Walking out of This World

Thirty

An uneasy silence is gripping the space in the upper room. Officer Daniel and I are seated at the table reviewing what needs to get done tonight. The FBI guys are stationed in a van outside utilizing the camera that's always monitored the activities inside the room's walls. If something goes sideways they are prepared to intervene. What will happen when Warren understands the full implications of what we are going to ask him to do?

We are seated at the table and I'm getting a grip on my emotions when the door snaps and Warren fills the opening, followed by the girls. Stacey is visibly upset. Her eyes are red and a glistening film of tears are waiting to drop.

"What's going on?" His contorted mouth lets the words fly from an angry red face. His eyes are flashing right to left. "I see John at the table. But, where's Jenkins?"

Officer Daniel's face is set hard. "Jenkins is gone. Officer Daniel Moore has taken his place.

The girls move to the couch. Warren is moving toward us...But, instead of sitting he puts both hands on the back of the one empty chair...leans forward staring into Daniel's eyes.

He's all dressed up in cop blues. Jeff warned me about officer Daniel, the reformed Jenkins. "They let Jeff call Stacey last night. So you've seen the light and gone straight...Officer Daniel, traitor Moore!" He looks just as determined to win as I am. Wait...What's different...other than the haircut, shave and uniform? Yeah, I see it now...a glint of light in his eyes that hasn't been there before. Where'd that come from? My arms are starting to go noodles on me. I'm hearing that stupid song again. "Ashes...Ashes...We all fall down!"

"Sh! Get a grip, Warren! Just sit down and play it cool."

"What have you done?" His eyes flash from John to Daniel tweaking his brain with the sudden realization that all is not well and not getting better any time soon.

Warren slides into the empty chair—waiting.

Daniel stands, towering over the smaller Warren. He reaches out his right hand and grabs a generous portion of brown coat. "We're going to start our tour in the bathroom!"

He's not resisting, stumbling with my help, into the bathroom. "Take a real good look!"

The image being reflected in the mirror shows a picture of an ashen face who's brain is desperately trying to catch up with all the incoming confusion.

Some unspoken impulse flashes through his body. His hands fly up, loosening my grip and pushing me back against the wall. They clamp onto either side of the mirror. He steps back, jerking it off the wall. His body freezes in place while his eyes survey the mended wall, like a camera lens being held open.

"It's gone...all gone!"

Warren turns around, facing me...still gripping the mirror...eyes searching like a cornered animal looking for a space to leap through. His hands relinquish their grip, arms fling their burden onto the floor. The mirror crashes and releases flickers of light from its splintered pieces.

A storm of emotions continue to boil. I feel the grip of his hands on the front of my shirt—gripping and pushing. His surprising strength catches me off guard and I stumble back into the open door.

John is rushing to the melee. I hear a gasp from the couch.

"Stop it!" Tonya is standing, gripping Warren's shoulder...shaking. Stacey is hunched over on the couch, sobbing.

"Beating on each other isn't going to solve anything!"

Warren glances over his shoulder. His hands relax their grip on my shirt.

Tonya forcefully shoulder bumps Warren to an empty chair. She yanks the last empty chair away from the wall and joins the three of us, while we reclaim our former places around the table.

Tonya leans forward, arms folded. A scowl is wrestling with her face. "Stop it! Everyone just slow down before some real trouble takes us where we don't want to go!" Her eyes are screaming yellow.

Warren leans forward, shoulder to shoulder with Tonya. "What do you want me to do?"

"The App is all that's left. You have to shut it down!" Daniel leans into the tight circle of faces.

Abruptly the couch sounds a warning whoosh that a body is leaving. Stacey is standing, whirling, pulling something out of her purse.

She is rushing toward Daniel brandishing a glinting object.

Tonya and Warren gasp and lean back into their chairs.

"You arrested Jeff, Jenkins...or...or...whatever you call yourself now!"

She is pointing the gun at Daniel's face. Her body is shuddering in the grasp of a fist full of sobs.

In the splinter of a second Daniel reaches up and grabs the gun's barrel, flinging it up. A blast of gunpowder shatters the unbearable anxiety, sending the bullet's nose into the upper corner of adjoining walls.

Tonya springs upright and wraps her arms around Stacey's shivering body.

Daniel drops the magazine and slides the pistol into one pocket and the magazine into the other.

The door bursts open!

Tom and another agent are stepping through the space, guns pointing into the room. "FBI!"

"Wait!" John's body flashes into the space between the FBI agents and the others, now standing in a defensive huddle.

"This doesn't have to end badly. Right...there's consequences that are asking for a reckoning...this is not the end...there is a way forward!"

John's eyes switch from the FBI guys to the little huddle of bodies. His arms and hands move up, then down...asking for a moment to consider the way forward.

My brain is tapping out a message, "I AM we need a power surge here!" "Just ask Daniel how he sent Jenkins packing...how he found his way forward!" His outstretched hands holding back both sides.

Tom and his buddy lower their guns. John's eyes are meeting mine...asking for a word.

"Yeah. John has this friend...now he's my friend. He'll take the hurt and turn it into a new you."

Stacey looks up like she hears something. "Who's that?" Her words rush out of wrapping arms and gurgling tears.

"There's only one way to meet him. You have to understand that you've come to the end of yourselves and there is no other way forward. Then, you are ready to ask."

Daniel moves next to Tom and whispers something into his ear. They take a more relaxed posture.

"I'm ready!" Tonya whispers.

"Me too." Stacey wipes the tears from her face.

"I'm in. Looks like the law is in charge of me now," Warren mutters.

"Let's join hands." Arms fall and hands clasp...one...then...another.

"Repeat after me. I AM...We know that you once gave up your earthly life for us...that we might be forgiven...that we can find a new way with you. We give you access to our inner persons."

A small chorus of voices repeat John's words.

Slowly—in slow motion—they turn their eyes in my direction...asking.

There's something different. Yeah! I see it clearly...A glint of light glistening, like miniature stars...in their eyes. Just like mine. We are brothers and sisters on our way forward. We are going to walk out of our old world together...into the never ending Way of the Father.

"Well, Tom, let's get this show on the road. We have a lot of sorting and saving to do!"

That little star is twinkling in my eyes. "Grace and Paul are waiting for me back at the shelter."