Once, and For All

by Kendra G. Johnson

  * * * *

  It took all her persuasive powers to even begin the process of winning over this crew. Carter knew enough to stay out of her way. She knew she would have to meditate later on all the barriers thrown up by various members of the team. Each element of resistance represented a personal struggle of some kind. She had resigned herself to the changes coming for her as well. She could no longer operate alone in her humanitarian or global rescue efforts. She was part of this team and they were now a part of hers. Despite her acquiescence to the idea, she knew it would chafe her at times as well.

  She addressed the gathering. “My dear friends, I think I understand what our resistance is. We have been thrown into our last two missions by circumstances of fate. We did not plan it, but we were able to adapt and overcome.” She grinned at the Marines in the room. They grinned back. “Now we are being asked to commit to this work as a lifestyle. That requires a whole new mind-set and a different set of skills.” She could tell that her words resonated with them. “Personally, I think Mr. Carter’s plan is ingenious.” She took note of the look of shock on a few faces. She went on. “It offers us a solid cover and flexibility when needed. I think Mr. Carter will make a great temperamental producer/director.”

  Carter asked, “What about you?”

  “I will be playing a leading role, of course.”

  Everyone laughed, as she had intended, and so it was that she was able to gain a group consensus to move forward. She then sent Carter on his way back to Washington. She knew it would take him some time to dot all the I’s. It was government after all and the bureaucrats loved nothing more than forms and rules. She would gladly leave him to those headaches. Well, him and Andy. Carter ordered him back as well. It rankled Judy to take orders from Carter, but she said nothing. He was her husband’s boss and she had to respect that at least. She said her goodbyes to Kenann, Granny, and Mrs. Gage in the guest room she shared with Andy.

  “Are we sure about this?” Judy asked as she closed her suitcase.

  Mrs. Gage had already said her piece. Granny stepped in to support her. “Dear, this is as good a plan as any. And Gabrielle is right. We have to commit. We are either all in or we go back to our former lives.”

  Kenann laughed. “Granny, listen to you.”

  Granny laughed with her. “I am amazed myself at the turn my life—our lives—have taken. But there you have it.”

  Judy sighed. “I guess that’s part of my problem. It feels like all this is ruling our lives.”

  Kenann grew serious with her friend. “Jude, do you want out? You can do that, you know. You don’t have to be a part of this. I know you love your nursing. It has to be your decision.”

  “That is just it. What else would I do? Go back to working the graveyard shift in ICU? Wondering all the time what you all were doing? There is no way I can go back. This stuff is in my blood now.”

  Granny touched Judy’s arm. “Precisely said. It has invaded the blood of all of us. So many factors have contributed to where we are now. Kenann moving into the duplex beside Danny Mac and getting abducted. It has brought all of us together in a way we could never have imagined or planned. I can’t help but think it is by God’s design.”

  Judy cocked her head to one side. “Seriously? You think God works like that?”

  “I do. He uses many resources to do His will. I think he will use us, too.”

  Kenann remained sober. “Granny, I have killed people. Do you think that was God’s will?”

  “That’s a hard one, dear, but I guess I have to say yes. As strange as our little band may be, we are warriors in our own right.”

  “Here, here!” Mrs. Gage finally spoke. The women turned to her as one. “We most definitely are warriors, Moira. Judy, you may very well use your nursing in ways you never dreamed. Kenann, you have a surprising strength that comes out just when you need it most. Moira, your insight and calm wisdom are invaluable as we move forward. Come on, girls, this is exciting!” She raised her crystal goblet. “Let’s drink to our next adventure.”

  Laughing, the women did the same. Judy grinned and finally resigned herself fully to her new fate. “Cheers.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Danny Mac and Kenann had returned to their home accompanied by Rough, their large golden retriever who had saved Kenann’s life earlier. He had then showed up on their doorstep and adopted them as his owners. They didn’t mind. He was a solid and comforting ally. Danny Mac said they should call him Melchizadek, after the priest who “just showed up” to Abraham in ancient Bible times. He had no known origin or lineage, but he was special. Abraham gave him a tenth of all he had. Kenann said she liked the Bible story but preferred the name Rough. Rough had agreed with a wag of his tail against Danny Mac’s leg.

  “Danny Mac, Granny thinks all of this stuff we have been doing for the last several months has been God’s will.”

  “Well, I know that marrying you was God’s will.” He pulled her to him and kissed her soundly. She couldn’t stop her response. She never could. She smiled up at him when he raised his head.

  After she caught her breath, she asked, “But what about the other stuff?”

  “I can’t say for sure, but I would agree that God has brought all of us together to fight some evil things. So, yes, I guess I do believe that the direction we are headed is God’s will. But I’m not sure how He feels about me leaving my position with the church. I certainly can’t keep going off for weeks at a time and expect them to be understanding. I need to talk to Jake and get his guidance. He is struggling with some of the same issues. He cannot shepherd the flock as elder from halfway around the world. We both have some decisions to make.”

  “What if there is evil in us?” Kenann blurted out.

  Danny Mac looked at her intently. He could tell this was not a rhetorical question. He chose his words carefully. “Kenann, this is a fallen world and there is evil all around us.”

  “But what about in us?”

  “We are all sinners, but as Christians, when we claim the power of Jesus’ blood sacrifice and are baptized in His name, we are protected from evil.”

  “How?”

  “Why are you asking this, Kenann?”

  “If we are going to fight evil, don’t we need to know how to be protected?”

  “Fair point. Basically, it is because as Christians, we have the Spirit of God living in us and we call on the power of the Lord Jesus to protect us from the evil one. And because we are a child of God through our relationship with Jesus, we can rest assured that He will protect us. But that does not mean that Satan and his demons will not harass and try to bring us down. That’s why it is so important to read our Bible, pray, and stay close to the Lord, so we have the added power to fight the enemy. Just like it says in Ephesians 6, we put on the armor of God. Sorry, feel like I just preached you a sermon. Does that answer your question?”

  “Yes. But what about the ones who do not have a relationship with Jesus?”

  “Then it is up to us to pray protection around them.”

  “Do you believe a Christian can be possessed?”

  “Honey, we’ve talked about this. No. They cannot. They can be oppressed by Satan and he can harass the life out of them not possess them. Only if they denounce the Lord as their Savior and give their allegiance completely to Satan, could he take control of them. I don’t think that happens all that often. At least, I sure hope it doesn’t. Personally, I have never met a demon-possessed person, but I sure have seen some who were being heavily influenced by the dark.”

  “Danny Mac, will you pray for me?”

  “Now?”

  “Well, you can but I mean in general.”

  “I do, honey. Every day several times a day.”

  “I’m glad.”

  “Kenann, you have nothing to fear. God is your Savior and you have warrior angels to protect you when needed. Remember, fear is not of God. You have the same power that raised Jesus from the dead living in you. Don’t ever forget
that.”

  “I love you. You always know how to make me feel better. Come cuddle with me on the couch.”

  “Men don’t cuddle.”

  “Well, then come be my manly man and put your arms around your little, defenseless woman.”

  “That’s better. But for the record, you are about as defenseless as a tiger.”

  She curled into him as they lounged on the couch. Rough lay on the floor at their feet. “I’m the Little Lion, remember?”

  “Ah, yes, Hafsa. It suits you. I sure wish I could have met Adam. He sounds like a great guy. All the things he taught you have certainly come in handy this year.”

  Thinking of Adam reminded Kenann of her “dream.” Mother, what did you do?

  * * * *

  Judy and Andy’s plane had reached cruising altitude before either spoke. Judy could see the back of Carter’s head several rows in front of them.

  “So what is on your agenda now, Andy?”

  “First, I will be checking to make sure everyone is still on payroll.”

  Judy snorted. Andy looked over at her.

  “Judy, are you going to give me grief over everything I do for Carter?”

  Judy met his gaze and then dropped her eyes. “I’m sorry, Andy. I don’t mean to be so snarky. I guess I need control and there hasn’t been a bloody time in the last year I have felt in control.”

  He turned serious. “Aren’t you happy?”

  She turned to him quickly. “Oh, Andy, of course I am.” Her pause was imperceptible. “With you.”

  He responded, “So why do I detect an undercurrent in your attitude?”

  Judy started to bristle out of habit but had to admit he was right. She couldn’t answer right away. Andy gave her the time she needed to reflect. She knew she loved him—was happy with him. There was no question in her mind of that. What was it? No doubt it was centered around her need for control, but why was it bothering her so much and making her so angry? Then it hit her. When she was raped and exploited as a teen by the minister, she made a deep and abiding commitment to never let anyone control her again. She had made great strides by opening up herself to Andy, but it was still her choice. Her decision. So much of the events of the last several months had been thrust upon her and it appeared it was triggering some of the anger from that summer, when she was horribly abused and controlled. Kenann’s words came back to her: “You don’t have to do this.” But she did. Just as she told Granny, it was in her blood now. And then something else hit her. She was in control because she had the ability to choose. She could walk away and stay home and do nursing, or she could join the Merry Band of Misfits on their next great adventure. She felt the shift. The choice was hers. The tightness in her chest released and she smiled at Andy.

  Andy had watched the transformation as it played across her face and knew the minute her peace of mind returned. He smiled back at her.

  “I’ve got it. I’m good. But I’m still only taking orders from Mrs. G.”

  Andy laughed. “And besides, if you stay here without me, you’ll have to deal with mother.”Judy shuddered visibly. “Where do I sign?”

  Andy laughed.

  * * * *

  Angelo leaned forward from his seat on the couch with his elbows on his knees. His heart was torn and there was no one he could talk to. His secret was tearing him apart inside. Despite the kindness of everyone in the group, he felt isolated and alone. He had not contacted his family for several months in fear that they were being watched by the Order, and he had just begun to make friends in Brussels when he had been called to Memphis. He had decided to stay. His choice, but he was questioning that decision now.

  Danny Mac had saved his life and shown him the true meaning of friendship and total forgiveness. He remembered the moment he began to change. Watching Danny and Kenann on the video surveillance in their hotel room in Alexandria, he watched them struggle to maintain purity and call out for courage to face their ordeal. Suddenly, it came to him to try what he saw them using in their time of trouble. Prayer. He reached out to the One True God. He knew Danny’s God was that for sure. He had become convinced of that the last several months.

  “God, I need your help. Help me overcome this before I hurt these people. Oh, God, help me.” He paused and then whispered, “I am in love with Kenann.”

  * * * *

  Danny and Kenann walked slowly through the woods hand in hand. Neither spoke. They were headed to their special place. The fall colors blanketed the path in front of them and the sun glistened off the vibrant colors in the trees. Danny was overcome with gratitude and stopped, pulling Kenann into his arms. She looked up at him in surprise. He smiled. His gratitude turned to something a little more predatory. It showed in his eyes. She smiled back.

  “You’re my hero.”

  He laughed.

  She was piqued. “Is that funny?”

  He recovered. “No. It’s just that I am thinking of devouring you whole and you say something very sweet.”

  “I can talk trash.” Then she proceeded to utter a phrase she had learned in Singapore.

  He coughed. She laughed. He sputtered. “Well, no. I wasn’t thinking that exactly. Good grief, Kenann. You never cease to amaze me.”

  She shook her head. “MacKenzie, sometimes you are such a girl.”

  “Excuse me?” He bristled.

  “For someone who has been such a hard…uh, butt, you act so surprised when I say stuff like that.”

  He pondered that for a moment then took her hand and led her down the path toward their quiet spot. He needed time to think before he spoke again. He pulled her down on the makeshift bench they had constructed of rocks and logs. He straddled the bench and pulled her down to face him.

  “Kenann, I am a Christian.”

  “So am I.”

  “Yes, but I have a certain responsibility as a minister.”

  “Wait!” Kenann stood up to pace. She turned to look back at him. “If I understand this, you think you are held to a higher standard than other Christians? Or are you saying I am not meeting your standard?”

  “No. That is not it. But I have set myself up as a man of God. I need to maintain a certain influence.”

  She snorted, making her feelings known.

  “Kenann, we are called to be holy. We need to watch how we speak.”

  “By we you mean me.”

  “No, I mean we. We are partners. And I want us to join together in growing toward being holy.”

  “Danny Mac, we are married. If I want to talk dirty to you, it’s okay.”

  He stopped at that. They were married for goodness sake. He was overreacting. “Maybe it’s because I am giving up my post for the church. I guess I am grasping.”

  “Danny Mac, I get that I am still rougher round the edges than you want me to be. I promise to work on that. And I won’t mind—well, not too much—if you point out when I am out of line. But I think you are right. This is more about you than me or us. Are you having second thoughts about changing course like this?”

  He did not hesitate. “No. I know this is what I need to do. I just don’t want to lose my relationship with God. This is a hard business and we will be called on to do some hard things. We already have. I’m just concerned, you know?”

  “Yes, I do know. But we have to keep each other strong. I depend on you a lot, Danny Mac. But I want to be there for you, too. Be strong for you when you need it.”

  Danny pulled her to him. “You are my strength, Kenann. I knew from the minute you blew into my life that everything shifted for me at that moment. I found what was missing for me. The Holy Spirit confirmed it for me.”

  Kenann dropped her head to Danny’s chest. “I don’t understand that.”

  “I can’t say I understood it, either. But I know it happened. You are my everything, Kenann. You were meant to be mine.”

  The power of that was almost too much. She had to lighten it, so she looked up and gave him a mischievous grin. “Okay, can I talk dirty to yo
u now?”

  Danny turned her in one swift move and pulled her down with him to the carpet of grass by the stream.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Mrs. Gage sat on the couch in her library with Jake’s strong arm curling her into his side. They relaxed as they watched a small fire in the fireplace. Neither of them had spoken for several minutes. Jake had just shared his experience from that afternoon when he and Danny Mac had resigned from their respective posts of elder and minister of the local church. They were supported by the other elders and assistant ministers. There were no recriminations, but it did not lessen the difficulty in making their decision official and final.

  Mrs. Gage knew that Danny Mac and Jake both needed time to get used to the idea of giving up this aspect of their identity. She feared it would affect them in ways that they were yet to be aware. She would stay vigilant as always.

  Granny James came into the library and stopped short when she saw them on the couch. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude.”

  Mrs. Gage turned to the doorway. “Don’t be silly, Moira. Come in. Join us, dear.”

  Jake waved her over to the adjacent chair. “Come on, Moira. Take a load off.”

  Granny James acquiesced and sat down in the chair to which Jake pointed. “How are you Jake?”

  “Oh, it was a rough day but we got through it. It will be fine.”

  She responded with a serene smile. “Yes, it will.”

  Jake smiled back. “How do you stay so positive?”

  Granny James shook her head. “It’s not really me. The Lord makes all things right.”

  After Jake left, Mrs. Gage and Granny James retreated to the upstairs parlor between their two bedrooms. It was a cozy area of their suite, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the back garden. Mrs. Gage poured wine for both of them and sat back, swirling her glass.

  “Okay, spill it, Moira.”

  Granny James slowly turned her gaze to Mrs. Gage. “Are you sure you aren’t fey, Gabrielle?”

  “Well, we Hungarians call it euf’orias, but it means the same thing I guess.”