IN THE BEGINNING: Prologue

There was nothing unusual about Pastor Ezekiel James catching a flight from his hometown of Jackson, MS to Washington D. C. in the middle of the night. At the age of 77, he was a well traveled man with connections and relationships around the globe. Anyone who knew the reason for this visit,though, would tell you that it was definitely unusual.

When his plane landed in D. C. there was a car and driver waiting to take him to the resident of the White House. Again, on the surface, nothing out of the ordinary there either. His son-in-law was the President of the United States, heading into his second year in office. Ezekiel was seen by many to be his spiritual advisor and was seen with the Commander-In-Chief on many occasions outside of normal family events. Yet as the driver shut the car door and they headed towards their destination, it was unclear whether or not the President was ready to hear or accept what he had to say.

To be frank, Ezekiel was feeling something that rarely came over him or that he would openly admit. It was fear. He was afraid. Everything about the events of the past several months scared him, and he couldn't shake the thought that much of it was his fault.

Who would have known that an indiscretion some forty years ago could come back to threaten not just his life but the country he loved so much...

His thoughts were interrupted by a sound that was all too familiar, yet this particular night it sent a chill through him. It was a sneeze. The driver sneezed.

At that moment the seriousness of what was happening around him set it. After a pause, he reached over the seat and touched the driver on the shoulder. "Bless you," he whispered. "Bless you."