Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
The expanse of the ceiling stretched above the congregants’ heads as if attempting to reach the heavens.
Given what happened in Genesis when man built a tower to reach God, Eliana had always wondered if cathedrals and other high-ceiling churches should have been built with lower ceilings.
Still, the way the sound of the choir resonated from the rafters of the old stone building made it worth it.
Eliana closed her eyes as she stood listening to the words of this ancient hymn. She adored all worship music, no matter who wrote it or when, whether it was modern or had stood the test of time. If it was praise to God, she wanted to hear it. Especially today.
After yesterday.
After the nightmares she’d had over and over last night.
Eliana hugged her jacket tighter around her, making her elbow hurt where she’d been stuck with a needle. She squeezed her eyes shut.
Only You know what happened. And why.
Only You have the words of eternal life.
She repeated snatches of verses she remembered. Letting the notes of the hymn wash over her with a kind of familiarity that felt like family.
Someone patted her arm, and she opened her eyes, glancing aside at Patience on the pew beside her.
The older woman leaned over. “Everything okay?”
Eliana hadn’t told her about the compound or what happened there. “I’m good.”
When the worship time concluded, the pastor came to the pulpit and gripped the sides. He bowed his head and prayed a blessing over the Word as they heard it.
“Amen.” Eliana sat, which put her close to Patience. So close they were practically pressed together, but there was no room to scoot the other way on the pew because the sanctuary was packed. Eliana looked around the room and her gaze snagged on dark hair, so brown it almost looked black.
She couldn’t see the man’s face, but it might be Carlos.
Despite getting hardly any sleep, she’d dragged herself out of bed, knowing good and well that she needed to be here. She tuned out the pastor’s explanation of the new schedule for children’s classes, thinking about the day before. What they’d found—and what they hadn’t. Those missing hours.
Luci was still unaccounted for, just like the hours between when they’d been “zapped” in that doorway and waking up after it was dark, and they had no way to find the memories or Carlos’s sister.
Eliana said another silent prayer about it right now, because she didn’t know how they were supposed to find Luci.
And where else was she supposed to go for answers, anyway?
He’d called in the state police as soon as they’d left the building and the cops showed up an hour later, first two and then more.
Then followed a team of forensic technicians and some detectives.
More and more officers with their questions, talking and talking while the others collected evidence, or tromping through the resort—compound—place and looking over every inch of it.
No sign of anyone.
Carlos had answered a lot of their questions, running interference for her. Not that she couldn’t have answered herself. She was glad he’d taken the lead because he knew what he was doing in that situation and why the cops asked the questions they had.
Talk about being out of her element. She hadn’t wanted a medical examination. All she knew about that place was the scriptures the community seemed to be based on, but none of it made any sense or lined up with what she believed. It seemed more like borrowing phrases for another meaning.
Which reminded her of Patience’s questions the other day, about her parents.
Fundamentalism itself wasn’t a bad thing.
At its simplest, it meant a person was devout, with strong beliefs.
What people did in the name of fundamentalism was something a lot different, though.
Like using the tendrils of truth mixed with lies to draw people into a community and then…
She didn’t know what Luci had fallen into. Or even if she really was missing. Maybe she’d never gone there, or she had, but then left shortly after and didn’t stay.
Yesterday, in the middle of all the chaos with the police and evidence collection, Carlos had put his hand on her right shoulder, and she’d leaned into the comfort of his presence beside her.
She’d needed the familiarity of their friendship even while her heart still nursed the pain of his rejection all these years later.
Maybe she should be adult enough to have let go of it by now, but the savage way he’d torn apart her heart—and her trust in him—left her broken in a way she would always carry.
“…exciting announcement.”
Eliana blinked, trying to focus a little less on her thoughts and a little more on what the preacher was saying.
Family was family. She and Carlos would be in each other’s lives for the rest of theirs.
She needed to set aside the hurt for Luci’s sake.
Otherwise, Eliana would be facing this situation alone with no idea what to do.
“Just yesterday, there was a meeting of Chicago-area pastors, preachers, and church clergy members. All denominations gathered in one place for the purpose of joining together in fellowship and unity as brothers and sisters in Christ.”
Eliana looked at Patience, but the older woman shook her head as if she’d had no idea that was happening.
He continued, excitement in voice, “Together, we drafted a document stating our intention to continue on as one body of Christ, the Kingdom of God here on earth.
Regardless of the issues that divide us, we are all children of God.
And under the leadership of the lawyer who helped us draft the agreement, we all signed together.
“While it doesn’t mean things around here will change, I would like to partner with other churches in more community events and outreaches, and we will be expanding our food pantry and kitchen to serve even more of the neighborhood.
I was even thinking about a block party this summer.
Something that hasn’t been done around here in many years. ”
Patience whispered, “That’s a good idea.”
“You can find the rest of the information about it on the church app, or if you accept receipt of it, we’re transmitting to each of your phones now.”
Around the room, devices chimed or vibrated.
The pastor smiled. “Thank you, Steve, for doing that.”
Eliana’s phone, tucked in her pocket, didn’t make a sound. Patience slid hers out and tapped the notification.
“Now that your phone is out, scroll with me to today’s passage.”
Eliana reached under her seat, where she’d laid her Bible on the dusty floor, and opened it on her lap.
She took out the pen tucked in the case that she used to write notes most Sundays.
So much better than electronic notation—not a personal principle but a fact that was well-known enough to have taken schools across the country back to paper, books, and pencils in the aftermath of the Cyber Cold War.
This wasn’t the time to be thinking about how her mother had been right about that, and pretty much everything else.
She focused on the pastor and wrote a note in the margin to remember that every Christian was saved by grace.
What one person did wasn’t worse than another, because sin was sin.
The more a person had been forgiven, the greater example of how amazing it was that believers were freed from sin and made into a new creation.
When the service had concluded, she closed her Bible.
Patience took her hand for the final prayer and whispered, “Amen” as the people in the room stood and headed for the aisles. She patted Eliana’s arm. “I’m going to talk to Susan. We might go out for lunch.”
“Great idea.” Eliana bussed her cheek. “Call me if you need anything, or if you want to share a car home.”
Patience held her arm, and they stood, then she tottered off toward her friends.
Eliana spun around, searching the quickly dispersing crowd for Carlos.
Maybe she’d imagined seeing him. It had only been his hair.
“You okay?”
Her Bible toppled from her hands and landed on the floor. The way it always did when she dropped it, pages down and smashed together. She sighed, dipping to pick it up.
Carlos got there first. “Here.” He handed it over. “Been a while since I was in church.”
“What made you come today?” She hugged her Bible to her front.
He shrugged, not quite looking at her. “Seemed like a good day for it.”
Eliana nodded. “I needed to be here, where I know who I am.”
She didn’t think that God occupied this building any more than anywhere else, but in church there was a familiarity that settled her soul. That gave her peace she didn’t find anywhere else.
“That your neighbor you were sitting with?” He lifted his chin in Patience’s direction.
“It’s starting to sound like you’re spying on me.” Eliana frowned. “Wait. You’re not protecting me, are you? Is that why you came?”
He leaned in. “Keep your voice down. Do you have any idea the kind of trouble I’d be in if anything happened to you? Your parents would kill me. Of course, I’m watching out in case something happens to you.”
Something had happened to her, but she didn’t point that out. It happened to both of them, and he wasn’t freaking out. In fact, he looked like he might’ve been working for hours since he came here, or working out, and he had a thermos of coffee—her thermos—in his hand.
“Want an update?”
Eliana motioned to the aisle. “Go for it.”
“The scene has been processed by state police. Including the lab we woke up in.” The slight edge to his tone indicated he might not be as fine as he projected. “But no one is in a hurry to investigate anything, given there’s no evidence of a crime.”
“No evidence?” She stopped in the middle of the crowded lobby. “What?!”
People around them stopped talking and turned toward them. Carlos grabbed her elbow and hurried her outside into the cool lunchtime air, a heavy swath of cloud covering the sky over the church. Cars pulled out of the parking lot in a line.
“We found blood on that gown.” Eliana inhaled, trying to stay calm. “All those people disappeared!”
His jaw flexed. “As much as I want them to be looking for Luci, we have no proof she was there. All the evidence is being tested and will take time to come back. The judge said there’s insufficient evidence that a crime has been committed. No victim. No IDs. Nothing more than a possible injury.”
“You were injured,” she said. “So was I. Someone did that to us.”
“Without a medical report, there isn’t much anyone can do.”
So the fact she’d declined medical assessment was now a problem for the case? How was she supposed to have known that would happen?
She lifted her head. “Please tell me you have a…a lead. Something.”
“We have a lunch date.”
“With who?” And why invite her unless it was about protecting her?
“Don’t you mean, with whom?”
She rolled her eyes. “No one has said ‘whom’ for like a century.”
Carlos chuckled. “It’s a new day, and church was great. But now it’s time to get back to work.”
She didn’t know whether to believe that was sincere. She agreed with him, but never in her life had she been in a situation like this.
In fact, this whole week had been a series of firsts.
Tony had been promoted to head of security over her.
She’d seen a dead man left in a gruesome manner.
Carlos was now a Chicago PD officer, which was definitely a first for both of them.
Luci being missing wasn’t a first, but the fact that it seemed like she might have joined a cult was new.
“Fine. Lunch.” Eliana shook her head, lowering her cross-body backpack over her shoulders. “Let’s go.”
Outside, he glanced over. “Want to leave your car here and ride with me?”
She tipped her head to the side. “I don’t have a car. If I don’t want to be driven, I take the L train, the bus, or I walk.”
“Guess we’re taking my truck.” He swung his arm wide to indicate the way. “You have a license, though. Don’t you?”
She nodded. “I’ve driven plenty, but when my car broke down in Wyoming before I left, I didn’t bother replacing it. I was moving anyway, so I just packed up and flew here.”
“Weren’t you living with that gal in Cheyenne? The nurse?”
“Yeah, Shira. She kept all the furniture, because I might be back at some point. Most of it was thrift store, or hand-me-downs anyway.”
“No roots. Nothing to tie you down. Just you and the open road.”
“And a thumb to stick out, so I can get picked up by some psycho and my grisly death will be headline news.”
He mumbled, “And I’d have been blamed for that, too.”
“What did you say?”
“Never mind.” Carlos unlocked the truck. “Okay, bad plan. Flying was a good idea.” He opened the passenger door for her, the way his father always had for his mother, Valentina.
Felt like a lifetime ago now, back when his mother had called her mi hija, and Luci hadn’t been missing, possibly tangled up in a cult.
Back in the days when Eliana’s whole world had revolved around Carlos.
Everything was swallowed up in her feelings for him, making him into an idol in her life when she should have put God first. A relationship with Carlos should’ve been a blessing, not something that pulled her away from God.
At the very least, it should’ve been something other than the mess it turned into.
He didn’t shut the door just yet. “What is it?”
She wasn’t going to tell him all that she’d just been thinking, so she settled for a simpler truth. “I’m worried about what happened to Luci. More worried than I am about whoever knocked us out and stuck needles in me—or why.”
His demeanor changed as if she’d snapped her fingers. All the humor in his expression dissipated, and fear clouded his face. “I was trying to keep it positive for you, but I need to know what happened to Luci.”
“Don’t hide how you feel. I want to know.”
Carlos stared at her for a moment. “I spent some time this morning researching any cases that might be connected and looking into the Reverence Sisters. I found a police report listing the group's name when someone reported them. It was never followed up on, but I called her and asked if she’d talk to us.” He got in the driver’s side and pushed the Start button.
Eliana glanced over. “We’re meeting someone from the group?”
“She said she was there for two months and barely escaped.”
She grabbed his arm. “Did she see Luci? Does she know where she is?”
His smile was soft. “Let’s go find out.”