Chapter 16

(Day 70 — October 28, Foothills of the Brooks Range)

Ricky awoke shivering in a wet sleeping bag bordering on hypothermia. He finally realized that the thermal suits his father and uncle promoted were not for sleeping in, even in really cold weather. They having been with his belongings when he was arrested were given back to him when he was released.

He had to make a choice between continuing on, and heading back. It was probably another hard day's ride to Walker Lake, and he didn't know what he would find when he got there. The storm had blown through, and although it dropped very little new snow, the wind obliterated the tracks from the night before.

He put on his dry clothes and abandoned the tent and now frozen sleeping bag. Recalling the mountains he passed the previous afternoon, Ricky started the snowmobile and headed back to his truck. He debated on reporting the loss of his traveling companion, and decided against it. When he reached the Alatna River, he gunned the snowmobile and crossed about a mile below where Eugene had gone through.

After two hours of hard riding, Ricky stopped to rest. Lying atop the seat of the snow machine, he wrapped himself in a Space Blanket and fell asleep. It was not a deep sleep, for he feared hypothermia after the previous night. It was just enough for him to see the specter of Eugene standing before him dripping water from the river.

"Hey, Rick, listen up dude," said Eugene. "You have got to blow this thing off man. The aunt you want to do? Well she has got angels watching her, man. One of them got me, and if you go after her, they will get you too. This is real man."

"Go to Hell, Eugene," Ricky mumbled.

"I'm there man," the ghost replied. "I didn't go in that river just now for fun. I had to cool off man. Hell? It is real dude, and it ain't no joke. That bit we did in jail was nothing like what waits for us when we don't change. That was a Sunday picnic with Grandma's fried chicken and apple pie compared to what we're looking at."

Ricky replied, "So you are like the first of three spirits coming to show me the error of my ways?"

"Hell no!" Eugene cursed. "I am it. I am the only chance you get because you have got a bad, bad heart dude. Damn, man, you did your own kid sister. Now that is just messed up. Yeah, I know all about that, and feeding your baby sister's kitty to a pit bull. But you got to change, and I mean all the way."

"Huh," scoffed Ricky. "So when I change you get your wings right?"

"Wings?" Eugene laughed. "No, but they will let me dip in that freezing damn river once every ten years. That eternity deal in the fire is real man. You really do not want to go there, and that is where you is headed."

"Well I guess I'll have plenty of my friends there to talk to then," replied Ricky.

"No man, there ain't any talking," Eugene explained. "The only thing that comes out of your mouth is screaming. You scream until you can't scream no more, but nobody hears you because they are all screaming too. Pain is all you feel. This pain you haven't even thought about in the worst horror shows rolled into one. That is not even the movie trailer for Hell man. Oh, man, later Rick, they are coming for me cause I took too long. No, no, AAAAAAAHHHHH!"

The scream was horrible and woke Ricky from his sleep. He was about to shake it off but noticed a clump of underwater vegetation, still wet in a bare set of human footprints in the snow next to two sets of tracks that Ricky had never seen the likes of before, and hoped never to see again. Twenty minutes later he was in his truck careening down the recently plowed road to Fairbanks. He headed straight for the airport, and caught the first flight to anywhere, eventually ending up in Philadelphia.

(Philadelphia PA, Day 73, October 31)

There he found out that his parents' house had been sold and someone else lived in it. Ricky went to his bank, and found out that his account was locked at $15,000 of which he had already spent $3500 in Alaska. He could no longer access his mother's account, or the business account, which was closed. Withdrawing $10,000, Ricky decided to see his supplier, and double his money. At least he still had his Corvette in storage.

Ricky contacted Jerry Kennedy and his girl Carmine, with the Mud Devils to set him up with some "product" to distribute so he could recharge his bank account. Jerry was suspicious of Ricky because he heard he was in Jail in Alaska. Ricky explained that he got out early on good behavior.

Jerry scoffed, "Dude you don't even know what good behavior is," and threw Ricky against the wall and jerked his shirt up looking for a wire. "We are being watched and we can't take chances," Jerry explained. "We have a really big shipment coming in a few days and we need to move it, so we can't take chances."

"Look, Jerry," Ricky began, "My dad got killed in Alaska and my family has left the country, sold the house and cut me off. I need to get some serious cash."

Jerry shrugged, "For what?"

"I don't like being broke," Ricky replied.

"Then sell the car," Jerry suggested. "That will net you a few grand. Get some less conspicuous wheels. By the way, you and my sister don't see each other anymore. She doesn't see anyone that hits women. Now why don't you make like a tree and leave? I don't want anyone seeing you around."

Ricky left and drove to his grandparents in White Plains. They were shocked to see him, and they like the rest, didn't know that he was out of jail. They knew why he went to jail, and didn't want him staying there. Ricky tried to explain that he had nowhere else to go. He needed a place to stay while he tried to do something with his life.

Dom sat him down, and said, "Have you ever considered the military?"

Ricky replied, "No, why would I want to do that?"

Dom explained, "Because you are a mess. I don't know if they will take you even with your record. If they do, it will help you straighten out. There are a lot of different things that you can do where you will learn a trade that will be useful in life."

"I don't think I want to go to Iraq or Afghanistan," Ricky considered. "What if I joined the Navy or Air Force?"

Dom answered, "I think the Marines or Army would be easier for you because of your record. You can ask though. I will even take you down myself and talk to the recruiters with you."

"What do I do with my Corvette?" asked Ricky. "Would you sell it for me?"

"Yes, I will do that, and send you the money," said Dom. "You are really considering this?"

"Grandpa, you wouldn't believe what I saw the other day in Alaska," Ricky said. "I saw a dead friend, tell me I was doomed for Hell! He told me I didn't want to go there. He said how bad it was, and then he said these demons were coming for him, and then he screamed a scream like I have never heard before. I thought it was a dream, but when I woke up for sure, there were these footprints with bits of seaweed in them, and on either side of them, these three-toed tracks. Grandpa, no animal alive makes tracks like that. It was real Grandpa. I started running, and didn't stop until I got to Philly, and then I came here."

"Hell is something you can neither run, nor hide from if it owns you," said Dom. "Only Jesus can save you from the devil."

Ricky began to tremble, "I am toast then. I have only cursed those who believe in God all my life. There is no hope for me. I wish I could take it back, and start over again. How do I get God to forgive me? Is it too late?"

"That is between you and God," said his grandfather. "That wall you built between you and him, you did brick-by-brick. You and your father that is, helped you build it. You have to tear it down and seek God. Let's have lunch, and we will go see the recruiters."

Ricky hadn't been to his grandparents since he was small because of his dad. When Dom and Beverly took his hands to pray, Ricky felt turmoil in his body and when Dom invoked the name of Jesus, Ricky dashed to the bathroom and threw up violently. As his grandmother washed his face with a cool washcloth, and flushed the toilet, Ricky saw red eyes glaring at him, and a small, scaled and clawed arm reach towards him, as they swirled down the drain.

He trembled for several minutes, but felt an inner peace that he had never known. He stood and hugged his grandmother, and then his grandfather, something he hadn't done in twelve tears. Dom suggested that he would feel better if he had a shower and some clean clothes. Ricky agreed. His grandparents left him to that and went to set his lunch in the oven to keep it warm.

As he washed his face and his hair and rinsed, Ricky thought, "This is like a bad dream. I thought I vomited a demon up. I must be losing my mind."

"No son, just your soul," said a voice behind him.

Ricky turned to see the ashen image of his father. "You did have a demon possess you, just as I did," Dick's ghost explained. "I don't want this for you. I helped you build that wall between you and God. Now I am here to tell you that you will need God's help to tear it down."

"You don't believe in God," said Ricky.

"I didn't believe in Hell either, but it is very real, son," said the ghost. "Trust me. I need to go, before they find me. You go find God."

"I will, Dad," replied Ricky. "I guess I will see you in the hereafter?"

"I hope to God that you don't!" the ghost exclaimed, and was gone. Ricky looked down to see ashes in the shower being washed down the drain.

"Well, God, it's me, your worst nightmare," said Ricky. "I need your help. I need you to help me find guidance, and let me start over. Show me the way, and let me help others to find their way back from the path I was on. Teach me Lord, teach me what I can do to make it up to you and remove the wall between us."

He finished his shower, and went to finish his lunch. He felt cleaner than he had in days. He asked Dom if he could get his hair cut before going to the recruiter, and Dom chuckled, "They do that for you."

Ricky insisted, so they did anyway. When he sat down to talk to the Army Recruiter, the Sergeant asked him several questions. Then the questions turned to his faith, and how he felt about the ministry.

"Why do you ask?" Dom wondered aloud.

"This just came up," Sgt Nelson explained, "and with his almost having a college degree, well they need Chaplains. They will train him, and make him a second Lieutenant. I've never seen anything like this before, but they want someone that can relate to those with gang and prison related backgrounds. Richard, this looks like your lucky day. I wish I could have gotten this chance."

"Don't mess with the kid," admonished Dom, "I know you guys tell them they can do this, that, and the other thing, and when the test results come back they get an M-16!"

Sgt Nelson explained, "Well he will have to take the ASVAB. That is the test where they test his makeup so to speak and find where he will fit best. This shows a real need for Chaplains right now, so there is every chance he will get it if he goes in now instead of delaying. Well, 'now' would be like as soon as we get him processed. He needs to be here tomorrow at 6:30 in the morning. That as you will learn is 0630."

Dom looked at Ricky, and said, "Is that what you want?"

"I think it is what God wants," replied Ricky, "and I am just answering the call of duty."

Ricky signed up, and on the way out, he picked up a paperback version of the New Testament, and asked if he could take it. Sgt Nelson told him that someone was just in before he came and asked if he could leave it for someone. He didn't see any harm in it.

In the car on the way back to the house, Ricky broke down and cried. "Thank you, Grandpa for praying for me. I hope I can do this to make up for all I did before. I can't believe this is happening."

Dom said, "There is a story in there about a man named Saul, who not only didn't believe in Jesus, but he helped persecute Jesus' disciples. He even stood by while the crowds stoned a righteous man named Stephen to death. God changed him, but I will let you read that part for yourself. Ricky, if you do this, and become a Chaplain, your grandmother and I will be more proud of you than if you were a Medal of Honor winner."