I squeezed her hand gently, as my thumb stroked overtop of hers consolingly. Her passion for Chantry's last act of kindness spoke volumes about her heart, but it hadn't been Chantry's work that had set up the immunity that former agents now enjoyed. It had been Maria with Chantry's blessing.
None of the former agents knew the depths and time spent by Maria to ensure that they would be safe, but I did. Her expressed anger at the notion that her immunity preparations for the other agents could be faulty in some way was completely justified and I took no offense at her angered reproof of me, because of my perceived slight against her extensive preparations.
"There is a lot that you do not understand Maria. When you were an agent you had but to draw your gun take aim at the enemy and fire. Your enemy dead, with some good coming of it in the form of saving someone, protecting an ideal such as freedom, or simply as an act of justice. Maria your former existence as an agent only scratched the top of the conflict that is going on at large within the world."
"You're saying I wasn't effective!" Maria hotly retorted and I stopped to face her.
She tugged on her hand, but I held onto it and captured her other one too.
"Lose the anger and listen to what I have to say!"
My words were harsh as were the impact of my thoughts on her mind. She quivered slightly completely overwhelmed by my sudden aggression.
"Ready to listen to what I have to say?" I asked in a calmer tone.
She nodded and I gentled my emotions and words in response to her submission, "There is a war taking place all around us that you cannot see with your physical eyes. It is a spiritual war. For as it is written we do not struggle against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness and rulers of darkness in high places."
I was silent for a moment as I let her think through that.
Hesitantly she responded, "You're saying that the danger Flint is in is being brought by a force of evil rather than that of man?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying."
Maria quivered slightly, "What are we going to do?"
"Help defend a righteous man and his family."
"But how?" She asked anxiously.
"By allowing the Holy Spirit to work through us to accomplish God's will in this situation." I said before turning back to the villa, but Maria grabbed a hold of me and I looked over to her.
"I'm scared Elon!" She said, as her face bore proof of her words.