Authors: Russ Scalzo
Emily
lifted her head, sat up straight, and with a very concerned look on her face,
said in a loud whisper, “So, you and Frank believe that Senator Wellsenburg is
working with a demon?”
Jack
looked around
to make sure no one was in earshot
.
The thought of someone hearing that made him very uneasy. After all, who in
their right mind would believe a story like that? If that little piece of
information ever got out of their little circle, they would find themselves wearing
very tight vests in a padded room somewhere.
Jack
worded his answer carefully, “Not exactly. I’m not sure he knows what or who
Dante is, but this much I can say with confidence - he has made a deal with the
devil, whether he sees it as that or not. I know he would give or do anything
to be President of the United States and his agenda against Biblical
Christianity is well known on the hill. Let’s just say it would serve him and
the prince of darkness well if he got elected. Frank and I can’t let that
happen.”
Looking a
little confused, Emily said, “But didn’t you just say that the Bible has
predicted all this? How can we stop it from happening then?”
“Yes, the
Bible is clear that we are in the last days before Jesus returns and that these
things will happen, but He also gave us the command to occupy until He comes.
In the original Greek, it means to continue or busy oneself. As followers of
Christ, we are to continue the work He started. As you know, the Apostle Paul
told us that we do not fight against flesh and blood, but with spiritual forces
of evil in the heavenly realms. That literally means evil kingdoms and the
rulers who sit on those thrones. With the Lord leading the way, that is exactly
what we intend to do.”
Jack
could feel the good pleasure of the Lord upon him as he spoke. It was a feeling
he cherished and had become somewhat used to, but never took for granted.
Deep in
her soul, Emily could feel it too and that was one of the things she loved
about Jack. She stood up and as she did,
the wind caught
her hair
and whirled it around her face.
Brushing back
her hair from her eyes, she gazed down at Jack, feeling proud and happy.
She
smiled, “You know Jack Bennett, my life sure has changed since I met you. But
as scary as all this might be, I want you to know that I love you and I believe
God has His hand on you.”
Jack
stood up, put his arms around her waist, and pulled her close as her hair blew
gently across his face. He breathed in. He loved the way she smelled. In fact,
there wasn’t anything he didn’t love about her. He brushed her hair back out of
his face and kissed her. That was another thing he loved about her. She knew
how to make him forget about everything else for a while.
He gently
pulled his head back and looked into her big, beautiful eyes. “I love you too,
Emily
Richardson,
and I thank God everyday that He brought you into my life.”
She curled her arms around his neck and
tilted her head to kiss him. Jack loved when she did that. W
hen
her
lips
touched his, they were warm and firm,
yet soft.
It was a long kiss, one that each
would remember because of the things they had shared this night. As they slowly
and gently pulled away from each other, Jack said, “What do you say we forget
about all this for a while? How about we walk down to Pop’s Old Fashioned Ice
Cream? I heard they make an awesome banana split.”
Emily agreed. Jack reached out
and took her hand and the two of them continued their walk down the colonial,
red brick sidewalk, both relieved to be thinking and talking about other
things.
Unnoticed by either of them,
approximately two hundred feet away, was a man
sitting in a late, model-gray
Acura sedan. He was smoking a cigar and
talking
on the phone. He studied them closely as they walked west on Kings Street. He
took a puff on his large cigar.
“Yeah, that’s right. Her name is
Emily and she obviously means a great deal to him. Do you want me to hang
around?”
There was a pause and as he
listened, he took another drag off his cigar.
“Okay, then. I’ll head back to
D.C.”
He was ready to put his phone
down, but the caller had another question for him.
He listened intently and replied,
“I can’t be sure, but there’s a good chance she knows what he knows. Yes, sir.
I’ll wait to hear from you. Thank you, sir.”
He put the phone down and took
one more look. He watched Jack and Emily walk into Pop’s Ice Cream, put the car
into drive, and pulled away slowly, proudly knowing that he had once again done
the job he was sent to do. He could only imagine what his boss had in mind for
the happy couple.
* * *
It was eight o’clock when Frank
and Jeff stepped out of Old Ebbitt’s onto Fifteenth Street. The traffic was
picking up, but there were less people on the sidewalk than before. They turned
onto G Street and began their walk back to the FBI building near to where Frank
had parked his car. Jeff had left his in the Colonial Parking Garage on Eighth
Street. It was a relatively short walk, about a half a mile, so he would have
to talk fast because he had lots of questions that he needed answered.
“Okay, Frank. Lay it out. What is
going on?”
“It’s best if I start with Jack.
You’ve heard me mention Jack many times, but you have never met him.” He
glanced at Jeff. “He is a different kind of guy.”
Jeff looked at him funny and asked,
“So, what? You mean like he only has one eye and two butts?”
Frank laughed out loud.
Jeff talked with his hands most
of the time. He liked to use a lot of
hand
gestures because it helped him make his point.
He laughed. “Yeah, I know. He’s
the consultant/writer that the FBI hired to investigate all that paranormal
crap, right?”
“That’s right, except it’s not
crap. It turns out a lot of that stuff is real. You have heard of people
performing exorcisms? Well that’s kind of what Jack does… sort of… I guess.”
Frank wasn’t really sure himself. When he thought about all the things he had
seen God do through Jack, he had to keep reminding himself that it was real. “I
know I’m not explaining it well, but it’s hard to describe.”
Jeff rubbed his forehead. He was searching
for a reference, “You mean, like
The Exorcist
, the movie?” He felt
stupid saying it, but that’s all he had.
Frank laughed. “No, that’s
Hollywood’s version or the devil’s version, as Jack would put it. You know
those movies where good struggles to overcome evil and the priest or minister
gets all beat up and thrown out the window or something. I really don’t know. I
never really watched it all the way through. I thought the movie sucked. Anyway,
that’s not how it goes down, at least not with Jack. He confronts these demon
creature things and sends them on their way.”
Jeff was not only having a hard
time digesting all this. He was also having a difficult time keeping up with
Frank’s long strides. “Hey, would you slow down! I feel like I’m having a foot
race with an ostrich!” he said, his arms flailing away.
Frank laughed out loud. Jeff
always cracked him up. He slowed his pace.
“Let me get this straight. You
have witnessed this yourself?”
Frank, still smiling, answered,
“Yes, I have seen it with my own eyes.”
Jeff’s next question was the one
he was dying to ask from the beginning. “So what do they look like?”
“Well one night Jack and I were
in this old, empty church investigating some crazy reports of lights going on
and off and objects flying around inside the building when we were confronted
by a huge, ugly, demon thing. It had wings that looked like they were covered
in old, worn, black leather, and eyes that glowed orangey-red. Every time it
moved, it left a trail of reddish mist like vapor. It got so close to me that I
could feel and hear it wheezing as it breathed in and out. It had legs and
feet, but its feet looked more like claws.”
Jeff’s eyes were as big as
saucers. He looked like a little kid listening to someone telling ghost stories
around a campfire. “What did Jack do?”
Frank had to admit to himself
that he was enjoying telling this story. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt good
all over. It was the same feeling he had the night he prayed in the car.
“He prayed in the name of Jesus
and told the creature to leave, but this one was more powerful than the others
he had faced, and it was doing its worst to fight against Jack’s prayer. Jack
then called on God the Father to remove the demon from that place. But this
time when Jack prayed, a powerful angel appeared and banished the demon.”
Frank paused and thought out loud
for a second, “I was there and just telling the story gives me chills.”
At that, Jeff abruptly stopped
walking, turned to Frank, and said, “I knew there would be angels! I said it in
the restaurant. I said ‘
Next you’ll be telling me you saw angels
.’ ”
Jeff started walking in circles, his arms flying about. “Frank, you are
freaking me out right now.” Jeff was hyper to begin with, but this took him to
a new level. He started talking faster and faster, “If I didn’t know you, I
would think you’d lost your marbles. Let the genie out of the bottle. You know
what I’m saying.” He walked around a few feet away and then turned and walked
back. “Okay, okay. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I believe you. Somehow,
I always knew deep down inside that these things existed, but I guess I never
wanted to think about it or admit it.” He took a deep, long breath and tried to
refocus, “Okay, I’m ready. What else do I need to know?”
They resumed their walk at a
slower pace, with Jeff focused on every word that came out of Frank’s mouth.
“There are dark forces at work
right here in DC.”
Jeff interrupted with a chuckle,
“That’s not exactly a news bulletin.”
“No, but what is, is what the
Lord has taught me through Jack. There are darker forces at work, greater than what
man can muster on his own. Spiritual realms with princes and rulers with an
agenda that mortal men are not aware of, and it’s these beings that are the
ones who are inspiring and leading them on. Trust me, they are the ones who are
really in control and this so-called business man, Dante, is definitely one of
them.”
Jeff’s head was spinning. “This
is incredible stuff. So what do you and Jack plan on doing? We can’t let this
guy become President.” Jeff realized that he had just included himself in this
nearly impossible quest.
“So... it’s
we
now?” Frank
observed with a grin. “Jack’s got the lead on this one, but I’m sure he’d agree
that we could use all the help we can get.”
As they approached where Frank
had parked his car, Jeff turned to him with a very worried look on his face. “Wellsenburg
obviously has his eye on you and Jack, so you better be very careful. He is a
very powerful man even without Dante or becoming President. I will keep my eyes
open and let you know if I hear anything.”
Frank put his hand on Jeff’s
shoulder, “Remember what I told you and spend some time talking to the Lord
tonight. You need to have Him in your life. Jesus is the answer to everything
you are going through.”
“Are you kidding? I was praying
off and on the whole time you were telling me that story. The Lord and I have a
lot to talk about. My life is kind of full of screw-ups. You know I can be a
real jackass at times.”
Frank grinned. There were so many
things he could have said to that, but he thought better of it. “Compared to
God, we’re all screw-ups. That’s the whole reason for the cross. Besides, I
heard he likes little people.”
“Yo, what ya sayin?!” Jeff gave
him the Louie De Palma look channeling Danny DeVito’s character on
Taxi
.
They both laughed. Frank needed to add one more thing, “About Wellsenburg.
Please don’t do anything stupid. Let Jack and I run with the ball on this one. I
will be in touch.”
Jeff nodded in agreement and
walked off to get his car. Frank was genuinely concerned about his friend. They
would have to stay in close contact from here on out. Only God knew what the
next move was.
The morning sun
found Jack beside his bed on his knees asking God for His divine protection,
strength, and discernment. He knew he had to become even more dependent on the
Lord’s touch and protection on his and Emily’s lives. He thanked God for
Frank’s salvation and his strong desire to follow the Lord.
Unbeknownst to
Jack, someone, or in this case something, was on his front porch. It made no
sound as it moved about, for it lived in a different dimension of time and
reality. The creature stood five feet tall and had arms and legs, but it moved
quickly, smoothly, back and forth without using them. Its feet were large with
sharp claws protruding from the ends of them, which left deep scratch marks on
the wooden porch floor as it moved. It reared up on its legs to its full height
and peered through the large, picture window. Wisps of red vapor trailed from
its twisted mouth and nose, and an eerie smirk grew on its distorted face as it
studied the layout of the house. Its bulging, reddish eyes searched back and
forth, and then grew wide as it looked down the hallway and spied Jack kneeling
by his bed.
Suddenly there
was a thump and another wisp of red vapor appeared as an identical creature
landed right beside the first. They lowered themselves into a coil of sorts,
their shoulders now hunched over like two old men. They each carried short, black
daggers strapped to their sides, which dripped with some kind of black slime
that burned like an acid when it hit the porch floor. They looked at each other,
then at Jack, and slowly pulled them out of their sheaths. Their intent was to
stab Jack with their poison daggers. It would not be a physical stab wound
leaving deep wounds and flowing blood, but rather a spiritual one that would
leave Jack discouraged and fearful. In some, it lasted for days, others weeks,
or even longer. Their task was to distract, discourage, and eliminate the
threat to their master’s kingdom.
Like a bolt of
lightning they took off and flew around the house in some sort of demonic
ceremonial dance. They shot straight for the front door when suddenly an object
of incredible brilliance fell from the sky and appeared on the front porch. The
creatures hit the light with tremendous force, but they could not penetrate it.
Instead, when they hit it they were thrown backwards with an overwhelming force
that propelled them head over heels onto the front lawn, hissing and spewing
red and orange vapor as they tumbled a hundred feet from the front porch. When
they opened their eyes, they found themselves staring at
Uriel, who had parked himself right in front of Jack’s
door.
Uriel put his hand on his sword, peered right into
their crazed eyes, and with all the authority of God himself, pronounced, “You
cannot enter here because of this man’s prayer. Be gone or be destroyed!”
The creatures looked at each other and grinned,
convinced in their lack of wisdom and overriding desire to get to Jack, that
they could defeat Uriel.
“There
is only one of you and there are two of us,” they hissed in a voice so evil
that it silenced every bird in the nearby trees.
Uriel’s sword began to glow as he pulled it from its
sheath. He was well aware that these were lesser spirits sent to discourage
Jack and do damage to his spirit. They did not have the power to do anything
more, but it would have been enough to disrupt what the Lord had planned. Uriel
could not and would not let that happen. Their plan was no secret to him. He
knew why they were sent and who sent them.
The creatures leaped to their feet, flew straight up
into the sky, and began to circle around and around above the area right in
front of Jack’s house, screeching in a fit of rage and fury. Their eyes burned
red hot. The thought of not completing their mission was intolerable and gnawed
at them. With their daggers in hand, they flew with all the speed they could
muster towards Uriel.
Uriel
knew that one would try to distract him while the other would attempt to get at
Jack. He would have to move quickly to foil their plan, but he was used to
moving in between moments of time. In the blink of an eye, they were on him. He
moved swiftly and decisively slashing one across its chest, sending it spinning
backward onto the front steps, red vapor spewing everywhere. The second one
headed for the window at lightning speed. Moving between the seconds, Uriel
swung his sword to his right and quickly cut the creature in two.
There
was a high-pitched screech and, in an instant, Uriel vanished in a wisp of
smoke. The first creature picked its dagger off the floor and, seething with
hatred and with red vapor oozing from its chest, came back at Uriel a second time.
This time, Uriel swung his sword high and with one mighty stroke removed the
creature’s head from its body in an explosion of red vapor. The vapor cloud
rose up, and for a brief moment, formed the image of the slain creature, but
then was abruptly swept away by a sudden gust of wind. With its vanishing, a
feeling of peace instantly surrounded Jack’s house. Uriel could sense that the
air was clear, but he carefully scanned the skies above just in case. He could
hear the birds singing once again in the nearby trees. He loved to hear them
praise their Creator.
Uriel turned and walked up to the window to check on
Jack. He was still praying and pouring his heart out to the Lord, unaware of
the battle that had just taken place. Uriel was pleased. He walked out onto the
large green lawn in front of Jack’s house, took one more look around, then
unfolded his large, powerful wings, smiled and whispered, “Carry on, Jack
Bennett.” With that, he shot straight up into the crystal blue sky and
disappeared.
Without realizing it, Jack’s prayer began to turn to
praise, and as it did he could feel a sudden and overwhelming peace sweeping
over his whole body like a warm gentle breeze. Suddenly, he could sense that he
had broken through and received the answer he had prayed for. Either God had
answered his prayer or He was about to. Either way, Jack felt an awesome
release in his spirit and an inner joy that he couldn’t explain. He finished
praying and stood to his feet, wiped a few tears from his eyes and made his way
into the kitchen. He always felt connected to the Lord when he prayed, but this
time it was different. It was one of those special times that only happened
once in a while. He felt refreshed, but hungry. He had showered earlier, but hadn’t
wanted to eat anything before he prayed. He walked into the kitchen, turned on
the Keurig that was sitting on the counter, and stepped outside for some fresh
air.
Once
outside, Jack quickly noticed deep grooves in the wood flooring of his front
porch. At first, he was puzzled. He bent down and ran his fingers over the
marks. As he did, a chill ran down his spine. It was not out of fear, but of
blessing. He had seen enough demon-like creatures to know something very
disturbing had happened here, either over the past night or early this morning.
Jack ran out on the front lawn to get a good look at the front of his house. He
looked high and low, but there was no other damage or evidence of any conflict
that he could see, so Jack decided to take a walk around the rest of the house to
see if he could find any more confirmation of a demon incursion. He found none.
It was quite evident there had been a battle of some sort between the forces of
darkness and light. There was no doubt in his mind that it was the Lord who had
kept him safe. Jack’s heart overflowed with gratitude and praise. He now
clearly understood why he had such an amazing time in prayer. An unexplainable
surge of new energy and faith pulsed through his mind, body, and spirit.
There was no doubt that Jack loved the Lord, but to
have God come down and personally touch him like that… well that was beyond
awesome. He stood on his front lawn, stretched his arms up to the sky, and with
only the birds and the crystal blue Virginia sky as his audience, shouted at
the top of his lungs, “Thank you Jesus! Thank you Lord! You are incredible!”
Tears
of joy began to run down his face. God had taken him from a place of despair
just a few hours ago to a place of great joy and renewed vision. In his mind,
the mission was clearer than ever. He was to continue to expose the powers of
darkness without fear, trusting in Almighty God to lead, guide, and protect.
The Lord had given Jack many seemingly impossible tasks before. But this… this
was deeper water. Jesus knew just what he needed. It reminded him of what an
old pastor friend of his used to say over and over again. “God equips those he
calls.”
He stood there for a while with hands raised,
gazing up into the sky. It was almost like he could see in the Spirit, right
through the atmosphere and straight into heaven. His spirit was soaring. He
felt like he could fly and he knew in his heart that one day he would.