The Bishop's companion was an older man but not elderly, dressed in black with a thin body. He and a flock of converts had battled Trevor Stone a few weeks before.
"That is the one," the Missionary Man said. "I nearly converted him some time ago."
The Bishop answered, "He will better serve us once the processing is complete."
"Glory to Voggoth!"
"Yes, indeed. Nonetheless, this situation amplifies your failure during the initial phase of the invasion. Had you found your target on that first day, this process would not be necessary and our resources could be invested elsewhere."
The Missionary Man ran one crooked hand across his neck where wounded tentacles hid. "Your Excellency, I searched the location but found no trace of any humans, let alone those of Stone's bloodline or acquaintance. Is there any suggestion as to what forces were at work?"
The Bishop hovered over Trevor, studying the sleeping man like a researcher watching a lab rat for symptoms.
"The disappearances remain a mystery."
"We now know the location of their sanctuary. Allow me to lead a force to overrun their position. No doubt the one we seek is among them."
"No," the Bishop pulled his emerald eyes from Trevor and glared at the Missionary Man. "Our activities on the Asian continent have already drawn attention; we can not risk such overt action here."
Again, the Bishop stared at Trevor. He said, "We will continue his ordeal. The pain is already driving him mad. The point will come when his mind is open. Then we will ease his suffering with each concession, one after another, until he eagerly accepts the dominion of Voggoth and delivers his people to The Order."
"Praise be to Voggoth, your Excellency. Allow me to suggest the immediate termination of the woman. She is dangerous. We suffered many losses in her capture."
"Fear not, she is under control. Surprisingly simple, in fact. Once activated, the cache gland projected false memories implicating whomever she viewed as leader and then the implant amplified her emotions. One can appreciate the irony."
"Irony, your Excellency?"
"Forgive me. Much like your ambition-do not think I have not taken note of it-a sense of what they call 'irony' remains with me since my glorious transformation. As distasteful as I find any remnants of that existence, I do see this 'irony' here: the woman only betrayed him when she finally accepted him as her leader, consciously or not."
"Is it possible, your Excellency, that she is the second half? The mother?"
"No, we tested for that. However, she does harbor strong feelings for Mr. Stone, which is why the emotional amplification exceeded expectations. We will observe the effects a while longer. When I am satisfied, we shall terminate her and remove the cache gland. This will allow us direct access to her memories since implantation."
"You are most wise, Excellency."
"Glory to Voggoth, brother."
– The convoy followed the turnpike, traveling over the grasslands, forests, and hills to either side of the highway to remain at least somewhat concealed.
As night fell, they arrived at Hickory Run State Park and camped in a field. Dinner meant salty beef jerky or freeze-dried meals. They rested in shifts but the lingering image of Tucker dragged off by a jaw-wolf kept most awake.
Jon Brewer shared a slowly dying fire with Shep and Reverend Johnny; the latter finished a rather long and dramatic tale concerning one of his many battles with The Order.
"After Voggoth's children burned, those National Guard fellows marched toward Boston despite my warnings. That city was in total chaos. I, as you can see, continued my pursuit south."
"Seems to me you’ve been fighting these things for a while now," Shepherd said. "But you’re a medical man?"
"Yes," Johnny held his hands out and stared at his palms. "Before Hell descended upon our world these were the hands of a surgeon. Neurology, my specialty. I returned feeling to limbs where feeling was lost. I knew and understood every working of the human body."
"Forgive me for asking, Doc, but-"
" Reverend. I am no longer a Doctor, Captain Shepherd."
"I see. Well that’s my question, Reverend. How did you go from being ‘Doc’ to being a holy man? What denomination are you?"
"I am a slave to no denomination. I know all the workings of the body. That is where my faith lay. I see the Lord in the beating of the heart, in the churning of the bowels."
Jon mumbled, "Oh, now there’s a pretty thought."
"Scoff not. The body is the manifestation of the Lord for we are created in His image."
Shep said, "And nothing burns you more than seeing these Order fellas slipping implants in the human body. Is that it?"
"You are a wise man, Captain Shepherd. Now I preach the purity of the human body: the holiness of it. The followers of Voggoth defile God’s creation. I shall smite them."
Brewer pushed, "So the healer turns into a soldier. I have to admit, Rev, I'm not exactly buying that one. What really made you put down scalpels and pick up a machine gun?"
Shepherd leaned forward and rubbed his hands over the embers.
In an unusually sedate voice, Johnny explained, "I was the head surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital. On the day of reckoning, the hospital suffered invasion by all manner of monsters. I escaped the carnage of the city and made my way home. I found that one of The Order’s missionaries had converted my gated community, including my wife and my eight year old daughter."
Shepherd mumbled, "Damn."
"When I… refused…to be one with Voggoth, he sent my wife and my child with knives to kill me. Well…it seems my fear and my desire to live allowed me to…allowed me…"
Johnny could not say the words so Brewer did: "It wasn’t your fault. They weren’t your family any more. They died when the implants were put in their bodies."
"Oh, my dear Mr. Brewer, you word it so elegantly. I fear you have not perceived the deeper truth; the truth revealed only after I examined the bodies."
Shep understood. "You could have removed the implants. They weren’t too far gone."
Reverend Johnny stared at his surgeon’s hands and squeezed them into clenched fists. The boom returned to his voice.
"At that moment of ultimate revelation, I went through a metamorphosis, hallelujah. A holy fire burned within and I found my hands were skilled at not only saving life, but destroying it, too. I took that missionary man…that disciple of The Order…and I crucified him on my front lawn. Since that day, I have but one purpose in my existence: to find and destroy every part of The Order. I have pursued and hurt them all the way from New England. I believe-if I may be so vain-they know and fear me."
The Reverend fixed his eyes on the thinning fire and fell quiet.
Shep patted the man on the shoulder. "I reckon you’re right, Reverend."
– Jon's rescue team left Hickory Run State Park before sunrise. They kept the turnpike on their left flank as they traveled south. However, he wanted to avoid the mile-long Lehigh Valley Tunnel that cut through the Blue Mountains at the border of Lehigh and Carbon counties. It seemed too perfect a den for any manner of nightmare.
Therefore, about an hour after dawn, the caravan turned southwest following Long Run road in hopes of crossing the Lehigh Valley River en route to a country road that-according to the map-would lead them up and across the mountain.
A hush fell over the convoy as they traveled with thick woodland to either side; perfect ambush country. To Jon's ears, the clop-clop of horse hooves and the squeaks of rolling wagon wheels sounded like thunderous bass drums revealing their presence to the world.
Yet no ambush came. No creatures shadowed the convoy. The K9s remained calm in the back of his wagon.
That is when they noticed the sound. Shep first guessed it to be an electrical hum from power lines. Stonewall thought it a waterfall in the distance. Reverend Johnny suggested the steady drone of a big machine.