Authors: Russ Scalzo
Jack
lay in his bed staring at the ceiling. He looked over at his digital alarm
clock. It read 5:39 a.m. The morning light was just beginning to chase the last
remnants of night sky away. Jack liked the fact that his large bedroom window
faced east and let in the first rays of morning light. He was normally an early
riser, but this morning he was extra tired. He hadn’t gotten much sleep last
night thinking about Emily and her mixed reaction to all that they talked about
Monday night.
She hadn’t
been totally shocked. Emily knew he was investigating paranormal activity, but
confrontations with demons and angels? That took it to another level. Emily had
read about such things in her Bible, but knowing that Jack was living this bizarre
reality everyday was unnerving. Jack knew he had to give her a little space to
digest it all, but he still hadn’t heard from her and every new hour that went
by made him more and more nervous.
There
was no doubt in his mind that he was falling in love with her, and the thought
of losing her was not something he cared to entertain. All night long he would
doze off, then wake up and pray that everything would work out, doze off again,
wake up, and pray some more. He knew he had to trust the Lord in all of this,
but he was finding it to be easier said than done. Jack began to think that
confronting demons was an easier task than dealing with his newfound love life.
Jack
sat up. He couldn’t bear to stay in bed another minute. He had a blog to write
and phone calls to make. He got up and walked across the room and straight into
the shower. He needed to shake off all the doubt and negative thoughts that he
had been battling all night long. His mind was racing back and forth from one
scenario to another. Emily was a smart girl. Jack knew she knew this spiritual
dimension existed and he also knew she was crazy about him, but would she
decide that it was all too weird and scary? Would she stay with him?
Jack
stood in the shower for a while, letting the hot water pour over his head and
tired body. He slowly began to get his appetite back and decided it was time to
get dressed and head for the kitchen for some hot coffee and a couple of eggs.
The
sun streamed through the open kitchen window, accompanied by a gentle warm
breeze, which made Jack feel a little more hopeful. The early morning rays fell
across the kitchen table where Jack’s Bible laid open to the book of Proverbs.
He walked over to the table and looked down. He remembered that he had been
reading in the book of Psalms before he went to bed, but he just figured the
wind must have blown the pages overnight. The sun’s rays landed on two verses
highlighting them in bright sunshine. The verses seemed to jump off the page at
him.
Trust
in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all
your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
A
chill ran up his back. Some might say it was just happenstance, but Jack knew
better. He knew it was no accident, not in his world. He put a K-Cup in the
Keurig and while he waited for the cup to fill
,
he sat down at the
table and opened his laptop. He figured he might as well get started on his
blog.
First
,
he check
ed his email. A lot of his new mail was advertisements
and special offers for all kinds of stuff he didn’t want. He
deleted them one by one and started to
go
through his blog-related questions and comments,
when
a new
message appeared on his screen. I
t was from Emily. Jack
’
s heart skipped a beat. The first th
ing that came into his head was,
W
hy is she sending
me an email?
He breathed deep,
opened it and began to read.
“Good
morning
!
I have
been up for a while and I didn’t want to alarm you by calling you so early in
the morning
,
so I decided to send you an email hoping you might be up
early as well and looking at your computer.
I’ve
been praying about us and the Lord has given me a real peace abo
ut our future together. I know H
e has
called you to be a
force for H
im and I want to be a
part of that too.
I love
you. Please call me as soon as you read this.
Love
,
Emily.”
Jack
breathed a sigh of relief. He could feel the heavy cloud that had been hanging
over his head lift and instantly disappear. He picked up his phone and called her
immediately.
E
mily answered, “Jack, are you okay
?”
“I am
now,” h
e said with a big smile on his f
ace. “I could hardly
sleep
last night thinking about you
,
wondering what you were thinking.”
“I’m
sorry for making you
so crazy. I just
needed
to get a handle on
everything we talked about, b
ut
now I know for sure that we belong together. I believe in you and your calling
and I want to be a part of it. I want to s
tand
by you and be in your life,
Jack.”
Her
words wrapped around him like a warm blanket. It was music to his ears. The
thought of losing Emily made him realize how much she meant to him and just how
serious he felt about her. It seemed
surreal
that
it had only been two weeks
,
but he knew that she
was the one. Jack had counseled many couples in his day not to jump too far
ahead in a relationship without praying it through and getting to know one
another. Now
,
here he was on th
e verge of saying
something it
was definitely too early to say.
He found himself grop
ing for the right words
to say
,
but
wanted to let her know how much she truly meant to him.
“Emily,
I don’t have the words to express how much that means to me. I know we have
only been together for a few weeks
,
but I know I need you in my life. I believe with all my
heart that God has put us together. I took a chance that y
ou would understand what God has
called me to do
because
I knew if we were going to have a future
together
,
I had
to honest with you
,
even if it meant that you might decide to walk away from
me.”
Emily
smiled on the
other
end of the phone. She knew that Jack was the one and she
wasn’t about to walk away.
“I’m
not going anywhere
,
Jack Bennett. In fact I called out
of work
today. I hope you
don’t have any pressing issues to deal with
,
because as soon as you called me I got in my car and started
driving to your house. I should be t
here
in five minutes. Is that okay
?”
Jack
laugh
ed out loud. “It is more than okay
. I will be sitting on the front porch waiting for you.”
Jack put his phone
back
in his pocket and
walked outside onto the porch. He felt like he could fly. With all the other
not so nor
mal things going on in his life,
he was so elated to know that he and Emily were going to be
al
l
right.
After all, where was he going to find a woman who loved the Lord so much that
she was willing to live on the edge with him?
T
he fact that she was incredibly beautiful
didn’t hurt his feelings eithe
It was ten o’clock Wednesday morning on an unusually warm
spring day in D.C. when Senator Wellsenburg walked into his office at the
Hart Senate Office Building located
northeast of the Capitol. The Hart Building is the largest of the Senate office
buildings and was named for
Philip Hart
who
served eighteen years as a Michigan senator.
A quick stroll through the outer rooms of the senator's
office revealed scores of mini museums doubling as waiting rooms. The content
of the exhibits varied widely, ranging from historical artifacts and sports
memorabilia, to expansive ego walls featuring only himself pictured with famous
political, sports, and Hollywood personalities. It was obvious that
Wellsenburg appeared to have already built his presidential library.
His personal office featured a moderately sized mahogany desk
in front of a floor-to-ceiling library of books ranging from revolutionary war
journals to general myths and legends of
Babylonia
and Assyrian religion and
culture. He was very proud of his historical literature collection and
considered himself somewhat of an expert on such matters. He was brimming with
renewed energy after his meeting with Dante and his various supporters. His
focus was clearer than ever. In his mind, he was going to be the next President
of the United States, and no one or thing was going to stand in his way.
The senator closed the door behind him, put his briefcase
down next to his desk, and sat back in his high-back leather chair. He closed
his eyes and began to replay the last forty-eight hours in his mind. A smile crossed
his face, which grew larger and more sinister as all the possibilities danced through
his mind. Just the thought of having all that power sent a rush through his
body and reminded him of a quote from Henry Kissinger whom he had met and
talked to many times. He would say, “
Power
is the ultimate
aphrodisiac.”
He had, of course, tasted it from all his years as a U.S.
Senator, but now he wanted more. His dream was getting closer to becoming his reality.
His daydream was interrupted by a knock on the door. It was
Ms. Venoldy, his secretary.
He quickly sat up in his chair, “Come in.”
Ms. Venoldy was thirty-five years old, black hair, green eyes
and, as he often remarked privately, very well put together.
“Senator Wellsenburg, Mr. Toller is here to see you. He said
it is urgent, sir.”
“Send him in.”
Harry Toller, a tall, well-built man of thirty-eight was
Wellsenburg’s eyes and ears around Washington. He was part private eye and part
enforcer, depending on the situation, but whatever needed to be done, it was
always performed discretely and without a trace. That was what the senator
loved about him. What he did not like was what the senator called his dirty
habit. Harry loved cigars. Not just any cigars, but fresh off the boat, 100% authentic
Habanos. However, he would have to wait until he got outside to light one up.
“Hello, Harry. What have you got for me?”
Toller sat down on one of the two vintage c
lub leather armchairs that were
positioned in front of Wellsenburg’s desk.
“I found out who’s been
snooping around
, asking questions about your relationship with Dante and
your involvement with the Sons of Nimrod. It’s some agent from the Paranormal
Division named Frank
Lederman.”
“Paranormal
Division?” the senator asked bewildered. How could such a classification exist
without him knowing about it? The more he thought about it, the more enraged he
got - to think that something like that could’ve gotten by him.
“What the
hell is this Paranormal Division and who is this Frank Lederman? Does he work
out of D.C.?”
“Well to
answer your last question first, sir, yes. He works out of the
Hoover Building
here in D.C., and from what
I’ve been able to gather, he answers to George Donovan, the head of this new
division.”
Wellsenburg
was getting antsy and more and more aggravated with every second that went by. “What
about this paranormal nonsense? Who’s responsible for that?”
“The
director of the FBI apparently instituted this division two years ago. It seems
there is a lot of interest in paranormal activity here in Washington lately. It
reminds me of the Germans in World War II when Hitler went crazy looking for
strange artifacts that were supposed to have some mystical powers. Crazy
stuff.”
Wellsenburg
gave Toller a nod and look of agreement, when in his head he was thinking,
I
need to talk to Dante about this
.
“I want
you to keep an eye on this Lederman,” Wellsenburg instructed. “No guns, no
rough stuff. Remember - he is a Federal agent. I don’t want to kick off a
large-scale FBI investigation that might lead back to this office. Just find
out where he goes, who he talks to, and what he knows about the society and get
back to me. Understood?”
Toller nodded,
confidently, “No problem. I’ll handle it.”
Wellsenburg
put both hands flat on his desk, leaned over, and said, “This has to be our
last meeting at my office.” He grabbed a pen, wrote a phone number on a notepad,
and gave it to Toller.
“Call me
on this number from now on and, if need be, we’ll set up a place to meet. We
need to be careful from here on out.”
Toller
nodded, took it, put the number in his pocket, turned, and walked out the door
without saying another word. The senator sat back down in his chair and thought
to himself,
The game is afoot
. He reached in his pocket, pulled out his
burner phone, and called Dante. He knew Dante would know what to do about all
this.
“My good
senator, good to hear from you. Trouble?”
Dante
knew there had to be a good reason for him to call on this line.
“I just
found out that the FBI has a new division looking into paranormal activity and
they are poking around asking questions about me and the society. I thought you
should know.”
“I am
aware of some interference around D.C., but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”
The
senator was more than a little nervous. He couldn’t afford to have anything
interfere with his run for president. “Listen, Dante,” Wellsenburg said, “this
thing needs to be handled right away. It will get sticky around here if this
gets out.”
Back in
L.A., Dante rolled his eyes, trying not to lose his temper. “Senator, I have taken
care of every detail up to now so there’s no need to worry.”
Wellsenburg
felt very uneasy talking to Dante this way. He was walking a tightrope between
offending Dante, which could be very dangerous, and dealing with the fear of
someone exposing things that he didn’t want anyone to know about… things that
would cause him to lose the most important opportunity of his life.
“You have
taken care of everything so far. I just need to know for sure that
this
is taken care of. I hope you understand.” He really, really hoped he
understood.
“Let me
put your mind at ease. Frank Lederman and Jack Bennett, right? These are the
two men you are worried so much about.”
The
senator was shocked. “How did you know about Lederman, and who is Jack
Bennett?” That was a name that he had never heard before.
“Lederman
is not the problem, at least not right now. Our biggest nemesis is Bennett, but
like I said, I am working on it. Whatever trouble they create, we can fix. I am
coming to D.C. next week. We’ll talk more then.”
Dante
wanted to say, “Bennett and the prayer group,” but he didn’t want to confuse
Wellsenburg. He wouldn’t understand it anyway.
“I’ve got
to go. Just relax. There’s no need to jump the gun. I’ll be in touch.”
With that,
Dante hung up. Senator Wellsenburg put his phone back in his inside jacket
pocket, swallowed hard, and hoped Dante was right. He sat up in his chair and
stared out into space. He picked up a pen, slid his notepad over, and wrote two
words.
Jack Bennett
.
He would
have to find out just who this guy was and why Dante knew him. Ironically,
Wellsenburg did not like being kept in the dark.
The
silence was broken by
Ms. Venoldy’s voice coming
over the intercom.
“Senator
Wellsenburg, Senator Daniel Colson is here to see you and, I must warn you, he
seems very agitated, sir.”
Colson
was a conservative senator from Arkansas, which would have been enough to
qualify him as Wellsenburg’s number one nemesis. To make matters worse, he was
also a “Born Again Christian” who believed there was a conspiracy afoot to rid
America of Bible believing Christians like himself. This would not be their first
confrontation.
“Fine.
Send him in,” he said reluctantly.
Colson
came storming through the door and stood right in front of Wellsenburg’s desk.
He looked as though he was about to explode.
“Senator,
we need to talk! There is a battle brewing over religious freedom laws and I
understand you plan on sponsoring a bill that would demand that churches all
over America marry any gay couple that petitions them, despite their Biblical
and foundational beliefs that a marriage is between a man and a woman. If any
church does not comply with that law, they should be disbanded and no longer
allowed to operate as a place of worship? Is this accurate, sir?”
Wellsenburg
sat back in his chair and smiled like the cat that just ate the canary.
“You need
to calm down, Senator,” Wellsenburg said condescendingly. “You know you can’t
listen to every idle rumor that makes its way down these hallowed halls here in
Washington. I admit I am concerned for every American’s rights and, at this
time, I am endeavoring to protect my gay constituents’ rights to marry as they
wish, but I see no conspiracy in that, Senator. I am just doing the job I was
elected to do.”
Colson
eyes widened. He was a seasoned politician and he knew when he was getting a
snow job. He grew more enraged.
“You and
your leftist cohorts, sir, have gotten very good at hiding your true agendas.
You wish to divide this country and put the blame on those who love the Lord.
What about their rights to worship God and live according to the gospel of
Christ? My sources have confirmed that there is already a movement on the
state level to revoke non-profit status for religious organizations that do not
abide by same-sex marriage. I know you and your associates won't stop
until there are no more churches; until there are no more people who are
spreading the Gospel of love and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. And I'm
talking now about the unabridged, unapologetic gospel; t
he one that tells both sides of the story; the one
you want to see abolished.”
Wellsenburg didn’t think it was possible, but he
hated this guy a little more every time he opened his mouth. He knew Colson
could see right through his rhetoric, but now was not the time to confirm or
reveal anything. In his heart, he couldn’t wait for the day when Colson and all
those who thought like him were either behind bars or...
He stopped himself and refocused.
“Senator,
I assure you I have never heard of such things, nor do I believe anyone else
has any such plans. I simply believe that all discrimination should be banned
from our great country. Are you against all gay people, sir?”
Senator
Colson stood up straight and looked directly into Wellsenburg’s eyes. He knew
the senator would love to paint him as a crazed, hate mongrel. Colson’s eyes
burned like lasers, narrowing in on his opponent.
“No, I am
not, Senator! I am friendly with many gay people. I represent all my
constituents, sir. All I’m saying is, let’s have equal rights for all
Americans. I may not personally agree with the court’s decision, Senator, but I
am sworn to uphold it and I will do so.
“I’m sure
you remember those poor people in
Oregon that
refused to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple. They lost their business
and their very livelihood. They didn’t have any rights, did they, Senator? You
say there is no conspiracy, then let me ask you a question. Suppose it was a
Muslim family who owned that business? Would everyone have acted in the same
manner? Islam is clear in its prohibition of homosexual acts. I assure you Senator,
there is a conspiracy to use gay rights to bring down Biblical Christianity,
and I will not let you or anyone else get away with it. I will be watching. You
can count on that. In case you have forgotten the first amendment, Senator, I
leave you with this: ‘
Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or
abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people
peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of
grievances,’”
Colson quoted.