by Scalzo, Russ
Jack stood in the middle of the room, now in complete silence and all alone. He wasted no time in getting out of the house. His job was done. As soon as he got back in his car, he broke out into a cold sweat. Taking a deep breath, he popped in a CD of his favorite rockin’ worship music, cranked it up and shouted, “Thank you Jesus! You are faithful and true!”
Jack knew in his heart this was going to be a long fight, but for now he rested in the peace and power of his God, and that was as sweet as it gets.
CHAPTER SIX
Springtime in Washington D.C. is always beautiful, especially with the National Cherry Blossom Festival, a tradition that showcases the beautiful gift of 3,000 cherry trees the city of Tokyo gave to the nation’s capitol. It is also the time when a secret society, The Sons of Nimrod, come together for their annual meeting. D.C. was always jammed with visitors this time of year, making it the perfect time for some high profile individuals to fly in for a quiet, clandestine meeting.
The Hotel Palomar was a six-minute walk from the Dupont Circle Metro Station, and about two miles from the National Mall. It was the place where the society liked to meet. It had every amenity including a private conference room that fit their purposes to a T.
Outside, in front of the hotel, a long black limousine pulled up. One door on each side of the limo opened and two large men dressed in black suits got out. They were typical federal agent types, the kind that looked like they could handle any situation that might come up. They quickly scanned the area, opened the doors, and two well dressed men got out. The two agents escorted them through the front doors of The Hotel Palomar.
Senators Ray Hollson and George R. Wellsenburg made their way through the lobby, giving no notice to the beautiful artwork displayed on nearly every wall of the Palomar’s lobby. At forty-eight, Hollson was the younger of the two, whereas Wellsenburg was a seasoned politician of nearly sixty-one. Turning left, they walked through double doors and then proceeded down the hall to the boardroom. Senator Wellsenburg was the last to enter. He gave each man a few last minute instructions, then went in and shut the door behind him. After a few cordial greetings, Wellsenburg addressed the group.
“Gentlemen, it is good to see all of you here today for our annual meeting. It is also my pleasure to welcome two new members to the society. Richard Donlum, vice president of Donlum Aircraft and Roger Stillerman, CEO of Spacetech. Both are major financial contributors to our cause. Let us begin with a reminder of our purpose and why we are gathered here. We are the Sons of Nimrod, a secret organization purposed to eliminate God from our government and from our country.”
Senator Wellsenburg paused to take a sip of water and then continued, “Our president promised us when he took office that he would ‘fundamentally transform the United States.’ We could not have anticipated that the extreme transformation would be so swift. I’m sure we all feel a great deal of satisfaction knowing that we are very close to transforming America into a totally secular land where religion is permitted only within the walls of a church or house, and is banned in every public place, public gathering, and public school. We must continue to force religious worship behind closed doors and eventually eliminate it altogether.”
At that, all in the room applauded vigorously. Wellsenburg smiled and said, “Senator Ray Hollson will now bring us up to date on our accomplishments.”
Senator Ray Hollson pulled a file from his briefcase and set it on the table.
“Good evening, gentlemen. We have accomplished much in the last few years. I will only give you the highlights for now, but after dinner you will all be provided with a copy of the entire brief.”
Wellsenburg gave him a nod and he began.
“Since we were able to remove prayer from public schools on June 25, l962, we have made some modest gains. However, now we are moving quickly and decisively to eliminate the phrase ‘In God We Trust’ on our currency and to remove all Bible references from all public and government buildings.
“In February 2009, we eliminated the conscience protections that allowed pro-life Christian doctors and nurses in federally funded hospitals to opt out of performing abortions and other procedures they consider immoral.
“We are moving forward to remove the phrase ‘endowed by their Creator’ from the Declaration of Independence. We continue to follow the lead of our president who, as our example, has omitted it on at least seven occasions.
“On February 2012, the Air Force removed the Latin word for God, Dei, from the logo of the Rapid Capabilities Office, and also removed the Latin motto which means ‘doing God’s work with other people’s money.’ The new logo reads, ‘doing miracles with other people’s money.’ This is a small step, but is a step in the right direction nonetheless.
“We need your continued help in our fight to remove ‘In God We Trust’ from our currency. After all, who is this so called God and why should we trust him?”
Once again, all in attendance responded with rousing applause.
The senator continued, “Finally we are always endeavoring to support and appoint judges that will propagate our ideals and vision. Thank you.”
Senator Wellsenburg stood up and addressed the group.
“Before we enjoy a wonderful dinner, I have asked Dante Adal to give us a few moments. He has some very interesting insight on what might be holding us back and how we can attain even greater success.”
Dante Adal was sitting in the far corner and was dressed impeccably. He was a tall lean man that few knew well. He joined the society a few years ago and, over that time, had provided more funds for the cause than anyone else. He was a successful businessman from southern California with what seemed to be a mysteriously vague history, but they welcomed him with open arms once they heard him speak. Those in attendance that day said there was something mystical and mesmerizing about him. Some even used the word spellbinding.
Senator Wellsenburg instantly became Dante’s biggest fan. He even went as far as to suggest that he consider running for office. Someone with that kind of ability to influence would be invaluable to the society. The good senator also, consequently, began to enjoy a rise in his stock investments and other holdings since he became involved with Mr. Adal. His holdings now nearly rivaled Senator John Kerry’s $240 million. Then there were the many meetings aboard Dante’s private jet that had mysteriously gone unnoticed by some on Capitol Hill. Others, who may have noticed, had chosen to remain silent. Mr. Dante Adal was very influential indeed.
Dante got up and walked slowly and confidently to the small podium in front of the room. Wellsenburg shook his hand and Dante turned to speak.
“My fellow Sons of Nimrod. I appreciate the opportunity to speak with you tonight. There is an element that would desire for us to fail in our endeavors and that would rejoice to see our society abolished. This element of which I speak, you know all too well. They are the so-called evangelical Christians. I speak tonight of a certain sect of that movement that feel they have been given powers by their God to oppose us and destroy our mission.”
Dante took a moment to look around the room, his piercing eyes absorbing it all completely. What he saw pleased him. All eyes were fixed on him in anticipation of what he was going to say next.
He continued, “As some of you know, I have certain gifts and abilities that enable me to sense when these things are taking place. It is a growing concern of mine and I feel we need to act now. I have a plan that will strike fear into their hearts and will discourage them from ever getting in our way again. Senator Wellsenburg invited me to share that plan with you tonight and request your permission to begin.”
By now, every person in the room was completely engrossed in Dante’s words. Dante glanced at Wellsenburg for final approval and began to detail his plan.
“There are others like me who have similar and even greater abilities. On my order they will hunt down and, shall we say, discourage our opposition. Due to their covert nature, they are able to operate in complete darkness, leav
ing no trace or trail that would lead anyone back to this organization.”
Roger Greystone, a long time member and celebrated Free Thinker, raised his right hand slightly and caught Dante’s attention. Greystone was a formidable opponent by human standards, but he had no idea who or what he was dealing with this time.
“Who are these people you are talking about? What kind of experience do they have and what assurances do we have that this won’t blow up in our faces?”
Dante’s face became stern and his eyes widened. He did not appreciate Greystone’s question and would have loved to make an example of him right then and there. Just as he was getting ready to speak, Wellsenburg stood to his feet and quickly said, “I can personally vouch for all Mr. Adal is saying. His associates are more than capable.”
Dante’s demeanor slowly changed back to normal. Collecting himself, he added, “I understand your apprehension Mr. Greystone, but as the Senator stated, my associates can handle any situation that might arise. They have been doing this for, let’s say,” he paused and a slight smile came across his face, “forever.”
Greystone still wasn’t satisfied. “With all due respect to the senator, I would like to know more details about this plan. How is this going to be accomplished? What type of discouragement are we talking about? You used the term ‘hunt down.’ That hardly sounds like harassment or discouragement. To me it sounds a bit more like assassination. What are we getting ourselves into here?”
There were some in the room who would swear they saw Dante’s eyes turn an eerie, orangey red, but it was so fleeting that each dismissed it as a possible reflection from the lights above the table. Dante put both of his hands flat down on the table and leaned forward towards Greystone.
“Some things are better left unsaid, don’t you think, Mr. Greystone? However, you seem to have many questions the others do not have, so maybe we should meet one on one after the meeting and I will endeavor to answer your questions.”
Senator Hollson knew, or thought he knew, what Dante was capable of so he quickly stood up, walked over to the lectern, shook his hand and said, “Thank you, Dante.” Looking around the room he asked, “Are there any more questions or discussion points?” Waiting a few seconds, Hollson continued, “Is there a motion to take a vote?”
Two hands went up. “Okay, we have a motion and a second. By a show of hands, how many vote to move forward with Mr. Adal’s plan of action?”
Greystone looked around the room. All hands were up, so he reluctantly joined the others.
“By the raising of hands the vote of the society is unanimous. The motion is approved. Well done! I am sure we are all ready for some dinner, so let’s enjoy the rest of the night.”
Senator Wellsenburg turned to Dante, “When will you contact your people?”
Dante looked over at him and said. “It’s already done.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
The early morning sun bathed Jack as he sat in his old style wraparound porch, coffee in hand. It was a beautiful morning. He could still feel the touch of God on him from the night before. There was nothing to compare it to. God had used him to cast a demon prince out of the town of Blackstone. The air seemed lighter and the birds sang louder. There was an obvious change in the atmosphere.
He took another sip of coffee and checked his podcast stats on his phone. His new series, “The Growing Evil on Planet Earth,” was getting a lot of attention- ten thousand listens this week alone. Jack knew this was more than just his opinion. It was the real deal and was getting worse every day. He slid his finger over his phone, found the CNN app, and clicked on it. He liked to keep up with world events especially in the Mid East. It served only to underline what he already knew was coming. He was in the middle of an interesting article when the phone rang. It was Frank.
Putting the phone to his ear, he said, “Can’t a man have a few moments to himself?”
Frank laughed. “All you have is time to yourself. We need to meet. I need an update on the case. I have a report to write you know. Besides we have a new event.”
“A report! You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Yeah, you know how it goes. We’ve got it logged in as a paranormal event so they want your report. You want to get paid, don’t you?”
“Frank, you know how I feel about getting paid for what I do. I don’t do it for the money.”
“You know that and I know that. Look at it this way - you get to do what God wants you to do and pay your bills at the same time! You’re always saying that God will provide, so there you go.”
“Oh, so now you’re quoting me! You know I donate that money, right?”
“That’s your business my friend. My business is to get the report.”
Jack smiled, “Fine. CJ’s in an hour?”
“You got it, buddy.”
Jack finished his last mouthful of coffee and went back in the house to change and write down a few notes for this evening’s podcast.
Forty-five minutes later he was on his way to meet Frank when he saw a young man walking along the road with his thumb out looking for a ride. Jack liked to pick up hitchhikers. It gave him an opportunity to share his faith. He pulled the car over, rolled down the passenger side window and hollered out, “Where you headed?”
The young man looked over and said, “Just up a ways.”
Jack responded, “Jump in! I’ll give you lift to wherever you’re going.”
The young man smiled and got in the car. Jack immediately felt something particularly unusual about this hitchhiker. He wasted no time.
“My name is Jack. Beautiful day, huh?”
“Yeah, really nice. I can sense a different, let’s say spirit, in the air today.”
That got Jack’s attention big time. A different spirit in the air? he thought, Okay, let’s take this a little further. “It does have a lighter, brighter feeling to it. The Lord is good.”
The young man smiled and said, “The Lord IS good, Jack Bennett.”
“Hey, how do you know my last name?” Jack asked. “Do you listen to my podcasts?”
“We know all about you Jack. You’re famous where I come from.”
“And where would that be?”
“I don’t have time to get into that right now. I have a message for you from the Lord.”
Jack thought to himself, A message? Who does this guy think he is? A prophet?
The young man continued, “The days are getting darker. You must be on guard. There are forces that are rising up that wish to suppress and throw the truth of God’s word to the ground and trample on it. Even now, they are gathering and preparing to destroy the faith of God’s people through fear and despair.”
Every word the young man spoke pierced Jack’s heart. There was no doubt in his mind that this was coming from the Lord. Jack asked, “How do you know this?”
“You do not need to know how I know this. You only need to know that it is true. You must gather together men and women of like faith to pray and ask God for help. If you do, He, the Almighty will fight this battle for you, but you must not delay.”
Jack’s heart was pounding in his chest. His mind was racing with crazy thoughts running through his head. He didn’t ask the question he desperately wanted to. Instead he asked, “Who am I supposed to contact? I’m not sure how to proceed.”
“Right now you are on your way to meet your friend. While you are there, a woman will come up to you and ask if you are Jack Bennett. She will be wearing a gold cross around her neck and a small ring with a dove on it. She is the one who will help you. She has the favor of God upon her. Listen to her, for I have told her about you.”
Jack could hardly believe what was happening. He finally asked, “What’s your name?”
“My name is not important. Do what I have told you and victory will be yours. You must occupy until He comes.”
Jack turned his head and the young man was gone. Jack’s heart leaped in his chest. Oh my God! He was an angel. I just talked to an angel!
He could hardly drive. All he could think of was how he was going to explain this to Frank and about this mysterious woman he was supposed to meet. Jack let the last couple days roll over in his mind. What an incredible two days this has been!
* * *
Jack found a parking place right in front of CJ’s. He was so pumped! He couldn’t move fast enough and nearly fell over himself as he spotted Frank. Frank sat at his favorite table, watched him stumble out of the car, and began shaking his head. He thought to himself, Now what? Not ever wanting to miss an opportunity to take a poke at his old friend he said, “Drinking already? I thought you didn’t do that kind of thing anymore?”
A little out of breath, Jack sat down and ignored Frank’s comment. Emily Richardson, their regular waitress, saw Jack come in and went over to their table. She knew them both well. To say they were regulars would be an understatement.
“Hello, Mr. Bennett! I…like that shirt you’re wearing. It’s…very… very nice. So, what can I get you today?”
"I need a large cup of coffee, Emily. Oh and thanks! It’s not really new or anything, but thanks anyway.”
Jack waited until Emily left and said, “You are not going to believe what just happened to me.”
Frank laughed out loud. “You’re kidding, right? You just had it out last night with some kind of demon-creature thing. What the hell could be more bizarre than that? And by the way, that girl likes you and she’s a Christian. You’re always telling me you would only date a Christian so...”
Half listening, Jack was somewhat stunned. “What? Emily? You’re crazy! Besides, she’s ten years younger than me.” A little annoyed that Frank wasn’t paying attention to what was important, he took a deep breath and collected himself. “I can’t talk to you about this now. I’ve got something to say that will blow your mind.”
Just then, Emily brought Jack’s large cup of coffee and put it on the table. “Is there anything else, Mr. Bennett?”
