04 The Chamber of Lies Page 5

  He looked downfield and saw his receivers trying to break free from the defense, trying to open themselves up for a pass.

  He glanced to the scoreboard: 14 to 14 with eight seconds left in the game.

  This was the final play. It all depended on him.

  Two giant linemen, 300 pounds each, broke through the line and charged toward him.

  He looked back downfield. His teammates still weren’t open.

  There was only one choice.

  Tucking the ball under his massive arm, the mighty Elijah pivoted to the right and broke toward the left, heading for the only opening he saw.

  But that opening was immediately filled by another giant opponent who charged toward him. Still, he was no match for Elijah’s speed and agility. Elijah faked to the right and continued to the left. The giant lunged and grabbed his jersey, but Elijah spun free and raced through the hole.

  More arms reached for him, a pair grabbed at his legs, but he leaped away and continued running.

  A tunnel formed ahead of him. His blockers were finally clearing a path.

  His legs pumped as he sprinted forward. He would have to push his body to the very edge, but that was what it was for.

  Another player came at him from the left. Elijah turned on the afterburners and jetted away like a rocket. Nothing could stop him!

  The goalposts shimmered 60 yards ahead!

  The tunnel narrowed. He picked up speed. There was no end to his power.

  50 yards.

  The crowd was on their feet roaring.

  40 yards.

  Adrenaline pumped; his heart pounded.

  30 yards.

  The roar was deafening.

  He could go on like this forever. What a fantastic body, what awesome power! He had never imagined this strength and power — and now it was all his!

  The good news was that Piper had finally managed to shift the RV into forward. The bad news was, well, that Piper had finally shifted the RV into forward.

  Minutes later, thanks to Willard’s directions, they were heading down the mountain road to Motel 3 to rescue Zach. She wasn’t exactly sure what they’d do once they found him. Or how to find Elijah. Or how to find her parents.

  But, at the moment, none of that mattered, because right now she had other things on her mind like…

  “LOOK OUT! TURN RIGHT!”

  … staying alive.

  She yanked the wheel to the right, pulling the RV back into her lane and out of the oncoming traffic with the approaching …

  HONKKKK

  … semi truck.

  It was a good move.

  What was not so good was when she turned too hard, which meant she not only swerved to her side of the road, but also beyond … toward the 800-foot drop-off directly in front of them.

  “LEFT!” Cody shouted, grabbing at the wheel with his good arm. “TURN LEFT!”

  “Left! Right! Make up your mind!” Piper yelled as she cranked the wheel hard to the left and barely missed the drop-off.

  Unfortunately, she cranked too hard, swerving back into the wrong lane, and right into the path of the school bus loaded with kids.

  “AUGH!” Cody yelled.

  “AUGH!” Piper replied.

  “AUGHHHHHHHHHHHH!” the kids agreed.

  Once again Piper yanked the wheel, and once again she barely missed death, though the side mirror on the school bus wasn’t so —

  CRUNCH!

  — lucky.

  “How many more miles?” Piper asked, a note of desperation in her voice.

  Cody didn’t answer.

  “How many more — ?” She turned to him and stopped. She figured it was rude to interrupt someone whose eyes were closed and who was praying for his life.

  Not that she blamed him. In fact, it made so much sense that she turned back to the road and tried it too. Not that she closed her eyes (though at this rate she wasn’t sure how much difference it would make).

  But she did start to pray.

  Reverend Festool was pretty steamed when Zach gave him the answers that offered proof of the Bible’s accuracy. But it didn’t stop him. Instead, he came at Zach with a whole new argument.

  “What about Jesus?”

  “What do you mean?” Zach asked.

  “So what if the Bible accurately recorded what he said and did. What if he was lying? What if he was just out to fool people?”

  Zach looked at the Reverend. It was another good point. Even if the Bible did quote Jesus correctly and even if it did report his miracles … what if he was just a liar? What if all Jesus’ miracles were nothing but a bunch of magic tricks to fool people?

  Before Zach could answer, he felt the cell phone in his pants pocket start to vibrate.

  “Uh, excuse me.” He rose from the table. “I need to use the bathroom for a sec.”

  “Take your time,” the Reverend said. “And think about what I’ve been saying.” He gave Zach a smile. “After all, these are very important questions.”

  The roar of the crowd filled Elijah’s ears. Just a few more yards and he would cross the goal line and win the Superbowl!

  He didn’t know how much of his magnificent body was his imagination or how much of it had become real. But, even as he ran toward the end zone, he began to wonder how long it would last. How long would he be in such fabulous shape? Ten years? Twenty? Sure, that was a long time, but it wasn’t forever.

  Because everybody gets old. And everybody dies.

  The goal line lay 20 yards ahead.

  He remembered his grandfather, another great athlete, strong as an ox. He also remembered him dying last year as a shriveled old man. Then there was Elijah’s father. Even he was starting to get old. It happened to everybody. As great as Elijah’s body was, it wouldn’t last forever. Nothing lasted forever.

  15 yards to go.

  But that wasn’t true. There was something that lasted forever. If he obeyed God, there were the people he would touch. The people he would lead to God. The people whose lives would be changed — forever.

  10 yards.

  Sure, he could have the fantastic body now and get all the trophies and awards. But in a few years, who would remember? Or care? And after that? After he was dead? It’s not like he could pack his fancy body and trophies into a coffin and take them to heaven.

  5 yards.

  But changed lives — those he could take to heaven. And if he obeyed, if he did what God wanted him to, there would be thousands of those lives.

  Suddenly, the choice appeared very easy. A moment of greatness now, or an eternity of greatness later?

  Elijah made up his mind. As he did, the roar of the crowd started to fade. He dug his cleats into the turf and veered to the right. Instead of crossing the goal line, he headed off the field. Only it was no longer a field. Now it was turning into a smooth floor.

  The floor of The Chamber.

  His powerful legs continued to drive his body toward the stadium’s exit. Only it was no longer a stadium. Now it was becoming the glass case.

  But he did not stop. He lowered his shoulder and slammed into the glass. It shattered and fell all around him.

  “Look what you’ve done!” Shadow Man shouted. “Look what you’ve done!”

  Elijah knew his body had never changed, that it was all in his imagination, in his mind … but his body didn’t know it, not yet. Still, thinking he was strong, he leapt from The Chamber and raced past Shadow Man toward the door. But before he even arrived, the big bodyguard appeared blocking his exit.

  Or at least he tried.

  Remembering his moves on the field, Elijah faked to the right, and the big man lunged for him. Then Elijah pivoted to the left and slipped past the man and sprinted down the hallway.

  “Ssstop him!” Shadow Man screamed. “Don’t let him get away!”

  Elijah began wheezing, trying to catch his breath. Making fancy moves was one thing. But he was not the mighty man who could run forever. He was just the wimpy boy. Still, he wo
uld not stop. At the end of the hall, he saw a door and, beyond that, freedom.

  “SSSSTOP HIM!”

  Elijah’s lungs were on fire. His legs felt like rubber. The edges around his vision started to turn white. He was going to pass out.

  Still he ran.

  He stumbled into the door and opened it. Fresh night air struck his face. An alarm began to sound. Guard dogs barked.

  Where should he run? What direction?

  He paused, waiting for an impression, waiting to hear that still small voice that so often directed him.

  Into the woods.

  He turned and staggered toward the forest.

  “He gave us the wrong directions!” Piper shouted. “There’s no way this road leads to any motel!”

  Cody nodded and quickly typed into the computer:

  Willard where are we? You told us the wrong way!

  For the most part, Piper’s driving had improved. Even in the early evening with her headlights on, she managed to stay on her side of the road. Most of the time. More importantly, she hadn’t killed anyone — yet. If anybody needed proof that prayer really did work, she had it.

  Now they were driving through the forest on a dirt road. There were more than enough dips —

  SLAM

  “AUGH!”

  — and pot holes.

  “YIKES!”

  But somehow the broken-down RV just kept going. The fact that Piper was able to avoid hitting any more trees also came in handy. The fact that a squirrel darted out in front of her, was not.

  “HANG ON!” she shouted.

  She yanked the wheel hard to the right and the RV did the usual skidding and sliding out of control while the kids inside did their usual screaming and shouting for their lives.

  “AUUUUGH!”

  But somehow Piper straightened them out and they kept going.

  She looked to the rearview mirror and called back to Cody. “Any news from Willard?”

  “Something’s coming in!” He shouted up to her.

  “What’s he say?”

  “Hang on!”

  “Tell him it looks like he’s got us heading back to Shadow Man’s headquarters!”

  “Oh, brother!”

  Piper looked back into the mirror. “What?”

  “We’ve lost the connection.”

  “Not now!”

  Cody shook his head. “There’s no signal.”

  Piper sighed and whispered under her breath. “God, what are you doing? Why aren’t you helping us?”

  “To the right!” Cody shouted. He pointed out the window into the darkness. “What’s that in the field to our right?”

  Piper glanced from the road to an approaching field. A person was running, stumbling in the moonlight. A little person.

  “Elijah!” Cody shouted. “It’s Elijah!”

  Piper’s heart skipped a beat.

  Cody pressed his face against the cold glass. “Oh no!” he shouted.

  “What?”

  “There’s a bunch of guys after him.”

  “Guys?” Piper asked.

  “Yeah. And dogs!”

  Without word, Piper cranked the wheel hard to the right. They bounced off the road and into the open field. Now they were heading straight for Elijah.

  Chapter Eight

  Pick up and Delivery

  People never look their best when they’re angry. Reverend Festool proved this with his red face and bulging eyeballs. “I have studied all of my life,” he sputtered. “I have a Ph.D. in theology. How do you, a mere child, know these things?”

  Zach shrugged. “Guess I just did my homework. Oh, and did you also know that Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies about himself in the Bible? Some of them were written hundreds, even thousands, of years before he was even born.”

  The Reverend’s face grew redder.

  Earlier, when Zach was in the bathroom, he’d memorized the information that came in over his cell phone. Now he was reciting it as quickly as he could, before he forgot.

  “Those prophecies included everything from his birth in Bethlehem, to going to Egypt, to his healing people, to his death on the cross between two thieves, to his resurrection, and on and on.”

  “He could have manipulated those things,” Festool said, “to fulfill those prophecies!”

  Zach smiled. “Maybe. But the chances of one person fulfilling only the top eight prophecies about Jesus in the Bible are something like one in one hundred quadrillion.”

  “You’re … you’re making that up.”

  “Nope. Those are the same odds you’d get if you covered the whole state of Texas with silver dollars two feet deep, painted one red, tossed it in the center, stirred up the pile, and gave a blind man one chance to pick out the red one.”

  “That’s impossible!” Festool shouted. He was so worked up that he even managed to draw Monica and her thugs away from The Brady Grandchildren Revisited.

  “You’re right,” Zach agreed. “That is impossible. Unless, of course, he really was who he said he was. Unless, he really was God.”

  “No,” Festool was on his feet. “He was a good teacher, I’ll give you that, but he certainly wasn’t God!”

  “Wrong again. Jesus claimed to be God over and over. A good teacher wouldn’t claim that. Maybe a con artist. Maybe a nut case. But no way would a good teacher claim to be God — unless, of course, he really was.”

  “This is ridiculous!” Festool sputtered. “I don’t have to stand for this.”

  He turned and started toward the door.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” Monica shouted.

  “I’ll not be instructed by a mere boy.” He opened the door.

  Monica headed toward him. “Shadow Man gave you direct orders.”

  Festool came to a stop.

  “You would dare defy him?”

  “Well, no. I … I …”

  “You have a job to do; I suggest you finish it.”

  “But — ”

  “Shadow Man is turning his brat of a brother at the Compound. Your orders are to turn this one. If you don’t, there will be serious consequences.”

  Festool hesitated.

  “And I think you know what I mean by serious.”

  The Reverend wilted. He turned and shuffled slowly back to the table. Fortunately, he was so distraught that he forgot to close the door, leaving it wide open. That was his big mistake.

  And Zach’s big break.

  Zach leapt up and raced for the doorway. Monica lunged for him but grabbed only air as he ran outside into the night.

  “After him!” Monica screeched.

  Zach darted through the parking lot, looking for some way out. Unfortunately, the only way came in the form of a burly, tattooed biker standing a few yards from his monster bike, trying to impress a burly, tattooed woman.

  Zach raced to the bike and hopped on.

  “HEY!” Burly Guy shouted. “What are you doing with my bike!”

  “Sorry!” Zach yelled as he hit start and the engine kicked over. “I’ll bring it back, I promise!”

  The good news was the biker was so heavy, it took him 7 ½ seconds to lumber over to the bike.

  The better news was Zach had the bike off its stand and the engine revved in 5 ¼ seconds.

  The bad news was the bike was a lot more powerful than Zach’s motor scooter at home.

  So powerful, and with such awesome acceleration, that Zach could barely control his wheelie and, of course, his hysterical screaming.

  “Closer!” Cody shouted to Piper from the RV’s open door. “I can’t reach him! Closer!”

  Piper kept a careful eye on the side mirror as she brought the moving RV beside her running brother. If they’d had time, she would have stopped. But the guards were quickly closing in and the two German shepherds were already at Elijah’s heels, snapping away.

  The RV leaped and bucked as it hit ruts and holes. More than once, the wheel nearly jerked out of Piper’s hands. But she held on tight. T
his was her little brother they were trying to save, and nothing would make her let go.

  “Closer!” Cody yelled.

  The dogs were right there. She could hear their growls and snarls.

  “Closer!”

  Another series of bumps, but she held on.

  “Closer … closer … GOT HIM!”

  She glanced in the mirror and saw Cody pulling Elijah into the RV. She figured the weight was probably killing Cody’s bad arm, but he didn’t complain. She was surprised that she still heard snarling and growling until she saw that the dog had latched its jaws onto Elijah’s pant leg and wouldn’t let go, even if it meant being hauled on board with Elijah.

  But the free ride didn’t last long. Cody kicked the dog off and slammed the door on it. It took two or three slams before the dog finally let go. It fell to the ground with a few strangled yelps and then angry barking as the RV sped away.

  “You all right?” Piper shouted back to Elijah

  The boy nodded.

  “Where to now?” Cody yelled.

  “Zach and the motel!”

  “Which way?”

  “I’m not sure.” Piper glanced back and saw that her little brother was pointing to the left. “Are you sure?” she called. “We’re supposed to turn left?”

  Elijah nodded. Without questioning, Piper threw the RV into a skidding, sharp turn —“AUUGGHHH!”

  — and they headed left.

  “They’re going back to Shadow Man’s Compound!” Willard exclaimed as he and the old-timer watched the blip move across the map on the computer screen.

  He reached for the keyboard and typed:

  Don’t go back to Shadow Man’s headquarters!

  But when he looked at the monitor, he saw that the word Don’t was somehow missing.

  Willard scowled and retyped the word. But the computer was jammed. No matter how many times he tried to type it, the word Don’t just wouldn’t appear.

  “What’s going on?” the old man asked.

  “Your computer is frozen.”

  “Really?”

  Willard kept trying to type the word but had no success.