are.”
“Sir, your war room was cleaned out when you died. No one knows anything about the skulls,” Brian said. “In fact, up until a couple of days ago, the headless men haven’t even made a noise.”
“It means someone’s moved them around,” Jonathan said, a mask of anger dropping onto his face. “Someone’s been playing with their skulls. Find the skulls, get some saké out, and you’ll be able to quiet the boys down. Best to do it quick, too . They get real angry, real easy.”
“How do we find the skulls?” Brian asked.
Jonathan looked at him for a moment, as though he were the stupidest person the dead man had ever met. And at the end of the stare, Brian felt exactly like he was.
“You’ve got to look, boy,” Jonathan said. “You’ve got to look. And make it quick. The longer they wait, the angrier they’ll be. And when they get angry, well, they get mean.”
“Yeah,” Brian said softly, sighing. “Yeah. We figured the last part out.”
Chapter 21: Forced to Wait
Miles had seen the Reverend leave home much earlier than usual, and he knew he had an opportunity to get into the Church again.
Within a few minutes, he had removed the third skull from the cabinet, packed it up, and made his way out the door. He walked steadily towards the Church. He kept his head up and his gaze focused on the horizon.
He looked like someone hurrying to the bus stop to get to work.
The weight in his pack reminded him he wasn’t.
Miles had his work now. Special work. Work which needed to be done.
It took him ten minutes to reach his car. He waited another three minutes to make sure he hadn’t been followed, and then he got into his car and made his way to the Church.
He needed to do a drive by to make sure everything was safe.
It wasn’t.
There were police officers everywhere, and they directed traffic away from the Church.
Something had happened. Something bad. And Miles knew it.
At the first intersection he came to, he turned his car back towards its parking spot.
He had to get home and get the skull back into its cabinet before Sato awoke.
Sato didn’t like to be awoken.
It was never good to be around when Sato was awake. Never.
Chapter 22: In The Riverwalk Café
“I’m sorry,” the Rever end said. “But should Jim really be here?”
Before Brian could answer, Luke Allen spoke up.
“Rever end,” he said politely. “He has just as much a right to be here as we do.”
Rever end Joe cleared his throat nervously. “I apologize, Mr. Allen, I meant, is he old enough? Not if he has a right to be here.”
“He’s old enough,” Brian said. He motioned for the waitress, Lisa, and the young woman came over. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jim blush and look down at the table.
“Hi Jim,” she said brightly.
The teen’s eyes widened slightly as he straightened up and looked at her. “ Hi, Lisa.”
“Are you drinking coffee now?” she asked.
“Yes,” Jim said. “Yes, I am.”
“Cool,” she said, giving him a wink. “How do you like it?”
“Black,” he answered.
She looked at him and smiled. “Wow! I’m impressed. Most of the guys , who come in here, order iced coffees or add so much sugar and cream you can’t even recognize the coffee anymore.”
Lisa turned her attention to the Rever end. “Hey Rev, spiced tea?”
“Please, Lisa,” Reverend Joe answered.
“And for you?” she asked, looking at Brian.
“Black coffee,” Brian said.
“I’ll have the same, young lady,” Allen said, smiling in her direction. The old man had his hands folded together on the table.
“Three blacks and one spiced,” Lisa said, nodding her head. “Be back in a couple of minutes, gentlemen.”
Jim watched her walk away.
“Is she as pretty as she sounds?” Luke asked Jim.
The young man blushed furiously. “Yes, grandpa.”
“Older than you,” Luke added.
“Yes,” Jim said,
“Sir, your war room was cleaned out when you died. No one knows anything about the skulls,” Brian said. “In fact, up until a couple of days ago, the headless men haven’t even made a noise.”
“It means someone’s moved them around,” Jonathan said, a mask of anger dropping onto his face. “Someone’s been playing with their skulls. Find the skulls, get some saké out, and you’ll be able to quiet the boys down. Best to do it quick, too . They get real angry, real easy.”
“How do we find the skulls?” Brian asked.
Jonathan looked at him for a moment, as though he were the stupidest person the dead man had ever met. And at the end of the stare, Brian felt exactly like he was.
“You’ve got to look, boy,” Jonathan said. “You’ve got to look. And make it quick. The longer they wait, the angrier they’ll be. And when they get angry, well, they get mean.”
“Yeah,” Brian said softly, sighing. “Yeah. We figured the last part out.”
Chapter 21: Forced to Wait
Miles had seen the Reverend leave home much earlier than usual, and he knew he had an opportunity to get into the Church again.
Within a few minutes, he had removed the third skull from the cabinet, packed it up, and made his way out the door. He walked steadily towards the Church. He kept his head up and his gaze focused on the horizon.
He looked like someone hurrying to the bus stop to get to work.
The weight in his pack reminded him he wasn’t.
Miles had his work now. Special work. Work which needed to be done.
It took him ten minutes to reach his car. He waited another three minutes to make sure he hadn’t been followed, and then he got into his car and made his way to the Church.
He needed to do a drive by to make sure everything was safe.
It wasn’t.
There were police officers everywhere, and they directed traffic away from the Church.
Something had happened. Something bad. And Miles knew it.
At the first intersection he came to, he turned his car back towards its parking spot.
He had to get home and get the skull back into its cabinet before Sato awoke.
Sato didn’t like to be awoken.
It was never good to be around when Sato was awake. Never.
Chapter 22: In The Riverwalk Café
“I’m sorry,” the Rever end said. “But should Jim really be here?”
Before Brian could answer, Luke Allen spoke up.
“Rever end,” he said politely. “He has just as much a right to be here as we do.”
Rever end Joe cleared his throat nervously. “I apologize, Mr. Allen, I meant, is he old enough? Not if he has a right to be here.”
“He’s old enough,” Brian said. He motioned for the waitress, Lisa, and the young woman came over. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jim blush and look down at the table.
“Hi Jim,” she said brightly.
The teen’s eyes widened slightly as he straightened up and looked at her. “ Hi, Lisa.”
“Are you drinking coffee now?” she asked.
“Yes,” Jim said. “Yes, I am.”
“Cool,” she said, giving him a wink. “How do you like it?”
“Black,” he answered.
She looked at him and smiled. “Wow! I’m impressed. Most of the guys , who come in here, order iced coffees or add so much sugar and cream you can’t even recognize the coffee anymore.”
Lisa turned her attention to the Rever end. “Hey Rev, spiced tea?”
“Please, Lisa,” Reverend Joe answered.
“And for you?” she asked, looking at Brian.
“Black coffee,” Brian said.
“I’ll have the same, young lady,” Allen said, smiling in her direction. The old man had his hands folded together on the table.
“Three blacks and one spiced,” Lisa said, nodding her head. “Be back in a couple of minutes, gentlemen.”
Jim watched her walk away.
“Is she as pretty as she sounds?” Luke asked Jim.
The young man blushed furiously. “Yes, grandpa.”
“Older than you,” Luke added.
“Yes,” Jim said,
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