Chapter 3

"And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand, or on their forehead, and he provides that no one should be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six."

Revelation 13:16-18

August, 2008

On their first day back at Converse, Darcy and Elizabeth arrived together and held hands as they walked to their first class, flanked by Michael and Gabriel.

Elizabeth's mouth was set in a grim line. "I really am not looking forward to seeing Gregory. The idea actually turns my stomach."

Darcy squeezed her hand. "Do not worry, love. I doubt that he will acknowledge either of us. I am certain that Gregory dreads this meeting as much as you do."

She turned her head quickly and looked up at him. "You do not seem apprehensive about seeing him again."

Darcy smiled at her. "Why should I be? Gregory knows who won that fight and which of us flew away, running like a frightened child. He was humiliated in front of all the dark forces." He paused, and then continued to hold her eyes with no trace of his smile remaining.

Darcy's voice was low and terse as he spoke again. "He will not wish to engage me again so soon, and he will never be allowed to touch you or harm you in any way while I exist. Believe this – the next time I have just cause as well as an opportunity, I will unbody him, and he knows it. I will chase him to the very gates of hell."

Elizabeth felt a distinct chill at the words coming from her fiancé; she knew that he meant every syllable he spoke. His pronouncement seemed prophetic to her, and as much as she knew that Gregory deserved his sentence, she could not be happy about Fitzwilliam having to be the one to mete out justice to their enemy.

As they approached the door to their first class of the morning, Darcy stepped slightly in front of her. She thought it was odd for him to behave in such a way until she observed him pausing in the entry, scanning the room. You are looking for Gregory, she thought. Are Michael and Gabriel with us?

Always, was his short reply.

He is not here, Darcy said into Elizabeth's mind as he stepped aside and allowed her to precede him into the room, following her and taking a seat beside her. Michael and Gabriel, unsmiling, remained within an arm's length of them at all times.

As the day continued, they were somewhat surprised that Gregory was absent from all of their classes, though as Darcy thought at length about it, he realized that he should have expected it.

During the last class of the day, Darcy spoke with Gabriel and Michael about Gregory's absence. What is your opinion of this business with Gregory? he asked.

Michael observed, For one thing, the halfling is probably still recuperating from the beating he suffered at your hands scarcely a week ago, brother.

Gabriel nodded and commented further, Now that we know Lucifer's ultimate plans for Gregory, it is obvious that the only reason Gregory has been at Converse was to destroy Elizabeth. Since he failed in his attempts, both on her life and her virtue, it seems reasonable to assume that he will regroup and approach his goals from another direction.

He knew that his brothers were likely right, yet it bothered Darcy not to know where Gregory was or what he was doing. As unpleasant as Gregory's company had been, as long as he had been attending classes, Darcy had known of his whereabouts and movements.

During the day, Michael had sent out angelic scouts who had reported back to him that Gregory had put his house in Spartanburg up for sale and departed from the area. Beyond that, there was no information available. The Captain of the Host put the entire angelic realm on alert, though he felt that it was only a matter of time until Gregory would be located.

Darcy agreed, for he knew that Gregory would not hide, licking his wounds, indefinitely. His enormous ego would demand retribution.

~~oo~~

The SoulFire rallies of the past June and July had sparked revivals across the country as the team had traveled to eight major cities spread from coast to coast. More than fifty thousand souls had joined the kingdom during the series of week-long meetings, and God had revealed Himself in ways rivaling the days of the early church. The gifts which He had bestowed on the SoulFire team members had been used mightily: Jonathan had preached the Word and cast out demons, Elizabeth had spoken to diverse multitudes through her gift of tongues, Darcy had healed hundreds of sicknesses and injuries, and Charlotte had used her discernment to unite the team and help to direct the ministry. Darcy and Elizabeth had also developed their musical gifts even further, taking the crowds to new heights of worship, showing the people God as they saw Him in all His glory, displaying His love and forgiveness to a world which thirsted for Him.

Jonathan and Dave Branard, the manager of SoulFire Ministries, had arranged Saturday night rallies in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Jacksonville, Florida, for September and October. After Darcy and Elizabeth's wedding in December, they planned to tour with SoulFire two weekends per month from January through April, complete their graduate degrees from Converse and Liberty in early May, and embark on a global ministry tour with the team in June. The couple, along with Jonathan, had decided to do their doctoral work online in order to accommodate their tour schedules. Charlotte would complete her bachelor's degree from Converse in May and begin her studies for her graduate degree in theology using Liberty University's online program so that she could travel as well. Jonathan's plans were to use Darcy, Elizabeth, and Charlotte more in speaking capacities on the global tour. He wanted to break the extended meetings into smaller groups led by the four of them during the afternoons and continue the nightly rallies. Elizabeth and Darcy would continue to lead the music during the evening meetings.

On a September Saturday, Darcy and Elizabeth arrived at the arena in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the early afternoon. They met Jonathan, Charlotte, Thorncrown, and their crew members there. It was the first time the entire crew had been back together since the end of July. Everyone was already in a flurry of activity, preparing for the night's rally, efficiently going through the motions of setting up, as they had done all summer. The arena had been fully booked for a capacity crowd of twenty thousand people for months, and the SoulFire team wanted to be certain that everything went smoothly.

Thorncrown took the stage to rehearse and do a sound check as soon as the setup was complete, and technicians scurried to make last-minute adjustments to the lighting and sound as well as the timing of the video feed and the cameras.

As the band and the crew worked, Darcy, Elizabeth, Jonathan, and Charlotte met to go over details for the night and to pray as their guardians surrounded them. They were comfortable together, like a family. By the time they were finished, the crew was ready for Elizabeth and Darcy to rehearse and do their sound and lighting check.

Catching Elizabeth completely by surprise, Darcy smiled at her and put a finger to his lips as he held a microphone and cleared his throat. The normally reserved Darcy had rarely called attention to himself in such a way; consequently, everyone stopped and turned toward him to listen.

His smile was fully dimpled as he reached out to take Elizabeth's left hand, lifting it with his so that everyone could see her fingers.

"Many of you probably already know this, but I wanted to be sure that all of you, our very good friends, were aware that last Sunday this beautiful, unbelievably wonderful woman agreed to make me the happiest of men and become my wife in December." As Darcy kissed her hand and she blushed, the SoulFire crew and team erupted in applause and cheers.

Elizabeth impulsively took her own wireless mike from the stand in front of her. "Our church is too small to hold everyone we want to invite to the wedding, but there will be no restrictions on the number we can invite for the reception. We hope that all of you will be able to join our celebration. It's not every day that you get to see a woman marry an absolute angel." It was Darcy's turn to blush as she stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. More applause followed, accompanied by loud whoops and whistles. Losing all of his shyness, Darcy embraced a squealing Elizabeth, lifting her from the floor and twirling her with joy as everyone joined in their laughter. As he set her back on her feet, she noticed a man in what appeared to be a military uniform standing just beyond the edge of the stage lights. He waved at her tentatively, and Elizabeth shaded her eyes, trying to see his face.

It is Richard, said Darcy quietly into her mind. Garnet, standing beside Richard, saluted his Chief and the archangels, and Darcy nodded very slightly in return. Michael and Gabriel acknowledged Garnet openly.

Elizabeth's mind rapidly scrolled through memories of her time with Richard – going on the summer youth trip, watching movies with his family, running through the house with him following her dad's scavenger hunt clues, dancing at the prom, kissing for the first time in her driveway, being embarrassed at the hands of Caroline in front of him and subsequently punching her in the nose at church, reacting the first time he told her that he loved her, breaking up at the end of that awful weekend when he had slept with Caroline, and living in the terrible darkness that followed for months afterward. They had loved each other as innocents. Though she had never felt for Richard the deep, abiding love that she had for Fitzwilliam, he had been her first and only boyfriend until she had met her fiancé. He had been the center of her life, her hopes, and her dreams during the dullness of her young teen years. He had rescued her from being relegated to the oblivion of the exclusion of the girls at her school, and then he had shattered her heart.

Darcy kept his own counsel as he listened to her thoughts reliving both the joys and the pain associated with the young man who stood before them.

Richard stepped into the light so that Elizabeth could see him, and she could see by his face that he had heard Darcy's announcement. Because she knew him so well, his struggle to wear a smile was obvious to her. Elizabeth quickly left the stage by the side steps and ran to him, reaching her arms out for a hug.

Charlotte whispered in Jonathan's ear, and he went to the stage microphone to alleviate the awkward silence. Everyone was still watching Darcy and Elizabeth, transfixed by the events playing out before them.

Jonathan said pleasantly, but authoritatively, "I think we're ready for tonight, folks. Take a dinner break and be back in an hour."

Darcy smiled at him in appreciation, and then followed Elizabeth, standing back to give her and Richard relative privacy. Gabriel and Michael stood by their charges. Darcy turned his face away from Elizabeth and Richard, flinching a little at the young man's pain.

"Richard, it's so good to see you. I'm so glad that you came," Elizabeth said as he enveloped her in an embrace. I'm sorry, Fitzwilliam. I'm sure you know who Richard is.

Do not worry, Elizabeth. I know that you love me; I am not jealous. Darcy's voice was calm and gentle.

After a few long moments, she stepped back to look at him. "The military has agreed with you, Richard. You are certainly no longer a boy," she said with a smile. "How much have you grown?"

Richard had always been unusually handsome, but now he was tall and muscular as well. He laughed lightly. "I had a growth spurt – about four inches, I guess. I just got off a plane at the Charlotte airport. If I'm in uniform, I get free bags and first boarding privileges. Mom and Dad picked me up; they're waiting for me in the car. Mom told me that you were doing a rally here tonight. I've kept up with all your travels and concerts. I've missed you so much, El." He paused, and then his words came out in a rush. "Thank you for writing to me, El. Some days, your letters were all that kept me going. I know that I've said this before, but I want you to know how sorry I am for what happened. You can't possibly know how much I regret it." He looked away.

Elizabeth, the drinking was his fault, but the rest was not, Darcy thought to her.

What do you mean? she questioned.

Caroline planned it all. She drugged him with something she stole from her father's medicine cabinet. She never told anyone, so even he does not know. He was not in control of himself any more than you were when Gregory slipped a drug into your drink. Darcy was aware of how Elizabeth would react to his words, but Richard needed to know the truth, and it appeared that Caroline would never tell him willingly.

Elizabeth's eyes widened with the knowledge, and she remembered how devastated she and Richard had been, how much their families had been hurt, and she was angry with Caroline for her selfishness. If I had known that he had been drugged, I might have felt differently. He has suffered so much. Thank you for trusting me with this information. She began to cry quietly, covering her face with her hands. Michael placed his hand on her back.

"El, why are you crying?" asked Richard earnestly, putting his hands on her shoulders. Hearing his thoughts, Darcy knew that he still loved Elizabeth and had hoped that she would take him back. The announcement of her engagement had staggered him, laying waste to all his dreams.

"Richard, it wasn't your fault, truly," she choked out, lowering her hands to look at him. "Caroline slipped something into your drink. You were drugged. She planned it all, even down to having Lydia ready to take the pictures."

Garnet stepped to his side as Richard stood frozen; he thought that his chest would explode. Elizabeth's words echoed through his brain, and all of the old wounds burst open. For the past half year, Caroline had written to him, all the while letting him believe that he had slept with her willingly. He could not help himself; he despised her, and he was glad that she was not there to receive the full force of his anger. He wanted to hurt her like she had made him hurt, and had she been standing in front of him, he would have made sure of it.

His clenched hands dropped to his sides, and he spoke through gritted teeth. "If only I had never gone to that blasted party. She set me up, asking me to Grant's house and getting me drunk. I was so stupid that I let her do it. I was an idiot." Richard's voice softened, "El, I still love you. I always have, and now it's too late."

Elizabeth carefully considered her words. "Richard, I know what it feels like to be drugged and taken advantage of, and I know that you must resent Caroline right now. Fortunately for me, Fitzwilliam was there to help me before it went too far." She put her hand on his arm. "You have to let it go. It will eat away at you. It will hurt you and make you bitter, and that's not the Richard I know. Forgive her, Richard, even if she never asks for it. You can't heal if you don't forgive her. All of that took place more than two years ago, and so much has happened since then. I am happy, and I want you to be happy, too. I still love you, too, though not in the same way. Fitzwilliam is God's choice for me, Richard, and I know that God has someone – some very lucky girl – for you, too."

He grinned crookedly, though it did not reach his glistening eyes. "I'll work on that, but I hope you'll understand if I don't agree with you right now." While he said the words, his mind screamed, There will never be anyone else for me, but I won't let you see how much it hurts. I won't spoil your joy. "So, aren't you going to introduce me to your fiancé?"

Darcy walked up beside Elizabeth and extended his hand to Richard. Elizabeth smiled at Richard, and then at Darcy, moving her hand from Richard's arm to Darcy's back. "Richard, this is Fitzwilliam Darcy. Fitzwilliam, Richard is a very good friend of mine from my high school days."

Richard shook Darcy's hand as he thought unhappily, I am only 'a very good friend' from her high school days. Here is a man who actually deserves her. I certainly don't, but he smiled and said, "So you're the lucky guy who has captured El's heart. I wish you two all the best."

"We hope that you'll come to our wedding. Both of us would love to have you there," said Darcy sincerely.

"December, right?" he asked. Elizabeth nodded.

I can't stand to see her marry someone else, and Caroline will probably be there. She's Chance's sister, and she goes to Tabernacle Church, he thought. I'll have to forgive her someday, I know, but it won't be that soon.

Richard cleared his throat and continued, "I'm using up most of my leave now, and I'll be in San Diego by then. I may come home for a few days at Christmas, but you'll probably already be married by that time." You will be happy, and I'm glad about that, but, God help me, I can't stand it. You will be his in every way. His insides knotted painfully at the thought.

"The wedding date is December 13, but we should be back in town for Christmas. I hope we'll see you," Elizabeth replied.

"If I'm home, I'll be at Tabernacle with my parents, and I'll see you two there. I've been seeing stories on the news about the wonderful work you guys have been doing. I'm so proud of you, El. I always knew that you were meant for great things." He struggled to keep his mind from thinking about her being married to the tall, handsome man by her side.

"Thanks, Richard. We'll look for you at Tabernacle. Will you be there tomorrow?" she asked.

I'm not ready to see Caroline yet, he thought. "I doubt it. I really need to visit some relatives out of state before I report back. You look busy, and the preacher said this is your dinner break. I need to go anyway. I'm going out to eat right now with Mom and Dad. It was great meeting you, Fitzwilliam."

"Nice to meet you, too, Richard. Be safe," said Darcy.

"I'm going to hug your fiancée goodbye, if you don't mind," said Richard, glancing at Darcy, and then smiling sadly at Elizabeth.

"Permission granted," answered Darcy, trying to sound lighthearted. He knew the pain that Richard was suffering, and he was not insensible to it. The memories of the weekend before were still very fresh and sharp in his mind. When he had thought he had lost Elizabeth, he wanted to die. After two and a half years of longing for Elizabeth, he knows for certain that he will never have her love again. How does he bear it? Seeing her with me, knowing that we will marry, must be excruciating for him.

As Garnet touched his shoulders, Richard took Elizabeth tenderly into his arms one last time, kissed her hair, and released her, turning quickly to walk away so that she would not see his tears. Goodbye, my El.

"Goodbye, Richard," she called to his retreating back.

He lifted his hand in a wave, but did not look at her. Garnet walked beside Richard, speaking peace into his tortured mind.

~~oo~~

Lucifer's minions, both human and demon, had been busy throughout the world, tirelessly adjusting the dates on all of Gregory's personal information. Many articles and videos of Gregory simply disappeared; some were altered to make him appear older. His college records were adjusted, as well as his birth certificate, driver's license, and social security card. All of Gregory's paperwork reflected that he was thirty-four years old and had lived in Boston for the past sixteen years. A deceased human father was also created for him, because, in order to one day be President of the United States, the Constitution required him to be a natural born citizen – born to citizens of the United States. Though there was an ongoing discussion in legal circles concerning whether or not both parents had to be United States citizens, obviously, Lucifer, as a non-human, did not meet the requirements, and the lack of a father on the birth certificate would have raised questions. Any paperwork that would prove those records to be false either was mysteriously missing or sealed.

Popular cable news anchorman, Dirk Horne, had gone to the Betty Ford Clinic in mid-June to be treated for his alcoholism and had returned to work a new man. His changed behavior amazed his co-workers and impressed the owners of the network. Within six weeks, he had his own show in a prime slot, and his popularity soared throughout the country. Dirk Horne was on his way to becoming the most trusted newsman on television. One by one, his enemies conveniently disappeared, succumbing to illnesses, car wrecks, or fatal accidents. A few committed suicide under dubious circumstances. Because of the aura of evil surrounding him, before too much time had passed, people began to feel that it was very unwise to disagree with Horne even privately. He exuded confidence and power, and when he spoke, most people believed whatever he said. .

Everyone who remembered Gregory was surprised when Dirk Horne announced the young man's candidacy in the 2008 Massachusetts Senate election on the night of the Charlotte rally. However, within minutes of Horne's announcement, most of the populace had forgotten that Gregory had missed the June filing deadline. The memories of believers were still intact, however, and many of them wondered how he had qualified to be on the ballot in the first place. Those who had followed his career knew that he was too young and that he lived in Charlotte, North Carolina, not Massachusetts.

Because of Dirk Horne's obvious support of Gregory Wickham, the candidate received inordinate amounts of positive air time. Only the Christian community seemed to have a problem with Gregory, and they had become so marginalized politically because of their objections to him that their opinions were of no concern to those making the executive decisions.

The majority of students who had known him at Converse remembered him no longer, and those who had been at Harvard thirteen years earlier suddenly knew him very well, though oddly enough, no one remembered being in classes with him. The few believers on the Converse faculty were quite confused when they researched Gregory's time at Converse, and though Christian students spoke out against the travesty being perpetrated on the people of the United States, no one wanted to listen to them. Dirk Horne labeled the dissenters "terrorists" and "religious activists," and the labels stuck fast. They became the butt of jokes on late night shows and in national news magazines.

Harvard confirmed that Gregory Wickham had completed his bachelor's degree as well as a JD/MBA program in Harvard Law School, and public records indicated that he had passed the bar and had practiced law for several years.

While they were initially shocked by the information, Elizabeth, Charlotte, and Jonathan were not surprised in the least about the deception after Darcy told them about Gregory's 666 tattoo hidden underneath his hair.

Jonathan immediately thought of Revelation 13:18, 'Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.' Gregory is the beast. The end of the age is approaching.

Elizabeth was quiet and kept her head lowered during his narrative. Darcy did not tell the others that he had seen the incriminating evidence of Lucifer's plans during Gregory's attack on Elizabeth in August when he had prevented the halfling from raping her, but Charlotte had eyed her sharply.

So, Gregory is being set up to be the Anti-Christ. The Senate now, the Presidency in 2012. No big surprises, I suppose, but there is something Darcy is leaving out, thought Charlotte. Elizabeth will tell me when she's ready.

They discussed the matter in depth and prayed about it before deciding to hold their counsel for the time being. Now more than ever, they were convinced that their focus should be to reach as many souls for God as quickly as possible.

Time was running out.