“So what do you guys think?” José said, leaning against the wall and scanning their faces.

“First of all, wow. I’m standing here awestruck at what I just witnessed,” Jed said. “That was simply remarkable, José.”

“Sometimes freeing a Dark One from the devil’s grasp is a simple matter. Other times it is not. In the case of Rodrigo, I could feel that he wanted to be free. I unlocked and opened the door to God’s love, and then he made the choice to walk through it. Most of the time exorcism happens from within.”

Gooseflesh stood up as Jed thought back to the night of Rachel’s attack and would-be rape in the basement seventeen years ago at the hands of a possessed classmate. All this time, Jed had believed he’d beaten the demon out of Kenny Bailey, but if what José said was true, then it had never been Jed’s doing. Somewhere inside, Kenny had recognized the monster he’d become and cast out the demon himself. Kenny had, through his free will, chosen the light. It made perfect sense and it felt right, except the realization was upsetting to the operator inside. As a man of action, he’d taken great solace in the fact that despite running away later, he’d always believed that he had saved Rachel. Was that not the case?

Feeling suddenly unsettled, he asked, “You said most of the time. What happens when the afflicted does not want to let go? What happens if they refuse God’s love and have chosen the path of darkness?”

José gave Jed a tight-lipped smile. “That, my friend, is a situation above my pay grade, and such an exorcism would require gifts that I do not possess.”

Jed nodded and decided this was a “Ben question” he’d need to follow up on later.

“So now what?” Nisha said. “Where does this leave our investigation? Do we continue to question Rodrigo and squeeze him for more?”

“No, this is not like a CIA black site interrogation. Rodrigo is liberated. As you can see, he’s a willing and cooperative witness now. I will continue to talk with him and learn more about his Peruvian operation, but rest assured, he was telling the truth. If he knew more about the weapon, he would have shared,” José said.

“Thank you,” Jed said, sticking out his hand to José. “This was incredibly enlightening.”

“You’re welcome here anytime, my brother,” José said, clasping Jed’s hand and forearm with a two-handed grip. “And safe travels back to Tennessee.”

CHAPTER
SEVEN

EXECUTIVE CONFERENCE ROOM GIDEON

TRINITY LOOP COMPLEX

1317 HOURS LOCAL