THE SHADOW OF TREACHERY

By Caiden Hooks

Jaina Peterson is an ordinary girl living in an ordinary world, much like our own. But after coming home from school to find her family's yard in disarray, she is intercepted by members of a clandestine paramilitary organization called the Sun Swords Academy, who inform her that her family has gone missin

• Language: English
• Publisher: Author Academy Elite
• Release date: Aug 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9798885831284

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Caiden Hooks’ first creation, The Shadow of Treachery, may be fiction; however, the truths in this book will shepherd your heart and life toward Christ. We love Caiden’s desire to weave theological principles into his creative story-telling! Get this book now!

—Dean and Angie Fulks

THE SHADOW OF TREACHERY

CAIDEN HOOKS

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The Shadow of Treachery © 2022 by Caiden Hooks.

All rights reserved.

Published by Author Academy Elite

PO Box 43, Powell, OH 43065

www.AuthorAcademyElite.com

All rights reserved. This book contains material protected under international and federal copyright laws and treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without express written permission from the author.

Identifiers:

LCCN: 2022916316

ISBN: 979-8-88583-126-0 (paperback)

ISBN: 979-8-88583-127-7 (hardback)

ISBN: 979-8-88583-128-4 (ebook)

Available in paperback, hardback, e-book, and audiobook

Cover art by Josi Hooks. Logo for Sun Swords by Bretten Hooks.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible: The New King James Version, Containing the Old and New Testaments. Thomas Nelson Bibles, 1982.

All rights reserved worldwide.

Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers printed in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Author Academy Elite, nor does Author Academy Elite vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

Some names and identifying details have been changed

to protect the privacy of individuals.

In loving memory of Janice and Jerry Roest.

Hello up there, Nana and Papa. Love you to pieces.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This may come as a shock to anyone who knows me, but words alone simply can’t express how thankful I am for everyone and everything that’s led to the publishing of this book. First, and most fittingly, I thank the Lord God, Yahweh—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—for providing me with the circumstances, inspiration, and opportunities that He has given me for all this to have come about. Thank You, Lord Jesus. Truly You do great things.

Next, I would love to give my abounding gratitude—because eternal wouldn’t be a fitting term—to Chelsea Ross, my eighth-grade Integrated English teacher at Shanahan Middle School, who unknowingly encouraged me to write something original (as opposed to yet more fanfiction). Mrs. Ross, it is sorely tempting for me, but if you and I are siblings in Christ perhaps I may say it: you have no idea how indebted I feel to you. I must thank my Lord again. Amen.

Next, I’d like to thank all the random people in my contacts—you know who you are—who kept receiving updated versions of my (embarrassingly) unedited The Shadow of Treachery drafts. Thank you for your patience. Among them, and deserving a special thanks of their own, are the pastor of the church I currently attend as of the time of writing this (October 2022), Dean Fulks, and his wife Angie (though I can’t remember if Angie received nearly as many—if any—drafts as Pastor Dean), who told me that this book was publishable and thus connected me with Kary Oberbrunner and Author Academy Elite. Thank you, Pastor Dean, for telling me I had a legitimate chance, and you and your wife both for dealing with my constant updates of further stories (coming soon, God willing) and entertaining my constant, childish fumbling and bumbling in my foray toward biblical truth.

I’d also like to thank my parents for encouraging me to keep going with this; my dog, Jaina, for lending at least a partial influence on my main character’s namesake; and my Nana, Janice Lynn Grey Roest (God rest her soul) for being another (not to mention Jaina Solo from the pre-Disney Star Wars Expanded Universe), plus Papa Jerry Roest (God rest his soul), to whom this book is dedicated. Also, to my siblings, Bretten and Josi Hooks, who generously lent their support in creating the cover art for The Shadow of Treachery. And, of course, to Mr. Oberbrunner, for graciously funding the publishing of this initial book and for seeing something in me—I’m not quite sure what—that apparently deems me publishable. Thanks to him, I’ve been hooked up with a rigorous editor, whom I will also thank here; your insights, while stressing at times, have also been quite helpful in revising the grammar of my work.

Thank you one and all. But again, most of all, to the God and Father of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who loves us and sent His Son to die for our sins, that we may become reconciled to Him through the blood of His Son, whom He also raised on the third day, conquering death forever, and the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth, revealing His word through Scripture. May the name of Adonai Yeshua, the Lord Jesus, be exalted above all names. To Him be the honor and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

CHAPTER CONTENTS

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

CHAPTER 1: THE KIDNAPPING

CHAPTER 2: THE SUN SWORDS ACADEMY

CHAPTER 3: THE HOUSE of WREN FIRE

CHAPTER 4: THE SHOCKTRO WEAPONS CLASS

CHAPTER 5: THE WEAPONS CONVENTION

CHAPTER 6: THE CHRISTMAS CARD and the ABSENTEE

CHAPTER 7: THE NERD BIRD, the HEARTY RAC, and the FIREBOMB

CHAPTER 8: THE ROMAN RUNNING of the BULLS

CHAPTER 9: THE GHETTO of KETA SIÁTRA

CHAPTER 10: THE BANQUET

CHAPTER 11: THE PERFECT STORM

CHAPTER 12: THE CHIAROSCURO

CHAPTER 13: THE DAWN of COMPREHENSION

CHAPTER 14: THE BINDING of the WAYS

CHAPTER 15: THE TIES THAT BIND

EPILOGUE: THE PATH to the FUTURE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

SUF, in all caps, is pronounced as letters (S-U-F), but Suf (with just a capital S), is pronounced as one syllable, Suhff—although when Count Nile pronounces it, he says it like, SAHFF. However, SSLAE is pronounced Sleigh regardless of capitalization.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

—Psalm 23:4

CHAPTER 1

THE KIDNAPPING

Until Jaina Peterson saw the hedge, she was having a perfectly normal, if somewhat lousy day. She was a tall, thin girl with sky blue eyes. And until the day our story begins, she was living pretty much the same life as any fourteen-year-old girl in the central Ohio suburbs. But soon, all that would change.

On the day in question, her alarm for school went off at 6 a.m., and she groaned, like always. After snoozing the alarm, she lay in bed for about nine more minutes before it went off again. Fine, I’ll get up, she said wearily, sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

After climbing out of bed, she dressed in blue jeans, white socks, blue and black tennis shoes with white laces, and a mostly white T-shirt with splotchy tie-dye spots that her Uncle Jim had given her for her last birthday—which she hadn’t really wanted but chose to wear out of politeness. Then, after she managed to get all her stuff together, she ran her fingers through her shoulder-length, auburn hair, then traipsed downstairs to the kitchen for breakfast. Her parents had shown her how to use the stove, and she considered herself to be just reliable enough to make her breakfast without setting the house on fire. So, of course, she left her eggs cooking for too long, setting off the smoke alarms, and waking everyone in the house, including their kitten, Amy, who meowed and caused a loud thud as she streaked out of her bed.

Janice Lynn! her mother yelled from upstairs, her usually easygoing Louisiana bayou drawl cracking like a whip.

Sorry, Mama! Jaina yelled back, then whirled around and turned off the stove.

After cutting up her eggs, she dumped them into a bowl and studied them dubiously. They were nowhere near perfect, but not the worst job she’d done either. When her parents came downstairs, her mother looked cross and her father looked tired. Her dad went into the living room and slumped onto the recliner, and her mother gave her an angry look before going to make herself breakfast.

Oh, yeah, sorry about that, she said with a sheepish laugh.

It’s fine, Mama said with a weary sigh, looking at Jaina’s eggs. "Just . . . please try an’ watch ‘em next time."

Uh, yeah, whoops. Sorry, Daddy, Jaina called into the living room.

He grunted.

Oh, never mind, Jaina muttered, then nearly put syrup in her eggs instead of salt. At this her little sister, Gabby—who, in Jaina’s opinion, was the greatest nuisance ever conceived by anyone—burst out laughing. Oh, knock it off, Gabby! Jaina snapped.

No! It’s funny! Gabby protested with an annoying, teasing note in her voice.

Shut up!

No!

Uhhh! You’re always so—

Both of you! Shut it! her older brother Paul snapped as he stomped into the kitchen wearing his Kendall Grove College uniform—a royal blue T-shirt and cap, black slacks, socks, and shoes with white laces—with the white button-up shirt draped over one arm.

Eventually, the household quieted down, and Jaina, Paul, and their dad all went outside. Daddy waited to see them off—Paul to college and Jaina to Kendall County High—before he dropped Mama off at the hospital for her job, and he went to a philosophy conference in Columbus for his. So, he said his normal goodbye coupled with a practical joke—this time it was twisting her nose sideways, catching her off guard twice, and missing the third time because she swatted his hand away. Then he saw Paul off, who said goodbye to both of them and drove off in his dusty blue Ford. Then Jaina’s bus came, and her dad walked her up to its door.

Hey! he said, then leaned in close and pecked her on the cheek. Have a good day.

You, too, Daddy! she said, hoping the bus’s engine would drown out her honorific for her beloved patriarch. Then she turned on the steps to blow him a kiss and wave. See ya later!

You, too, sweetie! Daddy called back.

Jaina took her usual solitary seat behind the handicap entrance. At school, she only had a select few people around her age who were decent to her, though she was on good terms with a few of the older students as well. But her typical partner-in-crime was Lauren Dennis, who lived in Blossom Field County, the next suburb over. So, when Jaina rode on the bus, she sat by herself, usually taking the time to finish leftover homework, do some last-minute studying, listening to music, or thinking about life. Today, she did the last two things, putting on an upbeat gospel mix and thought that maybe, just maybe, nothing too bad would happen to her by the time she got home.

How very wrong she was.

When she got to school, she got off the bus and entered the crimson and white brick building, navigated the halls—painted a bright, intelligence-inducing green—then finally found Lauren in the chaotic crowd known to many as the gym. After all, there was no mistaking that disheveled mop of springy brown curls.

Lauren! she called playfully.

Jaina! Lauren replied, completing their inside joke.

They ran to meet each other, and Jaina grabbed her best friend by the shoulders. Where have you been? Bad Lauren! Bad! Bad! Bad! Jaina play-scolded, cat-slapping her friend’s shoulder with each rebuke.

I’m sorry! Lauren replied, sounding playfully indignant.

So, how’s your life? Jaina asked, adjusting the silvery-gray glasses on her nose.

Poor, as always, Lauren said with a bored shrug.

"Yeah, but besides that."

Okay, I guess. I mean, I finished that history project—finally—but I think I failed the math homework.

Hey, same!

Weee! Uh-oh.

What? Jaina whirled around.

Belinda alert! Lauren pointed.

Run! they yelled together, then bolted.

Just in time, they dove behind a crash mat as a hulking girl with bulging biceps and frizzy hair dyed green with red streaks sauntered past, sweeping her eyes imperiously across the gym, looking for anyone against whom she held a grudge. Graciously for Jaina and Lauren, she either didn’t see or didn’t care about them, and moved on.

Phew! both girls said at once.

Man, that was scary! Lauren said.

Yeah, that was a close one, Jaina said, adjusting her glasses as she sighed with relief.

Time to go! Daniel bellowed to the gym at large, and everyone started moving toward the door.

No! Jaina moaned dramatically. Let me sleep forever!

Nope! Come on! Lauren said, pulling Jaina to her feet.

No! Jaina complained, drawing out the whine and slapping playfully at Lauren’s arm.

Stop it, or you’re grounded.

But Mom!

Nope! I don’t wanna hear it! Now come on.

Reluctantly, Jaina walked with Lauren out of the gym and upstairs to English—which went okay, considering Jaina didn’t see herself as being particularly good at the subject. But she was pretty sure she failed history. And math, right before lunch? Well, she considered that an utter disaster (but the teachers said she just needed more practice).

Man, I failed so hard in math! Jaina said at lunch as she picked at the junk trash—in her opinion—that the school provided their precious students for sustenance.

Same! Lauren said.

Weee! they said.

Then Jaina looked up at Lauren with eyes agape. Oh, no! Lauren? Lauren. The world has ended.

Why? Lauren asked, looking up at her face.

The pineapple. It’s . . . it’s all gone!

Oh, no! The world has ended. No, no, no, no, no! She bowed her head. RIP, pineapple.

Jaina nodded. RIP, beloved pineapple. You will be missed. Then the two of them laughed hysterically.

They continued joking and talking through lunch, then continued with the rest of their day, with Belinda being a pretentious jerk all throughout as usual. Jaina thought she did decently well in Spanish and choir, and her class learned about carbohydrates, alloys, colloids, saturation, solutes, and solvents in science. Then, all too slowly, after a burnt grilled cheese in home-ec, it was time to go home.

Hey! Hey, Lauren! Jaina called through the crowd of students packing the lobby. Sleepover at my place this weekend?

Yeah, sure! Lauren replied.

Okay, bye!

Bye!

On the bus, Jaina did some homework, listened to some music, and got off without an issue. But then she saw the hedge. Planted to the left of the driveway a yard or two up from the mailbox, her family’s hedge was normally neat, symmetrical, upright, and orderly. Now, however, it looked like a large dog had struggled through it, parted down the middle, branches sticking out at odd angles.

Jaina let out an exasperated sound. Clarabelle Chase, I’m going to kill you this time! she hollered into the next yard over.

A moment later, an upstairs window opened, and a regal girl with a blond ponytail and blazing green eyes glared down at her. What are you yelling about this time, thou plebeian? she asked irritably.

You know what! Jaina shot back. "Thy royal hound got into our yard again and ruined our hedge!"

Uh, no, you imbecile. My dog’s inside. See? Come here, Bruno!

Sure enough, to Jaina’s chagrin, a furry brown head appeared next to Clarabelle’s. All right, all right, she conceded, "it wasn’t you. But then who was it?" she added half to herself.

Don’t know, don’t care.

Fine!

Fine!

Clarabelle slammed her window shut, and Jaina huffed, then turned to walk up the middle of the driveway next to her parents’ silver minivan, when thud! she ran into something solid. But when she looked, she saw nothing. Her shoulder still throbbing from running into whatever it was, she squinted as hard as she could, but still couldn’t see anything. So, she felt with her hands, and this time, a warm, odd, scaly surface met her touch. She felt around some more, but yelped in pain and shock, jerking her hand back. It had felt as though a giant power outlet had zapped her. Then she heard voices from the house, but it definitely wasn’t her family. She considered hiding in the already ruined hedge but decided against it.

Who’s there? she yelled, whipping her head around.

As she listened, she heard a tap on the window next door, and turned to see Clarabelle irritably mouth, Not me.

Jaina made eye contact and mouthed back, I know.

From the house, she thought she heard someone say, C’mon! C’mon! Move it! We might be able to catch the scumbags who did this!

Jaina didn’t know what they were talking about, but not taking any chances, she dove behind her parents’ van, crouching low and clenching her fists, ready to strike if needed. She thought the mid-afternoon September sun would be enough to be able to see them, but she still couldn’t make anything out. As she scanned to her right, past the