In the last part Chloe leads the club to pray without ceasing. Anthony and T.J. are prepared to destroy the community. It is November 10 at the movies.

Chloe stood at the end of the hallway inside the theater like a school teacher, greeting and herding pupils on a field trip. She warmly greeted all the club members’ guests, thanking them for coming. Her coat held her place on the aisle, the front corner of where her group would be sitting. John, James, B and Jimmy ended up sitting a few rows behind and several seats in from her, Rodney and Hannah took their places up high at the opposite side of the group’s area.

It wasn’t until the movie previews had begun that Anthony and T.J. entered, walking just beside Chloe. She wondered who would chance coming so late to a sold-out event. She wanted to be aggravated at them, but instead tried to think nice thoughts. Watching them proceed all the way down in front of her to the stage, she thought it extremely odd that one would sit down immediately and the other proceed all the way across the front to a seat at the opposite end. Odd that the two end seats were the empty ones. She moved her attention to the video action.

The film began, all eyes were on the screen, people settling back to relax and enjoy. All except Corey, who couldn’t quite stretch out as much as he thought he should be able to. “Keep your eyes peeled,” he thought. “Examine all things carefully.” He reached down to see what blocked his feet, pulling a backpack from beneath the chair in front of him. Recognizing that it might belong to the person sitting in the seat, he snagged it out anyway, figuring he could always simply replace it. To the annoyance of his neighbors, he unzipped it far enough to see four-inch PVC pipes. “What?” he said too loud, loud enough to catch the attention of a circle around him.

James, seated directly behind Corey, looked over Corey’s shoulder at what was clearly a bomb. In a heartbeat’s time he scanned the room left and right, spotting Anthony stand up in the front row, his cell phone lit up in his hand. In a bound, James leaped to the top of the seat back ahead of him, even though the seats in that complex were rocking chairs. Without even reaching a balance, James floated toward the front, hitting every seat back with his toes, springing from each before it even began to rock backward. People behind stood and squirmed about. Those in front were oblivious to his flight. B noticed his arms at a downward angle, his hands splayed like little wings.

Hearing the commotion Corey had started, Chloe stood into the aisle, trying to figure things out. Seeing James’ apparent focus on the left front of the room, she instantly turned to the right, where she’d seen the second person sit. He, too, like the left side person, was standing. She felt herself drifting toward that person, unaware of any particular action. She purposed to run to the person on the right, who was standing where no one should be standing.

Everyone watched as James bounded to Anthony, who was feverishly pressing keys on his phone. Crashing onto him, James struggled for the phone, intent on its capture, whatever the cost.

T.J. yanked the 9-millimeter weapon from his belt, having to jerk at it twice. A round already chambered, all that was needed to fire was to release the safety, something he’d practice a thousand times. By the time he had it cocked, James was at the front row, one more bound to his goal. T.J. took careful aim at James, factoring in his motion of flight. He began the trigger squeeze emphasized on YouTube. In his left peripheral vision, he saw someone in his designated target area, a girl, in the aisle where his father was to have been charging. He saw bodies where his father ought to have been and within range, he fired as fast as he could, jerking the trigger and barrel as might a scared child. He suddenly found himself on his back. The man who’d been sitting beside him in the front row bashing him with T.J.’s own gun.

+++

Hours later, the dust finally settled, Rodney, Hannah, and a slew of the club members, both past and present, joined Chloe’s family in the surgery waiting room. The surgeon’s beckon for quiet was unnecessary. “Folks, Chloe has lost her right lung, and one rib will need reconstructed. And she’s going to have one heck of a scar on her back. But she’ll be fine.”

Everyone gasped, finally breathing: talking, shouting, whooping, thanking God and everybody within reach.

“Is our hero here?” the doctor asked.

Everyone turned to James, opening a path for the doctor. “Let me shake your hand, Son. They told me what you’d done while I was working on our friend.” Instead of a shake of the hand, the doctor bear hugged him. “You have just saved more people than I have in my entire life as a surgeon.”

None of the Bible club members gave a thought to glory avoiding them.

+++

Dr. Westman was not called before the Board of Directors, though they had received a complaint.

Mr. William Tabler claimed he’d just taken a gun from a punk and declined any fanfare. The through-and-through of his slight spare tire was truly just a flesh wound.

T.J. confessed to the May 15th plans he and Anthony had failed to accomplish. He couldn’t explain why they hadn’t been carried out. What they'd planned for that November 10th was made plain.

Anthony remained mute throughout all legal proceedings.

The Bible Club members, to a person, visited Chloe, standing at her bedside to pray for her.

Uncle Earl saluted his nephew, James and B stood at his side, holding his hand.

James always considered May 15 to be the most significant date in his life.

Jimmy joined the United States Navy, the best friends of his life eagerly waiting for his return, anxious to hear travel tales.

John applied for entry to a Bible College. His Bible Club co-hort, Kailey was easily convinced to join him.

Chloe healed completely. After plastic surgery, even the scar on her back faded away. Between on-line study, and Grace’s help, she was able to rejoin her class after spring break. She was also ready to lead the Bible club the next year.