Episode #11 - Quake: Epilogue - Fair Warning

_____ _____ _____

They didn’t meet in Director Fuller’s office. The second the Storm Breaker set down on the rooftop of the Federal Building, Fuller, Shiva, Fronk and Erin made their approach. They climbed aboard before Lenox, Staci, LeBeau and Bandjough made any moves. Shiva closed the door behind him.

“We have problems,” Fuller began, putting on a headset so that the two pilots could listen in. “Tristian Salvadori has told me that he is fully aware of who we are as Christians and he doesn’t intend to let it rest. He didn’t say when he would do something about it, but he did tell me that our lives would be made miserable by him personally in the not too far future.” He turned to Lenox. “I know you’re not with us on this, Michael, but I fear for your soul. I’m afraid that the Antichrist might use you against us if you don’t make a decision about Christ soon.”

Lenox shook his head. “If you’re talking about me betraying any of you, you’re way off base, Director. That’s not going to happen.”

“Michael, you don’t know that. You can’t be sure because you don’t believe as we do. You can’t live on the outside without eventually being forced to make a choice based on your duty or your own beliefs. We’re going to be against you at some point. We’ll do something that will compromise you and that will force you to do something you may not want to do.” He made eye contact with him. “The sooner you admit that, the better it will be for you to start seeing the truth.”

“If you’re so certain I’ll turn against you, why don’t you order me to get out so you can continue with your private meeting?”

“Because you know where we’re going. If I don’t tell you, you’d still figure it out in very little time.”

Lenox nodded. “Bunker Island.”

“I still don’t know why you guys call it an island,” Staci commented. “It’s not an island at all.”

Lenox glanced at her. “So, you’re going there to, what…hide? Because you think it‘s only a matter of time before Salvadori comes after you?”

Fuller nodded. “Essentially, yes.”

“You really think he’s going to come after you?”

“Yes, I do.”

Lenox thought about it. “I think you’re all crazy.” He looked at Fuller. “For what it’s worth, I won’t tell him.”

“It’s my prayer that you never meet the man personally. He can be very persuasive, Michael.” He paused. “He’s going to the White House and Vice President Marcus Quatermain is going to give him the royal treatment.”

Shiva nodded his head. “Yeah, but President Ballou is going to attack the White House when the Antichrist gets into the White House. He has a small army ready for it.”

Lenox turned to regard him. “How do you know about that?”

“I was speaking to someone who has learned of it before the quake. His name is Kempner. Sean Kempner.”

Lenox recognized the name but he didn’t respond to it. He turned to Fuller. “I’d say the action is going to be centered on the White House in a few days, wouldn’t you?”

Fuller agreed.

There was a pause.

Lenox looked around. He frowned. “I only have one question…Where is Bear?”

Episode #11 - Quake: Chapter 55 - The Good Shepherd

Fifty-Five
The Good Shepherd

Shiva had been picked up by one of the black helicopters and taken over to the Federal Building. As he was walking down the darkened stairwell with a flashlight to light his way, he discovered Fronk, Erin, and Carr walking up the stairwell. They all reached the same landing they were heading for at the same time.

“You guys look a wreck,” Shiva commented. “You okay?”

“We were stuck in an elevator,” Erin said.

Fronk nodded grimly. “Yeah. With Mr. Ed. We’re coming back up to see if the Director is okay.”

“And the Advocate,” Carr added.

The others ignored his comment.

“Where were you?” Fronk asked Shiva.

Shiva aimed a thumb behind him. “I was on the rooftop of the building across the street. Before the quake, someone was going to take a shot at Tristian Salvadori.”

Carr glared at him. “What? Did you catch this man? Where is he now?”

“Man, he’s gone. I had him once, but after the quake, he disappeared.” He decided he wasn’t going to share any more detail with Carr present.

Carr continued to glare at him. Then, he abruptly pushed his way past them and hurried out of the stairwell. He fully intended to get a team of agents to investigate the building and search for this suspected assassin.

“Come on, let’s get to the Director,” Fronk said.

The three of them continued together. They found Director Fuller sitting at his desk in the ruins of his office. He didn’t look well.

“Director, are you alright?” Shiva asked, concerned.

Erin looked around, hesitant to enter until she was certain that the Antichrist was gone. When she saw no sign of him, she came into the office but kept close to Fronk.

Fuller shook his head. “No, I’m not alright.”

“What’s wrong?” Fronk asked. “What happened…and where is he whose name should not be mentioned?”

Fuller paused. “He left.”

“Why did he want to see you?” Erin asked.

“We need to regroup.” Fuller looked at her. “Salvadori wanted to give me a warning. He knows about us…and he intends to make our lives a living hell.”

_____ _____ _____

Something bothered Staci more than she was willing to admit, even to herself, as she and Lenox were finally freed from being trapped beneath the warehouse. As she and Lenox were checked over by the EMP’s - in spite of her assurances that they were okay - she couldn’t help noticing something odd. It was the way Lenox reacted - or lack of reaction - with agents wearing their AIM jackets. The AIM agents seemed to respect Lenox’ space and they gave him plenty of room. It was as if they knew who he was and he knew them. As if they were allowing him to continue with whatever it was that he was doing.

She couldn’t explain it any other way. It was just a feeling…A hunch.

As the EMP’s were finishing, LeBeau, Bandjough, Yorke and Groh made their approach.

“We’ve got some bad news,” Yorke replied, glancing at Groh who was rubbing the back of his head. He turned to Lenox. “You’re not going to like this one bit.”

“Let me guess…” Lenox paused for affect. “Sebastian Crowe somehow managed to get away. And judging from the way Randy is reacting, I’d say that our killer clubbed him in the back of his head.”

Groh glared. “You guessed that right. Wow. You must be some kind of a detective.”

“What did he hit you with?”

“A piece of two-by-four that he pulled out from the debris when we were foolishly trying to dig you out.” He shook his head. “We got so into our task, we let out guard down. But, hey, you can be ticked off with me all you want. I’m even more ticked off with my partner, who wasn’t even in sight when I got clobbered.”

Yorke sighed. “I had my back turned.”

“So did I, but I’m still the one who got clobbered.”

“I can’t go home,” Staci said to Lenox. “He knows where I live.”

LeBeau held up a hand. “Excuse me…but that’s okay, Doc. The Director wants to see us as soon as we can leave from here.”

Lenox rose to his feet. “I’m sure we can do that. We’re not needed here. I think AIM has everything under control here, and I’m sure they’ll look after Crowe. They’ll catch him.” He turned to the pilots. “Lead to the Storm Breaker, gentlemen. Let’s not keep the Director waiting.”

As they walked away, Groh turned to Yorke. “You’re a real piece of work, you know that?”

Yorke frowned. “What did I do?”

“Cain has a vendetta against you, brother, but I’m the one he hits. Not you. Me.”

“Well, I’m sorry. The next time we catch him, I’ll give him your complaint.”

_____ _____ _____

For several hours, King had spent time in the main office of Camp Wood, going over his notes from the Bible that he intended to give. A fellow brother in Christ had been taken from them and the Lord was impressing upon his heart to offer words of encouragement to the others. Everyone for the most part had felt victorious during the baptisms, but that victory rapidly turned into a grievous defeat within a very short time.

After a time, there was a knock on the door and he looked up from his journal to find Saint standing in the doorway. Behind Saint was Sheriff Hoag.

“Robert’s back,” he said.

King rose to his feet. “Robert…we did not expect you to return.”

Hoag stepped into the office. “I didn’t expect to return myself, but…” He sighed. “Janice, Peter’s wife, didn’t want me to bring him home. I didn’t know where else to take him so I brought him here.”

King paused. “Perhaps we can find a place to bury him here.”

“We already dug him a grave and put him in it,” Saint replied solemnly. “I figured that after you spoke to us what God has laid on your heart, then we could cover him up.”
“Of course. I‘m ready to speak.”

“Then, I’ll gather the others.”

Saint left the office with Hoag.

Saint led the group in song with his guitar. As the people sang, King joined them with his Bible in his hand. Saint led them into a few more songs and then, after he said a word of prayer, he took his guitar and sat on the grass with Chris. Hoag sat with them.

King stood in front of the open grave and held his Bible before him. For a moment, he didn’t speak. He allowed the silence to help the others reflect on their own personal thoughts as he considered his own.

But finally, he said, “Peter was taken from us before many of us had a chance to know him…but this is not a defeat. The enemy wants us to think that he has struck a blow against us to cripple us from what our heavenly Father would have us do. But we are not defeated. We are not crippled. We are not hindered because I tell you that this is not a defeat. Peter is home. He is right now in a place where nothing can touch him. One day, we shall enjoy fellowship with him again.”

He paused as he opened his Bible. “I have been to Israel. I have been in the places where it has been said that our Lord walked. I once witnessed one of the most incredible things I had ever seen. At the time, I was not a Christian. At the time I saw this, I did not give it much consideration, but as a new Christian, I have been reminded of what I had seen and feel that this is what God would have me share with you. Now I will never forget it. The evening sun was setting and two shepherds approached a nearby well with their flocks. For approximately twenty minutes, the two men chatted while their sheep mingled and roamed about. The animals wandered everywhere. Soon, you could not tell one group from the other because they were so interspersed and scattered throughout the countryside.

“But then something extraordinary happened. One of the shepherds turned around, quietly called out a command, and started to walk away. Instantly those two flocks separated. The sheep recognized their master’s voice, and as he made his way up the hillside, they streamed in from every direction to follow him. They knew exactly what to do.”

King looked out at the group before him, making eye contact with many of them. “This is the relationship the Bible tells us we’re to have with the Lord Jesus. I did not know Peter as well as some of you did, but I do know that Peter had this relationship for it was evidenced in the way he lived his life. Jesus said, ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.’ 1 ‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me…’ 2 In other words, if we believe in Jesus as our Savior, then we should have faith in Him and do as He says.

“Do we recognize the Shepherd’s voice? When the Master speaks to us, do we even realize that it is Him? Listening to our heavenly Father is essential if we want to walk with Him. But what is even more crucial is that we truly believe the Good Shepherd’s love for us is everlasting, unyielding, and completely unconditional. We must be confident that He always provides what is absolutely best for us. Jeremiah 31:3 tells us, ‘The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.’ I hope you have discovered how awesome it is to have the all-sufficient, eternal, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, sovereign Lord of all creation to guide, protect, and provide for you in a personal way. I know what you may be thinking…Has Peter been guided to his death? Was Peter protected when the man who listens to Satan’s lies pushed him off the cliff, taking his life? Did God provide for Peter? I say to you, yes. God did guide Peter. God did protect him. God did provide for him. God did…as he does for us. He has given to us the same thing that Peter had accepted from Him. Salvation through the shed blood of His only begotten Son. In this lies guidance, protection and provision. As we seek an intimate relationship with Him and are obedient to His command, we will discover - as Peter did - that He knows exactly what we need and precisely the right moment to supply it. King David realized this, which is why he affirms, ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ 3”

King paused as he looked out at the group. He knew he had their attention. Their eyes were upon him and they wanted to hear what God had for them. Occasionally, someone would shout out an “Amen!” or a “Halleluiah!”

King continued, “But perhaps you have begun to think, I’ve been seeking God, but there are things I need and desires in my heart that He has not yet given me. Why doesn’t He answer my prayers?” He looked at Hoag. “I want to assure you that the Father always has your best interests at heart.” He raised his Bible. “Let’s take a look at Psalm 23 as a reminder of how faithfully He leads us and why we never have a reason to fear when we are following the Good Shepherd.”

He glanced at the Psalm. “The first thing we will see in this wonderful passage - a passage usually shared when a loved one has gone over to meet with the Lord - is how perfectly the Shepherd provides for us. ‘He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.’ 4 God not only supplies our physical needs, but also our emotional and spiritual needs. Nothing can satisfy our souls as He can. The Lord fills our desires for love, acceptance, companionship, and intimacy as no one else can. And He will never lead us to anything that could harm us. ‘Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?’ 5 If there is something that God has not yet given you, then you can be certain it is for a very good reason.

“Secondly, it is crucial for us to know and to understand that the Shepherd is interested in restoring and sanctifying our souls. ‘He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name‘s sake.’ 6

The Father hates sin because it creates emptiness, guilt, anger, and loneliness within our hearts and separates us from Him. So He heals us of our transgressions through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ, and He gives us the Holy Spirit to teach us to walk in a manner worthy of His Son. ‘Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and ye shall receive the gifts of the Holy Ghost.’ 7

“Third…the Shepherd wants to lead us through the valley of adversity to the mountaintops of victory. I assure you, Peter is on the mountaintop of victory. Death has no hold on him because he is covered by the blood of God’s only Son. ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; they rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.’ 8 Everyone experiences trials, conflicts, heartaches, and doubts at one time or another. But as believers, we are promised that no matter how hopeless our circumstances may appear, God will lead us through them. He will transform them into something positive in our lives. Because the Shepherd protects us, we know that our troubles will not leave lasting scars. Instead, every obstacle builds our character and brings us closer to Him than we’ve ever been before.

“Finally, the Shepherd has prepared an awesome destination for us - one that is far beyond our greatest expectations and hopes. Peter knows about this destination. ‘Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever’ 9 Today, we know how uncertainty the future has become. We have read in the Bible in prophecy how that in the last days, the tribulations will be worst than the tribulations of the past. In this uncertainty we may not know what will become of us, but the Father does know. God understands the path we are on better than we ever could, and He has gone before us to map out the very best route possible to get us to where we need to be. ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ 10

“Do you recognize the Shepherd’s voice?” King asked in conclusion. “When the Master speaks to you, do you realize who is speaking and immediately obey? One of the reasons we fail to experience life at its best is simply because we are not actually listening to His voice. Let us make a commitment today to follow the Good Shepherd more closely than we ever have before. May our cups overflow, and may His goodness and mercy bless us as we seek Him and serve Him all the days of our lives.”

The words were meant as encouragement, and many were encouraged. Their hearts still grieved over the loss of Peter, but hope was renewed. Saint and Hoag covered Peter with the dirt that had been dug up. When that was done, Hoag approached King.

“David,” he said softly without hesitation, “what must I do to be saved?”

King led Hoag on the Romans Road of Salvation.

_____ _____ _____

1 - John 10:14
2 - John 10:27
3 - Psalm 23:1
4 - Psalm 23:2
5 - Matthew 7:9 - 11
6 - Psalm 23:3
7 - Acts 2:38
8 - Psalm 23:4 - 5
9 - Psalm 23:5 - 6
10 - Jeremiah 29:11 - 13

Episode #11 - Quake: Chapter 54 - The Embodiment of Evil

Fifty-Four
The Embodiment of Evil

LeBeau and Bandjough had left the others as they flew the Storm Breaker toward the Federal Building in hopes of returning with the help they needed. Their thoughts and prayers were for Staci and Lenox. However, they didn’t believe they would find the help they required. As they flew over Albany, they could see the devastation the earthquake had wrought. Help was needed throughout the city.

“Everyone needs help down there,” Bandjough commented. “This doesn’t look good, Ace. If we can’t bring back help, how are we going to get to Doc and Knox?”

LeBeau sighed wearily. “I don’t know.”

“Man…Knox isn’t even saved.”

“He’s not dead, Rookie! He didn’t sound even close to death. Come on, keep your thoughts on Him if ya feel like you’re gonna lose it.”

Bandjough glanced at him. “I’m trying. It just doesn’t look very hopeful.”

“Yeah, well, I heard that God is into doin’ the impossible. If anyone can make this come out right, He can.”

Bandjough paused. “You’re right.”

“Of course, I am. Or at least He is right. Isn’t that what He says in His Word? That He is the God of the impossible? Jesus Himself said, ‘With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.’ 1 So think on that. Alright?”

“Thanks, Ace.”

“Sure.” He suddenly tensed. “You’ve got to be kiddin’ me!”

Bandjough was about to ask him what was wrong when he saw for himself. The Storm Breaker was not the only aircraft flying over Albany. The sky seemed to be filled with black helicopters. Helicopters they had seen once before, only not as many.

“Bell ARH’s,” LeBeau snorted. “Justice.”

“I’ve…I’ve never seen so many in the same place before.”

“Yeah…well, welcome to the world as we know it after the Rapture.”

A voice came over their radio. “Storm Breaker, this is Commander Kevin Oakley of the AIM Relief Task Force.”

Bandjough frowned at LeBeau. “Relief Task Force? Get real.”

“Do you require assistance?”

The two pilots looked at each other.

“Was he askin’ us if we needed help?” LeBeau asked rhetorically. “Last time we faced these guys, they were ready to blow us out of the sky!”

“He said ‘AIM’, not Justice,” Bandjough pointed out.

The voice came back over the radio. “Storm Breaker, do you copy? Are you in need of assistance?”

LeBeau cleared his throat. “Yeah, Commander Oakley. We need assistance. We have an agent and…a medical doctor trapped under a warehouse south of Albany.”

“Of course. Turn back to the location and I’ll send a team to render aid. They will follow you. Once there, rest assured, your agent and MD will be retrieved from the warehouse.”

LeBeau blinked. “Thank you.” When there was no further communication, he turned to his co-pilot. “Now what do ya think about that?”

Bandjough shrugged. “‘Ask and ye shall receive.’ 2”

“I wasn’t about to ask them.”

“We didn’t ask them. We asked God.”

LeBeau nodded, recalling the prayer he and his co-pilot shared before they headed for the Federal Building via Storm Breaker. “Yeah, that’s right.”

They brought the Storm Breaker around and headed back in the direction they had come from. Behind them, four Bell ARH’s followed.

_____ _____ _____

“I don’t think I’ve thanked you,” Staci replied, moving a strand of hair behind her right ear.

Lenox looked at her. “For what?”

“For saving my life. From Cain.”

“You don’t have to thank me.”

“I thank you anyway.”

“It’s not necessary, Staci.”

She smiled at him. “Just take it and say ‘You’re welcome, Staci.’”

He paused. “You’re welcome, Staci.”

“Really, I’m more grateful than you can know. I shouldn’t be surprised. I see God’s hand in everything that happens around me. I know He’s leading me. I know He’s in control and I shouldn’t worry. Nothing can happen to me or you that He doesn’t already know about. I think that’s a wonderful thing.” She looked into his eyes. “I’m going to pray that God shows you the same thing.”

“I must be at the top of your prayer list.”

“You are.”

He regarded her. “Staci, I really appreciate your prayers, but --”

“Don’t tell me it’s not necessary because it is.”

He nodded. “Okay. It’s just that…can your prayers really change anything for me? Admittedly, I have my struggles, but still I can’t just bring myself to move in the direction you want me to move in.”

“I’m not asking God for you to come directly to Him because I can see that you won’t just do that. For some people, that’s easy. They reach a point, like I did, where the truth is seen and then action is taken. It’s like a light comes on and I finally notice what was right in front of me all along. But there are others, like you, who I guess need more than that. I have to ask God to reveal Himself to you. To help you see Him, maybe every where you look. I think if you see Him working in your life and in the lives of those around you, you might want to take the next step and come to Him.” She pursed her lips. “Do you know what I mean?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I do.”

She paused, watching him closely. “I…I care about you.”

“Staci, I care about you, too.”

She paused again. “You do owe me a dinner if we get out of here. I helped you and your detective friends find Cain.” She hesitated. “Well, actually, he found me…and then…you found me. Anyway, I did help and the deal was that I get to have dinner with you.”

He nodded, trying not to smile too much. “I’d be happy to take you to dinner.”

“Well…that’s if there are any restaurants left standing.”

“There is that.” He looked at her. “I’ll take you to dinner one way or the other.”

Staci took a deep breath and regretted it. She inhaled the dust in the air and fell into a fit of coughing. When she was able to stop, she cleared her throat.

“Are you okay?” Lenox asked, concerned.

She nodded. “Thank God you have that little flashlight or it would be dark in here.”

“It came with the Handbook of the Government Agent.”

“It did?”

He grinned. “No. I made that up.”

She smiled but tried to look stern. “Well, now, that’s not nice, mister.” She hesitated, thinking of a verse of scripture. “That little light reminds me of another Light. ‘I am come a light in the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.’ 3 I think it’s in John.”

“And that Light you are referring to is Jesus, right?”

“Yes.”

“I do understand the analogy.”

“Right…because we live in darkness and He came to give us light so we could have our eyes opened and be able to see.” She looked at him. “You don’t mind if I…talk like this, do you? About Him?”

Lenox shook his head. “No. I don’t mind. It’s important to you, I know that. You can talk about anything you want to.”

She smiled. “Good. Because I have another verse about the same thing. About Jesus as the light.”

“From the Book of John?”

“I believe so. The verse is about Jesus who is calling Himself the light. It goes like this…‘Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followed me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ 4 I love this verse. It’s special for me because no matter where I am, He’s with me. I have His light because He is the light. There just isn’t anything that He can’t see. Nothing is hidden from Him. It makes me feel…safe. I have a sense of security.” She paused as she looked at Lenox. “I wish that --”

Lenox’ cell phone rang. He looked at it and the ID caller let him know that it was LeBeau who was calling. He place the phone to his ear. “Go ahead, Ace.”

“I brought the Calvary,” the pilot responded. “We’ll get you out of there as soon as we can. You might here a lot of noise, but don’t be alarmed. It’s only us.”

“Since when have I ever been alarmed?”

“Yeah…right. I forgot who I was talkin’ to for a minute there.”

“What Calvary have you brought…” Lenox stopped. Then, he said, “AIM.”

Staci looked at him. “What?”

On the phone, LeBeau said, “How did you know?”

“Never mind,” Lenox responded. “Just get the job done. We’ll see you soon.” He closed his cell phone and put it away.

“Was that Keith?” Staci asked.

Lenox nodded. “Yes. It seems he brought AIM with him and they’ll be digging us out soon.”

“But…couldn’t they cause another collapse if they dig in the wrong place?”

“Don’t worry about that. AIM isn’t coming here ill-equipped. They know what they’re doing and will be able to pinpoint our exact location. They’ll do what they can to prevent another collapse.” He knew it was only a matter of time now before they got rescued. He hadn’t expected AIM to render assistance…but he wasn’t surprised by it either.

Not in the least.

_____ _____ _____

Fuller’s office was a mess. The large hole through his wall was big enough for any man to fit through. Salvadori’s agents and bodyguards were through it the second the opening was available to them. They rushed to his aid and treated him as if he were royalty. It made Fuller sick to watch.

This man is the embodiment of evil, Fuller thought to himself.

As that thought was going through his mind, Salvadori turned his head and looked right into his eyes. Fuller silently prayed to the Lord that He would protect his thoughts.

That man can’t possibly read minds…can he? Fuller wondered.

“You may be relieved to know that I will be leaving,” Salvadori said, taking a few steps toward him. “My staff are understandably concerned for my safety and have expressed that I be taken to a safer place.”

Fuller nodded once. “Good-bye,” he said. It was all he could think of to speak what was on his heart. Good riddance would not have been Christian-like.

Salvadori took another step. “I want you to know that President Quatermain has extended a personal invitation to me to join him at the White House. Together, in a months time - perhaps sooner - we shall address the nation and the world. We will reveal the truth of how the vanishings occurred. We will reveal a new threat to the Unification of all peoples around the globe. In essence, Director Fuller, for some, the gloves are coming off.” He smiled wryly. “Is that not the proper expression?”

“Why are you telling me this?” Fuller asked him.

“You might have that long before trouble comes your way. It would have been better for if you had taken my offer instead of insulting me. At least now I know where you stand.”

With that, he turned and headed out of Fuller’s office. Fuller sat down behind his desk, stunned at the sudden turn of events. His future suddenly didn’t look very promising.

_____ _____ _____

When Hoag knocked on the door, at first there was no response. Instead of knocking again, he waited patiently. He wasn’t in any hurry. He had nowhere else in mind to go. He had nothing better to do. All there was before him was the task of taking care of family matters.

When it became clear, however, that no one was coming to the door, he did finally knock on the door once more.

The door opened and Janice Chase stood in the doorway. “Hello, Sheriff,” she replied. “I’m sorry…I didn’t think it would be you. I thought it was someone else, which is why I didn’t open the first time.”

What she had said didn’t fully register in his mind. “Janice…I don’t know how to tell you this…so I’m just going to come out and say it.” He fought to keep his emotions in check and managed to succeed for the moment. “Peter’s dead.”

Janice didn’t speak. She remained silent. She tensed and glared at the Sheriff.

Hoag was suddenly struck at how strange it was that in one moment, Janice was hospitable and friendly. In the next moment with his announcement, she became cold and hostile. He frowned. “Janice, did you hear what I said? Peter is dead.”

“I heard you,” she told him.

“And?”

“And…I don’t care.”

Hoag blinked. “What did you say? I just told you that your husband is dead…and you’re standing there and telling me you don’t care?”

Janice nodded curtly. “That’s what I’m telling you.”

“Janice, he --”

“Peter died to me when he chose to follow after a man who was crucified over 2,000 years ago. He’s been gone, Sheriff. He can’t be gone a second time.”

Hoag shook his head. “I cannot accept this! I have your husband’s body in my car. We need to bury him.”

“You bury him. I’m done with him.”

Before he could say another word, Janice slammed the door on him. Hoag couldn’t bring himself to believe what had just happened.

_____ _____ _____

Fronk climbed up the ladder with no difficulty whatsoever, but he discovered that it wasn’t a simple task to reach up for the release that would open the doors on his left. The door release felt as if it were jammed. After several tries, he looked down toward the elevator below him and gave a shrill whistle.

“What?” Carr called up to him.

“I have to go up a level,” Fronk responded. “Can’t open this one.”

“Then, go up a level!”

Inside the elevator, Erin moved under the opening Fronk had made earlier and looked up. She glanced at Carr. “Can you help me reach that? I can’t be in here any longer. I’m getting crazy.”

Carr thought about making a comment and decided not to. He helped Erin reach up for the opening in the same way he helped Fronk. Erin pulled herself out of the elevator and as she stood on the roof, she thought she felt a tremor. Disregarding it as her imagination, she moved toward the ladder with intentions of following Fronk.

Fronk looked down and saw her. “Well, hello there, beautiful!”

She began to climb up toward him. “Do we have to climb up another level?”

He nodded solemnly. He tapped a lever with his left hand. “Do you see this release mechanism?”

She nodded.

“It won’t budge. I can’t get it to move. If I could, it would allow these doors to slide open…and then I could get you out of here.” He smiled at her. “But, alas, have no fear, my love. I shall get you out of here. Your safety is my number one priority.”

She couldn’t help but return the smile. “You say the sweetest things.”

From below came the sound of a snort. They looked down and saw that Carr had climbed out onto the roof of the elevator.

“Of all the people I had to get stuck with,” he grumbled. “it had to be with Romeo and Juliet.” He shook his head and reached for the ladder.

Fronk grinned. “Look on the bright side. Things could have been a lot worst than this.”

Carr’s hands gripped the rung of the ladder above him, one foot was on another rung and the other foot was on the elevator…which suddenly shifted. There was a loud crack that reverberated through the shaft. A split second later the elevator dropped and plummeted to the ground far below. In shocked silence, Carr, Fronk and Erin stared at the sight below. The elevator continued its fall until with a loud crash, it hit the ground below.

For a moment, no one said anything or even moved.

“How can it get worst than this?” Carr demanded.

“Well…” Fronk began. “You could have been still inside.”

Carr thought about that and swallowed as he clung to the ladder. “I suppose you’re right,” he finally said.

Fronk winked at Erin. “Worst than that, Erin and I could have been in there with you.”

Carr glared up at him.

Fronk, however, began to lead them upward as he climbed for the next door.

_____ _____ _____

1 - Matthew 19:26
2 - John 16:24
3 - John 12:46
4 - John 8:12