"Ok, this is getting weirder by the minute!" Nicole shook her head as if trying to clear away the nightmare. And then a thought occurred to her. "Sam, where would they have hidden a tracking device?"
"Could be anywhere. Most likely in your back, shoulder, arm or neck. Possibly in your thigh or hand."
"The night after I was with those two," Nicole recalled, "I woke up because there was a bump on my neck that was irritated. Itching, but also burning a little bit. I just thought it was a mosquito bite. How big would one of those devices be?"
"Not big. They can be about as small as an ant or grain of rice." He opened a drawer and pulled out a device. "Let me see the spot."
Nicole stood up and turned her back to him. She lifted her hair and pointed to the spot on her neck. He held the device over the spot in question and decided that he would not tell her that he was certain he was seeing a microchip. There was no use in causing her anxiety when there was nothing he could do about it at the ranch.
"It's hard to tell," he said. "But it's possible. We just need to get to Joel asap." He pulled something like a metallic patch out of his desk along with some duct tape. "If there is a chip in there, this will block or at the least scramble any signal that might be transmitted. It'll be uncomfortable, but I think it would be a good idea to cover that area just in case, ok?"
"Ok." She pulled her hair out of the way and let Sam cover the spot in question. Realization began dawning on Nicole and she sat back down with a dazed look on her face. "Sam, if there is a device, how long before they could track me here?"
"Good question," he said. "Can I check your eyes?"
She looked up at him and opened her eyes wide in answer. He must have been satisfied because he walked back over to his chair behind his desk, sat down and continued.
"I asked myself that same question, and under normal circumstances, I'd say they'd be able to track you all along the way. They should have been here by now. So either I'm wrong about the device, or the Holy Spirit is blocking the signal. There have been enough miracles that I'm thinking it's the later. Either way, I know that the next step is to go see Joel. He'll be able to give us the answers that we need."
"I'm scared Sam."
"I'm sure you are, and understandably so. But don't be afraid of Joel. He won't make you do anything you don't agree with. His goal will be to make sure you are free from the enemy's control so that you won't be vulnerable to them anymore, but he'll work with you and won't try to control you. He'll want you to stay in control."
He paused a moment and leaned forward. "I believe that it's going to be ok, Nicole. God's been directing our paths and protecting us, and I know He'll continue to. So what do you say? Will you go?"
"Nicole, remember…." She closed her eyes and her time with the Lord came to her mind. "This is the way to go. Walk in it, and when you are afraid, trust in Me."
She opened her eyes and said, "You know what, Sam? I believe you're right. Yes. I'll go."
He smiled. "Good girl! Our plane leaves for Washington D.C. in..." he looked at his watch…"two hours."
"You already got the tickets? I better go let Maria know what's going on."
She left the barn and saw that the clouds were gathering once again in preparation for another storm. A picture of her life at the moment. She didn't see Maria when she stepped into the kitchen. "Maria? Where are you? I have news," she called out.
Maria popped her head out from the laundry room door. "I am here, my Nicki." She came into the kitchen carrying a basket of clothes to be folded and set it on a chair at the table. "What news?" she asked as she picked up Nicole's jeans and began to fold them.
Nicole reached for a shirt and began to help fold as she answered. "We are going to Washington D.C. in a few hours. I'm glad you got the laundry done. We'll need to pack a few things. I hope that Abigail won't mind me borrowing a few of her clothes. I'll make sure I replace everything." She looked up at Maria and saw that she had stopped folding the jeans and had become very still. While she watched, a tear appeared in her eye and began making its way down her cheek. "Maria, what's wrong?"
Sam walked in the back door and was headed for the coffee pot when he realized how quiet it was. Becoming uncomfortable he said, "Uhhh, it looks like I'm interrupting something here. I'll be back later."
"No Sam. Please stay. I was just telling Maria that we need to get ready to go. She must be sad."
Maria suddenly looked up with strength of will and an air of peace that had not been there a moment ago. "Miss Nicki, Mr. Sam, Maria can not go with you."
Surprised and confused, Nicole asked, "Why would you want to stay here alone?"
Maria smiled, stepped close to Nicole and took hold of both her hands. "My job is complete here now. Jesus, He loves you so much." Maria gently laid her soft hand on Nicole's cheek. "He wants you to know that He is always with you and will help you. You are never alone. The path you are on is difficult, but His Spirit is strong in you. You have been trained for such a time as this. There are many who are relying on you to be His hands and feet. Rescue those who are being led away to death. This is the path you are on. It is time for Maria to go…there will be others. Have no fear Miss Nicki. Strengthen limp hands. Steady weak knees. Tell those who are terrified, 'Be brave; don’t be afraid. Your God will come with vengeance, with divine revenge. He will come and rescue you.'" (Isaiah 35:3-4, GW; Proverbs 24:11)
Nicole noticed that the room that had been darkened by the storm clouds outside had suddenly been lit up as if a light had been turned on. The light increased in brightness until she had to close her eyes against the intensity of it. Maria had let go of Nicole's hand and she heard her say, "Goodbye my little Nicki."
Nicole opened her eyes and the room had returned to its former darkness. Maria was gone. She stood there in shock, trying to comprehend what had just happened.
Without moving she called out, "Saaaam?"
"Yeah….I saw."
Slowly she turned around to face him and said, "Maria was an angel!"
"Yeah, she was."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jake had taken a few days off of work to stay with Nicole, and by the afternoon of this second day, he was more concerned than ever. Jake went outside and called Casie who came over right away when she heard the concern in Jake's voice. He didn't put his concerns into words….he wasn't even sure how to do that.
Casie and "Nicole" sat out on the front deck to visit. After about fifteen minutes, Nicole expressed that she was very tired and needed to go lay down. When she had gone back into the bedroom, Jake walked Casie out to her car. Before she even said anything, Jake could tell that she was disturbed.
"I don't know Jake. Something's very wrong. I mean like more than a little bit. I don't know what to think and I feel like I just need to go home and pray before I say anything else. But be careful!"
"Thanks Casie. Be in touch."
She gave him a hug, and as she drove down the driveway and out of sight, he realized he didn't want her to go. Well, it wasn't her; it was the Presence that surrounded her.
At that moment he became aware that one of the things that was especially troubling to him since Nicole had come home after the ordeal was that something seemed to be missing. Casie had brought it back with her and it felt as if it was leaving with her. It was the presence of God in a direct, almost tangible way that had been in his wife and was in Casie. Of course he knew that God was there and that He was living within himself. However, Nicole had set the stage in their home through her love and relationship with Jesus as Casie did, and he realized that that was gone. As he walked back to the house, he felt that he was entering back into that emptiness, only worse, for his wife was not herself and he had no idea what to do.
Jake was feeling very lonely, frightened and uncertain. "Oh Jesus," he prayed as he walked back to the house, "I need You! Please help us!"
He didn't see Jair, who was sticking closer to him than ever before, or the reinforcements
that began appearing around the house; but he did have a measure of peace that he had not felt a moment before.
PART 3
REDEMPTION
CHAPTER 21
JOEL
It was almost midnight when Sam and Nicole landed in Washington DC at the Ronald Reagan Washington Airport and hailed a taxi. Within fifteen minutes they were standing outside of a clean, three story white row house with a red front door in Capital Hill.
Sam reached up to take hold of the door knocker, but then pulled his hand back. Nicole looked to see what was stopping him. He just shrugged and said, "Here we go. He's a little different, but you'll be fine."
She wondered if he was saying that for her benefit or his. And then before he had a chance to grab the knocker, the door opened and an ancient looking man stood inside, beckoning them to enter. He quickly closed the door behind them, then turned without a word and disappeared down the dark hallway. Sam motioned for her to follow him. At the end of the hall, they turned to the left and entered a room that caused Nicole to wonder if they were stepping into another era.
Her first impression of the room was like that of the man…ancient. There were several pieces of Queen Ann furniture, giving it an air of antiquity, and most of the walls were covered with book cases. It seemed as if books had spilled off the bookcases and had stacked themselves in any open spot of floor available, even covering much of the Turkish rug on the floor. She loved the musty smell of old books, and even though there was also a layer of dust, there was a faint scent of eucalyptus that seemed to hold the dusty odor in place. Objects that spoke of world travel were tucked into little nooks, while some sat on top of books and some on shelves. She noticed that the few paintings strategically placed around the room were landscapes, not people. The organized clutter of the room gave it a lived in, comfortable feel.
She suddenly noticed that there were no windows in the room, and claustrophobia fleetingly knocked at Nicole's mind, but in quick evaluation, she realized that she felt nothing evil or demonic. In fact, she was a bit surprised to realize that she was actually feeling something unidentifiable, yet comforting.
When Nicole's eyes finally came to rest on those of the ancient man who was already sitting in a brown leather wing back chair, he motioned for them to sit on the dark leather couch opposite him. They sat for what seemed like several long minutes as he studied Nicole without making a sound. She wasn't sure how to respond to such scrutiny, but decided that she would not back down under his intense gaze, and so she held eye contact with him until finally, he addressed Sam without looking at him. "You brought her then."
"Indeed I did Sir. Permit me to introduce Nicole. Nicole, this is Joel. We do not often use last names," he added as an afterthought.
Nicole was again unsure how to respond and just decided to be herself. "I'm pleased to meet you Joel. Are you an angel?"
His eyebrows arched, his eyes begin to relax, the corners of his mouth curved upward and he began to chuckle. "Young lady, I thank you. I can't remember the last time I was so amused. You are a breath of fresh air and I will call you Breeze."
Nicole heard Sam slowly release his breath. He was nervous in the company of this man. But she wondered if he was nervous because of her, or if he was always this way in the man's presence.
Joel continued. "We may not use last names; however, we do use pseudonyms. I'll bet that Sam has not told you his," he said in a teasing tone.
"No sir, he hasn't…unless it's Bob."
"Well, I'm not one to let the cat out of the bag. You'll find out soon enough, I'm sure. As for answering your other question, let me ask one of you. What would cause you to ask if I was an angel? Do I appear to be that far gone and ready to leave this world?"
"Oh no sir, it's not that at all. It's just that lately I seem to be running into a lot of them, and about the time I get used to them, they disappear. I just thought that it would be better to know up front so that if you are an angel, then I could prepare myself, and maybe I wouldn't be so disappointed when you leave."
And then the ancient one laughed. "You see? I've named you correctly, Breeze. No, I am far from being an angel. But I am a child of God, just as I know you are as well."
Nicole nodded. "I have another question. May I ask it?"
"Yes, of course. Although I can not promise to answer."
"I understand. I sense something here, in you, and I can't quite place it. It seems comforting and somehow familiar. I don't know you, sir, but I know that you are a man of reputation and importance, and as such, I should be anxious or fearful. But I'm not. This may be presumptuous of me, but what is it that I am sensing?"
"I do not think you are being presumptuous. Your discernment is accurate; however, I am going to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the answer to you in His time." He stood to his feet as if he were a man half of the age that he looked to be. "I have been remiss in my duties as a host. May I offer you some tea? I don't drink coffee. Don't even have any in the house. But the tea is excellent."
Nicole and Sam both agreed that tea sounded good. When Joel left the room, Sam ran his hand across the top of his head as if he were relieved.
"I've never seen him laugh. In twenty something years, I never remember him laughing." Sam got up and walked to the edge of the couch. She could tell that he wanted to pace, but was having difficulty finding a pathway that led anywhere except out of the room.
"So what's your pseudonym?" she asked.
"Not telling." He gave up and sat back down.
"Oh come on. Are you afraid I'll laugh?"
He turned and gave her one of his impatient and barely tolerant looks.
Joel entered carrying a tray with tea pot and settings. "So Harry, does she make you laugh?" he questioned.
Nicole turned to Sam and was ready to comment on his pseudonym, but he shut her down with a look and answered dolefully, "Not really, Sir."
Joel began tea preparations and Nicole smiled and wondered if he had been given the name because of the lack of hair on his head or because of the constant five o'clock shadow that always seemed to cover his face…or neither. "So Sam's pseudonym is Harry. Thank you sir, for your help with that."
Joel looked up quite pleased with himself. "Oh, did I mistakenly give that away?"
Sam nodded, "Well, yes you did, but whether or not it was a mistake is uncertain."
"Lighten up a bit, Sam. There is plenty of time for serious discussion, which you know we will engage in after we have tea."
"Yes Sir. I'll try."
Joel passed a tea cup and saucer to Nicole, then one to Sam. "If I may ask, sir," Nicole spoke up, "what's yours?"
"My what? Oh my pseudonym?" He smiled. "I'll not give it away just yet." He looked at Sam. "And neither will you Harry." Then he asked, "So Breeze, my girl, if you were to name me, what would it be?"
She did not hesitate. "Ancient, sir. And I mean that in a good way, as in all of the good things that come with age such as the learning of wisdom."
"Ancient. Hum. I like it. I may have to use it one day."
They sat quietly for a moment enjoying the tea. Nicole was fascinated as she looked around the room at the collage of a lifetime, and suddenly she knew. Her head snapped around and her eyes met his piercing gaze.
"You have been through trauma of some sort or other just as I have. Isn't that right? That is what I'm feeling, some kind of bond or kindred spirit, so to speak, because of what you have been through. It's as if my spirit recognizes yours in a familiar way, and the last time I felt something similar was at the funeral of a friend who had died. She had ministered to many people with SRA, and the room was filled with people who had come from around the nation. I didn't know any of them, and yet I felt a connection. Like I do here." Nicole paused. She realized that maybe she should not have blurted that out. What if she were wrong?
His expression remained intact and his gaze continued to pierce her soul as if looking for something deep inside her. And then he spoke. "You have discer
ned correctly to some extent Nicole. I was a victim of trauma based mind control as a young child. Monarch programming as it were. You are sensing the bond of this type of suffering that we share; however, it goes deeper than that. All will be revealed in time."
Joel looked into his tea cup and swirled the remaining dark liquid around. "I'm sure that you are aware how, in that system, each slave is assigned a role or task depending on their abilities. Because of my high intelligence and creative ability factors, I was raised up and trained as a programmer." He took a deliberate sip of tea, then placed it back on its saucer and set it down on the table beside him. He asked "Do you understand what that means Nicole?"
"Yes, I believe I do."
He looked directly into her eyes. "I traumatized many innocent children. I killed as many more through occult practices. I caused splits within their minds and trained them to obey my commands." He diverted his eyes momentarily, and Nicole thought she saw a flicker of shame cross his face. And then his eyes were looking into hers again as he matter-of-factly said, "I was very good at what I did. I trained others to be programmers, to do what I did. The list of my sins is many." The ancient one paused and looked into his cup.
Nicole said, "I'm so sorry. I can only imagine the pain you must have had to live with."
He tilted his head slightly to one side. "Do you know what my name means Nicole?"
"No sir. I know that Joel was a prophet in the Old Testament."
"It means 'Yahweh is God.' I praise Yahweh who is God because He came to me and revealed Himself to me. He raised me up out of that pit where I was enslaved. I don't live under condemnation now because I know His grace and mercy, His forgiveness. I have seen how he has been able to use me to rescue others because of what I know."
The Soul Redeemer: From Victim to Victory Page 24