Inside Lucifer's War (30 page)

“You need to leave,” Therese says, breaking my heart. Any physical pain I felt is gone. Her words cut me deep, but I know they needed to be spoken.

A couple of men grab me and start to walk me off, and then the creature arrives dressed as a policeman. “It’s okay, gentlemen,” he tells them, “I’ll take him from here. Disturbing the peace. Resisting arrest. We’ll make sure he gets a quiet room to sleep this off.”

He grabs me by the neck and begins to head toward the service road behind the building. It’s odd that nobody questions where he is taking me, but I guess they are simply happy that someone is taking care of the noisy drunk. As the creature moves me along, I catch Stacie’s stare. I can tell that she wants to help me, so I shake my head slightly.

She whispers the word
please
.

I mouth, “It’s okay,” back to her.

We turn the corner and head down the small road, entering the warehouse area. My side still aches, and I realize that I’ve been clutching it. When I pull my hand away, I notice the red stain on my shirt. I can feel his hand on my neck change from human to creature. His fingernails press against my skin, digging in until I feel blood trickling down my neck. I try to brace my feet to stop him, but the pain in my side prevents me from resisting. Instead, I try to drop to the ground, but I find his claws in my neck digging deeper as he carries me, causing excruciating pain. We reach the warehouse door, and it suddenly bursts open.

He throws me to the ground and advances toward me, this time in his natural form. I scurry backward, though the distance between us is shortening.

“Where can you run?” he chortles with an evil grin. “You’ve been turned over to me. You can play your games with the other humans, but we know who you are and what you are doing. You’ve been judged and found to be lacking.”

I realize he’s right. There is nowhere to run. I stop moving, and he stands at my feet. I hear other creatures moving in the darkness. He can see that I’m aware of the others.

“We’ve come to feast on you,” he says. “Have you ever watched lions eat? The pack leader devours first, and then the rest of the pack take the rest. The only difference is, I’ll leave you alive while they feast . . . Well, partially alive. Just enough to wish you were dead. When we are through with you, we are going to finish the job that you were incapable of. As you suffer at our hands, I want you to imagine Stacie going through the same agony.”

I rise to my feet and attempt to tackle him, but his hand quickly seizes my throat, just under my chin. I can feel him lift me up. He holds me high above him, and then he throws me down, hard. It takes the wind out of me for a moment. I convulse trying to catch my breath.

“Thomas, what is the penalty for sin?”

I don’t respond.

“I asked you a question!” he shouts. “What are the wages for sin?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say.

“Oh, yes you do. Think back.” He asks once more, “What are the wages for sin?”

I recall my conversation with Lucifer. “The wages for sin is death,” I answer.

“That’s right! And now it’s time you paid that wage!” He lets out a horrible scream as he pounces on top of me. I feel my arms pinned down, and I see his mouth opening. I hear the roar of the other demons, and I know this is the end.

I do the only thing I can do, the one thing I promised Stacie. I pray.

“Jesus, you are my Lord and Savior, and I ask you to protect me from the Evil One. I am a sinner saved only by your sacrifice and grace. Please accept me as your humble servant!”

Instantly, the roar of the demons is replaced by a whisper and then silence. The fear and trembling I felt moments ago is replaced with peace and serenity. The darkness that surrounded me is suddenly lighter. I turn my eyes to the door, and I see a figure. I hear him calling my name, but it is distant. I can feel my father’s presence. I know he is with me. I look at the figure as he moves closer. I am so tired, though. So very tired. I struggle to keep my eyes open, but they will not. “Dad?” I call out before I lose consciousness.

When I awake, it’s not my father I see over me but Bruce. He’s kneeling beside me, feeling my pulse. “Easy, Dr. Fields. You might have a concussion and your stitches have opened.”

“Where am I?” I ask.

“You’re in a warehouse next to the church,” he answers.

Everything comes back to me in a flash. I try to sit up, but my head aches, and I have to hold it. I look around, but I don’t see anything.

“Relax. You’re okay,” Bruce says.

“Did you see anyone come in or out of here?” I ask.

“No,” he says. “Outside of a group of birds and you lying on your back, I didn’t see anyone else. I watched that policeman bring you this way. Something seemed odd about him. I don’t believe he was a policeman. I don’t know what happened to him, though.”

I smile. “I kicked his butt.”

Bruce laughs. “Look, there’s something you should know. There are a lot of people who would like to see the organization destroyed. Or at least the key members of the organization. I think he was one of those people. Come on. Let’s get you on your feet and out of here.” Bruce helps me to my feet, and I lean on him as we walk.

As we head toward Kinsley’s Suburban, I look over at the church. I see a crowd of people still talking outside. Stacie is standing among them, looking for me. I don’t make any gestures, but I hope that she sees me and knows that I’m okay.

Bruce breaks my stare with a comment before he ushers me into the vehicle. “I’ll take you home, but I have to get Mr. McKee to his condo first. He’s not feeling well. His doctor is meeting us there.”

C
HAPTER 27

No Turning Back

I notice the mark on my arm is still there as I carry my suitcase downstairs to the lobby. I guess it will never go away. I guess there are some scars that run so deep they are never gone. I think it’s true of emotions as well. There are events that trigger such deep emotional responses that they never go away. It may callus over with time, but pick at it slightly and you feel just how deep the wound is. I look at the lobby and all I think about is losing Mike. I can’t help but step in that lobby and replay the events in my mind. The horrible scar of losing my friend Mike will remain forever. I think about the devastation I caused Josephine. That scar will remain forever. I think about how I completely disappointed Leslie. That scar will remain forever.

Then I think about the good things that remain. No matter what happens with Stacie, knowing she loved me, even if it was ever so briefly, will remain. I think about the laughter I shared with Mike. The wisdom he provided me. That, too, shall remain. And in the end, when its all weighed on the scales of life, the good things will outweigh the bad ones. I think of this as I walk toward Bruce, who waits for me at the lobby door.

“I thought there were two to pick up, Dr. Fields. Isn’t a woman coming with us?” he asks.

“I’ll tell you in about thirty minutes,” I reply. Seeing the confusion on his face, I smile and say, “I need to run by the church where the funeral was held last Saturday. I told her to meet us there. But I don’t know if she’ll be joining us. Will we be picking up Kinsley on the way, or is he meeting us at the plane?”

“Neither,” Bruce responds. “He’s very ill. I don’t think it was food poisoning. He’s too sick to travel. You probably knew that, though.”

I swallow hard. What does Bruce know? The plan is teetering on disaster.

“You saw how sick he was yesterday. There was no way he was going to fly today. He did make me promise to take very good care of you and the lady with you. That’s my plan,” he says.

I breathe a huge sigh of relief. “That’s terrible,” I exclaim. “Is he in a hospital?”

“No sir,” Bruce answers. “Mr. McKee only uses a personal doctor. He doesn’t go to hospitals.”

“What about Bishop?” I ask. “Kinsley mentioned that Bishop was also feeling ill.”

“I’m not sure. Bishop is a very private person. Last I heard from Mr. McKee, Bishop was in worse shape than he was.”

“Strange,” I say.

“Very.”

We drive to the church, and I pause a moment at the car before going in.

“Everything okay, Dr. Fields?” Bruce asks.

“Please call me Tom,” I say. “I’m not sure what I’m going to find when I walk through those doors.”

I don’t see Stacie’s car in the parking lot, but that’s a good thing. I told her that if she did come, she should be discrete. What I don’t know is if she’ll be here. I’m not sure what scares me most—that she is here or that she isn’t.

“I’m sorry. What was that?” Bruce asks.

“Nothing. Everything is fine. Please wait here. I’ll be back shortly,” I say.

I grab my briefcase and check my pocket for the thirtieth time to ensure the flash drive is still there. I open the first set of doors that lead into the foyer. Nobody is there, but I hear talking in the sanctuary, so I round the corner to the opening.

Standing in the aisle are Allison, James, and Stacie. They see me, and I stop for a moment, unable to move. Afraid of the future. Stacie doesn’t hesitate, though. She runs to me, puts her hands on my face and kisses me. Not a peck on the lips as before, but a long kiss. I wrap my free arm around her, and she feels unlike any woman I have ever held. I don’t want to let go, but she stops and steps back.

“I’m so happy that you’re okay,” she says.

I smile, and then we both look over at Allison and James.

James says, “We introduced ourselves a few moments ago. Although, your reception was a bit nicer than ours.”

The two federal agents approach Stacie and me. I hand him the briefcase and the flash drive. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to be rid of these,” I say. “Hopefully, nobody will be looking for them anymore. At least, they won’t be looking for them among my possessions.”

“We hear that McKee and Bishop are ill. Sudden, isn’t it? There’s even speculation they might die. That would definitely be convenient for you two,” James says. “I don’t suppose you know anything about that.”

Before I can say anything, the door opens behind me. We all turn to see Bruce walking toward us. I do what I should have done at the shooting: I step in front of Stacie to protect her. Then I notice James step toward Bruce.

James throws open his arms and gives Bruce a hug.

“It’s good to see you, James,” Bruce says.

“Likewise, Bruce,” James responds.

“You know each other?” I ask. “How?”

“Bruce and I go way back. We started in the FBI together. Heck. He stole my first girlfriend,” James says.

Bruce responds, “I saw her first. What can I say? She wanted a taller man.”

Allison extends her hand to Bruce. “It’s nice to finally meet you in person, Bruce. We appreciate all you’ve been doing. I’ve also enjoyed hearing some of James’s stories about your adventures.”

“I’m sure it’s like fishing stories,” Bruce says. “The adventures get bigger with each passing year.”

“Well, how did you leave it with Kinsley?” James asks.

“The boss told me to take care of Dr. Fields and his companion. I promised him I would. I’m not one to break promises,” Bruce says.

James turns to me. “It’s up to you now, Thomas. We can put you into witness protection. Bruce can tell the Principal that he found you dead, and we can make the story work. We’ll relocate you, and you’ll most likely live out your days in peace. Or you can work for us. The last thing the rest of the Principal knows is that Kinsley was supporting you fully. You’ll be welcomed in New York. If you choose that path, though, I can’t promise you anything but danger.”

“Before I give you an answer, we still have a problem. Paige. I need your help. She’s packed and awaiting our arrival this morning at her apartment. You told me she was primarily working with Kinsley and Bishop. What if she knows more of the Principal?” I ask.

“Packed and ready to go, you say?” James asks.

“Yes. She is a loose end to our plan. Our hope, my hope is that you can somehow handle Paige,” I say.

James responds, “First, I don’t want to know anything about any plan. Let’s be clear there. Second, if she’s all packed up, then it’s the least we can do to send her on a trip. We’ll take care of Paige, regardless of what you decide to do.”

I grab Stacie and we walk several aisles away from them. “Stacie, tell me what you want. Do we have a chance at a life together?” I ask, searching her eyes. “I understand if you can’t live a life with me, but this is my one chance to ask you. Will you marry me?”

“What happened when you were dragged off from the parking lot?” Stacie asks. “Was it who you thought it was? How did you come out alive?”

I tell her the full story, including my prayer. When I finish, she pats my leg and says, “Stay here a minute. I’ll be right back.”

She returns with a man carrying a Bible. I recognize him as one of the pastors at the church. They stop at the first row of seats, and Stacie beckons me with her finger. I start to move forward, and she waves her arm to the entire group. With everyone looking around, we approach her.

When we get there, she simply says, “This is Pastor Rick. Pastor Rick and I were in youth group together. Although this is definitely not how I planned it, I’m thrilled that Pastor Rick is going to perform the service.”