Wings of Deception (42 page)

“Not only that
. T
hey were almost like robots or zombies.
Just obeying orders.”

T
he door opened and Garrett
came into the room and
stood in front of them.

“I see you two have got it all figured out.” He smiled and walked closer. There were two men still standing in the doorway.

Honey stepped forward and demanded, “Let us go, you have no reason to keep us here.”

“Ah, but I do. You see, you cost me a good man and when I lose something, I replace it. I figure he was worth at least two of you.”

“It will do you no good to hold us against our wills, Garrett.”

His eyes flashed and he snarled, “Thanks to you I have to tolerate his body but be assured, I am not Garrett. I think, according to your conversation, you know that already.”

“You are watching us? How dare you?” Sheila spurted angrily
,
as she stepped closer to him with a raised hand in an attempt to strike him. He took her hand and twisted it
,
as the two men moved in to stop Honey from trying to protect
her.

Asa
laughed with pleasure at the futile attempt to attack him. “I could break your neck with so little effort. Do not tempt me
.
I have use for you alive, at least for a while longer.”

He waved the men back and let go of Sheila. “I thought Morgan a fool for becoming
enamored
with you
,
my dear, but I am beginning to understand better his reason for it now. Never mind
him
for I took care of his weak self.”

Sheila’s eyes grew
round
as she stared
at him
in horror.
“You?”

“Well, not me personally, but yes, you may thank me for making you a widow. What
? Y
ou would prefer to still be with him? I do not think so
. I have something much better in mind for you.”

With this, he laughed again and turned to leave
but stopped at the door and turned back to them.

“By the way, it is impossible to escape me so save your energy.”

When the door closed Sheila balled her fist up
and said
, “
Eweeeee
, I could have
killed
him!”

Honey was thoughtful though and moved around the room like a caged tigress trying to think what they could do to get away from the crazed man. She was thinking
,
he was not only crazy but
now knew
his spirit was evil. She was also trying to think of the verse that she remembered reading that said God’s people were not fighting a flesh battle but spiritual
one
and it had to be fought in the spirit.
S
he could not remember it exactly and in frustration she
was muttering to
herself, “What is it? That verse
!
”

Sheila
, rubbing her arm,
was still fuming over
Asa’s
visit
. She
looked up from where she had sat
down
.

“What verse
? W
hat are you talking about?”

“
Shhhh
…..they can hear us so whisper.
There is a verse that tells us we fight not against the flesh but the spirit. Do you know it?”
She came close to Sheila and used hushed tones.

“
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Is that the one?” Sheila whispered back
without hesitating
.

“Yes! And that is exactly what we have to do. Sheila, I know you know more of the Bible than I do. I want you to help me memorize some verses. We have to utilize the Word against this man or
….
whatever he is.”

Sheila nodded her head in agreement. “You are right. Okay
. W
e know there is a camera in this room and they can see and hear everything we do and say.”

“What about the bathroom? It has a shower and we can sit in there. Come on, let’s check it out.”

Honey led the way to
the small room and
they
looked around.
The only space large enough for them to sit was the shower
,
so looking at each other and almost giggling
,
they went in and sat on the floor
.

“There! Every time we want to talk
,
we can just come in here. Now I want us to pray and then you teach me some scriptures. We are not going to let this devil win. Not when we have weapons to use against him!”

“
That’s right
. T
he Word says one can chase off ten thousand and two….well let’s just say there is power in numbers girl! Let’s pray!”

They spent at least an hour
sitting in the shower
before
coming
out and as
agreed
,
each climbed
in
a bed and slept.
Just a couple of hours
sleep
in the last forty-eight
,
was beginning to show
. B
oth were past being tired
. T
hey were exhausted
,
and they knew they were going to need all the energy they could get for the fight for their
freedom
.

They were not the only ones who were fighting. Ragas and
another angel
were leading their own war
on the
outside the fortress. It was a fierce battle and was strengthened only by prayers going up by and for Honey and Sheila.

                                                                                THIRTY-ONE

Jacks took a taxi to the
hotel to pick up some things and then to the
place Sang-mi had directed him to
go
. It was a bar and being mid
-
day there was an emptiness about it that seem
ed
normal
for the time. A
n open sign flashed in the window
.
Jacks entered into the dreary atmosphere with caution. The
re
was a lone woman behind the bar who just looked at him as he approached her.

“Hello, you must be
Rhonda
. I am
Jacks.”

“I was expecting you,” She said
,
nodding in acknowledgment. Walking around to the front of the room, she locked the door. “Come with me.”

Jacks reached automatically to where he had placed
his
small revolver, its feel giving him courage. He followed her through a back door which exposed a room
flamboyantly furnished in hues of reds and yellows. Jacks looked around uneasily
,
as the woman walked over to a television set and flipped it on. Immediately
,
a picture appeared of the room Honey and Sheila were being held in and he could see them sleeping. His attention focused on the
picture of the
two women but quickly it disappeared and he stood staring at Garrett on the screen.
He frowned deeply
,
hating the fact that
Honey and Sheila were at his mercy.
He stared at the pale
,
pockmarked face of his one time friend and
was
startled
when he spoke.

“Ah, so I see you have followed your instructions well
,
Jacks. Won’t you please sit and be comfortable. I am sure Rhonda will fetch you a drink
. W
on’t you my dear?”

Rhonda turned to go and Jacks halted her. “No, I want nothing here except for you to tell me what you have done with my friends. Where is
Asa
…
..?
W
hat are you trying to be, his right hand man since he so cold bloodedly killed Abe?”
He wanted
him
to think he had no idea of what
Dwight thought may have
happened on the roof.

Garrett was sitting
.
Jacks watched impatiently as he crossed his legs and lit a cigar.

“Poor Jacks
!
A
re you so naïve that you have
not
figured out what transpired on the roof the other night?
Even your little girl friends have figured that out.
I see you survived the kn
i
fe
,
which is interesting
.
I can
say  I
am
really
glad you did. I am sometimes
too
impulsive for my own good.

“
Okay, w
hy don’t you tell me exactly
what
happened that night
?
Then
we can get serious here.
While you are at it
,
why not tell me the truth about me
?
I know now it was all lies
.
T
he little heartbreaking story you told me about my mother and why I was so important to you.
” He had a small recorder on in his pocket
.
T
hough he
believed
Dwight w
as
right about what took place, he wanted to hear this man admit that he was not Garrett
,
but
Asa
.

“But all were not lies, my boy.” The man looked as i
f
he were enjoying himself.
“
Simon
was indeed your grandfather. I just borrowed his uh, body. Unfortunately
,
his health was not as good as I had hoped for. Not unlike Garrett’s here.
He smiled
a
most irritating
grin
,
as if remembering
something fondly
.

“Who are you
….rather,
who is
Asa
?”

“Jacks, one cannot expect to know all the secrets as just a human. I am who I am and have been since the beginning. A king above all and stripped to nothing unjustifi
ably
. The entity your friends call God
,
is the true enemy here. I am just trying to unite the billions
of souls
he deserted a long time ago.”

“This is your
excuse for the
horrible things you have done?”

“
I am afraid anything I have or have not
done
is not the issue here. I have two women praying their fool heads off to someone who is not going to help them
.
B
ut you can.”

Carefully Jacks chose his words. “
Why would I?”

“For in spite of your life of training for
better
purposes, you have developed a love for one of them. Not unlike my dear departed friend, Morgan. Foolish Jacks, to lay your heart at the feet of one mere mortal woman when you could have it all. Women, money and power
….b
ut there is still opportunity to redeem
yourself
.”

“How?”

“
I want you to replace Abe.
You see, in my anger I took the life of my most valuable m
a
n.
Also
u
nfortunately
and thanks to you
,
I have this
new home
.” He made a gesture with his hand to indicate his body. “Nothing I can do to remedy that now
.
I
can only change
at the end of a life span.
If you commit to me
,
all will be forgiven and you may do as you please with your friends
”

“So what happens if uh, if something happens to Garrett’s body before then?”

Asa
laughed
with enjoyment at the game they were playing. “Then I get to play the field, so to speak
,
but will have no permanent home until the day I get my own beautiful body back.
But e
nough of the questions! I want to know if you want these two women to live
or not
. It makes no difference to me one way or the other, mind you. Their outcome is strictly up to you!”