Found

by Morgan Rice

  But Caitlin flew higher just in time, and the rocks sailed by, missing. In moments, she was higher, and higher, far away from them, over Jerusalem. She kept flying, and soon she was over the barricade set by the Roman soldiers.

  She gained speed, and within moments was able to spot Jesus and his apostles, down below, on a quiet side street. They had just finished ascending a small hill, and were entering a large, Roman house.

  Caitlin dove down, landing out of sight, then hurried to catch up to the last of the apostles, just before he entered the house.

  As she ran up to him, he turned and faced her. Caitlin braced herself, assuming he’d tell her to go away; but to her surprise, he smiled.

  “We were hoping you would come,” he said, looking at Caitlin, then down at Scarlet and Ruth. “Will you join us?”

  Caitlin nodded, relieved.

  “It is the Passover meal,” he said. “It is our last supper before the holiday begins.”

  He stepped to the side, and motioned for Caitlin to enter.

  The Last Supper. The words rang through Caitlin’s head. She could hardly believe it. Here she was, with Jesus and his apostles, on Passover evening, during the Last Supper—the night before he was crucified. The night he was betrayed by Judas. She could hardly believe it. Here she was, right in the middle of history. Could she somehow change it?

  Caitlin entered the small house, holding Scarlet’s hand, Ruth beside her, and followed the apostle down a corridor. They passed a small, open-air courtyard in the middle of the house, framed by columns and arches, with immaculate gardens and olive trees. They continued down another corridor and up a flight of stairs, and she saw the apostles clustering around a door.

  The energy was palpable. There was excitement, preparation for the holiday and for the meal. They filed into the room one by one, and she followed on their heels.

  As Caitlin entered the room, it took her breath away. There, spread out before her, was a long, wide table. The apostles were taking their seats, all alongside it. And there, sitting in the center, was Jesus. He sat with his eyes closed, palms out, as if meditating.

  As she entered the room, he opened his eyes and gazed right at her. She could feel the intense energy radiating off of him; it was unlike anything she had ever experienced. It was like the sun, trapped in this room.

  “I am glad you have come,” he said to her.

  Once again, Caitlin found herself unable to respond. She was overwhelmed in his presence.

  The apostle gestured towards empty seats not too far from Jesus, and Caitlin and Scarlet took their seats. Caitlin could see the wonder on Scarlet’s face, and wanted to explain it all to her. But she hardly knew what to say.

  Caitlin saw a man sitting to Jesus’ side, and recognized him from paintings. Judas. The one who would betray him.

  Caitlin felt an urge to jump up, to warn Jesus, to tell him that his time was limited, that this was his last supper; that they were coming for him; that tomorrow they would crucify him; that he should beware of Judas.

  But she didn’t want to cross a line, and she didn’t know if it was her place to do so. She felt she was caught up in the hands of history, and that it wasn’t her role to try to change it. And she didn’t know if she could change it if she tried. After all, could Jesus really not be crucified? How would that affect the course of history?

  So instead, Caitlin sat there, trying to be in the moment, to experience this. For whatever reason, she had been led to him, and she tried to understand why. She just wanted to see her Dad, and she tried to imagine how and when Jesus would lead her to him.

  Small foods and delicacies were passed along the table, and some were placed before Caitlin and Scarlet. They were round, flat crackers. Unleavened bread.

  Each person was then handed a large, bejeweled goblet. Caitlin took hers, as did Scarlet. It was heavy, made of solid gold.

  As soon as she held it, Caitlin could sense what was inside. Every pore of her body screamed out for it.

  It was blood. The finest, purest white blood she had ever seen.

  Each apostle raised a glass. They held their glasses in mid-air for several seconds, as if praying silently. Caitlin followed suit. And then, each of them drank.

  Caitlin sipped it, and as she did, she immediately felt the blood rush through her veins. She felt instantly restored, rejuvenated. It was the finest blood she’d ever drank. She looked over and saw Scarlet drink, too, and was relieved to see the color returning to her cheeks.

  One of the apostles handed Ruth a large slab of raw meat, and Caitlin was relieved to see Ruth eat, too. Finally, she felt at ease. She wished that Caleb could be here to share this with them.

  Everyone set down their goblets, as Jesus cleared his throat. It was clear that all the disciples were patiently awaiting his teachings.

  But as he spoke, it was Caitlin who he turned to, who he looked at. She felt nervous, embarrassed.

  “When you are brought before rulers and authorities,” he said, “do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say.”

  Caitlin flushed, embarrassed; it was as if he had read her mind. Yet at the same time, she found peace in his words. He was talking to all of his disciples, but she also felt as if he were talking directly to her.

  She looked around the room and saw his disciples taking in every word, eager to hear more.

  He half-closed his eyes, and seemed to enter back into a meditative state. Caitlin felt so peaceful around him; yet, on the other hand, she couldn’t stop worrying. She worried about finding her Dad in time; she worried about what would become of Caleb, and Blake, and Aiden. She worried about not returning fast enough. She tried to find peace, as all the other apostles seemed to, yet she couldn’t stop her mind from racing.

  Jesus spoke again:

  “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to her life?”

  His eyes were closed when he said it, but still, Caitlin again felt as if he were speaking right to her. His words brought her a sense of peace: he was right. Worrying would change nothing.

  A thick silence pervaded the room, and Caitlin sat there, wondering what it all meant. When would he lead her to her dad? She felt as if she were closer to her Dad now than ever—there were no more keys to find, no more clues to uncover. All she had to do was follow Jesus. It seemed easy enough. Yet, at the same time, it also felt so vague. She wished there was something more concrete she could do.

  She looked around the room, wondering if maybe one of these apostles could be her Dad.

  She was burning with a desire to speak up, to ask Jesus questions about him, about what she was doing here, about what she should do next. She felt so overwhelmed, she could barely contain herself. But she felt it would be disrespectful, somehow, to speak up at this table.

  Suddenly, Judas leaned over and whispered something in Jesus’ ear. Jesus slowly stood, and all the other apostles stood, too, out of respect. Caitlin did, too.

  Jesus slowly exited the table, followed closely by Judas.

  As Caitlin watched them go, she wondered what Judas had whispered into his ear. It sent a chill through her: she knew that Judas was betraying him somehow. And she wanted to stop it.

  Caitlin knew it was not her place to get in the way of history; but still, she was burning up inside. She couldn’t just sit there and watch this happen.

  So, despite herself, she jumped up, ran around the table, and stood before Jesus and Judas, right before they exited the room. She blocked their path, and they both looked up at her.

  “I…uh…” Caitlin began, at a loss for words. “Please. Please don’t go,” she said.

  She felt protective of him. She couldn’t stand to let this happen.

  Jesus reached out and placed a palm on her shoulder. As he did, she felt a tremendous heat rush through her shoulder and body. It was a healing power, electrifying.

  “Forgive them,” he said softly, “for they know not what they do.”

  Caitlin felt tears
welling up. It was all too much for her to bear. Here she was, so close, so close to finding her Dad. To fulfilling her mission. To finding whatever it was she needed to help her husband. And Aiden.

  And yet, she was helpless. All she needed to do was follow Jesus. And yet, she knew that Judas was leading him to be betrayed. And that she might not ever see him again.

  She wanted to stop all this. To prevent them from leaving. To stay by Jesus’ side. To protect him.

  And yet she knew from his words that that was not what was meant to be. What was meant was for her to step aside and let them pass.

  So she did.

  Caitlin stepped to the side, and Jesus walked past her, followed by Judas, who scowled down at her.

  And moments later, they were gone.

  Caitlin turned back to the others and did as she was supposed to, taking her seat again at the table.

  “Mommy?” Scarlet asked. “Is everything OK?”

  Caitlin wiped away tears as she sat there, her heart pounding, waiting for them to return. She tried to put it out of her mind. She tried to be patient. She tried to have faith that everything would be okay.

  But after several minutes of waiting, of knowing her destiny might be slipping out from under her, of knowing her husband was out there, in danger, she couldn’t take it anymore. She no longer cared if she got in the way of destiny. She felt she had to take action.

  Caitlin jumped up from the table, grabbed Scarlet’s hand, and bolted from the room. She was determined to save him.

  *

  Caitlin ran out the room, leaving the last supper, ran down the corridor, clutching Scarlet’s hand, Ruth following, and ran down the flight of stairs. She ran past the courtyard, down another corridor, then finally burst out the rear door. She knew from history that Jesus had been betrayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, and she knew that the garden adjoined the house of the last supper.

  She burst outside, out the back of the house, praying that she had found the right place.

  She had. There Jesus stood, alone with Judas, in a small, ancient garden in the rear of the house, filled with olive trees. Behind them, the sky was filled with the most dramatic, blood-red sunset Caitlin had ever seen.

  Caitlin stood there, gasping for air, and the two of them turned and looked at her.

  Judas’s face suddenly filled with apprehension at the sight of her, and he quickly turned and hurried out of the garden, slithering through a side entrance.

  Now Jesus stood there, all alone. Caitlin could feel that his time was limited, and despite herself, she started to cry.

  “Mommy, what’s wrong?” Scarlet asked, also out of breath. Beside her, Ruth whined.

  But Caitlin couldn’t even respond. She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know if she was too late.

  Jesus turned to her.

  She had so many questions she was burning to ask. But she found herself completely tongue-tied.

  Jesus took a step closer to her, and spoke:

  “Only be careful, and watch yourself closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.”

  Caitlin tried to understand what he meant. Was he referring to Scarlet? What did she need to teach her? And how did that relate to her father?

  Jesus was about to speak again, and Caitlin sensed that he was on the verge of revealing to her something momentous. Something that would make her whole life make sense. Something about her father.

  But suddenly, before he could speak, the whole world changed.

  Scarlet turned and pointed up at the sky.

  “Mommy, look!”

  Caitlin looked up and watched as the sky turned black. Thousands of vampires suddenly descended, flying right towards them.

  At the same moment, the doors to the garden suddenly burst open, and in rushed Judas, followed by dozens of Roman soldiers. They charged right for Jesus, just as the vampires dove down.

  It all happened so fast, there was hardly time to react.

  They grabbed Jesus, who did not resist, and Caitlin began to burst into action, to help him.

  But before she could reach him, at that moment, a lone vampire she did not see suddenly dove down, right for her. She turned at the last second, and prepared to defend herself.

  She raised her fists, ready to knock him down.

  But then, at the last second, she saw his face. It was a face she knew. A face she loved.

  And she lowered her defenses.

  There, flying right at her, was her brother. Sam.

  Caitlin stood there, shocked, horrified.

  “Sam?” she asked.

  She stood there, her guard lowered, expecting him to embrace her, or to rescue her.

  But to her amazement, the last thing she saw, before her world went black, was Sam raising his fist, and bringing it down, right for her face.

  CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

  Caleb could not believe what he was seeing: all around him, the graves were rising on the Mount of Olives. He remembered the prophecy for the end of days—the first to resurrect would be those buried on the Mount of Olives—and knew the prophecy was coming true.

  That meant that the end of days was at hand. Right here. Right now.

  The thought struck him like a lightning bolt. The apocalypse. It was really happening. Something horrific had been unleashed, and the dark side had gotten to it first. His sense of dread deepened: now, his death seemed inevitable.

  Caleb turned back to the battle at hand and fought furiously, blocking Kyle’s battle axe just in time. He leaned back and kicked Kyle hard, right in the chest, sending him flying backwards.

  Another sword came slashing down for his head, and Caleb blocked it with his sword, then spun around and kicked his assailant hard in the gut, knocking him down. It was Rynd. Kyle’s old accomplice.

  Caleb was at the peak of his strength, fighting well, and he felt stronger and faster than ever. But he also knew he was badly outnumbered. He could only hold them off for so long. He hoped that Caitlin would come back, and bring her Dad with her.

  Suddenly, Caleb noticed a lone figure, diving down from the sky, right to him. At first, he braced himself for an attack—but then he sensed a friendly energy. His heart leapt, as he thought it might be Caitlin.

  The figure swooped down, right before Caleb, sword outstretched, and blocked the below that was about to strike him.

  Caleb couldn’t believe it. It was his old rival for Caitlin’s love: Blake.

  Blake had just saved Caleb from a life-threatening below, and Caleb was more grateful than he could say. Caleb felt re-energized at this presence, and he used this opportunity to leap over Blake’s head and kick another vampire hard in the chest with both feet, just before the vampire struck Blake. Blake had his back, and now Caleb had his.

  But the graves were still resurrecting, and the first of the shadow creatures charged right for Caleb. One of these shadows grabbed him from behind, and his touch sent a chill through Caleb, and deepened his sense of dread. The shadow was so cold and slimy, like a demon from hell.

  Caleb threw his arms back and managed to throw it off, sending it flying and knocking into several others. But still more came.

  Aiden swung his staff, and Caleb was shocked to see the staff stretch out before him, grow before his eyes. It grew to fifty feet, then a hundred. As it did, Aiden swung it around in a wide circle.

  It had a tremendous effect. Aiden managed to knock down every creature that came within a hundred feet of him, in the shape of a huge circle. He killed a hundred creatures in a single blow.

  Now, with Blake here, and Aiden’s staff, the momentum was beginning to turn. Caleb felt as if they might stand a chance, especially as he spotted Aiden’s coven members: these soldiers, dressed in their white robes, each wielded a staff of his own, and each swung them in slow but deliberate ways. They were channeling some sort of energy Caleb was not aware of, and as
they spun their staffs, they each managed to knock out twenty vampires in a single blow. Clearly, Aiden’s men were infused with a special power, a high state of training that Caleb had never seen.

  Caleb lunged forward, transformed in his fury and newfound confidence, and killed a dozen vampires in a few seconds. Blake did the same. Within moments, Caleb and Blake were fighting back to back, each guarding the other. And they were succeeding. The tide was turning.

  “Caleb,” came a voice.

  Caleb immediately spun. It was a voice he would recognize anywhere, and it sent an electric shock through his system. But it couldn’t be. How could she be here?

  “Help me, please!”

  As he turned, Caleb was astounded to see who was standing there. Just a few feet away, right before him, stood Caitlin. She stood there, fighting off hordes of vampires, and they were beating her. He couldn’t understand how she could be here, how she could have appeared so quickly, came out of nowhere. Maybe she had dove down, and in the chaos, he had missed her.

  He didn’t have time to think about that. His first impulse was to save her, and he leapt into action, landing before her and striking back the vampires attacking her. In moments, he managed to kill a dozen of them, and the others kept a wary distance.

  Caleb quickly turned and looked at her. She stood there, looking so helpless, so afraid—and so beautiful. It was the Caitlin he knew. And he felt overjoyed to see her.

  Yet at the same time, something bristled inside him. Something deep down told him that something wasn’t right. But he wasn’t quite sure what.

  He was so overjoyed to see her, he brushed his premonitions aside as he stepped forward to embrace her. She had been good to her word. She had come back.

  “I came back for you,” Caitlin said. “I couldn’t stay away. I had to come and help you.”

  She stepped forward, lowering her sword to her side.

  “Won’t you give your wife a hug?” she asked.

  Caleb stepped forward, took three big steps, opened his arms wide, and came in to hug her.

  But as he got closer and closer, his body became colder, and something inside him screamed that something wasn’t right. He didn’t understand it, didn’t know what it could be.