I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in a long time, but I made this chapter extra long to make up for it. :)
Anyways, thank you to all of my lovely readers for your wonderful feedback! Enjoy chapter 12!
Two days later, the plan was up and running. I was given an alias as Julia Britton, a wedding planner from a special events planning firm in Dallas. Looking like the ultimate professional, I donned a high-waist khaki pencil skirt, brown silk blouse with white polka dots, beige-colored pumps, and a smart looking business bag. Sookie and Hugo posed as an engaged, sugar-coated, overly Christian couple looking at the church at the Fellowship of the Sun as a potential place to hold their wedding.
The three of us drove about an hour outside of the city to the Fellowship headquarters. It was nothing like I pictured it. I thought we were just getting a church, but no, I was dead wrong. This place was the size of a small college campus, decorated with bright green grass and trees and flowers and bushes galore. It had many different buildings, because from what I understood, the Light of Day Institute was based there. That was basically the Fellowship's own little summer camp for vampire-hating crazies. I only saw the church and the front building, though, because it was located right near the entrance.
In my head, I estimated the landscaping costs and came up with a large yearly sum. It just boggles the mind that a "church" based on hatred can wrangle that much cash.
Hugo, who was behind the wheel, pulled into the parking lot. I looked out the window and saw a petite woman with lustrous blonde hair in a champagne-colored suit directing him towards an open parking spot.
"I think that's Sarah Newlin," Hugo said as he parked the car.
"I've seen her on T.V.," I said. "She looks different in real life."
"She kinda looks like vanilla pudding," Sookie said from the front seat.
"She looks more like 'Religious Fanatic Barbie' to me," I replied.
Sookie, Hugo, and I exited the car and walked towards Sarah Newlin. Sookiewas dressed in a conservative blue knee-length dress with a delicate floral pattern, accented with a strand of pearls around her neck. Hugo wore a simple taupe-colored suit.
Hugo turned to Sookie. "If we're a couple about to get married, it'll probably be best if you let me do most of the talking. " he said.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Sookie said with a fake smile. "I'll just shut up and look pretty."
"That's not what I mean," he said, worried that he might have offended her.
"Yes it was. It's okay. It'll be easier for me to listen in on others if I don't have to worry about carrying on a conversation."
"Hey y'all!" Sarah Newlin chirped with a Southern twang. "I saw you through the window so I had to come outside to greet you. You must be the lovely couple looking at our church for your wedding!"
My God, this woman was annoying. She was the definition of the cookie-cutter Stepford wife with that permanent smile of hers.
"That's right!" Sookie replied eagerly, as she was instructed to do so. "I'm Holly Simpson and this here is my fiancée." She touched Hugo's arm. "And this is our wedding planner. Now let me tell you, she's really saving our butts, planning this thing!" She joked.
"Julia Britton," I said to Sarah Newlin. I pushed my sunglasses from my eyes to the top of my head and extended my hand.
She shook my hand. "It's so nice that you could join us today!"
"Isn't it such a lovely day?" Sookie chimed in. "I cannot believe I'm actually meeting you. You are as cute as a button!"
"Well thank you Holly!" Sarah said with glee. "And you're like a cool breeze on a hot summer day!"
"Quit!" Sookie teased.
"I'm sorry." Sarah turned her attention to Hugo. "And you are?"
Hugo extended his hand. "I'm-"
Sookie cut him off and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Oh silly me," she announced. "This is Rufus Dobson, my fiancée. I love saying that word. In fact, sometimes I love it so much that I don't even want to get married, so I can keep on calling him it! But we're going to get married of course. That's why we're looking for a church."
I smiled awkwardly at Sookie, wondering why she wouldn't shut the hell up. "Why don't we see the church, Mrs. Newlin?" I offered.
"Of course," she replied. "Let's go inside and see if Steve's available. I'm sure he'd just love to meet you three!"
"For real?" Sookie asked with fake excitement. "Reverend Newlin himself? Oh that would be just super!"
Sookie, Hugo and I trailed behind Sarah Newlin.
"Sookie!" I scolded, my voice just a above a whisper. "What was that all about?"
"Yeah," Hugo said, equally quiet. "I thought I was supposed to talk."
"I'm sorry!" she said. "When I get nervous, sometimes I talk too much."
That was true. My dear ol' Sookie was blessed with the gift of gab.
Sarah opened the door to the main front building and led us inside. It was much larger than I thought. We followed her through multiple hallways and into a completely different wing. The interior was dimly lit due to the lack of windows and the oak wood paneling on the walls only added to that ambiance. In the particular wing we were currently in, every room was an office, the foggy glass windows on the doors bearing the names of whoever that particular room belonged to.
We arrived at a door that was slightly ajar, the words "Reverend Steve Newlin, Director" emblazoned on the glass in gold lettering. I swallowed hard, finally realizing that I was about to meet that notorious crackpot. After seeing him being interviewed countless times on the news, I was sure that he was a dickhead in real life.
"Steve, honey," Sarah called out as she knocked on the door. "I've got some people here I'd like you to meet."
"Sure, Sarah," replied the cheerful voice of Steve Newlin. "Come right inside."
Sarah opened the door and motioned for us to come inside. The office looked like that of a college dean's with the shiny and expensive wooden desk, leather chairs, and one of those ubiquitous green reading lamps. The only thing that set the place apart was the large portrait of Jesus Christ hanging on the wall behind the desk.
Steve Newlin himself was seated behind his desk, reading some kind of paper, but he set it down when he saw us walking through the door. The man looked like a lunatic in a polished suit. His dark brown hair was styled in an erratic, half-assed pompadour and his smile was even more robotic than his wife's.
"Steve, this is Holly Simpson and Rufus Dobson, the engaged couple and their wedding planner, Julia Britton, who I told you about earlier," Sarah proudly proclaimed as she walked over to her husband, standing next to him behind the desk.
"Please have a seat," Steve said, gesturing towards the three leather chairs arranged in front of his desk.
I smiled politely as I sat down and looked him in the eyes. I don't believe I'd ever seen eyes as psychotic as his. A sudden rage flashed through me as I realized that this man might have been holding Godric prisoner somewhere on this property. I had an urge to whip out a gun and hold it to his head while he spilled the valuable information regarding Godric's whereabouts. Unfortunately, I had no weapon on me. Unless you count the heel of a stiletto as a weapon.
Still, I retained my composure even though I was ready to attack, my insides crumbling. Damn, I should be an actress.
"It's such an honor to meet you, Mr. Newlin," said Hugo.
"Well son, I'm honored that you chose our little church as a potential place to exchange your sacred vows with your beautiful bride-to-be."
Sookie spoke next. "I'm just relieved that we found a church that suits our needs. My fiancée and I had to leave our own after a scandal involving our pastor."
"Was he a homosexual?" Steve questioned.
"We don't know but he might have been that too, but what became clear was that he was a… vampire sympathizer."
The Newlins sighed and lowered their eyes in disapproval.
Steve shook his head. "See that really ticks me off. How can you claim to be a God-loving person and then love something that God detests?" He then turned his attention to me. Do you agree Miss Britton?"
"Well, I'm not supposed to voice my opinions on such a controversial matter in front of my clients, but because I share similar views with Holly and Rufus, I must agree with you, Mr. Newlin." I prayed that I wouldn't crack under pressure. I hate being put on the spot. "It's very upsetting."
"It is. It's very upsetting," Hugo agreed. "But that's why my fiancee and I are here. We want to make this our new home."
"We are thrilled that you've chosen us!" Sarah said. She started blabbering on about something but I wasn't listening. I glanced over at Sookie, who looked troubled. She must have been reading Steve Newlin's thoughts.
"Well then," said Steve. "Because you'd like to join our little family here, why don't Sarah and I show you around the place?"
Sookie excitedly grabbed Hugo's hand. "Really? Oh, we would love nothing more!" She was acting even more skittish. She probably picked up up some disturbing ruminations from Steve.
Steve rose from his desk. He was tall and lanky, almost like a stick figure. I would have been the size of an ant on comparison had I not been wearing three-inch heels.
"Great idea, Mr. Newlin," I said as I stood up and grabbed my purse. "My clients and I need to find out if this is their dream wedding destination."
"Well, then let's find out!"
The Newlins showed us some of the many different little aspects of the building, but I scarcely remember them. One reason was because everything Steve and Sarah spoke about was mind-numbingly boring. But the biggest reason was because I was stressed out. I knew they had Godric locked away in some makeshift prison, and the time to free him was running out. I knew they would kill him at some point. They wouldn't just keep a vampire locked away for their amusement.
Steve stopped before a set of huge double doors, looking cautious "Careful now."
"Careful?" a confused Hugo questioned.
Steve's eyes grew even wider and crazier. "Sometimes, when we open these doors, so much love comes out that it'll knock you down if you're not ready for it!"
I had a hard time containing my laughter, but I managed.
"We'll be sure to brace ourselves!" Sookie said.
He thrust open the two doors, revealing a massive room. This was the main part of the building, the huge sanctuary where everyone gathered to pray. I was momentarily blinded as soon as Steve revealed this, because the late afternoon sun poured through the gigantic stained glass windows, bathing the church in a beautiful golden light.
Sarah was in awe. "I love coming here at this time," she said, her voice all breathy. "The way it glows like it does."
Steve's hands were on his hips as he too, stared in amazement. He let out a sigh. "It's like the light of God shining down on us."
We stepped inside.
"Now, I'm thinking this will be the perfect time of day for your wedding," I said to Sookie and Hugo. "Late afternoon. This light is perfect!"
Sookie looked at me with excitement. "That sounds like a great idea."
"If ya'll think this is exciting now, then come to the lock-in tonight."
Sookie looked bewildered, as did I. "The lock-in?" she questioned.
"You've never been to a lock-in?" Sarah asked. The idea seemed totally ludicrous to her. "Oh, it's so much fun! Everyone brings their sleeping bags and sleeps in the pews. We do Bible readings and play games and eat lots of food."
"And at dawn," Steve chimed in, "We'll be having a special service."
"What kind of service?" Hugo asked.
Steve just could not contain his enthusiasm. "Well, I can't give too much away because it's a secret, but I promise, you will see God's power right before your eyes."
I could only guess as to what that meant, but it sent a shiver down my spine.
Sookie turned to Hugo, gripping his hand. "Oh that sounds so exciting!"
"It does," Hugo replied. "What time does the lock-in start?"
"Six-thirty."
"Well, that leaves us just enough time to run to our houses and grab some clothes and sleeping bags," Sookie said. She was getting even more fickle.
Out of nowhere, a stony-faced bald man dressed in a navy blue sweat suit appeared next to Steve. The letters L.O.D.I. appeared in yellow on the front of his sweatshirt. I was baffled by their meaning.
"I'd like you three to meet Gabe. He's an aide of mine," Steve said, gripping the man's shoulder in a bro kind of way.
We exchanged our pleasedtomeetyous, but the man just nodded, no change in his face. Okay, something definitely was not right. My heart rate rapidly increased as I turned to see the alarmed expressions of Sookie and Hugo.
Steve laughed slightly, remaining casual. "Let me show you the rest of the place before you go. Gabe's gonna help us with the remainder of the tour."
The Newlins and this brawny ape of a man named Gabe led us all the way to the other end of the building, which seemed to stretch on forever.
"Now I'd like to show you a very special part of the church." Steve was walking at a fast pace. "It's my father's tomb. It's on the lower level."
"Uh," Hugo stuttered.
"Oh, I don't know," I said. "It's starting to get late."
"Honey?" Sarah asked, trying to keep up with her husband. "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely darlin'," he replied in a sing-song voice.
"I just don't see why we need to take them down there," she said, growing more on edge.
He stopped before a basic wooden door and faced us. "You can literally feel his spirit."
"It's okay. We don't need to see it," Sookie replied.
Steve whipped out a set of keys and jammed one inside the doorknob, unlocking it. "Oh but I insist. It's the rock that our church was built on, much like Saint Peter's tomb in the Catholic church, only without being polluted by evil. Did you know that there was actually a vampire pope back in the middle ages?" He scoffed.
Had I not been in such a dire situation, I would have been laughing my butt off and then challenging him on that statement. But there was no time for that kind of tomfoolery.
Steve opened the door, revealing a set of stairs that descended down to a cellar. This was no tomb!
"Rufus?" Sookie looked uneasy.
"What's the matter?" Steve asked.
"She just has a tiny little case of claustrophobia," Hugo lied.
Steve put on a smile. "Well, at least take a quick little look."
"Steve!" Sarah seethed.
"It's alright Sarah, this is something they need to see." His voice somehow became darker.
My stomach dropped and I gulped.
"Look Mr. Newlin, we have to leave now," I said, feeling sweat form on my forehead. "I'll talk with Holly and Rufus and I'll call about setting up a wedding date."
"No," Steve demanded. "Gabe!"
Before I knew it, Gabe grabbed Sookie and I by our waists and dragged us towards the stairs. Steve latched onto Hugo with much more strength than I'd give him credit for. My hands grabbed onto the wooden railing and I held on as tightly as I could. Sookie, Hugo, and I screamed out for help from Sarah, who just stood back, her back against the wall, looking just as frightened and shocked and helpless as us.
I looked up at her as Gabe was peeling me from the railing. "Help!" I cried out to her, my voice cracking, my heart pounding wildly.
"Steve!" That was all Sarah could muster.
"I need a little help here!" Gabe yelled to Steve. I looked down and saw Hugo lying at the bottom of the stairs. Steve must have pushed him down.
Steve quickly ran over and grabbed me from Gabe's hold, then began pulling me down the stairs.
"I'm so sorry," Sarah said, tears about to fall from her eyes. She left and then closed the door behind her.
No! Come back! I thought as Steve Newlin dragged me down. My clutch on the railing finally surrendered. With a sudden rush of adrenaline, I set my mind on running up those stairs as fast as I could, but I was unable to do so. His grasp on me was much too tight.
Damn you! Come back!