I couldn’t count how many more times we’d done it before finally collapsing on top of one another.

  * * * *

  When I awoke, Alex was asleep to my left and Charity to my right. We were naked, but someone had covered us with two quilts. I smelled something burning, sat up, and saw Pastor Markham tending to a bonfire. The statues were still on top of the bench, but Darnel’s body was gone.

  “We got rid of the body last night,” Miss Lucy said, appearing from the left side of the yard. She was dressed in a blue pantsuit, and Sassy was next to her in a green wrap dress.

  “That was some party last night, huh,” Sassy said.

  “Holy crap!” Buck said, as he came up behind them and looked at me and my companions. “Looks like you guys didn’t make it out in time.”

  “You could say that,” I said, noticing that Alex and Charity had begun to stir.

  “We brought you guys some clothes,” Buck said.

  * * * *

  Alex and I went to the mens’ room inside the church to change. Once we were there, I turned to Alex and held him silently for a few moments.

  “That was so crazy,” Alex said. “I… I killed a man, and then the sex. Did all that really happen?”

  “Yeah,” I said, splashing water in my face. “And for the record—thanks for killing that man, or he would’ve killed me.”

  “Now I know how you felt back in Shelby protecting me from Delonn,” he kissed my cheek.

  “Ditto,” I said. “Well, actually, I can relate to how you were turned on beyond your control when I fought with Delonn. Your fucking me last night was intense.”

  “Layton, what about Charity and what happened between you two? Does it mean you two conceived a child?”

  “If so, then it was we three; you were there and very much a part of it. You may not have fucked her, but you fucked me while I was fucking her. And the rest—”

  “The rest you can talk about later,” Miss Lucy said, as she entered the bathroom. “Alex, get dressed and give us a moment, please.”

  “Sure,” Alex said, hurriedly getting dressed.

  “Oh, and Alex, Leticia would appreciate it, if you can get some detailed pictures of the statues before we destroy them.”

  I dressed, Alex left the room, and Miss Lucy talked.

  “It was a mess in town last night. The effects of those statues reached even us, but because we were further away, we had time to act. Angie drove to the bakery with Nichelle and locked the girl in the storage room and herself in the bathroom. That stupid Buck was level headed enough to lock Sassy in her car trunk.”

  “He’s not so bad after all, huh,” I said.

  “Shut your mouth, boy. Before Buck locked me in my car trunk, some of the men were starting to go after each other like wild animals; even the cops were fucking like dogs in the street. Not to mention the dogs and cats in the street were fucking too. And you don’t want to know what the organization is dealing with—there was a passenger plane flying over the area last night that was affected.”

  “Holy shit,” I said. “You’re right… I don’t want to know. What happened to Buck?”

  “From what I understand, he got one of Markham’s boys to knock him out and lock him in my car… my car of all places. And no, he couldn’t think of knocking me out first. I damn near rubbed myself raw with all that supernatural lust energy.”

  “I thought I noticed you walking funny.”

  “Ha, ha. You and your lover boy better start picking out a nursery color, detective. I heard you and my friend Charity went at it all night.”

  “Shit,” I said, punching the wall.

  Miss Lucy, put her hand on my shoulder and spoke to me in a tone I hadn’t heard her use before.

  “Listen to me, detective.” I didn’t turn around, but she continued. “I’m talking to a man, not a boy. Turn around and look at me, soldier!”

  That was a command from an officer, and I turned around and faced her at attention.

  “The girl told me what happened. As former military people, you and I have seen women experience some real shit in war zones. This was different, and Charity bears you no ill will. She told me that if you hadn’t given in to that power while you still had some control over your body, you would’ve torn her open and maybe even killed her.”

  I looked down at the ground, and Miss Lucy slapped my face hard.

  “You’re not God.” I still didn’t look up, and she slapped me again. “I’ve seen what I see in your eyes right now in other soldiers’ faces, and I’m not gonna put up with that shit from you.”

  She started slapping me over and over, until I reached up and grabbed her wrists hard and looked angrily into her eyes.

  “That’s it!” she said. “I just wanted to make sure you still had the fight in you.” She pushed my hands off her wrists. “Most soldiers need to be humbled when they join the organization; that included me when I was still a rookie. We’re like doctors, we think we’re the gods of this earth, and we have the power to control everything that happens. It’s when we realize how little control we have over things that we really become strong. It takes a strong person to be able to live with the outcome of these missions. I’ve seen some ugly shit out there, and you’ve just started, Layton. Can you live with the consequences of what happens on the field, soldier?”

  “Yes, Ma’am!” I said, saluting her.

  “Good, I believe you, boy. I know you’re a man… and a strong one at that. Not many men could’ve come through what you have in this town. At least not in one piece like you have. But I still reserve the right to call you ‘boy’ every now and then.”

  “I understand,” I said. “But I’m sure other agents could’ve handled this case… maybe even better than I did. This wasn’t a shining moment for me.”

  “Do you know why you were chosen for this case, Layton… and make no doubt about it—you were deliberately chosen?” She waited for a moment to make sure she had my attention. “Because of your inner strength. Shelby showed us that you were a strong enough man to handle the unknown and not let it destroy you. Some of our agents don’t have the inner resources not to crack on—or after a case. You may have given in to the power of those statues, but you’re still alive, in one piece and mentally stable—or as stable as the rest of us are. I know what you told that girl. And I’m gonna tell you that you did your duty as a soldier—you did protect her in the only way you could. She’s still alive… maybe a little sore like all of us, but she’s still in good shape. Don’t let what happened eat you alive, or the dark side, bad guys—whatever you want to call it or them wins. You are a good man, don’t forget that. Now let’s go take care of that statue problem, shall we?”

  “Sure,” I said. “Let’s go take care of The Triumphant Trio.”

  Miss Lucy stopped me. “No, detective, don’t think like that. You succeeded in your mission to find the statues and bring them to us, so they can be destroyed. People died… a whole lotta people got some strange lovin’, and the birthrate is bound to go up in this area, but the damage—or what have you, was contained within a relatively small area. The situation here has been neutralized, which is all you were called on to do—nothing more. The organization will send counselors to help the people here, as well as drop a nice wad of cash and whatever else is needed. People didn’t have much time to go around scooping up the emeralds falling from the signs this time, so they’ll appreciate the helping hand. So, what’re you and your mister hoping for; a boy or a girl?”

  My mind reeled at the thought; so instead, I focused on getting outside to those damned statues.

  -34-

  Burn, Ladies, Burn

  Miss Lucy and I walked outside to where the others stood by the bonfire. Alex was busy taking pictures of the three green-eyed lady statues. I noticed the Markham’s group had joined everyone, along with Angie. Pastor Markham walked over to me with a sledgehammer in his hand and put his free hand on my shoulder.

  “How are you doing, Layton?”

  “I could stand to bend your ear a little, if you have time later.”

  “I do. And Samson’s looking forward to talking to you.”

  “I’ll be here,” I said. “Let me go say my hellos.” He patted me on the back, and I walked over to Samson trying to see how his wounded leg looked. He was wearing baggy sweat pants, so I couldn’t tell anything about his leg without asking. “How’s it going, brave guy?”

  “It hurt earlier, but the doctor gave me something to take for the pain and I’m doing good now. Thanks for going in and helping me.”

  “No problem,” I said. “Your man helped get you out too, don’t forget that.”

  “I never will,” Samson said.

  “Thanks for your help, guys… and ladies,” I said, looking at Nichelle and Angie, who nodded their approval and appreciation.

  “It was exciting,” Angie said. “And Nichelle and I even got to collect some of the emeralds this morning.”

  “Don’t go telling all our business,” Nichelle said.

  Chantelle appeared from the church side entrance with Charity next to her and a quilt in her hands. Pastor Markham got everyone’s attention and handed the first green-eyed lady statue to Miss Lucy. She took out a pocket knife from her pantsuit and dug out the two emerald eyes. She gave one to Samson and the other to Morgan. Pastor Markham handed her the second statue, and Miss Lucy did the same, but this time, she handed an emerald to J.P. and the other to Nichelle. The last two emeralds went to Angie and Sassy.

  Once that was done, Charity helped Chantelle place the quilt under and over the statues while Pastor Markham said a prayer over them. Then he brought down the sledgehammer, crushing the statues beneath it. Afterward, he handed the sledgehammer to me, so I could deliver the next blow. I then handed it to Miss Lucy. Everyone took a swing at the statues with the sledgehammer, then Pastor Markham and I carefully gathered the quilt up, lifted it, and threw it into the fire. He poured some gasoline on it from a can that he’d set behind a tree. The fire rose up high, cracked, sparkled, and turned green for a minute before settling down.

  “Well, that was a letdown,” Buck said.

  “You sorry you didn’t get an emerald,” I said.

  “Nah,” Buck said. “I didn’t want one. I just thought the statues would go up more dramatically.”

  “It’s because their power was spent last night,” Chantelle, who was standing next to Buck, said. “I believe it would’ve taken another blood offering to recharge them.”

  The crowd split up as people talked amongst themselves. I joined Pastor Markham inside his church, and we sat down in one of the front pews.

  “What can I help you with, Layton?”

  “I think there’s a good chance I’m going to be a father.”

  The pastor and I both laughed.

  “Is that going to be a problem for you?” Pastor Markham said.

  “I don’t know,” I said. “I mean I don’t want it to be, but it’s not exactly what I pictured in my future.”

  “Wouldn’t life be boring if we had everything figured out completely?”

  I smiled. “How exactly do I balance having a male partner and a female pregnant with my child—if she does turn out to be pregnant.”

  “Oh, she’ll turn out to be pregnant,” Chantelle said, as she walked in from the side door. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you two were in here.”

  “It’s fine,” I said. “You’re that sure about the power of those statues?”

  “Well, you saw and fought the zombies, and they were just—as I said before, a perversion of what the makers of the statues had in mind. The three of them being brought together like they were was a powerful thing. And I could feel something being birthed in my womb last night when my husband and I made love in the church. It scared me at first, but I had no real choice in anything that happened.”

  “Neither of us did,” Pastor Markham said. “That power took hold of our basic instincts to reproduce, and it was powerfully strong.”

  “I’m glad that bad guy stayed knocked out on the floor, or I would’ve been embarrassed,” Chantelle said.

  “I’m glad he stayed knocked out too, or I might’ve done him some serious harm,” Pastor Markham said. “The authorities have him now, so you won’t need to worry about him for a while, Layton.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “I’ll also agree with what you said about that power taking hold of us so strongly. But the statues intent was never evil, simply to procreate and add to the tribe—am I correct, Chantelle?”

  “Yes, you are.”

  “You knew about their power, but would never use it to get yourself pregnant,” I said. “But, you had no choice in this situation except for the choice of what to do now. You and your husband are good people, and I think any child born from the two of you would be a blessing to this world.”

  “That was beautiful,” Chantelle said.

  “Yes, it was. Thank you,” Pastor Markham said.

  “There is something I’d better tell both of you, though,” Chantelle said. “There was another reason the life statue was so powerful. The infant mortality rate in that part of the world, particularly in the tribe that created the statues, was high. The life statue was created not only to ensure a single life would be created, but multiple lives—meaning multiple births. The births of twins and triplets were unusually high amongst those people.”

  “Oh… shit,” I said. “Please not the number three again… not triplets.”

  “Excuse me?” Pastor Markham said.

  “The number three just seems to be following me around lately. Someone told me it was a powerful number in many religions. Sort of like our Father, Son, and Holy Ghost I guess.”

  Pastor Markham put his hand on my shoulder reassuringly.

  “It’s also just a number, son, remember that. You’re a good man, and Charity is a good woman, and—like you were telling us, I think you will have children that will be a blessing unto you and your family—no matter how that family ends up taking shape.”

  We talked some more, then I went back outside and found Miss Lucy.

  “Buck and I are leaving, Layton,” Miss Lucy said. “It’s retraining for that boy, and a sure headache for me.”

  “He’s not a bad kid, you know,” I said.

  “I know. Unfortunately, I’ll soon be seeing how bad or how good an agent he is.”

  “Oh, shit, you’re not giving him his own case, are you?” I said.

  “He’ll be heading a recovery case as one of the recruits from our social outreach program.”

  “Social outreach program?” I said, as we walked through the cemetery. “What the hell is that?”

  “Some of Leticia’s colleagues had the idea, which they voted on and passed, of reaching out to and recruiting from the gay community to show that as a group with ties to religious organizations we were not homophobes.”

  “That’s crazy—hang on a minute… is that why—”

  “Pretty much, boy. You’re their gay poster boy, complete with a big ole rainbow in the background. And the sad thing is… I’m being completely serious.”

  “Shit,” I said. “Well, Buck’s prettier, so they can use him as their poster boy.”

  Miss Lucy laughed. “That wasn’t the only reason you were picked to work with us. You were brought to Leticia’s attention because of your outstanding military record. We both liked and admired that about you. And we’d been watching you for a while—even before the outreach program. Take a break from the supernatural world for a while, detective, remember what the real world feels like again. We’ll call when we need you… which will probably be sooner, rather than later.”

  “But, Leticia told me she didn’t tell the organization I was gay,” I said. “In part so they wouldn’t react badly to my being with Alex who was involved in the Shelby case.”

  “Oh, no. They know all about you, but Leticia didn’t tell them that Alex was gay and that you two are a couple. It’s not exactly a closely guarded secret, she’s just going to let others in the organization figure those things out on their own.”

  Buck and Alex ran up to us at that moment.

  “Buck was looking for you to say good-bye,” Alex said.

  “I’ll be waiting by the Cadillac,” Miss Lucy said, and walked away.

  Buck gave Alex, then me a big hug.

  “I’ll never forget you guys,” he said. “Maybe we’ll see each other again.”

  I put an arm around Alex and smiled at Buck.

  “Somehow, I don’t think I’ll ever forget you either, Buck. But please retire that ‘My name is Buck’ line.”

  “I will, boss,” Buck said.

  “Good luck with your training,” Alex said.

  “Thanks, Alex. You’re a cool guy, considering everything like the blow job stuff and the other things that happened at the campground. I hope one day I have a boyfriend as awesome as you.” He turned to me. “And, Layton, you are the coolest of the cool. I’m going to think about you and what you would do when I’m retraining.”

  “Just do the best you can do,” I said. “It never pays to copy anyone else. You did good here, Buck.” Suddenly, I felt for the guy, so I reached out and hugged him tightly. I kissed his cheek, let go of him, and got my wallet from my back pocket. After retrieving my business card, I showed it to him, then put it in his hand. “If you ever need us for anything, my cell number is on here, OK.”

  He took out his wallet and put the card inside, then smiled at us, gave us each another hug, and ran off to join Miss Lucy.

  “He’ll be alright,” Sassy said, walking up to us. “I’ll keep an eye on him. He’s a nice guy and shows promise, I’m just not sure it’s promise for this job. Say, detective, we make a good team, and I could possibly use your help on a salvage project I have coming up. No supernatural stuff involved; a couple of hoods and thugs, but nothing supernatural.”

  “Give me a call when you know more,” I said, giving her a card.

  She gave us each a kiss on the cheek, then left. Alex and I went around saying our good-byes before I went to have a chat with Samson in the church.

 

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