She gets out of the car and is about to head into the woods, but James doesn’t budge. Like with the deer incident earlier, he just sits there! Lauren is just through with him on that point! So, she marches around the car to his door and opens it; but before she can say anything, he looks her square in the eyes, and says, “I know this is why I’m here Lauren, I know it. Don’t waste any time arguing, I will not move. Go to the ranger’s cabin.”
“But the car, what about–?”
“Go to the cabin, Lauren! GO!”
Lauren steps back, stunned by his raised voice. She tries to processes what he just said, but then on blind faith begins to jog up the hill towards the cabin. After a couple of dozen steps she slows to a stop and turns around. She contemplates Mr. Market’s car, lodged in the woods, perhaps he’s on the ground, she thinks. Then she looks back at her car and seeing James, praying his heart out! Suddenly an anxious urgency to get to that rangers cabin sweeps over her! She turns and runs with all her might to get there! As if a life depended on it!
She tears up the hill with emotion and adrenalin pushing her normal athletic ability nearly off balance in the fresh snow. It is almost 200 yards from the lower parking area but she is not even winded. As she approaches the door she is enveloped by the glow, which is still brilliant and inexplicably emanating from inside. She opens the door, and there alone is Mr. Market, lying on the floor! Everything seems to be in slow motion! She cries out to James, but from within the closed car he does not hear her. She rushes over to Mr. Market, placing her head to his chest. She is just in time to hear his last heart beat.
“NO!” she screams, while getting herself ready to try and resuscitate him she calls out again, “James!” But James is still praying with all his heart, doing what he feels is best. She begins CPR, after a minute she checks again. Her heart is pounding so loud she cannot trust what she hears, but after a few seconds it is clear. There’s nothing. She cries out, “God please. PLEASE!”
She resumes CPR for a moment, but when she looks down on him he doesn’t look like Mr. Market anymore; he looks like her own father! It’s her father’s face! Shocked, she stops CPR and pulls away. She can’t understand. “What is this?” But getting a hold of herself she realizes that she must try to save him, she must proceed or he will die! She gets up her nerve and reinstates the resuscitation. Determined, she says to her father, “No! NO! You won’t die on me again! You WON’T!”
• • •
Back in the car, James has the radio in hand and calls out, “This is James Market. We’ve located my dad at the ranger station and require immediate medical assistance!” Miraculously Bruce Watson is just minutes away, and hearing the call he quickly turns his truck around and heads for the ranger station.
Agent Levy calls back, “James, this is Agent Levy, what are the closest cross roads to your location?”
But James doesn’t hear him. He has left the radio on the car seat and is looking through the trunk to get something to break the chain and lock of the road block cross bar. Finding a tire-changing pry-bar, he slips and slides his way over and wedges it between the chain and frame and begins pulling with all his might. He can already hear the sirens approaching. He pulls and pulls as Bruce Watson’s Truck, with light and sirens, comes tearing up the road. At the last second James pops a link in the chain and swings the iron cross bar to the side as Watson comes sliding to a stop.
“Get in!” yells Watson. And James jumps into the passenger seat.
• • •
In the station, Lauren, who is charged with emotion, continues to pump Robert Market’s chest and give the breath of life, but he does not respond! Crying through the chest compressions she says to the man who looks to be her father, “Why, Daddy, Why! They say that you were a hero! That you could have come back home to us!”
It is here, looking down at his face, when Lauren hears her father’s voice, calming her, “You can do this Laurie, you’re doing fine. Keep going.”
She is transported back to her childhood, back to their old New York apartment. Her father, still in his police uniform, is teaching her life saving procedures. He was the type of man who believed more in saving a life, than taking one. He always wanted to be a Secret Service agent himself. She remembers him showing her CPR, using himself as a patient, telling her, “Hold your hand like this, and pump fifteen times.” Tears flow down Laurens face as she is currently doing chest compressions on Mr. Market, who still looks like her beloved father. Still, she remembers, her dad teaching her how to lift someone heavier than her—a technique she used to lift James to his feet when they met. She remembers him lying on the floor instructing her, a scrawny 14-year-old, saying, “Brace yourself and let your legs do all the work.” She remembers him tucking her into bed that night, his shiny badge, his holster, and the bullets on his belt, and her asking him, “You think I’m going to save someone someday, Dad?” and him replying, “I’m sure of it.” She remembers saying to him, “Dad, I bet you’ll save someone tomorrow.” It was September 10, and that night, she again had an awful nightmare about fire.
Sobbing, Lauren blows another breath into Mr. Market. “Laurie,” says the vision of her father, “It’s not your fault, bean-pole.”
She cries out while providing chest compressions, “But, Daddy why, weren’t we important to you? You said that I was the most important thing in the world!”
She goes to give another breath, when her father says, “Bean-pole, why did you step in front of that laser-sight beam, last night?”
Lauren stops and pulls away, again. She remembers how she thought not of herself to save young Joseph. She looks at her father’s visage and he looks back, and at long last, she understands … and is free. The vision of her father closes his eyes in peace. Immediately, she sees Mr. Market’s face showing that same peace. He takes one long, very shallow, breath. Is it his last, or the first of many? The glow of the room fades away.
Instantly, Fire Commander Bruce Watson comes storming into the room with James right behind him. The Commander runs over to Mr. Market and sliding down to his knees to assess him he asks, “What’s his state?”
Lauren, “I—I’m not sure, I began CPR.”
In one fluid motion, the veteran EMT grabs Mr. Market’s wrist with his left hand, puts his head to his chest, and places his wrist watch face up to his mouth to see if it fogs. Getting up from the floor, Lauren is afraid what he might say next. James is frozen. He wants to do something, but he does not know what.
Watson lifts his head from his chest so slowly it is apparent that he must be dead. He turns to Lauren and says, “You saved his life!”
“What?” whispers Lauren. She looks at James, who looks at her more in love than ever.
Watson, “One minute.” He then calls the fire department dispatch on his walkie-talkie.
The dispatcher says, “Sir, I didn’t realize you were on the scene, James Market called in an emergency using an official walkie-talkie already. We didn’t know if we should, but he was so emphatic, we sent someone anyway. Myers are you reading this, what’s your twenty?”
Fireman and EMT Jim Myers is arriving at the lower parking area as they speak. Lauren looks at James, impressed that he kept such a cool head.
Continuing to examine Mr. Market, Watson says, “Yeah, I think he may have, um– Hmm, he’s coming to.”
She reaches out for James’ hand, which he takes and holds tight, then pulls her close, clasping her hand in both of his which he places at his chest like he was about to pray. Still looking at his dad, his only words to this girl who means so much to him for so many reasons are, “Thank you.”
Robert regains consciousness with a groan.
“Dad!” exclaims James, releasing Laurens hands to go over and down on his knees to talk to him.
Speaking through considerable pain Robert says, “Hey, Jimbo.”
James turns to look at Watson, who says, “I think he’s gonna be fine. Looks like he … he … you know, blacked out behin
d the wheel. We’ll check him out to be sure. Ankle is banged up a bit, but nothing permanent.”
Watson goes to greet his fireman at the door and they go to get a stretcher.
James looks at his dad, too choked up to get out any words. Robert Market is still a bit groggy and confused by his surroundings. He looks around and over towards Lauren who is standing a small distance away and says, “Who’s that bean pole standing over there?”
“That’s Lauren, Dad, um—Agent Coles, Dad,”
Lauren walks over and says, “Um, it’s me, sir. What did you just call me?”
“I don’t know, what did I say?”
“You said bean-pole,” say Lauren and James together.
The firemen step in and prep and lift Robert onto a stretcher. They raise the stretcher, and as they wheel him out he answers, “Bean-pole? Hmm. I don’t know where I got that from, but I can tell you this, it made me feel very loving toward you to say it.”
Lauren, with tears in her eyes says, “I felt very loved when I heard it. Thank you.”
“Dad, we’ll go get Mom and meet you at the hospital.”
“Okay, but call her right away James; She’ll want to know that everything is okay.”
James smiles, “Okay, Dad.”
The firemen begin to take Robert Market out. Watson says to James, “We’ll take him directly into examination. And James, that was some quick thinking down in the parking area, thanks!”
James, “Thanks.”
And within moments the fireman and Robert are on their way.
• • •
Joanna sits alone at the dining room table. She is frozen by suspense and concern and stares blankly out of the back window. Everything is still very quiet. Agent Hinton continues to monitor radio transmissions, but he stands as far from Joanna as possible, trying not to intrude on her privacy. Agent Reese sits in a chair near the doorway to the kitchen. His radio is turned down very low for the same reason. Joseph on the other hand cannot sit down. He is his father’s son, and has been pacing back and forth, from the living room to the front room, from the hall to the dining room. Hinton keeps one eye on him, but Joanna just looks straight ahead. Her heart pounds at her chest. Though she tries to control it, her breathing is accelerated and shallow; her hands are cold as ice. She argues in her mind that she must trust God; that she shouldn’t worry. But her ears strain to hear the muffled sounds of Agent Reese’s walkie-talkie. She is feeling increasingly desperate. And, though she recites her favorite Bible verses on hope, trust, and faith, she is slowly dying inside.
As Joseph comes through the dining room for what has to be the fortieth or fiftieth time, she hears a voice—a familiar voice on the radio. She ever so slightly cocks her ear towards Reese. Then she hears three words, that to her sound like God saying, I love you, as Bruce Watson can be heard on Reese’ radio:
“We got him!”
Joanna closes her eyes, and one solitary tear rolls down her cheek.
The Kiss
James and Lauren both get out their cell phones. James has barely begun to dial before quick-draw Lauren already has her boss on the phone. “Good evening, sir,” she says to the Deputy Director on his cell phone.
“Lauren, I hope you have good news. We heard them say he was found.”
“Yes, sir, you were right. I did save the president’s life.”
“President of Phone Tools Inc.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, thank God for that.”
“Yes, sir.”
“How is he?”
“I think he’s gonna be fine, sir, he hurt his ankle a little.”
“How do you feel.”
“It’s hard to describe, sir.”
“Well, enjoy it; it was a great success.”
Lauren thinks a moment then asks, “Um, sir, the other agents thought, will this reflect badly on you?”
“I’m not sure Agent Coles. Don’t you worry about that; it comes with the job.”
“Oh, okay. I guess you’ll be heading back now.”
“Lauren, I’ve paid for two chartered flights, half a dozen vehicle requisitions, tasked six secret service agents, plus researchers, three FBI Agents, and who knows how many National Security agents. I disrupted all of our weekends, not to mention that of the president, his chief of staff, and the Joint Chiefs with what turns out to be a wholly unnecessary threat drill; all to save the life of one extremely gifted teenager and his father! Please don’t tell me that you think I’m going back to Washington without having even met them!”
Lauren smiles broadly and says, “That’s great, sir. I guess we’ll see you at the hospital.”
“You will, Agent Coles. Goodbye.”
Lauren smiles even broader. She is still getting used to being called Agent Coles by her boss.
Meanwhile, on his phone call, James can hardly get a word in over the exuberant celebration going on at his home. By the time he called, Hinton had already shared the good news he heard over the radio that Robert Market was safe and in route to the hospital for evaluation. Shortly after that, Agent Levy was dispatched to go meet the Secret Service airplane and escort Danning and Ramirez to the hospital. Joanna finally takes the phone and says to her son, “Jimbo! It’s all so wonderful! God is definitely at work here!”
“Mom, Lauren saved his life!”
“What?”
“Lauren saved Dad’s life!”
“Really? Oh, that’s perfect; that’s terrific. How?”
“Well, when we got to the ranger’s station–”
“Ranger’s station? How did you get up there?”
Agent Hinton then interrupts, “Okay everybody, let’s gooooo!”
“Jimbo?” says Joanna, “finish telling me at the hospital, we’re about to head over.”
James hangs up, looks at Lauren, who’s looking at him, and with a big exhale says, “Wow!”
She replies, “I know, right!”
She looks about the cabin, amazed by what she’s experienced, and nostalgic for James who used to come here as a small boy. As she looks about, James seizes the opportunity to look at her again. She’s so feminine and yet so strong. He thinks to himself, “Wow!” She catches his gaze, but pretends not to notice. Deep down she feels an incredible urge to just kiss him, but she fights off the urge, and having returned his longing look for a couple of seconds—just long enough for her heart rate to rise—she says, “We better go.”
James, whose heart has been racing from the moment they were left alone, says, “Yeah.”
They swiftly walk back to the car together in silence. And as usual, James speeds up as they approach the car to move ahead and open Lauren’s door. She slips by, brushing past him and looking him right in the eyes as she sits, and says softly, “Thank you, James Market.”
James swallows hard as he closes the door. About to burst with excitement, as he walks around the car to his side, he looks up to God and says, “Okay, Lord, this is on you. But if she asks me to kiss her, then I’m gonna kiss her! And if we kiss, I’m gonna marry her!”
He gets in the car and she asks, “I’m sorry, what was that?”
James, thinking quickly, “Uh, um nothing. What was that about, with my dad—bean-pole?”
Immediately Lauren breaks into a big silly smile, “My father used to call me that. I hadn’t– No one has called me that since he died.”
“Wow!”
Lauren puts the car in gear and they head off. She thinks a moment and after getting some simple directions from James says, “This has been the most incredible single weekend of my life! Your family is so wonderful, so special to me.”
James just gazes at her.
She continues. “Everything you’ve said about them is true; your mom, your dad, and Joseph.”
Unable to contain himself another second, James blurts out, “Lauren, I think I’m falling in love with you.”
Lauren freezes for a just a second, her eyes immediately beginning to tear up, but she bats back
the tears and continues, “The thing is, with family, and people you love, you place your heart in a very vulnerable position. You know that they told me my dad saved fifteen people. He and a fireman had gotten thirteen people out of an office blocked by fire, the fireman was carrying the last man, who had passed out, when they heard a voice calling from a closet. It was a cleaning lady, but the floor in front of the closet had collapsed from fire and she was trapped. So my dad used a desk to cross over to the closet and get her; she was too afraid to climb on it herself; she was pregnant, about six, seven months.
James listens carefully, confident that she did hear what he said.
She continues, “While he got her safely up, the fire quickly consumed the desk and—well, she and her baby were the fourteenth and fifteenth person saved.
James finally says, “This doesn’t make me feel any less–”
“So, yesterday, Calvin Stone had a sniper rifle trained on Joey!”
James, in shock says, “Wha–”
“Oh, yes. And, who do you think placed herself right in the line of fire?”
“Whoa! When? H-how?”
She looks at him and says, “The point is—you, man of my dreams—we would both be in law enforcement! We’d both be putting our lives on the line every day! So before I reply to what you said—before I allow myself to enjoy that possibility—tell me, do we know what exactly we’re starting here? I cannot survive another hurt like– I couldn’t put anyone through what I went through.”
James takes her hand, and smiling from ear to ear says, “Lauren, the certainty that you would be driving out of my life in an hour is far worse than any concern that I might possibly, someday, lose you in the line of duty. My heart has not beat two beats on rhythm since Agent Hinton first said you all were shutting down operations.”
Lauren swallows hard, and continuing towards the hospital says, “So you’re thinking long term?”
“Only.”
“And what of our different stations in life, you’re starting school, I’m already out.”
The Journal: A Prophecy, A President & Death Page 45