That vulnerability was one of the reasons Sara’s desire to have children could never be fulfilled. I couldn’t increase my susceptibility. There was already too much at stake.
Over the past three years, each decision I’d made and each action had worked together to gain Father Gabriel’s confidence. It also helped that Xavier had recently become ill. Since his replacement wasn’t trusted enough to ship product, Father Gabriel decided that I was.
Finally I’d been entrusted to deliver a full order of pharmaceuticals. While I finished the transaction, from the depths of my jean pocket, my cell phone buzzed. Though the men before me were capable of appearing as nondescript as any member of The Light, they were undoubtedly professionals. Father Gabriel didn’t use run-of-the-mill traffickers in his organization. This well-oiled machine required over-the-top devotion as well as top-notch performance. Kinks in the system were eliminated with the utmost proficiency. Without a doubt my phone could wait. I’d come too far to appear as anything other than completely devoted. I couldn’t risk becoming an eliminated kink.
Under the cover of the hangar, my plane sat emptied of merchandise and fully refueled.
“Brother Jacob,” said Brother Michael, the leader of this small party, offering his hand.
Though I was larger physically than Brother Michael, he’d been on the Commission of The Light from the beginning, and the aura of power and control that surrounded him was equaled only by that of Father Gabriel. He was one of the four founding fathers. While everyone within The Light was given a biblical name, only the founders had been given the names of archangels. According to Father Gabriel that was because, like the archangels, these three men and he were with God, welcomed into His holy of holies and His private sanctuary. Brother Raphael at the Northern Light and Brother Uriel at the Eastern were also among the founders.
Brother Michael’s power didn’t come only from his aura; the two large men on either side of him helped to maintain his standing. They obviously were more than members of the unloading crew. As Brother Michael and I discussed the transaction, his bodyguards made no attempt to conceal the weapons strapped to their sides. If I were to guess, each had at least one more gun strapped to the inside of his ankle. I knew I would, if I could, but delivering the pharmaceuticals unarmed was one of Father Gabriel’s requirements. He said it was a show of faith to our brothers.
Even if I could, I wouldn’t have argued. This was Father Gabriel’s show and they were his rules.
We shook. “Brother Michael, I’ll be sure to inform Father Gabriel that you inspected the shipment personally.”
“Yes, do that, and let him know I’m pleased.” Michael tilted his head toward the big guy on his right. “Brother Reuben has something for Father Gabriel.”
I looked in his direction, my gaze scanning his large muscular frame. Whatever he had for Father Gabriel wasn’t a payment. Actual money never changed hands. Untraceable overseas accounts kept people like Brother Noah at the Northern Light extremely busy. The billion-dollar operation had the whole checks-and-balances accountability thing happening. It involved accountants from all three campuses. That was the one part of the business I’d yet to learn. As far as Father Gabriel and The Light were concerned, money handling wasn’t my thing, nor was accounting. I was first and foremost a pilot.
Brother Reuben reached inside his jacket, suspiciously close to his gun, and paused. The dramatization was for effect. I was the new kid in this assignment and no doubt was being tested at every turn. I nodded with a cocky grin, letting him know I didn’t fall for his ploy, all the while praying he wouldn’t shoot me before I made it back to Sara. Finally he removed an envelope from his jacket and handed it to me. The outside simply read Father.
“Thank you, Brother Reuben,” I said as I took the envelope and turned back to Brother Michael. “Brother, is there anything else you’d like me to pass along to Father Gabriel?”
“No, everything appears in order.” He stepped forward and patted my shoulder, sharing a grin of amusement at my reaction to Brother Reuben’s show. “I believe this will work well. Father Gabriel’s judgment has not been proven wrong yet. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other.”
“Thank you, Brother, I’m honored to have been chosen.”