Leaving my reminiscing behind I drove most the night to arrive at Belvue in Pottawatomie County, Kansas. The rain had finally stopped about an hour ago, and dawn was breaking as I drove up the lonesome dirt track to Father Ryan's church. I parked the car right in front of the six concrete steps that led up to the large old dark oak, carved doors. I got out of the car and glanced over at Father Ryan's house just off to the side of the church, no lights were on so I walked up to the church doors only to find them locked.

Strange, Dominic never locks the church!

Knowing Dominic mainly uses the rear entrance I work my way round the back, noticing several lights on inside the church, and lighting up the many stained-glass windows. As I reach the rear entrance, I remember the time. Now why would Dominic be in the church so damn early?

I gripped the doorknob, the brass feels cold in my palm, I turned it clockwise and the four inch thick oak door creaked open. Inside is darkness, I quickly felt for the light switch I know is immediately to the left of the door, and turned on the lights. Everything in the vestry seemed as it should be. I quickly moved into and through the sacristy and out into the Nave. The Nave was bright, nearly every light was on, and even the candles were alight.

"Dominic?"

No answer. Again I call, "Dominic?"

The church is in complete silence; a breeze blows through causing the candles to flicker, yet no doors are open. Immediately I take this as a sign, even though my early warning system, the righteous hand, tells me otherwise.

"Dominic?" I reiterate as I take a step further placing myself still just below the upper level overhang.

Something drops, it was only small but something fell past my eyes and caught my attention immediately, I looked down and saw a splatter of red on the highly polished parquet. I knew what it was; I'd seen enough of it in my time to know blood. Yet the hand wasn't warning me of any danger!

Another drip fell, splashing on the parquet as if in slow motion. I leapt out into the Nave, swung round and looked up to see Father Ryan, crucified on the wooden cross that adorns the overhang. Without really thinking I moved quickly, rushing up the side stairs to the balconies edge. I took stock of the situation, tracing the chains that held the cross in place up and along to find the release mechanism. Unhooking the restraining chain I lowered the cross, and Dominic down; once it was safely secured I rushed back down the side stairs. Dominic's eyes flickered, I checked his vital signs, his pulse was slow, and his breathing extremely shallow, but he was alive.

"Jesus, Dominic who done this?" I mumbled as I extracted the spikes from his hands.

Not having a medical kit handy, I ripped my shirt to wrap Dominic's blood stained hands in, I bound them tight to stop the flow of blood. I knew Dominic needs medical attention and fast, but I also knew there would be questions, questions from the doctors and from the cops. I pulled out my cell and rang the only other person I knew I could trust with this.

"Mona? It's Laz; I need your help right away?"

"Where?" was all Mona asked.

"Dominic's, and hurry."

I moved Dominic to the vestry, and made him as comfortable as possible on the old moth-eaten couch and waited for Mona to arrive. Mona La Croix, a southern, caramel skinned lady of rounded proportions, a mambo voodoo medicine woman who knows all too well there are things in this life that the everyday person has no knowledge of, and lucky they are too. Mona, had on the odd occasion, fixed me up when I'd taken a particularly hard beating from some relentless demon. She knows her stuff, and more importantly knows to keep her mouth zipped if questioned by the cops.

Time seemed to pass slowly; Dominic mumbled and groaned in a half-aware, half-unconscious state. I tried to fathom what he was groaning in the hopes of gaining some insight as to who or what had attacked him, though I knew it was the work of a demon, but still couldn't figure how it managed to break the sanctuary of the church. One thing was for sure though; I was going to find out.

I sat with Dominic in the dark, why I didn't leave the light on I'm not sure. I sat in Dominic's comfortable, albeit shabby armchair smoking a cigar while waiting for Mona to get here. It was at this time I pondered on what has occurred. I took too long getting here, Dominic was in trouble. If I hadn't have stopped to let the rain ease, if I hadn't of slipped off into those memories! I could have gotten here sooner, maybe in time to have stopped this from happening.