Penny Wise and the League of St. Claire

Chapter 12

The trip up to the Blue Ridge Pennsylvania part of the Allegheny Mountains was uneventful. They packed everything into George’s Ford Panel truck. Unfortunately, only Penny could see out of the side passenger’s window. The rest could only watch where they had been through the back door windows.

George owned a log cabin house off an old two lane Pinchot road that wound around the mountains. It turned out that they didn’t need tents because the cabin had plenty of room. As expected, the cabin was next to a wide stream that held plenty of trout.

Jordan and Milo did all the heavy lifting. They unpacked the truck and hauled the nap sacks into the cabin. They especially struggled with the girls’ heavy suitcases full of clothes.

George busied himself with the fishing gear. Penny gave Jordan a look that told him that it was time to explain to George what they were up to.

“I have something to confess, grandfather,” Jordan started out. “I wasn’t being totally honest about why we wanted to get away for a few days.”

George glanced at all of the teens as if he were trying to deduce what they were up to.

Jordan pointed to Penny. “Penny is our leader. We’ve banded together to rid the Earth of the Antichrist.”

George gave Jordan a mouth twisted smirk. “I wasn’t aware that the Antichrist was here already.”

“He isn’t, but he will be in the future.”

“How far into the future?”

“A hundred thirty five years.”

George smiled. “Ah, then we have plenty of time to worry about that one.”

Jordan frowned. “Unfortunately, what happens in the future affects the past.”

“That doesn’t make sense. How can something that hasn’t happened affect the present?”

“It has something to do with quantum physics.”

George’s face exploded with amusement. “Ah, then that explains it.”

“I know this all sounds crazy, but we have been chosen by God to thwart an attempt by the Antichrist to destroy religion and enslave people, and if we don’t stop him, the impending war will go badly.”

“Most wars go badly. We’re better off if we don’t get involved in European nonsense.”

Jordan blew out a disgusted breath. “I can see that you don’t believe me.”

“Perhaps a demonstration would help,” Penny said.

“Yes, let’s go outside,” Jordan said.

Jordan led the way to the front porch of the cabin.

“Okay Carmen, carve your initials into that big oak over there,” Jordan said.

George nearly fainted when he saw what happened next. Two laser beams shot out of Carmen’s eyes and impacted the trunk of a large oak tree fifty yards away, and when she was done the tree bore her name: CARMEN.

George looked at Jordan with his face twisted with surprise and confusion. “What the . . . “

“We’ve sll been given special powers to fight the forces of evil. Unfortunately, we have to go into the future to fulfill our mission. We are at the point where we need to spend more than one day there. That’s the reason we wanted to come on this camping trip. It would allow us to go away for a few days without alarming our parents.”

“How is all of this possible?” George asked, his face still exhibiting distress and utter confusion.

“With God all things are possible,” Penny said. “We need your cooperation and your silence about this important mission.”

Jordan smiled. “Think of it this way, grandfather. You’ll be able to spend a few days fishing without listening to a bunch of noisy teenagers.”

“I suppose I have no choice in the matter,” he replied.

“Let’s go,” Penny said. “The others will be there already.”

Jordan and the others held hands with Penny and they transported to the future near Lincoln’s memorial, which looked more like a Roman mausoleum with pillars running around the outside. After ascending the steps, Penny and her group went over to the Geoffrey and his two friends.

“Let’s get out of here,” Penny said. “We don’t want to attract any attention.

They all held hands and Jordan transported the entire group to the wall of Peron’s secret base in Arizona. This location had been agreed on previously. All of the cameras were aimed out away from the walled fortress so as to detect people trying to approach.

“We have to get up to those observation ports,” Penny said, pointing up.

“That’s over a hundred feet up,” Geoffrey said, looking straight up.

“We’ll scale the wall,” Jordan said. “Follow us.” He began climbing up the sheer stonewall as if his feet and hands stuck to it like suction cups.

Milo followed after him.

“We can’t do that,” Geoffrey said, his face twisted with distress. “We’re not spider men.”

“Yes you can,” Penny said. “You just don’t realize it.” Penny began her ascent.

Harriett and Carmen followed her. Carmen gave the three future kids a teasing smirk before she climbed up the wall.

Geoffrey and his two friends, Angel and Holly followed after Carmen. They were astounded by their new ability to scale a sheer stonewall with ease.

The observation deck of the fortress had openings to both look and shoot out of. It ran around the entire structure. Doors at intervals allowed access form the interior. There were no surveillance cameras looking at the deck. The powers that reigned here didn’t consider it to be necessary because there was no way that anyone could approach the base without being detected by the main cameras that looked out away from the fortress.

“What do we do now?” Geoffrey asked.

“Peron is not here,” Penny said. “We wait until he comes.”

“That sounds boring,” Milo said.

“We don’t want to tip our hand,” Penny said. “We must take out Peron to thwart the Antichrist.”

“We could be faced with a long wait,” Jordan said.

“I realize that, but I see no other way.”

The others took up positions to keep watch.

Penny gave Jordan a coy smile. “It won’t be long.”

Jordan believed her, but he still had his doubts.