Votive Candles

The silence, the long Nave and high pointed ceiling held up by two rows of white columns seem to echo the silence of the empty church. It spoke of the smallness of the person walking up the aisle.

Alex walked slowly carefully looking left and right to ensure that the person she was seeking was not trying to exit, as she walked slowly toward the Alter. She resisted approaching the confession booth to her left. She looked to the devotional votive candles flickering in the dark of their alcove. She resisted her urge to light one of her own and ask for the help she felt she needed.

She stopped at the steps leading up to the alter and slowly rotated to take in the whole.

She took a deep breath trying to decide what her next move would be. Suddenly, and silently she sensed a presence and as she turned she instinctively took a dive to the floor. The swoosh of the decorative long handled ax buried its blade into the end of the pew.

Alex sprang back up right and swiftly retaliated with a sweeping kick to the attacker''s left knee. The crack resounded throughout the Nave and seemed to echo repeatedly as she followed with a swift hand chop to the side of the neck.

She looked down on Father Chris Jones. She took out her handcuffs and put them on his wrists. The badly wounded person who she needed to get back into the US posed a serious problem. She put in a call to her friend, the Angel of the hill.

The response was positive and immediate. It was not long until the massive church door swung open and Angelica now a close friend walked down the aisle with her brother Adolfo. They had brought several of their friends to help.

The doctor set the broken leg bone and said that with a brace Father Jones would be able to walk.

Word had leaked that Father Jones was a pedophile and had been working with the children of the town. A mob approached the villa and Alex and her captive had to exit on the secret trail that led from the villa into town. With the help of Adolfo and one of his helpers they made their way to the town and then drove to the nearest airport.

Trey, Bill, and Trevor met Alex at the airport in El Paso.

It was back to Cincinnati where yet another twist to the assignment awaited the two top Cincinnati detective teams.