The Chosen - Part 11a - by Nova

We pulled into the house they had found, I was curious and had painted a mental image of a Colonial style with a red brick front, a postage stamp sized yard, and a dead hot tub on the deck in the back. I was right and I was wrong. It wasn't hard to get the brick front Colonial right as seventy percent of the housing stock in this area was a variation on that model. Where I was wrong was its age and the size of the lot. This must of been one of the first in that style built for subdivisions and the lot's were big. These had to be on two acres or more and the house closest to us was dark. I had no clue where we were but I liked the location. I was sure this place had a basement and that combined with the distance between houses meant no one would hear him scream.

We went in through the front door like we owned the place. I pushed Tim in front of me with Roy and Rick flanking him. Sharon went in first and turned on the lantern she had taken out of the trunk. "Shut the door" she hissed. We followed the light down the stairs into the basement.

This one never had the basement completely finished. The drywall was up and carpet was down but the walls were outlines for rooms that had never been completely finished. There was a large main room and a wood burning fireplace with about a half cord of wood stacked next to it. Around the fireplace was four chairs. They were the metal ones and had St. Albans stenciled on the back in black block letters. Like I said before "They were good at finding things."

Tim was sitting in one of the chairs watching us. My people were watching me. All I had told them was "Find me someplace secluded were we could put him on trial. Oh, and bring some rope." The rope was waiting on the fireplace hearth. It looked like nylon climbing rope and was blue. Not quite what I had in mind. I had picked it up and was idly fingering it and staring at Tim. Well, I would have to improvise. "Sit him down in a chair in the center of the room" I told them. "Okay. Put the other chairs in a row along the wall and have a seat." I stood in front of the fireplace, bowed my head, and told them "I would like to start with a prayer and ask HIS blessing on our work. Everyone, except Tim bowed their heads.

"Rick."

"Yes?"

He looked startled.

"Film this. You can pray as you do."

I thought to myself, not for the first time either, "They really do need a leader."