Alarming Revelations (Book Two in The Abel Haskins Trilogy)

By Richard Van Doren

Abel Haskins, former parish minister and now former detective in the Port City Vice squad, finds himself unemployed and in desperate need of a diversion. Given his heroic exploits in smashing The Deep Dark child trafficking ring, he is now so recognizable that he can no longer conduct secretive investigations. So, while he is financially secure, he needs a job – desperately. Enter his brother-in-law Silas, founder and senior minister of The New Eden Christian Fellowship, a mega-church with over two hundred thousand followers on YouTube. Silas, whom Abel considers a blowhard, needs a biblically literate candidate to teach the book of Revelation to a class of 4th graders, a brand-new educational policy insisted upon by a host of obnoxiously vocal parents.

Why Revelation, both Abel and Silas wonder, the last book in the Holy Bible and one filled with bizarre and even frightening imagery? Abel soon learns there is something troublingly amiss in Silas’ church. The new members want Silas out and replaced by the flamboyant representative of a new world-wide denomination. Trouble is: The Sacred Earth Fellowship, the new “Christian” sect, has a secretive and sinister history, one that hints at violence and sexual abuse. Abel puts his detective skills to work in hopes of exposing unseemly, even dangerous motives among the new church’s leaders, which ultimately leads to a suspenseful, explosive conclusion.
Alarming Revelations portrays the endless clash between the Christian Church and the gospel of Jesus Christ, which supposedly is the church’s sole legitimate source of inspiration. Such is not and never has been the case. Twisting biblical teaching to justify virtually any kind of human behavior continues to bring embarrassment on the faith, and Abel plans to do his part to stop it. Unfortunately, in the process he puts his family and friends in dire jeopardy.

Alarming Revelations will appeal to anyone who bears a grudge against the church, who laments over the state of the church, or who simply wants to learn more about this religion that, after two thousand years, simply will not go away. It contains a heavy dose of humor, suspense and unforgettable characters – like Jesse, Silas’ brother, who suddenly transforms from rags to riches as the agent of a controversial rock band The Discontents; Elizabeth Cordry, the unstable beauty who could be Abel’s friend, lover - or betrayer; and Bobby Cripper, anti-hero of Way Down in the Deep Dark, the death row con who serves as an invaluable pipeline of life-saving information.

While this is the second book in a planned trilogy, one does not have to read the first book to fully enjoy its sequel.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Richard Van Doren
• Release date: Aug 22, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005841188

Richard Van Doren

Richard Van Doren is an ordained minister in a mainline Protestant denomination. He has always been fascinated by the fringe element in American culture and the extreme events that test faith. All of his novels and short stories deal with the collision of spirituality and earthly crises, or the ongoing conflict between the forces of good and evil. He moonlights as a college composition instructor, and every semester he teaches his students the two most important rules of writing: 1) write on a subject about which you know something, and 2) write on a subject about which you feel strongly. Over the years he has read and heard about countless instances of dark invasions into every day, innocent living. Anyone who has ever experienced something very strange, or who believes that we live in a reality that extends far beyond this world of the five senses will find his novels and stories much to their liking. All of these works contain instances that Van Doren has either experienced in his career or was told about by friends, students, parishioners and family.

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ALARMING REVELATIONS

(formerly The Whore of Babylon)

(Book Two in The Abel Haskins Trilogy)

by Richard Van Doren

ALARMING REVELATIONS

Copyright 2022, Richard Van Doren

Registration #TXu2-332-070

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

THE WHORE OF BABYLON

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, Come, I will show you the judgment of the great whore who is seated on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and with the wine of whose fornication the inhabitants of the earth have become drunk So he carried me away in the spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her fornication; and on her forehead was written a name, a mystery; Babylon the great, mother of whores and of earth’s abominations. And I saw the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the witnesses to Jesus.

(Revelation 17:1-6)

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word, so as to present the church to himself in splendor, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind – yes, so that she may be holy and without blemish.

(Ephesians 5:25-27)

PART ONE – CONTENTION

1: THE INQUISITION

Do you believe the Holy Bible is the perfectly revealed Word of God, or not? Yes, or no?

Abel Haskins stifled a sigh. Eight years as a parish minister, eight more as a cop, six in the noteworthy Port City Vice Squad, which smashed two major child trafficking rings in six months with Abel leading the charge, had all led to this moment – a head-scratcher to be sure. Disillusioned by the ministry and forced by his own notoriety to withdraw from Vice, he quickly found himself unemployed and until now unemployable.

He still viewed the Christian Church as an enfeebled institution, far more committed to image than substance, overrun by frauds who say the right words in worship and liturgical rituals to become ‘active members’ and ultimately assume positions of leadership – a soul-crushing condition for clergy passionate about the gospel. Public success scuttled his second career as a vice cop, since this calling demanded anonymity. They offered to make him Assistant Captain, but that was a desk job, minimal public contact except as a spokesperson, and it was the public contact on which he thrived, where he could still exhibit his faith and actually witness some positive results of it.

This left him with no immediate options. He considered becoming a private detective, but he loathed the secrecy. Abel wanted almost every aspect of his life to be an open book, a minister but with the whole city as his church. For almost a year he wrestled with kindly suggestions from family and friends, none of which lit his fire. So, he languished among the unemployed, living off modest investments and a generous severance package given by a grateful police department who regretted his departure.

Then this came along, a stunningly unexpected offer from his brother-in-law Silas Ashford, Senior Pastor of the burgeoning New Eden Christian Church, almost two thousand strong with an additional two hundred thousand followers on You Tube and Facebook, a congregation founded by Silas, who also happened to be his brother-in-law with whom he had a strained relationship. Silas married Abel’s sister Sarah, who loved her brother deeply as she did her husband. The two men struggled mightily not to cause their dear one undue stress, but usually failed. Putting it simply, Silas saw Abel as a quitter and Abel saw Silas as a blowhard.

So it was not without some suspicion that Abel entertained Silas’ pitch to teach a class to fourth graders in NECC’s newly founded Christian school. Surely, there must be a catch.

There was.

‘I’m not going to lie to you, Abel. You’d see through it, anyway. I have ulterior motives for asking you to apply for this opening. In no particular order, here they are. You are a local hero. Having a man of your reputation on the faculty could boost our enrollment. As an ordained minister you possess the requisite theological education, far more than any other candidate we’ve interviewed thus far. Off the record – and I’m really taking a risk telling you this, given our somewhat adversarial relationship – I feel like I’m losing my grip on the very church I founded. We have accepted several new members in recent months whose commitment to the gospel I find suspect. I believe they are motivated to seize and wield power in New Eden and push me aside. Some others on my staff agree with me. Your proven detective skills may help us isolate the potential troublemakers and enable us to take necessary action.’

Abel pondered the meaning of those words ‘necessary action.’ What could it be? Dunking, like the method of testing self-righteous colonial inquisitors used to apply to suspected witches? The Iron Maiden, perhaps, that infamous torture device of the Middle Ages. Or maybe Edgar Allen Poe’s unforgettably horrific instrument of persuasion, the Pendulum, which slowly cut an accused blasphemer in half. The more things change...

Silas recognized all too well that look on Abel’s face. ‘When I say action I mean modifying aspects of the church’s ministry to accommodate new insights, varying opinions. I don’t claim to know everything about the Word of God, and I’m sure you don’t, either. If we knew all there was to know we could walk on water, raise the dead and feed five thousand people with a few loaves of bread and fishes. I’m sure you’ll agree that’s a little bit beyond the skill set of sinful folk like us.’

Yes, we are all sinners, Abel thought, but he also recalled the promises of Jesus during the Last Supper recorded in John 14:12: ‘Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.’ This, plus the promised gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12, more than suggests that believers are capable of astonishing deeds. The problem is: so few believe it that the potential is almost never explored in any of the major denominations. Once again, the term ‘enfeebled church’ invaded his thoughts.

Try as he might, Abel could not help but enjoy Silas’ discomfort. Thus far, aside from their cool greetings and less than enthusiastic hug, the former vice cop had not said a word. Pastor Silas lowered his eyes preparing to concede failure. The most explosive bombshell was about to be launched. ‘This all brings us to the final reason I’m offering you this position. The... uh... subject matter is somewhat controversial.’

Finally, Abel spoke. ‘I thought you said this was going to be a Bible study.’ By nature, Bible studies were controversial. In using this word, Silas was really saying the subject matter was extremely controversial. Abel waited for it.

Silas hurried his reply. ‘A growing number of parents in the congregation want someone to teach the book of Revelation to a fourth-grade class.’

Abel thought he had misheard, prayed he had misheard. ‘Are you shitting me?’ he replied, mouth agape.

Under other circumstances, Silas would chastise his brother-in-law for using profanity on the church grounds – anywhere, for that matter. But even he had to accept Abel’s astonishment and understandable way of expressing it. ‘I wish I were,’ he answered simply.

This finally set the detective off. ‘Of all the books in the Bible the last one I’d care to teach is Revelation. To me, whoever wrote it was on a mescaline trip or mentally ill. If I remember my relevant seminary class correctly, the early church councils hotly debated whether this and some other books should even be included in the present canon of scripture.’

‘Agreed.’

‘And you want me to teach it to fourth-graders?! Exactly how much do you want to mess these kids up? Do you want to give them nightmares? Turn them off to the Bible once and for all?!’

Silas raised his hands in surrender. ‘I know, I know. Believe it or not, I agree with you. When I heard it from Council, I had the same reaction you did, but I couldn’t show it. I tried to talk them out of it, but they wouldn’t listen. They said Revelation was among the most familiar and influential books in the entire Bible, and they wanted their kids to learn it from somebody educated, and not an exploitative movie or TV miniseries. When I think of how many ways that book has been abused...’ Silas buried his head in his hands. ‘I figured, given your obvious passion for saving kids, you’d want to make sure they got it straight, and not some twisted version from a wacko with a personal agenda.’

Suddenly, Abel understood Silas’ motives, and as much as he fought against it, he respected them.

‘Despite my objections, they’re going to go ahead with this. This is going to be part of the school’s curriculum and, if necessary, they’ll hire a lay person to teach it. I hope and pray this is one issue we can agree on. We cannot place this in the hands of an amateur.’

Abel wondered what kind of person attended NECC that such a policy would be suggested, much less approved.

Sensing the possibility of success, Silas concluded, ‘You’ll have to submit to a screening interview from our Education Committee before they’ll agree to take you on. Consider it like giving a child a potent medicine. It won’t do any lasting harm in the right hands, but in the wrong ones it could be dangerous if not deadly.’

Abel rose. ‘I will think about it,’ he said, then turned and left without further comment.

The interview took place in a room almost identical to Silas’ office, stark white walls adorned with a large wooden cross, plaques with well-known scriptural phrases in elegant script and that ubiquitous and patently offensive picture of Jesus (supposedly) with the flowing blonde locks and movie star looks, the ultimate salute to a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant god.

Despite the friendly demeanors of his inquisitors, Abel felt his gorge rise as he shook hands amiably in the midst of such tasteless décor. An intense solo prayer session failed to ease his conscience. He reviewed several relevant teachings for situations like these: ‘why do you look for the speck in your brother’s eye when you cannot see the plank in your own eye’ from Matthew 7:3, referring to varying degrees of sinfulness. A spiritually healthy person devotes a lifetime to paring down the plank and has no time to consider the speck in the lives of others. The saying corresponds to Jesus’ more direct declaration from Luke 6: ‘judge not and you will not be judged; condemn not and you will not be condemned.’ Even though his fitness for this discomfiting calling was about to be judged, that did not justify the judgment he felt in his own heart. It made him feel ashamed and he struggled mightily to suppress it during this interview.

The Christian Education Committee’s chair Dylan Sanderson opened with a generic prayer, which was followed by a good-natured getting-to-know-you session. There were five men on the committee – no women, which Abel found revealing and offensive. Additionally, he questioned choosing only five screeners to represent a congregation of thousands. Sanderson, he knew, was President of the Port City Board of Education, which to many misguided church-goers automatically qualified him for comparable authority in an ecclesiastical setting. Still, he conveyed geniality, which was an essential trait among Christian leaders. Sanderson, a fifty-something, athletic, greying, blinding-white man complete with starched beige shirt and snugly-knotted blue-striped tie, had an opposite on the board (which stood for Board of Spiritual Inquiry). His name was William Petrick: tall, lean, imperious with pale blue eyes that seemed to smolder. He alone shook hands reluctantly and never broke a smile. He wore finely pressed tan khaki pants and a maroon polo shirt. Petrick used to own the land on which the church now stood, and for which he received top dollar. Given his expectation of preferential treatment, one might have concluded he donated the tract. He did not. In fact, despite frequent boasts regarding his ever-expanding wealth, he contributed a meager percentage of it to the church. The treasurer never failed to list NECC’s top givers in the monthly newsletter, showing Petrick near the top. What would we do without him? several members were oft heard to say, failing to acknowledge the biblical statute to tithe, or give ten percent of one’s net income (Petrick gave .1 percent of his earnings), or widows’ pennies, the small offerings from those on fixed incomes who more than compensated by volunteering their time to various church functions and charities. ‘I tell you,’ Jesus said in Mark 12:41-44, ‘this widow has given more than all the rest. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.’ Nice sentiments, most agreed, but widows’ pennies didn’t pay robust salaries and keep the lawn manicured.

Another prime giver, Lucas Bellanger, was one of two parents on the board who had a child enrolled in the class on Revelation. Abel recognized some of his own family’s history in that of Bellanger. Like Abel’s parents, Bellanger and his wife Marleen lost a daughter to cancer at the age of two. And, like Abel’s parents, they adopted a militant attitude toward the church’s theology and policies. They interpreted their loss as punishment from God for lack of resolve, for failing to defend the Word with every last vestige of energy. They ‘reformed’ in honor of little Jillian and demanded that every verse of holy scripture be taught as the perfectly revealed, sacrosanct divine message. Abel sympathized with what he viewed as over-compensation for religious shortcomings and a desperate attempt to assuage the worst pain imaginable. Hopefully, the Bellangers’ suffering would moderate over time. No matter how obnoxious Lucas became, Abel silently vowed to cut him a break. The diminutive forty-year-old wore wrinkle-free jeans, athletic shoes and an orange and gray Port City Esquires team pull-over.

The other parent, Jacob Smiley, remained mostly quiet, letting the others both lead the interview and determine policy. He was a long-time friend of Pastor Silas, having played football with him in high school. Like many of his teammates, he failed to shed the bulk he gained for rigorous work on the offensive line, and it almost cost him his life when the COVID pandemic landed him in intensive care. Happy to be ‘able to sit up and take nourishment,’ he lived up to his name and chose to celebrate life by wearing brightly colored garments and a single earring.

Rounding out the screening committee was Randy Garber, owner of a local car dealership whose face stared out from newspaper and TV advertisements and billboards throughout the city. Garber, a robust, self-satisfied sixty-year-old, went nowhere – literally – without wearing a three-piece suit. Sometimes he showed his wild side by sporting blue instead of grey. His wife Carmen wielded considerable clout among the congregation as chair of the Women’s Pastoral Care Center, which assumed there were some issues only women could help other women with. Silas bristled when told of the Center’s activities, believing an ordained pastor was qualified to deal with any human problem, emotional or otherwise. Like Petrick, the Garbers contributed comparatively large sums, also clearly given ‘out of abundance.’

Abel suddenly noticed another revealing factor about the Board. Contrary to the style of the day, not one member sported any facial hair. The former vice detective almost always wore a few days’ growth of beard, not because he was fashion conscious, but because he hated to shave. He briefly wondered if his scruff would be a deal-breaker.

After about ten minutes of the requisite small talk, they settled into the task at hand. Dylan Sanderson was so abrupt Abel wondered if they were following a rigid time schedule. ‘All right, gentlemen. Shall we begin?’ Turning to their interviewee, he explained the imminent process. ‘Pastor Haskins, we consider this a formal meeting, so with your permission we will dispense with familiar addresses and maintain professional decorum. Is that acceptable to you?’

Abel nodded, although with some reluctance. He recalled an old TV commercial ‘starring’ former tennis great Andre Agassi. The original version ended with him saying ‘Image is everything.’ Soon after, the sports legend reputedly became an outspoken Christian and changed his message to ‘Image is nothing.’ In this room, at this time image still seemed to wield considerable clout.

‘We have compiled a list of twenty questions pertaining to your employment history, personal theology and philosophy of teaching. We are well aware of your record as an officer of the law and express our heartfelt respect for your skill and sacrifice. But as we’re sure you know, imparting the Word of God to children demands more than knowledge. You will need to understand and respect the vulnerabilities and distractions of youth to be effective. Each of us is allotted ten minutes to follow the prepared agenda and follow up with additional questions of our own as time will allow."

Abel glanced around the room and saw that none of his interrogators wore a name tag. His mind raced to recapture the introductions: Messrs. Sanderson, Petrick, Bellanger, Smiley and Garber.

Mr. Petrick, would you start us off? Sanderson asked.

The tall man’s frown seemed to have morphed into a scowl. He shifted in his metal chair, sat upright, then leaned forward, eyeing Abel with intensity. ‘Pastor Haskins, why did you leave the pastoral ministry?’

Holy shit! Abel thought. They’re getting into the heavyweight stuff right away. He assumed they would ask this question, however, and was prepared to answer it. He only thought they’d ask what drew him to the pastoral ministry, first.

Abel cleared his throat. ‘I believe I possessed some of the gifts necessary for effective ministry in the parish, just not enough of them. I was a sound preacher and teacher for the most part, and believed every word I uttered from the pulpit and in Bible studies, but I found the calling ultimately unsatisfying. I needed a more profound personal challenge. I needed to serve on the front lines, so to speak, to bring the Word directly to people who hungered for it, whether they knew it or not. I guess you could say I’m an infantryman, not a general.’

Petrick bolted upright. ‘I’m sure you know we need a general in this position, not a grunt,’ he said, to which Abel replied, ‘We’re all grunts. Only Jesus is the general.’ Petrick eyed him with a combination of curiosity and hostility. ‘It’s been rumored that you chose serving on the vice squad because you enjoyed the company of prostitutes and homosexuals. Do you have anything to say to that?"

Immediately, Abel wondered whether Petrick was the committee hitman, chosen to set a negative tone from which he, Abel, could not extricate himself. Was this interview just for show? Had these men already made up their minds to reject his application? If so, he didn’t really care. He only wondered if this was a backhanded slap at Silas’ ministry. He answered straightforwardly. ‘It took several years to gain their trust, but once accomplished I did enjoy their company. They shared their bitterness and rejection and I shared the good news of love, forgiveness and reconciliation. For this I received countless tips that led to the smashing of at least two child trafficking rings.’

Ignoring Abel’s last statement, Petrick plowed ahead, ‘So you believe God’s love, forgiveness and reconciliation is offered to blatant sinners in our culture? that everyone is going to heaven?’ Petrick glanced around the room wearing a look that read, ‘can you believe we’re hearing this?’

Randy Garber interrupted, ‘Maybe we can save ourselves some time and ask the question that’s on all of our minds. Do you believe the Bible is the perfectly revealed Word of God, or not? Yes, or no."

Abel knew it would come to this, the one theological issue that divided Christians the world over, that of the relative authority of scripture. ‘I believe the Bible is the sufficiently revealed Word of God, sufficient to lead us to spiritual revelation if studied with an open mind. However, only Jesus Christ is the perfectly revealed Word of God.’

‘So you DON’T believe the Bible is the perfectly revealed Word of God," Garber practically snarled.

Nearly twenty years of open provocation had taught Abel how to keep his cool. ‘I believe there are teachings in holy scripture that were appropriate for a particular time and place and were not necessarily intended to be taken as gospel truth throughout all of history.’

Garber raised his hand. Call the question! he cried, meaning they had enough information to justify a vote – after fifteen minutes.

Nonplussed, Dylan Sanderson intervened, ‘The rules clearly state that a vote must be taken anytime a committee member calls for it. All those in favor of ending this interview signify by raising your right hand.’ Petrick and Garber did so. ‘All those opposed do the same.’ The other three raised their hands. ‘The motion is defeated, and the interview will continue.’

Garber repeated his challenge, ‘Do you, or don’t you believe the Bible is the perfectly revealed Word of God?!’

Abel stared at his opponent with slight disdain. ‘And I repeat, only Jesus Christ is the perfectly revealed Word of God. To advance this conversation I will add that most of holy scripture holds up in context with the gospel, but not all of it. Do we want God to destroy our enemies as David prays for in several Psalms? Or do we follow the teachings of Jesus and love our enemies? Do we agree with Psalm 137, written during the deportation to Babylon, that one should be praised for dashing their captives’ little ones against a rock? Something tells me Jesus would not approve.’

Petrick interjected, ‘If it’s in the Bible, it is divinely inspired.’ He folded his arms, sat back and looked smugly around the circle.

Lucas Bellanger, silent until now, quietly shared his confusion. ‘Is the Apostle Paul incorrect when he wrote in Second Timothy that all scripture is useful for teaching?’

Abel met the younger man’s eyes and replied, ‘No, but that doesn’t mean all of scripture is equally inspired. In their own way, most of the Hebrew prophets prayed for a messiah, someone who would teach them the full truth about God’s Word. Would they have done that if they believed there was nothing more to learn?’

Garber replied with poorly veiled ferocity, ‘I’m tired of you so-called liberal theologians thinking you can tamper with the Bible, pick and choose what verses are acceptable and what aren’t. You seem committed to undermining holy scripture to support a personal agenda.’

To the shock of them all, Abel answered, ‘You are right, Mr. Garber. That is exactly what I do. That is exactly what we all do. We promote those teachings that support our pre-conceived opinions and ignore those that don’t. I believe my job as an ordained minister is not to state emphatically the rightness of my own beliefs, but to present to my students various legitimate interpretations, if the situation calls for it.’

‘A slippery way of saying the whole book is suspect,’ Petrick smirked.

Abel nodded, once again surprising them. ‘The Bible should be read critically in context with the historical reality and social mores of the time it was written. For example, the prime directive for the ancient Israelites was be fruitful and multiply. Given that human overpopulation threatens all life on Earth, one could justifiably conclude that this is no longer a valid teaching, but it was at the time.’

‘Just another way of saying gay is okay and so is abortion,’ Garber retorted. ‘You twist the truth to serve your own ends.’

‘Have you heard of the transfiguration, gentlemen?’ They all nodded. ‘Matthew 17 says our Lord took Peter, James and John up a mountain where his clothes were transfigured by a brilliant light that blinded them, just like what happened to Moses in Exodus 34. Then we’re told Moses and Elijah appeared on either side of Jesus. The three disciples were terrified, especially when a cloud came over them and a heavenly voice spoke. What that voice said will always be a matter of conjecture – not the words, but the inflection. Moses and Elijah disappeared and we traditionally presume God said, "This is my Son; listen to him! Well, we don’t know for certain how this phrase was spoken. In other words, God could have said, "This is my Son; listen to him!" Meaning if the teachings of the Old Testament prophets and those of Jesus seem to butt heads on occasion, it is the gospel that always predominates. The words and deeds of Jesus transcend all biblical teachings. Most of the Bible holds up under the gospel, but all of it does not. Some teachings were appropriate for a particular time and place, but are no longer valid.’

Petrick barked while Garber nodded emphatically, ‘We didn’t come here for a self-serving interpretation of the Bible. We gathered to determine your fitness to teach our kids! And frankly, I do not believe you are qualified for the job.’

Seeing now that he had probably lost the group’s support and their decision was virtually sealed, Abel decided to lay it all on the line. ‘Please allow me to ask a question, gentlemen.’ Dylan Sanderson waved him to continue. ‘What qualifies you to sit in judgment of me or my opinions? Have any of you attended an accredited seminary? Did you earn a Master of Divinity degree? Has any ecclesiastical body ever vetted your biblical knowledge and theology? Did you learn Greek and Hebrew so that you could study the oldest known texts of scripture? Did you sit before a higher denominational judicatory and field questions like the ones you’re firing at me? Well, I’ve been subjected to at least seven intensive interviews whose sole purpose was to determine my fitness for the Christian ministry and I passed them all. I have preached over four hundred public sermons, led over a thousand Bible studies, conducted scores of weddings and funerals and taught scripture to dozens of children. What I’m saying, gentlemen, is we’ve got this process ass-backwards. I am also sitting in judgment of you. Are you humble servants who know you have much, much more to learn? Or are you self-righteous judges looking for a reason to flex your flaccid theological muscle?’

Abel rose from his chair failing to meet the eyes of his inquisitors, all of which were downcast. ‘I’m going to make your decision easy. I never wanted this job. I applied for it only as a favor to my brother-in-law. I believe teaching Revelation to children is inappropriate, foolhardy in fact, and the policy of a congregation that has wandered off the path of true righteousness into very dangerous territory. Good luck in your search, and God help your children through the nightmares they are soon to suffer.’

With that, Abel Haskins donned his fedora and light jacket for this early fall evening, and took his leave. On the way out, he passed Silas’ office and was not surprised to see the senior pastor sitting at his desk and staring out his doorway as the former vice cop passed. Silas appeared stunned, having obviously eavesdropped on the interview and keeping mum.

So did Abel as he pushed open the back door of the massive church complex – and left.

2. GOOD AND BAD NEWS

As he strode to his new/used Jeep Cherokee, Abel struggled with anger and the sudden onset of loneliness. He felt like a man without a peer group. He’d lost contact with most of his former clergy colleagues; he met with his old buddies from Vice on occasion to throw back a few, but their camaraderie was strained by painful memories, especially that of Anthony Romano, Abel’s former partner, and Romano’s family, all of whom perished in a house fire ignited by agents of a trafficking cult called The Deep Dark. They smashed the cult and witnessed the murder of its leader on national television, but that provided temporary solace only. More often, it served as a reminder of how decadent our species could and always would be. And the relationship with his family was... well, besides sister Sarah, non-existent.

Then, of course there was Daisy, Abel’s wife of eight years, beautiful, vibrant, with a killer bod’, but defeated by the oppressive limitations imposed on a minister’s wife. Known as a perpetual ‘wild child,’ she left him for another man, Evan Pelletier, a famous plastic surgeon who got sucked into The Deep Dark and ultimately paid for it with his life and that of Daisy. Her final words to him were uttered over a cell phone, They’re scared of you, Abel, and for that I’m proud to have been your wife. Please, please, please forgive... Their dismembered bodies were found in plastic bags on the banks of the Holland River.

As he fastened his seat belt his phone sounded. Figuring it to be Silas calling to chastise or grill him, he ignored it at first. But another ring tone ten seconds later provoked a quick glance at the hand-held screen. Immediately, he pulled back into his parking space and took the call.

It was Jesse, Jesse Ashford, Silas’ ne’er-do-well younger brother whom Abel had not seen in six months. He immediately recalled their road trip of the previous year, the one that led to the apprehension of Zachary Edward Dark, the sinister leader of the group that bore his name. Abel tapped his screen and exclaimed with a smile, ‘Jesse, my brother, how you doin’?’

‘You won’t believe it, A. You have to see to believe. I’m at Misty’s Tap, slightly buzzed but still able to stand upright. I know it’s kinda late, but can you spare an hour?’

‘I’ll be there in fifteen.’

When Abel pulled into Misty’s parking lot, he searched diligently for Jesse’s classic set of wheels, a Volkswagen bus over fifty years old. He circled the watering hole, but saw nothing remotely resembling that drab, boxy blast from the past. Figuring Jesse had decided to take off before his condition endangered the lives of others, Abel turned for the lot exit. But a simple hunch, the detective’s best friend, changed his course. He found a spot near the front door and stepped into a reasonably upscale nightspot with soft music, dim lighting and muffled conversations. He scanned the room for the long black hair, scruffy beard, rumpled jeans and sweatshirt that was his brother-in-law. No one in the place matched that description.

Suddenly, a complete stranger waved to him from the bar. Abel turned around to see if someone entered behind him, but he stood there alone. Clearly the summons was meant for him. He took a few steps closer, trying to focus on the solitary figure among several other solitary figures and one couple scattered along the stools. In a moment of revelation, he recognized his ally, now sporting an entirely different look. Jesse rose from his stool and spread his arms awaiting an embrace. ‘Abel!’ he cried, ‘How ya doin’?’

Haskins inched forward, as if preserving a crime scene. ‘Jesse, is that you?!’

The forty-ish man grinned and replied, ‘Yes, it is. Can you believe it?’

The last time Abel saw his confidant he looked like a reject from a grunge band. Now, Jesse stood before him dressed in a finely tailored suit, expensive-looking shoes and a bold, colorful silk tie. ‘What the hell happened to you?’ Abel demanded.

‘I sold out, brother-man. My soul now belongs to the devil,’ Jesse added with mock solemnity. Then, he laughed as Abel embraced him. ‘Seriously, I struck it rich!’

As Abel took the stool beside him, he asked, ‘Did you win the lottery, or what? I hope it wasn’t a big-time drug deal, because I do not approve.’

‘That hurts, my brother. You think that’s the only way I could turn my life around?’

‘Of course not,’ Abel replied, slapping Jesse on the back. ‘But I await your story with eager anticipation.’

‘Then set thee down and hear of the rise of Jesse Ashford.’ Abel watched as the bartender, an attractive middle-aged woman, set a glass of bourbon before him. With a look and a nod, he urged Jesse to continue.

‘You remember I used to hang out at Singers’, that music venue featuring up-and-comers?’ Abel nodded in recognition. ‘Well, I got to know this one band pretty well, The Discontents. They told me the grass I sold them was better than anyone else’s so they were always looking for me when they did a show.’ Jesse’s opening brought to mind Abel’s frustrated ambition of singing and playing guitar for an appreciative audience, a career he pursued for several years before it dawned on him that he lacked the kind of talent which could lead to stardom. One positive takeaway from his failure as a performer – a huge one, at that – was his encounter with the beautiful Daisy Farrell, who one day became Daisy Haskins, then Daisy Pelletier... He shook his head to clear it of painful memories. ‘I admit I was always stoned when they played, which enhances the enchanting effect of rock ‘n’ roll, you may know, but they sounded really good. So, one night I decided to go hear them completely straight, no doobie beforehand. And you know what? They were still outstanding. I thought what the hell are these guys doing playing here. I mean Singers’ is a decent venue. They draw a nice crowd, reasonably well-behaved but not too well-behaved, if you catch my drift. But these guys were polished, tightly rehearsed and their songs really shook the house. I wondered who their manager was, because he was droppin’ the ball big time. Turns out they had just fired their manager for insufficient representation. You heard of Elvin Biggs?’ Abel shook his head ‘no.’ ‘Well, Elvin Biggs liked their stuff, too, but Elvin represented dozens of clients, several of whom were already well-established in the music business, so he didn’t push The Discontents with any urgency. He already enjoyed a pretty healthy cash flow from Audrey Simpson, The Tumbleweeds and Sweet Baby Jive. Basically, he told them ‘I’ll get to you when I get to you,’ like ‘you should be happy you’re even under my wing. They didn’t appreciate the ‘tude, sent him packin’ and started searching for another rep.’

‘Something tells me that’s where Jesse Ashford came along,’ Abel interjected while they sipped their bourbons.

‘I asked them to give me a shot, just two months. I told them I offered no experience and only distant contacts, but that I would pound the pavement for ‘em relentlessly. I guess they figured they had nothing to lose, so they provided a tape of their twelve best songs and told me to go for it. I even went to other agents, most of whom were assholes, but a couple shared some tips on how to get past the