Sam took a deep, renewing breath. "When you were a child, science was already working on the idea of cloning, but it was unknown how long it would be before this technology would be available and effective. My guess is that they took a sample of your DNA at some point during your life, hoping to be able to experiment with it in this process.
"The amazing thing is that it worked! This is such a new area of science that I believe your clone is one of the first generations to be able to function as a fully living, human being…at least one that has lived long enough to enter into mainstream society. To my knowledge, your clone is the first to be let out in the public arena of life."
He was silent a moment and then noticed her frown. "I'm sorry if I sound insensitive. It's just that scientifically, this is an amazing feat. One thing I can't figure out is how they are able to pass her off as you without your memories and the way you think and do things. I mean you are more than just a physical body. A soul is very unique and I believe that it would take a whole lot more than just DNA and good programming to be able to fill another person's shoes for very long."
"Megan."
"What?" Sam looked at her questioningly.
Nicole's face had become white as if she were seeing a ghost. She stood up but suddenly felt faint and had to sit back down.
"What's wrong Nicole? What's going on?"
"Megan. Megan is my clone!"
"You've met her?"
"No. But I've seen her picture."
Sam let out a slow whistle and sat back in his chair. "Maybe you better start at the beginning and tell me about this."
Nicole sat silently for a moment, collecting her thoughts, and then she began to tell about meeting Peter Chavel and Dorothy Smith, and about their offer to model for them because she looked so much like the woman they called Megan.
"I can't believe that I fell for their lies and actually considered it! It was like I was in some sort of brain fog through the whole thing. It was obviously a set up, but I had no clue as to why. Until now."
Sam had been hanging on every word she said. "So that's how they did it! Was there ever a time when they could have gotten inside your head?"
"You mean like stolen some memories or something?"
"Yeah. If they did, you probably wouldn't remember it. They would have tried to tap into your programming."
"Programming! You think I was programmed? You're scaring me here, Sam!" Nicole had wrapped her arms around her body. She had begun to shake and her teeth were chattering even though the bunker was warm. It was a chill that was coming from the inside out.
Sam got up and grabbed his jacket that had been hanging on the back of the bunker door. "It's ok, Nicole," he said quietly as he wrapped the jacket around her shoulders. He pulled his chair over next to hers and prayed, "Jesus, please come and calm Nicole with Your peace. And God, please shine Your light on the truth."
They sat quietly for a moment and Nicole began to relax. "Thank you for praying Sam. That is exactly what I needed. When you mentioned programming, certain things suddenly made sense. It's very disturbing to think that somebody has had control of my mind and body.
"What I know is that I lost time while I was with them. My eyes were dry and scratchy for a couple of hours after I left, and I felt like I had been violated, but not sexually. It's hard to describe. And that night I dreamed that a woman placed a cap of some kind on my head and contact lenses on my eyes that were hooked up to a machine and pictures of my life went whizzing through my mind. I heard her say something like, 'most of the markers were gone but the upload was complete enough to substantiate a download.'"
She continued, "I've come to an acceptance of the occult's influence in my life and that they had created some alters, which I guess is the same as programming. But the whole Illuminati thing is a surprise to me. A bad surprise. Like a nightmare. And to think that they have still been able to access my brain and steal my memories gives me the heebie-jeebies."
"I'm sure it is very disturbing. Are you up to answering a few more questions or would you like to wait?"
"Let's work. I want to go home!"
He smiled. "Ok then. Did you happen to hear them use any names other than Peter Chavel and Dorothy Smith?"
"Well, I don't actually remember any others, but in the dream I heard Mrs. Smith say the name, Daemon."
Sam had gone back to the other side of the desk and was writing the names down. Another thought came to Nicole.
"You know, I should probably tell you about another thing that happened that might have some connection with those two," she pondered. "You'll probably think I'm crazy though."
He looked up at her over the rim of his reading glasses, an amusing expression on his face. "I doubt it could make me think of you as any crazier than I already do."
Nicole smiled faintly. "Thanks, but we'll see. Before I met Mr. Chavel or whoever he is, I was walking down the street in Samaria and Jesus told me to climb the side of the brick Banning Building, so I did."
She waited for Sam to react in disbelief, but he was silent and waiting, so she continued. "When I got to the second story window and looked in, I saw what appeared to be a café and the neon sign said 'Rosie's Bar and Grill.' Mr. Chavel and Mrs. Smith were inside, but she called him Daemon. Daemon! That's probably his real name. They were talking about a plan and a strike, but I didn't know what it all meant at the time.
"Hey, that's why the word strike stood out to me earlier today when you said it! I remember Daemon asking Mrs. Smith when the first strike was scheduled." She thought for a moment then said, "If they had meant a strike against me, I'll bet that was only half of the equation."
"And if they said 'first strike' in reference to Megan," Sam deduced, "then that implies that there will be another one. I'll bet the next strike will be the release of more clones." He threw his pencil down on the desk and leaned back. "That helps strengthen my theory!"
"Not good," Nicole replied. "Anyhow, when I found myself back down on the ground, I went inside where the staircase to the second floor is. There was no Rosie's up there. It was just a storage room full of old stuff and dust." She looked around Sam's bunker and tried not to flinch at the similarities, then she looked back at him she asked, "So what do you think about my mental health status now?"
Sam opened his laptop and began typing something in. "We're going to look up every 'Rosie's Bar and Grill' in the US and look for a possible connection to our mystery people."
"You believe me?" Nicole asked incredulously.
"Of course. I believe the Lord was warning you and giving us a lead by showing you something important."
"Well I wish I would have paid attention to it."
"Ok," Sam said. "We've got a Rosie's Bar and Grill in Miami, Florida; Port Clinton, Ohio; Roslyn, South Dakota; Trenton, New Jersey; Chicago, Illinois; Morro Bay, California; and Sitka, Alaska. Do you have any idea which would be the most likely? Any other clues?"
"Nope."
"Well then, it's a long shot, but let's take a look at some of the images and see if anything might look familiar to you."
She left Sam's jacket on the chair and went around the desk. She stood behind him, watching the screen as he began to scroll down through the many images of Rosie's. Suddenly Nicole gasped, "Stop! Go back up a bit…This one right here. Make it larger….That's it! That's the Rosie's I saw."
"It's in Chicago. Bingo. We got you now, baby! Good work Nicole." Sam leaned far back in his desk chair with his hands behind his head like he had accomplished a great thing. And he smiled the biggest smile she had ever seen on his face.
"You're placing a lot of confidence on what I've just told you. Why?"
"Because it's in Chicago. We've tracked them as far as Chicago, but we always loose site of them after that. No more." Sam wrote down the address and phone number of Rosie's Bar and Grill. "At least it's a lead and we also have a first name. Daemon." What he didn't tell her was that the opposite was actually true. He was aware of Daemon, but h
e had not known Daemon's pseudonym, Peter Chavel; and that had been a large part of the problem in tracking him.
"One thing I don't understand, Sam. How is it possible for someone to steal things from another person's brain?" Nicole was beginning to fit pieces together and was coming up with more questions.
"There are several ways. But before I answer you on that one, there's somebody I think who could explain it a lot better than I can. I'm going to call him and see if we might be able to swing by."
"It's just so disturbing and sounds so whacky!" Nicole said. "I keep thinking that I’m going to wake up from this nightmare sometime soon."
"Hey lady, no worries, ok? I can only imagine how this would make you feel, but look how God has taken care of you and has guided you here and now for a purpose. This is bigger than just you. Let's go find out what that purpose is!"
Sam decided not to share the thought that had edged its way into his mind like an irritating fox tail sticker in his sock would work its way into his skin. Chances were that a tracking device had been implanted into Nicole's body when she had been under Daemon's influence. He knew his bunker was tracking proof, but the rest of his property was not. He realized that that was probably one reason why God had brought her so far from home. It would take longer to track her here, but he knew that without divine protection and interference, they would eventually find her.
As he made a mental note of the only thing he knew to do about it, he guzzled down the rest of his water and stood up, "I don't know about you, but I need to eat. Let's take a break."
Nicole wondered how he could be hungry after eating so many cookies. She didn't want to quit and thought about disagreeing because she was impatient for all this to be over. She wanted everything to go back to normal, like yesterday! But her stomach rumbled in opposition to her and in agreement with Sam.
CHAPTER 18
PROTECTION
As they walked back toward the house, Nicole paid attention to her surroundings for the first time since her arrival. The snow capped Tetons were visible, rising above the pine trees that shielded the view of the house from the road. She noticed a large meadow with tall green grass and some wild flowers, and then she spotted the corral. "I love your ranch, Sam. It's so beautiful! You're set up for horses, but I don't see any."
"I'd love to have horses. Maybe someday, but for now, I have to be ready to pick up and leave at a moment's notice. There'd be nobody to care for them. That's why I don't have a dog either. I figure with chickens, I can just open the door of the pen and they can scrounge for themselves while I'm gone. I love the eggs and they're little to no work."
"You just need a wife, Sam."
"Whoa there lady! You better watch yourself. Just because we're working together doesn't give you the right to go planning my demise!"
Nicole laughed. "Don't worry; I wasn't planning anything, just offering a suggestion. But demise? You must have a terrible view of marriage."
"Been there and done that and don't intend to head that direction ever again."
"I'm sorry Sam."
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "It was a long time ago. The one redeeming thing is my daughter and grandson."
They had stopped walking and were standing just off the front porch enjoying the view and what was left of the sunshine. Dark clouds were quickly moving across the sky in their direction, promising rain.
Nicole broke into the silent moment. "There is a peace here Sam. Now I understand that it's truly the peace of Jesus Christ."
Sam smiled. "The first thing I did when I purchased this land was to kick off the evil spirits that had been attached to it, then I dedicated it to the Lord, anointed it in oil, asked the Holy Spirit to move in here and to cleanse and heal it. I know that this might sound a little out there, but I believe that it was really chosen by God to be a place of safety and refuge like one of the seven cities of refuge in the Bible."
Nicole gasped, and then just stood there with her mouth hanging open, trying to comprehend the enormity of God's greatness and His plans. It was as if she was seeing the world through His eyes for just a moment. She saw Samaria, her city of refuge, now Sam's ranch refuge, and in her mind's eye she saw the globe with other cities or places of refuge popping up here and there.
"Hey lady, what's going on?"
"Oh Sam, it is all so wonderful and hopeful! That's our vision for Samaria as well! A city of refuge! I think God was just showing me that He is placing this same vision in His people all over the world! He is setting up places of refuge around the globe! What do you think this means?"
With a pensive look on his face, he said, "Well, I'm pretty sure we're in the last days. I felt a shift in the spiritual realm several years back, and then with everything we know about world events, I think God is showing you that He is preparing safe places for His people around the world, not just here."
Nicole smiled and said, "Yeah, I felt that shift too. It motivated me to examine my life and activities, and helped to prepare me for the work He has for me in Samaria. So if God is preparing safe places for His people, do you think that those who are living in them will be safe from the persecution?"
"I don't know about that," Sam said. "I would like to hope that would be the case, but maybe these safe places are more about providing places of spiritual, emotional and mental training and preparation for God's people before the tribulation comes so that they can be equipped and ready to stand and won't fall away no matter what they go through.
"The Bible talks a lot about a safe place, and while there are cities of refuge, the one true place of safety is always under the shelter of His wings. That place can now be found within each of us as the Holy Spirit abides in us. Maybe the safe places like my ranch and your Samaria are to be training grounds, helping people to find that safe place with the Lord so that no matter where they are, they're able to stand firm in their faith."
Maria opened the screen door and stepped out onto the porch. "Miss Nicki and Mr. Sam, you are hungry, no? Maria has lunch almost ready. Give ten minutes, yes?"
"Yes Maria. That sounds great! Thank you," Nicole responded, and Maria went back inside, smiling as always. She and Sam climbed the steps and sat down on the porch chairs.
"That's somehow comforting to realize that we all can have a place of refuge within us." Nicole was thinking about her tabernacle. "So Sam, how do you see this ranch functioning as a safe place?"
"Good question. I really don't know what it will look like. I just know that's how I feel about this place. And when I say 'feel,' that word isn't exactly it, but I don't know how else to describe the knowing I have deep inside me."
"I'd say 'knowing' is a great word. That implies the thoughts of the Holy Spirit that have been implanted in your spirit."
"Yeah, I guess it does."
"Tell me more about your ranch."
"I have 135 acres here. In the physical realm, I'm off the grid as much as you can be in this day and age. I live on an unnamed road. I don't go through the electric or gas company; I have solar panels and a generator, but they aren't hooked into the grid. I installed them myself.
"The only place I communicate with the outside world is in my bunker. It's dug into the side of the hill and is insulated with material that virtually stops traceability. I don't use cell phones from here because I don't want anybody to think that I have any kind of new technology. I do have a land line in the house, but it's only set up for local calls and that way I can talk to my daughter.
"With satellite technology, of course the government knows this house is here, and they know I live here. It's not possible to be completely hidden. I just want to portray the image that I'm a loner and like to live the life of an old codger in isolation and old ways."
Picturing Sam as an "old codger" was a believable image, and it made her smile as she thought of Aleck, the old codger in Samaria. There were a few similarities…. Maybe there was hope for him after all.
"I heard you talking to someone on
the phone in the bunker. How do you do that?" she asked.
"We have our own private satellites that are off the grid as well, so I can communicate through the internet using them. They're as safe as is possible, but even so, there's a chance that they could be monitored if they came under suspicion. I take precautions when I can and use technology sparingly. When I have important information to pass on and it's not an emergency situation, I generally use the old postal mail system. Believe it or not, it's actually safer than the web."
Sam got up and walked over to the edge of the porch. As he looked out over the ranch he said, "I also try to stay off the grid in the spiritual realm, to keep it blocked from the eyes and ears of the enemy. Every morning I ask for a covering of Jesus' blood and for angels to create a spiritual barrier over this property. I bind seeker, scanner and eavesdropping spirits that are always trying to break through. I ask Him to deal with any evil or human spirits that try to enter this land. I ask Him to clear the air above from any enemy interference and to close the ground off from any portals Satan might try to open from that angle. And every time someone comes onto this property including myself, I command all hitchhiking spirits to be stopped and bound and kicked far away by the angel guards at the front gate."
Again, Nicole smiled at the similarities in the things that God had taught the intercessors in Samaria and Sam here on the ranch. It reminded her that God truly was working and that He had a big plan in place. Even though she wished she were at home and that this didn't have to happen, Nicole could sense that her faith was growing as she saw God's hand at work.
"The ranch is pretty secure in the physical and spiritual realm," he continued, "but I still watch what I say on the phone line in the house and what I do on the internet. Any time you open a door to the outside world there is a chance of a security breach in either realm."
"Hey Sam, it just came to me that the Illuminati might have what they call The Great Plan, but God's plan is The Greatest Plan!"
The Soul Redeemer: From Victim to Victory Page 22