The Beginning

By B. B. Lynn

Heavenly Hunter is the first book in an action-packed adventure series that will have you on the edge of your seat with plot twists and unexpected adventures around every turn of the page.

Hunter Smith finds himself in heaven after a tragic accident, but he is not prepared for what he finds-a world of secrets, mysteries, and an eternal war of good against evil that will take you on an adventure of a lifetime and beyond.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fulton Books, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 15, 2021
• ISBN: 9781649525888

Book preview

Chapter 1

In the Beginning

It all began on a bleak Tuesday afternoon. The sky was overcast, and there was a hint of mist in the air. It was still cool, and the wind was doing its usual whimsical dance through the trees. The leaves maintained the moisture from the morning dew and glistened in the faded sun. The sound of the birds nesting in the trees was playing like a song in the background. The sounds of the small quaint town made it a typical day in the town of Bankcroft.

Bankcroft was the kind of town that most people felt was safe and cozy. It only had about five hundred people on average, unless you consider a slight population increase during the holidays in which the town grew almost double. For being a small town, it still had all the necessary features such as a church, a library, a post office, a school, a grocery store/gas station, and even a city hall, a police station, and a fire department.

The Smiths seemed to think this was an ideal location to set up a family. Jacob was in his early thirties and was the only bank loan officer in town. He was an average-size man with broad shoulders and dark-brown hair that was cut short around his well-defined faced. His wife, Kayla, who was a very petite woman in her early thirties, had pale skin and light-brown long hair that glistened in the sun. Her skin was flawless, and her eyes were brown that would make you feel warm and comforted. She spent most of her time raising their only son, Hunter, and helping with the town meetings and running the PTA committee.

Hunter was ten and was always a highly active boy. He took the best features from his mother and father with his dark-brown hair and brown eyes. He was an average-size boy for his age but was able to get away with more than most due to his charismatic charm and soft features. When he was just four, he accidentally set the barn on fire. He even shaved the family goat, Bobo, bald, which, in his defense, he claimed the goat insisted on last summer when it was hot. Kayla had her hands full with Hunter. He was known as an energetic boy to most town elders. Most of the time, you would see him walking with his faithful goat, Bobo, doing something mischievous. With his dark hair whishing in the breeze, he would look at you with his big brown eyes and give a warm friendly smile to everyone. A person was never quite sure if he had just done something to your lawn or was just being friendly. It is true that Hunter was very mischievous at times, but all the same, he was liked by everyone.

On this particular day, Hunter thought to go out on an adventure with his faithful sidekick, Bobo. It was a late morning in March, and the temperature was cool and misty. The weather seemed perfect for an army attack.

Come on, boy, he yelled at Bobo as he began running toward the golden wheat field next to their house on the edge of town and pulling on a light jacket.

baaaa, said Bobo as he came scurrying beside him.

Do ya see ’em, boy? There they are. Enemy twenty yards away. He began to crawl slowly on his stomach pretending to approach an imaginary army troop several yards away.

You got to be real quiet, Bobo, so they don’t see us. It looks like they are forming an attack against us. I can see one of the generals, Hunter stated.

baaaa, replied Bobo.

shhh! Quiet, or you will be court marshaled, and I don’t think a skinny little goat like you would survive long in the hole, said Hunter quietly, and Bobo stared at him with a blank expression.

Now, on my count of three, will we run up and surprise attack them before they have a chance to form a strategy. Let’s make sure that we have plenty of air coverage, said Hunter, pulling out his walkie-talkie.

I have enemy insight at Bravo Delta. Do you copy? He said anxiously as he put the walkie-talkie to his ear and began to stare intently at Bobo.

A few moments later, Hunter replied, I copy. Okay, Bobo, looks like we have an air strike in route. Are you ready?

baaaa, yelled Bobo as he gave Hunter an unsure glance.

One…two…three…go, go, yelled Hunter as he sprang to his feet and started to sprint across the field with Bobo close by his side. His hands were holding on to an imaginary gun, and he began to make noises imitating a machine gun and eagerly motioning the gun in his hands in a back and forth method.

I got one. I got one! he yelled. Looks like they are retreating. Follow them, Bobo. Follow them.

Hunter began weaving through the field, occasionally throwing his body to the ground and rolling while still aiming his invisible gun at the imaginary enemy ahead. Bobo was panting to keep up with him.

Come on, we almost got them, he yelled after the goat, who appeared to be finally catching up to him.

They are retreating up the road. Let’s get ’em, Hunter stated as he began to wave on at Bobo who was now standing awestruck in the middle of a dirt road.

Bobo appeared exhausted, and Hunter stopped in the dirt road with Bobo.

"You are gonna have to get in better shape to be in my army," he said turning back toward the goat.

baaaa, cried Bobo obviously exhausted and still panting heavily.

Hunter grabbed him by the tuft of hair at the nape of his neck. Come on, boy, he said to him angrily.

Bobo panted heavily but didn’t move, baaa.

Just as it appeared that Bobo had started to regain momentum and to move, a big brown truck appeared out of nowhere on the dirt road quickly approaching Hunter and the goat.

screech. The smell of burning rubber was all around. The dust from the road circled the truck tires. There was a sound of a large deep bellowing horn around them. The sound of brakes echoed through the trees beside the dirt road.

look out, bobo! yelled Hunter, frantically trying to push the goat out of the way. Bobo stood there in dazed confusion.

aaaahhhhhh was the last sound out of Hunter’s mouth.

The truck had struck him and Bobo at full speed. He could feel his body become limp and felt himself drifting into darkness. He opened his eyes for a brief second to see a glimpse of Bobo’s body lying next to him. Blood began to trickle out of the corner of the goat’s lifeless body. He felt his heart sank as his eyes grew heavy, and he began to be consumed by the darkness.

Chapter 2

The Gatekeeper

Hunter began to feel himself rise from the ground—a state of floating euphoria. He opened his eyes to see a glimpse of the scene before him. He saw a rusty bumper on top of him with smoke rising from the engine. Suddenly, he began to feel light as a feather, and the tragic scene before him began to get smaller and smaller. He could feel his body floating freely up off the ground and toward the clouds. He floated until he saw a darkened tunnel ahead of him. He could not explain why he felt excited and anxious at the same time. His body started floating into the dark tunnel, and he could see a dimly lit light ahead of him. The light appeared to be growing increasingly brighter with each breath he took. His heart began to pound as his mind started to wonder.

What is going on? Is this some kind of weird dream? he wondered to himself.

The light started to become so bright that he felt himself squinting to deflect some of the light. There was extraordinarily little darkness around him now. All of a sudden, Hunter felt a thump and landed on a patch of the cool floor with billowing smoke surrounding him.

Where am I? he said aloud to himself.

He looked around, and all he could see was endless white with white smoke encircling his feet. He could see neither a floor nor a ceiling.

hello? he yelled examining the whiteness for a glimpse of someone or something.

There was no response.

Is anyone here? he yelled again.

Suddenly, a golden light appeared in front of him. It was small but very bright. He felt compelled to go and investigate. He began to run toward the golden light, and it increasingly got larger. His heart began to race again.

It felt like he had only run about a hundred yards and there standing before him was the largest golden gate he had ever seen. This was unlike any average garden gate. It was about fifty feet high. It was brilliantly sparkling with jewels encrusted on two large handles. The brightness of the gate was overwhelming, and he stood there in front of it with his mouth gaped open.

um humm, said a squeaky voice over his left shoulder.

Hunter quickly turned around to see a young, tall, thin man standing there behind a golden podium. He had a thin pale face and golden blonde hair that was naturally curled at the ends. He was dressed in an odd white dress that was trimmed with gold around the hem of the sleeves and collar. A golden rope was tied around his thin waist.

Who are you? asked Hunter, quite startled by the presence of someone besides himself by this large golden gate.

Oh, pardon my manners; I am St. Nicholas, he said with an outstretched hand over the golden podium.

Hunter walked slowly to the outstretched hand and took it into his and shook it. He looked quite puzzled for a moment as if trying to take in what was going on.

Is this the North Pole? Are you Santa Claus? If so, you are not quite what I expected to see. You seem awful thin to be Santa Claus. I mean not that you are fat of course, but it is just all the stories make you out to be much larger than you are now. The words came out of Hunter without realizing what he was speaking.

The thin man began to laugh almost uncontrollably and said, No, my dear boy, not St. Nicholas as in ‘Santa,’ St. Nicholas as in the Gatekeeper.

The Gatekeeper? asked Hunter with a bit of hesitation behind his voice.

Yes, the Gatekeeper. I am the person that stands before this gate (pointing to the large golden gate to his left) and well…keeps it, he said with a puzzling look on his face and scratching his chin. "Well, I guess I don’t really keep it. I mean I stand in front of it. I guess if I kept it, it would imply that I own the gate, which I do not own; I merely stand by the gate. I guess gatekeeper is not the word I should use; I should call myself the ‘gate stander-byer,’ although that does not sound to be a very