Once he had left the church behind, Erik did not look back. He knew that the thing could be just inches behind him, waiting to destroy him and his family in some steaming wreckage. He wasn’t going to let that happen, though. He was going to go home, meet the others, and figure out what to do.
Vickie’s contractions were becoming worrisome now. Though her due date was a couple of weeks away, Erik knew that nature was very unpredictable. He also believed in all of Murphy’s Laws and their corollaries that basically said that things went wrong and usually at the worst possible time.
His breathing and heartbeat didn’t even begin to slow down until they were turning onto Farmington Road.
“Is everyone all right?” he finally asked.
Vickie nodded rapidly, fighting off a contraction.
“Yeah, Dad,” Todd said softly. “We’re fine.”
Erik passed the shopping center and noticed a few National Guard soldiers in the parking lot. He sped past before they could flag him down. He noticed a smoldering ruin where Dovecrest’s cabin had been. He could only assume that Mark had called after the place had been destroyed and that they hadn’t been already killed.
Finally, he saw the comforting sight of his home ahead on the left. Though this new home hadn’t been much comfort, he thought. The tiny place where they’d lived in the city was looking better and better now.
He pulled his car into the driveway behind Vickie’s SUV, then just sat back in the front seat for a long moment to catch his breath. He looked up and saw Mark and Dovecrest running over to meet them.
“Thank God you’re all right!” Mark said.
“It was headed for the church. Did everyone get out in time?”
Erik shook his head. “It got Vera. I don’t know what happened after that.”
The two men were silent. “Poor Vera. She was a good woman,” Mark said, finally.
“So what do we do now?” Erik asked. “I’m sure this thing’s rampage isn’t over. It’s not going to just go away, is it?”
Dovecrest shook his head. “It gains power with each life it takes.”
“I still say it cannot stand up to God!” Mark said. “We must stand and fight it.”
“You are right, Pastor. It cannot stand up to God. But it can stand up to men. We cannot fight it alone. We need to have God on our side.”
“He is on our side,” Mark insisted. “God will not allow evil to rule over the earth. We must cast it out in his son’s name.”
“Perhaps we can cast it out. But then we must destroy it. To do that we must first arm ourselves.”
“How do we do that?” Erik asked.
“We arm ourselves with God’s wisdom and power. We ask his guidance and his help. And we join together, the three of us, through Him and his strength. If our faith is not strong enough, the demon will prevail. Like all evil, it will find the smallest chink in our armor and invade.”
“Then let us arm ourselves in His name,” Mark said.
Erik led them back into the house so they could prepare.