Something struck the side of the building they were racing past and an explosion from above suddenly caused them to dive for cover. Debris and large chunks of brick from the wall fell all around them as a result from the rocket, which had been fired by the enemy. Rain mixed with broken shards of glass. Groh ran across the street, slid over the top of a Buick and leapt for all he was worth into a stairwell leading into a shop lower than the street.
When the debris finally stopped falling, the police officer poked his head up and surveyed the scene. He saw the ATD agents getting up and taking cover against a van until they were out of his sight. He didn’t see Yorke anywhere. He looked toward where the rocket had come from and saw two terrorists raising their arms in triumph. Out of this entire nightmare, that is what ticked him off the most, that they not only had the audacity to attack his city but that they would celebrate openly with their victory cries. When they finished that, they readied their weapons and slowly advanced.
They didn’t seem to care they were in the open. They were confident they were going to win the complete victory over their enemies. Groh, however, realized they weren’t even looking in his direction and a daring plan began to form in his mind. He vowed that he was going to make them regret having not noticed him.
Behind the van, Lenox raised his head and looked through the windows. Readying the AK-47, he told Barrington and Bollinger, “We’ve got company. There’s two…” He stopped when he saw movement to his left. More terrorists were advancing toward them. “Make that five hostiles coming in our direction.”
Barrington remained on the pavement with his back against the front of the van. He didn’t say a word. He simply sat there with one hand holding his gun loosely and the other hand continued to clutch Canaan’s Bible.
Bollinger stayed low and peeked carefully around the van. He only saw the two terrorists in the street moving toward them. He couldn’t see the other three Lenox had mentioned, but if Lenox said there were more, then there was no reason to doubt him. “This is far better than I had ever hoped for,” he replied, unable to contain his grin. “This is like living in a Chuck Norris film, only without the bad acting.”
Lenox shot him a look. “Are you out of your mind?” He glanced at his partner. “Al, get ready! They’re closing in.”
Barrington didn’t respond.
“Where did those cops go?” Lenox wondered as he glanced behind them.
A sudden volley of bullets fired from a terrorist caused Lenox to duck further in front of the van. That’s when return fire at the enemy from a pile of debris answered the question as to where one of the officers had gone. Yorke laid against the debris pile as he held his weapon over the top and fired. Lenox leveled his AK-47 around the van and added to the gunfire. He was furious, however, about the lack of activity from his suddenly brooding partner.
Bollinger was about to join from his side of the van when he noticed one of the terrorist’s in the street had come to a stop. It was then he noticed the long tube-like device in the enemies hands. The terrorist dropped to one knee on the pavement, leveled the device onto his right shoulder and made what appeared to be a minute adjustment.
“Get away from the van!” Bollinger shouted. “Now!”
Lenox, and Barrington didn’t question him. The three of them got up from their position, turned and ran as fast as they were able to. They took cover with Yorke amongst the debris.
“Get off me, man!” Yorke hollered as someone rolled right over the top of him.
As Lenox, Barrington and Bollinger were ducking for cover with Yorke, the terrorist was confident he was about to send more infidels to their deaths. However, a split second before he fired the rocket, Groh came out from his cover and leveled his shotgun. On the run, he fired. Boom! The terrorist fell back, but he pulled the trigger and his aim shifted quite a bit.
It was enough.
The rocket sailed away from the van and into the wall of another building, causing the three terrorists on the sidewalk to run for cover. The second terrorist whom had been in the street turned to face Groh, but the police officer swung his shotgun like a baseball bat, clubbing the man in the side of the face. The force of the blow snapped the man’s head back, causing him to fall. Groh didn’t wait to see if he was going to get back up. He turned and faced toward the others.
“Let’s get out of here!” he exclaimed, waving for them as the rain continued it’s seemingly never-ending downpour.
The others came away from their cover and caught up with Groh. Then all of them headed up the street at a run. They fired at the three terrorist’s who had earlier sought for cover. One of them went down. The other two shouted at the officer’s and agent’s and ran out into the open, firing wildly. Lenox, Yorke, Bollinger and Groh each leveled their weapons, like four gunslingers at the Ok Coral, and fired their weapons as they continued moving forward. The terrorist’s didn’t have a chance, and they fell into the street, meeting eternity.
Barrington followed behind the others, but his weapon was leveled at the ground. He gripped the Bible in his hand as if it were a lifeline, more than he did his gun. The weapon he wanted to drop.
And yet he didn’t.
He didn’t understand what was causing him to hang onto the weapon when everything within him screamed at him to drop it. He had already vowed to himself that he would never again use it to take another life. Yet something was compelling him to keep it.
They eventually managed to get to West Avenue and once they did, Barrington seemed to come to life then. He moved past the others and ran up the street toward the penthouse apartment building he lived in. He wasn’t concerned at all if any of the enemy were about or not. He just wanted to get inside to a place that was familiar to him and get away from the madness, which seemed to get worse with every single step he took.
“Bear!” Lenox shouted. “Wait!” He ran toward his friend, trying to catch up to him as Bollinger and the police officers did the same. Their eyes, however, were also keeping a close lookout for the enemy.
Catching up to Barrington proved not to be that difficult at all. As they came closer, they found the man standing there, staring in awe at the sight that met them. The entrance of the building was once an enclosed foyer, but it had been completely destroyed by a tractor-less rig. It was clear the rig had gone right through the foyer, spraying glass everywhere. The rig was now against the side of the building, close to the corner, having scraped along the wall until it eventually stopped.
The glass door, which had once been the main entrance, had been completely shattered. As Barrington stood in the opening and looked inside, he saw the floor littered with shards of broken glass and a fire extinguisher was lying a few feet from where he was.
Lenox and the others approached from behind.
“Well…” Lenox began as he stepped beside his friend, taking in the destruction, “so much for the security in this building.”
Barrington stepped inside, followed by the others. “We’ll have to take the stairs,” he said, stating the obvious.
“I’m just glad to be out of the rain,” Bollinger commented to no one in particular, trying to shake the rain off from himself.
Groh positioned himself by the door as he noticed movement outside in the street. He began to reload the shotgun. “We might have company any minute. You guys go do what you came to do, but make it quick.”
Yorke positioned himself on the opposite side of the door. “We’ll hold them back if we have to.”
Lenox handed his AK-47 to Groh. “Thanks.” He withdrew his .357 Magnum, which he favored, and followed Barrington into the darkened stairwell. Bollinger followed him.
It was slow going for them. They had to feel their way up the stairs and were careful not to attract any unwanted attention. They had no idea if terrorists were in the building, but because of what Bollinger had told them earlier, they weren’t taking any chances.
Barrington finally felt his way to the door on the fifth floor landing. With his gun at the ready and Canaan’s Bible tucked under his left arm, he slowly pushed open the door. He was praying there were no terrorists about, because the last thing he wanted to do was be responsible for taking their lives and sending them to an eternity of torment.
The corridor seemed to be empty. It was still dark, but not too dark where he couldn’t see. He cautiously headed for his apartment, Lenox and Bollinger keeping step with him.
Once at his door marked 55, Barrington stopped. The door to his apartment was open and a heavy silence greeted them. An oppressive silence. He was straining to hear anything that might give him a clue his family was still there, inside their home, but there was nothing.
He finally took a deep breath. “This can’t be good,” he said softly.
Lenox looked through the doorway into the apartment. “Let’s just have a look around.”
Barrington nodded.
The two men entered the apartment and began to search for any sign that Barrington’s wife and child were still there and alive. Bollinger stayed in the doorway, having decided to wait. Besides, he was far more interested in the apartment further down the hall. Looking toward it, he realized the door to Dr. Staci Cohen’s apartment was slightly ajar.
A grin spread across his face.
Inside Barrington’s apartment, candles were found lit in the living room. Barrington knew his wife must have had them lit before the whole nightmare began. She loved candles. The major discovery, however, wasn’t found until he and Lenox went into the kitchen. Kate had been standing at the kitchen counter; April had been sitting at the table. They were gone, but all that did remain was their clothing.
Lenox didn’t know what to make of it. How could any one simply vanish without a trace? Joseph Canaan. The old man’s grand daughter. And now Kate and April. That was only four he was aware of. He hadn’t actually seen them or anyone disappear and yet finding only their clothing was disturbing enough. What could possibly do that? He wasn’t convinced about this Rapture thing, but he knew his partner was sold on it. He watched as Barrington lowered himself on the floor beside his wife’s clothes. He gently took them up in his hands and just held them close.
Barrington continued to search the floor with his eyes until he found the wedding band, which he had put on his wife’s finger six years before. He reached for it, eyes blurring with tears. As he held the ring up to look at it, he whispered, “Why didn’t I listen to her?”
He hadn’t expected an answer. He didn’t get one.
Lenox didn’t know what to do, so he stayed back, giving his friend all the space he needed. Bollinger came up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.
Not wanting to disturb Barrington, Lenox turned his head. “What?” he inquired softly.
“I saw someone across the hall,” Bollinger reported. “Whoever it was ducked out of sight when he saw me.” He leaned forward. “Could know what happened here.”
Lenox nodded. “Alright. We’ll check it out.” He turned to Barrington, approaching him. “Al…we’ve got to check something out. Are you going to be okay here?”
Barrington nodded, but he didn’t say anything.
“Are you sure?”
“Go.”
Lenox nodded. Then, he joined Bollinger and together, they left the apartment.
For a while, Barrington remained where he was, trying hard to fight back the despair he felt. He realized he should be thankful. His wife and child were safe. There was no doubt in his mind they were in the very presence of the One who saved them. They hadn’t missed out.
He did.
He was the one sitting on the floor in his kitchen, clutching the clothes his wife had been wearing. He put his back to the counter behind him and unashamedly let the tears fall. In spite of his sorrow, he also felt guilty about his grief. He was glad for them, but sad for himself. After all, he was certain the days ahead were going to be worse than they had ever been. How could he possibly want them to be with him through the darkest days the world will ever know?
After he spent time on the floor reflecting on the memories he had shared with his family, he realized he knew what he needed. He had to find Kate’s Bible. He had Canaan’s, but Kate’s was far more important to him right now than ever. It was the only link he had left of her, beside her wedding ring, which he reverently put into his pocket. He got up from the floor and began the search for his wife’s Bible, but to his dismay, he couldn’t find it anywhere.
Suddenly, he stopped.
He was standing with his back to the door, but for some reason, he felt as if he were being watched. Slowly, he turned and there was a man standing in the doorway of his apartment. He thought he recognized him.
“She needs you.”
“What?” Barrington blinked.
The doorway was empty.
Barrington just stood there, trying to understand what he had just seen. Was there someone there or not? He took a step forward. Then, he remembered his gun and Canaan’s Bible. He didn’t know why it was important, but he felt he needed them. He hurried back into the kitchen where he had left them on the table. He re-holstered his weapon and picked up the Bible.
Then, for some strange reason, something compelled him to look up. So he did. He looked at the ceiling and tried to comprehend what was driving him. Was God trying to tell him he should have been looking up to begin with, or was there something he had to do? He had to do something.
He headed out of his apartment and stopped in the hallway. The man was there again, standing at the door to the stairwell. The man looked up and then he went into the stairwell. Barrington hurried after him, but once inside the darkened stairwell, he couldn’t see anything. He realized there was only one thing left for him to do.
He headed up the stairs…toward the rooftop.
*******
Lenox and Bollinger made their way down the hall toward door number 52, where Bollinger had claimed to see someone acting in a suspicious manner. Lenox had no reason to doubt him, but Bollinger was a little off, as the saying went, and there was something about him that was just a little disturbing. Lenox couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but he had already put his own resources to work on finding out more about Bollinger. Until he knew more, he would work with him, yet he wouldn’t fully trust him.
The two men positioned themselves, each on opposite sides of the door. The door was slightly ajar, but even as Lenox brought his head closer to the opening, he couldn’t hear any sounds coming from inside.
He glanced at Bollinger who nodded. Once Lenox was satisfied they were both ready, he used his right foot to nudge the door open the rest of the way. He stepped in through the doorway with his gun leveled before him. If there were any terrorists inside, they were going to become friends with a bullet.
They passed through a short hallway and came into the kitchen. There was some kind of flickering light coming from within the next room and as they headed for it, Lenox’ foot hit against something. He glanced down and noticed a thick, hard-covered book. Ignoring it, he leaned against the wall and looked into the other room.
The living room was lit by candles, just as the room in Barrington’s apartment was. Lenox didn’t understand people’s fascination with such things as candles, but in this case when the power goes out, they certainly did come in handy. There was a difference in this room, however, to the candlelit room in Barrington’s apartment. There was a woman’s body lying still on the floor in the center of the room. Lenox re-holstered his weapon and signaled for Bollinger to continue the search. Then, he stepped into the room and approached the body.
As he was approaching, the woman gasped and blinked open her eyes. When she saw him, she tried to rise herself up but couldn’t.
“Hey…easy there,” Lenox told her as he knelt beside her. His hand touched the carpet and he realized it was wet with blood. “Stay still.” He assumed she had either been shot or stabbed. “Listen, you’re going to be alright. Just lie still.”
She forced herself to focus on him, but her eyes were glassy. “Lying…doesn’t make for a…good…first impression,” she said, struggling to remain conscious. She grabbed his arm. “Please…tell her…tell Staci I’m going…to-to be with…David…”
She stopped moving, gasped her last breath and was suddenly still. Her eyes remained open.
Lenox took a deep breath. He didn’t know who the woman was, or who this Staci was either, or even who David was. What he did want to know was who the killer was so he could return the favor. Slowly, he put his hand over her eyes and closed them.
“What happened to her?” Bollinger asked from behind.
Lenox looked about the room, searching for clues as to what did happen in this apartment. “This woman was murdered,” he said softly. “Maybe by the terrorists you warned us about.”
“Well, there’s no one here now. Whoever did this is gone.”
Lenox noticed a picture frame lying on the floor beside the woman. He picked it up and looked at a picture of two women and a little boy. The women were standing as if they had been facing each other, but their faces were turned toward the person taking the picture. In between them stood the boy, grinning mischievously from ear to ear as if he were up to no good.
The women in the photo immediately caught his attention. One had red hair and green eyes and he had never seen her before, but it was the other woman he recognized. She had long black hair and dark eyes and he knew her. It was Nichole Parkhurst, the Director’s assistant. Lenox wondered suddenly where she was. Had she disappeared, too? He knew quite well that she was a believer. The woman had preached to him on more than one occasion and most of it was because he had tried to use his never-failing charm on her.
Well, it had failed on her.
But where was Nichole now?
Lenox got up from the floor and handed the photo to Bollinger. “See anyone familiar?”
Bollinger whistled appreciatively. “Wow…Hey, that looks like Nichole.”
“It is.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
“Really…well, who is that knock-out red-head?”
Lenox frowned. “Haven’t a clue.” He regarded the man. “Are you sure Bear’s family was a target? Maybe this woman was because she’s obviously associated with Nichole in some way. Maybe they were the targets.”
Bollinger shrugged. “Maybe they were. Question is…who is this woman--” He aimed the picture frame toward the woman in the living room. “--and where is the red-head now?”
“They could still be in the building.” He headed for the door. “Let’s get back to Bear.”
They hurried their way back to Barrington’s apartment but found it to be empty when they got there. Barrington had left without a clue as to where he was going.
*******
The Huey lowered itself down in the middle of Clinton Street and eight fully armed ATD agents wearing Kevlar unloaded from it. They were led by Shiva, who urged the men on. When their feet touched the pavement, they were running.
“You know the drill!” Shiva proclaimed into his radio. “Take out the enemy! Protect the innocent!” He squared his shoulders and straightened to his full height. “Let’s take our city back!”
Gunfire renewed in the streets of Albany, but this time, it was concentrated on taking out the enemies of America. When the Muslim terrorists had begun their attack, they simply fired at random. They were not concerned with anything other than to cause chaos and terror in the streets. People had fled screaming before them and many had been killed.
Then, Shiva and his team arrived. On the other side of Albany, Willon’s team had also been dropped into the fight. Their attacks upon the enemy were without prejudice. Without mercy. From the rain-filled, cloudy skies above, Willon was literally Death from Above. As he perched in the open doorway from the side of the Huey he was in, he targeted terrorists through the scope of his Remington Model 700 Sniper Rifle, compensating his aim due to the rain and simply took them out.
Shiva was enraged at the bodies lying in the streets. In some of the windows from the buildings around him, he saw frightened faces peering out at him. He wanted to assure them that everything was going to be alright, but was that actually true? He had to wonder about that himself. The attack from terrorists; the Rapture of the Church. His mind was in a turmoil about what could be coming next. And at first, as a new believer in Christ, he had trouble with taking the life of another human being.
When he saw what had become of Albany, he forced that troubling thought right out of his mind. This was war. He had to deal with what was happening now. Later when it was over and if he lived through it, he would have to research God’s Word about his concerns.
A terrorist suddenly came out of an alley with his weapon leveled at Shiva. Unfortunately for the man, his weapon jammed when he tried to pull the trigger. This prompted him to make a serious mistake. He continued his charge toward the ATD agent. What he didn’t know was that the agent also used to be a professional wrestler.
Shiva stood to his full height, stepped aside to avoid the foolish charge and simply extended his arm out to his right. The terrorist’s throat connected to Shiva’s rock, solid arm. Shiva then used his weight, thrusting his arm forward. This caused the man to completely flip right up and over the pavement, eventually falling flat on his back.
He didn’t get up again, but he was still alive. He was breathing anyway.
Shiva reached behind his back and grabbed a pair of handcuffs from his belt. He dragged the terrorist over to the corner of the street and handcuffed him to a lamp post. If he was still there when the battle was over, Shiva hoped something useful could be learned from him that would help in the fight against terrorism. Having secured the man, he rejoined the battle.
He and his team spread out and worked on flushing the enemy out into the open. They took each street with precision. Their numbers also increased by the local police they encountered and their odds increased. When Shiva found himself at the corner of Clinton and Congress, he happened to look up. A couple of blocks away, he thought he saw movement on top of a building.
He shaded his eyes from the rain, reached for a small pair of binoculars from his belt and peered through them at the rooftops.
Was that a woman on the ledge?
He snatched at his radio. “Ricochet!”
Willon’s response was immediate. “Go.”
“I see somebody on the rooftop of a building,” he reported. “It looks like an apartment complex…looks to be on the outskirts of the city. Can you check it out?”
“On my way.”
Shiva put away the binoculars, but he wasn’t entirely satisfied. He made his way to West Avenue and to the apartment complex where Barrington lived.
*******
Willon ordered the Huey to turn around and head for the building Shiva had told him about. As they neared the building, Willon sighted through the scope and spotted movement. He focused his attention on the movement. There was a woman standing right on the very edge of the rooftop with her back toward him.
She wasn’t alone.
She was facing three men who did not seem to appear threatening, but Willon had the impression she was on the edge because of them. He studied the men through the scope and finally focused on one of them because he recognized him through the ATD database.
It was a terrorist. Darwyn Musad.
Resources had it that the man was leading a cell somewhere on the Eastern Coast. Spotting the man only confirmed it, but who was the woman? Willon couldn’t see her face, but it didn’t matter. She was in trouble. Three terrorists appeared to be after her and if he didn’t do something soon, she might fall to her death.
He put his sights right on Darwyn’s head and prepared to pull the trigger.
*******
Staci had never been so terrified in her entire life than she was at that moment, standing on the top ledge, which overlooked the street below. She was familiar with the expression of being “stuck between a rock and a hard place” and now understood like never before just what that meant. Three hateful terrorists a few paces away in front of her and a long way down to the street below behind her. The rain wasn’t helping her any either, for because of it, one precarious step could cause her to slip off the wet ledge she stood on. Something else troubled her. She thought she heard a lot of noise from the streets below, like firecrackers going off, but she couldn’t be sure because of the rain.
Oh, how does one choose to die in a situation like this? she asked herself sarcastically.
To make matters worse, the man who would not let her help save his father had appeared. She had faced him at the hospital. He had been hateful and angry toward her. Apparently, he was at that moment trying on a new tactic and she was certain it was intended as an attempt to get her to drop her guard.
Darwyn Musad was smiling.
He saw Staci on the very edge of death and prayed fervently that he would be able to rescue her. By the look on her face when she saw him, he knew she would not be so trusting. She thought he was still a terrorist, but only he and God knew his true intentions for being there on the rooftop with her.
He approached the two terrorists with his arms outstretched. “Brothers!” he greeted cheerfully. “Be still. Do not frighten her any further.” He clapped them each on the back, even though in his right fist, he carried something he believed to be precious.
The men regarded him with suspicion. Even though they were under the assumption he was still their leader, it was not to him they gave their true loyalties to. It was to Darwyn’s younger brother, Youmud. However, they could not understand the man’s sudden joy. They could see it in his eyes. They could tell by his demeanor that something about him was different and they didn’t like it. Perhaps it was due to their victorious attack upon America, but they also were pleased to be able to participate in such a glorious thing.
No…they were each convinced Darwyn’s joy was caused by something else.
But what?
On the edge, Staci remained still, watching the men.
Darwyn continued to pat the two men on their backs like long, lost comrades. “You may leave now, my brothers.” He looked over at Staci. “I shall take care of the woman.”
The two men glanced at each other, but made no move to leave.
“No,” one of them finally responded.
Darwyn raised an eyebrow, but he maintained his smile. “No?”
“We must wait.”
“Oh? And what are we waiting for?”
The man paused as if to consider if he should answer truthfully. Finally, he did. Puffing out his chest bravely, he said, “We wait for Youmud.”
Darwyn nodded. “Ah! I see. In that case…I shall go to the woman and bring her from the ledge.”
The two men just stood there, their Glock 17’s leveled toward the rooftop they were standing on. One of them finally shrugged as if to say he didn’t care what he did.
Darwyn slapped his right fist into the palm of his left hand joyfully. “Excellent!” he exclaimed.
The men actually jumped, startled by the sudden proclamation from their leader. They exchanged puzzled glances as Darwyn took two steps toward the woman on the ledge.
“I swear, I’ll jump,” Staci warned him. “Please don’t come any closer.”
Darwyn stopped and regarded her for a moment. He was trying to determine if she would do as she threatened rather than to be taken away by force. He was surprised to discover that he could not tell.
He smiled at her. “My dear, you do realize that it is raining and we are all getting soaked out here, don’t you? Would it not be preferable to go inside where it is dry and talk?”
She pursed her lips. Then, she shook her head. “I’m…I’m not going anywhere with you.”
He looked into her eyes. “Do you mean to tell me you would allow yourself to fall to your death?”
She didn’t flinch. “Yes.”
“If I told you that I do not want you to die, would you believe me?” He watched her carefully.
She shook her head. “No.”
“Why?”
She blinked, surprised by the question. “Why? What…?” She stared at him. “You threatened me. You and your brother. You called me a Jew and a pig and you hated me so much, you wouldn’t allow me to save your father when I could have.” She shook her head. “How could I believe you? I do believe you don’t want me to jump because you want to make me suffer.”
He hesitated. Please, dear Jehovah…Help me help her! He took a step forward.
“Don’t!” Staci exclaimed, tensing. Her foot slipped on the wet ledge and she almost lost her balance. When she was standing again, she swallowed back her fear and glared at him. “Just stay where you are!”
He stepped back and held his hands out toward her. One hand open, the other closed because of what he was carrying. “Alright…I'm sorry.” An idea came to him. He slowly moved toward the ledge, but not close to her. He could feel her eyes on him as he brought himself right on the ledge, just as she was. However, he purposefully kept his distance so as not to frighten her further. He was also aware of the two men watching from the safety of the rooftop from where they stood. “Oh, my!” he exclaimed, steadying himself as he looked down at the street below. “This…is very slippery. Please, do watch your step.”
“What are you doing?”
He turned his head and looked at her. “I do not want you to suffer,” he told her softly. “I do not want you to die. I do not want to bring any harm to you at all.”
She regarded him. Then, she glanced toward the two men watching them. “I…” She stopped, trying to form her words. “I don’t understand. You…you’re trying to trick me. I won’t fall for it. I’m Jewish, and you hate Jews.”
He kept eye contact with her as if he could somehow get her to see the truth. “I did…but now, I don't! I swear to you, upon my mother, I am not trying to trick you. I don’t hate you.” Slowly, he extended his right hand toward her. There was something in it.
Staci looked.
She recognized the necklace. It was a gold necklace with an emerald green cross pendant. She had given one just like it to her sister on her birthday. It was the same day they had taken a photo together with her son, David, standing in front of them with that devilish grin of his. Thinking of her son brought tears to her eyes, but thinking of her sister made her wonder where she was. Was she with David?
She looked at Darwyn suspiciously. There was a catch in her voice. “Where did you get this?”
Darwyn saw the fear in her eyes and hated that he was the cause of it. “From your sister,” he said.
“No…you didn't!”
“I saw your sister. She…was brought to me, and--”
“Oh, God, no!” She put her hands to her mouth. “You-you killed her!”
“No. I…Listen to me, please. I must tell you that she…Your sister vanished! This is what I came to tell you, that she vanished right before my very eyes! Gone!” He snapped his fingers. “In the twinkling of an eye! Just like that. I saw her…and then…” He shrugged. “…I did not.”
Staci looked at him closely. Something was different about this man. He did not seem to be the same man she had met in Emergency Room #4 at Albany Medical. That man had looked at her with eyes full of hatred for her. This man now seemed to see her through eyes of compassion and hope.
“She…my sister was raptured,” she said softly, but not asking.
Darwyn smiled. “Yes! And I came to tell you and to give you this!” He held the necklace out toward her for her to take. “She would want you to have it.”
Hesitantly, Staci took it. She brought it to herself for a closer look. “Thank you.” Her sister was safe. Staci suddenly felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted. “You saw her vanish.”
“Yes, yes! Right before my very eyes! It was so wonderful!” He stopped. He turned his head, glancing over at the two men, who were glaring. They were not sure what he was up to, but it was clear they were running out of patience. They exchanged glances, their Glock 17’s still leveled at the rooftop. “It seems to me we do not have much time.” He looked down once more. “Your sister has been used, Staci…” He stopped. He turned his head to look at her. “May I call you Staci?”
She was still trying to figure out his intentions, but he seemed so genuine. She shrugged.
“Nichole has been used by God to reveal the truth to me. I saw it! Do you understand? I was pointed to the narrow road which leads to life and now…I no longer travel that broad road which leads to destruction. I want you to know we are walking on the same road if we are His.”
“You…” Staci blinked. Even though she was hesitating, a smile was beginning to form. “You believe in Him?”
He smiled, too. “In Him, yes! In my Lord, my Savior, whose name is Jesus, the Christ. Then…you’ve found Him, too?”
“Yes. Yes, I did. I-I was too late before, and I…I should have listened. My-my son is gone, and…and my sister, too. I have no one left.”
“You do. I…am your brother.” He smiled. “Imagine. Me and you. Brothers and sisters in the Lord. Me, once a Muslim, and you, a Jew.”
She didn’t know how to respond.
“You are my sister, Staci.” This time, there were tears forming in his eyes as he held out his hand toward her. There was nothing in it. “I have hurt you and intended great harm to your sister. I would not dare to ask you to forgive me, but…please know that I am deeply sorry and regret my actions against you.”
Staci was so moved, she once more began to cry. She took his hand. “I do forgive you.”
The terrorists behind them had witnessed more than enough. They raised their arms and leveled their weapons at Darwyn and Staci, their fingers beginning to tighten upon the triggers.
Darwyn looked into Staci’s eyes. “Will you trust me, my sister?”
She nodded, her face showing her own determination. “I will…my brother.”
He smiled. Then, he stepped off the ledge of the building…taking Staci with him.
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