Marshall got stiff all over, but he kept a cool gaze on Harp. I didn’t know if he was going to answer him at first, but when Marshall spoke it was with an even tone. “Pardon my language, Lew. Won’t happen again.”

Harper eased his grip on his gun and said, “Let’s get another thing straight. I ain’t the same man y’all’s Deddy used to run with when y’all was little. The Lord’s done a lot to change me and I’d rather y’all not call me by none of the names your Deddy did. Just Harper or Brother Harper. Any other name than them, and I’ll give this trigger finger of mine a scratch.”

“All right, Harper,” I said, taking the lead, “what do we need to do to get you to let us outta this hole?”

He balanced the shotgun’s barrel on his shoulder and let it point at the roof of the building. “Letting y’all outta this hole ain’t up to me, boys. Andrea here called Preacher Randy after she woke me up, and he’s on his way over. He’s the one who hears from the Lord, and by the time he gets here he’ll let us know what to do with you.”

“Wait a minute, Harp—”

“Hey, what’d I tell you about calling me by the names of my Old Man? He’s dead. According to God’s Word, I’m a New Man. A New Creature, Mack. It says that in Second Corinthians 5:17. ‘Old things have passed away, and all things have become new.’”

I held my hands up to let Harper know I was wrong and apologized. I didn’t know anything about this Preacher Randy and didn’t want to try my luck with somebody who let his deacons carry. Our chances were better with Harper, and I let him know it. “All I was going to say is there ain’t no reason to bring the preacher into this. It’s your land we was trespassing on. Might as well be you that decides what to do with us.”

I looked over at Marshall and could tell by the look on his face I ought to be speaking Geechee, but he went along with me. “Mack’s right,” he said, “why wait up all night on a preacher that’ll probably turn us loose?”

My brother wasn’t joking, but Harper laughed like hell, the sound of it ricocheting off the building’s aluminum walls. Andy spoke over him and said, “Deddy, I think they’re scared of dealing with Brother Randy.”

“Sure does sound that way, doesn’t it?” Harp’s cheeks turned red from a smile that stretched his lank jowls, and he used the back of a hairy arm to wipe tears from his eyes. “Y’all got the wrong idea about Brother Jessup. He ain’t some soft-hearted preacher that’ll just turn you loose. He’ll pray in earnest about it, and if the Lord tells him to deal y’all justice, he will.”

Harper let the last word hang in the air until it faded away and made for the door. “We’ll give y’all some time to get right with God. Preacher’ll be here soon.”