Chapter 4: Early Morning Talk

Zachary Goode's POV:

I was sound asleep in my room when I woke up instantly to the sound of my door creaking up. Looking up I saw Keira standing there, her back against the door. I took a quick look at the clock.

"Keira it's a quarter past one in the morning," I stated but Keira didn't respond. She just stood there like a statue.

Sighing I got out of bed, grabbed a shirt, and threw it on quickly not bothering to button it.

"Keira, what is it?" I asked her. Soon I was standing in front of her.

"He just cut off her head, just like that. As if it was nothing as if she meant nothing," Keira whispered. Her gaze was off to the distant as if she was replaying the scene before her. "But then again to him we are nothing, aren't we?"

It was a rhetorical question, so I didn't bother answering.

Her gaze turned back towards mine. "I…I…He used a Bible. He made her swear on the Bible he was holding, knowing exactly what he was going to commit. Murder. That's against the Ten Commandments, but did he care. No, why would he ever care?" She racked her fingers through her hair, frustrated, angry, and…depressed.

"I know. I watched it all too." I opened my arms as she collapsed into them. I tried to soothe her waiting for the tears expecting them, but they never came. She was holding them back for whatever reason.

"Zach…" Her voice grew even quieter than before even though it seemed impossible.

"Keira," I responded.

"Can you take me somewhere, please?"

It was early in the morning hours before sunrise. I was exhausted, and I had no clue as to where Keira would possibly want to go at this hour. What would even be open at the moment?

As if reading my mind she added, "Its open twenty-four seven."

"Sure," I replied. Even though I had no idea where it was and I desperately wanted sleep I was fine with leaving. More than fine actually, happy almost to be able to leave this house. The only down side was that we would have to return.

* * *

We left as quietly as I could put on some decent clothes, dressed in somewhat casual wear. We hoped into my car that was parked a block away, exactly for this reason of needing to leave late at night for a little while. I started driving letting Keira direct me through traffic. Surprisingly enough there was still quite a bit of traffic at one in the morning, but speed was not the key here. We were perfectly content in taking our time. More than content as it meant we could stay out of the house longer.

Pulling up into the parking lot I looked up at the building while Keira climbed out instantly walking through the front doors. I soon followed her.

I looked around not sure of what to expect. I hadn't been in a church since I was five, at the latest, and those memories were quite foggy. (A/N: Most churches aren't open 24/7 because of theft and vandalism. However I think there might be a couple still today that are and for this story this church will be one of those few.)

Keira was up at the front in one of the pulpits staring blankly ahead. I took a seat across from her in the other pulpit and tried to read her expression. To see what she could possibly be thinking about. Why she would want to come here of all places?

I counted the minutes in my head trying to pass the time away. Not as if there was anything else to do in a church at one almost two in the morning. The only sounds that you could even hear was the early morning life outside the doors, and then only if you had really good hearing.

What I didn't expect was someone deciding to come into the church as well. I looked behind at the door as Keira continued staring ahead as if in a trance.

There stood a preacher who looked oddly familiar.

"Oh, I didn't realize anybody was here. But continue praying I'll try not to disturb you," the preacher said walking up, holding papers tightly in his hand.

I looked at his name card that he was conveniently wearing and read Peter Torres. The name rang no bells.

Peter walked up the steps in front of us before turning to us and saying, "Unless you're here for guidance."

Keira spoke up right away, "You couldn't possibly help us, guide us as you offered." She was still staring straight ahead with the same blank look on her face.

"Well you never know, especially if you never tell me," Peter replied.

Keira just shook her head. "That would be a disaster and lead you to the end of your life," she said under her breath. Allowing only me the privilege to hear her.

Peter looked between us and then his attitude completely changed as if…as if he knew us. Keira noticed his change of presence as well as she threw me a questioning look like somehow I always had the answers.

"Your Robert and Cordelia Gates from the Gates family?" Peter asked. His tone suggested that he already knew the answer without having to ask us.

We nodded it wasn't too much of a shock that people knew us from around her. Our family, the Gates family, was quite loaded from our family business (our cover). Everybody living in Mallbury Lane was referred to as the rich families, the loaded families. What nobody around here knew was what we did for our past times that simply added to our own wealth.

He sighed. "I think I understand more than you assume."

Keira's eyes sharpened on him. "Maybe but maybe your than one who is making the assumptions."

He gave a half-smile before looking up at the cross. "Assumptions, if only that were the truth. How easier it would be if only it was all in my head. Sadly I know that not to be true. I know that you two, your entire family, are part of the Circle Cavan. Right?" He turned back to us. By the time it took him to turn his head our shocked faces were back to collected, void of emotions. Although on the inside we were still shell-shocked.

"How did you know that?" I asked him.

He scratched his head. "Well I'm ashamed in a way to say that I help your families out."

"You murder people! You help murders get committed! Preachers can't do that," Keira started accusing as she stood up.

Peter shook his head and seemed shocked more than we were. "No, nothing like that." He looked up at the ceiling taking in a deep breath. "I had a feeling that your families were hiding a dark hobby. However, what I meant is that I'm the Circle of Cavan's preacher you might say. I help join people in marriage. Actually I've granted the marriage of people in your group since the late eighties."

That was not what I expected.

"They need you for marriages, that…that doesn't make sense," Keira responded after a long pause. She shook her head, baffled as was I.

Peter only shrugged. "It was what they asked me to do and have asked of me ever since. I'm not sure what they did before nor have I asked. I've always join willing, or what seem willing participants. And while there has always seemed something off about them I've never dug to deep. Mainly because of fear of never getting out as well as never having any reliable proof that they're up to something besides a strange feeling." Peter sighed as he set his papers down on a nearby table. "I guess my feeling was right by what you've said." He put his head in his hands.

"It's probably been best that you didn't know that you didn't dig. Because I doubt there was anything you can do now that you know vaguely what's going on. And if I were you I would stick to the vague. You'll live longer," I replied walking out.

Keira quickly followed foot. "Zach…how can you just leave?" She lowered her head and hissed, "We don't know if he's telling the truth."

I knew though. I could tell with or without a truth ring. He wasn't lying not unless he was a psycho path.

"He's not lying Keira, I can tell." I slid into the car as Keira rolled her eyes.

"Sure you can," Keira replied not convinced of my expertise.

She climbed in and I quickly put the car in drive. For the next four hours that's all we did was just drive around the town. Until we had to head straight back home and tried to get through the rest of the day.

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A/N: I've loved reading the reviews I've gotten for this story, to see what you guys think of it. So please keep on reviewing and just like before I'll send a sneak peak of the next chapter if you review. Also I have a poll on my profile about the name for this story if you haven't seen that already.

P.S. Since I have the entire week off for Thanksgiving you might not have to wait a week for the next chapter.