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  “Welcome, Jack! So good to have you here tonight! Everyone is excited to hear from you.” Motioning to one of her friends, she said, “Patty, this is Jack Bennett, the man I was telling you about.”

  “It is a pleasure to meet you, Jack. I’ve heard so much about you already. I feel like we are old friends.”

  Jack extended his hand. “Patty, so nice to meet you. Thank you for all your prayers. I am overwhelmed to say the least.”

  Conni lifted her arm and pointed downstairs. “We meet downstairs in the fellowship hall. Please, come this way and we will get started in a few minutes.”

  “Okay, sounds good.”

  Jack followed them downstairs feeling a little nervous. It was a large room, about seventy-five feet by a hundred with fifty or so folding chairs set up in a half circle in the middle of the room on an old style black and white vinyl tile floor. On one side of the room, there were several tables set up with refreshments - coffee, tea, and some baked goods. There were only a few small basement type windows on either side of the room with two double doors all the way in the back leading to the parking lot. It was a lot easier for him to write his blog or record his podcast than to speak in public. Jack wasn’t the yelling kind. He just spoke normally and let the Lord do the rest. He had spoken at events before, but it had been a while.

  Conni got everyone’s attention, opened in prayer and then introduced Jack. “Tonight we have a special guest who has an important message for all of us. Please welcome author, Jack Bennett.”

  Jack looked around the room. He estimated the average age to be between forty and forty-five and was pleased to see a few younger people there as well. There had to be at least forty people there which was also encouraging since, in Jack’s experience, attendance at prayer meetings usually topped out at ten at best. The group was comprised mostly of women with only a few men in attendance. Jack was reminded that down through history, God had always used dedicated women of prayer to get things done. For example, the origins of World Day of Prayer date back to the 19th century when Christian women of the United States and Canada initiated a variety of cooperative activities in support of women’s involvement in missions at home and in other parts of the world. He could see that the Christians in this room were on fire and ready to go.

  Jack walked over to a small stand in front of the room. “It is a true honor to share with you tonight. First, I would like to thank all of you who have been praying for me over the past week. When Conni told me about it, I was blessed out of my mind because only God could have known what I was going to face and what I would need. He is so faithful.

  “To see so many of you dedicated to prayer is amazing. Prayer moves the hand of God. If we want to be blessed and victorious, we must continue to seek the Lord. What I have to tell you tonight is not easy to hear or, I suppose, to believe. Yesterday, on my way to meet a friend for breakfast, I saw a man hitchhiking on the side of the road. Now, I don’t recommend any of you ladies doing this, but I have made it a practice to give hitchhikers a ride when possible in an effort to speak to them about the love of God. This one was very different. This hitchhiker turned out to be an angel.”

  The reaction was mixed. There were some “oohs” and “aahs” and some just stared at Jack like he had two heads.

  Jack pressed on, “I know you don’t hear that kind of thing every day, but I can assure you it is true. Remember the book of Hebrews 13:2, ‘Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.’ It was an experience I will never forget, and the most vital part of what I am about to tell you is what he told me. He said the days are getting darker and we must be on guard. There are forces that are rising up that wish to suppress and throw the truth of God’s Word to the ground and trample on it. Even now, they are gathering and preparing to destroy the faith of God’s people through fear and despair. He told me to gather people of like faith together to pray, and if we do so, God will fight for us and we will have victory.”

  At that, the place stood to their feet and applauded in agreement. Jack knew it wasn’t for him, but rather was praise unto the Lord.

  Everyone in the room sat back down with the exception of a man and woman who were standing against the back wall. Jack had noticed them earlier. He had a feeling they weren’t part of the group, because they kept to themselves and he could see them talking to each other off and on while he was speaking. He also got the feeling they didn’t approve of what was going on. He planned on asking Conni about them afterward.

  Jack continued with renewed vigor. “Who are these forces? The apostle Paul said it best. ‘Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.’

  “These dark rulers are infiltrating our world at every level. We see the horrific acts of terror going on all over the world, but this is only the beginning. For the most part, we have failed as the people of God in doing battle on our knees, but it is not too late. It is, however, an all out spiritual warfare that is needed. Some have folded their hands in defeat, barely hanging on, waiting for his return. I can only echo the words Jesus taught - ‘Occupy until I come.’ The issues we face are not political, but spiritual. We cannot defeat the enemy with clever speeches and new laws. Only prayer can win this battle. We cannot do it on our own. I have faced these forces before and they are formidable, but through the power of God we can and will prevail.”

  Applause broke out all around the room. Jack smiled, walked over to his seat and sat down, thankful his words were received in the spirit in which he intended them. He was diligent in keeping one eye on the mystery guests in the back of the room.

  Conni smiled at Jack and walked up front to lead the group in a worship song before prayer. As soon as the group started singing, the two visitors who had been observing the meeting headed for the back door. You didn’t need any special insight or gift to know they were up to no good. He would find out soon enough. For now, he wanted to enjoy the worship and join everyone in prayer.

  * * *

  After prayer, most of the group stayed to have a cup of coffee and talk. Conni came up to Jack and said, “That was wonderful. I believe everyone here was inspired and energized by what you shared. I know I was truly blessed.”

  “Thank you. That means a lot to me. I hope everyone spreads the word and gets even more people involved.” Jack lowered his voice significantly and asked, “Did you see those two people standing in the back?”

  “Yes, I did, but I have never seen them here before. Do you know them?”

  “That’s what I was going to ask you. They seemed a little out of sorts, if you know what I mean.”

  Conni looked around the room and said, “Phyllis - she knows everyone around here. Let me get her over here and see if she knows.”

  Conni found Phyllis and brought her over to where Jack was standing. “Phyllis, Jack asked me about the two people standing in the back of the room tonight. Do you know them?”

  Taking another sip of her coffee, Phyllis said, “Oh yes, I believe they are on the historical committee that is responsible for how this building and other historical buildings in the county get used. It is kind of strange that they would be here because I’ve never seen them here before tonight.”

  Jack thought for a moment and said, “Really? I don’t think they approved of what was going on. They looked a little perturbed to me.”

  Phyllis looked at Conni and said, “If that’s true, we might be in a bit of trouble. They have a lot of sway in the county.”

  Conni looked a little concerned, but kept her composure and said, “God called us here. I know that for sure. We need to keep praying and believe it will all work out.”

  Jack agreed, said his goodbyes, and headed out the double doors at the back of the room that led to the parking lot. As he got to the top of the steps, he could see two people off in the distance tal
king. It was the same two people from downstairs. It was difficult to see clearly with only two old streetlights hanging over the parking lot, but he was sure it was them. Once they saw him, they moved quickly and met him at his car.

  “Mr. Bennett?”

  Jack looked them up and down checking for any kind of weapon. Working with Frank taught him to always be aware and suspicious.

  “You saw me earlier so I believe you know who I am. The question is, who are you?”

  “Our names are not important. What is important is the powers that be do not want to see you here again. You are considered to be a troublemaker, a fly in the ointment if you will.”

  “Really? And who exactly is it that I’m making trouble for?”

  “The people we represent are very powerful. You don’t want to piss them off, Mr. Bennett. It would be very unwise. Besides, you wouldn’t want anything to happen to any of your new friends here in High Point, would you?”

  Jack suddenly felt a presence he recognized and had felt many times before. He knew he had to answer cautiously for right now, even though he felt like ripping into both of them. He would have to find out more before he could go on the offensive. Then again, a little sarcasm couldn’t hurt.

  “That’s quite a threat coming from the historical society. Is this common practice in this area or should I feel special?”

  “We know who you are and what you do. I would be very careful from now on if I were you. Bad things can happen to good people, you know.”

  “Well, I guess you guys have nothing to worry about then,” Jack replied with a smirk. “Hey, I really would love to stay and chat, but I have an appointment with Jesus when I get back. You’ve heard of Him I suppose, haven’t you? Lord of Lords? King of Kings? You know, all that kind of stuff. I would say have a good night, but you probably won’t, so I guess I’ll just go now.”

  Jack opened the door of his car and pulled out of the parking lot. Once he got a mile or two down the road, a bead of sweat formed on his forehead. He thought to himself, Never let them see you sweat. He wasn’t going to wait until he got back. He started his “meeting” in the car.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  A light steady rain fell on Bath Avenue as Jack walked into CJ’s to meet Frank. Due to the weather, they would be eating inside this morning, much to Frank’s dismay. Jack was the first to arrive for a change. Normally Frank would be sitting at the table impatiently looking down at his watch waiting for him, but not this morning. Jack had too much on his mind to sleep or even think about updating his blog. He had spent most of the night praying off and on and thinking about his newfound friends and enemies. There was so much to talk about, it made his head spin. Jack sat down and just stared out the window thinking and watching the rain steadily come down.

  Emily, who had been standing nearby and waiting with her pad in hand finally approached Jack. “Hi, Mr. Bennett! Can I get you something while you wait.”

  She had never seen Jack come in by himself before so she naturally assumed he was meting Frank or someone else.

  A little startled, Jack replied, “Oh, hi Emily. Yes, please. I’ll have a cup of coffee. And Emily? Please call me Jack.”

  Emily smiled and said, “Okay, Jack.”

  In all the craziness, he had forgotten about Emily. He thought to himself, What am I going to do about that? Am I going to do anything? I guess asking her to call me by my first name is a start.

  “Hey! I can’t believe you beat me here,” Frank laughed. “What’s gonna happen next?”

  “Next? That’s a good question.”

  Frank sat down and said, “Okay, so what have you got?”

  Emily arrived with Jack’s coffee. She quickly focused her attention to Frank, smiled and said, “Good morning! What can I get you?”

  “I’m starving! How about two eggs, home fries, and bacon, crisp. And lots of coffee,” Frank ordered with a smile.

  “And you, Jack?”

  Frank’s radar instantly went up. He was dying to say something, but decided to hold his tongue just for the moment.

  Jack ignored Frank’s inquiring face. “I’ll have the Masala Omelet and a refill on the coffee, please.”

  As soon as Emily walked away Frank dove in. “And you, Jack?” he mimicked, his voice an octave higher than normal. “Well, have we made a decision?”

  “I’m thinking let’s just leave it at that.” Changing the subject, Jack asked, “How did you make out in Washington?”

  “Well, considering I had less than twenty-four hours, not too bad. I found out that the good senator had a meeting in D.C. on the down low a few days ago with some real heavy hitters in the business world and another U.S. senator. It seems he belongs to some secret society - so secret nobody knows what it’s all about.”

  “What about the Oslows?”

  “That’s where it really gets interesting. It turns out they were big contributors to his campaign back in the day. Not sure how that all connects just yet. It is going to take some time to dig into all that.”

  Emily brought them their breakfast and refilled Frank’s cup first. She glanced at Jack, and then poured his coffee. For the first time, Jack really noticed her eyes. They were a deep blue and seemed to sparkle, especially when she looked at him. He always thought she was pretty of course, but so did everyone else. He just never thought of her in this way. He wasn’t sure why it had taken him so long to catch on, but there was no doubt in his mind about how he felt now.

  Frank waited until she left and said, “Wow - talk about a connection. I can feel the heat from here.” He mock fanned himself.

  Jack turned his head and took another look at Emily who was now standing at the counter. “This is new ground for me. I’m going to take it slow.” Refocusing their conversation, Jack said, “Anyway, back to the Oslows. I went over and over those files you sent me. Did you get a good look at them?”

  “I didn’t have the chance. I was in a hurry to get out of the station.”

  “Heidi again? You better stay out of there altogether. That’s not the girl for you, pal.”

  Frank tilted his head to the side and said, “I know, but she’s got it all going on.”

  Jack gave him a stern look. “Run, my friend. Run as fast as you can.”

  “Yeah, yeah - don’t worry it’s never gonna happen. So, what did you find on the report?”

  “Are you ready for this? The Oslows were originally from Iraq. They owned the house for ten years before their deaths. The day they bought it, they paid cash. $545,000 - in cash. We already know they belonged to a Middle East group called The Sons of Nimrod, but what we didn’t know was that they were helping Saddam Hussein finance the rebuilding of Babylon. Once built, they had plans to reinstate worship to the ancient gods of Babylon which included human sacrifice.”

  “Human sacrifice? Saddam Hussein?” Frank sat across from Jack looking bewildered. “You’re not going to try to tell me this was on the report, are you?”

  “No, not that part. I sent out a few emails to some folks I’ve known for a while in Kuwait. They got me that info. Remember, we’re talking over forty years ago.”

  Frank looked at Jack. “So the Oslows were Iraqis? Oslow obviously wasn’t their real last name.”

  “No, their real last name was Sahar.”

  “Okay. So, let’s try to put this all together. They came to America over forty years ago, then somewhere along the line connected with not yet elected Senator Wellsenburg and decided to help him win a Senate seat. Bizarre.”

  Jack finished his last bite of his breakfast. “You just said you found out that Wellsenburg is part of a secret society, but nobody knows what kind. What if Wellsenburg, in a roundabout way, sold his soul to the devil in order to win the Senate race? You told me yourself months ago that he has grown in power year after year and that he has his eye on a presidential nomination.”

  Frank’s head was spinning. “Yeah, but that is a lot to wrap your head around. Although now that I think of it, it does fit w
ith what the demon creature said to the girl.”

  Jack looked down for a second and quietly repeated, “The spirit of Babylon is coming.” He leaned back in his chair. “There’s more.”

  Frank took a deep breath. “Of course there is. What else?”

  “Last night at the prayer meeting, there were two people standing in the back of the room the whole time I was speaking. They were taking notes and one was even talking to someone on the phone. The same two people, a man and a woman, were waiting for me outside in the parking lot after the meeting. They came over to me as I was getting into my car and, basically, threatened me, and the prayer group, if I ever came back there. They said they worked for powerful people and told me that bad things can happen to good people. Frank, I got the same feeling off of them as I got when I entered the Oslow House. It was weird, very weird.”

  Frank was enraged. He loved confrontations and wished he could have been there. How dare they threaten a prayer group and someone like Jack!

  “Are you kidding? Man, what were their names?”

  “I didn’t get their names. They wouldn’t tell me.”

  You could almost see the steam coming off Frank’s head. “I’ll find out who they are and pay them a little visit. Don’t you worry.”

  “Slow down, buddy. I don’t think that’s a good idea. I appreciate your concern, but there is more to this than meets the eye. Somehow all these pieces fit together.”

  Frank cooled down a little, but he was still visibly upset. “So you think this has something to do with The Sons of Nimrod and maybe even Senator Wellsenburg?”

  “Don’t you?”

  Frank paused for a moment, rested his elbow on the table and rubbed his forehead. “I don’t get it. Why should anyone in Washington care about a prayer meeting in some small town? I mean, no offense, but why would they care about Jack Bennett? Are you sure this just wasn’t some bent-out-of-shape, small town officials playing God?”

  Jack leaned forward. “Frank, I’m telling you it goes deeper than flesh and blood. I can sense it! You have to trust me on this one.”