The Trinity Game

them with Trinity and return to the fold in a state of pure contrition. He would have to willingly submit himself to the punishment of the Church and then live a monastic life of manual labor and rigorous spiritual retraining, maybe for a year, maybe five. But once through, he could make a life as a priest again, albeit never in a sensitive position. He was multilingual, could teach at Catholic schools all across central Africa and parts of Asia.
    Nick could probably sell it to Allodi and the inevitable disciplinary tribunal…
if
he could get to Daniel and
if
he could turn him around.
    And those were two very big ifs.
    The young priest who’d run the computer earlier approached at a near jog.
    “Father Conrad on line three, sir.”
    Nick held up a finger to tell the young priest not to walk away and picked up the phone. “What’ve you got?”
    “Daniel traded the Cadillac to a country boy who lives off the grid,” said Conrad, “and I don’t think Country Boy has any idea who Trinity is. They left here about eight fifteen this morning—I gave Bryan details of the truck they’re now driving—but when they left, they didn’t indicate what direction they were heading.”
    “It’s all over the television,” said Nick. “Trinity showed up at a tent revival outside Greenville, Arkansas. Tried to confess his past sins. Didn’t go over too well with the locals.”
    “When?”
    “About two o’clock.”
    “Greenville,” said Conrad, and Nick could hear him unfolding a map. “That’s between here and New Orleans. What do you think?”
    “I think Daniel knows better than to let him run home,” said Nick.
    Conrad said, “Also knows better than to let him be seen in public, but there they are on television.”
    “Yeah, I know.”
    “Maybe Daniel’s not calling the shots.”
    “Maybe not,” said Nick. “All right, you head for Greenville, then on to New Orleans. Stay on the rural highways, and keep your eyes open for any tents. Maybe he’ll feel compelled to stop at another one.”
    “Call me if anything develops,” said Conrad. He broke the connection.
    Nick put the receiver down, turned to the young man still waiting, and handed him the camera. “Bryan, I want you to keep track of the news channels. When the Greenville story loses steam, get the photographs on this camera to the media. Anonymously, of course.”
    “Of course, sir.”

“W hat the hell is wrong with you?” said Daniel as they passed a MISSISSIPPI WELCOMES YOU sign. “Are you insane?”
    “Stop,” said Tim Trinity.
    “Seriously, is your head broken? What is it about the concept of a low profile that eludes you? Please explain how getting up in front of a dozen camcorders qualifies as
helping me keep you alive
.”
    “Will you please just let it go? For the eleventh time:
I’m sorry
. OK? I just…I saw the tent and I thought God wanted me to confess. I thought…you know, I flushed the rest of my coke down the sink on Saturday. But the tongues didn’t come on Sunday and…I just thought, maybe, if I confessed my past sins to those people…if I denounced a false prophet…I guess I thought they’d come back faster.” He shook his head, smiling ruefully. “I used to cherish the brief respite periods when the voices go quiet…a couple days here, a few days there…blessed relief, for as long as it lasted. And I used to dread their return.” He gazed out the window. “Funny how things change…”
    “A dozen camcorders, at least. Probably running on CNN already.” Daniel returned his focus to the road ahead, and they rode in silence for a minute.
    Trinity smiled. “You see the way Preacher Bob handled the situation? Gotta hand it to him. Totally blindsided, but didn’t miss a beat when he saw his opening. Did that hypnotic rhythm thing with the hallelujahs, and then got them chanting. Yeah, Preacher Bob’s got game, he’s a real talent. He could be big on television if he smoothed out his act a little.”
    “Look,” said Daniel, “
after
we get you safe, you can sit down with Julia and come clean to the whole world. But use your head. You just put a giant red dot on the map, halfway between Atlanta and your hometown. You just announced your destination to the entire world.”
    “I understand, I fucked up. Can we please shift our focus to what we do going forward?”
    He was right. Daniel took a long, slow breath, cleared his mind, and considered their options. “By now, everyone thinks you’re going to