A New Plan Part 1

Chapter 173

A New Plan

Part 1

Stringum rewinds the videotape to the places where Jeff had told him that High Prissiest wasn’t the same person. After the third rewind, going frame by frame he shouted. “What the hell?” Having him show us what he had just seen. We watched in slow motion as someone or something grabbed the High Prissiest from behind the altar when the circle was feasting upon the man they had just killed; then watched as she came back in taking her place as she slowly made her way around and took her places by the High Bishop. There wasn’t any blood on her, which was impossible because when Stringum replayed the scene there was blood on her face and her gown. Yet everything about her was the same, talk about a quick change.

Stringum shook his head as he looked at me and said. “Now that’s quite a little puzzle young man who is this other woman and why did she save us, but most of all how did your friend see it before we did?”

I shrugged my shoulders and said. “Jeff usually likes it when we have to work for those answers.”

Dad laughed and rolled his eyes. “You got to love the guy even though he is very elusive.” Stringum and everyone else didn’t think it was very funny and stated they rather know everything without working for it.

The phone rang and Landan answered it, allowing Stringum to rewind and watch the woman cursing that he didn’t have a better angle of the shot. Landan opened the door as someone slipped him a piece of paper and handed to Stringum and he started laughing hysterically. Announcing the High Bishop just sent his address and informing us that dinner is at 7:30 and they would like us to dress in our robes. He crumbled up the piece paper and tossed into the garbage can. Stating he had no intention of going, not after what had happened today. Besides, it was little after 5 pm there was no way we could make it by 7:30.

Stringum quickly put together a reply informing the High Bishop using very expensive stationary that was trimmed with gold around its edges and using a pen that held silver ink and wrote

 

“Due to extenuating circumstances, I and my guests, unfortunately, can not make it. As you are aware of we are sponsoring a large banquet in your honor on the following Wednesday after discovering it is your birthday. We have been told that the building we had been planning to have it in is no longer available nor could it hold all our guests that we have invited to attend; we are in the process of locating a place as we speak. Please forgive this oversight and any inconvenience it may have caused. May our God and Savior bless you, in Mormo name we praise?”

He quickly signed his name and so did Dad and Mr. Vincent using their fake names of course. Stringum quickly slipped it into an envelope that had his estate and company logo on it and sealed it with red wax using his special crest stamp, in the form of a rose. He looked at us and said. “What?” Then shrugged it off stating that he was made a duke for doing a special favor to the queen of England one time or another, he rolled his eyes and handed the letter to Landan. I didn’t ask how long it would take; I smiled when Stringum told him to make sure that idiot waits at least an hour before he gets it. Landan nodded and left the room.

I looked out the window of the study watching the helicopter take off with the letter. Stringum quickly sorted through his maps finding the one he wanted which was the whole town of Heber City. He quickly took the drawings of my map and took a red pen and outlined where the hidden passage was and where his people were being held, prisoner. He tapped his fingers on the map and said. “The first item of business is to free our people. I made a promise that I would keep them safe at any cost.” Officer Kenly stated using his finger that it would be impossible that it would take ninjas to get them out,

Stringum said. “Oh, I wouldn’t say it was impossible my friends. I have always liked a challenge. I have no doubt that idiot blow hard is wanting to use this as leverage, thinking he could use this against us, besides. I happen to know a few ninjas that would be willing to help our cause, as I have said before I am planning to take them down. One by one until the head of the snake shows himself and then chop off its head. Thanks to our young man here and his dead friends help. We can now begin by showing that idiot that he’s not as smart as he thinks he is.”

Stringum went over to his desk quickly opened his personal contacts and asked for someone called Tony or some called the black phantom. He waited then said something that made no sense and smiled and said. “Tony, its time. Are your people in place?”  Stringum smiled as he quickly gave off coordinates using a slide ruler passing off the information. Telling him to capture as many as he can so we can question them; we had agreed not to kill anyone unless necessary. Well at least not right away, depending on who they are, and what they have done.

I had a feeling that didn’t extend to the High Bishop, and some of the people higher on the totem pole. Trust me I wasn’t crying over any tears for them after watching what they have done at the services today. Stringum quickly stated to call him the moment that the task is done telling Tony that he will have other targets as soon as he can dissect the rest of the videos and fax over the information. Landan quickly came back in handing Stringum a large envelope. We watched him open it as he smiled placing the items on the map. Inside the envelope were the pictures Jared and I had taken as well as tape that held voices of each person that came into our view.

Most of the photos were too dark to see anything or the images were too far away to make out. But that was ok and expected because Stringum had seen to placing video cameras throughout the building as well as hidden microphones. We only watched the one main tape, but Stringum had stated he had every angle of the stage so we could identify the people and our targets, and became giddy once the other tapes arrived stating we were now ready to begin operation “Black Sabbath.”

He smiled as he practically skipped over to the wall where his picture stood of his entire family. He placed two hands on the panting sides and we all heard a soft click as the painting slid down reviling a small touch keypad. Stringum entered some numbers and another pad popped out and placed his right hand onto the scanner. A woman voice asked for voice recognition. He said something in Latin and a door size piece of the wall opened. I gasped and so did everyone else except Landan.

Stringum said. “Welcome to my state of the art man cave. Here I have the latest and the best toys at my disposal. Most of these are not even on the market as of yet.” He quickly flipped several switches as we watched a large stainless steel wall open like a sliding door and behind it where several monitor screens and a large control station that looked like something I would see at NASA space station, or a recording studio. With 3 chairs Landan took one beside Stringum and quickly inserted each of the videotapes, bring them up on separate screens

On the wall behind us was large couch stating that Stringum spends a lot of time in here, seeing a small bar with everything he would need like snacks like potato chips to candy and his own soda dispenser, including soda in a can chilled inside medium-sized glass case fridge. He also had several military weapons enough for a small army.

The phone rang and Stringum picked it up and said. “Good, I believe that should be just fine, I’ll send Landan to bring it to us. Give our apologies to our guest and families, and make sure they have everything they will need.” He hung up and said. “Dinner has just arrived; we can either eat in here or eat with our family and friends.” Dad and everyone else agreed to eat it in here, mostly because we were on pins and needles wanting to see what Stringum was planning to do with all this electronic Star Trek or James bond equipment.

Stringum was like a kid in a candy store as he quickly made short work that would take hours upon hours to sit through every video and take each image apart. Every person that we had caught on camera, was put through and separated onto something called a freeze frame and printed out on a sheet of paper, and stored somewhere else for the time being.

Until we had the information on each of the persons we had capture besides the one Jeff and I identified as impostors; Handing them to Landan to post onto the cork board behind us and printed off another set to send to this man Tony and his people to locate them and find out who they are and where they stand on the totem pole.  He even had another machine separated sounds and voices and matched them to each of the individuals. We paid particular attention to the High Prissiest.

Even though we had discovered that they were not the same person. It was nice to see that voice patterns were different indicating that they were not the same person. Who the other person was we hadn’t a clue or what side she was on was also a mystery, for now anyway. We had long finished our dinner which was pizza before leaving the high Tec man cave. Stringum apologized stating that usually he seldom comes here during the winter months unless it is for a much-needed break or the holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Years.

That he and Dave usually stay in Santaquin because of how busy it gets during the holidays unless they were planning a huge party. We completely understood and shrugged it off as we left the room watching it become hidden from sight once more. Now that we had gleaned everything we could get out of it for now. Now it was down to the hard stuff like gathering information through his many networks.

Stringum asked Landan to have his people make a life-size rendering of the town of Heber City like they had done with the other towns were this occult existed asking me if my friend wouldn’t mind a little snooping. I said would ask but I wouldn’t count on it, knowing Jeff and how he liked us to work out our own problems before divine intervention.

Stringum nodded as he closed up shop for the day, Pulling Dad and I aside asking a more personal and financial question. Asking Dad if he would be interested in a new job, and work for him instead of the halfway house where they take troubled teens and help them get back into society after spending time in prison or Juvie. Dad asked what he had in mind and of course the most important item the pay structure.

Stringum quickly said the offer he had given regarding helping him open new stores and other duties that he might need help in. Dad stroked his chin telling Stringum he wasn’t qualified to do that. Stringum shrugged his shoulders and said. “Neither was I when I first started out, but we can work something out. Besides your son here has informed me that I don’t have a store in your area as of yet. I made some calls and did an assessment, finding out that American Fork and Highland is about to see a major boom in the next few years.

“That the closest major store to buy hardware supplies is either at Wal-Mart, and they don’t have a very good selection of quality goods, other than going up to Ernst Hardware in Orem. Nor do we have one in Provo or Salt Lake City and the small towns around it."

Stringum wrote down a number on a piece of paper and handed to him. Dad coughed and asked if he was for real. He said. “Plus a signing bonus of 20,000 dollars and another 20 after you complete a short training program plus benefits. And to sweeten the pot I am willing to share 30% of the total profits from the stores that you open.”

Dad scratched his chin and said. “He’d have to talk over with his wife and family first, but for now he was willing to shake on the deal.”

Just like that Dad and he shook hands, and Stringum said, “now to our next problem.”

He drummed his fingers on the desk then looked at me and Dad, said. “We need to make a change in our living arrangements, I know I am asking a lot, but bear with me. School has just started and I realize that, but Eric is a bright boy and with little help, he could be easily fit in a new school and the same goes for his younger brothers. Yet the question is, are you willing to give up your friends in Highland except for the ones in Highland that are willing to go with you like Jake and Adam, and possibly Bishop Sakes and his family. Knowing that your bridges might be burned in the neighborhood you are currently living at until we deal with this man named Crawford and his followers? This way everyone gets a fresh start, more so for the ones that are in danger.

“I have three cabins already and Mr. Vincent is in the process of purchasing a fourth and if your Dad takes the job I am offering he and him will be partners running the day to day operations down in that territory. Until I can make plans to build another cabin that I can use during the winter that can accommodate all my needs.

“Dave has already taken charge of the one in Santaquin and is in the process of finding himself a replacement so he can run the day to day operations of several other stores like your Dad and Mr. Vincent will once we get the ball rolling. Then there is this arrangement regarding your mother and her untimely visits. But it is doable as he will see to opening a new store in American Fork and other locations that we find we could make a serious killing.”

I waited for the other shoe to drop, which I saw it coming the moment he mentioned what to do about our current problem regarding the High Bishop and his little following of murders and cutthroats. I knew he was asking a lot because we all wanted to take them down, but the problem is we needed to be in the inside to do it. That meant a lot of pain and suffering. Something I wasn’t sure I could handle, not after what Gloria did to me and not after what my parents had done or what had happened in the church basement. I stated I needed to think about it. Because what he was asking me to do was unthinkable. Plus playing the injured boy not only at the meetings but in school longer then we anticipated.

Man, I hated the idea of wearing a latex mask just to leave the house and the wheelchair thing was getting old real fast. Dad too wasn’t sure if it was such a good idea to put me and our family through it. So he stated if we did it then he wanted someone watching my back in school and everywhere I went and the same went for Jared and my younger brothers. Stringum shrugged his shoulders said. “That can be easily arranged.”