I'll Come Running

Chapter 42

John B sped off in the twinkie as if there was no tomorrow. With the way he was driving Jessie was convinced they wouldn't see tomorrow.

"John B, let off the gas a little, yeah?" Jessie remarked anxiously as she held onto the handles of the door for dear life. Rafe sat closely beside her, one arm wrapped around Charley and the other hand gripped tightly around the opposing door.

"We're no good if we don't get there in one piece man." Rafe commented with some snarkiness to his tone. The rest of the pogues, with the exception of JJ, all muttered in agreement. JJ  on the other hand was so high on the thrill he could've crashed the vehicle and wouldn't have cared. John B slowed down slightly, but not enough for Jessie or Rafe's liking.

The twinkie thankfully arrived in one piece at Freedman's church, all of them quickly piling out of the old van and running inside. They were met with a large open concept room of worship, one that was clearly abandoned and overgrown with vines and wood that looked like it could crumble with just one wrong step. The sight concerned Rafe so much he had Jessie take Charley in her arms and he decided to step in front of both of them, with one hand extended behind him for Jessie to hold.

"You're telling me... Denmark Tanney hid the cross in here?" JJ asked in disbelief at the sight before him. Pope only mumbled in agreement, clearly enraptured in thoughts of where in the world the cross could be.

Everyone eventually decided to fan out and look at each piece of wood uniquely, looking for any little discrepancy that could lead them to a clue, such as a loose board or unusual carving or cut.

"What if we have to push like a secret button or... or play like a certain chord... and then all of a sudden the ground beneath us reveals the catacombs or something... on which we stand." JJ clearly let his thoughts run wild with wide eyes of bewilderment.

"How about we try to find obvious clues." Jessie scoffed as she rolled her eyes. She shouldn't be surprised at JJ's illusions of grandeur, yet she always was.

"It's not an escape room." Kiara commented matter of factly.

Pope sat down on the front old rickety pew enraptured in thought once more. He eventually played with the spy glass still in his hand, looking through it carefully and pointing it throughout the room. For Pope, it was a long shot, but he figured it was better than nothing.

Pope looked up closer towards the ceiling, his face still ravished with deep thought as he slowly lowered the spy glass, never once breaking eye contact with whatever he just saw.

"What?" JJ asked plainly as he looked up and then back down at Pope.

Pope didn't respond, instead he slowly stood up and looked even more intently at the wooden beams above him. They all realized the same thing at the same time, seeing two wooden crosses posted solidly in between the beams above them.

Pope still hadn't said a word, only moving towards one side of the church to climb the wide wooden wall that had just enough cracks and holes in it to climb perfectly.

"Wait, Pope, no don't-" Sarah began to exclaim, the rest of them joining in her protest as well, insisting that wasn't a good idea. Pope disregarded their protests and only continued to climb higher, eventually reaching the first cross and banging on it with his fists.

"Okay, this one's solid wood. I'm gonna try the other beam."

The pogues and Jessie and Rafe couldn't believe their eyes, as they watched Pope not so gracefully scoot to the other cross.

"Pope, that's rotten as shit right there." JJ protested once more, muttering something else about how Pope wasn't exactly coordinated. Pope once again let their words go in one ear and out the other.