Authors: Russ Scalzo
Frank
and Jack continu
ed to talk for hours
about the B
ible and all their experiences
together
,
and
of course
,
just before Frank left
,
the subject of Emily came up.
“So
,
how did you do asking Emily out? O
r didn’t you?”
Jack
shook his head.
“I did fine. We had a
great time
! In fact,
I’m picking her up and she will be at church with us tomorrow
morning.”
“Really?
Y
ou like her
,
huh? I knew you would. She’s a babe.”
Jack l
aughed.
“Y
es
, Frank. S
he’s
a babe. She is also a very swee
t girl. We are just getting to know one another,
though. I
t’s a process.”
Frank
stood up from the table. “A process? Oh brother…
it’s not a process.” With his
arms crossed and
pressing his B
ible close to his
chest, he jokingly said, “I
t
’
s love
, man. It’
s love.”
Jack
rolled his eyes.
“Get out of here
! I
t’s late
. R
emember
,
first service nine
o’clock.”
Frank
laughed. “Okay,
I’ll be there. I’ll
meet you in the parking
lot
.”
Frank
walked
out to his car, opened the door,
looked back at Jack and said, “Thanks f
or praying for me all that time. Y
ou’re a good friend
,
and hey, I’m telling
you,
don’t blow this one, buddy. That Emily,
she’s
a keeper.”
Jack
raised his arm and pointed towards the end of the driveway without saying a
word
. He didn’t want to hear
any more
words of wisdom
from his friend
…
at least for tonight.
It was
another beautiful morning in Eastern Virginia. The thermometer read seventy-two
degrees and there was a warm, gentle breeze blowing from the southwest. Jack
was up early, excited to introduce Frank and Emily to his friends at church. He
was a little nervous, hoping they would both enjoy the service and, of course,
anxiously counting the minutes until he would see Emily again.
Finally,
it was time to go. Jack jumped in the car and headed off to pick up Emily. It
was normally a short drive, but to Jack, it seemed too long. He pulled up to
Emily’s apartment building right at 8:30 a.m., got out of his car and started
walking up the sidewalk when the front door of the apartment building opened
and Emily came out. She had been waiting and watching for him for the last
fifteen minutes from her second story window. Jack’s eyes immediately lit up
upon seeing her. She had on a beautiful, floral-print dress and a white, half-sleeve
sweater. Her hair, her eyes, everything about her was beautiful. It was like he
was seeing her for the first time all over again.
“Hi!
I’m ready,” she said, glowing.
“Wow,
you look great!” Jack was mesmerized.
He
opened the door for her, walked around to the driver’s seat, and slid behind
the wheel.
“I
hope you like the service today. Pastor Eli is very laid back. He teaches in
his jeans and sport shirt, but he really knows the Word. I think you will like
him. My buddy Frank is coming for the first time today, too. He just came to
the Lord last week. He is really pumped up.”
“That’s
awesome. Wow… God is really doing a lot of new things lately.”
Jack
smiled at her in agreement. “Yeah, I guess you could say that.”
It
wasn’t long before they were pulling into the church parking lot. Jack could
see Frank standing by his car waiting for him. “What an incredible day!” Frank
shouted. “Hi, Emily! I’m Frank. So good to see you outside of CJ’s.”
“Hi,
Frank. I’m glad to be here,” Emily reciprocated his excitement.
Jack
took Emily’s hand and they all started walking up the steps to the front of the
school. Jack felt like he was floating on air with his new girl and his best
friend in tow. It felt pretty cool.
Jack
introduced Frank and Emily to a couple of people on the way in, and then they
found three seats just as the service started. Jack positioned himself between
them so he could answer any questions that might come up. As the worship band
kicked in, he looked over at Frank - he was smiling from ear to ear.
Frank
leaned over and said, “I never thought it was going to be so cool. I love it.”
Emily
was already clapping her hands to the music and worshipping the Lord. Jack
thought to himself,
Can it get any better than this?
The
pastor finished his message with a challenge to the congregation to follow
close to the Lord and to stay faithful to their weekly small group meetings,
which were held in various homes throughout the community. Most people knew
Jack even though he didn’t necessarily know all of them. It was easy for
everyone to see that Jack Bennett now had a lovely young lady sitting next to
him. After more introductions, Jack, Emily and Frank made their way back to
the door leading to the parking lot. Pastor Eli stood by the door saying goodbye
to each one as they came by.
“Hey,
Jack! Good to see you. Who’s the young lady?”
“Good
morning, Pastor Eli. This is Emily Richardson.”
Pastor
Eli reached out his hand and greeted her, “Good to meet you, Emily. I hope you
enjoyed the service.”
“It
was wonderful, Pastor. I loved everything about it.”
Before
Jack could introduce Frank, Pastor Eli jumped in.
“And
this must be Frank. I’ve heard a lot about you over the past few years. When I
saw you come in with Jack, I had a strong feeling that it was you. We’ve been
praying for you, Frank.”
“I
appreciate that… more than you know, Pastor.”
The
pastor put his hand on Jack’s shoulder and said, “You stick with Jesus and this
guy, and you’ll be alright.”
“I
plan on it,” Frank said with a smile. “It was great to meet you.”
With
his hand still on Jack’s shoulder, Pastor Eli said, “Let’s get together for
lunch this week. I want to catch up with you and talk about a few things.”
“No
problem! The sooner, the better for me. I think I’m going to have an
interesting week. How about tomorrow morning? Is that possible?”
“Normally
I am not available on Mondays, but that actually works for me. Let’s do it. Is
your place all right? Say, ten o’clock?”
“My
place it is. See you then,” Jack said as he waved good-bye.
They
made their way back to their cars. Frank took off for Washington D.C. where he
had a nine o’clock meeting the next morning. Jack and Emily drove back to Jack’s
place.
Emily
made herself comfortable as Jack began his assault on the kitchen. After a nice
breakfast, Jack’s famous waffles and bacon, they went out onto the front porch
where they sat together on Jack’s new outdoor sofa and enjoyed the beautiful
surroundings and the fresh air. Jack put his arm around her and Emily intuitively
laid her head on his shoulder. For a few minutes they just sat there, enjoying
the moment. They were both old enough to know that this was a special time and
they wanted to enjoy every second of it.
Jack
put his hand under her chin, lifted her head up slightly and looked into her
eyes. “Emily, you look absolutely beautiful.”
He
tilted his head slightly and kissed her. Emily responded with a kiss of her own
and, for a few minutes, Jack felt like a schoolboy kissing a girl for the first
time. It was so sweet and new. As he turned his head, a breeze blew her dress
slightly. Jack glanced down at her legs for a second. She was very beautiful,
but he knew he would have to be very careful. He couldn’t let his feelings get
the best of him. He didn’t want to do anything that would lead or tempt Emily
to go down the wrong path. In days gone by or, as he liked to put it, in his
B.C. days, this would have eventually led to the bedroom. Maybe not today, but
tomorrow or the next time they were alone. Jack thought that even though that might
be the thing to do in today’s world, there was way too much at stake for it to
even be considered. He wanted to please the Lord and honor Emily at the same
time. There was nothing more that the darkness would like to see than to have
him and Emily fall and, in the process, get Jack and his ministry out of the way
for a while. He really liked her. He liked her too much to even consider going
down that road.
Emily
gently touched his cheek, “You know I prayed for months that God would bring us
together and yet it’s hard for me to believe I am sitting here with you at your
house and holding you like this.”
Jack
took the opportunity to say something he hoped would come out right without
sounding presumptuous or inappropriate at all.
“I
know we have only been on two dates.” He paused and asked, “I guess this is a
date, right?”
Emily
smiled and said, “I think that’s safe to say.”
“Well,
I really like you. I mean, I’m not a kid anymore. I know what I feel and I
believe I now know how you feel.”
Emily
could see he was having an awful time getting whatever it was he wanted to say
out, so she stopped him there.
“You
don’t have to say anymore. I have had bad relationships and I have made major
mistakes in my life, so I’m not offended. I feel the same way. As crazy as it
sounds, I love you and I want us to do the right thing. Trust me, I feel it
too. It will be all right. We’ll work on it together, okay?”
Jack could
hardly believe that she had taken the words out of his mouth. He felt so
relieved and responded, “You are awesome. I do love kissing you so we’ll keep
that part, okay?”
Emily
laughed out loud. “Oh yes. We’ll keep that part.”
M
onday morning found Washington D.C. bathed in a steady rain
as Senator
Wellsenburg’s limousi
ne pulled up to Reagan National Airport where Dante Adal
was waiting for him in his private jet. The Dassault Falcon 900LX was fueled
and ready to go. The senator was traveling alone today, but that was normal
procedure whenever he met with Adal. He always carried one small personal bag
and a briefcase that held his tablet, a burner phone for calls he didn’t want
anyone to know about, and a few important documents he was required to review.
He wasn’t entirely sure why Dante called this meeting, only that there were
some very important people who wanted to meet him and discuss his future.
Once
aboard, the pilot was given the go-ahead for takeoff. Within minutes the jet
was in the air and leveling off at course altitude. The cockpit door swung open
and Dante Adal swaggered down the aisle and sat down next to the senator. He
loved flying and always insisted on taking part in the takeoffs.
One of
Dante’s personal flight attendants approached Senator Wellsenburg and asked,
“Would you like a drink, Senator?”
Dante
always had several beautiful young ladies accompany him on his flights. He
found them to be both pleasing and useful.
“Yes,
I’ll have a scotch on the rocks.”
“Hennessy Paradis for
me,” Dante said firmly.
The
senator raised his eyebrows, “That is an exceptional cognac.”
Dante
gave him a smug look. “Why should I drink anything less?”
Senator
Wellsenburg loved expensive things and nothing impressed him more than a man
who was a connoisseur of all.
“I
was asked by my superiors to remind you that you must renew you efforts to
convince your fellow senators to pull back U.S. military support for Israel. We
have great plans for the whole Mid-East area and don’t want any interference
from the United States. You have to think bigger, Senator. The whole world is
there for the taking. We are making great strides on many of the U.S. campuses;
anti-Semitism is on the rise, fueled by demonstrations by Muslim activist
groups promoting the Palestinian cause. However, we need to make sure we keep
all fronts moving forward. The American people, especially this new generation,
must become completely disenchanted with Israel. Do you understand?”
A
small bead of sweat appeared on Wellsenburg’s forehead as he formulated a
response. “Dante, that is very difficult for me to do. There is still quite a
bit of support for Israel in the Senate. You have to remember that I have voted
to support Israel in the past. My change of position has caused more than a few
eyebrows to rise. I have made some inroads, but it is difficult.”
“I
thought you were on our side, Senator? I urge you to keep our little deal in
mind. You know, the one that helped you get where you are today. I don’t want
to hear that. The Jews have been the bane of my existence since they became a
people. Do you have any idea how many times we have attempted to eliminate
those people down through the ages? There is always one that rises up and gets
in the way. Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Mordecai, Esther… and the list
goes on and on. We sat beside Nero and the Roman Empire, Hitler and the Third
Reich. We were there guiding them, inspiring them, and those damn Jews still
survived. Do you plan on being the one getting in the way this time, Senator?”
Wellsenburg
backpedaled for a moment. He thought
, Noah? Abraham? Moses? What in the
world is he saying?
“By
we, do you mean the society?” he asked, cautiously. “I had no idea that the
Sons of Nimrod had such a place in history. You never mentioned that before.
How do you know all of this?”
Dante
was in no mood to be cross-examined. His countenance changed drastically. He
wasn’t about to divulge that he was, in fact, talking about himself and other
powerful beings. He gave the senator a piercing look that shook him to his
bones and made his blood run cold.
“It is
called the Sons of Nimrod is it not?” he questioned him sarcastically. “Or did
you think you and your Washington cohorts came up with that all on your own. If
you need a history lesson, Senator, I will give you one someday, but now is not
the time.”
Dante
readjusted himself in his chair and peered into Wellsenburg’s eyes. “I asked
you a question before. Do you plan on being the one getting in the way this
time, Senator?”
Wellsenburg
rubbed his chin and took another drink.
Clearing
his throat, he answered, “No, I have no other plans. You know that. I need your
support to become the next President of the United States. You said a new world
order was coming and that as President, I would have an integral part in
bringing that about.” Putting his drink down, he added, “And that is my one and
only plan.”
Dante
sat back in his chair, satisfied he had put the subject to rest.
“Fine.
We have other things to discuss, so let’s get down to business. There is a rash
of new church groups popping up all over America. Not church buildings, but
groups of believers utilizing schools and other public buildings for their
services. We need a law to keep them out of all public places. I want them shut
down. They are beginning to wreak havoc within the spirit world. Their faith
must be crushed and they must be scattered.”
Wellsenburg’s
ears perked up and a puzzled look crossed his face. He knew Dante was different
and seemed to have some kind of mysterious dark power about him, but he didn’t
really know much more than that.
“The spirit
world? I don’t understand.”
Dante
reached over and took a sip of his cognac. He knew he had revealed a little
more than he intended to, at least for now.
“I use
that terminology often to express the general atmosphere around certain
situations that we have to deal with. It’s really more like karma. You will
become accustomed to its usage as we continue to move forward on future
projects.” Dante knew what those future projects would be.
The
senator accepted the answer for now, nodded and decided it best to move on. He
knew better than to ask any more questions. Perhaps he would save them for
another day.
“I
can’t be away from Washington for too long,” Senator Wellsenburg explained. “I
have some important budget hearings to attend. Who exactly are these associates
of yours and what is their agenda?”
“Not
to worry. My pilot will fly you back in the morning. It is vital to your run
for the presidency that you meet these men. If all goes well, you will have
more than enough money for your campaign. There will be enough time for
questions during the flight, but for now, I think you need to relax and enjoy some
female companionship. Ladies?”
The
good senator always enjoyed these meetings. Dante Adal knew how to keep his
little marionettes happy.
* * *
Frank
got out early from of his nine o’clock meeting at t
he J. Edgar Hoover Building at 935 Pennsylvania Avenue
,
and walked out into
the light rain that continued to fall in D.C. He was on a mission. Grabbing his
phone, he called Jack and headed to his car. The phone rang and rang until
finally Jack picked up.
“Hey,
Frank. What’s up?”
“You’re
not going to believe this. This morning, before my meeting, I got talking to
one of my guys this morning about the Lord. He told me that he was brought up a
Christian, but hadn’t been to church in years. I told him about your church and
he said he might check it out.”
Jack
was smiling on the other end of the phone. “That’s cool, Frank. You didn’t
waste any time sharing your faith. That’s awesome!”
Frank
got to his car and got in. “That’s not why I called. I mean, I’m psyched about
that too, but I found out something really strange. You know we’ve been talking
about The Sons of Nimrod and this secret society stuff, right? So I heard a
name today that blew my mind.”
Jack
was locked in. “What name?”
Frank
started his car and looked around. “Dante Adal.”
Jack’s
eyes widened. “Dante?”
“Yeah.
What’re the chances of that name coming up in association with The Sons of Nimrod?
My guy says there was a meeting recently held at the
Hotel Palomar with a c
ouple
of senators and
a
group of really
high
profile business types
. O
ne of them was
apparently
this Dante Adal character. That name hit me
like a ton of bricks. I mean
,
how could I forget that name afte
r that night at the church. Dante
was the name the an
gel
called that demon creature, r
ight?”
Jack
was stunned. Could that be true? A demon taking the form of a man and meeting
with U.S. senators? Jack knew this was a bad sign. The darkness was stepping it
up in an effort to gain even more control in Washington.
“I
have to admit
,
I don’t think that i
t’
s a coincidence. Creepy
,
but no coincidence. What senators were involved?”
“He
wasn’t sure
,
but he thinks one of them was Senator
George
R
.
Wellsenburg from New York.”
“Wow!”
Jack managed. “If that’s true, there could
be no
doubt that
t
his
Dante Adal is
our
demon prince. In that case
,
we are in for a major battle for the soul of America.”
Frank
took a deep breath and mustered,
“Never
a dull moment when I’m around you
,
Jack. So what are we gonna
do?”
“We
have to pray
,
and pray hard. When are
you heading
back?”
“Well
,
that’s the next thing
I have to tell you. We have a new case. It seems there is something crazy going
on not far from where your church meets. A woman reported that she keeps
hearing strange sounds coming from her neighbor’s house
at
all hours of the night.
She says it’s been going on for days
,
and that last Saturday night she thought she saw objects
flying around in the neighbor’s backyard. The local police checked it out and
dismiss
ed
it
,
so she found the
number of the agency and called us. The agency wants us to investigate and file
a report. I should be to you by noon.”
Just
then
,
the
re
was a
knock on Jack’s front door. “Okay,
see you then. I gotta go
.
I have a meeting with my pastor
.
I think that’s him
now. See you when you get here.”
Jack hung up and opened the door.
“Hi
Eli. H
ow are you this morning?”
Jack
and his pastor were good friends and had been for a number of years
so in private,
it
was always just first names.
“Hey
, Jack.
I hope you
’ve
got the coffee on.”
Jack
laughed and nodded.
“Always.”
Pastor
Eli went on to tell Jac
k about a strange
family he
met during an outreach last week
where he and some others went door to door handing out postcards
,
inviting some of the
neighbors to the church picnic and letting them know about the new church
meeting at the school. He went on to say that when
,
what he perceived as
the father came to the door
,
he felt a spiritual presence there that was not of God. From
what he could see
,
the house was in disarray. He told the man that if he needed
help or anything to contact the church
,
but the man said he wasn’t interested and closed the door
in Pastor Eli’s face
.
Jack
started to put two and two together.
“I
think this might be the same house that Frank just called me about. The
neighbor reported objects flying around the backyard and hearing strange noises
at
all hou
rs of the night. We are supposed
to go there and check it out.”
Eli
finished his coffee and said, “If possible
,
I would like to accompany you. I have been in prayer all
morning about it. I couldn’t get it of
f
my mind.”
“I
can’t think of a better person to have with us
,
but we have to document our investigation
,
and they only want
authorized personnel involved
. I
t’s an official federal investigation at this point. Frank
will be here in a half hour
and,
if
you don’t have another
appointment,
we could spend some time in prayer
together. I would
really
like Frank to see how we prepare before we go out on these
missions. Afterwards
,
I can
get you involved in
the follow-
up
since,
as you know
, there will be
follow-
up.”