Evil Agreement (13 page)

“Yeah, and look at that huge storm cloud just to the west of
the mountain,” said
Korie
.

“Swimming pool,” said Aaron as he gave
Korie
a playful poke.

“Sounds wonderful, let’s take a dip before dinner,” said
Korie
.

“Perfect.”

They raced for the entrance door.

***

Ed Townsend’s butt hurt from all the driving he had done over
the past couple of days. It was
six thirty
and he had just passed mile marker 10 on Interstate 89 in Vermont.
He was heading north. The heat and humidity of this summer day was oppressive.
His windshield was stained from the hundreds of bugs that had met their end
against its streaked surface. The

He looked in his rearview mirror and spotted a State Police
cruiser bearing down on him with its blue swag lights flashing.

“Shit.”

There was a sudden wail from the police siren. Ed pulled his
car over to the right side breakdown lane. His car came to a stop. He waited
for the officer to approach his car. The State Police cruiser had stopped
behind Ed’s car. The officer positioned his car so the driver side was set
slightly closer to the driving lane of the highway. Ed could see the officer
using his radio to check out the description of his car, as well as the car’s
license plate number.

Standard procedure,
thought Ed.

The officer opened the door and slowly approached Ed’s car.
He kept his eye on Ed for any sign of sudden or unusual movement. The early
evening winds were picking up. As a car speed past the stopped cars, the rush
of air caused the officer to hold on to his hat. Both of his armpits were
heavily stained with perspiration. He wore dark aviator glasses.

Ed had rolled down the driver’s side window when he first
pulled over. The officer was now standing next to the driver’s door.

He bent over slightly and asked, “Do you have any idea how
fast you were traveling, sir?” His face bore no expression.

“Yes, I do, officer, I was doing seventy.”

“I followed you for a couple of miles and you were doing over
eighty, sir. May I see your license and registration please?”

Ed pulled his identification wallet from his back pocket. As
he sat forward, he could feel the lump in the middle of his back from the gun
he wore strapped to his belt. At the last rest stop he had removed his shoulder
holster and laid it on the passenger car seat, over which he had placed his
suit coat.

 
Ed opened his wallet.
His license was on the left side window and his U.S. Government F.B.I.
identification and badge were on the right. He handed the I.D. wallet to the
officer. According to official policy, he should have turned in his badge and
Government I.D. when he retired. However, according to tradition in his unit,
he took it with him. So far no one had asked for it back. If they had, he would
have said that he had turned it in. The system does make mistakes.

Ed gambled this officer would not check on his “official
status.” Ed’s gamble paid off.

“F.B.I. huh? Well, Mr. Townsend, please try to keep your
speed under control. Wouldn’t want to have an accident and hurt a citizen.”

“You’re quite right, officer. Thanks.”

“Have a nice day, see you down the road.”

The State Police officer handed the wallet back and returned
to his cruiser. Ed returned his I.D. to his back pocket. The State Police
cruiser pulled out and passed him. The young officer gave Ed a friendly wave,
which Ed returned.

Ed put his car in gear, checked his mirror and pulled back
onto the highway. The stop had delayed him further. He had kept his cool. He
knew the unofficial code of the law enforcement brotherhood would protect him
from most minor matters. Why not, he had given others in the brotherhood a pass
or two in his day? Professional courtesy is almost always extended to a member
of the law enforcement family.

Meanwhile, in Sutton, people were getting ready for the
ceremony they would attend later that night. Clothes were washed and pressed.
Lanterns were checked and rechecked. People called others for a ride. Others
sat down to dinner while others read from the secret book, the Book of
Covenants.

Ed Foley and his daughter, Lisa, prepared the unconscious Brittany.
They combed her hair. They washed her wounds. They reset her broken arm but had
not put it into a cast. Lisa had skillfully applied makeup to Brittany’s
bruises. The last thing was the dress they put on Brittany.
It was a white dress that resembled a smock in its simplicity. Brittany’s
right arm was hooked up to an I.V. bottle. The bottle dripped slowly as it
silently carried a narcotic into her damaged body. Her breathing and pulse were
as normal as possible under the circumstances.

Ed wanted to tell his daughter about the good news, but he
refrained from doing so. He was a loyal member of the coven. He was adept at
keeping secrets. He knew many secrets and never betrayed the trust placed in
him.

“She should be fine,” said Ed.

“When do we leave?” asked Lisa.

“We’ll leave around ten thirty or so. We need to be early so
we can park as close as possible. I’ll get the stretcher and leave it on the
porch until we need it.”

Lisa left Brittany
alone as she went upstairs to shower and change. She wanted to look her best
for the welcoming ceremony.

 
16

Aaron and
Korie
unpacked quickly
and headed to the pool with towels in tow. After taking a brief dip in the
motel swimming pool, Aaron and
Korie
towel dry
themselves in their room.

From behind, Aaron strokes
Korie’s
shoulders. She had just put her panties on and was taking a bra out of her side
of the dresser. Aaron reaches around
Korie
and
envelopes her in his arms. He is wearing only his boxer shorts.
Korie
twists herself around until she was face to face with
him. Her arms were restrained by his. He leans towards her and invites a kiss.
She resists his offer.

“Hey, come on,” he pleads.

“Look, I don’t want to start something, not now.” She smiles
for him, not wanting to injure his fragile male ego.

“Just one kiss?”

“Okay, lover boy. One kiss, but then you’re buying me dinner,
right?”

“That depends on how good a kisser you are.”

He released her arms. Taking him by his arms, she pulls him
to her with such force their bodies collide. She reaches up and takes his head
in her gentle hands. She looks him in the eyes and then slowly moves closer.
Their lips meet and make the slightest contact. She holds this position for a
moment longer, when suddenly she pulls him to her and she presses her lips,
indeed her entire body, against him. The force of the kiss takes him by
surprise. He staggers backwards a bit, yet she presses on with their kiss.
Korie
twists her mouth from side to side, kissing his. Now
she takes his lips between her teeth and bites down gently. She can tell by his
breathing that she is getting his attention. He is quickly becoming aroused.
Korie
now pushes him backwards, and Aaron falls down on the
bed in a mock swoon.

“How’s that?”

“Incredible!”

She reached into one of dresser drawers and tosses him a polo
shirt.

“You owe me dinner.”

“You bet I do.”

They finished getting dressed and headed down to dinner in
the motel restaurant. The place wasn’t very crowded. Aaron asked for a window
seat so they could enjoy the view of the mountains. It was
quarter past seven
. They ordered cocktails.
Korie
noticed the building storm clouds to the west. The
vista from this hilltop location was spectacular. The evening sky was filled
with dark slate blues and grays, set off by vibrant streaks of yellow sunrays,
accented with tinges of red and orange. The approaching storm clouds climbed
higher and higher into the sky.

***

All around Sutton, people were sitting down after their own
dinner. Farmers were tired from a long day’s work in this humid summer weather.
The season’s first hay crop had been above average and the second crop was
looking like it was going to top the first cut. Joggers were out taking
advantage of the evenings long shadows to cool down their runs, at least as
cool as could be expected under the circumstances.

This small Vermont
town with its Jekyll and Hyde dual personality moved about its business so the
normal everyday people never noticed the town’s dark side, a side of pure evil.
Neighbors, co-workers, bosses, spouses, teachers, doctors, young people and the
elderly were as divided as could be, good amongst evil. The town hosted a cabal
of devil worshippers practicing their craft without detection. Tonight was to
be a night of celebration. A new Keeper had been chosen. He would be welcomed
by his fellow practitioners into this dark cult.

They began traveling the back roads that all converged at the
same location. The roads, washboard worn, gave up trails of choking dust. Cars
were carefully parked in a field next to the Game Warden’s house. They parked
like they were going to a county fair. Young boys with flashlights pointed each
newly arriving car to an assigned parking spot.

Brittany’s
battered body is carefully lifted out of a car. She is unconscious, in a drug
induced stupor. She is placed on a stretcher which had been brought along. The
stretcher is now moved out ahead of the crowd handled by two willing
volunteers. They walk slowly.

There was s steady stream of people moving up the heavily
worn path to the outdoor altar. The evening air was filled with the aroma of
pine and sumac. Wild flowers, from black eyed
susans
to miniature marigolds, skirted the path. Once an old logging road, the path
was wide and smooth underfoot. To the left was the small stream that bore the
name of the Sutton River.

This is the same path that Michael
Delvecchio
and Julia Brodsky had traveled along just a couple of weeks before.

Many of the faithful, both young and old alike, were happily
talking together. Several kerosene lanterns, and battery powered ones as well,
were evident. A few of these assorted lanterns were already lit. A couple of
young boys picked up stones and tossed them into the stream. The animals of the
forest pulled back from this sight or gave it the usual wide berth.

Among the faithful were members of the coven. Whenever
noticed by the other faithful, the members of the coven were given an
enthusiastic wave, a friendly nod or a warm handshake. A few would even venture
to speak in private with a coven member, in search of their counsel or to seek
a special favor.

The faithful in attendance this evening numbered close to
three hundred.

After walking along this path for nearly a half mile, it
turned to the left across an old wooden bridge. Now the path grew narrower and
was angled much steeper. To the left of the path, nearly at its very edge, was
a steep drop off that grew higher and higher as the path climbed upward along
the mountainside. The chirping sounds of crickets could be heard everywhere.

An old woman, a former kindergarten teacher, was busy
preparing the altar site along with a couple of middle aged men. One of the men
is the president of the local bank, while the other owns a car wash along U.S.
Route 2, south of the town. The woman unfolds a black shroud that she carefully
uses to cover the entire altar. Her next step is to attach to the altar’s
downhill side a red silk banner with a gold embroidered pentagram. She also
places certain artifacts under the altar. Meanwhile, the two men are busy
building two large pyres to be used as bonfires later during the ceremony.
These pyres are located twenty feet to left and right of the altar. They are
careful to ensure that the base of these two stacks of oil soaked timbers are
surrounded by the usual large fieldstones. The timbers are stacked into a
teepee style shape.

Just as they are finishing their work, the first of the
faithful begin arriving. People move to their usual locations in front of the
altar, more out of habit than any design or plan. No one has brought a chair to
sit upon. A chair would be taken as a sign of weakness.

The stretcher carrying Brittany
is deposited to the uphill side of the altar. Ed Foley checks Brittany’s
pulse and it is weak. She is bleeding internally from injuries she sustained in
the truck crash last night. Her stomach, distended from the bleeding, makes her
seem to be mildly bloated. A middle-aged woman, who by day works in a nursing
home as director of the nursing staff, approaches Lisa. The woman hands her a
neatly pressed red robe. Thanking her, Lisa takes the robe.

Lisa, with some help from her father, removes Brittany’s
clothes. They cover her naked, bruised and broken body with this robe. Brittany’s
parents have arrived and are being warmly greeted by the other members of the
faithful for their good fortune.

Each coven member is carrying a small bag. As they reach the
altar area, they head up the mountainside to the woods beyond. It is in these
woods they enter a small tent that has been erected for their use. Taking
turns, they enter the tent, remove their clothes and don black robes. Exiting the
tent, now barefoot, they return to the altar area. It is getting dark now and
most, if not all, of the lanterns people have brought have been lit. There is a
slight breeze this evening. The wind is picking up due to a summer storm that
has been building in the west. The storm is now moving into the area.

Samuel Porter and his family have arrived. Hand shakes and
expressions of congratulations are extended to the Porter family, especially
Samuel Porter.

The last to arrive is Reverend Simon B. Mitchell. He takes
Samuel by the arm and leads him to the uphill side of the altar.

“Samuel, you must wait here while I go and change. I shall be
back in a moment and then we can begin.”

“Fine.”

“Are you nervous?” asked the Reverend.

“Not at all.”

“Good, remember, wait here.”

The Reverend turned and headed off to the tent to change.

Judy walked over to Samuel.

Smiling she takes his hand and strokes it with her other
hand.

“Samuel, I’m so happy for you.”

“Thanks.”

“Samuel, if you ever need anything, anything at all, I want
you to know you can come to me,” she said with a smile that sent an entirely
different message.

“How very generous of you,” said Samuel with a smile.

Her intentions were lust. His was barely controlled rage.

She pulled back from him, letting go of his hand. He instead
held her hand in his. His grip was painful to her. Her eyes caught his. She
felt an overwhelming sense of power coming from his look. It was a look she had
seen before. His demon spirit was more powerful, higher ranking than hers.

He released her hand. She bowed her head to him in a slight
nod. Judy turned away from him and took her place with the other members of the
coven.

The coven members are arranged into two groups, one to either
side of the altar.

Stepping from out of the uphill darkness is the Reverend. Now
that he had arrived, the ceremony could begin.

The Reverend stood at the center and behind the altar.
Raising his hands above his head, he spread them apart, which was taken by the
faithful as a sign for silence. Samuel Porter’s welcoming ceremony was now
underway.

“On behalf of Moloch, Beelzebub and Lucifer, the Demon of all
Demons, allow me to greet you as brothers and sisters. Tonight we are gathered,
as we have times before, and as even our ancestors did so many times before, to
welcome a new member of the coven. Our new chosen member has preserved our
sacred place with his own silencing. He has proven his loyalty. He has taken of
the blood. Moloch, himself, has blessed him. He has received a most important gift
from Lucifer as well, the gift of a mind seer.”

The Reverend pauses for effect. As he surveys the faithful,
he sees their eagerness, their yearning.

“I give you Samuel Porter.”

The crowd breaks into applause. Samuel is waved forward by
the Reverend. Samuel steps up to the altar. Despite his earlier comments, he is
now showing signs of nervousness. Shirley Carter and Walter
Yandow
approach Samuel and begin to remove all of his clothes. After his clothes have
been removed, he is given his own black robe by Phyllis Atkins. He pulls the
robe over his head and faces the crowd once again. They press forward to hear
him.

He bows his head.

Now looking up, there is a clear transformation that has
taken place in Samuel. His eyes are now totally black, piercing, shiny black,
like a child’s marble. His hands are much larger and muscular. His fingernails
are much longer and twisted in form. His head and especially his face are
bulging with muscles that distort his countenance. Samuel also seems taller. He
fills his robe with a more powerful presence than what he had just moments
before. He smiles upon the gathering. His teeth are yellowed and somewhat
misshapen. His tongue, snakelike in shape, slithers from inside his mouth and
flickers in the night air. Finally, beneath his robe, his feet have changed
into cloven hooves.

Reaching into cooling night air, above the altar, he raises
his own arms. His robe’s sleeves slide down to reveal hairy powerful arms.

“I take the name of
Upuaut
, for I
am the one who comes before.”

The crowd begins to chant “
Upuaut
,
Upuaut
,
Upuaut
...”

The entire coven itself begins to change. One by one, they
too transform into hideous demons just like Samuel, as their human bodies
manifest the presence of the evil spirits that have possessed their bodies.
These are the spirits they are bonded with, their partners from Hell.

“Bring to this altar our sacrifice,” hissed Samuel.

Ed Foley and Chucky
Trainor
lift
and place Brittany upon the
altar. She is wearing the red silk robe that was especially prepared for her.

“I offer this sacrifice to Moloch, to Beelzebub, to Lucifer,
and to all who inhabit the other world. Join me in calling him forth,”
commanded Samuel. His power and presence was greater than had ever been seen
before. Even the other coven members could see this.

Samuel began the familiar chant, “
Certe
Ne
Diaza
Orce
Pru
,
Giasha
Morte
Lee
Xintra
,
Moloch...”

Samuel’s voice, deep and inhuman, could be heard above all
others.

Suddenly the wooden pyres ignited with a “swoosh” like sound.
The two were completely engulfed in fire within less than a couple of seconds.
The fires bathed the scene in an eerie yellow light. Rising from the ground in
front of the altar is a faint specter figure that begins to take shape and soon
appears as solid as anyone or anything. It is Moloch, scaly, horned, cloven
hoofed, powerful tail, red burning eyes—the whole package.