Ren Vampire Spy (Book 1 of the Ren Series)

THE PRAYER TREE (THE GOSSIP TREE)

The First Congregational Church and the Second Baptist Church were the two largest churches in town.  The ladies auxiliary of both churches decided that the Prayer Tree of both groups should work together.  The stated goal was to get more people praying.  Unfortunately the sad reality was that the Prayer Tree actually was the local gossip tree.  Once something got to the tree it spread through town like wildfire.  On average a good “prayer request” would make it through town in fifteen minutes flat.  Today was an exceptional day as the ladies set out word in less than ten minutes.  The poor man who the police woke up on a park bench hadn't stopped screaming for the last four hours.  He was ranting about wolves and vampires being all over town.  How they turned invisible and kidnapped him while he was on his morning run.  Adding as an afterthought, the conversations ended with please pray for this poor man.

Mr. Bronson heard about the man while he was having his morning coffee at Hot Java.  He left his cup half finished and drove to the hospital.  After going through all the paperwork and questions he finally got to see Marshall.  The problem was the doctors had seen him first and  given him a large dose of Haldol.  Marshall was finally sleeping and no one on the unit wanted to wake him up to talk to his boss.

Bronson was furious.  “Those abnormals have gone to far this time.”

Days later Marshall was released into his parents custody.  He quit his job and left town for good.

Alpha in a meeting with his second in command Max said, “Maybe we pushed him to far.  Do you think we should re-evaluate the how we are doing this?”

Max was almost laughing, “Why?  It worked perfectly.  He left town and will never come back.  Wasn't that the goal?”

Alpha snickered and said, “You're right.  Keep going and let's bring the vampires in on the next action.  I think Jeremy and Leader would like to join in the fun.”

The next few days were busy with two captures per day.  The wolves grabbed the morning subject and the vampires grabbed the evening subject.  The pattern was basicly the same.  Dark room wolves and vampires lots of hissing and growling.  Chains breaking and then an attack that scared the subject so bad they would pass out or scream hysterically.     

Business was brisk in the ER and the lock down ward.  If this kept up the hospital was going to need a new wing.  Speculation was something in the water or mass hysteria.  The people of town were getting worried.  They wanted to find out what was happening.

After more than half of the security force had quit or was in the hospital Bronson made the decision to call in the big guns.