Legacy, Chapter 14 (The Guardian Trilogy)

Many thanks to my beta team: Gayle (scmema), Steph (SdHamm), Julianne (Benji'sMom), Wendi (TripletMom), and Tiffany.

Chapter 14

“‘No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me,’ declares the Lord.”
Isaiah 54:17

Darcy and Elizabeth’s plan had worked perfectly. Amy’s text was the only one which had produced a response. As the SoulFire team stepped from their rental van at Quiznos for lunch, they were surrounded by photographers and reporters.

Michael took umbrage when one of them shoved a microphone in front of Elizabeth’s face, the demon behind the man whispering encouragement in his ear.

The archangel glowered at the dark one, his hand on his sword and fire in his eyes. You will answer for it if he harms her in any way, said Michael with menace.

The demon smirked, but he stepped back and ceased speaking to the newsman.

“Are the rumors true, El? Are you pregnant? Will you and your husband leave the tour? Who will replace you?” the reporter asked loudly, crowding Elizabeth as she turned her body to Darcy for protection.

Darcy gently moved his wife behind him and stood towering over the man, Gabriel by his side. Glaring at the man fiercely, Darcy struggled to calm himself. The clicking of cameras was heard as the questioning stopped.

Calm yourself, Darcy. He will not harm Elizabeth or the child, thought Gabriel, placing his hand on Darcy’s shoulder.

Be assured of that, brother, growled Michael.

Mark Goodman, followed by Custodio, hurried to place himself between the Darcys and the media.

“Yes,” Mark answered calmly, “we will confirm that Elizabeth Darcy is in the very early stages of pregnancy. She is doing well and does not anticipate any problems. She has already seen a doctor who has cleared her to travel. The Darcys have no plans to leave the tour. Now, please step aside and let us have our lunch.”

Mark and Dave walked in front of Darcy, Elizabeth, and Charlotte while Jonathan and Amy stepped in closely behind them, moving quickly to the door of the small restaurant. Their guardians surrounded them, forming an impenetrable shield.

They went quickly through the line, ordering their food as takeout and returning with it to the van. Jonathan took the driver’s seat, looked in the rearview mirror, and asked, “Shall we return to the arena to eat, or would you rather go to a park or back to the hotel?”

When the others were silent, Darcy spoke up. “I would like to return to the hotel for a couple of hours. We can eat in peace, and Elizabeth will have an opportunity to rest.” He took her hand in his.

She looked at him gratefully. Sometimes I love that you can read my thoughts. I am a little freaked out by the idea that we are being tracked so closely. I have known it for a long time, but I kept it in the back of my mind. Now I can’t do that anymore. And then, there’s the baby. What if they try to hurt our baby?

The guardians flew over the van, as well as on either side of it, and Michael dipped through the roof of the vehicle, placing his hand gently on Elizabeth’s head, speaking into her mind. Isaiah 41:10 says, ‘Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Thank you, Michael, she thought, releasing a sigh. I need to be reminded of that from time to time.

Is she upset? asked Jonathan, navigating the streets efficiently as they returned to the hotel with their lunch.

Yes, she is. She needs this time to get her mind off the idea that we are being monitored. She fears for the baby. We will eat in our room, but all of us need to do another test, answered Darcy.

Darcy looked at Amy. “I think we have established that your cell phone is compromised. Now we need to know if they have accessed your computer as well.” He looked around at the other team members. “We will all send e-mails from our laptops tonight. I will write out the messages and give them to all of you after we return from the rally. So far, the enemy has not been bold with the information they have retrieved, but Satan will harm all of us if given the chance. We must be on guard at all times.”

~~oo~~

“And I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast.”
Revelation 13:3

Senator Gregory Wickham descended the steps of the Capitol building, his personal guards close on his heels. As his agenda was advancing rapidly, he was much in demand, so it was no surprise when a crowd of reporters met the handsome Senator there, shouting questions with cameras rolling. The surprise was the young man who stepped up to Gregory, pulled a gun from his waistband, and shot him through the heart before he could be stopped.

Two of Gregory’s guards immediately grabbed the criminal, jumping on him and throwing him to the steps, placing him in a chokehold.

Policemen were on the scene nearly immediately, taking charge of the perpetrator and controlling the growing crowd.

Three of the Senator’s guards hunched over him protectively, watching the blood pour from the wound and down the steps. Before more than a few minutes had passed, a doctor arrived, and one of the guards moved to allow him access to his master.

Gregory was pale, and his breathing was labored and shallow. He moaned, and then he was silent. The doctor checked for a heartbeat and felt for a pulse, but the Senator was dead. He began CPR, and soon the wail of a siren heralded the arrival of an ambulance.

The people parted to let the paramedics through, and a boom mike caught the doctor telling one of them that there was no pulse or heartbeat. Whispers of, “He’s dead,” ran through the shocked crowd. The paramedics started to lift the stricken man onto the gurney, but stopped short when he raised his head, fixing them with a stare.

“What are you doing?” asked Gregory, trying to sit up.

The doctor’s eyes were round with astonishment, and he spoke with difficulty. “Please lie down on the gurney, Senator. You have been badly wounded,” said the doctor, placing his hand on Gregory’s arm.

“I feel fine. What happened?” demanded Gregory, shaking off the doctor’s hand and looking at one of his guards.

“A man came out of the crowd and shot you through the heart,” he answered, lowering his eyes.

Gregory sat up, glanced down at his chest, and saw the blood. He touched the hole in his suit jacket. “Help me take this off,” he said to the guard, standing up and turning his back to the guard for his assistance.

“Senator, I must insist that you let us examine you,” said one of the paramedics.

“You may examine me in a moment,” Gregory answered tersely.

The guard held the coat as Gregory pulled his arms from it. “Ruined one of my favorite suits,” muttered Gregory, adding an oath. The people gasped at the sight of his blood-soaked shirt. He quickly unbuttoned it and pulled it from his pants, opening it so that his chest was visible.

“Wash away the blood,” Gregory instructed one of the paramedics.

“But, sir –” the man began.

“Wash it away!” ordered Gregory, amber eyes flashing. “Now!” Gregory closed his eyes as they glowed red. He breathed deeply, and then opened his eyes, looking at the EMT. “Hand me a cloth so that I can wipe it off.”

Gregory reached out his hand, and the paramedic put a towel into it.

The doctor tried to reason with Gregory. “Senator, touching the wound is a bad idea. If somehow the blood has clotted, you could start the bleeding again. Besides, it must hurt.”

Gregory swabbed at his chest until he had cleared away most of the blood. “I feel no pain at all,” he replied. “You may examine the wound now.”

The doctor bent to lean his face closer to Gregory’s chest, and then straightened up with a puzzled look. “There is no sign of a gunshot wound at all! Not the tiniest scratch!” He looked at Gregory’s shirt and saw the hole, squarely over the area which would have covered his heart. He checked Gregory’s pulse. “His heartbeat is strong and steady. I can’t explain it.”

Gregory laughed lightly.

“You were dead,” the doctor insisted.

Gregory fixed him with a level gaze. “Yes, doctor, I was. However, I am no longer dead, and I have a busy day scheduled, so you must excuse me.”

He waved to the silent crowd and walked to his car, which had pulled up to the curb. After he was seated and the car had pulled into traffic, Gregory turned to his guards. “That went rather well,” he said. “We should make the evening news easily.”

They smirked in answer.

A few hours later, in a holding cell not far away, a man faded to nothingness, and then walked through the walls, flying away to freedom. The camera trained on him caught his disappearance, but when the technicians tried to view his escape, the screen showed nothing but static.

On the evening news, Dirk Horne reported on the incident, showing the riveting footage of the attempted assassination and blaming the attack on fringe extremists who were opposed to the good Senator’s ideas for helping the poor and rescuing the economy. He showed his outrage that the shooter had escaped and said that he must have been allowed to do so by a guard who disagreed with the Senator’s politics, vowing that the investigation would continue until the guilty party was exposed.

Senator Wickham’s amazing resurrection was shown around the globe, and his face became a well-known symbol of a man who risked his own life in the service of his people. The miracle of his restored life was the stuff of legends, and Gregory Wickham’s power and prestige grew.

~~oo~~

“And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?’”
Matthew 24:3

The Vancouver rally was successful beyond any expectations. Darcy and Elizabeth had written new music expressly for the tour, and they sang and played those songs for the first time in Vancouver. The theme, The Globe for God, was woven like a thread throughout their music, tying it all together, and the urgency of the message was clearly expressed.

Ethnic groups from throughout the city flocked to hear the gospel in their own languages through Elizabeth’s amazing gift as she sang and spoke of God’s love and forgiveness.

Michael stood close to her at all times, scanning the audience constantly. He had stationed warriors throughout the arena, and their armor gleamed alongside the white tunics of the thousands of guardians present with their charges.

Darcy, Gabriel beside him, began a series of talks about spiritual warfare which would continue throughout the four days of meetings, punctuating his main points by speaking in the different languages of the people present while the screens behind him displayed his words in English. As he heard the people’s questions through their thoughts, he worked the answers into his presentation.

Jonathan spoke last, Lexus behind him, beginning a fascinating four sermon series about the end times, showing from Scripture, particularly Matthew 24, the evidence that some of the prophecies had already been fulfilled and other prophetic events were in the process of happening, taking place in the present. Off stage, Elizabeth repeated his words into a microphone which fed into a system set up with ear buds available for those who did not speak English.

As Jonathan bowed his head to pray, Thorncrown took the stage, playing “For You” softly. When Jonathan opened the altar, inviting people to come, more than a thousand counselors walked down the aisles to receive the crowd flooding the front of the arena, the mass of their guardians creating a gentle glow around them

While the band sang, “He came for you. He died for you. He lives for you,” the counselors took groups of people seeking salvation into areas set aside for the purpose, and new guardians joined their charges.

Finally, Darcy, Elizabeth, Charlotte, and Jonathan were left at the edge of the stage, waiting to see if any others needed counseling.

Darcy then saw a sight which chilled him – hundreds of demons swarmed the building, heading at them from all directions. He immediately issued a summons to all available guardians, and they flooded in behind the demons within a few seconds.

Elizabeth’s breath quickened as she sensed the oppression of the evil ones. Darcy instinctively stepped in front of her while Michael and Gabriel formed a shield before them.

Jonathan and Charlotte clasped their hands together, feeling the very air change around them. They knelt to pray as Lexus and Edward joined Michael and Gabriel, forming a line between their charges and the shrieking denizens of hell.

Thorncrown’s guardians closed ranks in front of them, and the people left in the audience moved toward the center, huddling together as their guardians whispered directions into their minds. Non-believers followed them, feeling the emptiness which had invaded the building. Guardians and warriors met in a circle of protection around the gathered mass of people.

A huge demon settled in front of Michael, throwing back his raven hair and lifting his chin arrogantly. His troops landed around him, filling the front of the arena.

Michael narrowed his eyes and spoke, “What do you want here, Abigor? Do you seek a battle today?”

The demonic warrior, commander of sixty legions, laughed.

Elizabeth shivered and stepped closer into Darcy’s back, putting her arms about his waist and peeking around his arm. I can see something, but I don’t know what it is.

What do you see? asked Darcy.

Many dark forms like large men with wings, she answered. The biggest one stands in front of Michael. I heard him laugh just now.

Michael and Gabriel also heard her thoughts but made no reaction.

Abigor spoke in a rough voice, “We have come for the child. We wish to know what Darcy has spawned with the human woman. Give her to us, or let us take the child from her, and we will leave. If you refuse, we will fight to take her.”

Elizabeth’s hold on Darcy tightened, and she struggled to contain her fear, knowing that the evil ones would feed off her terror.

“You fear the power of an infant?” Michael chuckled ominously. In his mind, the Captain of the Host called for fifty thousand warriors, and they were stationed around the demons before Abigor could speak again.

“When did you become so weak, Abigor? The child is not yet born, and you quake before a babe which cannot yet survive outside the womb. Do you also fear the child’s mother? You are pathetic,” said Michael.

Abigor roared. “I fear neither the child nor the mother! My master has need of the child, and I obey his commands.”

Michael laughed aloud. “So Lucifer is frightened of the babe? How ashamed you must be to serve such a weakling.”

Elizabeth felt the truth of Michael’s words, and his strength flowed into her. She released her hold on Darcy and stood tall, stepping to his side and staring straight at Abigor.

Darcy immediately knew the difference in her mind, and the change was exhilarating to him. You are no longer afraid of them. You know that you are safe, and that our Father will not let them harm you or our child.

She smiled, never releasing Abigor’s eyes. I do. I think I could drink poison now, and it would not affect me.

Elizabeth began to quote II Chronicles 20:15, 17 aloud, the words ringing throughout the building as she spoke in a strong voice. “Thus said the Lord to you, ‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s. You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf… Do not fear or be dismayed…for the Lord is with you.’”

Darcy’s joy was boundless; he wanted to soar to the heavens with her. Instead he began to sing praises to God, just as Jehoshaphat and his men had done in the same chapter of Scripture Elizabeth had quoted. His strong, rich baritone rang out with the words of “The Battle Belongs to the Lord.”* Elizabeth’s sweet soprano lifted in harmony with his song.

Jonathan and Charlotte rose to their feet singing with Darcy and Elizabeth, and when Thorncrown heard their voices, they began to play.

Before long, everyone remaining in the arena was singing as loudly as they could.

The demons put their hands over their ears and writhed in agony while Michael, Gabriel, and the other angels glowed more brightly and hummed in praise to the One who could inspire such fearlessness in His followers.

When Darcy finished singing the first song, he transitioned into “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)”* and the band as well as the other people followed. As the saints worshipped, a holy Light permeated the building, and the demons could not stay in Its blinding purity. Cursing, they fled, flying in all directions, scrambling into each other in their haste to leave.

As the last strains of the song faded, the beams of Light withdrew from the arena, and an awed silence settled over the people. After a moment, the ones who were not yet believers ran down the aisles toward salvation. Darcy, Elizabeth, Jonathan, and Charlotte divided them into four groups, took them to different parts of the arena, and ushered them into the family of God.

Gabriel looked across the arena at Michael and thought, ‘And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.’

Michael smiled and returned, Acts 2:47. It is almost as if we were living the days of the early church again.

~~oo~~

*Written by Jamie Collins
*Written by John Newton, Chris Tomlin, and Louie Giglio


Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®,
Copyright© 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995
by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)