Battlecry!

By J.A. Green

Michael Johnson has been a faithful employee with Hinckley & Associates for several years. Michael finds himself on a journey like he has never imagined. After Michael is visited by a stranger, his life becomes one challenge after another to retain his faith. When strange occurrences start in the valley, humans, angels, and demons sound the Battlecry!

Join Michael and his team as they investigate the strange happenings in their sleepy little valley as a whole world they never imagined begins to unfold in front of them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J.A. Green
• Release date: Sep 14, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370041725

J.A. Green

J. A. Green is an author of fiction writings in the suspense and action genres. The style of J. A. Green's writings are an easy reading often using short chapters for busy readers. He has enjoyed creative writing since his teen years (a long time ago, in a state far away). He hopes you will enjoy all his works as much as he enjoyed bringing them to you. J. A. Green is the author of the: Marcus Markley series, Passages, The Coliseum Games, Deception!, and Battlecry!

Book preview

BATTLECRY!

J.A. Green

Dedication:

The battle for good and evil is within each of us. Sometimes we need to face the things we do not want to do but need to be done. This book is dedicated to anyone that has heard the Battlecry and answered the call.

Have I not commanded you, Be Strong and Courageous.

- Joshua 1:9.

As for me and my house, we will follow the Lord.

-Joshua 24:15b

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

-Ephesians 6:10-12

Acknowledgement:

As is most things this book is a labor of love and a living organism, a work in progress at the first printing. The author and publisher have read and re-read the text. We have tried to catch all spelling and grammatical errors. There is a possibility you will still find some. You may find grammar or syntax errors. For this we apologize. If you believe these errors detract from the story, please drop us a line as to error, the correction, and where it is specifically located. We will consider it in the next addition. We can be reached at [e-mail]

Thank you in advance.

BATTLECRY! © 2016

All characters, events, or circumstances are fictitious. As there are veiled references to Bible and religious doctrine. The author is not a licensed minister. Any similarities to characters, events, or circumstances are coincidental. LifeMAPS Publishing, Plano, TX (2016)

Preface

The Lake was calm. The trees shift in the evening breeze coming off the lake. The stars’ shine so bright above this place. The valley held good working class people trying to get ahead in life. In this little corner of the valley up the Johnson Grade sat this reservoir that looked out over the valley.

A lone figure stood under the giant willow tree, looking out over the lake. He heard the rustling of wings above him. The figure landed, I came as soon as I received your message.

The fall has begun as the scales have tipped against us. We received notice from an observer. The Younger nodded. What is the plan? The plan is not clear as to yet. We can never be sure about the times in our immediate future until it is revealed to us. Outcomes can easily shift. When the remnants are altered so are the resources. The balance is always in motion.

The Elder figure stood looking down at the valley. I was much younger when I last served in this valley. The valley is a story for another day. We almost lost it for good then. Some of the residue of that past time has been left unchecked. They gained power and influence. As a result, here we are.

The Younger listened as the wise old warrior reflected. There was much to be learned from him. He had seen more than most and lived to tell the tale. He had served in some of the great battles of the past. How soon man forgot these battles.

The Elder smiled as he looked off to the mountains on the other side of the valley. I think there is more going on in this valley than is really known. I see a lot of trouble. I also see the seeds for change.

The journey is about to begin for one man which if worked correctly will set plans in motion to shift the scales. He looked towards the heavens and said words the younger did not understand. The Elder was a master of lost languages. The elder took a deep breath. The messenger is on his way. The plan is in place. Stay here and watch, then send regular reports.

The Elder walked to the edge of the plateau. He fell off the edge. His wings unfurled part way as he gained speed and momentum staying low to the ground. Towards the bottom of the hill he banked away from the valley and up the southern hills. The Elder’s wings fully expanded. He gave one good pump with his body working down the entire length of his head to his toes including the force of his beautiful wings. A second later he was over the hill. Once out of the valley he got up to speed and shot through the air unnoticed by forces that might be concerned. The Elder headed to where a battle was already in progress.

The Younger looked over the valley. What was so significant here? It was a seemingly sleepy little valley. It was nice here from what he could see. He looked more closely. He listened more intently. He noticed an area of many beings traversing the hillside going in and out of a sprawling luxurious estate out in the country not far from the city. It appeared there was a meeting going on. He was not sure what meeting there was as he was not aware of it. What could this mean?

The Younger was in awe as this was his first potential battle since becoming part of the force. He sat watching. He stepped inside the trunk of the large willow tree. There he would stay until otherwise necessary.

The sun was just rising to crest the eastern edge of the valley. The people in the valley were stirring to start the day he could taste the smells of morning by the land and by the people. He took it all in. The journey would begin with The One.

1

Michael Johnson entered the office at 6:58 AM Monday morning. As he entered his cubicle he looked at the stack of paperwork in his In-Box waiting for his review or action. The pile never seemed to go down. He put down his bag and walked to the break room to get a cup of coffee.

Joe and Betty were talking as the pot finished brewing. When they saw Michael, they looked at each other and stopped talking, waiting silently for the coffee to be done. Michael said good morning and received a half-heartened grunted morning from Joe and nothing from Betty. Michael looked at the pot and then at his phone as Joe and Betty made their coffee.

Quickly Joe and Betty left the break room. They soon began their conversation again a distance away from the break room. Michael was so tired of the gossip in this place, and those two were leading instigators. Michael walked back to his desk. He saw a note from his boss saying to come to his office immediately.

Michael walked into Sam David’s office at 7:05 AM. Sam was checking his e-mail. Don’t you knock anymore? asked Sam. Sorry Sam, he stepped out and knocked on the door. Well, don’t waste my time now on formality, come in Michael stood in front of his boss’s desk.

Johnson, we have a problem Sam started out. Your work has been getting worse and worse. I am hearing reports of you being less than cooperative with co-workers. This behavior has to stop. I mean now. I have been reviewing your productivity reports and many of your projects are coming back as incomplete or insufficient. Michael, what is going on? You used to be a star in this place. Over the past few months your work has fallen off and relationships are less than stellar. What happened? You used to be a team player.

Michael looked at Sam. He then looked down at the floor. He took a breath. He looked at Sam. I am sorry Sam. I will try harder. I will attempt to be more cordial to my colleagues. If you could give me specifics as to what has been wrong with the reports and projects, I will make the necessary corrections.

Michael, said Sam, it is not about the corrections. Damn, right you will make them, and on your own time. If you cannot figure out how to complete these projects, I am inclined to believe you are no longer capable of doing your job. Is this the case? Michael, took a deep breath and replied, "No I am able to do my job.

I will work harder. I am sorry for the difficulties I have caused. Is there anything else? Sam looked at him. Are you getting smart with me? No, said Michael, As you said I have a lot of work to do, if there is nothing else I would like to get back to my desk. Sam replied No, not at this time. We have our weekly staff meeting in 45 minutes; make sure you are there on time. Michael stood up said thank you and walked back to his desk. Michael looked and felt dejected. Fifteen minutes at work and it was already starting.

Michael walked into the bathroom and washed his face before the meeting to wake up and clear his senses. When he looked in the mirror there was a face that was not his. A clean shaven man with deep blue eyes and a short cropped haircut looked back at him. The man was probably almost 6 ½ feet tall with a dark tanned and muscular body. Michael looked down, splashed more water on his face then looked up. There was the man with a smile.

He said Hello Michael in a very deep voice. Michael stepped back then looked closely in the mirror. Who are you asked Michael? The man in the mirror said that is not important at this time. What do you want, asked Michael? That will come in time. I have come to tell you prepare. Prepare to begin the journey of a lifetime. Michael asked, What does that mean? The man looked back and said once again: Prepare. Prepare to begin the journey of a lifetime. Then he was gone. Michael splashed more cold water on his face. Another man walked in to the bathroom. Michael finished up and left the bathroom to head to his meeting. What a morning he thought.

Michael walked into the conference room. Sam was sitting in the far corner of the room talking quietly with John Jacobson the Vice President of Design for the company. When he walked in both David and Jacobson stared at him for a moment then went back to their conversation. Michael walked over to the snack tray for some fruit and coffee. As he approached Joe, Betty and some other members of the team were talking. They picked up their snacks and walked over to the opposite far corner to continue their conversation.

Michael finished fixing his plate and coffee then headed to the conference table where he had laid his portfolio. Michael put his snack down then checked his phone for silent mode and checked messages. There was one. The Subject line read Prepare to begin the journey of a lifetime. Michael knew the meeting was about to start. He clicked on the message. All it said was Prepare.

Michael thought about that staring at the email for a moment. When he closed the email and looked up all 20 people in the room were staring at him. Is there something you would like to share with the rest of us Johnson, Sam asked sarcastically? No replied Michael and gave the meeting his full attention. Then let’s begin said Sam.

The Phillips Project is up. Joe please update us on this project. Joe stepped up. He began his web presentation. The project is maturing. We have worked with the client and their team for the past 6 months. My supervisors have identified multiple additional projects that have planted the seeds with the client team to address these issues.

Sam asked Joe have there been any concerns or setbacks. We are on track. There have been some hiccups along the way. We had some challenges with the Marketing designs for their new product launch on the Beezle Bug line. What was the issue there asked Sam? We had difficulty meeting the client need in coming up with a satisfactory design. Who was our lead on this asked Sam. Joe responded Gary Sanders on Michael’s team?

Sam turned to Michael. What do you have to say about this? Michael looked at Joe, Sam, and John. Gary met with the client representative, a design supervisor for Phillips as to what the client was looking for. Gary developed a few preliminary designs and sent them over for feedback.

He developed these within 7 days of his initial meeting which was the less than the determined time frame to get preliminary plans. The client’s design supervisor did not respond for over 2 weeks after the submission. Gary called and emailed the supervisor for feedback and received no response. On Day 14 after Gary had submitted the drafts, I got a phone call from the Marketing Manager at Phillips. He was concerned that my team had not met the timeline or the stated goals for early drafts. He stated that my team had not met the objectives. These issues were costing his team money.

I verified with Gary that he had indeed completed the work within the timelines discussed. Gary provided a copy of the designs and a signed return receipt, signed by the design supervisor. Gary produced his call log of attempted contacts as well as the emails he had sent, which I had been carbon copied on.

Sam looked at Michael not saying a word. Michael continued. I contacted the Marketing Director to apprise him of the situation and that I was personally sending him the drafts as we speak, which I received verbal and email confirmation through the read receipts. The Director called me moments later to advise me they were nothing like what they asked for. I verified the information based on the notes and progress reports Gary had provided me.

The Director stated these were wrong and my guy was trying to pull a fast one. I requested a sit down face to face meeting with the Director, their design supervisor, Gary, and myself in order to make sure we had clear understandings of what was needed. Gary worked diligently postponing his other work by 36 hours in order to literally work around the clock with me to resolve this issue, 40 hours after the four of us sat down,

Gary and I presented the new designs and got agreement. The Director and Supervisor signed off. We expedited the process, called in a few favors and brought the completed portion of the project to Joe and client 24 hours ahead of our allotted time frame. Gary volunteered to work longer hours for 4 days in order to make up the deficit as he had been budgeted for up to 36 hours along with an additional 20 hours from an assistant. Gary and I did the allotted work.

Sam looked at Joe. Anything else to report. Not that I am aware of. Sam said, well, I have an update. The General Manager of the Phillips Toy Division contacted Mr. Jacobson, our Regional VP. The client is very unhappy with our efforts. It seems their Marketing Director found our Marketing department very unprofessional and produced unsatisfactory work. The GM states that if we cannot get it right, they will be moving their account. Phillips has been a core account for this firm since our start. Their leaving would significantly devastate our business. This is unacceptable. Johnson what do you have to say? John Jacobson stared at Michael.

Michael calmly looked at each member in the room. When had everyone turned against him? It used to be that he welcomed coming into work. He had a good relationship with most everyone in the business. He had worked with Phillips Toys for years. Michael had been a copy writer and design coordinator for this account initially until he was offered the Marketing Director position, in no small part due to his work with Phillips. He looked around. There was not a friendly face in the room.

Michael looked at Sam. What specifically were the concerns? As you state we have worked with the company as well as the toy division for several years. Other than what I have already mentioned, I have not heard of any other issues.

Jacobson stared at Michael. Do you deny there is an issue? No, I do not deny this as they have contacted you and expressed concern. I am not clear as to what specifically are the issues, thus it is difficult to give you a clear answer. Jacobson sneered, so you cannot explain the problem which tells me you are not resolving the issue.

Michael, calmly replied, I would be happy to address the issue if I knew what it was. A few details here would help. Sam intervened. Michael this behavior is unacceptable. If you do not know what is even happening in your own group or maintaining contact with the clients, this is a more serious matter than we thought.

Mr. David and Mr. Jacobson I am very willing to correct this matter. Can we perhaps move this conversation to a more private location in order to work through the problems? Jacobson stated No, we will address this here. Your team has brought down the whole organization, they deserve the courtesy to know why in an open forum. Michael sighed quietly, then replied, I have had no issues reported to me other than the deadline issue we have already discussed.

I am in continuous communication with my teams. I maintain contact with the clients. The Marketing Director at Phillips stated he was pleased with our final drafts and that even with the minor setbacks we worked to get the issue corrected and on track, which we did. We even brought their project in under budget and before the deadline while over delivering the product. I am not clear where the issue is unless their GM is unhappy with the work.

Sam David looked at Michael in a manner that caused Michael to take a deep breath. Sam also took a deep breath and began to speak. According to their GM the Marketing Director had to pull resources from his team and his own time in order to pull off their deadlines, due to your mismanagement. They state they had a meeting with you and were sadly disappointed by your management and your follow through.

Their team had to complete the project without our assistance and are not clear as to why they should have to pay us for work we failed to deliver on. Did you or did you not deliver the project and can you prove it? Yes, the records are in my office. I have the signed agreement and copies of what they took possession of. Do we have a copy of what they went with?

Jacobson stood up in his place. Johnson get me those copies and invoices NOW! You have a lot riding on how quickly you can produce these. Michael stood up and walked slowly and carefully out of the conference room. Every eye was on him.

Michael walked to his desk. He pulled up the folder for the Phillips toy project. All the files to the final drafts were gone. He walked down to Sissy, the team admin and asked if she had the signed and approved copies. She stated she had been waiting for them and as of yet had not received them.

Michael checked the network drive and email, nothing showed. He logged into his webmail for business use that nobody on the team or in the organization knew about. He checked his thumb drive that we maintained for records back up. He found the approved files in these places. He printed them. He had run hardcopies that were time stamped when he emailed them.

Sam David met him at his cubicle just as Michael was about to pick up the files. Johnson, we need you in the conference room NOW!! Michael grabbed his portfolio and followed Sam back to the room.

As Michael entered the room, Jacobson turned to him and yelled WELL…? Michael sat down calmly. He asked if this conversation could be moved to a private location between him, Sam David along with Mr. Jacobson. Sam said No. We will settle this matter here and now. Let me guess, you did not find the documents, but you are sure you sent them.

Michael listened and let Sam David talk. Something suspicious was going on. You are right Mr. David. I went to my computer files and they were not there. I checked with our team admin and she did not have them either. I returned to check email for receipt and storage. The strangest thing, they were not there. I know I sent them…

Jacobson interrupted, I have heard enough. Such incompetence! You have cost us a major client due to your poor management and organizational skills. You are unfit for the position. Consequences must be taken and losses cut in order to preserve the account, if it even can be.

Mr. Jacobson, if I may have one more moment, before you continue. I think it will serve to benefit all of us, replied Michael. "Johnson, I do not see why I should. I ought to fire you right here and now. This account will cost us Millions in lost revenue.

Johnson there is nothing you can say that will fix this situation. You do not have the files or paperwork to corroborate your story from fact and fiction. We cannot stand for this incompetence. Johnson you are through here. Security will escort you to your desk, David, get security up here to walk Mr. Johnson out. Do not use us as a reference." Jacobson walked out of the conference room.

All personnel except Sam and Michael left the room quickly. Michael tried to speak up, only to be stared down. Security was waiting at the door with two armed guards. Michael turned to Sam. What happened between us? We used to work well together and I thought we were friends. Sam turned away. Johnson that was a long time ago. Do not use our friendship of a long time ago to try and save you. Michael looked down, grabbed his personal portfolio and walked out of the conference room for a final trip to his desk.

Michael grabbed a few personal items making sure he took nothing that belonged to the company. The two armed men walked him from the building. Michael had just been fired from his job.

2

Stan Whitney entered the small coffee shop appropriately called The Coffee Shop. He had received a phone call from his friend Michael Johnson. Stan saw Michael at a booth in the back. Good morning Mike. What is going on? You sounded concerned on the phone. I am Stan. Sam fired me this morning. I had sensed it was coming for a while. What concerns me is how it came down. Jacobson was at the conference. It was over what appears to be a bogus allegation of negligence. Stan looked at Michael. What do you think happened?

I think it was a set up. I have been reviewing the data and the client files. How have you been doing that? Aren’t all those files on the company computer? I had some personal notes that were not for company eyes. I keep my own notes of activities and logs for more thorough project management. What is weird is that there is nothing of my sending the final copies to the client. I know I did. Even the people on my team deny my efforts. Something is not adding up. Stan I need your help, if you are willing.

Stanley Whitney was a freelance consultant if you will. He worked in Information management of a very specialized order. He was not called in unless it was truly necessary. He was very good at what he does and very well compensated as a result. Stan had known Michael to be an extraordinary man of integrity in an industry that could be very cut throat. He had made some tough choices and likely upset some colleagues along the way.

How can I help Michael? There are 2 things. I think they are unrelated. I have reason to believe that my computer and the organization’s system has been cleansed of some specific emails I sent. These are the primary evidence against me. I know I have sent the alleged emails. I have proof that I can provide when the time comes.

If you are willing, please help me to rebuild the footprint of these emails and what happened. Stan said, you know as well as I do that there is always residue once the electronic transmissions begin. Yes, Stan I do. I sent these particular emails due to their importance and a previous issue with the client as a read receipt required. I have verification they were received and read.

Again I can prove this when the time comes. Okay, Michael, I will take a look and see what I can come up with. You can give me some of the information and I will go from there. You said there were 2 things.

Yes, this one is a little weirder than the first issue. Do you remember a few months back in our study of the Minor Prophets talking about having visions? Yes. Are you having visions Michael? If I said yes, would you think I have lost it completely? I do not know it depends.

Michael told Stan the events of the man in the mirror and the messages. Stan listened then asked: Be prepared… for what? I do not know. That is the weird thing. Is it this firing? Is this a new path I am being led? Is it that I am going to become a preacher? Am I going to be sent to outer Slobobia as a missionary to a tribe few have ever heard of?

I cannot answer these questions, replied Stan. Also, I have never heard of Slobobia outer or inner. I am not sure what it means Stan. I am thinking I am getting a message, but from who, what, and why remains a mystery.

Michael, you have had a rough morning. I can help with the one. As for the second, I think time will tell. If these visions are real and not stress related, which is a possibility, the messages will play out. In the meantime, what are you going to do?

Stan I have my freelance work and contracting I do. I think I will work on that for a while. Financially, we are okay if we are careful. The consulting will help offset some expenses.

Kathy is working. The kids are grown for the most part. I will look for another position though laying low for a while until we figure it out might be good. Sam could get me blackballed easily if I do not tread lightly. Thus I need excellent documentation to clear any doubt. If it cannot be found, I will not pursue it.

I will take the next 6 months to study, collect my thoughts and develop a plan for the next stage. What I have asked is not for revenge or illicit intent, but to clear my name. You know reputation is everything. If I am wrong, I will take my lumps. If I am right, I will pursue a clean reputation I have worked for over the last 25+ years. Sounds like a plan Michael. I will see if I can help.

3

Michael arrived home in the early afternoon. After his meeting with Stan, he made a few other stops to look into some opportunities. Michael knew the kids would not be home for a couple of hours yet and Kathy would not be home until after 5. Michael was met by Shep, their faithful Australian Shepard.

Shep gave Michael the customary slurp and tail wag upon his arrival. He followed Michael in to the kitchen hoping for a treat. Michael obliged the old friend. They had got Shep when Mike entered middle school. Mike graduates high school this year. The old furry friend had seen a lot trials and miles over the years.

Michael headed upstairs to his office. He booted his computer. He moved to his consulting accounts on different websites and then his consulting email. There was nothing exciting there. He made a few revisions to his criteria. He paid for an email blast offering a 20% discount on services booked during this month to all his professional mailing list. That should bring in some extra work. He would start expanding his networks tomorrow. Today he wanted to clear his head.

Michael entered the Phillips Corporation website to do some fact finding. We paid particular attention to the Toy Division. Then it hit him. There it was in the product catalog, The Translucidator.

The Translucidator had been a product that he had helped bring to market when he was a Project Design Manager several years ago contracted to Toy Harmonics, a former client. The toy had never made it to market due to funding. Few people would have had that information. Toy Harmonics had folded about 7 years ago. This was the last project he, John, and Sam had worked on together.

How had the toy come to production? Michael began looking through the corporate site for Phillips Corporation. There he found some very interesting pieces of information. John Jacobson, the General Manager at his employer Hinckley Consulting was a board member at Phillips. David Consulting had landed a contract for research and development. Milton Fillmoor was the new Vice President of Product Development, including the toy division. As Michael thought about it this was a perfect storm for Phillips to gain some massive market share if the corporation played their cards right.

Hinckley Consulting had been losing major market share in their Project Development and Marketing arms for the past two years. Hinckley had been gone a lot due to family issues. Many top leaders had left the company. Michael had been up for a top leadership position until a well-timed scandal broke about him and John Jacobson was named instead.

David Consulting was Sam’s private consulting work he had started about 7 years ago when he and Michael used to work together. Jacobson had been their Project Director then. Apparently Sam and John were now making a play to shift their work to Phillips and hedge their bets. A very interesting phenomenon.

The concept bordered on several ethics violations. Michael wondered if James Hinckley founder of the firm was aware of this. Hinckley owned several organizations. It was possible with Hinckley away the board was making decisions without his knowledge. He would try calling Jim. They used to be close. More research would be required. Michael started taking notes. He tried to call Hinckley. The phone transferred to his office. When he identified himself the line went dead.

Michael checked his personal email. There was considerable spam as usual. He would need to adjust his filters again. He caught the subject line of one that normally would not have meant anything until today. The subject line read, Prepare! Change is coming.

Michael was intrigued and opened the email. The message read: Michael prepare for your life is about to change. The time stamp was this morning about 7:55am, right when he was in the Men’s room and saw the face. There was a second line.

10:00 am Tuesday The Coffee Shop.

Michael was now very curious as to what was really going on. Was this a hoax or a cruel joke?

Michael reflected on these pieces of information. He was reminded of a situation a few years ago that might be an antecedent to these current situations. Michael and Sam had been working on the development and marketing potential for The Translucidator late one night.

During a break, Sam had approached Michael about doing some contract consulting through his new company. Michael had agreed to do some work on a project by project basis. Sam was in the process of building his firm with the hopes of being his own boss in the next 5 years. It appears now that he is well on his way.

Michael remembered a few weeks after that initial conversation that Sam asked Michael to send him some specifications on Translucidator. The specs had little to do with Sam’s portion of the project. The information was proprietary and Sam wanted it sent to his consulting account not the company email. Hinckley had a very strict policy about proprietary information being used outside of the company.

Michael said he could not do that. Sam reminded him that they worked together on the consulting, even offering a partnership interest in the firm, if he would be willing to bring in helpful information. David Consulting had landed some nice smaller contracts that until now had not conflicted with Hinckley work. This was different and an ethical violation. Michael stated he could not do what he was being asked. Sam agreed and that was pretty much the end of Michael’s involvement in David Consulting.

Michael later learned that their colleague Milton Fillmoor had provided the information to Sam along with all new product information Milton and Michael had been working on. Michael had approached Milton about it. Milton denied the actions and had become very distant to Michael from then on. Toy Harmonics soon declared bankruptcy.

An interesting fact Michael learned later was that Toy Harmonics was a division of Jacobson Industries. A conglomerate owned by John Jacobson’s grandfather and now run by the family. Toy Harmonics had been a division run by Marie Jacobson-Reed, John’s sister.

The division went bankrupt, though Marie and the investors had completed some intense capital drives. The division was funded for over 40 Million dollars based on projections of The Translucidator, Baby Sophie, and The Extreme Games, video and gaming series. The reason for bankruptcy was operation and research expenses that had been severely under projected.

The company had run through its capital and simply had no money left. Instead of trying to save the company Jacobs Inc. closed the company and cut its losses. Severance packages were issued. The upper management at Toy Harmonics and Jacobs Inc. had received amounts totaling in the high six figures and stock options in the parent company totaling in the seven figures. It looked suspicious to Michael, though that was not directly any of his business. Sam, John, and Milton whom he had been very close with before, became very distant and aloof with Michael. He was no longer in their inner circle.

A car pulled up in the driveway. Mike and Katy were home from school. He put the computer in sleep mode and shut down internet connectivity. He would have to come back to this.

4

Monday morning Michael was driving to a potential client’s office about an hour from home during the late morning. The appointment had been scheduled to avoid high traffic times. Michael was reflecting on yesterday’s lesson in his Sunday school class. The lesson had been on divine intervention. It had been several days since he had seen the face in the mirror and life seemed to be calming down. Maybe the stress at the old job had been too much.

Michael knew God was ever present in his life. Did he send his angels to guide us though? Can God send someone at exactly the right time to save us from disaster? Stan had brought up the point that God is constantly putting people in our lives or touching our lives that we do not even realize, protecting us from danger and sometimes ourselves.

Michael thought about that. He had chosen to take this route to his client later in the morning. This route was the most direct yet 2 hours earlier there had been a 3 car accident. Had God intervened and made the appointment later.

Would he have been in the accident if the appointment had been earlier? God is always working on our lives. Michael knew this to be true. Michael thought of how people have done miraculous feats in times of extreme stress or danger. Was this God at work? Possibly. The discussion generated more questions for Michael than answers.

Michael continued along the 2 lane highway. He loved driving through the country on a spring day. This route allowed him to avoid the major traffic corridors as his home and the client were in outlying areas of the metropolitan area. About 30 minutes into the drive, out