by Jen Gentry
Just when it seemed he could run no more, a light appeared as a beacon in the dark forest. The smell of a fire and cooking food assaulted Lazar’s senses. He could hear people singing in a language he did not recognize, but he knew he’d found some kind of town or settlement. People who could help him were near.
Lazar ran to the sound and smells of people and collapsed in a heap at the feet of several native men gathered around the fires of their village.
“Help me,” he croaked out with his last breath as he lost consciousness. The angels Matthew and Simon appeared to the natives and quickly gave them instructions for the care of Lazar.
***
Across land and oceans, Liam and his warriors chased the demon Dycidius. The air became colder and the mountains taller. Day became night and on they sped. Into the great Netherlands of the north, the angels watched Dycidius, as he dove into a tightly packed black mass of demon sentries.
Millions of demons created an impenetrable wall over the lair of the Ba al’. Liam and the others came to an abrupt halt in the dark sky above the demon mass, as Dycidius disappeared into the great numbers of the black horde.
“Commander, shall we follow?” A deep voice came from one of Liam’s bravest warriors, as the angels carefully watched the wall of demons from a safe distance.
“Nathaniel, only you would be brave enough to go into that wretched hive.” Liam clapped his fellow angel on the back. “No, I think we shall return to our charges and leave Dycidius where he is. He will face the Ba al’ now. Better them than us for him, I guess. But still not a position I would want to be in. We shall wait and watch for Dycidius’ return from the sky over Rio. If he returns.” Liam was disappointed at the loss of Dycidius and the information that only the demon could’ve shared. Without a doubt, the demons were after something of importance. Something he needed to find before they did.
***
Lazar languished in a state of semi-consciousness in a small, grass hut, fighting an inner battle with the demon Armodius. By his side, Simon and Matthew quietly watched and waited. The angels could only intervene if the man called out to Jesus. Even though Lazar wanted to be rid of the demon, he still did not ask for his Lord and Savior. He needed to be ministered to before it was too late for him.
Simon felt it was time to speak with Lazar. “Matthew, my brother, I have an idea.”
Chapter Twelve
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 6:10-12
Dycidius found himself under full guard, as he burst into the lair of the great Ba al’ unannounced. One only appeared in front of the assembly of demonic leaders by invitation. His mind spun, as he waited for the council to decide if they would see him or not. He almost regretted his cowardice in running from Liam and his legion of warrior angels. Almost.
The problem with the angels was not so much in facing them. It was in the power they gained from the prayers of the children of the most high. The saints, as the children were called, had the ability to cast out demons and send them into the abyss by calling on the name of the great and exalted Morning Star. Jesus.
Faced with the prayers of the saints, a demon had only two choices: fight to the death or run. If he’d stayed to fight he surely would have died. Liam was a gifted warrior. Many demons had fallen under his sword.
No, Dycidius thought. It was far better to face the Ba al’. It would not be a pleasant experience, but he may still yet live on this earth after all.
After hours, days even, crept by, Dycidius was at last granted an audience. The large demon actually trembled, as he was led to the great room of the crumbling castle where the Ba al’ assembled together. Even for a demon such as he, being in the presence of such dark evil was a fearsome thing. The Ba al’ was second only to Lucifer in the demon ranks, and they answered directly and only to the king of evil.
Dycidius bowed low before the council before he was granted permission to speak. He was careful to remain humbled before the number of red-robed figures that made up the Ba al’.
The voices that spoke from the hooded cloaks were coarse and raspy. “Why are you here, Dycidius? You were not summoned, and you have been given the great task of protecting Armodius as he carries out his orders. Why have you left your post?”
“I bring word of the Host of Heaven. Just before Armodius arrived in my appointed realm, the angel Commander Liam arrived with his legion of warrior angels. The angels have accompanied the man Ethan McGowan and a woman. The woman is a saint. She prays and endangers the mission of Armodius.”
A cacophony of high-pitched wails and screams ensued all around Dycidius. The noise brought him to his knees.
“Who is the woman? Is she the one Liam protects from Hook Pond? How is it that Liam and the woman are with the man Ethan? This could ruin us all. We will not suffer another catastrophe at the hands of the saints who pray from Hook Pond. Lucifer will punish us all if we fail him again.” The screams bombarded Dycidius until he wailed and collapsed with the pain from it all.
The demon sentry guards of the Ba al’ lifted Dycidius and carried him away from the council. The Ba al’ ordered him to wait until they decided what would be done following this awful news.
Several days passed before Dycidius appeared before the Ba al’ again. This time he would receive his own orders. The council decided that if Liam was in the Amazon then they would strike his assigned post in America. Dycidius would lead an attack party to the angelic stronghold of Perry House. His orders were to take out the woman who prays in Hook Pond.
***
Without Emily for company, Aunt Gemma kept busy around Perry House. She loved to work in the gardens, and with spring in full bloom, she had plenty to do to keep occupied. This afternoon she was taking a break from planting and pruning to paint. The flowers and trees came to life in full color on the canvas under her expert hand.
Staniel, Gemma’s ever present guardian angel, watched over her shoulder as the painting took form. It was a pleasant afternoon for both of them.
Gemma shivered, as the warm air around her began to chill, and a strong gust of wind knocked over her easel. She lifted her hand to her eyes and looked up. Where the sky had been calm and blue just minutes before, a large storm cloud began to form. She gathered her things and calmly headed for the back door to the main house. Staniel followed her in.
“Gemma, they are here,” the angel warned her.
Gemma could hear Staniel as clearly as she could on that day when he first came to her and her brother’s aid. She was only four and living in foster-care then, but she still communicated with Staniel by using sign language.
“Yes, they’ve come. Just like the Holy Spirit warned they would.” She signed as she went to her knees and began to pray. Staniel flew into the air and sounded the alarm, as all the angels in the area gathered to their posts. Yes, he thought. Let them come. We are ready.
***
Simon and Matthew took up residence with the natives who cared for Lazar. They appeared to the tribe as holy men. Lazar was in and out of consciousness, as he lay on a mat in the grass cover hut. A small fire burned on the packed dirt floor. A native woman brought hot food in a straw basket for the ailing man.
The angels took turns encouraging Lazar to eat and drink during the brief times when he was awake. Still, the man had not called out to the Lord. Simon wondered what the man’s story was. He knew that some evil things had to have transpired for him to be in this state of demonic possession. What events had taken place that allowed Armodius to assume control of this man?
Slowly, Lazar regained his strength. He began to realize that two men, who seemed to be missionaries of some sort, were caring for him. He also knew he was in a nativ
e village somewhere in the Amazon, and the demon Armodius was still inside of him. He reviled the thought of the demon, who seemed to be dormant somehow, as if being restrained. The stench of the demon was still present, and Lazar knew he would never be fully rid of the foul being.
At first Lazar welcomed the power he seemed to wield with the demon’s presence, but soon the demon took complete control. His despair over his current state was complete. Lazar had given up. The only way out of this was death. He hoped it would come quickly.
“Oh, dear Jesus, please let me die now,” he moaned.
It was a faint moan, but both angels heard it. Matthew placed a hand on the man’s chest to calm him, as Simon tried to talk to him.
“No, no my brother, you can live. You grow stronger each day. The Lord is with you, and nothing is impossible with him. Pray for life, not death.”
“You cannot help me. I’m doomed. The only way out for me now is death. Go away, whoever you are, and let me die.” Lazar cried out, thrashed about on the bed, and almost fell into the fire before Matthew caught him.
“Rest now, brother, we will talk more later.” Simon soothed the man as he pressed him back down onto the mat.
***
Liam returned to the campsite with his angels. He checked with Terrence to see how Emily was doing. She was in her tent praying. The two angels spread their wings out over her, as she prayed and the Holy Spirit ministered to her. Peace descended over the campsite and out into the forest, while Emily continued to pray for Lazar as the Spirit laid him on her heart to do so.
***
Lazar awoke again during the night. His mind was clearer than it had been in months. Despair weighed heavy in his heart, and he was still too weak to move, but he felt a need to unburden himself. He still believed he would die soon, but something drove him to tell his story. What did it matter now if someone knew of his evil doings? Surely he would be dead before he could be turned over to the authorities, anyway.
Sitting up was difficult, but he managed to do it. The two men who’d been caring for him were standing at his side. He wondered if they ever slept.
His voice was hoarse and scratchy as he spoke. “I’m not sure who you are, but if you are men of the Lord, I need to confess.”
***
The storm at Perry House raged on throughout the rest of the day and into the night. A cold chill invaded the house, and Gemma built up a fire in the main room’s fireplace. The electricity was out, but the woman remained calm. She could see the flashes of lightning but did not hear the booming of thunder that quickly followed the white flashes.
A hurricane lamp flickered on a table next to Gemma, and her Bible lay open in her lap. Peace flooded her heart and her mind. It was not in Gemma to doubt her Lord would care for her. All her life she trusted him. How could she not? In her darkest hours whenever evil was all around her, the Lord always carried her through. She began to count her blessings now.
Outside, the angels of Hook Pond held their ground. The demons pounded them from all sides, yet the lines of defense held strong. The angels took strength from Gemma and Emily’s prayers.
When morning broke the demons spent the last of their strength to try to create a hole into the angel’s ranks. Their battalion was almost decimated, with less than half of the original six thousand remaining in the battle. The demons bound themselves tightly together into one solid mass. They became as one giant cannon ball in the sky. The dark mass emitted so much energy that sparks of lightning rolled over the sky and struck the ground. A thrumming sound pulsed and vibrated from the rolling, spinning mass until it became a high-pitched mechanical squeal.
A battle weary Dycidius watched the massive, dark ball rise higher and higher into the sky. This had to be it. He knew his demon warriors were pulling the very last of their energy into this weapon. He stood on the outskirts of the forest that edged the grounds of Perry House. His plan was to take the local demonic forces that gathered around him and raid the main house once the angelic hold was broken. Only one thing stood between him and his ability to continue to reign in his physical realm and that was the woman in that house. For him, her death was a necessity. He must not fail the Ba al’s orders. The consequences of his defeat were too gruesome to think about.
The mass of demons blocked the sun, causing darkness to fall across the land like a shadow. Shrill squealing continued to fill the air. Then a trumpet sounded in the skies above. First it echoed low in the night then amplified, as if coming closer and closer, until the calling trumpet was all any spiritual being for miles around could hear. Fear struck Dycidius so hard he fell to the ground and watched in horror as the hand of God reached down from the heavens and crushed the dark mass before it could smash the stronghold of Perry House.
“Prince, Prince. We must leave this place. Now! The hosts of heaven are coming.” Dycidius allowed himself to be pulled along with the remnants of the demon horde of Hook Pond. His entire battalion had been demolished. The Ba al’ would torture him and send him into the abyss. There was no hope for him.
He wailed, “Just let them have me now. I’m dead anyway. The Ba al’ will annihilate me.” The demon pulling him along was dark and squat, with a face resembling a warthog. He looked up at the Prince and shook his head.
“My Prince, you seek to strike at the saints of Perry House? Yes?” Dycidius could only nod. “Well then, you should know that there is another woman connected to those at Perry House. She resides in New York. She is beloved to those who live within the angelic stronghold. We have been watching her and her own family for years, as her husband was once one of our own charges. Her name is Marta Steel. I can take you to her.”
A glimmer of hope swelled in Dycidius’ evil mind. “Yes. Let us have a look at Marta Steel.”
***
Inside Perry House, Gemma woke feeling refreshed and peaceful. She’d prayed for all she knew and loved and thanked the Lord for her many blessings. She thanked him again for delivering her from the face of evil in the guise of an awful storm. Outside the window the sun was shining and all was right again in her world.
Chapter Thirteen
For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving diver’s lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another
Titus 3:10
Lazar cleared his throat and asked for some water. Matthew helped him to drink from a carved wooden cup and warned him to go slow. Despite the warning, he gulped down the water and reached for more. He thought he might need something stronger to help him get through this confession. There would be none of that here, he thought. So he decided to just start at the beginning. The day he met Ethan McGowan, that day he would never forget. Looking both of the missionary men in the eye, he began his confession.
“I was a sophomore at Yale when I first met Ethan. He was a young pup, only sixteen years old and already a freshman in college. Ethan was my dorm-mate. I was a resident advisor, and the dean wanted Ethan to have a mature, responsible student to mentor him and keep him out of trouble. Being an honor student myself, I was the perfect choice, so the dean told me. I wasn’t too keen on the idea to start with, but the kid kinda grew on me.
The truth was that right away everyone loved him. He was some kind of genius, they said. Surely, he was a Noble Prize winner in the making. We were friends at first. I was nineteen, so it was strange to be friends with a sixteen-year-old. But after a while his age didn’t matter anymore.
Ethan excelled at everything he did. Soon, he surpassed even me in his studies, and we graduated with our doctorates the same year. After graduation, Ethan and I went our separate ways, but we agreed to stay in touch. Frankly, I was proud of Ethan for his accomplishments but very happy to be out of his shadow. It seemed that no matter how accomplished I was he was better. I started to harbor a strong, jealous resentment against him while we were both in college. The first year after graduating I was able to let go of some of that resentment. Then I heard Ethan wa
s given some digging assignments with private grant money and was actively recruiting team members. I remember thinking of how much I resented him all over again.
It was not fair. I told myself this over and over again, as I submitted request after request for grant money to fund my own projects to no avail. It seemed everyone wanted the kid genius.
Ethan took every prospect of work I had from me. I became destitute. I couldn’t pay my bills. The harder things got for me the easier they seemed to get for Ethan. I hated him and wished for his demise many times over.
One day, I received a letter from him. He wanted me to work for him. He had several digs lined up in different countries, and he wanted my help. I had ten dollars to my name, and even though I hated myself for doing it, I accepted his offer. It was that or starve. Soon I was working, traveling from one dig site to another. I suppose I should have been grateful. Ethan did save me from disaster by giving me a job. He paid me well and treated me like a brother. It never really occurred to me then, but I guess Ethan had always looked up to me in a big brother sort of way. Ever since that first day in college when I took him under my wing, he trusted me and valued my opinion above all others. I took advantage of his trust in order to betray him.
I never let on to anyone about how much I hated Dr. Ethan McGowan. I just let that hatred grow inside of me until one day I came up with a plan. I knew that with Ethan out of the way I could take everything over. His team would become my team. At first, I just wanted him out of the picture. I dreamed of him having an accident that would cripple him for life. I spent hours thinking up ways to do it.