“There he is!” A lady in a dark blue blouse and black slacks jabbed her finger in his direction. Great. Apparently the interview wasn’t over. Brandon spun back the way he’d come and looked for an exit sign, but all he found was Carson standing in the middle of the hallway with a hand placed on the walls to his right and left, a wry grin on his face.
Brandon turned and strode toward the lobby. He had to be careful. If he pushed through the crowd, they’d say he fled the scene. But if he made any comments, they could easily be twisted into a negative and stories would pop up online and in magazines shredding the ministry. And shredding him. Carson was right. What would this do to his career? Audrey wasn’t going to be giving him any marketing funds after this. And another contract? Uh, no. He had to turn this thing around now.
He stopped and put his hands up to quiet the crowd, but as he did the Spirit spoke.
Let it go.
Did he hear that right?
Let it go, Brandon.
“I’m sorry. I don’t have time to stop and chat at the moment, but let me assure you we are not what Carson implied we are. All I can say is seek the truth. Seek Jesus.”
“Nice cop-out, Brandon,” said a journalist with a smirk on his face. “If you think you can defend Carson’s accusations, then tell us here and now.”
Let it go.
Brandon gritted his teeth to keep from responding. There was no question the Spirit had spoken. The tough part was obeying. He blinked twice and turned to the journalist.
“Sorry, guys, not this time.” He pushed through the throng and stepped through the lobby doors. A few reporters followed, but he took the stairs and quickly distanced himself from the questions they shouted as he descended.
The Wolf, one. Warriors, zero. And Brandon knew this was only a skirmish compared to what was coming.
THIRTY-SIX
THE NEXT NIGHT REECE GATHERED THE OTHER WARRIORS at his home and spent the first half hour debriefing on Brandon’s encounter with Carson. The Song had not only taken that shot, but the one with his record label as well. But if it gnawed at him, it didn’t show in his voice or the things he said.
“No, I don’t need to talk about my pal Carson anymore.” Brandon’s footsteps echoed back and forth over Reece’s hardwood floors. “We’ve been over it. I had a lot of time to think about it on the plane ride home. I was hammered, yes. But is that a shock? This Tristan character said . . . what’d he say at your breakfast, Reece? That we were going after the Wolf, but the Wolf was also coming after us?” The pacing stopped. “I certainly discovered that to be true. Which makes me more than ever want to know more about this Mr. Barrow, stalker, prophet . . . friend, enemy, whatever he is. I think it’s about time we find out.”
“I agree,” Reece said. “Let’s review each of your impressions about Tristan and his friends.”
Brandon paced again. “I’ve never gotten anything. Good or evil. They’re spiritual Switzerland.”
“Marcus, isn’t that what you felt with Zennon when he was trying to infiltrate your home using Abbie? That your spiritual eyes were dulled somewhat?”
“Yes and no. Even though my certainty wasn’t complete till the end, something about Calen, or Zennon, felt incongruent from the moment I met him. However, I attributed it to not wanting my daughter to date till she’s older. With Tristan, Jotham, and Orson, I’m like Brandon. I’ve felt nothing.”
“I agree,” Dana said.
“So Tristan and his friends could be more powerful demons, who have a greater ability to shroud our spiritual eyes and ears,” Brandon said.
“Yes.”
“Just a thought,” Dana said. “It seems unlikely Tristan and his friends would be blocking us if they’re good, so can we assume they’re not our pals the way they claim to be?”
“It’s dangerous to assume.” Reece opened the face of his watch and felt the hands. It had become a habit and he did it even when he didn’t care what time it was. Maybe symbolic of time growing short and their need to act.
“There is one way to find out where they stand that will give us an undisputable answer,” Dana said.
Marcus coughed. “And what would that plan entail?”
“We go in.”
“Go through the gate and enter their souls?” Marcus asked.
“Yes.”
Brandon laughed. “Whoa, Supergirl, I think you’ve been sucking on a kryptonite milk shake. It’s weakened your brain. Aren’t you always the one making sure we don’t tear the envelope on the rules of engagement?”
Dana’s voice rose. “Am I crazy, Reece?”
Reece didn’t answer for a few seconds. “No, you’re not. I’ve been mulling over the same question.”
“You’re thinking about doing it too?” Brandon sighed. “Are you nuts? What about rule number two? Never go into a soul without explicit permission. That’s what got you into—tell me you’re not serious.”
“Yes, I am. But before we make a decision on that I propose we ask them for their permission to go in. It’s a way to call their bluff.”
“And if they say yes?” Brandon said.
“Then we will have received their permission and we ask the Spirit if we should go in.”
“And if they say no?” Dana said.
“Then we’ll have learned something and we’ll ask Jesus what the next move is.”
“When will you ask the question?” Marcus said.
Reece picked up his cell phone. “Right now.” He set his phone on speaker and dialed the number.
Tristan answered on the second ring. “Hello, Reece. Are we coming to Well Spring with you?”
“Before we discuss that, want to talk about something else. You’ve offered to help us. I’d like to offer something to you in return.”
“What is that?”
“We’d like to war for you. Help set you free in the deepest way possible.”
“What exactly does that look like?” Tristan said.
“I think you already know what that looks like.”
“I believe you’re right, but for the sake of clarity can you state it for me now?” Tristan’s voice was light, but somehow serious at the same time.
“We want to send our spirits into your soul.”
The phone went quiet and all Reece heard was the ticking of his grandfather clock and Tristan’s breathing. “And what would you do while you’re inside?”
“See if there are any chains to be broken, any wounds to be healed, any freedom to be fought for.”
“When done with the Spirit, that can be powerful.”
“Indeed. So? May we?”
“Regretfully that cannot happen. While I appreciate the boldness of the request, that is a boundary I’m unable to let you cross.”
“Unable or unwilling?” Brandon said.
“I’d like you to trust me.”
“You didn’t increase the likelihood of that with the choice you just made.”
“Our choices are often not our own. Can you think of another way for us to earn your trust?”
“Not at the moment.”
“I understand.” Tristan cleared his throat. “Then I believe there’s nothing further we can accomplish at the moment.”
“Are you for us or against us? What do you want from the Warriors?”
“We are for you. And what do we want other than your trust? Nothing.”
“Who are you?”
“As I’ve said to all of you, ones who would help.”
Reece hung up and turned to the group. “Thoughts? Any impressions as I talked to him? Who do you think he is?”
Dana sighed. “Someone trying to distract us. I say we stay away till we’re done with the Wolf, then we can worry about who Tristan is.”
Reece turned toward Marcus. “Professor? Do you agree?”
“My conclusion is the same as Dana’s. We put Tristan on hold for the time being.”
“What about you, Song?” Reece asked.
Reece listened to the so
und of Brandon shifting in the brown leather chair to the right. “This guy knows way too much to ignore him. I say we have to find out who he and Jotham and Orson are, now. The big war is coming and I want to know if there’s someone who might be outflanking us or might be joining their forces with ours. But going into his soul without permission isn’t the way to find out.”
Reece didn’t respond. He’d asked the Spirit who Tristan was three times and all he’d gotten was silence. But it wouldn’t hurt to ask again. An answer came seconds later with stark clarity.
Go in and find out.
His soul, Lord? Without permission?
This time it is permitted. You will understand why.
If Reece could see his own face, he would guess it was pale.
“I believe the Spirit is telling us to go in.”
“What?” The sound of Brandon smacking the sides of the chair he sat in echoed in the room. “Maybe you are. Not me.”
“I will enter with you.” The professor’s voice sounded scared.
“As will I.” Dana’s voice was stronger. “I’m sensing we are to go in as well.”
“Did I miss something?” Brandon said.
“Apparently so.” Reece heard laughter in Dana’s voice.
“Fine,” Brandon said. “Let’s go on this crazy plane ride once again. It’s the only way to die.”
THIRTY-SEVEN
REECE SPUN HIS WALKING STICK AROUND HIS HAND LIKE it was a sword as the four of them walked to the fire pit in his backyard. Dana caught the hint of a smile on his face. Of course there would be. She watched him as the others built a fire. Inside spiritual realms, Reece felt alive. Valuable. It was a place where he could see in all applications of the word.
After flames blazed from the pit, Reece pointed his stick at the fire. “Are you all ready to find out who we’re dealing with? Find out what side of the battle their loyalties lie on?”
“I’m in,” Brandon answered.
After Marcus and she said the same, Reece extended his arms. “Grab hands.”
Dana slipped her damp hand into Reece’s on her right and Brandon’s on her left. She didn’t exactly feel nervous—they’d done enough soul travel over the past year to make her almost comfortable with it—but still, this felt different. All the souls they’d gone into were known entities—good or evil. Tristan and his friends? They didn’t know. And the fact the Spirit had stayed silent on which camp the strangers fell into made this excursion full of apprehension.
“You all right, Dana?” Brandon squeezed her hand.
“Fine.”
“Then why is your hand sweating?”
“Because we have no idea what we’re getting into.”
“Do we ever?”
“We usually know what kind of a soul we’re going into.”
“But not always.”
She dropped the conversation and tried to relax.
“You don’t have to go, Dana,” Reece said.
“I’m ready.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
Reece bowed his head. “Get a picture of Tristan in your mind. Let your spirit fly, let the Spirit take you. Here we go.”
Dana closed her eyes and let the sensation of falling in upon herself sweep through her. Her mind grew smaller and her spirit welled up from inside and filled her consciousness. The touch of Brandon’s and Reece’s hands grew lighter and stronger at the same time and the physical world faded and they were soaring. They would land any moment.
But the landing didn’t come.
Going through any soul gate had never taken this long. Seconds turned into minutes and then Dana did something she’d never done when going through a gate, maybe because there had never been the time. Maybe because she’d never thought of it before. She opened her eyes.
Where were they? Stars rushed by her as they streaked through the heavens. Planets appeared, then vanished behind them. Galaxies rushed by her. It seemed they traveled far faster than the speed of light.
She squeezed Brandon’s hand, then turned to look at him. No one was beside her. Dana spun to locate Reece, but although she still felt his hand, she saw nothing but the stars rushing by her. She looked down expecting to see her body, but nothing was there either. A particle of thought said this should bother her, but it didn’t. She blinked again but didn’t know if she’d done so in her mind or in reality. She laughed. How could she blink when she had no eyes to blink with?
They slowed and she found herself looking back on a massive collection of brilliant star clusters. Impossible. But she knew what it was. She’d seen something just like it in eastern Washington last summer on a moonless night. The cluster was made up of hundreds of galaxies, all of which contained billions of stars.
“Do you see this?” In her mind she pointed to the vast collection of light in front of them.
Both Brandon and Reece squeezed her hands. Had they heard her? She laughed. Of course they had—Marcus too. She stared at the galaxies, beyond awe, knowing God held the star systems in the palm of his hand. A moment later the stars vanished and solid ground formed under her feet.
“Wow, what a rush!” Brandon laughed and patted his body. “Nice to be back in my body.”
Marcus shook his head. “You aren’t in your body. You think you are, but you are not, as it is not possible. You’re projecting a mental impression that your spirit has graciously translated into a physical image. Quite effectively if you’ve forgotten the accuracy of my statement.”
“I know, I’m just saying it was weird coming through whatever kind of gate that was and not having any sense of form while we did it.”
Dana looked into Reece’s blue eyes. “Have you—?”
“No, I’ve never experienced anything even close to that.”
“What was it?”
“A gift.” Reece looked at each of them. “I believe we’ve just seen a glimpse of the heavens, and in our glorified bodies we’ll take journeys like that with high frequency.”
They stood on top of a tall hill covered by a thick blanket of heather. A soft wind brought a hint of lilacs and there was a touch of moisture in the wind that soothed her face. In the distance to their right were green cliffs thousands of feet high, reminiscent of Hawaii, with waterfalls dividing the mountains in sporadic sections. To their left was an arid plain spotted with massive red-rock bridges and formations that made Sedona look like a one-sixteenth scale model by comparison.
And in front of them, stretched out across a green field dotted with small patches of the most exquisite trees Dana had ever seen, were rows of doors, thousands of rows, millions maybe. Door frames of gold and silver, ones that looked like they were carved from marble, others carved from concrete, others from stone. Thick wood frames and frames made of thin branches no thicker than a cattail. All different. All captivating in their beauty.
As she stared at them, Dana realized they were more than door frames and doors. They were gates. Could these be . . . ? Some gates appeared to be made of glass and some of ice and even some of swirling clouds.
Directly in front of them, a long, winding set of stairs led to a flat area about halfway down the hill that supported a wide platform made of dark wood. A group of figures—too far away to make out if they were men or women—moved across the large dais, stopping in front of each other for a few seconds, then moving on to descend the stairs on either side of the platform to the field of gates below.
The sensation of peace that surrounded them was so strong, Dana felt like she could taste it. A tang of honey and raspberry and smoky cheddar cheese all blended together.
She caught Brandon licking his lips. “You taste it too?”
“It’s unreal.” He grinned at her, then turned to Reece. “Quite a soul this Tristan Barrow has.”
Dana sniffed out a laugh. “I’m thinking we made a wrong turn and probably didn’t end up in Tristan’s soul.”
“Lucky guess,” Brandon said.
“I think we need l
ittle confirmation we are not in Tristan’s soul,” Marcus said. “But that does solicit the question of where we have ended our journey.”
“I have a very good idea.” Reece smiled.
“So do I,” Dana said.
“Come then, let’s find out if we’re right.”
THIRTY-EIGHT
DANA WATCHED REECE STRIDE DOWN THE SMOOTH STEPS of the stairway, his shoulders back, a song on his lips. As they grew closer to the platform of people, a few of them raised their heads and smiled. When they reached it, a man who looked to be in his seventies strolled over to them. His hair was thin and almost silver, but his eyes were young. “Enter in, with freedom, with joy.”
Reece bowed his head. “It is our honor to be here.”
“No, the honor is mine.” He motioned toward the other men and women passing them on the dais. “The honor is ours.”
“Can you tell us where we are?”
The man’s eyes sparkled. “You’ve always gone right through the gates, haven’t you? Never stopped to examine what it was you were passing through.”
“I didn’t know it was possible,” Reece said.
“Now you do.” The man smiled and turned to Dana. “You see what they are, yes? That they are not simply door frames and doors?”
“They’re the gates into people’s souls.”
“Yes.”
She gazed over the field. “And do you know who all of the gates belong to?”
“Yes, every one. All six billion of them.”
“What?” Brandon stepped closer to the man. “Six billion?”
“How can the number be any other than the one just stated?” Marcus pushed up his glasses. “A gate for every soul on earth.”
Reece put his hands on his hips and stared at the field. “Can you show us a specific gate? Take us to it?”
“Of course. You are welcome here and anywhere within the fields. And while you are here, you will have safe passage. I can take you to any gate you like.”
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