Agent finds a Warrior

by Guy Stanton III

  “Can I have this too?” Maria asked holding something up.

  “Honey you can have anything you want free of charge!”

  “Oh no, Elon gave me a card to pay…….”

  “Mr. Gideon’s woman don’t pay for nothing in my store, but honey if you get shot, stabbed, partly blowed up you call me and let me know how my art done worked out for ya!”

  “I’ll do that.” Maria commented in wry tone.

  “Well das about do it I think! You ready for war honey child and your gonna look darn sexy doing it too!”

  Chapter Five

  Gifted Away

  I idly sipped my green tea as I waited for Maria. She was late. I saw her then and I did a double take, even as I groaned inwardly.

  This was not what I’d been expecting. Elsie had gone overboard to say it mildly, but why had Maria gone along with it? And why did she have to look so darn hot!

  Maria came to a stop before me and she tipped back her Indiana Jones styled leather fedora to give me an expressive eyebrow hike up, “What do you think Elon?”

  My eyes drifted away from her face and I was grateful for the table covering my lap. What did I think?

  I think I wanted her to go find some other clothes is what I thought!

  But what I said was, “I think that if you strapped a sawed off shotgun to your hip and you had a crossbow cradled in your arms you’d be the 18th century Hollywood style version of what a vampire slayer should look like.”

  Completely dead faced serious she responded with, “I never much cared for crossbows, but the shotgun and I go way back.” She said, as she patted the leather pack she had slung on with one hand suggestively.

  She couldn’t be serious!

  Feeling my temper begin to rise I said, “The vampire slayer comment wasn’t a compliment! Don’t you think you look somewhat conspicuous in that getup?”

  Her eyebrows rose as she took me in with a single glance, “Couldn’t you say the same for yourself Elon?”

  Was she inferring that I looked like a vampire slayer from the 18th century?

  I glanced down at myself.

  Sure I wore a good bit of leather and I had a hat and I dressed somewhat more old fashionably…… Oh darn! I did look like a vampire slayer.

  I sighed and glanced up to see her smiling playfully at me. Oh God what are you trying to do to me with this woman!

  “I guess you’ve made your point.” I said grumpily.

  She smiled triumphantly in response and sourly I got up and turned away to head down the street and away from her.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Maria followed after Elon. She was certainly having an effect on him and in some ways that was her purpose if not her job description, if it could be called that. She didn’t like the thought of this being a job. It was going to become far too personal a thing to think of Elon as simply a job objective.

  Sudden panic coursed through her. It was going to be personal what transpired between her and Elon wasn’t it? She wasn’t just going to be……..”

  “No.”

  Her panic paused for a moment. Was there going to be more to follow that definitive thought?

  There was nothing. But she knew what it wasn’t going to be so that left her with the position of determining how personal things would be. She wasn’t good about being personal, but this was important.

  “Elon I don’t think you should be embarrassed because of your attraction to me.” Maria said hurriedly as she tried to keep up with Elon’s fast pace.

  He stopped.

  “I know I am considered beautiful and I’m flattered that you think so as well and I’m not offended by it.

  Elon looked back, “There can never be anything intimate between us!”

  “Why?” Maria asked hesitantly.

  “I made a promise a long time ago that I have to keep.”

  Elon turned back to continue on, but Maria spoke out more boldly than she felt inside, “My purpose here with you isn’t to torment you or much less to be a source of temptation to lead you away from any promise that you’ve ever made.”

  Elon turned around and it was quite apparent that he was very angry. So much so that Maria wanted to back away, as he came toward her, but she didn’t.

  “And just what pray tell is your purpose?” Elon said, as his hot breath washed out over Maria’s face.

  Feeling like she was staring down a lion Maria softly said, “A gift.”

  “What!!! What kind of a gift?” Elon stormed out with in question.

  “A gift from God to you.”

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  I stared incredulously into her eyes, but found no lie there. She was serious!

  “You’re for me?” I asked trying to clarify what she’d said.

  She nodded and I thought of the toy shop owner who’d made me take the doll claiming I’d have a daughter and then six more children after that. I thought of all the women I had passed by from Queens to milkmaid sirens to finally come to this moment that I had been sure would never happen. Was God really giving me what I had always desired?

  “The hotel incident?” I asked leadingly.

  Maria nodded somehow knowing as to what I was referencing and said, “It’s hard to obey some things. Being given away as a gift to a man is not something I ever expected to be asked of me. It’s not something I would’ve ever conceded to on my own. No offense meant.”

  “None taken.” I said just as softly as she had spoken.

  I saw a bench beside us and I sat down feeling overwhelmed inside and very confused.

  “You don’t understand it either?” Maria asked.

  I looked up at her and shook my head no.

  “But something makes you believe what I’m saying?”

  “Yes.” I said before looking away. I was confused and yet I was privately elated.

  There was another emotion rising up within me choking off any feeling of elation I had previously felt. It was fear. Fear of making a mistake. Fear of the unknown. Fear of what might be asked of me. So many fears and I tried to swish them all away, as they were trying to spoil one of the greatest moments of my life.

  “Elon?”

  I glanced up to see Maria standing there almost on the verge of tears.

  “What is it Maria?”

  “I…… I…… I……”

  I pulled her down to the bench beside me. Tears were now flowing and she wouldn’t look at me. She seemed almost scared to.

  “What are you scared of Maria?”

  She shrugged expressively, as if to say she didn’t know or that there were too many fears to count.

  “Me?” I asked.

  Her eyes turned to mine and she quickly said, “No, not really. Not anymore.”

  I studied her for a long moment, “You know I think you’re one of the bravest women I’ve ever met.”

  Her eyes lit up in surprise, “Whatever could make you think that?”

  “I just do. Now what were you going to ask me Maria?”

  “Could we date for a while before…….”

  “Absolutely!”

  She went on as if I hadn’t spoken, “I know I don’t have the right to ask and I’d never refuse you or what God wants, but I…….”

  “I’ve waited for over 3000 years I think I can wait a little longer.”

  I watched her face go slack with shock and before she could burst out with the usual questions I said, “You’re worth the wait anyway.”

  She swallowed and just looked at me looking very shaken. Sudden thoughts filled my head and I gripped the bench hard feeling shaken to the core of myself.

  Dimly I heard Maria calling to me, “Elon are you all right?”

  I came back to the present and opened my eyes to gaze into her worried ones.

  Out of curiosity I asked, “Was there anything else the God asked of you in concern to me?”

  “He told me to pray for you.”

  I nodded and glanced down.
Not only was God giving me physical and emotional companionship with a woman that I wouldn’t have to watch grow old and die, but he had also given me help in the work that I did for the Kingdom.

  In all my years I’d never had anyone devoted to praying just for me. Perhaps it was possible that I could accomplish more with this woman by my side than I ever had just by myself. God had granted my private desires, but ultimately He’d satisfied my spiritual ones.

  I was a better person with her than without her and I hadn’t lost my soul in the pursuit of something forbidden to me in order to attain her. Instead what I had desired had been gifted to me and I was the better for it.

  “Did you see something Elon?”

  “I did.”

  A private joy opened up within me at the realization that I finally had someone that I could talk and relate to. Someone I could trust.

  “I have visions sometimes that show me paths to take and what I am to do. Sometimes it’s as simple as giving a word of encouragement or a warning to someone. Sometimes it’s been to save humanity itself from some calamity of its own creation or from the dark powers that be.”

  “What did you see this time?”

  “A mutual friend of ours and his family are in grave danger. We must go to them for we have been empowered by the Holy Spirit of God to intercede on behalf of them.”

  I watched Maria’s face quiver slightly as we both felt the ripple and awareness of the power of the Holy Spirit course through us.

  “What are we up against?” She asked bravely and I told it to her straight.

  “Whatever power of darkness that hell throws against us.”

  I saw fear in her eyes, but I also saw determination for the fight. I reached over and patted the outline of the sawed off shotgun in her pack, “The shotguns going to have to sit this one out I’m afraid. Such weapons will do us no good in the coming struggle.”

  She swallowed expressively before asking, “What do we fight with then?”

  “The promises of God given to us through His Holy Scripture and prayer. Lots of prayer.”

  I stood up and I extended my hand down to Maria and smiled as I asked, “Ready to join me on our first adventure together?”

  She looked scared and excited all at the same time, but her hand reached up to mine and enclosed with it and we were both immediately caught away by the Holy Spirit of God.

  Chapter Six

  Questions

  Maria fell against me gasping in fright, “What was that? Where are we? How did we get here?”

  I chuckled out loud and her eyes came to mine in exasperation.

  “Do you remember in the Book of Acts, when Philip is transported from one place to another in the same day by the Spirit of God?”

  “Yes, but he was an apostle! I’m just ordinary.”

  “You are a daughter of Christ and an heir to the Kingdom of God. Your spirit is more precious than all the wealth of this world combined together and there is nothing that your Savior hasn’t already done for you. You are made worthy for all things because of His sacrifice for you, which makes you blameless before God. You’re important! Vitally important and there is nothing ordinary about an individual who has an eternal heavenly destination. To borrow from the Marine Corps you are one of the few, the proud, and the brave. I didn’t mean to just preach at you so heavily, but it burdens me when I see individuals under value themselves as to what God can bless them to do for His righteous causes.”

  Maria was looking at me as if she was seeing a new side of something, “You really think I’m that important?”

  “I do, but much more significant than what I think is how Jesus thinks about you.”

  She nodded.

  The temperature was warm and the country lane we stood in promised to offer a good long walk to wherever we were going.

  “I’ll hold your coat and pack for you if you’d like while we walk.” I offered obligingly.

  She handed me her pack and I slung it over my shoulder. Then she slipped off her leather coat and handed it to me and I hung it over my arm with my coat. We started out with her looking around at every countryside sight, while I looked at her.

  It was a wonder that I didn’t trip and fall over flat onto my face. I watched her warm brown skin darken and she glanced up at me inquiringly in regards to my intense perusal of her.

  “Is there something on my face or something?” She asked.

  I glanced away from her smiling into the distance.

  She touched my shoulder hesitantly and I glanced back to her, “You can keep looking. I shouldn’t have……. I know why you were looking and it’s okay.”

  “I’m sorry that my looking at your beauty causes you such discomfort.”

  She stopped walking and so I stopped.

  I waited patiently for her to speak.

  “Well it shouldn’t. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with you!” She glanced away before adding, “I’m the problem.”

  She glanced back to me, “What kind of man even apologizes for looking at a woman the way you were at me anyway? You’re so different from any man that I’ve ever met before!”

  “Looking and imagining can be as significant as touching. Both of them have been forbidden to me until now. It’s hard to stop from indulging when I look at your beauty and know what I know will eventually come to pass between us.”

  She moved her head to the side gazing at me as if puzzled by something, “You’re saying that you think to even look at a woman you’re not married to is a sin?”

  I nodded, “Jesus laid it out very clearly that we are accountable for the thoughts of our minds as much as we are the actions which we commit with our hands. He even went as far to say that to hate someone was the same as if to murder them.”

  “I have a question. You don’t have to answer it if you don’t want to.”

  “Ask away.” I said obligingly.

  “You’ve never been with a woman physically before have you?”

  “No.”

  “What about thinking?”

  “I’ve failed there many times most notably with you. You really get to me. Overwhelm would be a better word for it.” I admitted honestly.

  Maria looked down blushing as she said, “I have another question.”

  Laughing I said, “Go ahead.”

  She looked up and gestured between us, “Are we…….” She trailed off looking uncomfortable.

  “Married?” I said filling in for her.

  She nodded.

  “The act of marriage as seen in the eyes of man has varied through the years in terms of its form of ceremony. I only regard what the Holy Scripture has to say of it. In the beginning of creation man was formed and that man was given a woman as a helpmate and lifelong companion. I am a man after Adam and God has given me you. Quite simply put you are my woman and I will have relation with no other than you, as it is good for man to have but one wife. You will bear my name, even as you bear my children and your affection will be towards me. I will care for you, protect you, and love you all the days of my life, even as Christ loves and cares for the church. Does that answer your question?”

  “Yes.” Maria said sounding shaken.

  “Shall we then?” I said indicating the open road ahead of us with a flourish of one hand.

  We started walking again and somewhat startled I felt her hand slip into mine. I glanced down at our joined hands and then over to Maria who said, “I think I’m going to rather enjoy being your woman.”

  She’d spoken openly and honestly and I loved her for it.

  We walked on for quite some time and I admired the view of her beside me, as I had been before only now she was more accepting of it. She let her hat fall back to hang by its cord from her throat so that her black hair blew freely in the breeze.

  A whole realm of conversation that I had never delved into before was opening up to me and somewhat trepidatiously I ventured forth into the discussions of married life, “What is with that outfit you’re wearin
g anyway?”

  I watched her smile as she asked, “Why does it tempt you so much?”

  In honest reply I said, “You’d tempt me no matter what you wore.”

  She glanced up and her eyes sparkled. She’d liked that comment. I’d only spoken the truth.

  “Is that a corset?”

  “An under-bust one yes.”

  “Let me guess, it can withstand a 50 caliber round delivered at point-blank range right?”

  Maria grinned big, “Well Elsie didn’t mention 50 caliber rounds, but my impression was that it’s good for all the other calibers, including explosions.”

  “What about your chest?” Some part of me couldn’t begin to imagine that I was even asking such a question.

  “Unfortunately not bulletproof, but I have other surprises.”

  I was going to leave the conversation at that for now.

  She looked at me speculatively, “I have to say I was surprised at the façade if you will of Elsie’s business.”

  I held my hands up chuckling, “I had no part in that trust me! That was all Elsie’s doing and quite frankly I wish she’d chosen something else for a cover, but we each have our own decisions to make in life and Elsie’s was a tacky one to say the least.”

  “Are you sure you’re not into being beaten and tied up?” Maria asked teasingly.

  Darkly my mind drifted back over the years, “I’ve been on the brunt end of a beat up session enough times in my life without seeking out any more punishment I assure you.”

  I don’t know what made me say it other than that it just slipped out, “I have no problems with tying you up though.”

  I swear her face was the deepest shade of red imaginable for the next half mile. I thought about apologizing, but the more I thought about the idea of playfully tying her up the more it sounded appealing to me. I was definitely going off the deep end in more than one way.

  “Maria do you trust me?”