'Sam!' Wade was shocked. He knew his preacher was a maverick—everybody knew that. But not this much a maverick.
'Pardon my bluntness,' the minister said. 'But what would you call it?'
Wade shook his head. A light, airy sensation had overtaken him at the sight of all this sexual display. He experienced a slight erection. He could not clear his head.
'Sam!' Wade shouted.
'Steady, Wade,' the minister cautioned him. 'Fight it. All this is being staged for us. It's set up by Satan. Fight it.'
'Let's try to get through them without trouble,' Chester said.
Then that would be Chester Stokes, young Sam thought through time and mist. My father's good friend. Dad had finally been forced to kill Mr. Stokes after the man had become one of the undead. (The Devil's Kiss)
But how do I know all this? And why is this happening to me? And what is the point—the message here?
Sam drifted, his mind's eyes absorbing the scenes of years past.
The young people would not let the men through.
Their profanity was shocking. They shouted things at the men Wade would not have believed had he not been present.
Chester merely shook his head in disgust.
'Mother-fucker!' a boy shouted at the men.
A girl, perhaps fifteen, at most, leaned against the truck. She winked at Sam. She smelled bad. 'Want some pussy, preacher?' She opened her shirt, exposing braless breasts to him.
Sam averted his eyes, looking straight ahead. Suddenly, as if on some silent cue, the crowd of young people parted. The road was empty, the kids returning to the drive-in. A car, bearing out-of-state plates drove slowly down the road.
'They know,' the minister muttered. 'I don't know how they do, but somehow all of them knew that car wasn't local.'
'Sam! Let's stop the car and tell the people what's happening.'
'No,' Sam told Wade. 'Do you want more innocent people to die?'
'No,' the newspaper owner whispered.
'Then just calm down. I want to see what the kids do after this car passes.'
When the vehicle passed and was out of sight, the young people once more blocked the road.
'Silent signals,' Sam said. 'From the Devil.'
'If we let him,' Chester said, 'the Devil, 1 mean, or those working with him, they have the power to cloud our minds, right?'
'That's it,' Sam replied.
Young Sam was returned to the present with shocking force. He looked around him. This was not Whitfield. It was Logandale.
Sam was bathed in sweat. His hands trembled. He willed them to cease their trembling.
'Dad,' he whispered. 'Are you here with me? Now? What are you trying to tell me? Show me? I know it's you, Dad. Tell me!'
But only silence greeted his questions.
He dropped the truck into gear and pulled away from the curb. He was a very confused young man. Then his mind became once more clouded as forces took control. When he finally shook the clouds away, he was on the outskirts of town, near the Giddon House and Fox Estate. He slowed and gazed at the ominous-appearing stone structure known as the Giddon House. The stone fence surrounding the place was at least ten feet high, with spikes and barbed wire on top of the fence. The gates were massive, looking to be made of thick steel.
Sam then experienced the hardest thrust of evil he had felt in three years. And it came from the Giddon House.
Sam drove on past the ending of the stone fence. He stopped when he saw Desiree Lemieux standing in the driveway of Fox Estate.
She waved at him and Sam backed up, rolling down the window on the passenger side.
'Desiree,' he said with a smile. 'Waiting for a bus?'
She looked confused for a moment, then laughed as she caught the joke. 'No. After that horrible night last night, this day is so beautiful 1 wanted to go for a walk. 1 had just left the house. Where are you going? I'm sorry,' she quickly added. 'I did not mean to pry into your private affairs.'
I'd like to have an affair with you, Sam thought. And it did not appear odd to him to be thinking in that manner.
Soft gray eyes touched Sam.
On the upper level of the mansion, Jimmy Perkins peeked through heavy drapes, watching the mistress of the house talk to Sam Balon. He was not afraid of her telling the young man of his presence. Everything had been arranged, set in motion by the Master.
'No apologies necessary, Desiree,' Sam said. 'I was just going for a drive. Would you like to come along?'
