This Present Darkness

Bernice disguises herself as a cleaning lady in order not to be followed as she goes to meet with the Carlucci family in secret. Bernice’s interview with the Carluccis reveals that they were defrauded of their store on account of false accusations of failure to pay taxes. In addition, their son was attacked and had both his hands broken, but they weren’t able to clarify how it had happened. Carl said that it was done by large, black spirits, but Bernice isn’t sure what to believe.

At the same time, Marshall travels to meet with the man who replaced him at the Times, Al Lemley, to see if he knows anything about Kaseph or the Omni Corporation. Lemley gives Marshall a huge stack of papers and informs him of Omni’s massive reach that even extends internationally. Lemley tells Marshall that he should let the federal government deal with Kaseph and Omni Corporation, but Marshall refuses, and for the next two weeks, Bernice and Marshall spend almost every waking hour in the newspaper office tracking down leads and taking phone calls: “there were several nights when Marshall never went home at all, but slept here and there, now and then in the office, waiting for special calls, making other calls, working at keeping the paper afloat” (209). Through it all, Marshall continues to be anxious about his wife and daughter, but he is determined that the work take priority.

Marshall calls the police department and is able to get an officer to tell him that Brummel has been calling Langstrat, as well as a number of other members on the list that Marshall suspected of being a part of the inner circle. The angels, meanwhile, pick out a small contingent to keep watch on The Strongman and the growing army of demons amassing outside of town. The Christians in town gather and determine to keep praying for the town while, at the same time, Langstrat conducts a meditation ritual to summon Rafar.

Finally at home, Marshall is awakened in the middle of the night by a phone call. He hears Ted Harmel on the other end of the line, practically screaming into the telephone: “Hogan […] They found out I talked! They’re all over the place!” (219). The phone cuts out, and Marshall leaps out of bed and heads to Harmel’s place as fast as he can.

Ted arrives at Harmel’s home—currently the sight of a raging battle between angels and demons—only to discover that Harmel has been killed. Picking up the phone, he places an anonymous call to the local police informing them of what has occurred at the house. He leaves the house and drives to a gas station several miles away to call Bernice and inform her of what has happened. He then drives to Eldon Strachan’s home to see if anything is happening there. At the house, everything is dark and the windows are broken, but most surprising is the fact that almost immediately upon arriving, Marshall is stopped by police and arrested on suspicion of his involvement.

Bernice travels out of town to find Kevin Weed and, arriving at his apartment, discovers it to be ransacked. Leaving a note, she descends the apartment building stairs when she is attacked by a man in a leather jacket and left bloody and bruised on the floor. The man escapes the building and sprints down the road all the way back to Ashton, all the way being harassed by demons and the angels attempting to pick them off. Running through town, the man—Bobby Corsi—comes across Hank and Andy Forsythe, who stop him and pray for him, rebuking the spirits who they realize are attacking him.

Meanwhile, Marshall has found himself in prison and refuses to answer any questions. While in the neighboring county prison, Marshall gets a call from Brummel back in Ashton, who tries to get him to talk and alerts him of Bernice’s attack. Brummel tells the officers holding Marshall to free him, and Marshall heads back to Ashton to meet with Brummel. Before he does, however, he stops by the hospital and tries to speak with Bernice: “Marshall, Susan Jacobson was right: our phone must be bugged. Remember? You called me at the Clarion and told me you’d been at Ted’s and where you were going next” (233). They realize the only way their plans could have been known was if there was an insider at the office, and both conclude it must be the new girl, Carmen. Marshall storms out and heads for Brummel’s office.

Marshall arrives at the police station and barges into Brummel’s office, only to find a host of other visitors holding a meeting and waiting for him. Realizing that he’s been set up, Marshall proceeds to accuse the whole group of conspiring to assault Bernice and levies many other accusations against them as well, including the conspiracy to buy up the whole town and drive out anyone opposed to their scheming.

The group admits that they are part of the Omni Corporation but attempts to pass off their participation in the group as benevolent, even admitting their membership in the Universal Consciousness Society. Upon this admission, they inform Marshall that he hasn’t been paying his dues for the newspaper, nor the taxes for his house, and that both are going to be taken away from him. As a cap to the whole thing, Brummel accuses Marshall of assaulting his own daughter. While this is happening, Hank and Andy continue to deal with Bobby Corsi, eventually exorcising five different demons from him. Finally free of his oppressors, Bobby tells them everything he knows about the demons and the people he’s been working for.

Sandy continues to meet with Langstrat, steadily increasing her ability to fall into a trancelike state. At this point, Sandy has become so proficient in meditation that she has contacted her own spirit guide, Madeline, a demon masquerading as a benevolent entity.

Back at the newspaper offices of the Clarion, Marshall receives a phone call from Eldon Strachan, who had just returned to his house to find it ransacked and vandalized. At the hospital, Bernice has a phone conversation with Kevin Weed, and they agree to meet at the bridge over Judd River later that evening. Marshall returns home and has a heart-to-heart conversation where Kate tells him that she just can’t take the stress of his absence anymore: “No one else is responsible for your promises, Marshall, and I am holding you responsible for the promises you made to your family” (251). Kate tells Marshall that she loves him but that she can’t take being ignored and abandoned anymore. She needs to go stay with her mother until he’s finished with the investigation.

The valley compound where Kaseph and his company were camping out is packing up, and Susan hastens to hide a suitcase under her bed. Kaseph barges into her room and rummages through a suitcase. Not finding any incriminating evidence, he expresses his suspicions: “it seems there are some very important records and files missing, things of a very delicate nature—things that you, my Maidservant, would have access to” (254). Kaseph warns her against a betrayal and leaves the room. Back in Ashton, a prayer meeting begins to gather at Hank’s house—bringing even Lou Stanley out into the community—while the angels gather there as well.

Back in the valley, a special dinner is being thrown in which Kaseph reveals publicly that he has, in fact, discovered evidence that Susan has already betrayed them. Ensuring that she will not flee, Kaseph informs her that she is going to be invited to the next society blood ritual: “The ancient worshipers of Isis, or Molech, or Ashtoreth, were not too far afield in their practices. They understood, at least, that the offering of a human life to their so-called gods seemed to bring the gods’ favor upon them” (259-60). At that time, the angel cohort and the host of demons begin attacking one another, and the captain Tal flies toward the valley and the lair of the Strongman.

Kaseph and a small group gather in the basement of the house in the valley, surrounded by the Strongman and the rest of the demons present, while one of their company priests walks upstairs to collect Susan. Before he can arrive, however, Susan is released from her shackles by an angel and escapes out the window. Driving a commandeered van up the hill and away from the compound, the angels and demons battle for control of the vehicle: “Demons dove down from above, their red swords gleaming, and engaged the heavenly warriors in fierce dogfights, the blades singing, droning, and clashing metallically with bursts of sparks” (265). The angels cannot stand against the demons, and the van goes careening over the edge of a cliff.

Meanwhile, Bernice drives to meet Kevin at the agreed upon spot while Kevin waits at a nearby tavern until the appointed time. While drinking, a patron slips a drug into his drink before he leaves. After Kevin stops at a rest station to use the bathroom, two men who had followed him carefully watch the truck pull away and begin swerving across the road. After just a few moments, the truck completely loses control and veers off the road into the river canyon below.

Left at home, Marshall contemplates the mess that he has made of his life. With a knock at the door, Sandy comes home, and the two argue loudly about the state of the family, Sandy blaming everything on her father. As Sandy packs her bags and berates her father, Marshall attempts to explain what has been happening to him and what he believes is happening to her as well: “There are people in this town, Sandy, right now, that want to take the whole town over, and they also want to destroy anyone who gets in their way. Sandy, I’m someone who got in their way” (273-74). Not thinking clearly, Sandy accuses her father of abusing her and exclaims that it was professor Langstrat who finally helped her recover this repressed memory.

Across town, Hank and Mary receive Carmen as a surprise visitor. Carmen attempts to convince Mary that she and Hank had an affair, but the couple sees exactly what Carmen is doing and begins praying. As they do so, Hank does battle with 15 different demons who attached themselves to Carmen. Unable to withstand Hank’s prayers, the demons force Carmen to flee the house.

At the same time, Bernice shows up at Marshall’s house right after Sandy leaves, informing him that she’s heard of Kevin’s apparent death. Marshall tells Bernice what’s happened with Kate and Sandy, and they both resolve to try and find the secret telephone surveillance system at the police station in hopes of discovering other recordings that might help them close their case.