Trial & Tribulations

by Rachel Dylan

  She nodded. “Would you be okay with us praying for you before we go.”

  At this point, he didn’t believe in prayer, but it was easier to agree than argue with them. “All right.”

  “Pastor Dan, why don’t you lead us in prayer?” she asked.

  Grant kept his eyes open even though they closed theirs.

  “Dear Lord, first thank You for keeping Olivia and Grant safe today through some pretty scary situations. They’re going to need You to be by their side each step of the way. We know that we are in a battle against the devil and those who do his bidding, but You are stronger than all of that. I pray a special prayer of protection and guidance for Grant, Lord. That You may open his heart to Your Word and Your everlasting love. And for Olivia, continue to give her the wisdom to do Your work. The fight is long from over and we all need You. In Your name we pray, amen.”

  Grant watched as Olivia opened up her eyes and looked back at him. She was unlike any woman he’d ever met. And the way she was facing down this situation right now made him respect her even more. Even though he didn’t really believe in all that she did. The way she stood by her beliefs was admirable.

  “We’ll be going, but if you need anything just call me,” she said.

  “And here’s my card with my cell number.” Dan handed him the card. “Don’t ever hesitate to contact me day or night. This is more than a job for me, it’s my calling. So I’m here for you. Even if you’re unsure right now, that is perfectly normal. You’re not used to being exposed to these forces. They are powerful though, Grant. I just want you to be on guard.”

  Grant was fascinated by Dan. Like Olivia, he was steadfast in his Christian faith. Grant led them out the front door and locked it behind them. But there was a tiny voice in his head telling him that no locks or alarm system would keep him safe from the forces that had come after him today.

  Grant took a deep breath. He really wasn’t ready for this whole religion thing. Or the battle of good and evil. And whatever all of that entailed. But regardless, it seemed to be the path he was being forced to take.

  When his computer chimed a little later, he had never been happier to see Ty who was calling him via Skype. Because of Ty’s role as a Navy SEAL, they didn’t have much contact, so Grant always tried to answer when Ty reached out. Even if it was a night like the one he was having.

  “Man, I’m happy to see you,” Grant said.

  Ty smiled. Even though he looked tired, his brown eyes were still full of life. It was a relief to know he was safe.

  “What’s been going on?” Ty asked.

  “Some pretty crazy stuff, but nothing like what you’re dealing with over there.”

  Ty nodded. “Well, since I can’t talk about anything I’m doing, why don’t you entertain me with your craziness for a few minutes.”

  When Grant got done telling the story from that night, Ty sat in silence.

  “You think I’m losing my mind, man?” Grant asked.

  Ty rubbed his chin. “I know we don’t talk about religion. Mainly because I know you’re not into it, and I try to be respectful. But you know that I’m a believer. And what you’re telling me really freaks me out. I think you need to listen to this pastor and the opposing lawyer. They know what they’re doing and you don’t. I can’t have you getting yourself hurt.”

  “Ty, we’ve known each other since high school. You’re really telling me that you believe what I’m telling you could actually be true?”

  Ty nodded. “I do. And because I do, I’m going to be worried about you.”

  “Absolutely not, Ty. I can take care of myself. I can’t have you being distracted while you’re out in the field protecting this country. I promise I will have this totally under control after I wrap my head around it.”

  “I know you’re a tough man, Grant. Growing up in foster homes and everything you went through made you the man you are today. But it’s okay to ask for help. Even guys like me need help sometimes.”

  Grant laughed. “Yeah, like you’ve ever asked for my help.”

  “That’s not true. Remember advanced calculus in college?”

  Grant was so fortunate to have a friend like Ty. “Yeah. Okay that was one time over twenty years.”

  A deep voice sounded in the background, and Ty looked over his shoulder. “Sorry, bud. I’ve got to get out of here. But promise me that you won’t do anything stupid.”

  “You got it.”

  Ty’s picture disappeared from the screen. It was great to see him. But Ty’s perspective didn’t exactly make Grant feel much better. If anything just the opposite. Could all of this be real?

  **

  Pastor Dan and Olivia rode in silence for a few minutes after leaving Grant’s house.

  She was the first one to start talking. “I don’t know if he can really handle this right now. I’m worried for his safety. What if they actually hurt him? They’re capable of it. I’m sure of it.”

  Dan nodded but kept his eyes on the road. “He isn’t strong enough now, but that’s also a benefit in disguise. They won’t think he’s much of a threat. They won’t go all out against him. This is mostly just fun and games for them as far as he is concerned.”

  She shuddered. “I’m sure Grant doesn’t feel that way.”

  “No. But he trusts you. I can see it in his eyes.”

  “I need to tell you something else.”

  “What?” Dan asked.

  “When I saw Micah today in my car after I was attacked, he told me that Grant was vital to this mission.”

  “Really? Why didn’t you tell me that?”

  “I got sidetracked with the details of the attack.”

  “Well, who am I to say any different? If Micah thinks we need Grant, then we need Grant. And I can tell you that Grant needs you. You’re going to be the one to lead him down his faith journey. Not me.”

  “You sound so confident about that, Pastor Dan.”

  “I can see it. While the two of you may be adversaries in the lawsuit, the fast friendship and bond you’ve formed is evident. The Lord has a purpose in all of this.”

  “I’m not doubting that.”

  He pulled up to her hotel. “I’m going to walk you up.”

  “Good because there’s one additional thing I want to talk to you about.”

  They walked into the hotel and took the elevator up to her room. She let out a breath as the door came into her sight. “No pentagram on the door tonight.”

  “You were worried there might be?”

  “Frankly, yes. After all that’s happened today it was on my mind. But come on in.”

  Since the vandalism incident, she’d been upgraded to a spacious suite. She led him into the living room. “Please have a seat.”

  He sat in one of the big plush black chairs, and she settled down on the large beige sofa across from him.

  “What’s on your mind, Olivia? Besides the obvious.”

  “What happened to me today triggered a lot of memories that I had somehow suppressed, or at least hadn’t consciously thought about in many years.”

  He leaned forward, intent on her words. “How so?”

  “When I was about eleven years old, I came under serious spiritual attack. Having grown up in the church, I knew something was wrong with how I was feeling. My dad was a preacher so I went to him and told him what was going on. He was the only one I felt I could go to who wouldn’t think I was crazy or just a child with an overactive imagination getting frightened from watching too much TV.”

  “And how did he respond?”

  “He was receptive but also very afraid. Thankfully, he believed what I was telling him. I could see it in his eyes. Even though I was young, I had a very solid foundation in faith. My father basically taught me how to use prayer to fight off the evil one and all the demonic spirits that came at me. It was a lot for an eleven year old to take it in, but it built on the principles I had heard in church since I was old enough to understand parts of the sermons. We talked
about putting on the whole armor of God. We talked about rebuking the devil.”

  “You were so young to face those tribulations.”

  “Yes, but he put it all in terms I could understand. He also instilled in me the importance of learning the Word and being able to use it. There were certain verses we would say together each day until I had them committed to heart. One of the ones I remember the most is greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

  “First John, four-four.”

  “My struggles continued for about six months, and the battle was continuous. Always at night. I’d go to sleep, but then be awakened by awful and terrifying feelings. Sometimes dread, sometimes pain, sometimes hatred. But always the feeling that a spiritual presence was in the room. Then one day it just stopped.”

  “And you have nothing to attribute that to?”

  “No. Besides the fact that I was getting stronger through it all. And even more committed to my faith. I really felt so close to God.”

  “And so today outside Astral Tech when you were attacked, it brought this all back.”

  “Yes, very vivid memories have been pounding through my head since then. I don’t know what this all means, but I wanted to share it with you. I thought it was important that you understood my history with all of this.”

  “We’re all special to God, but, Olivia, I think you’ve been called for a specific purpose. Everything you’ve told me about your upbringing and your childhood encounters with evil up until now when you face those threats again in this highly unusual situation. God has brought you here. He needs you in this.”

  “How can I do my job as a professional and defend this company at the same time?”

  “You can do your legal job and your spiritual one.”

  “And if the two conflict at some point?”

  “You already know the answer to that.”

  She nodded. “Yes, I definitely do.”

  “Sometimes God puts us in certain situations that at first blush would seem like we shouldn’t be there. But he has us there for a reason. I believe for you that this is one of those times.”

  “I do too,” she said softly. “It’s not everyday that you are visited by an angel. So I can’t turn my back on that.”

  “I’ve gotten the church’s leadership committee up to speed but will need to let them know about the latest events from today. We’re stronger as a body in Christ than we are as individuals. I want to start prayer groups for you and Grant ASAP.”

  “How will the church feel about all of this? I know not all churchgoers really believe in the literal spiritual realm, especially to the extent we’re talking here.”

  “You’re right that there are definitely some skeptics amongst the group. But they’re also faithful and will pray for those who ask for prayer.”

  “Has there been any past history of overt spiritual warfare in the Windy Ridge community?”

  “Yes, right after I arrived here about eleven years ago. We had some problems with demonic worship and some ritualistic animal sacrifices. At that time, Layton’s predecessor was still in charge around here, but Layton was definitely up and coming. About a year later, Layton took over and then started Optimism—the company and group.”

  “What happened to Layton’s predecessor?”

  “He supposedly died of natural causes, but I think Layton killed him. I may have mentioned it to you before that Optimism is the old guard. Very heavy into traditional witchcraft and they have a majority female membership. I think Layton is threatened by other men.”

  “Interesting. And Astral Tech?”

  “Younger, and more focused on this app and reaching people through social media and new means. I’m not as familiar with Clive or his second in command, Nina Marie, as I am with Layton. I’m actually spending tomorrow analyzing the app. If you have any insight from the work you’ve done that you can share, please let me know. But I don’t want to put you in any awkward position because of your legal obligations.”

  “Don’t worry about that. I have a clear understanding of attorney-client privilege, and I won’t violate that. But there is nothing wrong with me sharing my factual observations about the app with anyone, including you. Honestly, I haven’t had as much time to analyze it yet as I wanted to, with all the legal matters and document review and analysis that has had to be completed. Optimism is taking a highly aggressive stance in the litigation. So much so that they forced an early scheduling conference on me. And to make matters worse, the judge who was filling in for our regular judge sided with Optimism. It was the craziest thing. I had a panic attack in front of her. And then her decision made no sense. She clearly favored Optimism.”

  “Which judge was it?”

  “Louise Martinique.”

  Dan blew out a big breath. “Isn’t that convenient.”

  “How so?”

  “Louise is old friends with Layton. I don’t have direct evidence tying her to Optimism, but it wouldn’t surprise me.”

  She snapped her fingers. “Wait a minute! That would explain why I had that mini panic attack today in court. Maybe she was the cause of it.”

  “Certainly possible. But like I said, I have no proof of her association. Only a hunch.”

  “I feel like I’m the proof.” She let out a breath.

  “Don’t let that get you down. You still did your job to the best of your ability. You’re a very strong woman, Olivia. The Lord wouldn’t set you on a path that would have you bear more than what you were able to. He’s got a plan. One that seems like it has been in the works since you were young. I’m glad you let me know about that. It really puts it all in perspective.”

  “You never know how some people are going to react. Even preachers. But at this point, I need your help and those in the church. I can’t do it on my own.”

  He reached out and patted her shoulder. “We’ll be there for you.”

  “I’m counting on it.” She paused. “And how are you doing? I know you are still facing a very difficult time of your own. I feel badly that I’m adding to that burden.”

  “You’re right that dealing with my grief is a daily battle. But in a way, having something else to focus on, even if it is this situation, is a good thing. My wife wouldn’t have wanted me to stop helping others. That wasn’t her way.”

  “If you ever want to talk about her or anything, I’m here for you too.”

  “Thanks, Olivia.”

  **

  The next day, Dan sat in his office at the church. He’d spent the last few hours playing around with the Astral Tech app. On its face it seemed fairly harmless, but he knew better than to believe that. The gateway portions of the app talked in general terms about New Age theories. There was a lot of information about meditation and a healthy diet. He didn’t have any problem with that per se. It’s when you were meditating on evil that you got problems.

  With each task he checked off in the app, though, he was able to unlock more and more layers. It was about hour three that his eyes widened. That’s when he saw the section on spells and witchcraft. The app made it seem like it was fun and games. The graphics were very vibrant and the interactive nature of the app was impressive. It would especially be enticing to young people.

  He kept tapping his tablet going through the motions. Lord, help me find a way to shut this thing down, he prayed.

  “Pastor Dan.”

  He looked up and saw Olivia at his office door.

  “Come on in. Glad you could make it. I’ve been working with the app for hours.”

  “What are your thoughts?”

  “At first, mostly cosmetic stuff. Very high level, trendy New Age items. But after you get further into it, then you can see a lot more dangerous things. Look here.” He slid the tablet in front of her.

  “Witches and spells,” she said. “Level one. I wonder how many levels there are?”

  “That’s what I’m trying to find out. The app makes you complete certain tasks before you can move on
. That’s why this is a bit time consuming, but well worth it in the end.”

  “I agree with you.”

  “I hope you don’t mind, but I asked the church leadership to swing by and meet you. They should be here any minute.”

  “Of course I don’t mind.”

  It wasn’t long before associate pastor Chris Tanner walked through the door. He must’ve come from a workout given his t-shirt and gym shorts. He still kept his blond hair in a buzz cut even though he was no longer in the army.

  “I’m Chris Tanner, the associate pastor here at Windy Ridge Community Church. We haven’t met yet because I’ve been filling in preaching at another church in town while their pastor is on a mission trip.” He stretched out his hand and Olivia took it.

  “Olivia Murray, nice to meet you.”

  Chris smiled showing a dimple on his right cheek. “I hear you’ve had quite a stay so far in Windy Ridge.”

  She nodded. “That’s for sure. But I’ve never represented a New Age company before, so I really didn’t know what to expect.”

  “I’ve been going over the app,” Dan said. “It’s taken me the better part of a day, and I still have a long way to go before I fully understand all it can do.”

  “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help,” Chris said. Then Chris turned and looked at Olivia, his hazel eyes serious. “Are you really doing okay?”

  “Surprisingly, yes. I feel like this is all part of God’s plan. I’m ready to do whatever is necessary to fight this battle.”

  “I filled Chris in on what happened to Grant,” Dan said.

  “Yeah, I spoke to Grant and he’s trying to talk himself out of thinking he really experienced anything.”

  Chris took a seat in one of the chairs. “That’s totally natural. If you have no experience with any of this, then I would think it would be better to believe it was just in your head.”

  “I think he’s really in denial,” she said. “I’m not sure what will pull him out.”