by J. M. LeDuc
“Calm down, my son,” bellowed the shadow. “They cannot kill you. The more emotional you become, the less of me exists within you. Regain your composure. Fear and anger, like every other negative emotion and vice, are our allies. Work with them.”
Hearing his father’s words calmed Jonas. He slowed his pace, walking now instead of running. Though bullets kept coming whenever he changed his direction, they no longer caused him fear. Their effect, instead, was to build up anger inside of him which he intended to unleash on the Enlightened One.
“He’s slowed down,” Fitz radioed Seven. “He no longer seems to fear our attack.”
“I can see him from my vantage point. It’s about time the dumb s.o.b. figured out that we weren’t trying to hit him. Just stay on task and drive him toward the church.”
“Ten-four,” Fitz replied as he fired another bullet. He could hear the metallic ‘ping’ as it clipped the tip of Jonas’ sword which was sheathed about his waist.
The sound and the reverberation startled Jonas. He jumped up and spun around. By the time he’d planted both feet back on the ground, another bullet pinged off his sword, again causing him to pick up his pace.
“Jefferson, where are you situated?” Seven asked.
“I’ve maneuvered myself so that I’m just north of the Sixth and Ocean intersection, sir.”
“Good job,” Seven said. “He’ll be all yours in about five minutes. Keep driving him south until he reaches the church. Maddie, do you read? Copy?”
“Loud and clear.”
“Converge on the church. I want you outside the south wall of the church.”
“I’m on my way. When you drove him east, I knew my westerly vantage point was useless so I started to move. I have an ETA of three minutes.”
“That’s my girl.”
“And don’t you forget it. I’ll see you at the church.”
CHAPTER 57
Brent knelt at the altar. He was exhausted and soaked in sweat from the spiritual fight he was entangled in. The harder he prayed, the more the demons emerged from his body, exiting from the same locations they’d entered. None looked frightening or evil any longer. They had a look of despair and defeat. Silently, they flew back into the Book of Sufferings, until none were left within him.
Still weak from his struggle, Brent pulled himself up, using the altar for support. That’s where he stayed, leaning on God’s place of honor until he’d regained his strength.
As soon as he was able, he placed the book back into the ark, along with a small glass decanter that sat on the altar.
Strapping the sword to his waist, he picked up the ark, thanked God for what he had been through and stumbled out of the tabernacle. Before he left, his eyes were drawn to the walls, now filled with Scripture that hadn’t been there when he and Father Jessup first entered.
I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you’ve been given. Greater love has no man than this; that he lay down his life for his friends. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God Who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate and the hope of salvation as a helmet. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.
The passages gave Brent renewed strength. He knew exactly what he must now do.
Turning to face the curtain, he passed through it and knew in the back of his mind that this would not be the last time he would enter this holy place.
CHAPTER 58
Back in the tunnel, Brent placed his hand on the wall from where the illumination once came. Doing so, the curtain was no more and the wall returned.
Brent checked his watch, and then broke into a run towards headquarters. There was a lot to be done before he faced The Dark One. He hoped that Father Jessup had been able to get his message to the squad.
Joan and Chloe listened on the radio to what was happening. So intent were they fixed on the news from the outside that they didn’t notice Brent standing at the door.
“Is this the type of reception I get after going to hell and back?”
The girls jumped. They looked at each other, so in shock that they were afraid to look at Brent. When they did, they screamed and ran towards him, hugging him so hard they practically knocked him over. Tears of pure joy streamed down Chloe’s face. She planted a hard kiss on Brent’s mouth.
“Oh my God, look at you,” she said, and combed her fingers through his long hair.
“I know this isn’t appropriate, so you’ll have to forgive me,” Joan said. She kissed Brent on the lips, too. “If you ever scare me, us, like that again, I’ll…I’ll…”
“You’ll what?” Brent asked
“Just don’t do it again, that’s all.”
“Look at you,” Chloe said. “There’s something different about you, but I can’t put my finger on it.” She kissed him again. “I don’t care what it is. I’m so happy to see you. I didn’t know if I…”
“Didn’t Father Jessup give you the message that I’d be all right?’
“Yes, but…”
“But what?” he asked and kissed her gently on the lips.
“But his story was so incredible. It was hard to accept.”
“Incredible, yeah, but it was all true, I assure you.”
Just then they heard the squad communicating on the radio.
“Jefferson, where are you situated?”
“I’ve maneuvered myself so that I’m just north of the Sixth and Ocean intersection, sir.”
“Good job,” Seven said. “He’ll be all yours in about five minutes. Keep driving him south until he reaches the church. Maddie, do you read? Copy?”
“Loud and clear.”
“Converge on the church. I want you outside the south wall of the church.”
“I’m on my way. When you drove him east, I knew my westerly vantage point was useless so I started to move. I have an ETA of three minutes.”
“That’s my girl.”
“And don’t you forget it. I’ll see you at the church.”
Brent asked where Charlotte was.
“She’s guarding Miss Farrell, and not the least bit happy about it,” Joan said.
Brent smiled a sly smile. “Good. Come on, we have a lot to do and very little time to do it in.” He grabbed the ark off the desk and headed to the infirmary where their ‘guest’ was being detained.
When Susan saw them, she hugged Brent, telling him she knew in her heart he would be all right.
“Thanks, I appreciate that. Where are Charlotte and the pris…guest?”
“Third room on the left at the end of the hall,” Susan replied.
When he opened the door, he saw Charlotte sitting quietly in a chair in the far corner of the room. She was dressed in her squad uniform. When she saw the Colonel, she rose from her chair to greet him.
“Thank God you’re all right.”
“Thank you, Charlotte.”
“Sir, I really think I could be put to better use elsewhere. I promise to stay out of harm’s way.”
“We’re dealing with The Dark One, there’s no such thing as staying out of harm’s way, soldier, but you’re right. Stay put for a moment and we’ll both go.”
A smile crossed Charlotte’s face. “Yes, sir.”
Brent turned his attention to Mary Ann Farrell. He knew by looking at her in her current demonic state that he could not ask her to face The Dark One again. He would not and could not use this poor child to lure the humanity out of Jonas.
Mary Ann moved her head from side to side as he approached her. Gagged, blindfolded and bound, there wasn’t much else she could do but follow his footsteps with her head.
Brent placed the a
rk on the floor next to where she lay and removed the Book of Sufferings.
He unbuckled the straps that held her to the hospital bed and carried her to an adjacent chair. Mary Ann struggled against the ties that bound her, but gave up her futile attempts to escape.
“Relax, my child,” Brent said. “Soon, you’ll be free of the imprisonment in which you are bound.”
Chloe, Joan and Charlotte watched silently from the distant corner of the room. They had no idea what Brent intended to do. They watched him gently help Mary Ann sit up and brush her wild mane of unruly curls from her face.
He reached into the ark and took out the small glass decanter. He pulled the cork, releasing the aroma of sweet red wine into the air. At first scent Mary Ann snapped her head to the side as she struggled to move away. She jerked from side to side, almost tipping the chair over.
“Calm yourself,” Brent said with authority.
Startled by the force of his words, Mary Ann stopped struggling and sat motionless. The girls saw that she breathed heavily, frightened at what was about to come. Brent squatted in front of her and wiped the dirt from the soles of his shoes. He dipped one finger into the bottle, then, rubbing the fingertips of both hands together, he made what looked like mud on the pads of his fingers.
He looked over his shoulder and motioned Charlotte over. He asked her to remove Mary Ann’s blindfold.
“Are you sure? You know what her eyes can do to you.”
“I’m sure. Please remove her blindfold, Charlotte.”
Brent quickly covered Mary Ann’s eyelids with his fingers. While Charlotte held the young woman in place, Brent applied just enough pressure to keep her eyelids closed. He rubbed his fingers in circles, smearing the mud-like mixture over them.
What happened next startled everyone in the room…everyone but Brent, that is. In a loud bellowing voice, he said, “By the power of the Blood of Jesus Christ, I command you to release this child.”
Mary Ann emitted strange, not-of-this-earth noises. Even through the gag, they could hear death-curdling screeching. The more he repeated his words, the louder and more painful the screeching became. He continued rubbing her eyelids, applying more and more pressure. Brent motioned Chloe over and asked her to open the book that lay on the floor, and then he motioned her to step back.
Brent’s expression became angry. In an even louder voice, he said, “Demons of the underworld, you are not welcome here. I command you by the power of the Body and Blood of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to leave this body and return to your rightful place.” Just when the screeching became ear-piercingly loud, Brent told Charlotte to remove the gag.
Charlotte shot a fearful look at Brent. “There’s nothing to fear,” he said. “Do you believe that Jesus Christ is Lord?” Charlotte nodded a tentative nod. “Do you believe that He will keep you safe?” Again, she nodded. “Then you have nothing to fear. If they see or smell your fear, they have won. Do you understand?”
Brent watched Charlotte’s expression change from fear to confidence. “Yes, I understand,” she said. “I have no fear for I know that Jesus watches over me.” Those words caused a warmth to pass through Charlotte. She still had a lot of uncertainty to deal with, but she knew, in her heart, the Christ was Lord.
She removed the gag from Mary Ann’s mouth.
The screeching became so loud at that point that they all thought their eardrums would burst. Just when it became the most unbearable, black smoke emerged from Mary Ann’s mouth. The smoke splintered into smaller pieces and, rising into the air above their heads, looked like shadows dancing on the ceiling. The shadows took the shape of demonic beings. Some might call them Satan’s angels. They looked down at Brent, screeching at him in a language much like the one Father Jessup had described earlier.
With one hand, Brent continued to cover Mary Ann’s eyes. With his other hand, he pointed to the book. “It’s back to hell for all of you. NOW!” he yelled.
Knowing they were defeated, the demons flew down from the ceiling, disappearing into the pages of the book. Everyone breathed a deep, collective sigh of relief.
Brent looked at Mary Ann. She shook uncontrollably.
“There’s always one,” Brent said smiling. “Fear, I know you’re still in her. Leave now or face the true Lord; Jesus Christ.”
Mary Ann’s mouth opened slightly as she emitted a small screech. A tiny black ash flew from her mouth and fell directly into the book.
“Chloe, Joan, come here and untie Miss Farrell, please.” Brent’s tone was calm and soft. Once the ropes binding Mary Ann had been removed, Brent told Charlotte to let go of her shoulders.
“Mary Ann, can you hear me?”
Timidly, she answered, “Yes.”
“Good. I’m going to uncover your eyes now. When I do, everything will be as it once was before you went to live with Miss Elisabeth. Okay?”
Her mouth opened. No words emitted.
Brent brushed his hand through her wild mane, using his fingers to comb it away from her face. “You have nothing else to fear.”
His touch gave her a sense of calm. She slowly opened her eyes, trying to accustom them to the bright lights in the room.
“You’re among friends, Mary Ann. I promise you, on the Body and Blood of Christ, they cannot harm you any longer.” Brent bent down so that he was eye level. When her vision had cleared and her pupils were used to the light, Mary Ann threw her arms around him and wept like a baby.
With his free arm, Brent motioned all the women to come closer. When they’d formed a circle around Mary Ann, he wiggled his way out, closed the book and placed it back into the ark and closed the lid.
Brent ran back to Maddie’s office where he grabbed the phone. “One calling two. Do you copy?”
“Welcome back from the abyss, Colonel,” Seven said. “We could sure use your help over here.”
“Where exactly is ‘over here’?”
“We’ve brought the pig to slaughter, just as you asked, sir.”
“Can you hold him for another twenty minutes?”
“We’ll hold him for as long as it takes. He’s penned up inside the church and he’s not a bit happy about it. Oh, and he’s brought some of his friends with him.”
Brent ran back to the infirmary while he continued his conversation with Seven. “Clarify the meaning of ‘friends’.”
“A dark cloud that follows him everywhere, and a large shadow is attached to him.”
Brent stopped just outside the room where the girls were gathered. “Seven, listen to me. This is very important. No one, under any circumstance, is to enter the church. Understood?”
“Yes, sir, we all copy.”
“Good. I want the four of you to surround the church. One of you on each side. And don’t let any of his ‘friends’ leave, either.”
“How do we stop a cloud, Colonel?”
“It’s not a cloud, it’s a gathering of demons. The real Hell’s Angels. Outside the front door, there is a bowl of holy water. Each of you is to soak a rag or some kind of cloth with it. If the demons try to leave, spray the water on them. They’ll retreat into the shadow, The Dark One. See you in twenty.
“Listen up, everyone. Chloe, you and Joan are to come with me. Mary Ann, stay here. You’ve been through quite enough of an ordeal in the past few years. I’m having Miss Collins, the head of our medical services, give you a thorough physical.”
Mary Ann nodded, and then cleared her throat to speak. “Sir, if you don’t mind my asking, just where am I?”
“You’re safe, that’s all you need to know for now. Tomorrow, you’ll return home to your parents. Until further notice, you are not allowed to call them. It’s for your own safety. Charlotte, escort Miss Farrell to Nurse Collins. Then hightail it back here on the double.”
On her return, Charlotte said, “Colonel, please, you have to let me be
part of this. I need the closure.”
“And you’ll get it, soldier. Do you have an arrow that will pierce a glass window with enough left in it for a kill shot?”
“Yes, sir, I do. It’s a diamond-tipped arrow with a razor sharp shaft. The glass won’t even slow it down.”
“Can you be accurate with it from seventy-five yards?”
“No problem, sir.”
“Good. You’re to go to the bank building across from the church. I’ll maneuver The Dark One onto the altar. You are not to shoot until both my arms are raised over my head.”
“Yes, sir.”
As Brent moved closer to Charlotte, his facial expression changed. It was back; the blank, emotionless stare of a warrior. “No matter what you see, you are not too lose that arrow until I give you the sign. No matter what. Understood?”
Charlotte swallowed hard in an attempt to whet her now-dry mouth. “Yes, sir, understood.”
“We’ll get one shot at him and only one. You must leave your emotions at the door. Remember; emotion will get you killed.”
Charlotte nodded her mouth too dry to speak.
Brent opened the Ark and handed Charlotte the small decanter. “Soak the arrow with this. When you see him on the altar, take aim and wait.”
“What is this?” she asked.
“It’s the Blood of Our Lord. Now move out.”
“Yes, sir,” she said, grasping the bottle tightly. “Colonel, you’re going to be all right, aren’t you?”
“Remember to believe with your heart and not with your eyes. Now, get going.”
CHAPTER 59
Brent and the girls were caught off-guard when they arrived at the church. Father Jessup stood in front of the church with close to a hundred people kneeling in prayer.
“Please pray for love and forgiveness,” he said, “but not just any love and forgiveness. It should be directed towards someone who wronged you, someone you never thought you could forgive, never mind, love again.” He looked into the faces of his flock and watched as they bowed their heads.
