Operation Wolfe Cub: A Chilling Historical Thriller (THE TIME TO TELL Book 1) (43 page)

“Yes, of course I am. It’s just that we had a big day with the birthday…I mean, the president’s announcement with the bomb and all too. I mean, wow.” She then started cutting up her chicken. “Now I hear we get to keep Doll…it’s just a little overwhelming…don’t you think? I mean, think about it.”

Eddie began eating again. “Of course. Never thought of it that way. You know that bomb’s going to get us in trouble. You know that, don’t you?”

“Yes, I guess…sounds like it.”

Eddie suddenly became all smiles. “Hey,
um
, I’ve got some more good news I haven’t told you about. Want to hear?”

“Yes, of course…what is it?”

He took a big bite of chicken. “Yeah well, do you remember our old pastor? I mean, our first one, from a while back… Pastor Johnathon McKoowey—from about three years ago?”

Chantain was so surprised, she coughed. “Oh,
ahem
, excuse me, the gravy’s hot…
yes!
I mean yes. How did you find him?”

“I found him.”

“Are you sure you got the right John I’m thinking of? Pass me the buns, please.”

“Sure, here you go…he’s the right John…the young guy. Well, you know what I mean…close to our age. You liked his preaching I recall.”

“I did, so go on—what about him?”

Eddie dived into his plate again. With a full mouth of food, he waved his fork, saying, “Well, it was serendipity. Here I was—at the library—checking out those books you saw… that’s when I ran into him.” He then continued with second helpings of potatoes and gravy. “Funny thing, he asked about you.”

“Oh my. You told him I was fine, I hope…does he still have his Church of the Baptismal Mission?”

Eddie grabbed another chicken leg, then talked with it in hand, “Yes, the one you were baptized at. Now let me finish, all right? Well, his church, he said, is booming. He now has
three
churches…can you believe that? Yeah,
three
churches… a brand new one here in town, one in Black Water, and the one in Moss Lake. The one we used to go to way back when.”

Chantain picked up her fork, thinking. “But I didn’t see him anywhere on Church Row. How come I couldn’t spot him?”

“I know. He’s outside of town somewhere. I have to go check.”

Chantain then picked up her butter knife, thinking once again. She gingerly sliced into her chicken, as she stared right
past Eddie. “
Hmmm
, I bet he’s bringing in a lot of money,
um
—I mean charity now.”

Eddie kept his eyes on his plate, not really paying attention to anything else except keeping his mouth full. “Oh, you bet…sure is good chicken.”

“He was single, wasn’t he? Does he still look the same?”

Eddie grabbed his glass of milk, then downed it. “
Ahhhh
… of course he looks the same. You expecting him to pick up a gun and go get shot during the war or something? Heck no, those preachers—they take care of themselves. Sort of makes me mad.”

He carried on, “Look, I’ve been thinking…you know we’ve tried a few churches over the last couple years. I don’t know about you, but—I don’t think the Church of the Original Testament is right for us. I mean, the preacher is good, except he’s—well, it’s just that he’s sort of—”

Chantain dropped her knife. “
Uh
, radical! I know. He’s no good…so when do we go see Pastor McKoowey? He’s really more like—what we’re looking for, right?”

“Wow, that was easy. So how can you give up Julie and Al’s church that fast? Wait, never mind. I think I know.”

“Well, for the same reasons as you. After listening to what you said, I hate walking up and down Church Row all the time, bumping heads with others. You know, everyone’s just—and he yells too much while he beats his Bible to death…I’m sure you know what I mean.”

“
Hmmm
, well…boy, do I. You’re right.
Hmmm
, so it’s okay? I mean, I feel like I’m up to my neck in alligators with some of these churches. I really don’t want to make the Witness crowd either if you know what I mean. The crap’s so political down in town that, well…so you really think it’s bad too?”

“Sure I do. Like President Truman, it’s all too political. Soooo next Sunday, I get to go to his church in town? I mean, out of town. That’s where he’s at, right?”

“Of course. Good…our old pastor guy must be doing something right or he wouldn’t be growing so fast. I mean, how does the guy do it? Three churches. That’s something.”

“He must be energetic…maybe he needs help or something. I like a preacher that’s energetic, don’t you?”

“Well, I guess, if that’s what it takes.”

Chantain drifted in thought as she carefully picked up her glass. Her eyes browsed around her old kitchen. She felt around the edges of her plate, then felt around the edges of her old, nicked-up dinner table. She even drew her wandering eyes over to Doll, sitting there next to Eddie, hardly looking cute with that mess of mashed potatoes on his cheek.

Abruptly, she put down her glass, observing Eddie with his cane leaning against the wall, before licking her lips. “’Course, you know…I picked him before you. Do you remember?”

“What? Oh, Pastor McKoowey’s church you mean? I know you did. I didn’t think much of him before. After seeing these other churches, he doesn’t seem half bad now.”

She then gazed out the kitchen window as she twirled her hair in her fingers. “So you really don’t think he’s—a little young for being a pastor?”

“Not really. He got in on the ground floor, that’s all. At least we’re familiar with him, right?”

“Yes, I know…this’ll be the last one. We could even go to all three of his churches sometime. That would be fun, checking out what he’s got. So how do you think he does it? Did you ask?”

Eddie was finished with dinner by then. He pushed his plate away, looking almost too satisfied. “Oh yeah, he told me. He preaches three times every Sunday—morning, noon, and night. His nighttime session’s the one here in Devil’s. We should stick with that one to save on gas.”

Chapter 12

Eddie and Chantain’s plans for the coming Sunday were not led astray. That very Sunday evening, Eddie’s camper car was seen chugging north along the little, two-lane highway headed for their new/old church.

Eddie, behind the wheel, turned a quick smile over to Chantain on the passenger side, holding Doll in her lap. He wasn’t the only one happy, for she returned his smile with one of her own. The frustrations they may have felt a week ago were surely gone and for now, anticipation glowed on their faces when they saw their church just ahead.

Eddie put on his blinker, letting off the gas for the next turn.

Kirpop!

Eddie looked the other way. “Oh, my car didn’t mean to do that. I got the parts…I’m fixing it, I promise.”

Chantain didn’t say much. She kept smiling directly at the sight of a plain, white building layered in weathered burlap siding just ahead. “That’s it, the church I bet…yeah. There it is. I see a cross.”

“Yes, that’s the place—I guess…
hmmm
, didn’t expect it to look like that…oh well. Welcome back to our church. Nice to be back.”

The building left little to the imagination. It was an over-sized shoe box that looked like it belonged in the generic domain of plain-sided bureaucracy. The only things new about the building were the flimsy, hand-painted sign out
front, marking the establishment’s name and the cross nailed up on the side of the wall, which was built out of recycled boards.

Eddie pulled into the overly-spacious, flat parking lot, but to his surprise, he immediately encountered a maze of potholes. He wasn’t too successful navigating around them either. While holding on to his steering wheel, he asked, “
Hmmm
, you remember this place from before?”

“Not really…you’ve been here in town longer than I have. What was it?”

“It’s the old Devil’s Gulch Grange. Pastor McKoowey didn’t change much of it, from what I can tell.”

“He didn’t have to, Eddie. Why should he? Kinda looks like a church to me.”

“I suppose…whatever you say.”

Just as he turned to park, a startling honk heckled them from behind, causing Eddie to look into his rearview mirror. “What the—?It’s Al behind us and that stinkin’ heifer of his…did you invite them along or something?”

“No. I told Julie all about my ex-pastor, that’s all.”

“Did you talk about how good he was or something? That’s weird.”

“Oh, that’s right, I did…she mentioned something about wanting to see him for herself sometime.”

Eddie blew through his cheeks. “Oh? Well, looks like she’s seeing right now…glad they warned us way ahead of time with their horn.”

Chantain twirled a small strand of her hair between her fingers while she looked up to the roof of the car. “That’s not nice for you to be calling Julie a heifer. Anyone can see that without saying it, you know.”

“What?
Ah
no, I’m talking about Al’s car. His Lincoln Zephyr.”

“Oh God, are you serious?”

Eddie squinted. “Of course I’m serious.”

Chantain went on, “All this time, I thought you were talking about Julie when you said that.”

Without incident, he parked on the far side of the lot while looking over his shoulder at the same time. “Great, now they want to park by us. I can tell by looking.”

Everyone bailed out of their cars at the same time with their children and Bibles in hand.

Eddie quickly hobbled out in front, trying to distance himself, while Al anxiously rushed up from behind. “Hey, Eddie, wait up…slow down. Hey, you like hearin’ stuff ‘bout the war, don’t ya?”

“How’d you guess? Come on, we’re almost late.”

“Well, here’s a tasty piece-a-gov gossip for ya…heard it on the radio while I was comin’ over here.”

Eddie stopped to wait for him. “What? Bigger atom bombs being dropped? As if one-a-those wasn’t enough.”

Al adjusted his black glasses, which now had a piece of white tape holding them together. “No, not at all. You’re talkin’ old news there. I’m caught up to you now. We can go.”

“So, Al, what you hear?”

“After Germany surrendered? The United States recovered flyin’ saucer technology from the Nazis.”

“Oh, come on, Al. Not on Sunday, okay? By the way, what happened to your glasses? That tape between your eyes bothers me.”

“Oh,
uh
, I broke ’em. No, no…this is big news. Just give me a chance to explain.”

“Explain what? Your glasses or your crazy story?”

“No,
ho
…no story, we’re talkin’ facts. I’m layin’ it on ya right now…we transported German saucer technology back over here and get this…they said that soon we’d be able to fly to the
moon
because of it.”

Eddie looked straight ahead at the door to the church. “
Psss
—you know, you don’t have to make up a bunch of excitement just because I never invited you here this evening.”

Al stepped ahead, blocking Eddie from walking into the door of the church. “Now what, Al? Go on inside. I’m barely on time for once.”

“I’m serious. You gotta radio ‘n that car-a-yours, right? Just turn it on when you get outta church. They’ll still be talkin’ about it, I’m sure.”

“Okay, I’ll do it if you go on inside.”

Al finally realized what he was doing, so he stepped aside then funneled in close behind Eddie to go inside. As he looked around, he puckered his lips. “Hey, this is the old grange, isn’t it?”

“Yes, Al. Of course it is.”

Al went on, “Hey,
uh
, Eddie…you’re not upset with us comin’ to church with you, are ya?”

“What gave you that idea?”

“Oh, I don’t know.”

Eddie softened up a bit. “I’m not upset…just don’t let other people’s bull-crap stories pull you around by your ear all the time.”

Al chuckled, “Oh, you mean Julie? I thought it be fun to go to another church…especially after hearin’ you two were comin’ here.”

Eddie muttered, “I give up.”

All of them walked together down the center aisle before quickly realizing they’d just stepped into a crowded, popular place. The Church of the Baptismal Mission that evening was a full house with just a few seats left.

Eddie pleasantly suggested with his cane for Al and his family to take a seat ahead of him. As Al and Julie slipped down a row of pews, Eddie asked, “How did you break your glasses, Al? Julie hit you or something?”

“What? Oh, I sat on th’ dang things when I got outta th’ tub.”

“Hope you washed them, then.”

“What? Wash what?”

“Never mind, Al.”

Eddie then waited for Chantain to come along, but she was lagging behind with her eyes glued to the front of the church. Her eyes burned a line straight up to the stage and sanctuary where Pastor McKoowey wasn’t doing anything special at the time except adjusting his tie.

Eddie quietly waited for her to step closer to invite her down the row, but she kept strolling right past him as if he wasn’t there.

Eddie grabbed her shoulder. “Something got your attention, dear? We’re all sitting back here—in this row.”

Chantain tried fanning off her unadulterated blush. “Oh, sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going.” She then fumbled to sit down as fast as she could beside Julie, who seemed to be caught up looking at Pastor McKoowey in the same mesmerizing way.

Eddie quickly forgot it. He gazed with a little amazement himself, except not at the pastor. He was mesmerized with the warm feelings he saw with the pleasant people around him. Rightly so, the little house of the holy was packed with perhaps seventy people or more.

He quickly sat down, where his gaze of praise continued on down to the fine-looking details directly in front of him. On the backs of the pews were small, homemade bulletins, which he and the rest of the parishioners quickly helped themselves to. Eddie muttered to Chantain while looking inside of the flyer, “Well organized. Nice schedule of events this evening, it looks like.”

Pastor McKoowey, standing on stage behind his modest podium, looked nothing like his building. He was very attractive, well-mannered, and pleasantly-dressed in a sharp suit of peaceful earth tone colors.

He looked to be organized above all else. In the last seconds of his preparation, he adjusted his necktie again, then took a sip of water from his glass, sitting on a tray next to the podium.