When Angels Cry

by Marylu Tyndall

  “How can you ask me that?” She started toward her car, but her legs wobbled, and he wrapped his arm around her—an iron band of strength and warmth. The scent of that cheap aftershave he’d always worn filled her nose. What was it called? Aqua Velva. That was it.

  Unwanted emotions played havoc with her insides, and she pushed away from him and leaned against her car. “I guess I was more frightened than I thought.”

  “Of course you were. If I hadn’t come along…” He grimaced as if he really cared. “Do you know what would have happened?”

  She did, but she didn’t want to think about it. “Where did you learn to fight like that?”

  “Jujitsu classes.” He crossed arms over his chest. “Listen, I know you believe in God now and all. I think that’s great. But you can’t broadcast it like that.” He nodded toward her bumper sticker. “Not on the beach and not on your car. You’re just asking for trouble.”

  She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at such a thing coming from a pastor’s mouth. Nor did she have the energy for either.

  “Why were you even talking to them? You should have run back into Denny’s.” He gestured toward the restaurant where several people now stumbled out the door.

  Her head grew light, and she reached up to rub her eyes. “They asked me about Jesus, and I wasn’t going to deny Him. Besides, maybe I was supposed to tell them the gospel.”

  “Are you serious?” Sighing, he squeezed the bridge of his nose. “Those crazy people at the beach have infected your brain. I know it’s hard to accept, but GIFP has forbidden open evangelism. I’m surprised the cops haven’t dragged you and your friends to jail yet.”

  Angelica finally found her keys, clicked them, and her car beeped. “I’m too tired for this. Thank you for coming to my rescue.”

  Opening her car door, she turned to face him one last time. Though she couldn’t make out his expression in the darkness, his frustration crackled in the air.

  A loud noise echoed down the street. No, not a noise, the sound of a trumpet. Deep, bellowing, and long.

  Daniel glanced over the parking lot.

  The people who had left Denny’s stared up at the sky.

  Then as quickly as it had come, it stopped.

  “I’ve heard that sound before,” Angelica said. “Last year. People have been hearing strange sounds all over the world.”

  “Hmm.” Daniel drew a big breath. “Probably just a factory starting up its machines or a ship horn.”

  Other sounds emanated from down the street, where most of the nightclubs were. Screams followed by the eerie pop pop pop of gunfire. All too-familiar sounds in Fort Lauderdale at night.

  “I have to go.” Sliding into her car seat, she pressed her foot on the brake and pushed the start button. The engine cranked slowly…slowly… until it finally sputtered out. Angelica dropped her forehead on the steering wheel. No, I cannot be stuck here with Daniel!

  Daniel sped around the front of her car. “Looks like your back window wasn’t the only thing that sledgehammer struck.”

  Great. Dragging herself from the seat, Angelica stared in shock at what was left of her front grille and the puddle of fluid on the asphalt that used to be inside her radiator.

  “Probably tangled up your belts, is my guess,” Daniel said.

  “Drat.” Angelica swung her purse over her shoulder, locked her car, and started walking.

  “Let me drive you home.” His voice followed her.

  The last thing she wanted was for him to know where she lived. “No. I’m fine.”

  “Don’t be so stubborn, Angel.” He appeared beside her. “No ill intentions. I’ll just drop you home. It isn’t safe for you out here and you know it.”

  He was right, of course. She probably wouldn’t make it home in one piece. And if she didn’t have Isaac, she wouldn’t give a flip. But she did have Isaac, so she finally agreed.

  After a brief and silent drive to her place, he insisted walking her to her door, and now stood beside her, waiting to ensure she got inside safely. One thing about Daniel, he’d always been a gentleman in a world where chivalry had become a lost art.

  “Thank you again, Daniel. Good night.”

  “If you need a ride tomorrow, I’m available.”

  “No thank you. I’ll manage.” Turning, she fumbled with her keys.

  “I have AAA and can get your car towed.”

  “I’ll take care of it, thank you.” She found the key and inserted it.

  He chuckled. “I don’t have the plague, you know.”

  Yes, you do. A plague that had already destroyed her heart once.

  “Can I see you again?”

  She stared at him for a moment, street light angling over his stiff jaw. The distant sound of gunfire competed with the soothing lap of waves in the background. And she knew deep in her spirit—against her own heart, against her own will—that God wanted her to see him again. That she was supposed to help Daniel somehow…someway.

  “Why?” she asked.

  “I don’t know. I miss our friendship.”

  Then maybe you shouldn’t have broken my heart. Opening her door, she slipped inside and faced him as a glorious idea occurred to her. “Alright. On one condition.”

  He smiled.

  “I pick the place and time.”

  His dimple reappeared. “Deal.”

  Chapter 5

  They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

  Romans 1:25 (NIV)

  “So you see how much God loves all of us!” Daniel smiled wide for the camera, happy to see from the teleprompter that he had only a paragraph left of his sermon. “He wants us all to prosper, to be in good health, and to be happy. Just reach out”—he raised his hand and grabbed the air—“in faith, and take what God is offering. He is your greatest advocate, your best friend, and He wants only the best for His children.”

  Someone in the audience shouted, “Praise the Lord!” which elicited a round of applause as Daniel picked up his Bible and went to sit in his cushioned chair to the side. He wished people wouldn’t shout out in service like that. Or lift their hands during worship. What did that look like to people watching on TV? The last thing he wanted was people thinking he was some religious fanatic. Thomas nodded from his seat beside Daniel’s as the band began playing and two singers came forward.

  Daniel proudly scanned the massive sanctuary where every seat was filled. Last week, he’d been told that even the overfill room had been stuffed to capacity. All here to listen to his wisdom. Cameras sped about on rolling tripods, panning across the crowd, while the one up front remained on him.

  A lady, who always sat in the same spot in the front row, stood and began clapping and singing along to the worship song. Then lifting her eyes to heaven, she raised her hands, her face aglow as tears streamed down her cheeks. Other people stood and did the same, and Daniel squirmed in his seat. He’d have to ask the ushers to seat this particular lady toward the back where the cameras wouldn’t see her.

  The song finished, and Marley Jones, the dark-skinned youth pastor, sprang to his feet from the other side of the stage and took the podium. He cast a smile at Daniel and gave him a thumbs-up before he read announcements and said the closing prayer. Was it just Daniel or was the prayer especially long today? He would have to speak to Marley about that. Wouldn’t want to bore people. Finally, Marley said his “Amen” and sent the crowd off with a blessing.

  Thank God. Daniel rubbed eyes that felt like lead as the cameras shut down and the people began filing out. After he’d dropped off Angelica, he’d only gotten three hours of sleep, and he hoped the camera hadn’t picked up the shadows beneath his eyes. But seeing her had been worth every second. How could he have forgotten how special she was, how great it felt to spend time with her? He knew if she gave him half a chance, he could charm his way back into her life. With that thought lightening his step, he made his
way to his office, longing to lie down on his couch for a couple hours of shut-eye.

  He wasn’t so lucky. Before he could close the door, Thomas and Marley appeared in the hallway.

  “Can’t it wait until tomorrow, gentlemen?” Daniel complained as Thomas pushed his way past him into the room. Marley waited at the door with a smile until Daniel bade him entrance.

  Thomas slammed a newspaper on top of Daniel’s desk.

  “What’s this?” Daniel moved to the other side and focused on the article in the religious section of the Sun Sentinel. A large picture of him and Angelica sitting in the booth at Denny’s took up half the page with the headline, “Famous Pastor Steps Out With Cocktail Waitress.” Unfortunately, the picture revealed quite a bit of Angel’s skimpy outfit as well as a look of longing on Daniel’s face. He cringed.

  “So, this is why you look like a zombie this morning!” Thomas raged. “Are you insane? What do you think you are doing?”

  “Listen.” Daniel sank into his chair and rubbed his eyes. “We were just having coffee. That’s it. Nothing scandalous.”

  Marley started for the door. “I’ll come back later.”

  “No, Marley—stay,” Daniel said. “This won’t take long.” Besides, Daniel could use a friend right now, and Marley had a way of seeing things clearly.

  “No, it won’t take long if you come to your senses.” Thomas shook his head. “Innocent or not, this sort of thing could ruin you. Not only as the pastor of this church, but for any chance at public office.”

  Marley sank into a chair.

  “She’s an old friend, as you well know. We were just catching up.”

  “You can’t play catch-up with the likes of her. Don’t you get it? Not in your position!”

  Daniel stared at his friend, dark eyes flashing, a strand of his perfectly styled hair falling over his forehead. And he knew Thomas was right. Hanging out with the wrong type of people, whether it was innocent or not, would definitely roadblock the career path he’d been planning for so long.

  Thomas must have sensed his compliance, for he took a deep breath that softened the lines on his face. “Do you know you’ve been invited to participate in the World Religions Conference in Brussels in two months? I was trying to get in touch with you last night to tell you. It’s a huge honor.”

  “Aren’t they trying to blend all the religions into one?” Marley spoke up.

  “Yes.” Thomas cast a glance his way. “And why not have our own Daniel Cain there to represent the protestant branch.” He leaned his knuckles on the desk. “It’s such an incredible opportunity and a huge honor. But something like this”—he jabbed his finger at the article—“could ruin everything.”

  Daniel squeezed the bridge of his nose. “You’re right.” He glanced at the picture. “I was only curious about the meaning behind her message.”

  “Who cares what a loser cocktail waitress has to say?”

  Normally Daniel would agree, but why then did he suddenly have the urge to punch his friend for saying so?

  A knock on the door brought their gazes up to see Harold Jakes and Mrs. Brinkenburg, both looking as though they’d eaten a jar of pickles.

  Great. Daniel huffed. Could his day get any worse?

  Mrs. Brinkenburg stormed in, Harold at her heels like a lusty lap dog. A spinster at fifty-eight, she’d finally caught the eye of a man—the perfect man for her. How much fun they must have on their dates complaining about the church.

  Thomas made an effort to turn the paper over when Mrs. Brinkenburg said, “Oh, I’ve seen it, Pastor Thomas. That’s why we’ve come. Plus, there’s another matter regarding today’s service.” She glanced at her cohort Harold, who gave her a sheep-like grin.

  “I can assure you, the situation is resolved.” Thomas approached the two busybodies and wrapped an arm around each of their shoulders. “It was just a misunderstanding and a doctored-up photo. It won’t happen again.”

  “I should hope not.” Harold jutted out his chin.

  Thomas turned them both around and herded them to the door. “Let’s not disturb Pastor Daniel any more. Come to my office and I’ll be glad to hear your concerns.” He winked over his shoulder toward Daniel.

  Thank God for Thomas. Daniel sat back in his chair, nearly forgetting Marley was still there until the man cleared his throat and stood.

  “I should leave you to rest.”

  “No, Marley. Forgive me. What can I do for you?”

  The black man approached, his face a vision of calm and kindness. He’d been a gang member in Miami who’d had a vision of Jesus one night as he was heading to kill a rival gang member. Or so he said. Whatever it was, it changed his life, and he began preaching to young people on the Miami strip. Which is where Daniel had found him ten years ago. Marley was the real deal. And he had a way with young people.

  He halted before Daniel’s desk and pointed at the newspaper. “For one thing, I don’t see what the problem is with you hanging around with sinners. Isn’t that what Jesus did?” He glanced over his shoulder at the door. “And didn’t the Pharisees come down on Him about that too?”

  Daniel smiled. “He means well, Marley. Thomas just wants the best for me.”

  Marley flattened his lips as if he were trying to keep from saying something.

  “Sit,” Daniel said. “What’s on your mind?”

  “I won’t keep you, Daniel. I wanted your take on something. Some of the kids are asking about polygamy. They are saying since it’s okay for two men to get married, why not three men or two women and a man.” Marley rubbed the back of his neck. “Honestly, after they reformed our Bibles, I don’t know what to say to them, or where to point them to find the truth.”

  Daniel laid a hand on his Bible, the NWLV—New World Love Version. “This is our truth now. At least if we want to bring as many people to Christ as possible.” Rising, he made his way to his coffee bar and poured himself a cup, then glanced at Marley to offer him some, but he shook his head. Cupping the warm mug between his hands, Daniel turned to face his friend. “Besides, there was lots of polygamy in the Bible. And if the Supreme Court has ruled that marriage can be between any willing parties, then who are we to go against the rule of the land? The Bible also says we should obey our civil laws.”

  “It just doesn’t seem right. I know God frowns on these perversions. I feel like we are leading them astray.”

  Stiffening, Daniel glanced at the open door. “For one thing, don’t ever call them perversions, not where anyone can hear you.” Daniel approached his friend. “You have to keep the big picture in mind, Marley. Saving souls. If we started condemning these things, they will shut us down. And what good could we do then?”

  Marley stared at the ground, saying nothing.

  “Come on, Marls.” Daniel leaned back on his desktop. “Have I ever led you astray? We’ve done great things here.”

  “You mean God has.” Marley looked up at him.

  “Yes, yes. Of course. And if God has blessed us, we must be doing His will.”

  “I’m gonna pray about this,” Marley said, rising.

  Daniel slapped him on the back. “Good. I’m sure God will help you see things clearly.”

  After saying their goodbyes, Daniel closed and locked his door, then lay down on his couch. After a few moments of fidgeting restlessness, he flipped on his flat-screen mounted high on the wall. Tanks and military men with rocket launchers filled the screen as a woman’s voice spoke in a British accent.

  “War makes strange bedfellows. In an unpredicted turn of events Turkey, Russia, and Iran have formed an alliance with Libya and the Sudan in an effort to squash ISIS and form their long-awaited Muslim Caliphate. Recent bombings have killed more than one million civilians and demolished much of the city of Damascus.” The camera panned over miles and miles of ruins, then shifted back to tanks positioning along the border of Iraq. “Recently, over a hundred Christians were crucified by ISIS, their corpses left rotting on crosses in the desert. The M
iddle East is on the brink of World War III.”

  Daniel flipped it off and closed his eyes. Who cared what happened thousands of miles away. Not his problem.

  ♦♦♦

  Nazare lowered his head, a sudden despondency coming over him. What would it take to wake up Daniel from the deception that kept him enslaved? Day after day, Nazare reported back to the Father on Daniel’s status, and each day the news grew worse. Now, having just witnessed him yet again rejecting the truth for a lie—in both cases with Marley and Thomas—Nazare dreaded his next report. Not to mention Daniel’s disinterest in the signs of the times and his cavalier attitude toward his brothers and sisters being slaughtered. In truth, things didn’t look good for this man who had once been one of the Father’s most promising evangelists.

  If only Nazare could do something—appear in Daniel’s dimension and warn him, instruct him, show him the right path. But he couldn’t. The Father’s strict orders were to watch, protect, and never interfere. And that’s just what he had been doing since he’d been assigned to Daniel at his birth. Not an easy assignment by any means. Daniel’s childhood had been a difficult one—filled with fighting, divorce, and an unloving, disapproving father. The enemy had been strong back then, invading and controlling Daniel’s father, forcing him to destroy not only his marriage but his only son’s confidence and hope. Yet, Daniel had made the right choice. He had clung to his mother and the light within her. And instead of allowing the enemy to crush him, he’d risen out of the ashes to love the Father with all his heart.

  Nazare had rejoiced over this victory, along with all of heaven and its many witnesses. And through the years, he had done his part keeping the darkness away. Until bit by bit, compromise after compromise, deception after deception, Daniel had invited the evil in himself. Even now, the demons holding him captive taunted Nazare with malicious grins from where they’d infiltrated Daniel like enemy spies, slithering and snaking around his soul, encompassing him in darkness.