Page 67 of Reckoning

Tate saw the longing on her face. “They’ve stayed because of me and Briar, but there are people in this town who have persecuted Mama because of me since they found out that I had the knowing.”

Micah frowned. “Let me guess. Some offshoots of a bunch of churchgoing people. Well, you won’t have to worry about that back home. People there revere the name. When they’re needing answers, they come from all over, looking for a Bandy. Tate is the youngest one so far with the gift. The elders want to meet him.”

“Do they take pay for what they do?” Tate asked.

“In one form or another, yes. They found out about four generations back that it weeded out the nonsense requests. And, it’s the gift God gave them, just like people pay doctors to heal, and police to protect, and teachers to teach. If you are born with an ability that performs a service, then it is your right. Why?”

“Because that’s what I’m going to do when I get out of school, and I didn’t know the rules of it all,” Tate said.

“So, no college for you?”

“I took the SAT test because Briar did, and they did an IQ test on me a year or so ago. They figured out I’m far from dumb, but none of that matters. There are no diplomas given out for what I do.”

“He got a perfect score on the SAT, and he was rated in the genius level on that IQ thingy,” Lilith said.

Tate grinned. “Does your mama still brag about you?”

Micah laughed. “In her eyes, I can do no wrong.”

“What job do you work at?” Lilith asked.

“I’m a general contractor. I build houses in a tristate area,” Micah said.

“Oh, my,” Lilith said. “Are there any houses to buy or to rent back home? I know the mountains, and that’s been my fear that when I finally get to go home there won’t be a place for us to live.”

“Will you be selling this house when you leave?” Micah asked.

“In a heartbeat. It’s free and clear. Whatever we get from the sale, we’re using to buy us a place,” she said.

Tate put his hand on her arm. “There’s already a house waiting for you, Mama. You will love it.”

“Surely not! And you didn’t tell me!” Lilith cried.

Tate smiled. “You never asked.”

Micah leaned back in his chair, watching Tate, and because he was, he saw Tate’s face suddenly lose all expression. Moments later, he jumped up from his chair and walked out onto the porch with his phone.

“What’s happening?” Micah asked.

Lilith shrugged. “Only the Lord and Tate know. Clearly, he ‘saw’ something happening somewhere.”

Then Tate came back into the house. “A car ran off the road and wrecked in a stand of trees two miles west of town,” he said, and bolted toward his room.

Lilith patted Micah on the arm. “No worries. The police know Tate. They might doubt, but they won’t ignore. They’ve learned not to.”

“Mom, okay if I borrow your car?” Tate asked.

Lilith frowned. “Of course, but do you have to be there?”

“Yes. I think the child in the car does not belong to the man who was driving it,” he said, and took off running.

The ambulance and a rescue truck from the fire department had already been dispatched, and Tate saw the police cars leading the way. He knew they weren’t going to appreciate his presence, but it didn’t matter. It was about the kid in the car. When he reached the crash site, they were already extricating the man from behind the wheel. The little boy was on a stretcher. His head was bleeding, but he wasn’t crying, and the shock and fear in his eyes all seemed wrong.

Tate reached for the little boy’s hand and, in that moment, saw everything he needed to know.

Chief Pliney Watts saw Tate and frowned. “Bandy…you need to move away and—”

“This child is from Shreveport, and no relation to the driver. You need to check with Shreveport PD. They have an active missing person’s case they’re working for a nine-year-old named Trevor Stennett. I think the driver is a human trafficker.”