Inside Lucifer's War

by Smith, Byron J.

  I notice some runners approaching, so I quickly change the subject to the CrossFit workout I did the other day. Mike understands and gladly plays along.

  When we are back in the clear, Mike says, “Everything he can promise you on this earth is not worth it. He is evil. You know this.”

  “What about on earth and the hereafter?” I say.

  “What do you mean?” Mike asks.

  “He has shown me what life can be like after death. Some of what he showed me was beautiful, some was horrible and grotesque. I can live like a god in death if I follow him.”

  “How can I get you to even consider what I am saying is true?” Mike says.

  “I don’t know,” I say. “I’m struggling with what you’re preaching because of my firsthand experience. If Satan can make himself known to me, then why hasn’t Jesus? All I know is what Lucifer has shown me.”

  “You say you’ve seen dead people talk?” he asks me.

  “Yes.”

  “Where?”

  “When I’m with Lucifer. He says that he is the master over death. Why?” I ask.

  “Do you know these people? I mean really know what they believe?” Mike says.

  “Get to the point,” I say.

  “Ask Satan to see your dad,” Mike says with a deadpan expression.

  This floors me. I was not expecting this. “What did you say? Why would I bring my father into this?”

  I’m mad at Mike’s gall for bringing up my father. He knows this is a sensitive area for me, and I feel like he is throwing it in my face.

  “Your dad was a Christian. You’ve told me that was part of the bitterness you had with him. Let’s put my faith to the test. If Satan can produce your dad and have control over him, then I’m wrong. If he can’t, then my faith is justified,” he says.

  I’m overcome with thoughts about my dad, thoughts about him being dead, thoughts about Satan running his life, thoughts about my dad coming back into my life when I told him I didn’t want anything to do with him. My head is swirling. I’m not prepared for these emotions. I loved my dad. I was very close to him, especially after my mom died. I can’t place exactly when our relationship went south, but I know in my heart that it was my fault. I placed expectations on him that he didn’t live up to or, more accurately, refused to live up to. He tried, but I had no place for him. A tear, the second I’ve had in as long as I can remember, runs down my cheek. I’m not sure how long we walk without saying anything.

  Mike places a hand on my shoulder. “I know you asked me to leave you alone after tonight. I said I’d honor that. I know you say it’s for my safety and my family’s safety. You don’t need to protect us. I finally know why God put me into your life. It was for this moment. I want to fight this battle with you. I always thought I was supposed to change your mind and see you become a great Christian apologist for our time. Maybe up there with C. S. Lewis.” He chuckles. “But that’s not the answer. I know now that I was put here for this moment.”

  “Thanks, Mike. But you have done more than enough,” I say and pause to shake his hand. I can see that we are coming up to the trailhead, and I know our time is short. This will probably be the last time I see my friend.

  “Tom, one of his names is the Destroyer. He will destroy you. Destruction is his only outcome, ever. Please ask to see your father. If I’m right, then let me continue to help you. If I’m wrong, then have nothing to do with me. Know that you can trust me on this,” Mike pleads.

  “I’ll think about it. I can’t really plan out my encounters with him, but I understand what you’re saying. Good-bye, my friend,” I say.

  Mike whispers, “Regardless, I’m going to be your prayer warrior. I will not let you go into this fight alone. And before you go, you should know that she loves you.”

  I jerk around and blurt out, “Stacie?”

  Mike simply smiles and walks away.

  CHAPTER 18

  The Surprise Visit

  I didn’t sleep that night. I lie awake thinking about what Mike said and what horrible timing it was. I have wanted to hear that for a long time, longer than I ever knew myself. Now, though, it is the last thing I want. It would be easier if she hated me. My only concern now is to protect her. To protect her, I have to stay far away from her, though I desperately want to be near her. I think of her smile and her biting humor. I wish we could start fresh. No, I can’t think that way. I know what I have to do. I’ve spent my entire life worrying only about me. For once, I need to do the right thing for someone else. This time, I can’t be selfish. I have to protect Stacie, Mike, Therese, and the children.

  Sometime after four o’clock, I fall asleep, only to have the alarm wake me at six forty-seven. My mind immediately jumps back to Stacie and then Kinsley. Kinsley is coming to my office today, and he will want an answer. I know what I have to tell him. I’ve known for a while now.

  I arrive at my building shortly after eight thirty. As I stride past the main office, Leslie stops me. “Dr. Fields, there’s someone waiting for you outside your office.”

  “Thanks, Leslie. I was expecting him. A little earlier than I thought, but thanks,” I reply.

  “It’s a woman,” she responds.

  Stacie? I know she shouldn’t be here, but deep down, I’m excited to see her. I hurry to my office. As I turn the corner, I see it isn’t Stacie. It’s Ashley. My face must show my shock, anxiety, and anger at seeing her. I anxiously look around to see if anyone else is there. I quickly unlock the door, grab her arm, usher her into the office, push her into a chair in front of my desk, and slam the door.

  “What on earth did you do to me that night? Tell me why I shouldn’t call the cops on you right now?” I almost scream, leaning over her with my hands firmly clasped to the arms of her chair.

  “For the same reason that I’m not going to call them,” she responds in equally nervous anger.

  “You better tell me what happened,” I say, gritting my teeth.

  “Why don’t you tell me what’s going on? It was your speech, your party, your meeting. I was just a dumb blonde who got caught up in this because I needed to make a few bucks. Do you really think I’m part of this? part of them? They killed Megan! They killed Andrew! They . . . killed . . . my . . . sister. They’ve ruined my life! I’ve been running ever since that night. I can’t go anywhere without seeing them. Do you think if I had any other option that I would be here right now? I have nowhere else to turn. I need your help!” she cries out.

  This stuns me for a moment. I didn’t see this coming either.

  “I’m sorry,” I say, realizing that she’s being honest. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I don’t even know who is doing this. Who are they?”

  “You know who they are. They’re the same ones that have been following you. They set it up. They set it all up. They want you, and they destroyed the rest of us in the process. They won’t stop,” she cries and hits my chest with her fists.

  I grab her arms and try to quiet her. “Okay! Okay! Calm down,” I tell her.

  Just then, I see Leslie through the glass in the door frame. I shake my head “no” to her, but she waves her hand to me to step outside. I open the door slightly and squeeze through, shutting it quickly behind me and asking in an irritated tone, “What is it?”

  “There’s a man here to see you. His name is Kinsley McKee. Actually, he came with two other men, and they’re waiting outside the department door,” she says with a hint of annoyance. “He says he has an appointment with you. But I didn’t see anything on your calendar.”

  “Oh no,” I blurt out. “He’s early. Leslie, I need you to stall him. Let me come meet him out there. Don’t let him come back here. Please.”

  “Fine,” she says, turning back.

  Her body language suggests she doesn’t mind a little scrap with Kinsley. He must have been rude, as Leslie is rarely feisty with strangers. I really need to get her a great present, I think to myself as I return to my office.

  �
�Ashley, you’ve got to get out of here. They’re here right now!” I say, pulling her up.

  “Here? Now? I watched you, though. You weren’t followed,” she says.

  “They didn’t need to follow me. I have a nine o’clock appointment with them. There are some restrooms down the hall. Stay there.”

  “Restrooms? How long am I going to have to stay in there? That might cause some chatter among the women,” she retorts.

  “They won’t be here long, and they have two men outside the department. You can’t leave. Just go. I’ll make it short with them. Trust me,” I say, pulling her along.

  I push her down the hall and try to straighten up myself before heading toward the departmental office. I greet Kinsley with a warm handshake.

  “Good morning, Kinsley. It’s good to see you,” I lie. I look at the two men with him, but I don’t recognize them.

  “Doing a little running this morning, are you?” he asks.

  He must have seen me with Ashley, I think. I scramble to think of something to say.

  “Your forehead,” Kinsley says. “You’re sweating.”

  I wipe my brow with a sigh of relief. “Let’s just say that whatever I ate last night didn’t settle well overnight.”

  He laughs. “One of those mornings. That must be why your secretary wouldn’t allow me to go to your office. I can appreciate someone who protects her boss’s reputation.”

  I escort him to my office and shut the door behind us. “Please have a seat,” I say, pointing toward the chairs across from my desk. Then I notice Ashley’s purse under one of the chairs. It’s not zipped. It would be easy for him to see whose it is if he even glances inside it. I feel my face turning red and the sweat building up even more.

  “How are you holding up, Thomas?” he asks as he sits down with his feet not more than a couple of inches from the purse.

  I need to let out some of my anxiety or he will know that I’m trying to hide something. “I have to be honest, Kinsley. Dallas shook me up. My mind has been scattered ever since Sunday morning, and I can’t get that weekend out of my head. I’m still trying to understand what all happened.”

  “Listen, Thomas. You need to put Dallas behind you. Andrew was a big boy with a big mouth and a big appetite. He made his bed and, unfortunately, he had to lie in it. Bishop told me everything. All of that’s over. No one is blaming you, and no one can place you there. You have nothing to worry about. Everything is fine. Everything has been sanitized. The only thing you have to do now is send an e-mail and a text to Andrew today. Then you need to move forward. It’s time to put everything and everyone behind you as you take on this new assignment. Look, I’m sure you appreciate how Leslie protects you. In our organization, everyone protects everyone else.”

  “I know. You’re right,” I tell him.

  “Good. Does that mean we have a deal? Are you onboard? First Orchard needs you,” he says.

  “I’m onboard,” I tell him with a big smile. “I just have one request. I need two weeks to get things in order and transition my class. It’s important to me that I do this right for them. I know it seems strange, but I’m very protective of my students.”

  Kinsley stares at me for a second, as if playing a hand of poker. He measures my expression and says nothing for a while, but in fact it’s only a few seconds. I try not to look down, but his foot is sliding closer to the purse.

  Finally, he says, “Two weeks is fine. We’re thrilled to have you with us. I’ll be sending some more information to you by courier and setting up a time for you to meet with some of your future colleagues. Congratulations, Dr. Fields.”

  “Thanks,” I say in relief as we both stand and shake hands. I look down to see his left foot on the purse strap as he turns to walk out. It catches his attention. He stops, looks down, and sees the purse. He starts to pick it up, but I reach for it first.

  “Let me get this. One of my students must have left it here.”

  He stares at me for a moment and then smiles.

  I walk him to the front office and tell him good-bye. I watch the three men enter the elevator before I head for Ashley’s hiding place. I barely open the door to the women’s restroom.

  “Ashley?” I softly call out.

  Moments later I hear a woman crying. “It’s clear,” I say.

  I hand her the purse, and we go back to my office, shutting the door behind us.

  “Tell me what happened. I need to know,” I say.

  She stares at me cautiously. “Why did you have a meeting with those men? I thought I could trust you. Am I wrong?” She begins to stand up.

  “Please wait,” I say, holding my hands out toward her. “You can trust me. You asked me to help you. Tell me how.”

  “How do I know you aren’t setting me up?” she asks.

  “You don’t,” I say. “All I can tell you is that I’m trapped too, but I have something they want. Let’s just say it’s my bargaining chip. Please, I need to know about that night.”

  “I need your help first,” she says.

  “What can I do?” I ask.

  “I need to hide. If they find me, they’ll kill me. I know it. I need to get out of the country.” She looks at me with beautiful tear-filled blue eyes.

  “Where do I come in?” I ask.

  “I need money. Twenty-five thousand should do it,” she implores.

  “That’s a lot of money,” I say. I know I can get that amount out of my bank account, but it’s a lot of money to hand over to a stranger. It’s certainly not small change. And such a withdrawal will draw a lot of attention. And not just from Homeland Security.

  “It’s not much for a life—my life. I also need a ticket to Rome, but you can’t book it. Someone you know needs to book it for me.”

  “Italy?” I ask. I know that I’m short on time, and the only way I can piece together what happened in Dallas is through Ashley. I need for her to confide in me, so I have no choice but to help her. “I can get the money to you by Saturday.” I write down the name of a café in East Austin, far away from the tourist area. “Meet me here at ten o’clock. I’ll have the money and the airline ticket. I’m not sure how I’m going to get someone to book it, but I will. Now, I need some answers. Please.”

  “I’m putting my life in your hands, Dr. Fields,” she says. “You understand that?”

  “I understand,” I say, feeling a little perturbed. “Please, tell me about that night. I can’t remember anything after we left Megan and Andrew.”

  She finally relents. “Megan and Andrew started to get physical at the table, making us both uncomfortable, so we took a walk through the crowd. We talked about books. Andrew and Megan corralled us at another table. Then the waitstaff brought champagne for everyone. A man stopped by our table. A sharp dresser, he was Scottish or Irish. Somebody hushed the crowd and talked about the organization’s achievements and said they had hit a landmark contribution figure. Everybody toasted the organization. Everyone but me. I’ve never cared much for champagne, so I dumped it into my water glass. A couple of men came by and talked with the Scottish guy. Then he shook your hand and left. Shortly after you had emptied your champagne glass, you were different. You started to grow more distant. You seemed detached. Andrew, however, only got louder and ordered more drinks. The two men stayed near our table and occasionally asked if everything was all right. You looked like you were going to pass out. The men said they would take care of you, but they wanted me to come along. This scared me, so I pretended to be drunk and said I needed to go to the restroom. One of them started to follow me. I didn’t know what to do. Then you started to slump, and Andrew yelled at the two guys. The one following me went back to the table, and I ran out of there as fast as I could, never looking back. That was the last time I saw you.”

  “They drugged our drinks. That’s why I can’t remember anything.” I stare blankly. “How did you find out about Andrew and Megan?”

  “The news,” she says. “There was a story about two people i
n a car wreck. I recognized Megan’s hair. The police report said that both had drugs in their systems. She was supposed to get in touch with me on Sunday, but I never heard from her. I tried to call, but it only went to voice mail. I put it all together.”

  “And your sister?” I ask sheepishly.

  “I noticed some men watching my apartment. I snuck out late Sunday night and went to my older sister’s house in Plano. No one could have followed me. They must have found out about my other sister. They must have had someone watching her place. I never told her why I was there. If I had, she might be alive today. Instead, I told her I’d been having some anxiety and I needed to be with my big sister. She took me in. Yesterday afternoon I was driving back to her house and saw the police and an ambulance were there. I tried to get into the house, but the police held me back. They told me there had been a burglary, and my sister must have surprised the robber. She was shot at close range. I knew better, though. They killed her. And it’s my fault. It’s all my fault.”

  I try to comfort Ashley, but she pushes me away. About that time, two students approach my door and pause for a moment. It’s almost time for my next class to start.

  “I’m so sorry,” I say. “Thank you for telling me what happened. You don’t know what it means to me. I’ll get you out of the country. Somewhere that you can start a new life, away from them. I’ll see you Saturday at the café. Okay? Oh, wait. I’m going to need your last name for the ticket.”

  “Hammonds.”

  My classes bring back some cherished normalcy for me. I enjoy the setting and the discussions. I’m actually sad when my last class is over.

  Sitting in my office at the end of the day, I open my briefcase to put away my class notes and head out the door. I see Andrew’s files in the briefcase, calling to me. I take out the folder and set it on my desk, looking at it for a few minutes before I open it. Inside is the flash drive. Suddenly a voice causes me to jump and slam the folder shut.