by Scalzo, Russ
“No, Emily. Thank you, but not right now.”
She looked at him and smiled, “Okay! Just let me know if you need anything.”
He nodded. As she walked away, Frank just smiled and shoo his head.
Jack gave him his famous if-looks-could-kill stare and said, “Just shut up.”
“Okay, okay. So what’s this mind-blowing news?”
“Well,” Jack paused and twisted in his chair a little bit. “This might sound a little over the top, even for me.”
Frank interrupted, “You’re killing me. This is getting painful. Please just spit it out.”
Jack leaned across the table and said, “I was just talking to an angel.”
“What? Like a real-life-heaven-type-angel?”
Jack’s heart started to race again and he began talking faster, “Yeah, like a real-life-heaven-type-angel. I was on my way here and I saw this guy hitchhiking along the side of the road, so I stopped and gave him a ride. He seemed to know all about me. He told me some powerful evil was coming and I had to get people praying in order to overcome it. He said if I did, God would come and fight for us.”
Frank’s head was spinning. He had experienced a lot of what he called “wild and crazy Jack stuff,” but this? Seeing and talking to angels? Frank put his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his hands. “Look, hanging with you these last few years has taught me that anything is possible. I trust you buddy. Really. But, maybe this whole episode last night has got you looking for things that aren’t there. You know what I mean?”
“Frank, there is nothing wrong with me. I’ve never felt better. I saw what I saw, okay? What’s the problem? I know Jews believe in angels.”
“Okay,” Frank said leaning back in his chair. “So did he say anything else?”
“Yeah. He knew I was coming here to meet you. He told me that when I got here, a woman would come up to me and ask if I’m Jack Bennett. He also said that she would be wearing a gold cross around her neck and a small ring with a dove on it. She is the one who will help me.”
Frank looked around and said, “Well, no one has come up to you yet. Did he say how long you had to wait?”
“No, but I haven’t been here that long.”
Frank motioned for the bill. “I got this. I had breakfast before you got here and all you had was a coffee. I have a meeting in fifteen minutes at the office. Get me that report today so I don’t have to hear to my boss chew me out again.”
“Yeah, okay. I think I’m going to wait here a little longer. You know, just to be sure.”
Jack caught Emily’s eye. He raised his coffee cup slightly and she nodded with a smile. He looked up at Frank who was getting ready to leave and noticed the weird look he had on his face. He was about to ask him what was up, when suddenly he felt a hand gently fall on his shoulder. He quickly turned. It was a woman’s hand, and then he saw it - the ring with the image of a small dove.
He looked up at her. She was about fifty years old, nicely dressed, and there around her neck was the gold cross. It was just like the angel told him, but it wasn’t the ring or the gold cross that grabbed Jack’s attention. It was her eyes. They sparkled with incredible joy. She looked at him apologetically and said, “Please excuse me for interrupting but, I need to know, are you Jack Bennett?”
Frank stood there in shock and disbelief. He slowly took hold of the back of his chair, slid it out, and proceeded to sit back down, his eyes locked in on the mysterious scene playing out in front of him.
Jack responded, his heart pounding. “Yes, I’m Jack Bennett. Who are you?”
“My name is Conni Riser,” she said with a smile. “I was told to come here and ask for you by…” she paused for a moment feeling a little more than nervous and somewhat embarrassed.
The pause was just long enough for Jack to say, “An angel?”
The woman exhaled and broke into a wide smile, “Yes! Yes, an angel. You saw him too?”
“Yes, he told me you would come and what to look for. Where are you from?”
“I lead a large prayer group of believers in High Point, about twenty miles from here. We have been praying for you without really knowing who you were. I guess we have a lot to talk about.”
Slowly coming out of his daze, Frank excused himself. “I really have to go.”
Jack stood up, “Oh, sorry! Conni this is my good friend, Frank Lederman. He is a special agent with the federal government.”
“Hello, Mr. Lederman. Nice to meet you.”
Frank, still in a haze of disbelief, said, “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Riser. Please, you can call me Frank.”
“Mrs. Riser makes me feel old. Conni works fine for me as well.”
He stood there motionless for a second, and then quickly snapped out of it. He gave Jack a questioning look and said, “Okay, then I’ll talk to you later.”
Jack gave him a halfhearted wave and turned his attention back to Conni. They started talking immediately. Frank started down the sidewalk, got about twenty feet away, pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket, and began waving his arms frantically in the air, motioning for Jack to call him. Jack just shook his head, nodded and got back to his conversation with Conni.
As Frank walked away shaking his head, he thought to himself, You gotta love that guy.
CHAPTER EIGHT
It had been a long flight back to Los Angeles from his meeting with the society in Washington. Dante hated flying, at least in the conventional way, but he knew it was important to do so, at least for now. He stayed busy during the flight back, making and confirming his plans for the next phase, and now he was back in his office. He loved sitting in his luxurious office suite, stories above downtown L.A. The City National Plaza, a twin tower skyscraper complex on South Flower Street, provided the view he was most used to. The rent was exorbitant, but that didn’t matter to Dante because he had income streams from various sources. There wasn’t a pie he didn’t have his finger in and his connections didn’t end there. The worlds he dabbled in were far more interesting than any mortal could imagine. In fact, he had invited a long time associate to meet with him in his office this morning. He also had had a long flight. Dante leaned back in his chair and patiently waited for his guest to arrive. He knew he did not have to wait long for he could now feel the atmosphere changing all around him. A pleasant and familiar feeling, he thought.
Dante swung his chair around, anticipating his associate’s entrance. A murky mist began to fill the room. It twisted and turned around every piece of furniture, falling like a curtain over the large glass window behind Dante’s bulky cherry wood desk. Only ghostly streams of light could be seen through the green swirling mist, creating an eerie scene that rivaled any sci-fi movie. Then came a sound of what could only be described as damp bits of leather or vinyl unfolding. The mist separated around the figure, revealing his ten-foot frame that barely fit in the room. The tips of his jet-black wings brushed ever so slightly against the ceiling. His large, yellowish cat-like eyes moved left to right as he scanned the entire room.
Dante welcomed his guest. “Marduk, welcome to the city of angels,” he said with a smirk.
“My Lord.” His voice was deep and throaty; a menacing sound to most, but one Dante was familiar and comfortable with.
Dante was eager to hear all the updates from Europe and the Middle East.
“How are things in Geneva at CERN?”
“Shiva the Destroyer is keeping an eye on that for us. It was so good of them to put his image right in front of the building. Mortals are such fools.”
“We are making progress in the Middle East, I see.”
“Things are going well for us there. That pot is so easy to stir. Our plans to inspire an Arab invasion of Israel are moving forward quite nicely and we are making headway in many places in the U.S, but there are a few things you need to take note of.” He glanced up and then back at Dante, “There has been an angelic incursion.”
Dante did not flinch. He was not surprised. �
��Of course. Let me guess. Uriel, The Light of God?”
Marduk winced. Just the mention of his name was painful. “Yes. He has appeared to two humans.”
“What was said?”
“We do not know, but there’s something else you should know. Gadreel has been forcefully removed from Blackstone by a believer named Jack Bennett.”
That news took Dante by surprise. He was outraged and stormed around the room, going between fits of rage and pouting like a child. Normally he could sense such things and the fact that he didn’t enraged him all the more.
“What! How can that be? We haven’t seen that kind of thing done in a long time. He must be stopped. We can’t afford to have faith like that spread to the others.”
As if explaining, Marduk offered, “You could not see it coming, My Lord, because there was a prayer cover over him and I fear it is only growing stronger.”
“Fear! Fear is what we should be putting into them!”
Dante could barely control himself. He knew this would put a kink in his plans and his ability to influence The Society, although his promise to them was just a side bar in his overall goal and strategy.
Marduk’s eyes glowed a little brighter. “Do you want me to go to Blackstone tonight, My Lord?”
“No, not right now. It’s too dangerous. First, we must discourage the prayer warriors. As long as they keep praying, we are vulnerable. We must create roadblocks at every turn. We must do all we can to hinder them from getting together to pray. I will send the spirits of pride and envy - they have proven to be very dependable in these situations. After all, humans do such a wonderful job tearing each other apart, don’t you think?”
Marduk bowed his head in compliance, “Will that be all, My Lord?”
Dante walked back to his chair and, looking out over the city, said, “Yes. So for now, go back to Syria. You are doing well there, but you and the others must continue to influence and inspire the weak and high-minded. There is so much more we need to accomplish.”
Marduk bowed his head and slowly wrapped his wings around himself so all that could be seen were his glowing eyes. In a violent motion, he spun around and vanished. The mist that preceded him was sucked up behind him like a long train on a robe. In a moment, all was back to the way it was before. Dante Adal slowly sat back down in his chair and continued to stare out at the city, planning - always planning.
CHAPTER NINE
The warm rays of the morning sun found Jack at his desk banging out Part Two of his blogs series, “The Growing Evil on Planet Earth.” He would have loved to share his experience with the angel, but he knew better. That would have to wait for another day. Maybe Part Twenty, he thought with a smile. His mission was to reach as many people as possible with the truth about paranormal activity, and he had only just begun to scratch the surface.
Part Two: The Spirit of Lawlessness and Rebellion
By Jack Bennett
We read in II Thessalonians 2:3-7 that a spirit of lawlessness and rebellion is coming. It reads: Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.
For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so until he is taken out of the way.
The Greek word for rebellion is apostasia and is actually the source of our English word apostasy. It means the defection from truth or falling away from the truth.
In our world today, we have a great rebellion underway. Our government is moving further and further away from truth and has successfully removed God from our schools and our workplaces. Others within our government are covertly attempting to remove God from our currency and from all public buildings. But the real issue is about us - you and me. Where are we in all this? Evil is rising up all over the world. Are we praying? Do we believe in prayer anymore? Does prayer really work or is it just a desperate attempt to console ourselves when nothing else works?
Terror groups are getting more ruthless, their attacks more brazen. Every few weeks, right when one extremist group is dominating the news with threats of attacks, another surfaces with a different, more harrowing claim.
Al-Shabaab released a video urging its sympathizers to attack malls in the United States, the UK, and Canada. The same day, ISIS had one showing its members parading caged captives down the streets of Iraq. This is only the latest in its string of atrocious videos.
Then there's the ever-present threat of al-Qaeda, the brutality of the Boko Haram, and the looming Taliban. Did you know the United States has a list of 59 designated terror groups?
Folks, we need to pray. Prayer moves the hand of God. Join with me and let’s make a commitment to ask God to help us tear down the strongholds of the evil around the world and in our own country.
The apostle Paul tells us that we have the power to demolish evil strongholds, so let’s get together and make a difference. Yes, prayer works. The problem is not God - it’s you and me.
Until next time,
Jack Bennett
Jack hit the enter key and the update was posted. His face was still glowing from his meeting with Conni - it was wonderful and uplifting. He was looking forward to meeting her prayer group later tonight. He was so blown away that they had been praying for him when they didn’t even know who he was or what he was about to face. He thought that kind of supernatural intervention was so cool.
On the flip side of things, he had been thinking about what Frank had said about the waitress at CJ’s, Emily. He had kept himself so busy that he never gave dating much thought. The thought actually scared him out of his mind. There had been a few women over the years but certainly nothing too serious. Of course there was one, but that was years ago. He didn’t talk about that much. In fact he never talked about it. She would have been the one, if it weren’t for a cold rainy night fifteen years ago when a drunk driver took her out of his life for good. After that, he buried himself in his work and if it hadn’t been for his relationship with the Lord, he might not have made it at all. The only good that came out of it was that it deepened his relationship with his God and led him down a path he might have never found.
Jack knew what prayer could do and he was bent on teaching that truth to anyone who would listen, including Frank, even though up until now, he hadn’t had much success. Emily, he thought, Huh, I wonder.
Jack let his mind wander for a minute, but it was short lived. His ringing cell phone broke the serene silence. It was Frank.
Jack answered, “Hey, Frank. What’s up?”
“Hey, did you get a chance to look at those files I gave you?”
“Oh, no I didn’t. Sorry. I’ll take a look right now. I just finished updating my blog, so check it out.”
“Okay, let me know what you think. The Oslows were into some bizarre stuff, man. I’m talking off the wall. And hey, you never told me how things went with that lady, Conni. How weird was that? I’m sorry I didn’t believe you at first, but you gotta admit, talking with angels sounds pretty wild. I’ll tell you, Jack - you get involved with the weirdest shi... stuff.”
Frank always tried to cut down a little on his cursing when talking with Jack. Jack never mentioned it; it was just something Frank felt he should do.
Jack smiled and said, “No worries. You don’t hear that kind of thing too often, right? Anyway, I am heading over to High Point tonight to meet with her prayer group.”
“Are you gonna tell them about the angel and all that demon stuff?”
Jack laughed out loud, “I’m not sure exactly. I’ll have to see how the Lord leads.”
“Oh, okay. Well, that should make for an interesting evening.”
While they were talking, Jack had been glancing through the files Frank sent over when something caught his eye. Halfway down the second page, the report stated that Mr. Oslow had meetings with a Senator Wellsenburg in D.C. on several different occasions. The last time they met was two d
ays before he and his wife were found dead in their home.
After a few seconds of silence, Frank noticed Jack was preoccupied. “Are you still with me?” he asked.
“Yeah, I was reading this. What’s up with the connection between Oslow and Senator Wellsenburg?”
“Not sure. Do you think he is part of the same secret society? They had no other connection according to the report - no business or personal ties that anyone discovered. Wellsenburg was a rookie senator at that time. He was barely thirty years old. Of course, now he is one of the most influential members of the Senate.”
“Why wasn’t that checked out?”
“I’ll look into it, but it won’t be easy. He is pretty well insulated and I’m sure I will hit a ton of road blocks along the way.”
Jack smiled and urged, “That’s never stopped you before.”
Frank laughed. “True my friend, very true. I’m heading back to Washington today anyway, so I’ll see what I can find out. You still owe me a breakfast, remember! Let’s get together tomorrow morning say, 9:00 a.m. I should be back by then.”
At the mention of breakfast, Emily’s face came racing across Jack’s mind. He thought, Wow where did that come from?
“Sure I can do that. We will have plenty to talk about.”
“Okay, good. See you then.”
Jack placed his phone on his desk and continued to read the report.
CHAPTER TEN
It was 7:30 p.m. when Jack pulled up to Liberty Church, an old historic wooden building set back on a small field off of Jerome Street. It was built back in 1812 and was rarely used. When they first met, Conni had told him that for years, every time she passed this place, God would speak to her and say that one day she would lead a prayer meeting there that would shake the world. Now she was about to find out how.
Jack walked up the steps and opened one of the large wooden doors. Once inside, he was met with open arms by Conni and some of her prayer team.
