She climbed into the back, and just before the paramedic closed the door, she looked right at Jimmy, the spree killer, and said, “Thank you.”
Faith stood where she was, head reeling, and watched the ambulance leave.As the noise of it’s engine faded, Jimmy said, “You should probably place me under arrest now.”
Faith obliged.He didn’t resist.As she snapped the cuffs on him, she asked, “What happened?”
He smiled softly.“I came back.I guess God wasn’t finished with me after all.”
Faith didn’t know what to say, so she said nothing.She handed him off to the MP officers, and they led him to a cruiser.Walter Brennan trotted to the car and put a hand on Jimmy.The officers waited while he spoke with Jimmy.Faith received yet another surprise when Jimmy began weeping and laid his head on Walter’s chest.Walter held him like a child, rocking him back and forth and talking softly.Faith noted his closed eyes and realized he was praying.
Turk trotted next to Faith and looked up at her in disbelief.
“No idea, Turk,” Faith said.“No idea.”
Jessica walked up to her and said, “What am I watching right now?”
Faith didn’t repeat herself.She just watched Walter separate from Jimmy and give him an encouraging smile.The officers placed Jimmy in the car, and Walter returned to the porch.
Faith couldn’t restrain her curiosity anymore.“What did you tell him?”she asked the chaplain.
“He asked me if a man like him could still find salvation.I told him that the Apostle Paul, the greatest servant of Christ in history, had murdered many prior to his service.God never forsakes His children.”
Faith and Jessica shared a look.Faith wasn’t religious, and she had never believed in God.
But there was no doubt in her mind that she’d just witnessed a miracle.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
“‘But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hurt you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you.’”
Walter surveyed the congregation, his face filled with compassion.That congregation had grown considerably.Aside from the original crowd of worshippers, Faith counted over a dozen MPs and Metropolitan PD officers along with the entire Channel Six news crew.Bridgette was among them, beaming in absolute joy as she reported on the culmination of the case of the Apostate, as she was calling the killer.
She was the only person present who didn’t seem affected by what had happened, maybe because she didn’t arrive until several minutes after or maybe because she was a reporter, and this was the biggest story of her career.
Faith didn’t have the energy to be irritated.In fact, she was grudgingly impressed that the woman had pieced together the same conclusion she and Jessica had.Before starting her broadcast, she confided in the agents that after learning about Jimmy’s service in Syria and Walter Brennan’s own service alongside his near-victim daughter, she had immediately decided that Jimmy would come after Walter.She finished with, “Too bad I wasn’t here to film it.”
“It’s easy to give into hate,” Walter continued.“Hate is comforting.It’s safe.We convince ourselves that by hating our enemies, we have power over them.We can hurt them, and by hurting them, we alleviate the hurt we feel.That is one of Satan’s most prevalent and most insidious lies.”
He gripped the edges of the lectern and fell silent for a moment, considering his next words.“The young man earlier who came here to kill me committed terrible acts because of hate.But behind that hate is a simpler and far less volatile emotion.Grief.James Sullivan grieved the loss of his brothers and sisters in arms.For a time, he sought solace in anger.It wasn’t until he released his anger and accepted love that he found peace.
“I could have been angry,” he said.“I could have been angry for the death of my friends, the injury to my daughter.Indeed, Iwasangry.But I know as well as anyone what the cost of anger is.So, I chose love.I chose to follow God’s commandments.Instead of losing another life today, God saved two.I thank him for His love.”
He lifted his hands and led the congregation in prayer.Faith closed her eyes in respect.It would take more than today’s events to change her mind about religion and the afterlife, but she was glad to have witnessed what happened today.Whether due to God’s grace or human resilience, she was grateful to witness an end to a case that was hopeful rather than tragic.
***
Later, after the crowd departed, Faith approached Walter.The chaplain smiled at Turk, who wagged his tail and allowed himself to be scratched behind his ear.Faith smiled at her dog for a moment, then asked, “So how do you do it?”
Walter grinned at her.“God’s grace.”Seeing Faith’s expression, he said, “I see you don’t believe me.I hope you change your mind one day.”
“Well, whatever the case, sir, it was very impressive.My partner and I would have protected you successfully, but it would never have occurred to us to protect Jimmy Sullivan.”
Walter straightened and nodded.“The Lord works in mysterious ways.Had you not arrived, your dog wouldn’t have been here, and we might not have noticed that Chester was suffering.Had Jimmy not chosen to kill me, he wouldn’t have been here to save his life.Had I not been willing to let go of my fear and anger, I could have stood in the way of God’s forgiveness rather than acted as its conduit.”He chuckled.“You know, from time to time, I have doubts, but each time they arrive, the Lord finds a way to remove them.The Heavens really do declare the Glory of God.”
He looked at Faith.“Faith.That’s a good name.Do you know what it means?”
“Belief in something regardless of evidence to support that belief.”
“That is the dictionary definition, I’m certain,” Walter replied, “but I prefer the Biblical definition.”
