Maggie was sad when he mentioned going separate ways; she had grown quite fond of him also. But the sadness had no foothold in her; it left quickly as her joy returned in full strength. “Yes, it’s getting late. And now please tell me your dream.”
“Maggie, are you enjoying these dreams? Are you realizing they are gifts from God? Yet, in all my dreams, I’ve never been the beneficiary of God’s blessing or activity. Someone else always was.”
“I’m really new to all this. It’s really thrilling. I get goose bumps listening and thinking about what God has shown you in dreams and messages.”
“As I said, I had this dream shortly after Helene died. I had opened an Acts & Facts magazine to an article about the ocean and how it talked about God’s wonderfulness in what we see in it. My eyes were just kind of staring at the pages, but I wasn’t focusing on a thing. I put the magazine down and went to bed.
“I dreamt I was hovering over a very deep part of the ocean, maybe in a hot-air balloon, not very high up. I couldn’t see land in any direction. I felt something like electricity flowing all through me, and I called up an island from the bottom of the sea. It was a big island. It had a river and forest and a small city. The island was full of life. I remember I specified all kinds of details, but I can’t remember them except for what I just told you.”
“And?”
“Oh, don’t you see? The petunia woman is the sea, great and broad, in which are swarms of fish without number, small and large. The little boy is the island. While on the seafloor he or it is dead, but as soon as it is raised above the sea, it becomes full of life and activity. And the best part?” He paused. “You, Maggie, were there watching the whole thing.”
“Wow, a little jet-black towhead! You know, though, it was the sea that brought Jenny to us, the shark. Was there a shark on the woman’s dress?”
“Yes, there sure was. Maggie, you’re brilliant!”
“It’s the dream that’s brilliant. I wonder what will happen next.”
“I don’t know. We’ll have to see.”
52
JC made the call on the secure line in his quarters. Phil was waiting and answered immediately. “JC, the situation is changing direction somewhat. I need you to tell me if you’re all in or if I need to find someone else. I can’t tell you what it will entail at this point, or for how long. All I can tell you is national security may be at stake.”
“You know me well enough to know I’ll do what I can. Yes, I’m all in. Nicki already knows what indefinite means. What do you want me to do? Is my clearance what it needs to be?”
“Yes, I believe so. Find Dusty Mae and have her give you access to the T-1 line. She can give you my number here. Tell her I appreciate her participation this afternoon.”
“You should tell her yourself. It would mean more coming from you. You have to give her the approval for me to use the T-1 line, right?”
“Yes. Okay, I’ll tell her.”
A few minutes later, there was a Top Secret conference call on the encrypted T-1 line among JC, Phil, and Bob McGee.
Bob started off. “As I was telling Phil, we get intel through various means. Surveillance, espionage, diplomatic means, and military intelligence to name a few. Sometimes we want our enemies to know things that they can’t find out any other way, so we leak it to them. They do the same for us. Now I’m speaking specifically of Russia. There are different reasons we do this, but the bottom line is it’s good for both of us.
“Let me give you an example. Remember the soldier who was taken prisoner in Afghanistan several weeks ago? We had no idea he was even missing, but our quote ‘reliable source’ let us know not only that he was captured, but where they were holding him. When we sent in the troops and rescued him, we gave our own intelligence folks great credit for it. Of course, they knew better, and the Taliban didn’t know it was their allies who spilled the beans.
“It was a nice deal that didn’t cost them anything. Now we’re obligated to return the favor. Actually, in that case, they were the ones returning the favor.
“Now to the nerve gas threat. I’m going to call our reliable source ‘Rudy’ for convenience. That’s not how we know him and we don’t even know—or care—what his real name is. Anyway, all the information Jeff Peterson gave this afternoon came from Rudy over the last several days. It doesn’t fit his usual pattern of information. Normally, he just gives us tidbits—a fact or event here, a name there—and lets us figure out the significance of it. This is how we generally do it, too.
“There was more, too, tying Stanković to the bank job that Treasury asked us if we knew about. He even told us what bank it was. We alerted Treasury, and Barry’s folks are the ones who found out the IP address from the bank. Harvey didn’t know about this because he was strictly working the Brazil angle.
“It would seem that if a madman were on the loose in the US with a weapon of mass destruction, they would keep quiet about it. It almost seems like they lost him, can’t find him or the WMD, and want us to do that for them, including bearing all the risks. Bottom line, we are going to operate based on the assumption Rudy is telling the truth, while trying to figure out what their motive is in this.
“One of the first steps is to see what’s going on down in Brazil. We have a team in Macapá to take the hacker crew—there’s three of them—but we don’t have enough agents there to get the jungle group, which we need to do simultaneously with the Macapá operation. I’m presenting this to the US Ambassador for his talks with his Brazilian counterpart. I hope we can get Brazilian security forces involved, either their military or the ABIN, the Brazilian Intelligence Agency.”
Phil offered to help. “We are forbidden by statute to provide personnel to help. However, I have been in contact separately with Captain Palova, anticipating a need for help from his elite warriors. Not to fight, per se, but to act as advisors, a role they’ve done before. Armed for self-defense, of course, to work with the Brazilians.
“He has to go up two levels in his chain of command, but he thinks he can make it work. He will give me the contact information of that decision-making authority. Maybe you can call him and help explain the situation. Also, JC, I am going to send you there as soon as the appropriate diplomatic arrangements are confirmed.”
JC was quick to respond. “You know I’ll do what I need to do, but I’m curious as to why I’m even involved at all. I understand about the airplane, but that’s over now. Others from different agencies will do a much more thorough job than I can do, investigating this whole thing. I’m not trained in field agent operations or methods. What could I possibly be bringing to the table?”
He was hoping the answer didn’t imply the word “expendable”, as in, “You’re expendable.”
Phil didn’t have that in mind at all. “I’ve seen your file, JC. You’re an expert in what I would call strategic intelligence. Those conducting the operations on the ground have tactical intelligence, you know, what information they need to get the immediate job done. You’re right, the airplane is finished, at least for you. It seems to me, that airplane was merely a window into a much bigger picture. No, I’m not intending to get you into harm’s way. You are far too valuable in doing what you do best.”
JC took the compliment humbly. “Thanks.”
Bob added, “We will establish an operations cell—a command post, if you will—at a location amenable to the Brazilians. You’ll stage there initially, and operate out of there. I expect it may be the middle of next week before all the diplomatic maneuverings are complete. I don’t think we’ll have anything to report by Monday’s 2 p.m. check-in time.”
Phil changed the subject. “Just heard from our contact in London. They questioned all the Russian passengers who owned the luggage on AW94. They are sending transcripts soon. I will send you both a copy, and we’ll examine them here, too.”
Phil started tying up loose ends in preparation for ending the call. “Bob, please get a single point of contact on your end for
JC. I believe you already have his contact information? JC, take the next couple of days to get ready. Wait a day to let the shock hit the whole world, then stand down if you want to, until you hear from Bob’s folks. Go home if you want. Don’t worry about the transcripts for the time being. You can look at them later. I’m really sorry about your friend. I understand you were closer than you let on during the VTC.”
JC found a large window overlooking the city. Life goes on, he thought. Joel Barth had a wife and two school-age children. He stared out the window for a long time.
53
“Maggie, I just remembered. Let me show you what I found earlier.”
Matt quickly took off his sneakers and socks. Maggie picked herself up by holding onto Jenny with one arm and grabbing the coffin handle with her other hand. She saw Matt go over the coffin and disappear. “Hey!” She peered over the top. “All I see is the top of your head.”
“Oh. Okay. I’m going to slide this coffin off the edge a little so you can see. Hold onto it so you don’t lose your balance.” Carefully, he pushed it part way off the bottom stack. As soon as it cleared her, she saw Matt standing on the pallet in the water, holding onto a badly damaged cargo net, and proudly exhibiting … a stainless-steel cabinet!
Her mind flashed back to the Castaway movie, where if Chuck Noland had just opened that last package, he would have found the radio, matches, poncho, and packet of seeds. “Open it!”
It was empty.
“Well, maybe we can use it for something.” They were both disappointed. It had been a long time since they had eaten eleven mini pretzels and eight peanut M&Ms.
Presently, Jenny awoke. Hungry, she broke into a little bleating cry. In an instant, Maggie experienced what mothers all over the world experience when they hear that cry—she felt milk rushing into her breasts, the pressure building, and finally milk oozing out from both sides, such was the abundance. She felt a glee and a giddiness she had never felt before.
This was a new experience for Matt, too. He had never heard Jenny cry. Seeing Maggie with the front of her vest all wet thrilled him to jubilation. “The healing is complete!” he exclaimed triumphantly.
Maggie grinned. Jenny latched on, and all was good.
Matt tore the rest of the lining out of the top coffin. There was more than he expected; the bottom was especially well-lined, and padded to accommodate thinner bodies during the viewings. He made a pile of diaper-sized pieces, as well as some larger pieces to use as coverings for Maggie and him to take the chill off the night air, if necessary. They both were coming down off their adrenaline highs and found themselves quite exhausted. The thick pad would make the best mattress Maggie could hope for, and extra velvet would help ensure the baby would be warm enough. If it got too cold, there was enough cloth, pinned together, to allow the three of them to wrap themselves into one big cocoon for warmth.
They tried to figure out arrangements so they both could sleep. They couldn’t both lie down safely without jettisoning the top coffin, and they couldn’t lie side-by-side next to the coffin without one being in danger of falling into the drink. In the end, Maggie made a sling out of a length of velvet lining and tied Jenny to herself. She and Matt sat side-by-side on the padding and leaned back against the coffin.
The sun was going down. High in the sky, the moon was little more than a sliver. It would shed scant light on the pair as they chatted.
The sea was at a dead calm as it had been the last several hours; not a breeze, not a ripple. It was pleasantly warm but starting to cool off. Maggie had redonned her shirt when all of their clothing had dried. They had taken off their shoes to let their socks dry, and Matt had taken off his polo shirt and dried it on the coffin. His undershirt dried as he wore it. The smoke from the fuel fire had disappeared along with the slight breezes they had enjoyed earlier. There was no longer anything to mark their location. They were completely alone.
“Maggie?”
“Yes?”
“Maggie, are you there?”
She was actually close enough to touch him on the padding. She didn’t know where he was going with this. “Yes, Matt. We are both here.”
He turned his face toward hers, and could see her face was still glowing with the joy which hadn’t diminished since she had met Jesus. “Maggie, are you dreaming right now?”
“It is like a dream, and yet nothing has felt so real in my whole life. It’s hard to believe all the amazing things that have happened to Jenny and me since we first saw you on the plane.”
“Yes, in many ways it is like a dream, but I tell you right now that you will never forget a single detail of what has happened. Every fact, every feeling, every word God has spoken to you, every word you yourself have spoken, you will remember in the exact sequence and with the exact intensity. Father, I ask this for Maggie in Jesus’s name.”
“Thank you. Yes, Father, let it be so! But why did you say it that way? It was great, but it sounded so formal.”
“It was a blessing. I spoke what I believed I heard the Father saying. It was a prayer, and it came from the same spirit of God who gives me the words for the songs I sing, and the same spirit of God who was calling to you through that song earlier. It is the spirit of Jesus he promised you. The Holy Spirit, we call him.”
“That singing you did was really beautiful. But more than that, things were happening when you sang, and it felt like you had a connection to God as you were worshipping him. How did you ever start doing that?”
Matt fished around in the open coffin and found an empty bottle. He dipped it in the ocean and filled it with seawater, and replaced the cap. “It’s called the baptism of the Holy Spirit. A total immersion in God’s spirit. See this bottle? Let’s say it represents you. When Jesus breathed on you, he filled you with his spirit, the Holy Spirit.”
“Yes, that’s exactly what he said when he breathed on me.”
“You’re filled; you can’t hold any more. Which is okay, because you have all of him. And he will live the life of Jesus through you, and your life will be more fulfilling than you can possibly imagine. So the water represents the Holy Spirit. You carry him around with you wherever you go. Are you good this far?”
“Yes, I think I got it.”
“Look around. What do you see?”
“The ocean forever in all directions. Even down as far as I can see into the water.”
“Yes, exactly. That’s the real extent of the Holy Spirit. And that’s where he wants you to live.” Matt dropped the bottle into the water. “Total immersion,” he said, “the baptism of the Holy Spirit.”
“I’ve heard of baptism. That’s where your body gets dunked. But here, your whole spirit, your whole being, gets dunked. Is that right?”
Matt marveled at her perception and understanding. “Yes. With regular baptism, a person goes under the water to symbolize joining Jesus in his death, and coming up out of the water to symbolize the new life of Jesus in him. That baptism also is a picture of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. First the natural, then the spiritual.”
“Is that how you are able to sing in the spirit?”
Just then Maggie noticed the bottle in the water had moved out of reach. “Uh-oh,” she said, pointing.
Matt hadn’t dropped the bottle straight down, but had given it a little momentum away from the side. “Where is it going?”
“I don’t know. I suppose the current will take it wherever it wants to.”
Matt reached toward the bottle and pulled the water to the side of their little craft. The bottle followed the water flow and Matt pulled it on board. “Yes, exactly! That’s the whole point. I don’t know where it’s going either. I’m glad you saw that when you did. I had forgotten about it.”
“What’s the whole point?”
“Remember I said when you, the bottle, are filled with the water, you carry him around with you wherever you go? When the bottle is in the middle of the water, the water carries you around wherever it wants you to go. The water is no
w in control. That is, the spirit of Jesus, of God.”
“So he sings through you?”
He knew where she was heading. “Yes, but wait. I have to tell you first, that this could be a little scary. Jesus promised he would perform this baptism of the Holy Spirit on those who asked him. It’s not automatic like the filling is. Those who ask him for it have to realize they are giving up control, and many people are not willing to do that. Actually, when you think about it, when they make Jesus their Lord they are already giving up control, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit should just be a normal part of living their new life in him. But sadly, it’s not.
“However, for those that do ask, the Holy Spirit may use them to do wonderful things, like using them to heal people, speak messages from God, give divine wisdom, know things they couldn’t possibly have found out naturally, and cause miraculous things to happen.”
“Like you did with Jenny. And those messages and dreams for me.”
“Yes, I’m thrilled that God picked me to do that for you. There is an extra benefit, too. When Jesus baptizes you, he gives you the ability to allow the Holy Spirit to speak through you. A language not your own, but all your own nonetheless. You can pray it, you can speak it, you can sing it, you can even think it. One thing you can’t do, though, is understand it.
“It is yours to use whenever you choose. He will never force you or embarrass you or take you by surprise. The language may change often or sometimes or never. It is not your language but his, although in singing, he lets you set the melody, tempo, volume, and duration and other things like that.”
Maggie stood up and briefly contemplated the vastness of the ocean, suddenly feeling quite small. As she started to get to her feet, Matt volunteered to hold Jenny. So little, so frail, so alive! He wanted to give Maggie a break, as well as to let her have her hands and arms free for what he felt would be coming next.
The Wreck Emerged Page 15
