can devote myself to it full-time. Unless Lapierre sees fit to put me back on the Courtland case, I’ll have to do most of the legwork on my own time.”

“How will you explain your absence when you drive up to Pinehurst?”

“I’ll take a personal day,” Evangeline said. The first one since she’d returned from maternity leave.

“I’ve made some calls, too,” Lena said as she crossed the room to a sleek black writing desk. Opening a small notebook, she ripped off the top sheet. “I was afraid at first I wouldn’t have much to report. My sources at NOPD were reluctant to talk about Johnny’s case. Now I know why. Were you aware that the FBI has taken over the investigation?”