The garrote was around Yorke’s throat and his attacker was trying to use himself as leverage to choke off the Albany police officer’s air supply. However, the small area behind the Control Room’s main computers was too cramped for fighting. All the terrorist managed to do in his clumsy attack was ruin the element of surprise. Yorke forcibly snapped his head back. The back of his head connected to his attacker’s face and the man let out a groan.
The terrorist attempted to get a strangle hold on the garrote but Yorke shoved himself backwards. The two men fell on the hard ground in the cramped quarters and the garrote around his neck loosened its grip. Yorke managed to get his fingers under the garrote to prevent the man from trying to strangle him further. He rammed his elbow hard into his attackers stomach, and did it once more for good measure. That slackened the garrote even more.
Yorke spun around and punched his attacker in the face, hoping to keep him off balance. He hurried to get back on his feet as he reached for his gun in its holster. Just as he put his fingers around the butt of the gun, the terrorist snap-kicked at Yorke’s leg. The heel of his attacker’s foot slammed into his leg on the side of his knee. Yorke lost his balance and cried out as he used his hands to prevent him from falling. He also was no longer reaching for his gun.
The terrorist tried to kick him again, but Yorke backed away out of reach.
His attacker quickly pulled himself up to his feet and pulled out a knife.
Yorke rubbed his throat, shook his head and withdrew his gun. “Never bring a knife to a gun fight, buddy.” Then, he shot him.
The terrorist went down with a bullet to the chest.
“Brian!” Fronk shouted from the headset.
Yorke let out a sigh. “What? Stop shouting!” He kept his gun leveled at the terrorist, but the man was making no more moves.
“What happened?”
“I got attacked. Probably by the guy who placed this bomb here.” He turned to look at the bomb and noticed the countdown was still ticking off the precious moments before it exploded. “This thing is gonna go off in less than eleven minutes.”
“Describe it.”
Yorke sighed. “It’s a bomb!”
There was a pause. “Yeah, I got that…when you said it was a bomb. What does it look like? And don’t even tell me it looks like a bomb. Is it encased in metal or wood?”
“It’s in a shoebox. There are…” He paused as he looked into the box, shining his light that he had to retrieve from the floor. “…man, there are five sticks of dynamite. They are attached to a red, yellow, and blue wire…No, wait! There’s a green wire, too, and it looks like it’s tucked under the dynamite. The wires are attached to the timer… and…” He stopped.
“And…?”
Yorke frowned. “There are two small containers also attached to the wires. Looks like some type of chemical, but I don’t know what it is.”
“Is there any type of odor?”
Yorke paused to sniff the air. He glanced at the terrorist and was relieved to see he still wasn’t moving. “Yeah,” he finally said. “There’s an odor. It smells like sulfur.”
There was a brief silence. “Okay. I just said a quick prayer. Now go ahead and cut the green wire.”
Yorke blinked. “What do you mean, you just had a quick prayer? Do I cut the green wire or don’t I?”
“Yes…unless you want to cut one of the other wires.”
“Do you want this bomb diffused or not?”
“The green wire.”
“Are you sure, man?”
There was a pause. “Oh, yes. Absolutely. Just cut it and run.”
Yorke let out a deep breath of air, which he had been holding as he waited for Fronk’s response. “Man…I don’t even have something to cut this with! I need you to stop messing around and just tell me if it is the green wire or isn’t!”
“Well, now…that is a dilemma.”
“What?”
“How are you going to cut it? Even if you have a knife, you have to be careful not to shake the two containers while they are attached to the dynamite and timer.”
“Well, that’s helpful!”
“Do you have anything you can use to cut the red wire?”
Yorke reached into his pocket and pulled out something that might work. “I have a pair of nail-clippers.” His eyes widened as he realized what Fronk had said. “The red wire! But before, you were telling me green!”
“I do mean the green one. I really do.”
He took a deep breath. “Man, you’d better be right.”
“Cut the green wire with the clippers.”
Yorke put his little flashlight into his mouth and used it to light his way to the bomb. He took a hold of the green wire and taking a deep breath, he reached in with his nail-clippers. He placed the wire into the clippers, and then he cut it. He squeezed the clippers tight until he was certain it cut through the wire.
Then, he brought his hands out slowly and peered into the box.
The green wire was cut.
The timer had stopped.
Yorke laughed. “I don’t believe it! How did you know it was the green wire?”
There was a pause. “The Bible says to lay ‘aside all malice and all guile, and hypocrisy and envy…1’ They say envy is green.”
Yorke swallowed. “Are you telling me you had me cut the green wire because the Bible says to lay envy, which is green, aside?”
“Yep.”
“You really are crazy!”
Standing at the door, Shiva looked outside and saw a great amount of activity. There were men dressed in black, wearing Kevlar vests and carrying automatic rifles zeroing in on an area a couple of hundred yards away from the school. They were focusing their attention on top of a steep hill across the track field.
“Come on, Marc!” Fuller exclaimed. “We’ve got to find locker number 832!”
While the activities outside heated up with the sounds of automatic gunfire, Fuller and Shiva hurried along the High School’s corridors, in search of Locker #832. After checking several corridors, they finally came to a corridor where the lockers were numbered in their 800’s. Quickly scanning the numbers, they finally came to the locker they sought.
Fuller held the key in his hand, but as he looked at the locker, he frowned. “There’s no place to use a key.”
Shiva frowned. “It’s a combination lock. Do you know the combination?”
Fuller shook his head.
“Okay…step back.”
Fuller did as instructed.
Shiva kicked the door to the locker twice. The first time, he dented the door, causing it to buckle inward. The second kick snapped off the top hinge. The ex-wrestler grabbed a hold of the top of the door and pulled it back. Then, he waved toward the open locker.
“It’s all yours,” he said.
Fuller nodded his appreciation and looked inside the locker. Books, notebooks, and a jean jacket were what he discovered. However, his eyes widened when he saw a white lockbox. He reached down and picked it up. He inserted the key into it and turned it. He was about to open it when he and Shiva heard a commotion coming from one of the joint corridors.
He locked the box up and sighed. “We can’t take the time to look through it here. Let’s take it back with us.”
Shiva agreed.
The two turned and headed back the way they came. Fuller carried the lockbox with him. On their way out, they soon discovered that someone was waiting for them right at the main entrance of the school. A man stood there, glaring at them. He didn’t move toward them, but he didn’t get out of their way either. There were several cuts on his face.
To Fuller and Shiva’s surprise, they heard a low, feral growl coming from the man. They exchanged looks.
Shiva swallowed. “Do you feel that?” he whispered.
Fuller nodded.
The hairs on the backs of their arms were rising and an almost overpowering feeling of fear and dread began to take hold of them.
Fuller let out a sigh. “This man has been in the Federal Building before, Marc. I‘m sure of it.”
Shiva frowned. “This is that presence you were telling me about earlier? The one you felt at the Federal Building?”
“Yes. I…I felt this man’s…or at least this evil presence. The same presence we’re feeling now.”
Shiva looked at the man who was still standing in front of the doors. “Why is he just standing there?”
Fuller paused. “I’m not sure.” He turned to regard Shiva. “Wait a minute…” He smiled wryly. “‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.’ James 4:7.”
The man at the door narrowed his eyes and scowled hard at them.
“Let’s go, Marc. We haven’t got time for this.” Fuller began to move forward, grim determination in his steps. And something else.
He walked with authority.
Shiva couldn’t help but be encouraged and so he walked beside Fuller.
As they neared the door, Fuller said in a loud voice, “All authority belongs to our risen Lord and Savior, and His work will not be hindered by the likes of you!” He raised his hand and waved for the man to move. “Now step aside in the name Jesus!”
The man gnashed his teeth and shook his fists into the air, but he stepped aside. It was as if he couldn’t step aside fast enough. He turned his back and kept his face away from them. Fuller and Shiva just kept walking with their heads held high and with their faith leading the way. They quickly got into their car, and as Shiva started it up, he heard the sounds of a motorcycle.
He glanced toward the hill beyond the track field. Whoever the agents were that had showed up unexpectedly, they seemed to be after the person on the motorcycle.
“Drive, Marc,” Fuller replied. “The sooner we get back, the better.”
Shiva put the vehicle in gear and drove away from the school. Behind them, the man who had tried to block their path came out of the high school and glared hatefully at them until they were gone from his sight.
Saint waited until he was certain enough time had passed before he got up and headed for the shelter’s only exit. The others knew what he was purposing to do so they gathered in a group, held hands, and prayed.
Saint climbed out of the shelter, and looked to see if McLaughlin had left.
McLaughlin hadn’t. He was standing by the wooden fence, looking out onto the open meadow. He held the six pieces of the Risk board game in his hand that Saint had given to him and looked at them curiously. He didn’t understand the significance of the gesture and realized there was only one way to find out what it all meant.
So as Saint approached, he said, “You’re crafty, I’ll give you that.”
“Jesus did say to be ‘wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 2’” He came up next to him and leaned his arms over the fence. “Thought you would have been gone by now.”
McLaughlin shook his head. “No, you didn’t. You knew I’d be out here waiting for you to explain these.” He showed him the Risk pieces. “That’s why you gave them to me, isn’t it? So I’d be curious enough to hang around.”
Saint smiled. “It worked, didn’t it?”
“It shouldn’t have. Why should I even care?”
“Because you’re still here.”
McLaughlin shook his head. “You’re a regular wise guy, aren’t you?” He sighed as he leaned back against the fence. “Got it all figured out, don’t you?” He looked around. “Do you think it’s that cut and dry? That God created this world and then said He was going to make a new one in the last days?”
Saint nodded. “You can’t deny that we’re in the last days.”
“Sure, I can. Bad things have happened in the world since the beginning of time and they’ll continue to go on.” He paused. “Maybe the world will end soon…maybe it won’t. Who is to say?”
“God.”
“God…”
“That’s right. His plan is being carried out and it will come to pass whether we say it will or we say it won’t.”
McLaughlin looked at the pieces in his hand. “And what is this?”
Saint grinned. “Souvenirs.”
“Oh, don’t give me that.”
Saint paused. “I’ll tell you what they are…but first, tell me what was on your mind while we played the game.”
McLaughlin paused. “I was just thinking about why I was even playing Risk while sitting with a terrorist and terrorist supporters.”
“You know we don’t support terrorism.”
“Maybe…but when others find out that Darwyn Musad is being helped by people who claim to be Christians, they’re not going to take that with a grain of salt.”
Saint nodded. “I know.”
“You don’t seem worried.”
“I’m not. As I’ve said before…It’s all according to God’s plan.” He paused. “Besides, you had other things on your mind besides your hesitation to play a game with a terrorist and his supporters.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Let’s just say that a little bird told me so.”
“What little bird?”
“A dove.”
“A dove? Are you serious?”
“Yep.” Saint was referring to his openness toward the Spirit of God. He didn’t elaborate any further because he didn’t want to stray from witnessing his faith to McLaughlin. “So what were you really thinking?”
The secret service agent paused. “Fine. I’ll tell you.” He paused. “There was a man I looked up to once. A great man. He taught me a lot about being in the service for the President.” He looked at Saint. “This man took a bullet for me once. I was thinking about him.”
Saint nodded once. “I see. So…are you angry with God for taking this man’s life in exchange for yours?”
“I’m angry,” McLaughlin confirmed, “But not for what you think. The bullet he took for me didn’t kill him. In fact, it wasn’t even a fatal wound. I spent a few more days in the hospital than he did. He came to pick me up…but as he was walking out to the parking lot, he was struck by a car. The driver was late for work and was careless behind the wheel. My…friend was dead before he hit the pavement.”
Saint paused. “I’m sorry.”
“So am I. I wanted to kill the one responsible.” He shook his head. “It’s hard to imagine for those of us who serve the President as we do. It’s unthinkable. We expect to die serving him. We don’t expect it through someone else’s carelessness. So, yeah…I guess I’m guilty of being ticked off at God.”
“But it isn’t God’s fault.”
“Isn’t He in the business of taking lives?”
“Look, when it’s our time to go, we can’t change that, but right now, at this moment, we do have a choice. You can’t make this choice when you’re dead and it’s too late. You have to do it now. You have to seal the deal with God while you still have life left to you, because once it’s over…it’s over.” Saint looked at him. “I’m sorry for your friend. If anything, you should know how fragile life really is. God loves you, Chuck. He wants you to choose Him before it’s your time.” He held out his hand. “Let me see those pieces.”
McLaughlin dumped the six pieces into the man’s hands.
Saint took them. He took the black piece and set it onto the top post of the fence. “This represents sin, Chuck. Your sin and mine. It’s black. Do you know what sin is?”
McLaughlin shrugged. “Sure. It’s doing wrong.”
“In the dictionary, it’s actually referred to as a shameful offense. It’s a transgression of theological principles. But you’re right, too. It’s the act of doing wrong. I’ll go one step further, Chuck. Sin is the act of doing wrong…knowingly. The kicker is that we can sin knowing what it is we’re doing is wrong, but there are also many times we sin…without even being aware we’re doing wrong.”
“How can that be?”
“Well, there are things we humans do that come second nature to us, and yet in God’s eyes, it is sin. We don’t see as God sees. When Eve took a bite from the fruit of the tree God commanded them not to touch, I don’t think she believed she was doing wrong. She had listened to the serpent tell her it really was okay and she was convinced it should be alright to partake of this fruit. It wasn’t until God sought Adam and Eve out in the Garden of Eden did she realize the full implications of what she had done. Romans 5:12 says, ‘Therefore, as by one man,’ Adam, ‘sin entered into the world, and death by sin, so death passed onto all men, for all have sinned.’ So sin entered into the world and all of mankind became sinners. Romans 3:11 and 12 says, ‘There is none that understandeth; there is none that seeketh after God. They,’ all of us, ‘have all gone from the way; they have together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.’ The best verse that proves we are sinners is Romans 3:23. ‘For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.’ You can’t get any clearer than that.”
McLaughlin shrugged. “I get it. We’re all bad. We’re all sinners.”
“Do you really get it? Do you believe it?”
“Yeah…I do. I know for a fact that I’m a sinner.” He shrugged. “I accept that. I have to live with what I am every day. We all do.”
“But because of our sin, we are separated from God. We can’t get to Him because He is holy and we are as filthy rags. Our sin prevents us from God and because of it, we can never be in His presence. The first part of Romans 6:23 says, ‘For the wages of sin is death.’ Because of our sin, our payment is death. Not just physical death, but spiritual death. The Bible tells us there is a place where all sinners go. Revelation 21:8 says, ‘But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.’”
McLaughlin paused. “You mean Hell.”
Saint nodded.
“If there is such a place, I wouldn’t want to end up there.”
“There is such a place and you don’t have to.”
“I’ve tried to live to the best of my ability. I’ve tried to do right. I’ve tried to help others.”
Saint shook his head as he picked up the pink game piece. “This represents mans attempt at coming to God. We call it good works. The thing with good works, Chuck, is that you can spend a lifetime performing good works, but it will never amount to anything. Some people do these good works and then they brag about it. Ephesians 2:8 and 9 tells us, ‘For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God--not by works, lest any man should boast.’”
“But aren’t we supposed to do good works?”
“Yes. Absolutely, but not to get into heaven. We do good works to show other people the way to heaven. And there is only one way in.” He held up the red piece. “Through the blood of Jesus Christ. Through His great sacrifice on the cross. Listen to Romans 6:23 again, but this time, I’ll quote all of it. ‘For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 3’ The gift is eternal life, Chuck, and He freely gives it to all who come to Him. By accepting Him…” He picked up the white piece. “…all of your sins are forgiven and you are made as white as snow. He takes your sins and remembers them no more.” He showed him the blue piece. “Then, all things are become as new. II Corinthians 5:17 says, ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new.’”
McLaughlin paused. “What’s the gold piece represent?”
“Heaven and your reward.”
McLaughlin regarded him. “I’ve never heard it presented quite like that before.” He hesitated. “So all I need to do is turn to Him and accept Him?”
Saint said, “Chuck, all you have to do is one thing. ‘That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 4’ ‘For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 5’” He shrugged. “That’s it.”
The secret service man nodded as he took the six pieces back from Saint and placed them into his pocket. “I have to go.”
“Are you going to do anything about what I’ve told you?”
McLaughlin nodded. “Yeah…I’m going to take careful consideration to everything you said. The problem isn’t in believing it right now. It’s…it’s whether I can accept it.”
Saint placed his hand on his shoulder. “I’m going to pray for you, Chuck, that God will not let you forget what we talked about and that He pursues you until you can’t run from Him any more. He wants to save you. He’s holding His hand out for you to take. Please take it before it’s too late.”
“I can’t just jump into this.”
“Consider my words, then, but consider them quickly.”
McLaughlin nodded. Then, he turned and walked away. Saint watched him leave until the secret service agent disappeared into the woods. All Saint could do for him now was pray.
The two black sedans came to abrupt halts directly in front of the main entrance to Belgrade Hospital. Several men exited from the vehicles and with purposeful strides, went through the main entrance. They were wearing wind-breaker jackets with the initials of A.I.M on their backs. One of them stopped to stand at the entrance and as he heard the sounds of a helicopter in flight, he took off his sunglasses and looked at the sky.
He saw a helicopter moving away from the hospital.
Not giving it any consideration, he spun on his heel and entered the hospital.
As he was the agent in charge, his men had already rounded up who they were after and led him to an office. The office belonged to Dr. Shrenko. Shrenko was more than mildly upset at having his staff disrupted by government officials. He and Staci were in his office when the head A.I.M. agent strode in.
“This is outrageous!” Shrenko exclaimed. “We have patients to tend to.”
The man waved a hand as if to dismiss what he said and glanced at Staci. “We’re looking for enemies of the State. Help us find them and we’ll be out of your hair.”
Shrenko scowled. “Enemies of the State? What does that mean?”
“There’s a new wind of change in the air, Doctor. And it started a few hours ago with the Peace Treaty signing in Jerusalem. Don’t you watch the news?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Nuclear power is out. There’s going to be some kind of world wide universal peace and everyone has to play a part in it. All of the nations have to do some show of goodwill. Tristian Salvadori is leading this thing through the European Union. So the bottom line, Doc, is this…Anyone against this new order that’s coming is an enemy of the State. You have in your hospital a man named Hank Sumter, and a doctor named…Staci Cohen. If we don’t get them now, we’ll tear this place apart looking for them and take you in their stead. Are you reading me loud and clear?”
One of the agents who accompanied him inside the office pointed at Staci. “That woman matches the description of Dr. Cohen, Commander.”
The Commander’s steely-eyed gaze locked onto Staci. Then, he said, “What’s your name?”
She paused. “My name is Staci…I’m-I’m Doctor Staci…Austin.”
“Dr. Austin…do you have a patient named Hank Summer?”
Staci hesitated. She realized the man had said Summer instead of Sumter. “No, sir.”
The Commander took a deep breath. “Dr. Shrenko, you and Dr. Austin will remain in your office until we’ve checked out --”
He was interrupted by the arrival of another agent. “Commander, he’s on the move.” He leaned over and had a brief conversation with the Commander in hushed tones. “Sir, the chip is registering motion. According to the GPS, Mr. Sumter is rapidly moving away from our position. If we leave now, we may be able to catch him.”
The Commander nodded. “Signal to the men to move out and pursue.” He turned to Shrenko and Staci. “We apologize for the interruption. Please continue as if we were never here.” He turned toward the door.
Staci stepped toward him. “Wait!”
The Commander and two other agents turned to focus their attention on her.
Staci hesitated. Finally, she said, “We don’t even know who you are. What gives you the right to just…just barge in here and bully us around.”
The Commander turned to face her. “Dr. Austin, we are AIM, and that’s all you need to know. If you really want a name to remember me by when I’m gone, then fine…” He stepped toward her. “It’s Commander Thomas Friend. Remember that if we should meet again.”
With that, he turned about and left the office, with his agents trailing behind.
The Storm-Breaker was several miles out from the shores of Maine. Below them, the surface of the ocean sailed past them at a fast pace. In the back of the helicopter, Barrington pulled open a small side window and dropped the chip out. The chip was now somewhere in the waters below them and he hoped that would be enough to make Ed Carr and his men to look elsewhere for awhile.
1 - I Peter 2:1
2 - Matthew 10:16
3 - John 3:16
4 - Romans 10:9
5 - Romans 10:10
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