Family, God, Country, Corps…All men should live by a code. You just heard mine and the order I live it.

Family is a gift from God so they go above ALL. Any man worth shit would lay his life and happiness down for them.

God is second. Live by his commandments, period. Some people, mostly religious nut bags, would have me burned for not putting God first, but he is a big boy and can take care of himself.

Country is third. All good men and women should leave their country better than they found it for their children. Everyone can do it just by living a decent life.

Corps is last. That’s the U.S. Marine Corps; like there is any other corps. Yeah you guessed it, I was a Marine. The corps helped to make me the man that I am.

I’m married to an incredible woman now for over 26 years. We have two grown daughters and a grandson we don’t see enough of. My wife and I are empty nesters living our lives best we can. We still love each other with a passion even after so many years. I thank God everyday for my wonderful wife. By the way, my wife’s name is Sandy and I’m Dennis. We’re not rich nor hauntingly gorgeous, but Sandy is more beautiful than any woman I know. She is my life. I trust her explicitly and I know she trusts me the same.

So you see why a certain ex-angel has a problem with us.

Now Satan isn’t all evil. Besides being wanting to rule heaven and hell, he just doesn’t like happiness. Chaos is more his thing for a Saturday night, but for the other nights of the week he just wants to create havoc with the lives of people by tempting them into making poor decisions. He’ll use an individual’s weaknesses against them, but only through their free will. Satan cannot make a person do anything. A person chooses.

Now that you know the main plot of this story, let’s get to it.

To pay the bills I have a small marketing business specializing in upscale apartment complexes. It’s more of a finder business really. I have an unusual knack of getting select clients for some of the harder to rent higher priced luxury apartments in town. I’ve been at it long enough to have made a name for myself. And with the economy picking back up I’ve been in demand by company executives who are coming back into the area. They’re finally reopening the manufacturing plants after they were shut down back in 2008.

On one sunny day not long ago I was between appointments taking a break at a coffee shop downtown when I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up. “Hello, mind if I sit down and join you?” asked a man that appeared to be around 60 years old. He offered his hand to me as the usual greeting between men, but I refused to shake his hand. A look of surprised satisfaction came across his face instead of disappointment.

Turning up my palm pointing toward the chair across from me, “Go ahead and sit. So what does Satan want with me?” I replied. To say he was now shocked was an understatement.

“How do you know I’m the Devil?” he asked.

“I was born KNOWING there is heaven and hell. I KNOW good from bad. Most people believe or have faith, I KNOW! That’s the difference between me and others. Besides, I smell shit!” I could tell he really disliked that last part.

“OK, you got me, I am Satan.”

“Again, what do you want with me?”

“Well, first I came in here for a cappuccino, then I saw you here and I wanted to wager your soul and tempt you with riches or desires, if you get my drift, but I realize that you already have me at a disadvantage. You cannot be tempted by such earthly items and you are not scared by me at all. So I now find myself intrigued instead. If I asked other people what is the most powerful force in the world is I would get answers like nuclear bombs, wind, rushing water, shit like that. If I ask you I’ll get a different answer, won’t I?”

“You would. But before I answer your question, you and I both know I’m far from perfect. No man is. I have sinned and done things that shame me to this day. You know how hard I fought when I was in battle. That being said, the most powerful force in the world is…love…pure and simple love,” I said sincerely.

Satan laughed so hard he had tears running down his face. After he calmed down, “First off, yeah I know how you handled yourself when you were at war. It was glorious! Very few were more ruthless than you. You sent many souls my way than most of your fellow Marines. Thanks by the way. Terrorists are the worst kind of scum.

Now to your proclamation that love is the most powerful force on earth, I figured that would be your answer. You really are pathetic. God would say the same damn thing.” He paused long enough to order himself another coffee handing the waitress a $20 telling her to keep the change made the waitress thank him affectionately. Her name was Mary according to her name tag. “She’ll be mine soon, very soon actually, she just doesn’t know it yet,” he said non-nonchalantly.

“Tell you what, I won’t wager your soul or cause you any physical pain for denying me. But, let’s say we put that statement of yours to the test. Let’s find out IF love is most powerful of all. Knowing is different from believing. Knowing God exists or knowing I exist doesn’t mean a thing. So I’m asking you to prove your belief that love is the most powerful force on earth. You will not be putting your soul at risk.” He seen my hesitation and started his sales tactic again, “What do you say? Come on, you don’t have anything to lose. So, do we have a deal?”

I really didn’t like dealing with the original asshole sitting in front of me, but proving that simple love is the most powerful force on earth had me wondering, could I do it? Since my soul wasn’t at risk what did I have to lose? And getting one over on no nuts here wouldn’t be a bad thing. “How do you suggest we find out?”

“Well that’s the rub isn’t it? How do we prove or disprove your belief that love is most powerful. That is up to you. But if your willing to do your part, I’ll do my mine and setup the situation.” The way he said his last little part made me uneasy but figured God hates a coward.

“OK, I’ll do my part. I’ll do what is humanly possible to prove that love is most powerful.”

All of a sudden Satan got an evil grin on his face. “Deal! I’ll set up the situation before the end of the day. This is going to be fun.”

I started to get really worried. “What are you going to do?”

“You’ll find out,” Satan had a sinister laugh going that really creeped me out. “We’ll be seeing each other soon, but for now…”

Next thing I knew Satan was gone. The little red tailed fucker just disappeared. All of a sudden I realized I just fucked up huge. I’m committed now whether I liked it or not.

I left the coffee shop and headed off to my next appointment. I wanted to get it over with so I could go home and talk to my wife. There was no way she was going to believe what I was going to tell her.

After my meeting concluded I headed home. As soon as I entered the front door I knew something was wrong. “Honey, you home?” No answer. She should be home. Was he here? This place feels funny, but not the same as when I was talking to…him. Louder, “Honey!” “Sandy! Are you here?”

Faintly, “Yeah, I’m in the kitchen.”

As I was walking into the kitchen, “Sandy, you’ll never believe what happened to me today…” I stopped in my tracks. Sandy had tears running down her cheeks.

“Whats wrong honey?”

“Oh, you won’t believe what happened to me today either. I had a visitor here at the house, DEAR.”

Now I’m beginning to be a little scared, “Honey, something happened, something I agreed to that may have been a bad idea with someone bad.”

“Yeah, and I know who! Your fucking girlfriend came here today you bastard! She came here to tell me how you two spent the afternoon fucking each others brains out you bastard! How could you?!”

“Whoa! Hold up! What the hell are you talking about! What girlfriend? I don’t have a fucking girlfriend! Sandy, listen to me very carefully, I have never cheated nor have I ever wanted to cheat on you. I DON’T HAVE A GIRLFRIEND! Calm down and tell me what happened here,” now pleading with her.

“A girl came her today and said she was your girlfriend. She was younger and prettier than me with blond hair bigger boobs wearing a waitress uniform and said you two have been together only a few times, but those times were life altering. So today you fucked her brains out told her you were leaving me and starting a new life with her and that I better not cause any trouble or I’d be sorry! Damn you! What did I do? Why don’t you love me anymore?” She was yelling, crying and pacing around the kitchen, desperately worried about what I would say next.

“I swear to God that I do not have a girlfriend! I haven’t looked at another woman since our first date. YOU ARE MY LIFE, MY WORLD! Please believe me!” Tears were now running down my cheeks. “Today I had two appointments and took time out in a coffee shop. Here’s the receipt, you can see the time stamp when I was there. I went to my second appointment after and came straight home to tell you about my stop at the coffee shop. Sandy you have to believe me, please!”

I could start seeing here eyes relax a little. She was looking in my eyes the whole time and she started to see the truth in them. The receipt with the time stamp helped. From Sandy’s description of the girl, I knew it was Mary from the coffee shop that came to my home. Now I know what asshole meant by “she’ll be mine very soon.”

“I think I know what is going on, but it will take a little explaining and an open mind on your part. Please come with me and sit down.”

She was hesitant, but I held her hand and slowly led her into the front room and sat her on the couch. Still holding her hand I told her everything that me and the original asshole talked about. Sandy looked at me like took LSD, mushrooms and liked a toads back. I have never told her about my knowledge of heaven or hell and it’s rulers. After 26 years of marriage I kept some things from her, mostly out of fear. But it was coming out now. I could tell she still had her doubts. Who’s gonna believe their spouse about something like that? I explained how I agreed to prove that love is the most powerful force on earth but had no way to go about it.

Since my soul wasn’t at stake I figured no harm no foul, right? Guess I was wrong. Asshole was going after my wife and my marriage. BIG FUCKING MISTAKE! If he thought he had an issue with me before, well he now has on all out drag out fight on his cloven hoofs.

Sandy found her voice again, “OK, I have an easier time believing your not screwing some slut, but a contest with the devil? Come on Dennis, that’s just too much.”

“I know how it sounds, but out of our years together have you known me to lie? Who would think of a lie like that to cover up for having an affair?” Like it needed to be asked.

“But she was so sincere, how did she knew where you lived? ” Sandy was still doubting me.

“Getting our address is the easy part. Getting her to do it was as easy as tricking a weak minded girl into sell her soul for money. I didn’t expect him to come after us like this, but I won’t allow us to be victimized like this again.”

I had the beginning of a plan to take this situation and turn it to my advantage, but it would take our whole history together and understanding to make it work. As I explained things to Sandy I knew this plan could tear us apart because I had to leave her in the dark about some of it. I was already praying for God’s and my wife’s forgiveness for doing what I was about to do.

I was going to need the help from an old friend. During the summer months Mike made extra money traveling around festivals with his food truck making organic sandwich wraps out of his Wrap Wagon. Sandy and I would help out when his normal job went beyond the usual 9 to 5. It was usually 2 – 3 days at most every couple of weekends. We worked well together as a team and had lots of fun. It was long hot hours and we sometimes snipped at each other, but at the end of the day we were always holding each other and smiling. Sandy’s and my showers together afterwards were especially fun. I love it when my girl smells like a french fry but getting to clean my wife’s nook and cranny is fanfuckintastic.

It would take a couple of weeks to put my plan in effect. In the mean time it was kind of cool around our house. Sandy hasn’t put the whole “girlfriend home visit” out of her mind yet. We were at an uneasy peace. I caught her looking at me many times trying to determine if I was a liar and a cheat. She would listen to my phone conversations asking who I was talking to, what the call was about and the phone number of the person I talked to.

Her having doubts was necessary even though it hurt me terribly. My heart was breaking knowing I was going to hurt her.

Sandy and I was working an afternoon shift on the Wrap Wagon so Mike could take a little bit of time with his family. We were about four hours in when Mike and his family showed up and helped us handle the crowd. It was a good day and people were lined up to place their orders while Sandy Mike and myself wrapped our little hearts out. Sandy took a break and relaxed talking with Mike’s wife. Her name is Jo Anne and she is a wonderful person just like her husband.

Jo Anne and Sandy were talking about whatever women talk about but I’m sure it involved me because I noticed them looking at me occasionally. God I really hope she doesn’t say anything about asshole. I was worried my plan would crash and burn if she did.

To get Mike’s help I had to make up a story about me getting into some trouble that involved a very bad man and I was worried about him if he found out I was married he might hurt Sandy. All I know was that I had to go to the authorities for help. OK, it wasn’t a complete lie, some parts were missing.

I rigged an auto dial feature from an app on our home computer creating an excuse for an unexpected meeting forced me to leave. I led Mike to believe that the call was the go ahead to meet a couple of agents at secret location and ask for help.

He was more than willing to cover for me and keep Sandy at the festival so I could go talk to them. I lied to him. I hate myself already, but I had little choice. I wasn’t going for help…I was just going. Leaving everyone was the best way to keep them safe. If I wasn’t around asshole would leave them be.

Customer orders picked up so Sandy and Jo Anne came back from their break. Mike, Sandy and I were wrapping while Jo Anne and the kids served the customers. My cell phone rang as planned and I stepped back to answer it speaking for only a couple of minutes. Now time has come to do what I had to to keep my wife safe. I hated myself but family comes first. Above all a man does what is necessary to protect his family.

I obviously had that look on my face cause both Mike and Sandy were looking at me, but for different reasons. Mike asked, “Was that the call?”

“What call?” came from Sandy.

“Oh um…that was Jensen’s Properties. You know that appointment I had a couple weeks ago. They um… kinda liked my proposal and they want to talk to me again but they want to do it in about 2 hours so I have to get cleaned up and get to their office. I’m sorry Mike but I gotta bail.”

“That’s OK, Dennis. We’ll keep Sandy here with us since we’re so busy and I’ll have Jo Anne take her home when things slow down.”

“I appreciate it. Thanks Mike.”

Hoping the look on my face would not betray me, “OK honey? I’ll go to my meeting and Jo Anne will take you home. I’ll see you home later, OK?”

I kissed my wife goodbye avoiding her eyes because if she peered inside them she would know of my deception. We have been married for so long she knows when I’m telling a lie because my eyes always give me away.

As I turned and walked away I felt lower than whale shit. What have I done? My life was perfect up until I accepted that challenge from Satan. Temptation and free will. Like I said, people choose to make bad decisions. All I had to do was say NO, but I didn’t and now I’m leaving everything I love behind just to keep them safe. Family comes first above all.

My plan was set and I had to see it through. If it worked, everything will be as it was before. I just hope the cost would be worth it. I made arrangements with one of my clients to stay in an apartment across town that wasn’t ready for renting. It would only cost me the price of utilities. At least the shit storm I put myself in was not going to cost me too much money, just possibly my happiness.

I was going to be far enough away not to be found but close enough to keep Sandy safe while I monitor the plan. I had wired our house with microphones and cameras and connected everything to a laptop in the apartment and my android phone.

I got home and took the bags I had already packed and threw them in my truck. I went back inside and left a letter for my wife.

My Dearest Wife…Sandy,

By now you will have discovered I have essentially ran away and I beg for your forgiveness. I needed to keep you safe and could think of no other way. I explained the agreement that I made with Satan to try and prove love is the most powerful force on earth. I know it sounds like I have lost my mind but I swear it is the truth. You have known me for a long time and can tell when I’m lying. Search your heart and you will know the truth.

You have the same ability to feel the good and bad as I do. You have held those feelings at bay most of your life. You remember the story you told me when you were about 12 years old and there was a light colored womanly figure standing at the end of your bed. You described your feelings of warmth and peace but you were still scared because you have never seen such things, so the figure disappeared. That figure was your guardian angel and it sensed your fear so it hid itself from you. Over the years you have never forgot that night and your fear so your angel keeps herself hidden from you, but she has never left your side. Remember your angel is a gift from God to protect you and when the time is right you will meet her face to face and your senses will come to you. DO NOT BE AFRAID.

You are my gift from God and I must protect you by leaving. I am so sorry, I know no other way.

When that woman visited our house and accused me of having an affair I knew I was in trouble. Satan must’ve been worried to attack me through you. You and the kids are my only weakness and the asshole knows it. In leaving I’m hoping Satan will leave you alone. If everything works according to plan we will only be separated a short time. Do not try to find me. Keep close to our home and our friends. If anyone asks just tell them I’m on a business trip.

You are my life and if anything happened to you it would destroy me. I cannot live without you. Please try to understand why I ran away and forgive me. This is all my fault and for that I cannot forgive myself.

You and I will be together again and until that time, I will always be watching.

I am truly sorry.

I love you,

Your Husband.

“THAT BASTARD! We fight our battles together!” Tears running down her cheeks with pain and anger for what her husband has done. “I will miss you my love. But not for too damn long or you’ll really piss me off!”

Sandy knew she had no choice put to play along. She knew her husband well enough to know that he is one stubborn bastard when is mind is set. Also and this is a very big ALSO…Don’t fuck with his family! Uncontrolled anger usually follows when anyone hurt his kids and/or his wife.

Sandy let her mind drift back in time to an incident that brought out that protective rage in her husband.

Dennis went with Sandy to her company’s Christmas party years ago. Sandy rarely danced with anyone other than her husband, but this one dinner she danced with one of the male employees who had always treated her nicely. He was kind of a shy person and somewhat backwards socially so she thought it would be a harmless dance. But he had too much liquid courage and put his hands south to no man’s land he got way more than he bargained for. After Sandy slapped the one side of his face for grabbing her ass, Dennis hit the other side of his face with a wine bottle! Can you say wired jaw with a turn the cheek chaser?

Of course the police wanted to arrest Dennis after Mr. Grabby called them, but when witnesses commented about sexual assault with Sandy as the victim and Mr. Grabby being the perpetrator, he changed his mind on pressing charges.

Sandy gave her knight in shining armor extra loving that night, especially since she wasn’t fired from her job. The wives of the old cronies who run the bank actually admired Dennis for what he did by standing up for his woman and denied their husband’s from retaliating against either of them. In reality they said they would cut them off, in more ways than one, if they did anything at all.

So begun a time of loneliness and frustration for Sandy. She kept herself busy so not to go mad without knowing if her husband was safe. Of course his letter assured her he would be, but not knowing was a terrible feeling.

She kept to her normal routine. Work, home, visit the kids and the Wrap Wagon with Mike and Jo Anne on the weekends. The not unexpected happened a couple weeks after I left when Sandy was helping at another festival in the Wrap Wagon. Mike was anxious to know how my meeting went with the authorities. Sandy ended up telling him that I didn’t speak to the authorities, but instead I went into hiding on my own. Essentially I ran away. Her explanation was complete except for the whole Satan betting thing. Mike and Jo Anne were unhappy about being mislead by me, but they understood that I kept them in the dark for their safety. They’re good friends and would gladly fight for me as I would for them. They asked Sandy to stay with them but she refused. She remembered something in the letter I left for her…

I’ll be watching…that’s what his letter said. “That bastard!” She really likes calling me that. We’re gonna have a talk when this is over. “That bastard is watching? He’s close! He has our house wired! That bastard!” Really, again with the bastard thing? “It figures. I knew he wouldn’t leave me. He may not be in the house but I knew he would never really leave me,” she said with her eyes misting up. She’s one smart woman when she wants to be and it took her no time at all to figure out the front room had a camera and one in the bedroom so I could watch her sleep.

It didn’t take her long to find the bedroom camera. She looked into it seductively, “OK, if your going to watch, then watch!” The strip tease was long and very erotic. I was watching from my laptop in the apartment, “I was wondering how long it would take her to figure out that part of my letter.” Sandy isn’t one for a strip tease but desperate times….

She was teasing me and punishing me at the same time. I deserved it and I knew it. But watching her did several things for me. The first one of course and the most obvious was the throbbing in my shorts I had watching my wife in all her beauty perform for me. The second was the love I could feel coming from her as I looked into her eyes through the camera. The third was the depression I felt knowing I may never be able to make all this up to her.

Like I said before, I’m far from perfect and I have done things that shame me still, but putting my family in danger is by far the worst. But, I had the feeling things were coming to an end very soon. Satan can be impatient at times like this and to him, I’m unfinished business.

Any ways back to my wife. Did I mention she is an absolute beauty? Maybe not to some men out there, but to me there is no woman alive that is her equal. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Your damn right it is and I’m watching it right now.

She continued to use her feminine wiles slowly swinging her hips and rolling her head seductively while unbuttoning her top one button at a time opening it to show me her wonderful breasts that was covered by a lacy bra that held the twin girls perfectly. She dropped her top and reached behind to unclasp her bra…

“I can’t wait to see what happens next!” I said to myself.

As she reached behind her back she looked into the camera and said, “Do you like? Do you see what you are missing? This body is only for you so you had better get back home, damn quick!” She let her arms drop to her side and stopped her strip tease. She continued to look into the camera and spoke, “If you want to see more you come home NOW! I love you too much to be apart like this. Please come home,” tears now falling down her face.

What could I do? My tears were falling also. “What have I done to my family?”

Just then a knock on the front door was heard and Sandy went to answer it after she put her top back on. I turned my attention to the monitor I had in the front room camera and waited to see what was going on. To my surprise the waitress from the coffee shop was at the door. “Now what?” I wondered. The waitress asked to come in and talk to Sandy and suddenly the hair on the back of my neck stood up. “NO!” I yelled knowing Sandy couldn’t hear me. I ran from the apartment got into my car and burned rubber driving to my house ignoring everything and everyone. Fuck the traffic laws!

When I got to the house the door was open and Sandy was gone. Instead of finding a note inside the house, I found Mary. “It’s about time you got here. I didn’t feel like waiting all day. Anyway, by now you guessed that your lovely wife is gone. She didn’t go quietly. My face still hurts where she hit me. I’ll make sure to get her back for that later, but you haven’t been keeping up your part of the contest with Satan. You were to prove that love is the most powerful force on earth and here you go off and hide away. Are you nuts? Love most powerful, very funny! Everyone knows money is power! Satan is none too happy. He goes through all the trouble of getting me to come to your home and tell wifey poo that we have been donking like maniacs and you get all teary eyed and hide out. Anyway, you want your wife back, then you come with me. Master wants this over with; he has other things to do ya know.”

“Where is my wife you bitch?! If anything has happened to her…” I started to say.

“Please don’t make me laugh. You won’t do anything but come with me and do what you’re told. Oh yeah, we have your friends too! They have some very cute little kids, don’t you think? But don’t worry. The kids are with grandma and will not be harmed unless…”

That’s all she got out of her mouth before I walked over to her and hit her so hard I knocked her out. Where my family and friends are concerned I will do anything to protect them.

I have a very dark side. A side that is kept deep and hidden. I have saying, “Satan will show you more mercy than I will.” That is where I was now.

I had Mary out of my house and in a field out of town. She was tied up and still unconscious. I woke her the best way I knew how. I pissed on her! She woke up unsure what was happening. “Well hello Mary. How are you doing? Glad to see you decided to join me again. Now lets get down to business.”

“What the fuck! What are you doing to me? Untie me you bastard!” Oh great now this bitch is calling be “bastard.” I just can’t win.

“What’s wrong Mary? You and I are just going to talk. I’m going to ask you a few questions and you’ll give me straight answers and everything will be fine, I promise. Now I want you to understand something, if you do not answer me, I will hurt you. I mean…really hurt you.”

“You won’t do anything, Master said you wouldn’t do anything. I sold my soul for money and…”

I slapped her hard to get her attention. “You stupid bitch! How many years did your Master give you to spend that money? Twenty years? Thirty Years? How many bitch?”

“He said I would live a normal life and die an old lady. Why?”

She got very frightened when I started to pull tools from my tool box. The garden shears and blow torch were especially scary to her. “What are you going to do?”

“I did say I would hurt you if you didn’t answer my questions, didn’t I? These are going to be used to influence your cooperation.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

With that I reached down and pull her little finger on her left hand in an outward direction causing it to break. Luckily we were far out of town; that girl can scream pretty loud. “That is only the beginning if you don’t play ball.”

“I don’t believe you’ll hurt me.”

There were some very intense moments after I got carried away and took things a little too far. But it worked out OK and Mary became very cooperative after that. Mary was a really good talker and I was able to keep the darkness at bay. I guess she had seen the light, literally.

I’m not sure what asshole was expecting to accomplish with taking my wife and friends but I’m willing to accommodate him. He had everyone down at the coffee shop, believe it or not. I guess he really does have a weakness for cappuccino.

Mary agreed to help me, albeit begrudgingly. After I put her little finger in a splint we made our way to the coffee shop. Parking outside I spoke to her one more time, “You understand your part?” “Yes.” “If you don’t and anything happens to my wife and friends, I promise you you will be the first to suffer.” “I understand.”

According to Mary, Satan wasn’t alone. He had a couple of goons with him. I still wasn’t sure what his game was, but I had to play along. Mary and I got out of the car and walked toward the coffee shop. Mary walked behind me as we approached the door. Stepping in I seen my wife and friends in a booth at the farthest corner from the shop. They were obviously scared and unsure what was going on. Satan was in a booth across from them sipping on his cappuccino with his goons close by.

As I entered the shop my wife yelled out my name and tried to run to me but one the goons held her back.

“Hi honey. Are you OK? Has anyone hurt you or Mike and Jo Anne?”

“No, not yet but they said we would all die if you didn’t show.”

“Everything will be alright, I’m here now. Nothing can hurt you.”

About that time Mary took the revolver and hit me along side my head. I stumbled and fell to the ground causing Satan to yell at her. “Sorry master but this bastard broke my finger and I had to take his gun to make him stop hitting me. You said he wouldn’t hurt me, you said he would listen and come along quietly, you said…”

In an unearthly scream, “Shut up you bitch! So what, he gave you a little trouble, looks like you handled it.”

“Yes master, I did,” she spoke meekly.

“Now let’s get to it. I’m a very busy devil. You think your the only situation I’m dealing with? Let me tell you my boy you surprised me by leaving your wife and friends and hiding out. Even I couldn’t find you. Now how did you pull that one off?”

“Trade secret asshole.”

“Now now, show some respect, I am Satan after all.”

About that time Mike and Jo Anne heard what he said and started to freak out. I walked over to them and spoke to them calmly telling them to relax and everything will be OK and that they would be home soon. At first they looked at me like I was crazy, but they could tell by my voice and the look in my eyes that I spoke the truth.

“What makes you think that Dennis? We have an agreement, you prove love is most powerful or I get your soul.”

“Wrong asshole! We have an agreement for me to prove my belief that love is all powerful. My soul is not at stake and that no physical harm would come to me for denying you, remember? With Mary hitting me in the head, you already broke our agreement. Now do you want to stick to our deal or not?”

“Shit your right. I have no choice then do I? Our deal still stands.”

“Good, glad that you agree. Sandy, Mike, Jo Anne time for you to leave. Get up out of that booth and walk out of here now!”

As they started to get up and leave…”No one is leaving! Everyone stays until this is finished,” Satan said.

“Why? Why do you need my friends and my wife here? I can do this myself.”

“NO! They stay!”

I looked over to my wife, “Honey, I’m sorry. I should be doing all that I can to keep you safe and get you out of here, but Mike and Jo Anne are innocent of all this. They’re young and have kids to raise. I have to do this.” She nodded her acceptance.

“Tell you what asshole, let my friends go and we can modify our deal.”

“Why would I do that, what do you have to offer?”

“Let them go and we’ll talk.”

Asshole got a smile on his face and I believe he figured out where I was going with all this, “OK. I haven’t been this intrigued by a human in a long time and something tells me this ought to be fun. They can go.”

Looking over to them I could see the fear in their eyes. They were worried about their kids and each other. But I also saw something else, concern for Sandy and me. Even though they were afraid for themselves, they didn’t want to leave me and Sandy here unsure of our safety. “It’s gonna be OK guys. Don’t worry about us. Go home and kiss your kids for us and tell them we love them.”

“We can’t leave you here with…him. Let us help you.”

“You just did. More than you can ever imagine. Go home, we will be seeing you later.”

Mike grabbed Jo Anne’s hand and walked to the door hesitating only a moment to looking toward me and Sandy thinking that they might never see us again. I gave them a wink and suddenly Mike understood and smiled. As they left, Mary asked about his smile.

“No concern of yours. It’s just something between friends.”

“OK, you got what you wanted, they’re gone and will be home safe with their brats soon. How about our deal. You said you would modify it. What are you going to give me for my generosity?” asked Satan.

“ME! You can have me.”

Sandy immediately yelled, “NO! No you will not! This has gone too far already! You and that stupid bet has ruined our lives. It stops now!”

“But I have to, I had to get our friends home safe and now I have to get you home safe.”

“I said NO! We have been together far too long for it to end like this. We vowed to stay together for eternity. That means this life and the next! No matter where the next life leads us.”

The argument went like this for just a few minutes just like I wanted. I wanted Sandy to get pissed off and I wanted everyone else in the room to get irritated with us.

“ENOUGH! My God! Do you two always argue like this?” He got a shocked look on his face, “Oh shit, did I just call him My God?”

“Afraid so asshole.”

“Oh well, I’ve done worse.”

“I’m sure.”

“Now back to our deal, I accept your offer and will take your soul as promised for failing to prove our bet that love is most powerful.”

“Wrong asshole. I just won the bet!”

Satan started to laugh wildly, “How exactly did you do that?”

“Simple really. Let’s look at everything that has happened since you and I met. I agreed to our bet; I’m still debating the soundness of that decision. You attacked my marriage and forced me to flee hoping to keep my wife safe. You kidnapped the people I love knowing I would do anything to get them back, up to and including murder. I offered myself as payment to allow my friends to be released.” I reached over and grabbed my wife’s hands and looked into her eyes, “My wife refused to allow ourselves to be separated and said we would stay together in this life and the next, even if it meant residing in hell, essentially offering herself to you freely. Why do you think all this happened?”

“Because you both are nuttier than squirrel shit?!”

“Not quite asshole. It was love. Simple love. I would gladly lay my life and soul on the line to protect the people I love and you agreed with it.”

“How did I do that?”

“You accepted our payment of sacrifice.”

“I did not.”

“Come on sparky, you just did when you accepted my soul. My wife sacrificed her soul to stay with me even though she was not part of our deal. That’s love dumb ass. Why else would anyone lay their life and soul on the line for someone like that? Because they love them. Are you getting the picture yet? You lost. Suck it up butter cup.

It’s been so long for you you forgot that love is always there. It is the most powerful force on earth. It is seen and unseen. Some people think that no one loves them but they are always loved by God. That’s the unseen part. The love my family has for me is the seen part of love AND the unseen part. YOU LOSE.”

“I DID NOT LOSE! I’ll take my payment now.” Satan ordered Mary to shoot me with the revolver she was holding. If Satan couldn’t take my soul he could at least take his revenge. I do believe I pissed him off a bit.

Before I could stop , Sandy stepped in front of me as Mary raised the revolver and pulled the trigger. Suddenly a bright formless shape appeared between Mary and Sandy and the bullet was stopped cold in mid air before it could hit her. Simultaneously I grabbed Sandy and pulled her to the floor trying to protect her. From the floor we looked up to see the formless figure change to that of a woman. It was my wife’s guardian angel. Looking in my wife’s eyes, “I told you so.” My wife’s eyes grew large with amazement as the angel looked at her and smiled. “Hello Sandy, it’s nice to finally meet you, face to face. I’ve been waiting for you for a long time. You know that man of yours loves you very much don’t you? No one else in this world would’ve offered his soul to Satan just to keep you safe. And you turn around and do the same just to stay with him. That my dear is pure and simple love.” This last part was also directed at Satan.

Sandy looked at her angel and thanked her for saving her from the bullet. “My child you are of course very welcome. You and I will be together for a long time and we will have many conversations from this day forward.” She then turned her attentions to Satan.

“Lucifer! IT IS OVER! You lost the bet. When they are ready to leave, DO NOT TRY AND STOP THEM!”

With that Sandy’s angel smiled at her and faded away. Satan did not look happy and his goons and Mary just stood there like statues not sure what to do. A few short seconds passed and the asshole found his voice, “Oh well, win a few lose a few. Actually I wasn’t sure I’d win this one anyway but what the hell, I had to try. No hard feelings?”

With that I walked over to him and hit him so damn hard he fell back into the booth spilling his cappuccino. I knew I couldn’t hurt him but at least I felt better. “Well I guess I had that coming, but that is the last free one you get, got me?”

“Listen fucker, you kidnapped my wife and hurt her with that story of me having an affair. You’re lucky all you lost was the bet…and Mary!”

“What the fuck are you talking about, that bitch is mine!”

“Yeah, let you and I have a quick chat about that. You agreed to give her a long life with plenty of money to spend but you forgot about my dark side, didn’t you? Not only did I knock her unconscious and break one of her fingers to make her talk, but I also killed her! Did you miss my earlier statement about ‘up to and including murder?’ You know when I had her in the field explaining how I was going to torture her to death to make her talk and tell me what you had planned, she seized up and died. I literally scared her to death. It took some time for the CPR to work but she did come back a few minutes later.

I explained what I needed and she agreed to help me since I freed her from her bonds with you. She had only one task here tonight…to kill me! If my plan failed I needed Sandy safe so that’s why I offered you my soul. After Mary killed me, you would’ve had your prize and Sandy would’ve walked away. My wonderful wife was just a little too fast for me and threw herself in front of the bullet to save my life.”

Satan pondered my explanation and finally accepted his loss. “It wasn’t personal you know. Just doing my job, as it is.”

“You made it personal when you went after the people I love.”

“I’ll remember that for the next time.”

I let that one slide. There will never be a next time. Like I said, “free will.” People choose to make bad decisions. Some of us actually live to regret them and come out ahead in the end.

“Time to go honey. Mary you too. Time to start your new life. It’s time for you to find your happiness, find a code you can live by and don’t sell your soul for it.”

I have my happiness, she’s in my arms right now and I have a life time to make up for my stupid decision about having a contest with the devil. Hopefully someday, I’ll make it right.

Like I said, Family, God, Country, Corps. Family…above all else.

THE END