“NO COMPLICATIONS, PLEASE.”
On Sunday morning at six fifteen, Reece pulled out of his gravel driveway, headed for the airport, and continued to pray that the five of them would get to Sea-Tac and into the sky without any obstacles being hurled their direction. No car troubles, no plane delays, no lost luggage, and no turbulence once they were in the clouds. Reece hated turbulence.
When he reached Highway 522 a few minutes later, he pulled out his cell phone and called Doug Lundeen. Be there, friend.
“Hello?”
“It’s Reece.”
“How’s your heart?”
“I’m good.”
“Your tone of voice contradicts your words.”
“Every emotion inside is screaming to turn around and head back home.”
“Good. The nest of hornets has awakened.”
“That I believe.”
“On that note, I must tell you I was praying this morning and had the distinct impression you’re going to hit a snag.”
“Which is?”
“That was all I received. However, it certainly is feasible it was a bad selection of roast from last night talking.” Doug chuckled.
Reece turned on his windshield wipers to push away the light mist landing on his window. “I don’t need snags.”
“Are you looking forward to seeing the place again?”
An image of Well Spring Ranch filled Reece’s mind. “That I am. It’s been six months since I’ve been out there, which is far too long.”
“Do they know how Well Spring came to be?”
“No.”
“Do any of them know of your financial situation?”
“It’s never come up,” Reece said.
“You’ve known them for years.”
“It’s not a secret. But I don’t want them to get distracted by it.”
“I see.” Doug cleared his throat. “What time do you fly out?”
“In a few hours. I’m on my way to the airport right now.”
“How have the last few days been?”
Reece turned the speed of his wipers up a notch as the mist turned heavy. “Better. But still wrestling with uncertainty. Still worrying about going in with them.”
“When I spoke the prophecy over you many years ago, did you believe it?”
“Yes.”
“After you and I and the rest of the group prayed over it and tested it, did you believe more strongly?” Doug asked.
“Yes, but—”
“And when the Spirit revealed the four to you, did you doubt then?”
“No, but—”
“The prophecy and your part in it are true regardless of your emotions. God’s protection is true regardless of how you feel. The freedom you will introduce to the four is true regardless of what the enemy tries to assault you with.”
Reece peered through the thickening rain at the red taillights ahead of him and flipped on his own lights. “And if I take them in and something goes wrong? What about my feelings then?”
“Yes,” Doug said, then went silent.
“Yes, something could go wrong. This is war. In war casualties occur. But your job isn’t to worry about that possibility. Your job is to step into your destiny and lead them. They have chosen to come. You will give them the choice to step into the training or hold back.”
“So be it.”
“By the way, have you considered this journey you’re now on isn’t only about their freedom but about your own?”
“Not really,” Reece said.
“How can you lead them into freedom if you yourself aren’t free?”
“Those who can’t do, teach.”
“I’m serious.”
Reece rubbed the steering wheel with his thumb and stared at Home Depot off to his right. This wasn’t supposed to be about building him up, it was about building them up.
“Reece?”
“I’m not thinking about me.”
“That sounds noble, but it’s not. Do not miss what the Spirit has for you during this time.”
“I’ll keep my eyes open.” Reece took the ramp onto 405 and joined the flow of early morning cars headed south.
“Anything else, friend?”
“Last night I think the Spirit told me to come see you on Tuesday.”
“That would be an excellent idea. But I have to ask how you plan to come to Denver, spend time with me, and arrive back at Well Spring without commandeering the entire day to accomplish it. What are you planning to have the four do at the ranch while you are off gallivanting with me?”
Reece didn’t answer and Doug laughed. “You really are going to traipse back into the old days, aren’t you?”
“All the way.”
“Well, good for you, son. Good for them. You do realize if you use that mode of transportation, one of them is liable to discover what you’ve done.”
“I hope so. I’m counting on it.”
Doug chuckled again. “Whenever you arrive here is fine. I’ll be ready.”
Fifteen minutes later his cell phone rang. “Reece here.”
“It’s Tamera.”
Good, he could get his mind off of himself. “Hello, Tamera. Are you at the airport already?”
“No.”
“Are you almost there?”
“No.”
Not good. Reece turned the wipers on high to battle the onslaught of rain pelting his windshield. “Don’t tell me you got a flat in this downpour. That would be a little too cliché.”
It took her three seconds to respond. “I can’t fly out till tomorrow.”
“What?”
“I’ll have to fly out to Denver tomorrow and meet you guys at Well Spring on Monday night late.”
“What’s going on?” Reece’s stomach churned. The prophecy was four, not three; they all needed to be there.
“My agent set up a meeting in LA for this afternoon. Last-minute thing, but the opportunity opened up and it’s a can’t-miss-it kinda deal. I’ll fly down there, do the meeting, fly back late tonight, then get on a plane to Colorado tomorrow morning.” She paused. “First thing.”
The Mount Baker Tunnel loomed in front of Reece. “I might lose you when I go through the tunnel. Hang on.”
His Avalanche entered the tunnel and Reece glanced at his phone. One bar. “Can you still hear me?”
His Bluetooth beeped three times and the call dropped. “Don’t let this happen, Lord. Get her to the airport now. Break through this. Break it down.”
As he exited the tunnel his phone lit up. “Hello.”
“This is a chance I can’t pass up, Reece. This is my show. But I’ll only miss one day of the retreat.”
“It doesn’t work that way.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s all the way or nothing. You need to be there from the start to the finish. Halfway in won’t work.”
“But it’s not halfway. I’ll only miss a quarter.”
“I’m sorry.”
“What if I flew from LA to Denver and got in late tonight?”
“Did God tell you to come with us to Well Spring?”
Tamera released a heavy sigh. “Yes.”
“Then you need to go. Not tomorrow, not tonight. You need to join us now.”
“I need a few minutes to think about this.”
“No.” Reece glanced at his watch. “If you’re coming you’ll need to leave immediately.”
“I . . . I don’t know what to do.”
“Yes, you do.” Reece took the ramp that would spill him onto I-5 south. “The plane lifts off at eight thirty. I am praying you’re on it with us.”
“I can’t. I have to do this.”
“I see.”
She went silent and didn’t speak again for several seconds. “Do you still like me?”
“Of course, Tamera. It doesn’t change my care for you one iota. And I won’t stop praying for you.”
Reece hung up and tossed his cell phone onto the passenger seat. She’d never hesitated about coming like the others had. She was locked in from the start. No worries, no concerns, very few questions. Brandon? Dana? The professor? None of them bagging out would have surprised him. Which was why he should have seen it coming with Tamera. Prayed harder. Prayed with more precision against the attack. Done something.
Twelve minutes later he pulled into the Shuttle Park 2 parking lot a mile east of the airport and sat and stared through his windshield at nothing. Score one for the opposition. He punched the dashboard. The war had begun and he’d lost the first skirmish.