Cursed Presence (Trilogy of the Chosen Book 2)

by J. M. LeDuc

“Welcome,” he said. “I am humbled by your attendance. Today, I would like to talk to you about lines. Many of you think you know all there is to know about lines, in fact, you stood in one not long ago. Others of you know about different lines, traffic lines or welfare lines, or bank lines. They all have one thing in common—we do not want to be in them. A line is something that delays us, that requires patience and is unwelcome in our lives.

  Father Jessup’s expression turned serious. As his expression changed, Brent looked at the people gathered. Their expressions mimicked the priest’s.

  “I’d like to call your attention to a different type of line, one that everyone must deal with. Regardless of your station in life, you have this in common with the person in front of you, in back of you, to your left and to your right. It is a line that I, as well as you, struggle with and trip over every moment of every day.”

  He lowered his voice to a near whisper and all in attendance leaned closer to the altar. “It is the line that separates God from man, the line between good and evil.”

  Speaking again in a normal tone, he continued. “This line is like a flame. You know it will burn you. You know it will cause you pain. You know that you should stay as far from it as possible, yet you find yourselves drawn to it.” Father Jessup began raising his voice, each word louder than the last. “You find yourself stepping closer and closer to the flame. You want to see how close you can get without getting burned.”

  Everyone was drawn to him. Like moths to a light.

  Father Jessup again lowered his voice, “The difference between the flame and this other attraction is you can smell, see, hear and feel the fire. This other thing of which I speak cannot be smelled, seen, heard or felt.

  “So now you are all thinking, what is this thing? What is this line that we are not supposed to get close to, but are drawn towards?” Father Jessup raised his arms as if to say, he didn’t know. “All I can tell you that it is different for everyone. It is whatever the world tempts you with.

  “For some, it may be alcohol or drugs, for others, money or material wants. For still others, it may be sexual perversions or pornography, and for others, something entirely different. But what I’m telling you is this…” Again he punched out the words. “…It makes no difference. No matter what the temptation, the line remains the same.”

  Father Jessup drew an imaginary line across the platform. “On this side of the line are goodness and the favor of God. On the other side are evil and the favor of Satan…”

  Father Jessup stopped for a moment, and looked out at the people seated in front of him.

  Brent looked at the faces in the crowd and saw that every eye and every ear focused on the figure of Father Jessup. Brent was amazed at how he was able to speak so softly, yet every person in the large warehouse felt as if he spoke only to them. He had complete command of the congregation. It’s like watching Jesus preach the Sermon on the Mount.

  Brent’s attention returned to Father Jessup.

  “…and yet, we are drawn to the fire. We are drawn to the side of evil and to the side of Satan. Why? I’ll tell you why. Because we are human. For those of you who are now scratching your head and thinking, what? Let me explain.”

  He walked to the side of the platform where he grabbed a folding chair. He placed it in the middle of the stage and sat down. Sitting down had accomplished two desired effects. It allowed him to be more relaxed, which helped everyone else relax and more importantly, it put him on the same level with everyone else. He didn’t want them to think he was exempt. It put them all on even ground.

  “The world we live in is not God’s world. His influence is here and can be felt in every breath we take. But so can Satan’s. His influence is as strong if not stronger than God’s. Most things of this world are of Satan. Human beings have a dual nature, a spiritual side and a worldly side influenced by the devil. Here on earth, our temporary home, the pull from the worldly side is much stronger than the pull from the spiritual side, and that, people, is what draws us toward the flame. We know it’s wrong, we know we might get burned, yet, we continually inch closer and closer to it. We want to see how close we can get without getting burned.”

  Father Jessup stood and inched his way toward the imaginary line. “We think if we just get a little closer, we will be satisfied. You all know, there is no satisfaction in the things of this world.”

  He stepped off the platform and walked among the people, speaking in a booming voice. “The drug addict does not get satisfaction from his latest fix. It only makes him want another. The glutton is not satisfied with his latest meal. It only makes him want to eat more. On and on and on.”

  Stepping back on the stage, he was silent, letting his words reverberate in the minds of those seated. He raised his arms over his head, palms opened to the heavens. He lifted his head as if he was looking directly at God. Speaking more calmly, he continued.

  “The only satisfaction we’ll ever find is in the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Trying to find satisfaction here on earth becomes a vicious cycle of want begetting want. It’s never enough.

  “But,” he looked into the faces of those in the crowd, “we have to live here. Though we, as Christians, are not of this world, we must live in this world. How do we avoid the things that tempt us? That, my dear friends, brings us back to lines. We must know where to draw the line of resistance. This line will be different for each one of us, so I cannot tell you where yours will be. I barely know where to draw my own. What I can tell you is this: you must draw it far enough away from the temptation that you never feel the heat or see a glimmer of it.”

  He again sat down. “Let me speak to you as one human being to another, one sinner to another. I don’t want you to think that I am exempt from temptation. I’m sure that you are all aware, as a priest,” He reached into his front pocket and pulled out his collar. Placing it in the opening of his cassock, he continued, “I have taken a vow of celibacy. I take this vow very seriously, as I am sure all other priests do. But taking a vow, or making a promise, even a promise to God, does not make you exempt from temptation.

  “You may have already noticed that I am a male member of our species and, as a male, I am attracted, no less than any other man, to the female members of our species. I personally draw my line of resistance far from the temptation. I don’t want to know how close I can come to it and still keep my vow. I don’t want to test my fortitude and willpower. Because I know if I get too close to the temptation, I may not be able to resist. I know if I get too close to the fire, I will get burned.”

  He raised his finger to accentuate his next words. “If you or I get too close to the fire, and we do get singed, does this make us bad people or people who are rejected by God? No, it makes us human. It makes us need to lean on God’s strength. It makes us need God’s forgiveness and, thankfully, God is all forgiving.”

  Again he stood and backed away from the line. “In closing, let me say whatever your temptation, make sure to draw your line of resistance well back from the fire. Far enough back so that you do not smell, see, hear or feel the flame.

  “Now let us pray.”

  After everyone left, Brent asked Father Jessup to go with him to get a cup of coffee. He agreed on the condition that Brent call him Stephen. Twenty minutes later, they were seated at the Loft.

  CHAPTER 36

  “So, you’re the one I’ve been pontificating about these last six years,” Father Jessup said.

  “That’s what everyone’s been telling me.”

  “So what do you know, so far?”

  “Truthfully, not much. From what Cardinal Bullini tells me, the Enlightened One has been prophesized since the First Century AD. He told me the Enlightened One would have to battle Satan…”

  Father Jessup interrupted, “Did the Cardinal tell you why you would fight Satan?”

  “I’m still a bit confused, but from what
he read from the scroll, he said…”

  “Scroll? What scroll?”

  “You’ll have to stop interrupting me if you want to hear what I know,” Brent said with a smile.

  “Sorry, it’s just that…well, to be honest, I started to doubt that I would ever get to meet the Enlightened One. When you’re laughed at long enough, you start to believe they’re right. So I’m just overly excited and a little scared this is actually happening.”

  Just as Brent was about to answer, their coffee arrived. The waitress looked at Father Jessup and said flirtatiously, “If I had a priest who looked like you, I’d have gone to church more often.”

  Father Jessup blushed as he took the cup from her.

  “Sylvia, allow me to introduce you to a friend of mine. This is Father Stephen Jessup.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Father,” she said and held out her hand for him to shake. She held on a little too long for his comfort.

  “Does this happen to you often?” Brent asked after she left.

  “Even once is too often when you’re a priest. To answer your question, yes, it does.”

  “How does one draw the line of resistance far from a temptation that he has no control over? It’s not as if you can stay away from every woman.”

  Stephen took a sip of coffee “I’m glad you were listening,” he said. “I said it was possible, I didn’t say it was easy. In situations like these, it isn’t possible to draw the line far enough back. I do make sure I don’t go out alone in places where I might feel tempted and I always wear my collar. To answer your next question, even when I was excommunicated two years ago, I didn’t go out in public without my collar. I never said mass with it on, but I trusted in God to let me know when the time would be right to give up my vow. Now I know why He never let me know.”

  Placing his cup of the table, he traced the brim with his finger. He looked up, his eyes piercing Brent’s. “My being a priest is a lot like you being a married man. Your vows are much the same as mine. Your temptations much the same. It’s just that the public, and especially the media, perceives it differently. But enough of that. Let’s get back to why we are here.”

  “Fair enough,” Brent said. “Cardinal Bullini was visited by Gabriel last night.

  Someone I assume you have had the honor of meeting.” Father Jessup nodded. “After he appeared to the Cardinal, Amadeus followed Gabriel’s words and found the scroll in the ancient catacombs beneath St. Peter’s. He translated them and realized how wrong he and the rest of the church have been. The writings of John, along with the happenings of late, led him to realize that this ‘battle,’ for lack of a better term, is imminent.”

  “What ‘happenings’?”

  “I’m afraid I cannot divulge that to you—at least not yet.”

  “Because?”

  “Let’s call it a matter of national security.”

  “No offense, Brent, but this thing we are talking about supersedes national security. We’re talking about the security of all mankind, the security of their souls.”

  Brent thought about that as he took a sip of his coffee. “Point taken. When we leave here, I’ll show you what’s been happening. It will all make more sense that way.”

  “Deal,” Father Jessup replied.

  “Not to be pushy, Father, but…”

  “Stephen.”

  “What?”

  “Please call me Stephen.”

  “Okay. Not to be pushy, Stephen, but what knowledge do you have that I need.”

  “Knowledge passed down to me, which may mean the difference between winning and losing.”

  “And that is?”

  “First, I need to know everything you know,” Stephen emphasized.

  Brent sat back in his seat and closed his eyes to ponder what he’d say next.

  When he opened his eyes, he leaned forward and said, “I know that I am the latest in the line of Noah’s chosen. I know that I am a man after God’s heart. I know that I would rather die trying to defend God than to live knowing that I didn’t. And finally,” he said, “I know that a wooden and gold box awaits for me to open and I pray its contents shed more light on this situation.”

  Father Jessup choked on Brent’s last words. To recover, he nearly drowned himself with water. “Do you mean to say that you are in possession of the Ark of the Enlightenment?”

  “I have been given a box that’s about eight by ten.” He framed his hands in an attempt to get the dimensions right.

  “Have you opened it?”

  “No, I was told that only the Enlightened One would be able to open it. At the time, I hadn’t decided to…”

  Before he could finish his thought, Father Jessup slapped a twenty-dollar bill on the table and stood up. “Come on. I…we…need to see the ark.” Grabbing Brent by the arm, he pressed a question. “The cave. Have you found the cave?”

  “Huh, what cave? What are you talking about?”

  “I’ll explain on the way. We need to get to that box.”

  CHAPTER 37

  On the drive, Brent did his best to bring Father Jessup up to speed on the Butcher and the demonic killings taking place in Europe. He also gave him a brief synopsis of the SIA and the Phantom Squad.

  As he pulled his Jeep behind the old warehouse, Brent said, “I need your word that everything I’ve just told you, and everything you are about to see and hear, remains confidential.”

  “Consider it as if you had told it to me in the confessional,” he said.

  Brent nodded and pushed the remote on his sun-visor. The back wall opened and Father Jessup mumbled, “Not that anyone would believe me if I did tell them.”

  Brent gained access into headquarters with palmer recognition. Everyone they passed in the hall either saluted Brent or said hello to Colonel Venturi.

  “Who are you?” Stephen asked. He looked baffled.

  “Just a man, Stephen, just a man.”

  Brent again used palmer recognition to enter three more doorways that led to the inner sanctum of SIA.

  Strategic Intelligence Alliance headquarters was built like a maze. If the roof were taken off and a person could look down into the building, he would see hallway after hallway that seemingly led nowhere. Certain doors allowed admittance to certain people, depending on their clearance. In the event of a break-in, or even if someone already inside SIA tried to gain access to off-limit areas, a steel barrier would slam shut twelve feet from the door and that space would immediately fill with a nerve gas that would effectively paralyze intruders for as long as twenty four hours, or until an antidote was administered.

  Only a handful of people were allowed into the most private section of the headquarters, rightly known as the inner sanctum.

  It was 5:30 p.m. by the time Brent and Father Jessup walked into Maddie’s office. Instinctively, Brent knew from the looks on Chloe’s and Maddie’s faces that he should have checked in at least once while he was in Coral Cove. Before he could begin introductions, Chloe was in his face.

  “With everything that has gone on here lately, don’t you think it would have been a good idea to let me know you were safe? You’ve been gone since 1:00 o’clock and I’ve been worried sick! I called you three times on your satellite phone and not once did you call me back.”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Brent said. “You’re right, I should have called, especially under the circumstances. But I never received a call.” He pulled his phone from his jeans pocket and looked at the lack of a LCD display. “I turned it off while Father Jessup said mass. I guess I forgot to turn it back on.” Brent looked over his shoulder at Father Jessup. “I believe the time is appropriate for divine intervention, Father.”

  The priest waved his hands and shook his head. “No, you’re doing great all by yourself. Besides, I always wondered how men weaseled their way out of predicaments like these.” />
  Until then, Maddie had been sitting by quietly. She let go of a loud laugh and, in turn, lightened the mood.

  “Oooo,” Chloe said, “you don’t know how lucky you are that you brought a priest with you.” She grabbed Brent and kissed him hard and quick on the lips. “Don’t you ever make me worry like that again, do you understand?”

  “I really am sorry,” he said and gave her a big hug. “I won’t let it happen again.”

  “You better not. Now, would you like to introduce us to our new friend?”

  Father Jessup liked hearing Chloe refer to him as their new friend. He knew he was going to like these people.

  After formalities, Father Jessup turned to Brent. “The ark; where is the Ark of Enlightenment?”

  “It’s safely back where it has been for the past thirty years,” Lucille said. They all turned to see her standing in the doorway.

  “Stephen, I am honored to introduce you to my mother, Lucille Conklin.”

  “Mrs. Conklin, your son has told me a great deal about you in a very short span of time, as he has about all of you. It is my honor to meet you.” He looked around the room and added, “All of you.”

  “I don’t mean to be rude,” he said, “but The Enlightenment is imminent. Is there any way I can get a look at the ark?”

  Lucille nodded when Brent looked to her for an answer. “Sure,” he said, “that’s not a problem. What’s so important about the actual box?”

  “Some of the writings that were handed down to me, from others who came before me, said there are clues in the design of the box that can help lead us to the cave.”

  “Cave?” all three girls asked in unison.

  “Stephen seems to feel the third and final step of the Enlightenment will take place in what is known as the Cave of the Enlightenment.”

  “Brent, if it’s all right,” Maddie interrupted, “while Lucille shows Father Jessup the ark, I’d like to brief you on the latest from Boston. What Seven and the CSI team uncovered is pretty shocking.”