The Vanishing (The End of Time Chronicles Book 1) Page 21

  “Nice to meet you both, welcome to Clearview,” said Shiloh, indicating the town and his friend, who still stood behind him gawking at Cleo.

  “Oh, um, hello,” Lex managed, as he stepped forward and shook Mason’s hand, taking his eyes off of Cleo for the first time. Noticing this, Mason squeezed Lex’s hand so hard and tight, that it began to turn red. As they both looked each other in the eyes and smiled, Lex knew that Cleo was important to Mason.

  “Nice to meet you both,” said Lex, rubbing his hand, after Mason released his grip on it. “What brings you to Clearview?”

  “I’m looking for my wife,” answered Mason, realizing he wouldn’t get any further without giving some information. “Her name is Savannah, Savannah Mason. Do you know her?”

  Lex was relieved to find out that Cleo was not Mason’s wife, and returned his attention to Cleo.

  “Why yes, yes I do,” smiled Shiloh. “If you’ll come with me I’ll take you to her. She’s helping with the festivities. We’re having a homecoming party and you’re both welcome to join us.”

  Mason glanced over at Cleo who was gazing into Lex’s eyes and he into hers. Mason had to hold back a laugh as he let her know he was leaving. “Take care of yourself Cleo. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t,” he said with a wink, before following after Shiloh.

  “I’ll be fine mate,” replied Cleo, with a look that made it clear she was happy where she was. “I’m not that reckless.” Cleo returned the wink as Mason turned and walked away. “Perhaps Mr. Mancini here can show me around?”

  “Why yes, yes of course,” grinned Lex. “It’d be my pleasure to show you around, but please, call me Lex.” Lex watched as Shiloh, Alfonso and Mason walked away together and then he stepped closer to Cleo, with a devilish grin on his face. “Well Cleo, it looks like it’s just the two of us,” he said, temporarily forgetting about Kassie.

  “Looks like it,” Cleo grinned back. “Except for the adorable Kassie,” she added, as she rubbed her back and stroked the back or her ears. Kassie began to wag her tail and lick Cleo’s hand.

  “Cleo…is that short for something?” smiled Lex, watching her love up Kassie.

  “Cleopatra, Cleopatra Brown,” answered Cleo, returning her full attention to Lex.

  “Wow, what a beautiful name!”

  “And Lex, is that short for something?” asked Cleo, intrigued.

  “Alexander.”

  “That’s a lovely name,” exclaimed Cleo. “Why do you go by Lex instead?”

  “You have a nickname,” pointed out Lex. “Besides, in my line of work the less people know about me the better.”

  “Oh I see. So what line of work are you in mate?” asked Cleo, knowing the answer before she asked the question.

  Lex hesitated, not wanting to start their relationship on a lie, but also not wanting to scare her away with the truth. “I’m a professional thief,” he said finally, and then waited for her response.

  “Do you get dental with that?” she asked sarcastically.

  “No, I don’t,” laughed Lex. He wasn’t sure if she believed him or thought he was joking. Not wanting to push his luck, he decided to get the conversation off of him. “What do you do for a living?”

  “I’m an undercover agent for the CIA,” smiled Cleo, hoping that the truth wouldn’t get him killed. The realization that she couldn’t lie to him shocked her to the core. She’d never felt like this about anyone before and it was exhilarating.

  “Nice,” Lex nodded. Was she telling him the truth or joking with him, it was hard to tell? He decided to go with it, “I don’t suppose yours comes with dental either?”

  “Nope,” Cleo giggled, “but enough bloody talk about work, let’s have some fun. I hear music, shall we dance? I’ve never danced with a professional thief before!”

  “Yes,” grinned Lex, as he reached out and took her hand in his. “Be careful,” he teased, “I might steal your heart away.”

  “Ooh, I’m scared,” replied Cleo, with a wink. Not believing in wasting time and deciding to give into her desires, she reached forward and grabbed Lex by his jacket, pulling him closer. She stepped up onto her tip toes and pressed her soft, delicate lips to his.

  Lex’s heart began to pound as he felt Cleo’s moist lips come in contact with his. Her skin smelled of cocoa butter and when he touched her, it felt soft and silky smooth. He embraced her and returned her kiss with all the passion he could muster. When their lips finally separated, Lex opened his eyes and looked down at Cleo.

  “You see,” she winked again, “I’ve already stolen your heart.” Cleo turned and started to skip off in the direction of the music, when she realized that Lex hadn’t moved. She waved him forward, “Come on mate! Let’s go have some bloody fun!”

  “Absolutely,” smiled Lex, enjoying her Australian accent, and well, everything else too. He quickly caught up to Cleo, took her hand in his and they set off together toward the party. Kassie followed at a close distance, watching Lex with curiosity. She’d never seen her new master act like this and was feeling a little jealous.

  Lex had never known a woman like Cleo. Not only was she the most exciting woman he’d ever met, but she was also the most exotically beautiful woman that he’d ever seen. When she smiled at him, it lit up his heart in a way that he’d never before experienced. He felt as though he could get lost just staring into her light, copper eyes. He already loved the sound of her laughter and how gentle her touch felt.

  Never before had Lex known a woman with such justified confidence. As far as he was concerned, Cleo was the woman he’d always wanted, even if he never knew it. Both Lex and Cleo had a hard time believing there was love for either of them in this world and now, they were falling in love at first sight.

  Cleo hadn’t known very many men, at least not well. Her father died before she was born and she had no siblings. Her line of work only afforded brief encounters, with anyone other than Mason. It was safe to say, that Mason had been the closest thing she’d had to male companionship. Cleo admired Lex’s laid back, carefree attitude and loved the way that his eyes sparkled when he looked at her. When she ran her fingers through his soft blonde hair, she felt shivers of delight run up and down her spine.

  She respected Lex for being his own man and going his own way. She could tell right away that he didn’t follow the crowd, the way most people did. She had to admit that she also liked the way that he hadn’t been intimidated by Mason, most people were. Cleo’s heart skipped a beat, as Lex spun her around the dance floor. “I guess this is just the beginning,” she thought hopefully.

  Reunited

  The Vanishing – Day 12

  Clearview, Nevada

  “Why is she living here?” asked Mason, when he and Shiloh stopped in front of the Kit Carson Library. Alfonso had decided to leave them in search of another beer.

  “It was her idea,” replied Shiloh. “She wanted to fix the place up and restore it to its former glory. Plus, there’s a kitchen and sleeping quarters in the back.”

  When they reached the top of the steps, Rupert opened the door with a pleasant smile. “Good evening gentlemen, please come in.”

  “Thank you,” said Mason, with a forced smile, impatience beginning to rise inside him.

  “My name is Rupert Powers and I’m the town preacher. What’s your name sir?”

  “I’m Mason, Michael Mason?” answered Mason.

  “You must be Savannah’s husband,” realized Rupert, shaking his hand. “How wonderful that you’re safe, she’ll be so relieved!”

  “May I see her?” asked Mason, controlling his temper.

  “Of course, she’s in the other room changing,” replied Rupert.

  Savannah walked into the room, removing her cooking apron. She’d been cooking all day long and had just finished. In her hands she held fresh clothes, which she was about to change into before joining in the homecoming festivities. When Savannah saw Mason standing in the library, she froze and stared in disbelief.

  “B
abe!” exclaimed Mason, allowing his emotions to take over for a second. He ran across the room, wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the ground.

  “Michael?” she whispered, as she realized how much she’d missed him. “I thought you were dead. I saw on the news that the vanishings were happening everywhere, I didn’t know what to think. Then I learned about the earthquake being everywhere and Geneva being hit by the meteor shower.” Savannah’s eyes began to tear. “When you never called, I thought you must have been one of the casualties. Thank God for bringing you home!” Savannah kissed her husband, before he put her down gently so they could talk.

  “What happened to you?” asked Mason. “I went to the house but you weren’t there, why did you leave?”

  “When I didn’t hear from you after the vanishings, I joined a small group of people headed north. I thought maybe my sister would be, well, when I arrived at her house, I found that she and her children had vanished as well.”

  “Vanished? What are you talking about? Where are the kids?” asked Mason.

  “Oh honey, don’t you see,” she cupped her hands on either side of his cheeks, “they’re gone. They went to Heaven to be with the Lord when everyone else vanished.”

  “What do you mean? Who took them to Heaven? Don’t tell me that you’ve been listening to this preacher.”

  “God took them baby. The Bible tells us so,” answered Savannah.

  “The Bible,” said Mason, with shock at his wife’s response. “Where in the Bible does it say that God is going to take my children?”

  “We’re told of the Rapture throughout the Bible, one example is in the Book of Revelation,” volunteered Rupert. “We’re told that He will come like a thief in the night and that’s why you feel like someone has taken something from you.”

  “Babe,” said Mason, with a condescending smile, “I can’t believe that you’re listening to this guy.”

  “But he’s right baby. My sister has been trying to tell me this for years and I never listened. If we’d only been more open-minded, maybe we would be with our children right now.”

  “Don’t say that. Whoever has them, wherever they are, I’ll find them! Of that you can be sure! We’ll all be together again soon, I promise.”

  “I hope so,” said Savannah, still cupping Mason’s face in her hands. “I love you husband!”

  “I love you wife! You,” Mason turned to look at Rupert, who still stood there smiling and holding the Bible in his hands, “why were you here when my wife was changing her clothes?”

  “I’ve been helping her prepare the food for the party we’re having,” explained Rupert.

  “It’s true,” agreed Savannah, “there’s nothing between Rupert and I, other than friendship, and nothing for you to be jealous about.”

  “So, preacher what can you tell me about God having possession of my children?” asked Mason, holding his wife’s hand.

  “‘Therefore if you will not watch,” Rupert began quoting from the Book of Revelation, “I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.’”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Mason.

  “It means that anyone and everyone, who believed in our Lord, Jesus Christ, vanished in the blink of an eye and was taken to Heaven,” explained Rupert. “Your children were taken because they hadn’t reached the age of reason. They were still young and innocent in the eyes of our Lord. He took them to keep them safe. I believe that He’s sparing the faithful from what’s coming next.”

  Shiloh’s head snapped up when Rupert mentioned that coming was coming. He’d only been half listening, but the preacher had his full attention now.

  “What do you mean the age of reason?” asked Mason.

  “They weren’t old enough to be held responsible for making such a decision,” explained Rupert.

  “So you’re saying that my wife and I were left behind because we didn’t accept Jesus?”

  “Yes, and everyone who’d ever believed were chosen and taken.” Rupert opened the Bible and began reading from First Corinthians “‘…in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.’”

  “Excuse me,” interjected Shiloh, unable to contain his curiosity, “are you saying that my wife and children went to Heaven? That their bodies, which are buried on my ranch, have vanished along with everyone else?”

  “If they believed in our Lord, Jesus Christ,” answered Rupert, “or if they were too young to be held accountable, then yes.”

  “So if I dig them up, what will I find?”

  “An empty coffin I would imagine,” smiled Rupert.

  Mason shook his head in disbelief. “I don’t believe it.”

  “And that’s why you’re not with your children right now,” said Rupert. “But remember, just because we chose poorly before, doesn’t mean that it’s too late for us now. The end is not yet here and God loves us and wants us to be with Him in Heaven. We all still have the chance to accept Him into our hearts and be saved.”

  “It’s a hard pill to swallow,” mumbled Mason. “I tend to believe in what I can see and touch.”

  “Then all you must do is look around to see evidence of our Creator,” replied Rupert. “Every living creature shows evidence of a designer. If we all came from a rock or a slug, as evolutionists would have us believe, then how do we know the difference between good and evil, where did the laws of physics and logic come from? If science has proven that everything breaks down over time and it has, then why would anyone believe that we’re evolving into taller and more intelligent creatures? Shouldn’t the opposite be true, as the Bible says it is? We’re actually getting weaker, shorter, and less intelligent.”

  “So you believe that science is a bunch of hog wash?” asked Mason.

  “Oh no,” corrected Rupert, “on the contrary, I like science and I believe in it. True science has brought us many wonderful blessings and provides many opportunities. The problem is that evolution isn’t science, it’s a religion.”

  “So our children are taught lies?” asked Savannah, a little more skeptical on this subject.

  “Yes,” replied Rupert, “several things in the textbooks have been proven incorrect. I once asked the school board about this, even before I truly believed and they said they couldn’t replace the false information until some new information was available to replace it with. They weren’t willing to shorten the textbooks, because according to them, ‘that would be a step in the wrong direction’. They added the insult that the children were being given the correct message.

  They’re not taught the unbiased truth,” continued Rupert. “The education in this country has been declining ever since the early 1960s when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of removing the Bible from classrooms and replacing it with the religion of evolution. Our children are not taught to question information or to think for themselves. Instead, they’re given the so-called answers and then expected to memorize them. I feel sorry for the naive and innocent kids who accept what they’re told on blind faith.”

  “Any question that I ask you your ultimate answer will be God,” said Mason. “How’s that not blind faith?”

  “Yes,” agreed Rupert. “But any question you ask an evolutionist; their ultimate answer will be time. I’m not debating whether mine is a religion or not. I just want the children to be taught the whole truth, evolution is a religion. It requires faith there is no actual proof. Most people that believe in the theory of evolution don’t even realize that they’re buying into a religion; a religion whose god is time.”

  “You make a valid point preacher,” confessed Mason, thinking back to what he’d learned in school. It was never the whole story. He felt a little sick when he thought about it. “But right now what I’d like is some alone time with my wife. Can we continue this conversation at another time?”

  “Absolutely,” smiled Rupert. “Of course you tw
o want to be alone. Have a good night!”

  “Yeah definitely, you two need some alone time,” agreed Shiloh, as he stood up and left the room with Rupert. Mason wrapped his arms around Savannah and pressed his lips to hers. It felt so good to be reunited with his wife.

  A Roll in the Hay

  The Vanishing – Day 12

  Clearview, Nevada

  Lex couldn’t seem to pull his gaze away from Cleo’s sparkling eyes, as he twirled her around the crowded dance floor. They danced the night away neither of them wanting to be separated from the other. It was the best time that either of them could ever remember and the thrill of it all was exhilarating.

  His heart and soul were consumed with desire when he looked at Cleo. He touched her soft, creamy skin and inhaled the intoxicating scent of fresh strawberries coming from her long, curly hair. Cleo’s small exotic body fit perfectly in Lex’s arms making him feel complete. All he wanted was to sweep her off her feet and press his lips to hers, but he restrained himself.

  “How could a complete stranger mesmerize him so quickly and completely?” he wondered, scared and excited at the same time.

  For Cleo it was the same. She had known few men in her life and none of them were like Lex. She felt chills of excitement when he pulled her body close. His powerful chest and washboard stomach gave her a sense of security and his hazel eyes seemed to gaze right through her. Lex suddenly twirled Cleo around in a circle and then embraced her once again. Despite all that was happening in the world around them, she felt safe and happy while wrapped in his powerful arms.

  “Do you have a place to stay yet?” asked Lex.

  “Not yet, we’ve only just arrived,” Cleo’s Australian accent sent tingles down Lex’s spine every time she spoke.

  “Well,” he smiled, “I’m staying at the Evan’s Ranch north of town. You’re welcome to crash there too,” he suggested. “I’m sure that Shiloh wouldn’t mind.”

  “Sounds delightful,” smiled Cleo, as she glided around him.