WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9 – The last month of summer had begun, and the Sullivans were packing for their two-week vacation with Janet's parents in Vermont. She and the teenagers would delay their normal departure by one day so they could be accepted as official members at Morningside Church on Sunday morning in a special service.
Amy had spent two weeks with her cousin Catherine, who gave birth to a healthy baby girl on Amy's third night with them. Amy had helped their family tremendously, looking after the two-year-old boy and observing childbirth and its aftermath first hand. After a week in their home, she definitely knew that adoption was right for her; she wanted to have her baby, but she knew that she was not yet ready for the responsibilities of raising a family by herself.
Two days after returning from her cousin's home, Amy flew to Cincinnati to visit with the Tomlinsons. On the telephone she reported to her mother that everything was fine, and she was due home on Saturday afternoon.
Richard's original timetable to work on the “911 Live” situation had been delayed by the McKinney and Smith problems, but he was again following up on the summer interns’ research.
Susan was now dividing her free time between Drew and Eric. The Hawkinses were not going to close on their purchase and move into their new home for two more weeks, but the family had packed up in Seattle and were living in an apartment not far from the Sullivans. And the two younger boys almost lived with Tommy; they had all become close friends, including Brent; and Tommy had not even been invited to “do videos” for over a month. Richard and Janet remarked that he seemed like a new person, changed remarkably from just four months earlier.
Kristen continued to attend Morningside Church, as did the Bryants and the Hawkinses. She usually sat by herself, and though she was always friendly, she did not try to push herself on any of the other couples. Richard noticed that he began looking for her when he walked into the sanctuary before each Sunday's service, and he occasionally heard a small voice whispering, “Watch out.”
McKinney and Smith had closed its doors the day after the two owners made their admission to Richard. There had been a series of articles in the daily newspaper, relating each day's new revelations of fraud and wrongdoing. Richard noticed that there were soon companion pieces written by a reporter in San Francisco, Peter Dowling, who was apparently following the same debacle with Far West Securities. Richard asked Mary to cut and save all the relevant articles.
The McKinney and Smith families pulled together as best they could under the circumstances. They had changed to unlisted telephone numbers after Diane received a threatening call from an investor who lost his savings because of Bruce's crime. The men's days were filled with motions and filings and pleas and depositions. The two wives dodged reporters outside their homes for the first week until the novelty wore off. And the children received taunts at school. After two weeks, even though Richard's firm was doing its best to keep the costs down, it was apparent that they would have to sell their homes to pay their mounting bills. Diane put in an application to teach that fall, since her certificate was still good for one more year.
It was Wednesday evening, and Richard took Janet out for their traditional pre-vacation dinner together, since they would not see each other for almost two weeks, after Sunday morning, until he flew up to Vermont to join them.
After ordering, Janet said, “I took Diane McKinney to lunch today, to get her out of the house. Susan stayed with her kids. She says their marriage is just kind of on automatic pilot. Bruce comes home after all the legal proceedings, obviously depressed, has a few drinks, and doesn't say much. She says he looks terrible and he won't communicate. She has no other means of support, other than a possible teaching job this fall, and she doesn't know what to do. He only addresses issues on a crisis basis, like the need to sell their home, which they apparently listed for sale yesterday.”
“What a mess,” Richard said, reaching out for her hand. “And, literally, but for the grace of God and your good sense, there go I…we. Has Diane talked to Sally Coker in Charleston?”
“Yes, that first weekend. But the McKinney marriage appears to be different, not as strong. Sally and I have talked, and I think we should invite the Cokers to fly in right after we get back from Vermont. They can stay with us, and maybe over a weekend they can help the McKinneys—and the Smiths. And maybe we can all go to church together. Richard, it's so obvious that Bruce and Diane need God in their lives and in their marriage, especially now. But I don't know how to tell her.”
“Try saying just that. I've talked to Bruce a couple of times in the office about what God has done for us, but he bristles. I think we're almost too close to them. I like your idea of inviting the Cokers. Maybe they'll listen to people from hundreds of miles away who have been through something similar…But, look, as concerned as we both are about them, I didn't bring you here just to talk about the McKinneys.”
Janet smiled. “And why did you bring me here?”
“I feel like we've had a crazy three weeks—a crazy summer, really, starting back with the ‘911 Live’ night and Amy's news—and I just wanted to take a quiet moment before you and the kids leave to tell you how much I love you and how much you mean to me. I've never been as happy as I have been the past months—since I asked Christ into my life—and I know that our marriage is a big part of that happiness. And I just wanted to tell you.”
“Thank you, dear,” Janet replied, squeezing his hand across the table. “I can't tell you how much you mean to me either. And how much you've changed. And I've changed, thank God. And what about Tommy? He seems so much happier. Glenn Jamison has filled in the few cracks in his self-esteem that you've missed. Even Susan has a stronger inner peace. As you said once, how did we manage to live before God found us?”
“How sweet! You both make me sick!” Nepravel screamed, only six inches from Janet's face. “Isn't He wonderful! Isn't life grand with God! Well,” he sneered, turning to Zoldar, who was hovering next to Richard, “let's see how he does one-on-one with the Holloway woman in her apartment. And if she doesn't bring him down, we'll just have to ask Mr. McKinney to get rid of him! You witch! See how your life looks with a husband in disgrace—or dead! Come on, Zoldar. Are the voices planted again in Richard?”
“Yes, and if these believers continue to cut back on their prayers for each other, as has happened over the summer, our voices should build up well over the next few weeks.”
“Good. It's almost time to break this ‘superstar’ and get him out of the way of our plans,” Nepravel concluded, as they moved off to load down Bruce and Diane McKinney with more worries and despair.
“There's one other thing, Janet,” Richard said. “While you're in Vermont, I'm going to try to schedule a meeting with the network honchos, plus Tom Morgan from The Foundation for the Family, assuming that all of our research is finished and written up. So before you go, you probably should say something to Bill Shaw.”
“You mean offer to resign?”
Richard nodded. “You should tell him that I intend to meet with Network, and that my goal is to stop or to change ‘911 Live.’ Under those circumstances, you should give him the option of accepting your resignation.”
Janet took a deep breath and exhaled. “I know I sounded brave at Tom Spence's house a few weeks ago. And I'll do it. But I hate to lose my job. I like what I do.”
“I know. And you're very good at it. In all the confusion that night at the station, I don't think I told you how proud I was, watching you handle all of those assignments and people. And if you want me to stop this, I will. I can't imagine this show on TV as it's now formatted, but I'll stop working on it if you say so.”
“No, Richard, we both know the Lord wants us to fight this. And I also know, deep inside, that He is in charge of everything, from our family to where I work. So, as He tells us, I will trust in Him. And I'll talk to Bill in the morning.”
THURSDAY, AUGUST 10 – “Hello, Richard. This is Kristen.”
Richard swiveled around in his chair and glanced out at the morning sun reflecting off of the other tall buildings in their central downtown district. The wrong mental image of Kristen leapt into his mind, which had not happened for three months. He was surprised, but he let it linger, knowing that it was a mistake, but doing it anyway. Sort of like innocently savoring the memory of an old movie he would never see again, he heard a voice say.
“Hello, Kristen. What can I do for you?”
“I see in the MLS computer that a house that must be right next to you on Devon Drive has gone on the market. It lists the owners as the McKinneys. Isn't he the one involved in that securities mess with the other firm in San Francisco? I may have a family who's interested if the home is in good shape. Can you tell me something about it?”
“Sure, I'd be glad to.” And he did.
“I'm glad you've been coming to Morningside Church,” he continued, when their discussion about the McKinney house was concluded. A small voice kept telling him to hang up, that he was playing with fire, but a louder voice said he was a strong Christian now, and he should be able to talk to Kristen, particularly about their church, with no problem.
“I'm enjoying it too. There are many nice people there every Sunday, and the service is very moving. The Hawkinses have also enjoyed it. By the way, thank you again for your help on that sale.”
“It was our pleasure. If you'll be there, Janet and I, along with about sixty others, will become members of the church at the late service this Sunday.”
“I plan to be there. That's great, Richard. Congratulations.”
“Thanks. We've really enjoyed the new member classes. They've confirmed again much of what I had heard in the follow-up to the prayer breakfast.”
“Isn't it about time for Janet and the kids to leave for vacation? Vermont, isn't it?” Kristen asked.
“Yes, in fact right after the service. They'll be gone for two weeks…” Richard felt a tingling in the back of his neck as he continued “…and I'll be ‘batching’ it for ten days.”
She laughed. “Well, maybe I'll have you over for dinner, just for old times sake.”
She finally crossed a line where he would not follow, not yet. “I don't think that would be such a good idea, Kristen. But thanks…Let me know if I can help you with the McKinney house. Unfortunately, they need to sell it.”
“OK. Thanks. I'll call you.”
“Bill, can I see you for a minute?” Janet asked from his office door.
“Sure. What's up? Are we going to switch the times of the local and national news again?”
She smiled. “No. Not that. We'll leave them alone for at least six months. But I do have something I want to tell you.” He motioned to a chair in front of his desk and put down his pen.
“I imagine that Tom and Connie have been in to talk with you about the possibility that they and others might resign their jobs if ‘911 Live’ goes on as planned,” she began. He nodded.
“Well, Richard was also really disturbed by what he saw that night here, and he'll probably be calling Network to ask for a meeting in New York to discuss possible legal action…” Bill Shaw sat up and stared at Janet “…against the show. No one is paying him to do this. He simply believes it's right. And so do I, by the way.”
Bill swore. “When will you people ever quit?”
“I'm not sure we've even started yet, actually,” Janet replied. “But, anyway, he and I think I should offer to resign, effective immediately, so that you don't have to worry about a potential conflict of interest on my part.”
Bill swore again. “Why won't you leave this thing alone? What did we all do with ourselves before Network invented ‘911 Live’? I mean, are you bored here?”
Janet sat back in her chair and answered in a quiet voice, “No, I like it here. I just think the show is wrong—dead wrong.”
“I know. I know. I've heard it all before. Look, aren't you about to go on vacation?”
“Yes, for two weeks, starting Monday.”
“Fine. Fine. Take three weeks if you have to. Don't resign. Just go on vacation. Tell Richard to do whatever he's going to do while you're away. And if I have to fire you, I'll call you,” he ended with a smile.
“Thanks, Bill. I really want to stay. And so do the others. I hope we can work out something so that's possible.”
“So do I. Believe me, so do I. Now go do some honest work for the last day and a half you're here!” And he made a motion towards the door.
She returned his smile. “It would have been terrible if that guy had shot you in the car. You're getting soft in your old age.”
After she left, Bill picked up the telephone and called Bob Grissom in New York.
Bob was therefore not surprised on Friday when he read a phone message slip asking him to call Richard Sullivan. I guess I better find out what's on his mind, he thought, as he picked up the phone.
Richard reminded Bob of his relationship to the station through Janet and asked if Bob's wounds had all healed. Bob responded in the affirmative and asked about Tom Spence and Officer Higgins.
Once the pleasantries were out of the way, Bob said, “I heard from Bill Shaw that I should expect a call from you about ‘911 Live.’ Something about legal action?”
“Not necessarily,” Richard said, hating to start out on the defensive. “I'd just like to meet with you and one of your in-house attorneys to discuss some ideas we have to improve the show, so legal action won't be necessary.”
“Look, I don't like being threatened, and particularly by an attorney whose wife works for one of our affiliates.
Richard knew that Bob had to be aware of Janet's offer to resign if Bill had called him. So he ignored that jab.
“You may consider it a threat. We consider it a way to ensure that the show does what you say you want—to honor our nation's emergency personnel—with as few problems as possible. I've been to see the Foundation for the Family, and I'd like you to meet with me and their attorney, Tom Morgan.
“Oh, great. You've involved them too. That was a mistake. We don't exactly see eye to eye on a lot of things.”
“It's funny. They said exactly the same thing about you at first. But now they want to meet with us. How about sometime next week?”
There was a pause. Richard knew that Bob was not pleased, but that he also could not afford to ignore the offer of a meeting. “I'm on the coast until Wednesday late, and Thursday I'll be catching up. How about Friday morning, a week from today?”
“That's fine with me. I'll check with Tom, and if there's a problem, I'll call. Otherwise, we'll see you Friday morning. Say, eleven?”
“Yeah, fine. I'll grab our attorney and see you then. Goodbye.”
SUNDAY, AUGUST 13 – Richard and Janet greeted friends, old and new, at the reception in the parish hall following the special service that Sunday for the new members. The Merediths, Bryants, Hawkinses, and several other couples congratulated them in the line for the covered-dish lunch. Even the Shullos made a special trip to share in the joy of the day. Court embraced Richard with a special hug, and both men remembered their hug in Court's office the morning when Richard submitted his life to Christ.
“I can't tell you what that day has meant to our entire family,” Richard told both Court and Bob. “And Janet and I have been trying to walk our Christian walk every day, reading and learning more about Him.” Richard was telling the truth from the bottom of his heart; but if one listened closely, perhaps due to the accomplishments celebrated on that Sunday, there was also just a hint of pride in what he was saying.
“Congratulations to you both,” Kristen said, shaking their hands. “I hope I can take the next new member class and join you in a few months.”
“You'll enjoy the class, Kristen,” Janet responded. “There's so much to learn about our faith.”
“And luckily there are also many good teachers.” Kristen smiled at Richard.
“There's a ham in the refrigerator and four boxes of pretzels in the pantry,” Janet reminded Richard, as they put the last few things in the minivan that afternoon.
“And we'll look after him as best we can,” Nancy Bryant smiled, standing with Tom and Amy in the turnaround. Amy was beginning to show her condition, but she also looked very healthy.
“Did you have a good time with the Tomlinsons?” Richard asked.
“Yes, very much. They're really nice people, with a nice house. And she, at least, really loves God. By the way, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Tomlinson asked me to tell you that he owes you now on two counts. He said you would know what he meant.”
“Well, I didn't do much in either case. But it was nice of him to say so. How are you feeling?”
“Fine.” She smiled, “But I guess I'm starting to feel a little bit like I'm pregnant.”
“You'll be fine. You look great. We're all praying for you and that baby,” Richard smiled back.
Soon everything was loaded, and there were hugs all around between the two families. Richard kissed Janet goodbye. “I love you and I'll see you in ten days. Goodbye kids.”
Richard and the Bryants waved as Janet pulled out of the driveway. “Can I interest you in a home-cooked meal tonight, Richard?” Nancy asked.
“Definitely sometime this week, thanks. But tonight I'm going to try to work through the pile on my desk at the office, which I've been ignoring for a couple of weeks,” Richard replied.
“Maybe we should invite the McKinneys and all of us get together,” Tom suggested. “How about Wednesday night?”
“Sounds great. Nancy, just let me know.”
TUESDAY, AUGUST 15 – Richard worked late both Sunday and Monday evenings. By Tuesday when he drove up his driveway, he knew he missed his family and the activity his teenage children brought to their life. The house was just so quiet and empty. Of other humans. But Nepravel and Zoldar were spending every free moment they had with Richard, stirring up voices in him, voices that could deceive him even with the Light burning inside him.
He wished now that he had accepted Bob Meredith's invitation to a new couples’ Bible study that night, which Bob and Anne were hosting as part of the Morningside outreach. Richard had said he would feel uncomfortable at the first meeting as the only single in a couples group, but he promised that they would attend once Janet returned.
He called Vermont, but his father-in-law said the family had driven into town for some ice cream.
As had already happened several times in the quiet since Sunday, he thought of Kristen. He knew that her apartment was only twenty minutes away. He could go see her. Not to do anything with her, just to talk. After all, a voice said, they had been very close, and it might be nice to hear about what she had been doing. Of course they couldn't go out together, so he would have to see her in her apartment…
The mental image of Kristen together with him painted itself clearly on his mind, and he realized what was happening. He slid out of his armchair and knelt there in his den, praying for God's protection against temptation. And protection for his family.
“Blast. He's praying again!” Nepravel spat. “The voices have almost stopped turning.”
“Well, we'll wait until he finishes, and then we'll start them again,” Zoldar responded from his lookout position. “We have too much invested in him to quit now. Even if we have to let everyone else in the neighborhood get saved this week, we've got to stick with Richard's destruction!”
As soon as he finished praying, Nepravel went right back to work, and within an hour Richard was feeling restless again. By now it was late, and he called Vermont and had a long conversation with Janet, catching up on their trip and on their first full day's activities.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16 – On Wednesday morning Richard and his two interns had a conference call with Tom Morgan at the foundation, in final preparation for their meeting with Network in New York on Friday. The attorneys agreed to meet at the airport and to drive into the city together, to discuss any last-minute considerations.
A little before noon, Richard's phone rang. “Hi. It's Kristen. How are you enjoying being single?”
“Hi, Kristen. I'm actually kind of lonely. It's not very glamorous at all. I miss my family.”
“Welcome to the club,” she said with enough levity to avoid being offensive. “Isn't single life great? Listen, why don't we get together and have dinner? Nothing romantic, I just mean to talk. For old times’ sake. And besides, your church has made me think about some things, and I'd like to talk with you about them.”
He didn't say no. “Tonight I'm going next door to the Bryants for an early dinner with the McKinneys. By the way, how is their house looking?”
“I'm afraid it's a bit overpriced, but I have two families who may be interested, if Mr. McKinney will get realistic on his price.”
“Anyway, I have to get up early Friday to fly to New York, so I don't want to do anything Thursday night. But maybe Friday or Saturday. Do you think we could behave ourselves if I said yes?” He asked the question in jest, but one small voice was trying to break through all the others and ask it in earnest.
“If we have to,” she said with just enough seduction in her voice to make it interesting.
“Kristen, if we get together, which I'm still not committing to, we would definitely have to behave ourselves. I love Janet very much and don't want to do anything to hurt her.”
“Neither do I. We'll just have dinner and talk. Which night?”
“I've still got to think about it. It may be really dumb for us to get together, even though I'm sure nothing will happen. I tell you what. I don't know exactly how long I may be in New York. I'll call you from there, or from the airport, when I know what's happening.”
“OK, Richard. Let's do get together. I really want to see you.”
Nancy Bryant made a delicious curry, and Amy volunteered to stay with the McKinney children so that the five adults could get together for dinner. Everyone steered clear of discussing Bruce's problem, though he brought it up several times himself.
“You should see the home buyers circling like sharks who smell blood! They know we've got to sell because of this mess, and they're circling in for the kill. They want us to give the house away! We've lived here fifteen years! No way.”
Diane warned Tom and Richard when she first found them alone in the den that Bruce had already had two drinks before leaving home. And Diane also shared with them her worry because Bruce no longer went anywhere or did anything. He was too embarrassed to go to their club, where many of his former investors spent their time. Other than their boat, which was also for sale, and an occasional jog, he had never been interested in outdoor activities. Stocks and bonds had been his life. And the McKinneys were not members of a church. So Diane despaired that Bruce was becoming a recluse, on top of their other problems. “Please, if you can think of anything to do or can include him in anything, please help him,” she quietly pleaded.
The opportunity came that night, although in an unusual way. As they were finishing their coffee and were talking about the upcoming elections, it was still early. Bruce changed the subject of their conversation to the “good old days” in their neighborhood, when the husbands were younger and did more things together.
“Remember after that 5K race on Labor Day—when was that? Five years ago?—when we all went down to the Platinum Club together? Was that a ball? How many of us were there? Twelve, maybe… Say I haven't been back there since. I hear they've changed it all around. What say we go down there tonight, guys? We haven't had a boys’ night out in years. What do you say?”
“I don't know, Bruce,” Tom began. But behind Bruce, Diane was nodding her encouraging approval, which everyone saw except her husband.
Nancy, who under normal circumstances would not be pleased about Tom going to such a place, understood Diane's wish for her husband to have some diversion, and said, “Sure, why not, Tom? It would be fun for you three to spend some time together. And at least we'll know where you are.” She smiled.
“Go ahead, honey. Have some fun,” Diane said to Bruce.
“What about you, Richard? Do we need to call Janet?” Bruce asked. “Remember, it's just like the shopping these girls do: It's all right to look all you want, but you can't touch the merchandise or take it home!” he laughed.
Without planning on it or really thinking about it, Richard found himself joining hundreds of other men—mostly conventioneers, he imagined—at the Platinum Club. The three men stood at the bar, waiting for a table, while a hundred or more completely nude young women danced on the stage, on two runways, and on individual tables.
Bruce was ecstatic, pointing out the particular attributes of this woman or that. Within a few minutes they were shown to a table, and soon Bruce had arranged for a beautiful, natural blonde young lady to dance directly above them on their table.
Richard was confused. He knew he should not be there. This was not what God had in mind, either for these women or for these men. Two or three times a voice tried to ask him how he would feel if his daughter Susan were dancing here for extra money in a couple of years; but that voice was blown away by the visual images. He wanted to leave, but Diane had virtually begged them to take Bruce. He felt trapped and smiled a “What-are-we-doing-here?” smile at Tom, who shrugged and yelled over the roar of the dance beat, “Just relax and enjoy it. I guess it won't hurt us!”
So Richard sat and watched. And watched. At least three of the young women near them reminded him of Kristen. And the deceptive voices, which had been building slowly inside him, started spinning faster and stronger. The Platinum Club was one of Nepravel's favorite places. As they sat next to Richard, Nepravel told Zoldar that it was their local “banana peel,” because so many men unsuspectingly slipped up there and wound up doing things they had never intended to do. Zoldar chuckled as Nepravel fed pure Passion into the deceptive mixture of Rationalization and Invincibility, already playing full tilt in Richard.
By the time Richard made it home, after too many drinks, too much noise, and too many visual images, he was primed, if not cocked, for the bigger event which Nepravel had in mind.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18 – Friday morning Richard and Tom Morgan met in the Executive Club at LaGuardia Airport and took a cab into the city. “We've done our research, and I've got our list of names if we get that far,” Tom told Richard, as they threaded along that hour's best route to Manhattan.
“I've never prayed in a taxi before,” Richard said, “but why don't we start?” And he and Tom each lifted up a prayer for their meeting with the network that morning, asking for the Holy Spirit to prepare the hearts and the minds of those with whom they would be meeting and to guide and protect them throughout the process.
“Good morning, gentlemen.” Bob Grissom offered his hand as Richard and Tom were shown into his large corner office on the fifty-fifth floor of Network's headquarters building. “Please, have a seat at the table by the window. The others should be here in just a minute. Can we get you some coffee?”
The three of them confined themselves to pleasantries and to updates on those who had been wounded during the test run until Mark Pugh and a woman with a legal pad joined them in Bob's office. He made the introductions. “This is Mark Pugh, the executive director of ‘911 Live,’ and Sheila Alston, one of our most able attorneys. Mark, Sheila, please meet Richard Sullivan and Tom Morgan.”
There followed another five minutes of general discussion about the network and its prospects for the fall season, which led Bob to the case at hand.
“And of course we're planning for ‘911 Live’ to be our flagship for Friday night. The new technology we're debuting will be so powerful that we're going to open ‘911 Live’ two weeks before the rest of the fall line-up, to create an audience early, to anchor that night. And that's really just a month from now.”
“All the equipment is ready to ship to the ten cities we've chosen,” Mark added, “and we should begin on-site testing in each city within two weeks, to check for any problems or coverage dead spots.”
“That is, of course, if you'll allow us to put the show on.” Bob smiled, launching the first volley of the meeting.
Richard returned his smile and nodded. “If it were up to us, the show would be canceled. We think it's one of the worst things imaginable for television, certainly as it's now formatted. So we've at least established that you think it's the best and we think it's the worst. Luckily for you, the decision is not up to us, and we know it. So we can't allow it, or cancel it. But hopefully you will listen to our opinions and maybe even agree with us that what we're here to propose actually has some advantages for Network.”
“You've got the floor, counsellor. Please continue,” Bob said, as Mark and Sheila sat stonefaced, their arms folded.
“We've taken at face value what Bill Shaw has been saying, supported by the promotional material Janet has received from the Network PR staff, that the point of ‘911 Live’ is to honor emergency response personnel in America, by showing them in as realistic a setting as possible. We assume that it is not the purpose of the show to honor violence or to create opportunities for death or destruction. Are we right?”
The three network people looked at each other. Mark shrugged non-committally. Sheila said, “I really have no idea. That's not my area.”
Bob finally spoke. “I would say you're very close.”
“Good,” Richard continued, “because I took those words from your own promotional letter of June 18. So we all agree on the goal or the purpose of the show. Now we're deeply concerned about the probability of unexpected and uncontrolled violence, crime, and even murder, right on our families’ television screens.”
Mark started to speak, “But it's…”
“… what's really happening.” Richard finished his sentence. “We know. But unless the goal is to show violence for violence's sake, which you say it is not, then you can still show ‘what's really happening’; only you can be a little selective about it.”
“What do you mean?” Bob asked.
“We have a couple of suggestions to make, both of which we believe can actually make the show better, if violence is not the primary goal. First, we ask you to extend the broadcast delay from thirty seconds to ten minutes. That will accomplish several things. It will of course let actual violence be edited, masked, deleted, or simply not shown. It will also allow you more time to see how a particular segment develops before airing it, not just from the point of view of cutting out any staged acts, which should be much more obvious after ten minutes, but also to tighten up the presentations and to show the most interesting stories possible.
“We checked with the regulators, and we tentatively believe that you can still use the name ‘Live,’ even with the delay, if you run a short notification at the beginning of the show. We believe the result will be a show that even better portrays our emergency personnel at work, without the worst problems that we now foresee.”
The network personnel had shared some glances while Richard spoke, but had said nothing. “Is there more?” Bob asked.
“Yes. No offense, Mark, but we don't think the broadcast/no broadcast decision on a particular segment should be left up to any one person. Rather, we propose a three-person editorial panel, which will work with the director, live, during each show, to decide whether some feed is just too violent or too objectionable to be shown, or whether it could be shown with masking.
“The members of this panel will all be paid for each show. They will receive training from each of the three groups whom they represent so that their diversity has a chance to gel into unity. Three pools of panel members will be appointed by Network, by the Emergency Personnel Association of America, and by the Foundation for the Family. During the four-month trial period we propose, all three members must agree on any segment, or it can't be shown. It's our hope that after a few weeks they will come to share a sense of what works for everyone so that the mechanics will smooth out.”
“So you want the Foundation for the Family to censor our show?” Sheila asked in a calm but displeased tone.
“No,” Tom Morgan interjected. “We want the foundation plus the other two representatives to help you decide what to show. And this is obviously all voluntary. We propose a four-month trial; but you could stop any time, because there won't be a contract or an agreement.”
“Does the foundation want credit on the show for this input?” Sheila asked.
“No, just the opposite. That's the last part of what we have to propose,” Richard continued. “Right now the Foundation for the Family and most of the networks do not agree on what is appropriate for television. I have convinced Dr. Morris, the founder of the foundation, that this arrangement could create an opportunity for the foundation and your network to share ideas and value concepts in a real working environment. Who knows where that might lead? You might actually find that you can help each other in many ways, once you start working together.
“He has agreed and is ready to meet you in this halfway position for the trial period. But he recommends that neither you nor the foundation publicize your working together during this sensitive period. If you both benefit and like what's happening, you can continue it and go public after four months. If it doesn't work, then neither of you has lost much, except a little time and money.”
“So who would the foundation's editorial panel members be? Would they all be ministers? Do they live anywhere near New York?” Bob asked.
Tom opened his briefcase and withdrew two typed pages of names and addresses and passed them across the table to Bob. “Here is a list of people we recommend. As you will see, most are business people. Some have backgrounds in broadcasting. Only two are ordained ministers. All of them live in the New York metropolitan area. And none of them works for the foundation.”
Looking down the list, Bob was impressed. He recognized several of the names. “You've done your homework,” he said, passing the list to Mark and Sheila.
“We know that for you to agree with us, we can't just threaten, we have to bring value to the table,” Richard said. “All of those people can help enhance your show, and/or Network, as well as help accomplish our goal of limiting the crime and violence on television in our homes. There's a remote possibility that this situation could turn from confrontation to win/win, to use the current buzzwords,” Richard finished with a smile.
“And just so we know, Mr. Sullivan,” Sheila asked, “what is the threat part of your message today?”
“Fifty nearly identical but locally tailored obscenity lawsuits in fifty cities. And a suit seeking a federal injunction with the FCC. All of these are in the late drafting stages and can be filed in a few days. And a license battle next year when you seek renewal,” Richard replied.
“I see. So you are serious.”
Both Richard and Tom nodded.
“If we agreed to this, how soon could these people be ready to join us for training?” Mark asked.
“We still haven't contacted all of them. And you will probably want to narrow down to a working pool of seven to ten so that a manageable group will be available every Friday. But the ones to whom we have already spoken are ready to begin. Many are recently retired and are frankly looking for something to do. And the Emergency Personnel Association has a large chapter here. The senior staff is ready to join us.”
“Well, whatever else,” Bob said, “let me thank you for putting together a proposal that is at least balanced. The three of us don't make decisions like this by ourselves, but our voices obviously carry a lot of weight. Do you have a written summary of your proposal?”
Tom handed Bob a letter from Dr. Morris, with an attachment containing the points they had discussed.
“Thank you. This may seem a little odd, but why don't you let us talk here. You can go next door and make calls or watch any of eighty channels, and we'll see if we have any additional questions before you leave.”
Richard and Tom agreed and each man found a phone in the vacant conference room across the hall. Twenty minutes later Bob came across and asked them to return to his office, which they did.
Sitting down again, Bob said, “As strange as this may sound, we basically like your ideas. In fact, we think maybe the broadcast delay should be twelve to fifteen minutes, but we'll think more about it. We've got to check with a larger group here, but I think we may all be able to work together, pretty much as you have proposed.”
“That's great,” Richard beamed, looking around the room and saving an extra smile for Tom. Even Mark was smiling, as best he could. Richard continued, “We want to keep it as low key and as ‘unlegal’ as possible. Bob, the foundation has talented broadcast people, as you know. Dr. Morris can assign two or three of them to a team, and they will fly here for a week or ten days to help get the initial process rolling with you, once you say ‘go.’ How does that sound?”
“Fine. We'll touch bases here on our end, and I should be able to call you no later than Monday afternoon. Thanks a lot.”
Rising and shaking hands, Richard said, “Thank you…and now Tom and I can catch earlier flights, before the weekend rush.”
Back in the Executive Club at the airport, where the staff was reworking their tickets, Richard asked Tom the question that had been on their minds since the meeting: “Can you believe that they accepted our offer? Just like that? God is so incredible! I figured we would be battling until late in the afternoon and maybe filing lawsuits on Monday. It just shows you that nothing is impossible if God is involved.”
“I know, Richard. It was great. And you were wonderful with your presentation. You never became argumentative, but you spoke with conviction. A great job!” Tom complimented his new friend.
“Thanks, Tom. You did very well too. And thanks to whoever put together that list of names.”
“Dr. Morris did it himself. He handpicked each person.”
“Well, I hope they officially accept. And then I hope it works—for many reasons. Not the least of which is my wife's job!”
Tom's flight was called, and the two attorneys shook hands and promised to talk on Monday. Then Richard went to a phone and called Vermont. Janet was in her parents’ home, having a late lunch. “You won't believe it, dear, but I think they're going to accept our proposal.”
“Oh, Richard, that's great! I bet you did a super job. You're so close there in New York—why don't you run up?” she laughed.
“Too much to do, but I'll be there next week. They're calling my plane. I'll call you again tonight or tomorrow. But let's quickly pray.” And for the second time in his life, Richard prayed on the telephone, thanking God for His blessings.
Kristen wasn't sure herself exactly what she wanted to happen, but she knew she wanted to see Richard. She still missed the time they had spent together, and she at least wanted to spend a few hours talking with him.
When she called his office that Friday afternoon, the receptionist said that Richard was still out of town, but offered her the option of leaving a message for him on their new voice mail system. She accepted. After the taped introduction, she said, “Richard, this is me. If you get back in time today, let's get together tonight. I want to talk about us.”
Flying back by himself on the plane, Richard was very happy. Although he knew that there was not yet a final agreement to work together, he believed that Bob Grissom understood the advantages of doing so and would follow through positively.
Richard again said a prayer of thanks to God for His action. In Richard's mind, the results from their meeting had truly been a miracle, better than he ever could have imagined. He knew that God had prepared the way and been present with them.
But Richard also had to admit that his years of training and preparation had served him well for doing the Lord's work. He recognized that he had put together a pretty strong combination of carrot and stick to get Network's attention. And his negotiating skills had come in handy. As a new Christian, Richard was thrilled that he had apparently won the first battle God had given him. He hoped there would be more! He was ready to help God whenever God needed his help! And, not realizing it, with his excitement and understandable thoughts about his own important role, Richard was cocking the hammer of his sexual ego, which had been so well primed at the Platinum Club only two nights before.
Nepravel arrived at the office before Richard did, late that afternoon. He had one piece of quick business to do. Although it only took an instant, his action was the first time in many years that he had been authorized to physically change something outside of a human body. He stopped by the firm's voice mail computer and changed one word on Kristen's message to Richard.
Even though he was driving from the airport against the traffic, Richard did not make it back to his office until almost 5:30. He decided on the way in, despite his excitement, that it would be best if he didn't go over to Kristen's apartment. It just wouldn't be right. From his earphone he called Bob Meredith's home, but his call was answered by a tape machine. He left a message, asking whether Bob and Anne would like to join him on short notice for dinner. Then he called Tom Spence and gave him a report on their meeting in New York. Tom was obviously pleased, and Richard promised to give him a full report as soon as he heard again from Bob Grissom. He arrived at his office before he had time to call Kristen.
Mary had waited for him and handed him a stack of messages. She reminded him that there were also some messages on their new voice mail system. He briefly told her about their meeting and then sent her home to her family.
Standing beside his desk, flipping through his messages, he touched the buttons on his phone to activate the voice mail playback. After five messages on legal cases, he heard, “Richard, this is me. If you get back in time today, let's get together tonight. I want to talk about God.”
He played Kristen's message back again. He felt a rush. Kristen was reaching out, and he was the right person to lead her to the Lord. Given their earlier relationship and the important work which God already had him doing, there was no question that he was meant to help her find salvation.
He called her apartment but again hit a tape machine. “Hi, Kristen. I got your message, and I'll be over. Probably about 7:30. See you then.”
One more call. He hoped that the Merediths would be home. But no luck. Yet another taped answer. So he left a second message on their machine: “Since I called you earlier, Kristen has called and said she wants to talk about God. Isn't that great? So I'm going over there tonight and won't be able to get together with you. I need some suggestions, by the way, on books or literature to give to people who are interested in the Lord, like Kristen. Call me at home if you get in this afternoon, or I'll see you at church on Sunday. Have a great weekend.”
It never failed to amaze Richard how the world had functioned only a few years before without tape machines, voice mail, and fax machines. Well, he had left enough messages for one day; it had been a very good day, and the rest could wait. He went home to shower and to change before driving over to Kristen's apartment.
Kristen arrived home from an appointment and was very pleased to find Richard's message on her machine. She immediately started her bath water, and she put two bottles of wine in the refrigerator. Before leaving the kitchen she put two steaks in the microwave to defrost and two potatoes in the oven.
Unseen by her, a stormcloud of darkness was descending on her apartment. Besides Torgo, Zoldar had already arrived. Nepravel was with Richard, making certain that Richard heard how important he was and regularly flashing visual images from the Platinum Club and from his past experiences with Kristen, just to set the stage in his mind. And while Richard shaved and splashed on his best aftershave, he told himself, “I have a chance to save Kristen tonight!”
Right at 7:30, Bart, the doorman, rang up on the intercom that Mr. Sullivan was on the way up. Kristen made a last pass at her hair in the mirror and smiled. She switched off the ringer on her telephone so that the machine in her bedroom would answer without disturbing them. She was very happy. The doorbell rang, and she opened the door. Zoldar and Torgo were ready on her side of the door, Nepravel on the other.
Richard was struck immediately by how good Kristen looked, in her low-cut dark green dress which accentuated her auburn hair and her…freckles. Oh, all those freckles! How Richard suddenly remembered all those wonderful freckles, in an explosive visual image from six months earlier. He smiled and stared. She did the same. “Come in,” she finally laughed, breaking the electricity of the moment. He felt his mind starting to grow fuzzy, even before he spoke a single word. “What's happening?” a tiny voice was able to ask, before it was completely drowned out by a flood of rationalizations.
“Hi,” he managed to say, as he walked in. “How are you?”
“I'm fine. It was a rough day, but I might have sold one home this afternoon. How about you? Did your meeting go well? Would you like some wine?”
“Uh, yeah, sure, that would be fine. And today went great.” As Kristen walked to the kitchen, he followed behind her, smelling her perfume. “The meeting we had in New York went incredibly well.” And Richard began describing to Kristen the history of “911 Live” as they moved back into her living room and sat on the sofa with their wine glasses. He then moved on to share the intimate details of the meeting, which he had not yet done with Janet, telling Kristen how God had definitely intervened for them that day. As he retold the story, his natural joy spilled over into his ego: They had done great work for the Lord that day!
Kristen listened attentively for almost twenty minutes, sipping her wine, her feet tucked up under her, sitting only a few inches from Richard. She smiled at the appropriate times and let him know how impressed she was as his story unfolded.
While Richard was talking, he sipped his wine, but he drank deeply from Kristen's whole presence, her knees almost touching him, her smile so close, her breasts…He had all night, a voice told him. Janet was far away. He shook the voices off.
“But that's enough about me and my day,” he smiled. “I got your message that you want us to talk about God.”
“You did? I'm happy to talk about God, but that's not the message I left on your voice mail. I said that I wanted to talk about us.”
“Oh,” Richard said, not imagining that they were both right. He was at a loss for words since that was the reason he had come.
“Your new voice mail must not be real clear,” Kristen offered, leaning forward and taking his glass, then walking to the kitchen to refill it. “I've thawed two steaks,” she said as she poured the wine. “We can start them anytime.”
As she sat down again on the sofa, even closer, crossing her legs, she noticed that Richard had a faraway look, like his eyes were glazed over. “Are you OK?” she smiled.
“Me? Oh, yeah, fine.” But he had been listening to a voice which reminded him that they were not exactly virgins together. If he slept with her tonight, it wouldn't be that big a deal, because they had already done it so many times before. It was just sort of a repeat. And Janet had said she didn't want to know. And she was so far away…And Kristen looked so good…
They talked for another twenty minutes, sitting next to each other. Richard watched the rise and fall of her chest with each breath she took. She laughed once and brushed her hair back with her hand. Richard didn't say much, but he eventually heard a low roar in his ears, and he felt even more lightheaded.
Kristen had been talking about them, and she came to her conclusion. “What should I do, Richard? Should I pine away until I'm old and gray,” she smiled, “hoping that someday you'll be mine? Should I move out of town? Should I join a convent? What do you recommend for someone who still loves you so much?”
The voices and the images were screaming inside Richard. If he had been rational, he would have said that he loved his wife very much, that he did not want to commit adultery, that he would never imagine to hurt her or to sin against God…but it was almost impossible for him to be rational. This was not a thought-out affair, like earlier. This was just plain passion, simple lust. He was alone with a beautiful woman whom he had already slept with, she still wanted him, his wife was far away, and this day he had already proved himself to be invincible. It was a loaded gun, primed and cocked. And now the demons were adding the images and the voices to trigger the explosion.
“Go ahead. No one will ever know. Look at her. Remember how good she is? Go ahead. It's no big deal. You've already done it with her…”
To answer her question, Richard put his glass down on the coffee table, in slow motion, as if he were watching himself do it, then leaned across and took her in his arms, and without saying a word, he kissed her. She kissed him back, opening her mouth and putting her arms around his neck. She murmured and leaned back, bringing him with her. Richard could feel the electric reaction in both of them as he lay on top of her. He moved to kiss her neck.
“Ms. Holloway,” the doorman called over the intercom, “is it OK if some folks named Meredith come up?”
Richard flinched, as if he were physically pulled back by the scruff of his neck. His heart raced. It was as if scales were suddenly taken from his eyes and he could see. Although the three demons in the room, bent on his destruction, were, of course, not visible to him, he instantly and for the first time in his life felt their presence, as if they were lying on his back, which Nepravel was. He jumped again and felt an icy chill.
“What is that?” Kristen asked out loud, but the doorman could not hear her.
“Ms. Holloway, is it all right if the Merediths come up?”
Richard moved off Kristen and sat with his head in his hands, shaking. “Yes, Kristen. Please tell him it's OK.”
“Who are they?”
“Friends of mine,” he said in a barely audible whisper, as the reality of what had just happened and what had almost happened started to sink into Richard's heart and into his mind.
“Friends of yours? You invited friends of yours to come with you tonight?”
“No. I didn't. But thank God, and I mean that more than you'll ever know, they're here. Please tell him to let them in.”
Obviously angry, Kristen got up and walked over to the intercom. “It's all right, Bart. Send them up,” she said.
Richard stood up, feeling weak, drained. He tried to look at Kristen, but then diverted his eyes. He took out his handkerchief and wiped her lipstick and make-up from his face. Feeling like a fool, he stuffed it back in his pocket.
Kristen retreated to her bedroom, and the doorbell rang. Richard walked over and opened it. Bob and Anne were standing outside, Bibles in hand. Before they could say anything, Richard stepped out and hugged Anne, his eyes closed, tears forming. Then he hugged Bob. He felt so weak that he was afraid he might fall. They sensed his frailty and helped him walk back into Kristen's apartment, closing the door behind them.
Bob more or less deposited Richard in the large chair by the coffee table, and Richard sat shaking his head, his heart pounding, tears rolling down his cheeks, unable to say anything yet, except “Thank you,” which he whispered to his friends several times.
The bedroom door opened and Kristen came out, her make-up fresh. She stood at the entrance to the living room, expecting Richard to introduce them.
“Hi, Kristen. I'm Bob Meredith. This is my wife, Anne. We've heard a lot about you and seen you, I think, at church. We heard that you're interested in learning more about God, so we thought we'd come see if we could help.”
“Yes, well, I'm glad to meet you. But I think there was a misunderstanding tonight. I guess I'm interested in learning more about God, someday, but I never meant tonight. Somehow the message got mixed up. Would you like some wine?”
“I'm sorry if we came at the wrong time. Richard, are you OK?” Bob asked, as Richard wiped his eyes.
“Yes, I'm fine,” Richard said, starting to regain his strength and looking up at them. “And, believe me, you came at exactly the right time.” He managed a smile. “Kristen, I don't know what was going on, but we almost made a big mistake.”
Kristen shrugged her shoulders and looked uninterested. There was a long silence while everyone thought about what Richard had said. Then Anne smiled and turned to Kristen. “Do you have any tea? Or a soft drink?”
“Sure,” Kristen said, “I'll put some water on.” And she walked into the kitchen, followed by Anne.
“Bob, you can't imagine how happy I am to see you both,” Richard smiled again. “I was within a few minutes of doing something I would have regretted for longer than I care to think about. What a fool I've been tonight. I can't imagine what happened to me.”
“Richard, what happened to you is that you came here. The result was pretty predictable after that. None of us can withstand Satan on our own—try to do it yourself, and you'll fail every time. This Book tells us to flee, which wasn't exactly your move tonight,” he smiled. “And if you can't flee, then pray for God's help, because the forces of darkness are too much for us humans. We need God's help, or we'll fail.”
“That's crystal clear now, Bob. But sixty minutes ago I thought I was in complete control, able to do anything on my own, a real soldier for God. And look how close I came to being finished!”
“You're right. How long have you been a believer now? A little over three months? And from what I've seen and heard you have been a soldier for God. You've changed and already affected others. You're a husband, a father, and a business leader. Don't you think Satan would love to bring you down? To dishonor you, and therefore God, whom you profess, in your own eyes and in the eyes of your family and friends? You're a perfect target. You've felt God enough to be effective, but you haven't learned enough to know when you're getting outside His protection. It can happen because you stop reading the Word, or forget to pray; or maybe pride makes you forget the true source of your strength—anyway, once you move outside His will, anything can happen. The wisest Christian knows when to turn tail and to run as fast as he can from temptation, because he can't beat it on his own.”
“I may be a slow learner, but tonight I got the message, believe me! Bob, when you came, I actually think I felt the presence of evil spirits. Is that possible, or am I crazy?”
“It's probable. Maybe we should get the ladies back in here and pray.”
While Richard and Bob were talking, Anne was speaking with Kristen in the kitchen, as she ran water in the teapot. “Please don't be upset, either with Richard or with us. We've known about your relationship since right after Richard surrendered his life to Christ. Our intent is not to judge either of you, but to help both of you.”
Kristen frowned but said nothing.
“It's a long story, but before I met Bob, or knew the Lord, I had an affair with a married man. At first I didn't know he was married, but even after I found out, I let him talk me into continuing for over a month before I broke it off. Three months later he left his wife and child for another, even younger woman, and I've lived with my part in that tragedy for many years. So I know some of what you're feeling, in every sense.
“And I have one simple message for you, Kristen,” Anne smiled. “God loves you more than any man can or ever will. First find a relationship with Him, and then the right man to be your husband will probably come along, if it's His will. But whatever else happens on earth, you'll know the greatest love in the universe.”
Kristen finally spoke. “OK. Thanks, Anne. As you can imagine, I'm a little mixed up right now and don't know how to handle your being here. I didn't really mean for anything to happen tonight with Richard, but I did ask him to come here, and I…I…just don't know what to do. I'm embarrassed. I'm hurt…There's a man in California I've been seeing. Maybe he's the one. I just don't know…”
“You've had enough for one night, dear,” Anne smiled, as the water began to boil, “but please remember what I said about God's love. Find Him first, which we'll be glad to help you do, if you want our help, and the rest should come along, in His time.”
Anne and Kristen rejoined the men, and Bob told them that they needed to pray together. Somewhat self-consciously, Kristen joined them on her knees in the living room, and Bob began by thanking God for His mercy and His presence in their lives that night. Anne thanked Him and asked for His angels’ protection for Richard and Kristen. Nepravel and the other two demons had been circling around them all this time. They were screaming insults and snapping their sharp teeth at the Merediths, angry over their intrusion. At Anne's mention of angels, the demons looked at each other and decided to leave. Instantly Kristen felt the first positive moment of healing in her relationship with Richard, as they continued to pray together.
Richard prayed a long prayer of thanks for their protection that night and for God answering his prayers, even though he had violated God's will. He fervently asked for forgiveness and for guidance in the future for him and for Kristen. And finally he prayed for Janet and his family, that he would again be the husband and father they needed.
Hearing Richard pray to God for her and for his family added to the healing process that had just begun inside Kristen. She understood for the first time the depth of his love for his wife, and she recognized as well his genuine concern for her. When Richard finished, Kristen found the strength to pray out loud for the first time since she was a little girl, asking God for His forgiveness and for His help in fighting temptation in the future. She felt awkward at first, but soon her heart was pouring out her grief, as she went on to ask for God's guidance in her life. The other three souls kneeling there with her shared the sincerity of her pain. As she finished unburdening her soul, her voice cracked, and tears flowed down her cheeks.
Bob closed their prayers, and they stood up. Anne hugged Kristen. Then they went into the kitchen and fixed four new cups of tea. The four of them talked together for almost an hour, mostly about what had just happened, but sometimes simply talking about whatever came up, from their new mission church to the first inklings of a pennant race that year.
Finally Richard announced that he was very tired after fighting two battles in one day and that they should call it a night.
“Kristen, I'm so glad I'm leaving with the Merediths.” He smiled, his hand holding hers, “We dodged a bullet, tonight, barely. But we dodged it, only by the grace of God. As I hope you know, I wish you the best and can't wait to see you in church. But let's don't ever get together like this again! Like I said that day when we broke up, God has better plans for both of us. Let's see what those are. But they don't include us being together. It's that simple. I really love Janet, and I want to be with her. And I thank God again that nothing more happened tonight.”
Kristen tried her best to smile back. “OK, Richard. I promise. No more invitations. And I do want to know more about God.”
Anne said, “Call me, please, Kristen. I would love to have lunch with you and tell you about what God has done for us. And there's a businesswomen's breakfast group at our church which meets every week; I think you'll really like them.”
“Thank you, Anne. And thank you, too, Bob. You're an unusual pair of party crashers!”
As the three of them exited the elevator into the garage at Kristen's apartment, Richard said, “I can't thank you enough for coming. What led you to drive over here?”
Bob answered, “You should thank Anne. When we arrived home and heard your two messages, I didn't think that much about them, but Anne wouldn't let go. She called your home and Kristen's, and only heard answering machines. She told me you shouldn't be left by yourself and that even if she had to come here on her own, she was going to check on you. So of course I had to drive her!”
“I just felt that something wasn't right. Richard, don't ever put yourself in a position like that again. I know men, and I know how God made you, though I've never known why. That's one of the first things I'm going to ask Him when I get to heaven!”
Richard smiled and hugged her again. “Well, I'm sure glad that God made you! What a day! Thank you and God bless you.”
“One last piece of advice,” Anne offered.
“You can give me all the advice you want,” Richard said.
“Go be with your wife.”
As he drove home, Richard thought about all that had happened from the time he had caught his plane that morning. He prayed aloud in the car, asking for God's forgiveness, protection, and blessing on him and on his family.
The house was dark when he arrived home, and empty. He turned on the lights and made a phone call. Then he went up to the attic and got out his suitcase and his suitbag. Thirty minutes later he made another call.
“Janet? Hi. I know it's a little late, but I've got some news.”
“Hi. Is everything all right?”
“Oh, yes. Everything is just fine. Just fine. But I'm coming up there tomorrow morning. There's an early flight with connections; it'll get me there at 12:30. Can you meet the plane?”
“Are you sure you're all right? Are you staying for the whole week?”
Smiling, thinking about Janet and his children, he assured her, “Yes, I'm fine. Everything is fine, thank God. And, yes, I'm coming for the whole week. I can't wait to hold you.”
Nepravel didn't want to attend their meeting that night, but he knew that absence was grounds for immediate and permanent banishment to hell. Not that it made much difference; he imagined he was headed there, anyway.
He and the other two demons had been completely surprised by the Merediths’ arrival at Kristen's apartment. They had orchestrated Richard and Kristen to do exactly what Alhandra had planned, but then those cursed people with their Bibles had shown up!
“You'd better report,” Nepravel said to Zoldar as they flew up to the meeting, trailing black sulfur behind them. “You're at least one of Alhandra's lieutenants.”
“But it's your neighborhood and it was your assignment,” Zoldar countered.
“He gave it to both of us.”
“But you're responsible.”
The two demons fought like that until the meeting started, and when their turn came, Zoldar actually shoved Nepravel forward. Nepravel slowly explained all that they did, exactly according to the plan, and how well it worked, as Lord Alhandra had foreseen, when, totally unexpectedly, the Merediths appeared and ruined everything.
Tymor followed the report, expecting to hear about Richard's fall. He could not believe it when he heard Nepravel's conclusion.
“So I'm supposed to tell Lord Alhandra that you've failed, that his plan did not work?!?” Tymor screamed.
“I…we…his plan did work. Tell him that,” Nepravel was emboldened to say, in what he assumed were his last seconds on earth. “But God must have answered his prayers for protection. I don't know. But how else could the Merediths have been led there?”
Tymor calmed down just a bit, since Nepravel had given him the possibility of an out with Alhandra. But he was still very angry. “I will report your failure to Lord Alhandra. He may have other plans for you. In the meantime, keep working on McKinney, and try not to screw that up!”
Nepravel bowed and moved back in among the others, shoving Zoldar as he did so.