Away From the Dark (The Light #2)(73)

Parking my truck as near our apartment as possible, I went directly to the temple. The sense of impending doom lurked around every corner. As I neared the Assembly room, I saw Luke and grabbed his arm. “What’s happening?”

He shook his head. “I’m not sure, but it’s not good. Not good at all.”

When we entered, a sea of eyes turned in my direction, and for the first time I could remember, Brother Timothy’s expression wasn’t contemptuous; instead I’d describe it as smug.

“Now that we’re all here, have a seat, Brothers,” Brother Raphael said, standing to the right of Father Gabriel.

I peered around the table at the sixteen men. With Father Gabriel present, there should be seventeen. “Where’s Brother Benjamin?” I asked.

“Apparently, much has happened while we were away,” Father Gabriel said.

Yes, a lot had happened. My wife had been left at the Eastern Light.

“Brother Timothy,” Father Gabriel began, “please tell the entire Assembly what you just relayed to me.”

Timothy stood. “It’s possible that not all of you are aware of the lengths we go to, to supervise our campus. We monitor the use of cell phones and the activity of the cell tower very closely. The Light can never be too careful or too trusting.” He looked directly at me.

Shit! The cell tower. My pulse quickened.

“Other than an occasional hunter or pipeline worker, our cell tower is monopolized by us, the chosen, the only ones who have cell phones in this community.”

Suddenly Father Gabriel’s comments about whom I’d called came back to mind.

Fuck!

“You can imagine our confusion when last Friday an unknown number called from our tower. Incoming calls do happen with wrong numbers. This call originated from our campus.”

From the sober expressions of the Commission, I gathered they’d already met and discussed this; however, most in the Assembly appeared shocked.

Brother Timothy went on, “That unknown number made five outgoing calls and received one call.”

“Brother, does this have anything to do with Brother Benjamin?”

The table murmured at Brother Peter’s question.

“Brothers,” Father Gabriel commanded. “Let Brother Timothy continue.”

“This could be attributed again to a hunter or pipeline worker except that the five outgoing calls all went to a familiar number, one that received the calls from a tower near the Western Light.”

Perspiration dotted my upper lip.

Where were Benjamin and Raquel? How long had Father Gabriel known this? Maybe I’d been right and the envelope had been only a pretense to lure me back to the Northern Light.

“That doesn’t make sense,” Luke interjected. “Who’d even know to call anyone at another campus?”

“That’s a good question,” Brother Timothy replied. “It was something we would’ve questioned if it were not for the one familiar number the unknown number called initially—five times.”

I took a deep breath. “Father, Brothers, did the unfamiliar number spend enough time on the call to speak to the familiar number?”

“No,” Brother Timothy replied. “The only call that was answered resulting in a discussion was the one received by the unfamiliar number.”

“Father, Brothers,” Luke implored, “could the five calls to a familiar number have been made erroneously, a wrong number?”

Father Gabriel nodded. “That could be possible, unlikely, but possible.” He stood and nodded to Brother Timothy. “This meeting is to inform you, members of the chosen, that the guilty parties have been punished. While Brother Benjamin will be missed, The Light will not tolerate deception of any kind on any level. We’ve unfortunately lost members of the Assembly in the past. It’s never an easy decision, but I support the stance taken by Brother Raphael and the Commission in my absence.”

My heart clenched as I peered toward Luke. His eyes now glistened with unshed tears as the muscles in his jaw clenched.

“While I’ve decided to not publicly call out the coconspirator in this travesty, rest assured, he too is undergoing correction.”

The room stilled as everyone but me nodded. I couldn’t move.

How had I not thought that they’d monitor the tower? Was Sara currently paying the price for my mistake?

“Nominations for the open position on the Assembly,” Father Gabriel continued, “will be heard at tomorrow’s meeting. Brother Luke, you have a wide knowledge of the followers here at the Northern Light. Bring a list of possible candidates. We may be in need of more than one nomination, depending on the near future.”

My lungs forgot how to breathe at his last statement. I couldn’t move, much less speak, as everyone but me responded.

“Yes, Father.”

“Brother Noah, please pray for our Assembly, and we’ll adjourn this meeting.”

Fuck!

I needed to get to Fairbanks. Two more days.

Lost in my own thoughts during the prayer, I didn’t realize it was over until Father Gabriel said my name.

“Brother Jacob, were you listening?”

All of the other Assemblymen were standing and moving toward the door.

“I’m sorry, Father. I admit I wasn’t.”