Chapter Ten
~/*\~ Iyara ~/*\~
Rahab hadn’t come out of her room all night. Bodhir’s questions had quickly become Sasah’s accusations, and Rahab had retreated soon afterwards.
When breakfast was served the next morning, and she still didn’t emerge, Iyara took a plate up to her. Sasah was giving her hooded looks, but retreated to her own room soon after. Bodhir was asleep at the table in the corner, where he’d been working on the reeds the night before. Still young enough to sleep in impossible positions, he was snoring lightly, unaware of the tension in the house.
Iyara took a breath and went over to her father, who was still at the window, watching the empty fields… but his eyes were closed. Iyara was surprised to see her father praying. “I know you weren’t praying to Molech or Baal.”
“I was praying to Jehovah.” Arjun admitted. “The problem is, your sister and your mother are both right.” He started counting on his fingers quietly. “Rahab is right, when she says that any God, or army that defeated Egypt so easily would have no problem with Jericho. But your mother is also right, when she says that Rahab made this choice for the whole family, without any of us knowing about it.”
“Mother’s problem isn’t the presumption.” Iyara countered. “She’s lived her whole life in service to Molech, and the invaders not only refuse his worship, they don’t believe he exists. To my mother, this is a war between Gods, and she grew up in the Temples.”
“I know. That’s where we met, in fact.” Arjun admitted. “My father dragged me to the Temple. I never really…” He stopped himself, checked to see if Sasah was still in her room, and lowered his voice further. “I never really went to the Temple out of a belief in Molech. I just wanted to see your mother dancing.”
Iyara grinned, amused, despite her embarrassment. “Does she know that?”
“I told her I was a deep believer in Molech, and that was why I was at the Temple so much. She was practically raised by the priests, so that pleased her.” He gave her a sideways look. “Part of the reason I didn’t want you to become a Temple Concubine was because I didn’t want you to fall for the same sort of trick I used on girls your age.”
Iyara almost burst out laughing; but she didn’t when she realized the logical conclusion. “And the other reason was because you never once believed in any of those gods, no matter how much your wife did?”
“Something like that.” Arjun admitted, as though admitting his greatest shame. “I feel like I’ve sinned against my children that way. The world is a big place, full of mysteries, and as your father; it’s my job to raise you. When Rahab started asking questions like ‘what makes the Sun so hot?’ and ‘where does the rain come from?’... I didn’t know the answers. Not really. I let your mother fill your heads with stories about Baal and Molech because I didn’t have a better answer.”
“You didn’t have a better answer, but you didn’t really believe the one you gave us.” Iyara remarked, amazed. “To be honest, I never gave it much thought. I wanted to work in the Temples because the money was better there. I’m hardly the only woman who has to rely on her body as a resource.” She held up a hand. “I know, you would have let me work for you, but… The Temples offered a certain amount of security for its concubines. More than I would get in most places, even as a wife, or a mother.” She sighed. “Of course, I know a woman who sacrificed her own child recently.” She lowered her voice. “Security is something to strive for in life, is it not?”
And then the horns blew at the watchtowers again. Another warning.
Rahab emerged from her room an instant later. “They’re back!”
~/*\~
Everyone resumed their positions from the day before, Arjun at the window, Sasah in her hiding place.
Once again, they heard the sounds of the guards preparing their weapons for a defence. Once again they heard the sound of marching. Once again the horns blew, clear and strong.
“So, yesterday was a show of force?” Bodhir reasoned. “Today they present demands, or something? Now that we’ve seen their army?”
“We’ll see.” Said Rahab evenly.
Iyara found she was holding her breath again, anticipating the moment when the war started. And again, she held it until her lungs burned. The marching never stopped.
“They’re taking the same route as yesterday.” Arjun reported from the window. “Marching around the walls.”
“They take the same route, then our people will know exactly where to meet them this time.” Sasah wavered.
Bodhir joined his father at the window this time. “What is that? That thing they’re carrying?”
“I don’t know. They had it yesterday too. It’s not a weapon. It’s too… ornate. The way they’re carrying it? It’s some kind of treasure to them.”
“Why bring something like that to a warzone?” Bodhir demanded.
“It’s not a war until someone starts attacking.” Arjun countered.
Everyone waited, the sounds of marching the only thing they heard. The City within the walls was silent, waiting to see how it played out.
“And they’re leaving.” Arjun reported finally. “Same as last time.”
“What is going on?!” Sasah demanded, more flummoxed than angry as she scrambled out of her hiding place.
Rahab was immoveable. “I’m sure the Egyptians asked themselves the same question, more than once.”
“Forty years ago, before any of you were born.” Sasah countered. “You’re betting our lives on a story we were all told as children.”
“Maybe they just don’t know what to do?” Iyara suggested. “They’ve been living in tents, in the wastelands for all that time. Have any of them ever seen a stone wall before? Their fathers hauled stone to build them for Egypt, but those ones out there? Do any of them even know what a Siege is?”
Rahab almost smirked. “Now that you mention it, the two that I spoke with admitted they’ve never been on a rooftop before.”
~/*\~ Cherry ~/*\~
The three of them were alone in the Van, and they filled each other in on what they knew. Outside, they heard engines starting and moving away for what felt like hours. But their van didn’t move. “Are they… leaving?”
“Wherever they’re going, why aren’t they taking us anywhere?” Eldon wondered.
The van doors opened, and Gail climbed in, just in time to hear that. “Because we have to check something while we have you here.” She flipped open the cover on her device, and showed Eldon the screen. “This is our Most Wanted List for this area. If you happen to recognize any of these names, or if you could tell us where any of them are; it would be… how shall I put this? A good idea.”
Eldon read the list, and he felt a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Yes. I know some of these names. A lot of them, in fact.”
“These are people who have refused to Sign the Renouncement.” Gail said quietly. “The ones we haven’t rounded up. Are they all your people?”
“I’m afraid I don’t know all of our people by name; but I recognize a lot of these faces, yes.” Eldon confirmed. He met her gaze head on. “What are the odds?”
Gail stared back at him, unable to hold his gaze for long. She left the van and went outside, rolling her head back to look up at the sky. The weather never seemed to be clear anymore. The air just felt like there was a wildfire somewhere, putting a blood-red haze over the world. Maybe there is. She thought bleakly. How much of the city is on fire right now?
“Colin.” She called. “We’ve been assigned to take these prisoners to Camp 101. Let me get the papers; we’ll roll-out in ten minutes.”
~/*\~
“You superstitious, Colin?” Gail asked as they drove, making conversation.
“I’ve been burning holy books for weeks. I couldn't do that if I was worried about the Evil Eye.” Colin scoffed. “Why do you ask?”
“I asked our prisoners about the Most Wanted list.” Gail told him. “Looks like they’re mostly the same group. Last ones standing, you know? We’ve been shutting down holdouts from every religion on the planet. What are the odds that it’s all one denomination left at the end?”
“Don’t read anything divine into that.” Colin shook his head. “The guys we’ve got in our truck right now? Their group is a unique mix. They don’t fight back. The other Holdouts were a higher priority, because they were armed, and willing to go down swinging. Others tried sit-downs, or legal challenges. Everyone else has signed the Renouncement and decided to stay alive. This group won’t fight, but they won’t surrender. The only thing left to do is put’em down; and that’s their choice.”
“I suppose it is.” Gail nodded.
Colin looked at his tablet. “We’ve got updates on the route. Checkpoints are using live ammo on the main roads. There are pitched fights and sieges in the City Centre… we’re going to have to take a roundabout route to get to Camp 101. There are reports of some people putting tacks and nails out on the road to spike everyone’s wheels as they drive past.”
“Bandits on the roads, like we’re in the old West.” Gail scoffed.
“Yeehaw.” Colin deadpanned, checking his ammo. “Listen, I’m hearing from people I know in other departments that the food shortages are going to affect our own supply lines too. Have you heard anything?”
He wants to know what Roderick has told me. “Unofficially, I hear the rumors are true. That’s why we’re folding up some of our Operation Posts. Pulling everyone back to more secure areas.” She heard Colin swear under his breath and froze, glancing at him. “Why? What have you heard?”
“Nothing concrete. But I got a text message from my brother. He’s working as an admin at one of the largest Coalition Bases. Word is, a bunch of their combat teams raided their food storage, and went AWOL. Trucks of supplies, gone.”
She shuddered. “Roderick told me that the top priority is Stage Five, but it’s taking more and more people to hold the chain of command together. Even the most docile law-abiding citizen isn’t going to sit around and wait to starve.”
“We’ll be fine.” Colin said, and even though he sounded optimistic, she could see him clutching his gun tightly. “We’ll be the last ones standing, no matter what comes.”
“Yeah.” Gail said softly. “Last ones standing.”
They drove another few minutes in silence, before the engine suddenly spluttered, and died. Colin sat bolt upright in his seat, scanning all the mirrors. “Ohh, what the hell is this?!”
Gail checked the dashboard. “The fuel tank is empty.”
“That’s impossible. I filled the tank myself.” Colin’s fingers were working around the rifle compulsively.
He’s terrified. Gail undid her seatbelt. “Stay here. I’ll check the tank.” She slid down out of the cab, and did a slow lap of the Van, giving a hard look in every direction, watching for anyone in the street. There was nobody visible, though it was the middle of the day. Nobody seemed to want to go outside anymore. Every house had a signed Renouncement, visible from the street, but nobody let their kids outside. The world was just too dangerous.
She made her way back to the Cab, and made her report. “Someone siphoned us. The fuel cap is gone. While this thing was parked, someone came up and tapped us for fuel.”
Colin swore, loudly and fluently. “What do we do?”
“We can’t go back to Base. By the time we get there, they’ll have packed up and moved out.” Gail said logically. “Have you tried to report in?”
He nodded. “No response. From anyone.”
“Cell towers have been going up and down. Partly because of walkouts at all the communications companies, partly our own procedure to cut off all networks when we make a strike, plus the riots and supply problems…” Gail sighed. “We’ll have to make a try for it ourselves.”
“We could commandeer a vehicle.” Colin gestured around. “We have the authority to take any of them.” Even as he said it, his voice went thin. Plenty of the cars visible in the street had their own fuel hatches left open. Someone had siphoned them too. “We were so worried about food, we never worried about everything else.”
Long silence.
“Go.” She told him finally. “It’ll be easier to commandeer a motorcycle than a car. We’ll meet up at the Rendezvous. We were going to head there after Camp 101 anyway.”
“What about you?”
She hefted her gun. “We can’t leave the prisoners. I’ll wait for a while, and see if the radio comes back. If it doesn’t, then I’ll… take care of it; and make my own way there.” She read his face. “And before you say it, I’ll do it. I know you think I’m soft on this one, because she was my friend. But that’s why it has to be me.”
“I shouldn’t leave you.” Colin offered reflexively. There was the crack of distant gunfire, and he scowled.
“I don’t think it matters anymore. Especially if our own people are filling trucks with supplies and going AWOL. If that keeps up, what’s left for anyone in the Coalition?” She gestured around the street. Its emptiness was oppressive. The buildings weren’t abandoned. The people were just hunkered down, waiting for the storm to pass. “One thing we’ve learned: We’re only ever a few steady meals away from chaos. If the Coalition is getting hungry now…”
Colin took that in, clutching at his weapon like a security blanket. “Okay. I’ll find some wheels.”
~/*\~ Iyara ~/*\~
The routine continued for days. The army would come right to their walls, march around the whole City once, and then leave.
“You still… believe?” Iyara asked.
“More now than ever.” Rahab said simply. “Because none of this makes sense, by human rules.” She started counting on her fingers. “They came across the river in the middle of the Harvest season. The River stood up on end and let them pass. Logic says the time to attack them would be right away, before they organize on this side. But they sat there for a week, and nobody went near them. They’ve marched around our city multiple times. Their appearance is routine. The defenders of this City could set up any ambush they want. They know when our attackers will come, and what path they will take, and how many they’ll bring. They haven’t so much as fired an arrow from the Walls.” She took a breath. “And then there’s us. My house is on the wall. A perfect defensive spot to shoot from. An excellent spot to put Watchtowers, a permanent Guard… They could have a dozen guards living comfortably in this building, without ever leaving their posts. But they haven’t taken it over yet.” Rahab shrugged. “If it occurred to me, it should have occurred to the King, the Chief of the Guard… But they haven’t done anything but hide.”
(Author’s Note: There’s nothing in the Bible record about Jericho’s response to Israel’s ‘battle plan’. Writing this sequence, it was clear they had the tactical advantage of knowing what their invaders would do, day after day; but there’s no record of them doing anything but staying within the walls. Joshua 6:1 says the whole city was shut, with nobody entering or leaving. And in Joshua chapter two, Rahab testified that the whole land was disheartened, and the City was afraid. I used that as the basis for much of this story; but Rahab’s breakdown of the situation is largely my own supposition.)
“And Israel hasn’t done anything but walk around in a circle for a week.” Vihaan countered. “I don’t doubt your choice, Rahab… But I don’t understand what’s happening here.”
“Nor do I.” Rahab admitted. “But I never claimed to know how Jehovah, or any god thinks.”
“Then let me explain it to you.” Sasah said boldly, her voice getting that sanctimonious tone again. “What happened is: Jehovah sent his servants to come to our City, and Molech and Baal sent the army back without a shot being fired. They may not even know why, but in the Temples? They know.”
“Mother.” Rahab sighed, scrubbing her face. “I’ve been trying not to have this argument with you for a week, but it’s time for you to figure it out: I didn’t make an agreement with the Invaders because I wanted to ‘pick the winner’. I made a deal with them to save us all, because I don’t want Molech and Baal worship to continue their power over our lives.”
Dead silence. Despite themselves, everyone in the family was watching now, drawing back to the sides of the house as mother and daughter squared off. It was the question that had been growing in all their minds for the last week. In the war of the gods, what side were they really on?
“Everything this family has is because of our connection to the Temples.” Sasah said with dark heat.
“The Temples. What about Gods? Because the Hebrews don’t have a temple out there. Their God apparently kept them alive in the wasteland for decades.” Rahab countered. “If you walked from here to Egypt, would Baal provide food and water for you?”
“I don’t know. My Priest never sent me out into the wasteland.” Sasah countered.
“No. Your Priest directed you to do other things. Bad things.” Rahab countered. “I know, because I tried being a Temple concubine when I first came to Jericho.”
“Tawnya mentioned that.” Iyara piped up. “She didn’t say why you left.”
“Because one day was all it took to see that I would never be part of it.” Rahab spat, eyes on her mother. “The rituals? Do they always have to involve orgies of bestiality and blood drinking, or did I join on a really special day?”
“The gods are all encompassing, Rahab. Service is not for the faint of heart. That’s why the Priests and Priestesses are well-compensated, and well respected.” Sasah returned. “It’s not for us to decide what form the gods take. Egypt has hundreds of animal gods.”
“And Jehovah has none. If Baal and Molech demand their people do something… evil, then doesn’t that make them evil? The reason I refused to work in the Temple wasn’t just because of the things I would have to do. It was that the entire City was there cheering and dancing in celebration of it. Those Priests use girls up and spit them out.” Rahab turned to Iyara. “You fed Tawnya’s child some honey cakes, last time you were here.”
“I remember.” Iyara nodded, weary at the thought.
“I’m pretty sure Arria was the Priest’s child too. Tawnya’s been a temple concubine since she was old enough. Who do you think the father was?” Rahab returned. She looked back to her father. “I know you don’t like that I made this agreement for the whole family, but it wasn’t just to save ourselves from the invasion. It was to save ourselves from the lives we’ve been living this whole time.” She turned a glare on her father. “Children. Passing through the fire at every festival. While everyone in town drank and cheered and rutted like beasts in celebration of it happening. Tell me mother, does thinking you’re the only sane one in town make you crazy? Because if it does, then that’s what I am.”
Arjun said nothing for a long moment. “Not the only one.” He confessed finally. “There’s a reason I kept trying to stop Iyara from becoming a Priestess. It might be an honor, but it’s one I would prefer someone else’s daughter to have.”
(Author’s Note: The details of Rahab’s family and their lives are all my invention, but this conversation is to make clear that Israel’s destruction of everything in Jericho was an intervention. There’s a reason God commanded them to take no prisoners. Also, given that the Temples of Molech and Baal were so open about such things, it’s likely that Iyara would already know all about the kinds of acts committed; but I wanted to draw a contrast between Rahab and her community. The 2013 Watchtower speculates that Rahab almost certainly saw the false worship and moral failures of her city for what it was. For purposes of this story, I have extended that to other members of the family.)
Thinking along these lines for the first time, Iyara was suddenly struck with realization. “Mother… You didn’t have anything to do with that sort of thing, did you? I mean, helping the Priests with the rituals is one thing, but you worked as a Temple Concubine and Priestess for years before you married father. You didn’t…”
Sasah met her daughter’s gaze. A single tear fell before she wiped it away angrily. “I chose my side a long time ago, girl.” She said finally.
“You did!” Iyara breathed in horror. “Who’s child was it then? Was it yours? Did I have another sibling I never knew about?”
“It doesn’t matter. I chose my side, and that can’t be unchosen.” Sasah said, voice growing determined. “If Jehovah wins this war, then it doesn’t matter if our family survives or not. Their God will never accept us. Their ways are not our ways. We’ll have to live by their laws, and there’s just no way we can do that and live.”
“I can.” Rahab said seriously. “And I will.”
“So will I.” Arjun said firmly. “If they’ll accept me.”
“They won’t.” Sasah said.
“They will.” Rahab countered. “The night the spies were here, they gave me this.” She held out a small roll of papyrus. “Apparently, their Scribes keep a record of their complete history, even conversations their Patriarchs had with their God. One of the Spies brought this with him.” She unrolled the scroll. “I can’t read their language, but they told me what it said. Jehovah promised the Hebrew Patriarch that not one righteous person would be wiped away with the wicked, in an act of judgement against another city; long ago.”
Iyara scoffed. “The spies kept a copy of that promise with them, just in case they started looking at us like ‘real people’ while they spied us out.”
Bodhir’s eyes were glued to the scroll in Rahab’s hand. “They’ve got a record of all the dealings between their God and their ancestors, and they’re willing to let you have a copy?”
“Going all the way back to the creation of the world.” Rahab nodded. “Something the Priest of Baal can’t offer.” She handed the slip to Bodhir. “I’m afraid it’s written in Hebrew.”
“For this? I’d learn.” Bodhir nodded. “If they’d teach me.”
“I believe they will. When this is over, our family will be the only one to survive.” Rahab said seriously. “And we’ll be… well, forgiven. Righteous, if such a thing is possible. Because the only God I’ve known that has a proven ability to feed millions from nothing, to make the rivers stand up on end while His servants pass, and has conquered world empires without the need of swords or shields? He is coming here, and He has judged our gods and their worship to be something that needs to end. And He will end it soon enough.” She held up the slip. “And as long as there is one righteous family that showed loyal love to His servants? Those few will be saved.” She turned to Iyara. “In more ways than just our lives.”
Iyara stared at Rahab for a long, long moment. “No depraved rituals.”
“None of our children will ever ‘pass through the fire’, or be sacrificed.” Vihaan added.
“None of our daughters will have to sell their bodies to buy food.” Arjun added.
“We’ll have the truth. The real truth about how the world began; with supernatural signs to give proof of accuracy over every other Temple and Shrine out there.” Bodhir said, gripping the scroll that Rahab had given him. “No more doubts about God.”
Sasah stared hard. “And all those things that can’t be ‘unchosen’, would just be… forgiven?” She took a shaking breath. “I don’t know if that’s possible, but…” She trailed off, unable to say it.
“If it was that simple, wouldn’t it be worth sitting inside for one week?” Rahab tempted. “Wouldn’t it be worth going with them?”
Sasah couldn’t say it, but she could no longer meet her daughter’s gaze. A fine sweat had broken out on her forehead, and another single tear was wiped away, almost angrily. “What if they don’t accept us? What if we do everything right, and they just… don’t want us around?”
“Then it’s up to God.” Arjun said firmly. Hearing the debate play out had given him clarity. “It means that this is bigger than just our family surviving a siege. This is Jehovah God fixing every uncertainty that we’ve had to live under. It means that servants of Jehovah have a life to live. And all the people who enjoy… all the things that our people celebrate? Their time is up.”
~/*\~ Cherry ~/*\~
The three prisoners sat in the back of the van. They heard Gail talking to someone, but couldn’t really make out the words. After that, they just sat, and waited.
“I can feel it coming.” Jamel said quietly. “This might be detox talking, but that feeling of ‘everything is ending’ has been crawling up my spine all day.”
“I don’t know where you’ve been, but if you haven’t heard the news; it's all starting to collapse.” Eldon agreed. “Since this began, I’ve been studying Revelations carefully. When Babylon fell, the wealthy and the powerful agreed it was ‘terribly sad’, while staying at a careful distance. The value of money has come to nothing. And since we built our whole world on money, the System is going with it. Wars have broken out everywhere. It’s pretty much every man for himself in the world.”
“And the Brothers?” Cherry asked, fearfully.
“Are in their hiding places, waiting it out.” He shrugged. “We ran out of food supplies at last a few days ago.”
Just then, the engine roared to life again, and they started moving again.
“Not exactly the joyous message I was hopeful for.” Cherry admitted quietly.
“It’s only the end of the world, kid.” Her father drawled. “When we can’t do anything? That’s when God really takes over.”
“I hope He does something soon.” Cherry murmured. “Sort of.”
He looked at her sharply. “Sort of?”
“What she means is, we’re still not sure of our status with what happens next.” Jamel groaned. He was shaking again. This time from hunger. He hadn’t had anything but water since his detox started. “All the promises in the literature about how God would protect His faithful ones? Me and Cherry have been hiding, shot at, tear gassed…”
“The lifelong brothers have had a far easier time of it.” Cherry put in, getting back on topic. “If I had never left the faith, I wouldn’t have been anywhere near the situations I’ve gone through. If Jamel had gotten clean and come on board years ago, he wouldn’t be shaking uncontrollably right now-”
“And if anyone had listened and studied with us when we knocked on their door at any point in their lives, they’d be much safer now too.” Eldon acknowledged. “You’re worried that because you don’t feel ‘protected’, it means you’re not ‘one of us’ like you hoped?”
“We’ve heard gunshots going off every night. The world’s coming apart, and we’re still alive.” Cherry wavered. “It very easily could have gone the other way. Thinking back, there are at least three moments where I really should have been dead by now.”
Eldon felt a hard shudder run through him. She was here, and safe, but she was still his daughter.
“But because we keep ‘almost dying’, we don’t know where the miracles stop, and the bad fortune begins.” Jamel added. “Going it alone, we have nobody to tell us if we are safely on the right side of this. In the great war between Good and Evil, I’ve been a willing victim for most of my adult life. Now I don’t know for sure where I’ve ended up.”
“And the oncoming moment that will prove it one way or another is scaring you, as a result.” Eldon nodded. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s been harder for you because you’re new to this. Jesus spoke of people who came to work in his service at the ‘11th hour’. But the point of that parable was-”
The vehicle stopped, and the engine turned off. Moments later, the door unlocked loudly and swung open. Gail was in the doorway. “My partner commandeered a motorbike, and made a run for it.” She reported promptly as she climbed into the Van, and pulled the door shut behind her, sealing them all back inside. “The last time we stopped, I told him someone had siphoned our gas tank; and we were stuck. That was… an exaggeration. If he’d bothered to check the tank himself, he would have realized it; but it’s every man for himself out there now.” She drew a key from her pocket and started freeing them from their handcuffs. Once Eldon’s hands were free, she drew her sidearm, and held it out to him, handle-first. “I surrender.”
Rubbing their wrists, Jamel and Cherry stared at her in disbelief. Eldon burst out laughing. “What changed your mind, soldier?”
“The Most Wanted List.” Gail admitted. “They’re mostly your people. It’s not like you’re warriors, or secret agents. How are you lasting this long?” She gestured at Cherry. “And I did pull the trigger when she ran. My Gun decided not to fire, for the first and only time. Even the floorboards wouldn’t let me give chase.” She shrugged. “There’s a point where it's not a coincidence.”
“Indeed.” Eldon agreed, opening the doors to the Van and heading out to take a look at where they were.
“You actually tried to shoot me?” Cherry repeated, frowning.
“Only one time.” Gail offered. “Would it help if I said I'm sorry?” She shook her head. “I know that sounds insane. But what doesn’t, anymore? It’s all true, isn’t it?” Gail looked beseechingly at Cherry and Jamel, voice shaking. “This is really happening.”
“It is.” Jamel nodded. “And I’ll bet you figured that out almost at the same time I did. And for the same reason.” He gestured at Cherry. “Because this lady right here told you so.”
“She did. Or at least she tried.” Gail had tears rolling down her face. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you sooner.”
Eldon came back in. “Well, it's definitely an ‘out of the way’ spot.” He reported. “The roads are dangerous enough, if we plan to go back and try to find the others.”
“The engine’s low enough on gas now that I wouldn’t want to risk it. Before we started, I was given a travel warning that Coalition Trucks were the ones being targeted.” Gail piped up. “Gangs on the road figure we’re most likely to have food or guns.”
“We? I thought you had surrendered.” Cherry said lightly.
Gail took that in and nodded, peeling off her insignia and uniform jacket.
Eldon got back into the van, bundled her symbols into the jacket with her gun, and he tossed it all outside, slamming the door shut. “We’re probably safer here than anywhere outside.”
“You want to wait it out like this?” Jamel was surprised.
“Why not?” Eldon shrugged. “Jesus said: ‘where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there I am in their midst’. We have four, right here in this van.”
“You have three.” Gail said quietly. “I, on the other hand-”
“Have declared.” Eldon said firmly. “Everyone in this Box believes that This Is It. Everyone in this Box believes it's really happening. Everyone in this Box recognizes that humanity can’t survive the consequences of its own decisions. Everyone in this box-”
“I get it.” Gail said over him. “But I don’t know if I get a pass that easily. I’m not just ‘disinterested’. I’ve actively opposed God’s followers.” She gestured at Cherry. “You said it yourself a hundred times: You were the only group that saw it coming. That means you’re the only ones who were right. That means you were always right; and I was trying to round you all up-”
“Right up until the moment you set us free.” Eldon finished. “When we were in the interrogation room, I asked you if you’d drawn any conclusions about what my daughter was trying to teach you.” Eldon spread his hands. “Given where we are now, I feel like maybe you have.”
“Yeah.” Gail nodded. “But it’s gotta be too late for me.”
“Have you asked?” Cherry asked.
“What?” Gail blinked.
“Have you asked God to forgive you?”
“No, of course not.” Gail answered, as though it should be obvious. “I’ve signed the Renouncement. I’m wearing the uniform. Just because it was the wrong choice doesn’t mean…” She trailed off, unable to phrase it. “When I was a kid, we played games in the schoolyard; I always wanted to be on the winning team when we chose sides.” She looked down with a bitter, nostalgic smile. “When we started losing the game, I wanted to change teams. That’s how it is for little children. But I’m an adult now, and my choice was made long ago.”
“I said the same thing about myself when they started shouting ‘Secure in Peace’.” Cherry scoffed. “I’ll tell you what the others in this Van told me. Forgiveness is up to God. If you don’t ask for it, you’re not giving Him the chance. Don’t take the choice away from God.”
“Forgiveness has to be earned.” Gail said. “I knew that before I took your cuffs off. Believe me, I’m under no illusions.”
“Forgiveness isn’t something you earn. It’s something you give. When you need forgiveness, you have to accept it.” Jamel said quietly. “I know that, because I’m betting my life on it. If we had to earn our forgiveness from God first, none of us would make it.”
Gail looked at Jamel, a little surprised. “Deep. Wouldn’t have pegged you for such a philosopher.”
“I’m told that I can be surprisingly insightful when I’m not wasted.” Jamel said with dignity.
“I didn’t love him for his money.” Cherry said with a wry smile. “If our sins were what Jehovah cared about, nobody would survive. He’s all-powerful, and all-perfect. We’re not.” She paused. “Actually, I think there’s a verse that says exactly that. I don’t remember for sure.”
“There is. Almost word for word, in fact.” Eldon confirmed.
“And when I snapped out of it and woke up to what was happening in the world, my father didn’t turn me away because of how long I had taken to get there.” Cherry added. “My father loves me, in spite of the way I’ve treated him and his attempts to help me over the years. Why can I not say the same about God?”
Her father smiled at her. “I admit, I didn’t expect any of this when you were born.” He gestured around the steel box they were locked in. “And I never thought I’d be waiting it out like this.” He turned back to Gail. “But Jamel is right. All we can offer to God is ourselves. And that’s all He’s ever asked for.”
“I don’t have a life to offer.” Gail insisted, only one tear left now, falling down her ashen face. “My life can be measured in hours, if that. And it’s not like I can say I’m sorry; since I’m only sorry now that it didn’t turn out the way I wanted.”
“I don’t have my Bible with me, obviously.” Eldon said slowly. “But on the subject of forgiveness, I always point to the story of Jesus' death. When Jesus was executed, there were two other criminals there with him. One of them regretted his life; and asked Jesus to ‘remember him’. Jesus promised that the other man would ‘be with him in Paradise’.”
Gail nodded, to show she was listening.
“That criminal on a stake, Gail?” Cherry put in gently. “It’s you.”
“What?” Gail scoffed.
“That man couldn’t offer to spend the rest of his life atoning for his sins.” Eldon nodded. “He had minutes left. If that.”
“And if a ‘deathbed’ repentance meant nothing to God, then Jesus wouldn’t have forgiven him.” Jamel put in. “Of course you want to change your mind, now. After you’ve seen where your life choices have led you. But for that man hanging beside Jesus, repentance was enough.”
Gail felt surrounded. Enclosed in this box that she’d put them all in, three voices tag-teaming her. “Can any of you really tell me that it’s not too late for me?” She countered cynically. “How do you know?”
“We’ve never known. Not even for ourselves. Not even before this started.”
“You got us out, Gail.” Cherry said. “You tried to shoot me, and then you tried to save me. There’s a real supernatural war going on around us right now, and we’ve all been pulled one way or another. But we’ve ended up here. Maybe you were the answer to our prayers for protection. Maybe it made no difference in the long run. But when this started, the two people I needed to save were you and Jamel.” She spread her hands wide, tears forming. “Despite everything, we’re all here. Together.”
Gail said nothing, didn’t look at anyone.
“Do you want to die?” Eldon asked suddenly. Cherry made a noise of disbelief at the question. Jamel didn’t seem surprised. He’d been thinking the same thing. “It’s not a unique reaction. You’re dealing with heavy guilt, and you know better than most that the world isn’t going back to normal ever again. A lot of people would give up right now.”
“You won’t.” Gail groused.
The sun was setting outside, falling low enough that the sun was below their horizon. Sealed in a prison van, the darkness fell quickly.
“What comes next is something I’ve been waiting for since the day I was old enough to understand it.” Eldon said seriously. “You can’t say the same. I’m sorry for that, but I don’t have a time machine either.” He caught Gail’s chin and made her look at him. “Do you want to die?”
She pushed him away. “Of course not.” She snapped. “But I don’t… I don’t know how.”
And Cherry and Jamel both looked at Eldon. As the night grew outside, they could barely make him out, but they all knew where he was.
“Gail, you looked at the Most Wanted List and realized we were the ‘last ones standing’. Do you believe that the Witnesses are God’s Organization on Earth?”
Gail couldn’t meet his eyes, but she nodded, looking at the floor.
Eldon spoke again. “Do you regret your sins, and want God to forgive you?”
Gail nodded again, still not looking.
Eldon spoke firmly. “Do you understand that this choice means you have made a dedication to Jehovah God? Do you pledge to obey Him from now on?”
And Gail... hesitated. “I don’t know if I can. I don’t know if I have the… well the ability to do that, given what I’ve done.” She couldn’t look at any of them. “I arrested you all. I tried to shoot Cherry. My friend. And why? Because someone told me to. That was all. I’m not the one you want in a world run by a good, loving God.”
“I want you in that world.” Cherry said firmly. “I want Jamel in that world. I want to be in that world.”
“Even if it means I’m there?” Gail wavered. “I wouldn’t be a… well, a constant reminder of being shot at?”
Cherry took that seriously. “I was raised a Believer, and I left. I laughed off God’s attempt to bring me in for almost a full lifetime. But He took me back. And because He did, Jamel believed; and now you believe too. That’s a reminder I would love to have every day for the rest of time. A thousand years from now, everything that we ever did will be forgotten, except for what happens in this box, right now.” She wrapped her arms around Gail. “I forgive you. I love you. I want you to be there, with all of us.”
Jamel was hugging her from the other side. “She said that to me, and I believed her. And in return… I got wasted again. But here we are; and if she can forgive and love; God can too.”
Gail sniffed back the emotion, but couldn’t stop the tears, before looking past them. “Tell me how.”
“Well… I don’t see a body of water outside; so your baptism might have to wait.” Eldon admitted. “But Dedication is simple.” He took her hands, and bowed his head. “Pray with me.”
Cherry and Jamel bowed their heads too. She had made her dedication prayer before, but as Gail started to pray aloud, she found she was praying it again. As though Gail was saying it for all of them.
“Jehovah God…” They felt Gail’s words sigh into the darkness, and Cherry felt her head spin a little, as though she was leaving her body entirely. “The world has been ignoring you, for so very long. Most of the people right here can say the same. I don’t know where You get such love, as to still be listening out for us. Evil powers have made the world a cold and lonely place. The people in this Van have turned to flawed lovers, relentless vices, and violent delights; all in the name of making our existence a little less unbearable, from one hardship to another. One of the people in this Van has clung to You and Your promises. As this… horrific chapter in the history books finally closes; we’ve seen where all our paths lead. We might all be in the same box right now, but one of us knows he has led the best life; while the rest of us cry out to You, for one more moment of pity, one more act of forgiveness, one more demonstration of love.”
“Undeserved kindness.” Another voice added, and none of them could tell where it was coming from. “Loyal love.”
“Thank You for the hope I’ve already received; even sitting in an abandoned cage, waiting for the world to end. Thank you for the care shown by people who have every right to send me away in anger, for what I’ve done to them already. I take comfort from the knowledge that Your servants try to act the way You would. Right now, it might actually be proof that You still want me.”
“For us all.” Someone whispered.
“Please, Jehovah God, I ask for You to accept me as Your servant. I beg You to forgive my sins. I want to see what this world can be like if You were running it, and if there’s something I can add, I’d love to do so. Please.”
There was a pause.
“We all make this plea, in Jesus Name, Amen.” Eldon finished.
Silence. The darkness was total now. Gail felt around and someone took her hand. She wasn’t entirely sure who, nor did she care.
“What happens now?” Gail asked.
“We wait. And when the sun comes back, we find out-”
He stopped talking as something changed outside. None of them could say for certain what it was, but they all felt it. The darkness grew stronger somehow. The noise changed in pitch. Something they couldn’t ignore, but couldn’t describe. Like the air had changed in density.
I should go. The thought came to Gail suddenly. If you’re about to be hit by a lightning bolt, don’t take the rest of them with you.
As if she heard the thought, Cherry reached out and caught her hand, squeezing it tightly. She was holding onto Jamel with her other hand, while her father wrapped his arms around her. All of them, clinging to each other as a supernatural wave crashed down on the world around them.
God? Me again. I know I don’t deserve another chance, but the others in this van do. So please give them one, whatever happens to me. I’m sorry for all the badness I have done to this world, and I regret every lie I ever believed.
From outside, the intense darkness was suddenly replaced with light. Inside the van, it was hard to see, but the sudden light was brighter and more glorious than anything that had been seen on Earth before. The light found its way in to reach them, like it was a tangible thing.
The sounds from outside intensified. There were cries of shock, and fear… even a few of rage. The sound of weapons fire was audible; but quickly drowned out by the rhythm of hoofbeats, coming from above.
Oddly enough, even if you smite me dead right now, I’m still glad to know that this is really happening, because it means nothing bad will ever happen again. When I put on the uniform, I told myself that was a cause worth dying for. You’ll surely do better at it than we will.
Amen.
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