Soul Reader Series: Book1: Touch Enabled

by Dante Lupinetti

  “That’s right. My clearance was recently suspended after they discovered a crime for which I was convicted as a minor,” said Zeke. From there, Zeke proceeded to fill him in on all the specifics of his case.

  “Well,” said the attorney. “If I had a hundred dollars for every young man whose attorney told them, ‘Your records will be expunged. It’ll be just like it never happened,’ I could’ve retired by now. You’re probably facing a suspension and possible revoke based on Guideline E, Personal Conduct, for alleged intentional omission. I’ll file a response to the Statement of Reasons (SOR) that the government gives for a clearance revoke. I’ll tell them that you were advised by your attorney not to list the incident. I’ll also tell them that you want to apply to another agency and that you’ll correct and re-submit your SF-86. I think this will take care of it.”

  “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” exclaimed Zeke.

  “That’s what I’m here for. I do this all the time. Hey, in DC, a clearance is a must. You got a clearance, you got a job. That’s why we’re in business.”

  6

  A Walk in the Park

  The next day, Zeke woke up and called Harvey to tell him that his aunt had died, and that he needed to go home for a few days. Harvey told him to take all the time he needed and that he would turn the story over to Sly. Zeke called home and talked to his dad, and told him that he was coming home for a few days to sort things out. His parents told him they would pick him up at Lincoln Airport. Zeke called Julie to let her know that he was going home for a few days. He also told her that his aunt had died.

  Zeke decided to take the next plane back to Lincoln, Nebraska, from Reagan National Airport. As he made his way through the airport, he became aware of people staring at him again.

  One gentleman in particular seemed to be fixated on him. Finally, the man, dressed in a suit, approached Zeke and asked him, “Aren’t you that guy who interviewed Fernando Dollar?”

  Zeke had become tired of people asking this, but he played along. “Yes, that was me.”

  “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” said the man. “I’m U.S. Congressman Jack Johnson, Chairman of the Intelligence Committee.”

  Zeke was not overly surprised. Reagan National Airport was well known for flying many of the nation’s congressmen and senators.

  “Well, nice to meet you, Congressman.”

  “Son, you have quite a gift.”

  “That’s what people keep telling me, but it’s nothing I had anything to do with,” replied Zeke.

  “Nonetheless,” said the congressman. “Perhaps it was given to you for the good of others. Something to think about.”

  “Thanks. I’ll give it some thought,” said Zeke.

  The two departed, and Zeke boarded his plane. In two and a half hours, he would be back in Nebraska, away from the DC and East Coast insanity. Hopefully, he could think more clearly.

  Zeke’s mom and dad were waiting for him in the cell lot when he arrived at Lincoln Airport. As he deboarded the plane, he called them and they drove to the pickup zone.

  When Zeke walked out of the terminal to the pickup zone, his parents shouted, “Joseph, Joseph, over here.”

  He went to their car and his mom, Joan, jumped out and immediately embraced him.

  “It’s been so long, Joseph.” They hadn’t seen him since he left in August. It was almost October.

  “Hi, son,” said his father. “Welcome home. Now, we need to go. We’re backing up traffic.”

  Zeke laughed. “This ain’t traffic.”

  “I’ll have you know that Lancaster County is now the second most populated county in Nebraska,” said his dad.

  “Yeah, but it’s still Nebraska,” replied Zeke.

  “What’s wrong with Nebraska?” asked his dad. “Lincoln is hardly some backwoods, unsophisticated place.”

  “Yeah, I know, Dad. You would not believe what I’ve been through the last couple of months,” said Zeke.

  “We’ve been following you as best we could. We saw the Fernando Dollar interview and the Jack Cong interview.”

  “Wouldn’t hurt if you called home more often,” said his mom.

  “I expected the fast pace. I expected the traffic. I expected sweltering heat. I even expected the hardness of people,” said Zeke. “But I did not expect how cruel people can be. Did I tell you that someone from my office reported me on the FBI’s whistleblower line and told them about the bomb scare?”

  “How could they have found that out?” asked his dad.

  “It was my coworker. We went out after work. I had a couple drinks. He noticed my real name on a book at the office and began asking me questions. I thought I didn’t tell him much, but it must’ve been enough to cause the FBI to suspend my clearance and re-investigate me. They found out that two teachers died the day of the bomb scare.”

  “Son, you’ve got to be more careful not to spread that around. That’s all been dealt with. That’s all in the past. Your records were expunged. I know how bad you feel about Mr. Clayborn and Mr. Jenkins dying that day but, truth be told, it really was their three hundred pounds and smoking that killed them.”

  “I still feel terrible about it,” replied Zeke.

  “You know, I ran into Rita Sykes, the high school secretary, at the grocery store. She told me that someone had come to the school asking questions about Joseph, specifically about the bomb scare.”

  “Well, never mind that for now,” said Zeke. “I’ve got bigger things to think about.”

  “Let’s just get you home, son, and you can tell us all about it. We can sort through this thing together. Hey, Joseph, later maybe we could go over to Wilderness Park,” said his dad. “You always loved that park.”

  “Yeah,” said Zeke. “I made the biggest decisions of my life while walking through that park.”

  “I think it’s time for another walk,” said his dad. “This time I’d like to tag along if it’s all right with you.”

  “Sounds good to me,” replied Zeke.

  As Zeke and his parents pulled into the driveway, their golden Lab appeared in the living room window barking.

  “Cucho,” Zeke yelled. “Boy, have I missed you.”

  Zeke jumped from the car and ran to the door. He quickly unlocked it and opened the door. Cucho darted out the door to jump on Zeke knocking him back into the yard. Zeke fell backward with Cucho on top, and there they renewed an old friendship. When they finished playing, they went into the modest brick house in which Zeke had spent his entire life before the military and college and to which he always returned.

  “We have a surprise for you,” teased his mom. Aunt Becky came walking out of the kitchen.

  “Joseph,” she cried with soggy eyes, and they embraced one another.

  “It’s like a homecoming,” Zeke exclaimed.

  “Exactly,” said Aunt Becky. “Your mom told me that you were coming home this morning. There was no way I was not going to be here. I even cancelled my hairdresser appointment, and that woman is not easy to get.”

  “Let’s have lunch,” said Zeke’s mom. “Becky, would you help me put the lunchmeat and fixings out on the dining room table?”

  “Sure,” Becky replied.

  “By the way, Aunt Becky, you’re dead,” said Zeke. “That’s what I told my boss so I could get away for a few days.”

  “Well, it’s not the first time I died. I remember when your father did the same thing to get a few days off.”

  “Wonderful thing, that bereavement leave,” said his dad. “Everybody needs a break once in a while, and there’s no arguing with bereavement leave.”

  Zeke and his dad went into the dining room and sat down. “Now, don’t you two start the conversation without us,” said Aunt Becky.

  “Wouldn’t think of it, you old busy body,” said Zeke’s dad, Rodger. After Zeke’s mom, Joan, and Aunt Becky set the table and brought in all the food, Rodger began the conversation.

  “So, Joseph, we all saw the two interviews
. By the way, I have some things I want to ask you about all that, but it can wait. Tell us what we don’t know,” said Rodger.

  Zeke recapped his trip to CBS headquarters for his parents. “CBS headquarters contacted my boss and told him they wanted to find a place for me at headquarters as a regular on the Jack Cong show or my own show.”

  “Joseph, that is an absolute miracle,” said his mom.

  “Not so fast, Joan,” said his dad. “Let’s hear the rest of it.”

  “Meanwhile, I had a couple of visits from the FBI concerning my clearance,” continues Zeke. “A whistleblower from the station phoned in some info about me claiming I defrauded them on my clearance application. So, they suspended my clearance. This is a real problem because I need it to work as a news reporter in DC. Without it, I might as well get out of the news business. My boss wants me to go to work at headquarters. So, he’s pushing me out.”

  “Because you lost the clearance?” asked his mom.

  “That’s part of it, I guess,” said Zeke. “But, it’s more than that. He thinks it’ll be good for him to have someone at headquarters. It gives the station some connections, and he’s always wanted to work there. Just before I left for home, my boss asked me to look into a story about a potential assassination plot on the president and vice president.”

  “Oh, my God,” exclaimed his mom. “Is it true?”

  “I don’t know, Mom,” replied Zeke. “But, I’m gonna try to find out.”

  “Well, how are you going to do that?” asked his mom.

  “I don’t know. If I had a clearance, I think it would be easier. Abby Sorensen, Agent Jones’s assistant, offered to help me get my clearance back.”

  Zeke told his mom, dad and Aunt Becky about the interview with the Agent Jones and Agent Sorensen.

  “Why does she want to help you, son?” asked his Dad.

  “She said she thinks I got a bad deal and that I’m actually a good guy.”

  “Rodger, you are so dense. You too, for that matter, Joseph,” said his mom.

  “What do you mean?” asked Zeke.

  “She likes you. That’s why she’s helping you. It’s just that simple.”

  “Yeah, but in the interview, she kicked me to get me away from her boss.”

  “What?” asked his mom.

  “I was shaking Agent Jones’s hand. She kicked me to stop me from asking him questions.”

  “It was a love tap,” said his mom. “Look, you guys think a woman has got to be showering you with physical attention to show their interest. Good girls just start doing things for you.”

  “Anyway, Joseph, if you could use your gift to get information out of Agent Jones, you could use it to interrogate those demonstrators you were telling us about,” said his mom.

  “So, son, when do you actually know the answer to the questions that you’re asking a person?” asked his father.

  “I know the answer as soon as I ask it,” said Zeke. “As long as I have a grip on their hand and am making eye contact.”

  “So, you don’t actually have to ask the question?” asked his dad.

  “That’s right. I see their spiritual condition and I know their answer before they say it.”

  “Becky, you’re awfully quiet,” said Rodger her brother. “What do you think about this gift?”

  “I’m just taking it all in,” answered Aunt Becky. “It sounds like the gift of knowledge to me. I think we should all lay hands on Joseph and pray for him. I don’t know what’s going on here, but I know a God thing when I see it.”

  Rodger chimed in, “We may not all agree on church matters, but long ago I promised the Lord that I would raise my family up in the Lord. Let’s all gather around Joseph and pray for him.”

  Rodger, Joan, and Aunt Becky stood up around Zeke’s chair, laid a hand on him, and then prayed for his protection and that God would use him in the best way He saw fit in accordance with His Almighty, divine will.

  “Mom, Dad, Aunt Becky,” said Zeke. “I want to thank you all for your love, prayers, and support. I don’t know how all this is going to turn out, but it’s comforting to know that I have a family like this.”

  “Now, Joseph, I have a little surprise for you,” said his dad. “Let’s you and I take a drive to Wilderness Park where we can go for a good walk and reacquaint with God’s nature, something you probably don’t see much in DC.”

  “Yeah, I’d like that,” said Zeke. “Can we bring Cucho?”

  “Of course,” said his dad.

  “Have some good bonding time,” said his mom.

  Zeke got Cucho, and they jumped in the car and drove for about five miles southwest to Lincoln’s largest park, Wilderness Park. The park was considered a city park, but compared to DC, it was pure wilderness, thirteen miles of horse trails and bison. The only time Washingtonians and New Yorkers saw bison was when it was a lean burger on a menu in a restaurant.

  After they arrived at the park, they were greeted by two men that Zeke knew from growing up in Lincoln, Pastor Williams from the Pentecostal Apostolic Church in Lincoln and Pastor Jones from the Southern Temple Baptist Church in Lincoln. There were not two men who disagreed more on matters concerning faith and the Christian religion.

  Before they got out of the car, Zeke looked at his dad and said, “Pastor Jones and Pastor Williams. Why are they here?”

  They got out of the car, and Zeke’s dad said, “Joseph, you know these two gentlemen.”

  “Yes,” said Zeke. “Pastor Jones, Pastor Williams. It’s been a while. Good to see you both, but I would not expect to see you two in the same place.”

  “Well,” said Pastor Williams, “I know this comes as a surprise, but your dad called and asked us to be here today to help with some decisions you are making. He’s filled us in on a lot of what’s been going on in your life lately and thought we might be able to bring clarity. He knows how different our views are on certain matters, and he wanted to have both views represented.”

  “Well, let’s get started on a trail,” said Zeke’s dad. “We can walk and talk.”

  The trails in Wilderness Park were not paved. They were dirt trails with potholes, sticks, leaves, and remnants of small trees sometimes strewn across. Close attention needed to be paid when walking these trails. Even closer attention when jogging. Zeke was concerned that the more elderly Pastor Jones would have difficulty traversing a trail.

  Thinking the Homestead Trail might be their safest bet, Zeke suggested they take that.

  “You mean the thirteen-mile trail?” asked Pastor Jones.

  “Think you’re up to it, Pastor?” asked Zeke.

  “I think I can manage.”

  “OK. Come on, Cucho,” said Zeke.

  They started out on the trail. It was fall and the leaves were starting to change color.

  “Beautiful,” said Pastor Jones.

  “Best time of year,” said Zeke, as they walked along the narrow, unpaved road. “The day I decided to join the Marines I came out here to walk and pray about my decision. Then, when I got out of the Marines, I came out here again and spent the day walking and talking to God.”

  “What happened, Joseph?” asked Pastor Williams.

  “What do you mean?” asked Zeke.

  “You were totally on fire for the Lord in high school,” said Pastor Williams. “After college, I never saw you again. What happened?”

  “I guess I lost my faith,” replied Zeke.

  “Son, you don’t just lose your faith, unless you never had it to begin with,” said Pastor Jones.

  “Oh, he had it,” retorted Pastor Williams. “That boy was so excited. He was on fire for the Lord. After I baptized him in the Spirit, he started praying in tongues. He started prophesying.”

  “Ron,” said Pastor Jones, “that don’t mean he was saved. Just because someone starts blabbering like a fool don’t mean he’s saved.”

  “Listen, Harley, you old coot, we’ve got a dozen Holiness churches in Lincoln right now and more coming. Souther
n Baptist are down to four and losing more people by the week. Now, why do you think that is?”

  “I don’t know, Ron. Maybe, it’s ’cause you’re teachin’ a false gospel that they like to hear. Maybe, it’s ’cause your hyping ’em all up on sugar water by feeding ’em all that spirit stuff, convincing ’em that they’re gonna get healed of this or that, that God wants ’em to be rich, that they’re not gonna have to go

  through hard times. Hard times is what faith is for. The faith of the true believer grows in times of trouble. Do you want to know what happened to Joseph? I’ll tell you what happened. Same thing that’s happens to most of our students. Seen it a dozen times. After he got out of the Marines and went off to that university, they argued with him about God. Told him he could never be sure there was a God. Told him that there could be many gods and there are many ways to heaven. Told him the Bible is just a book of literature written by men. Told him Jesus Christ was just a good man like Mohammed. Joseph, did I get it about right?” asked Pastor Jones.

  “Yes, Pastor, you nailed it. By the time I graduated college,” said Zeke, “I was disillusioned about God and about the meaning and purpose of my life. I stopped going to church. I stopped reading the Bible. I stopped praying.”

  “Well, enough arguments from you two,” said Zeke’s dad. “Right now, Zeke needs you to help him determine the legitimacy of this special gift he has. Is it from God? Should he continue to use it? Is it one of the gifts that the Holy Spirit gives? You’ve both seen his TV interviews.”

  “Joseph,” said Pastor Williams, “can you demonstrate it right now?”

  “Yes, I think so,” said Zeke.

  “Well, demonstrate it on me,” said Pastor Williams.

  “OK,” said Zeke. “Give me your hand and look me in the eye.”

  Pastor Williams grabbed Zeke’s hand and looked him in the eye.

  Zeke blurted out, “Your breastplate is damaged.”

  “What?” asked Pastor Williams.

  “Your breastplate is damaged.”

  “He’s talking about the breastplate of righteousness found in the book of Ephesians,” said Pastor Jones.

  “It has a crack in it,” said Zeke. “You have an unclean spirit assaulting you.”