by Mark Romang
Thorn stopped and looked at Webb. “The Rapture will take place when Spencer confesses his sins and becomes a believer.”
“But how do you get that out of the etching?”
“Think about it, C-Dub. My call sign in the SEALS was Mad Dog. I’m the rabid dog and Spencer is my pup. It all makes sense. Why else would I be fighting the demons? I believe it’s because I’m supposed to protect Spencer and keep him alive long enough for him to confess his sins. He’s reached the age of accountability, but he still hasn’t confessed and asked God to forgive him yet. Satan has sent his demons to try to kill Spencer before he does. He wants to delay the Rapture.”
“Man, that’s beyond twisted. Do you think the Rapture will take place the instant Spencer says the sinner’s prayer? I mean, what if it nothing happens? People have been waiting for the Rapture to come forever, and it never happens.”
Thorn shrugged. “I’m not worrying about that right now. I just can’t bear the thought of demons stalking my son. I should be with my family. They need me and I’m not there for them. It’s killing me.”
“Why doesn’t God just send an angel brigade to protect Spencer? That would make more sense. You’re a tough dude, Mad Dog, but you’re still just a man.”
Thorn shook his head. “All I can figure out is God loves to use humans to carry out his plans. We’re so weak and vulnerable and needy. So when we humans do amazing things we’re incapable of on our own, it gives God all the glory.”
“But why do you think you were chosen you to do this?”
Thorn sighed and started walking again. “I don’t know. I suppose someone has to be the last person to confess their sins before Jesus comes back. I guess Spencer is the last believer this side of the Tribulation. And I’m his dad. It’s my parental duty to lead Spencer down the right path and to protect him from the Evil One,” Thorn said in a tired voice. “By the way, C-Dub, you’re a part of this too. You were chosen for this night before the world even began. Mind-blowing, isn’t it?”
“It is. But I’m not sure I want the privilege or the responsibility.”
“You’re a perfect choice for what we’re doing, C-Dub. I think God has been preparing you for this since you were born, molding and shaping you, giving you special skills and abilities. And I’m thinking all of heaven, all the saints and angels are watching us, cheering us on.”
“We better not fail then.”
“We won’t. God is with us.” Thorn tapped Webb’s chest. “He’s right in there. And he’s not going anywhere.”
The room narrowed into a passageway. Their conversation died as they traversed the underground terrain, dodging igneous rocks and ducking the jagged, scalp-splitting ceiling. To Thorn it felt as if the cave floor took them downward. He hoped the slope angle change meant they neared the cave exit. He’d explored nearly all the cave when he and Emily lived in it. But it worried him that maybe he wasn’t going down the correct passageway. Thorn pulled out a compass from his jean pocket and took a reading. He looked at the needle pointing in a southeasterly direction and put the compass away.
“Are we headed in the right direction, Mad Dog?”
“Yup, we are. In less than a mile we should be out of this cave.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not. Helicopters are flying over the hillsides, shining spotlights on the ground. We might be better off staying in here.”
Webb had a point, but Thorn knew the searchers would eventually find them here in the cave as well. Aboveground or belowground the odds were equally bad. And without some sort of divine intervention they were as good as caught.
Ahead the passageway twisted sharply left. When they made the turn the passageway opened up into a long room nearly a football field long. The glowworms had invaded this room as well. And yet the glowworms were not the only inhabitants in the room. A lump formed in Thorn’s throat when he saw the canoe. Emily paddled with precision in the stern, while Spencer sat in the bow; a tiny figure hunkered down against the cold.
Thorn whistled and waved his arms. Emily stopped paddling and craned her head backwards. “It’s your long lost husband. And Coleton Webb is with me,” Thorn called out in a low voice.
“Adam, is that really you?”
“Yeah, Em, I’m still alive.”
Thorn hurried toward his family. Emily climbed out the canoe, followed by Spencer. They pulled the canoe up onto the bank. Emily turned and ran up to him. She threw her arms around his neck. “I was so worried. I thought you’d been caught…or worse, that you’d been…”
Thorn held his wife tight, reveling in her embrace. She’d never felt so good in his arms. Like a thirsty man finding a clear stream in a desert, he drank in her emotions: her worry, her relief, her joy at reuniting with him, her love. He kissed her long and hard. Their lips smashed together. Never had their love been stronger. Hardships of the past few hours forged their love to an unbreakable bond.
Thorn felt Emily all at once shudder in his arms. He pulled away, saw her crying. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you needed me, Em. I got a little tied up.”
She looked at him through teary eyes and noticed his bruises. Emily lifted a hand and gently touched his face, probing the contusions with her fingers. “What happened to your face? Did you fight Webb again?”
Thorn shook his head somberly. “No, Coleton helped me. I wouldn’t be here holding you if he hadn’t showed up. C-Dub is a changed man,” he said quietly so only she could hear. “You needn’t worry about him.”
“But how did he find us?”
“Caleb hired him to come help us.” Thorn let go of his wife and turned his attention to Spencer. The boy held a glowworm in his hands and watched it intently. “What do you have there, Spence?”
Spencer looked up at him and smiled. “It’s a glowworm, Dad. I’m keeping it so we can see if it gets dark again. We lost our lantern. Mom and I went over a big waterfall in the dark. It was scary.”
“Well, we have plenty of light now. I have a headlamp and C-Dub has a headlamp.”
Spencer looked over at Webb. “Who is he?”
“His real name is Coleton Webb. He’s an ex-SEAL. I served with him when we were in SEAL Team 8. He’s the toughest man I know.”
Spencer shook his head. “No, Dad, you’re the toughest man on earth. You’re the toughest because you fight demons.”
Thorn smiled a bittersweet grin. He so wished he could just be a normal father and take Spencer fishing, watch him play little league baseball, maybe even build a treehouse together. But it was futile to think like that. As long as he continued to enter and exit the spirit realm he could never be normal.
Webb came over to stand by them. “Is this the son you’ve been telling me about, Mad Dog?”
“Yes, the one and only Spencer Thorn.”
“He looks like a future frogman to me, Mad Dog. You did well.”
Spencer looked up at Thorn. “Why does Mr. Webb keep calling you Mad Dog?”
Thorn tousled Spencer’s damp hair. He squatted down until he was eye level with Spencer. “Mad Dog was my call sign in the SEALS. Eventually my call sign became a nickname.”
“I need a call sign,” Spencer said. “Can I have one?”
Thorn smiled. “Sure you can. I’ll think of one, I promise,” he said. “But can you first put the glowworm down long enough to give me a hug. I’ve really missed you, Spence.”
Spencer obeyed and deposited the glowworm on a nearby boulder. He then trotted back over and latched onto Thorn, squeezing him tight. Thorn nuzzled Spencer’s neck as they embraced. “This is my favorite thing to do in the whole world. Did you know that, Spence?”
“What’s so great about hugging?”
“It’s just a way to show how much we love each other.” After several seconds Thorn pulled away. “I have something I want to give you, Spencer.” Thorn pulled out his wallet. The wallet bulged slightly, but not from money. Thorn pulled out his trident. He’d been carrying it around lately. The badge re
minded him that no matter how tough life became, he could make it through because he was a SEAL. “I know you’re fascinated with my trident, Spencer. I’ve noticed you looking at it more than once when it was laying on our dresser. So I’m going to give it to you. I don’t have much use for it anymore.” Thorn carefully pinned the Special Warfare insignia badge onto Spencer’s shirt. “You’re a great son, Spencer. I’m so proud of you. Keep this badge with you wherever you go, and I’ll always be with you.”
Spencer beamed. “Thanks, Dad.”
Thorn felt a hand on his shoulder. “Uh, Mad Dog, there’s something you need to take a look at,” Webb said. “We’re not alone.”
The fearful tone in Webb’s voice chilled Thorn’s back. Rarely did Webb exhibit fear. Thorn stood up and looked at Webb. His buddy pointed a shaky finger at the opposite stream bank. “Is that who I think it is?”
Thorn looked in the direction Webb pointed. Immediately his heart stuttered in his chest. His skin crawled as if independent from his body. Yet it wasn’t what his eyes took in that frightened him so, but the realization of what was about to happen. Lord, I can’t fight Satan. It won’t end well for me.
Emily rushed over to him. “What is it, Adam? What do you see? Is it a demon?”
“You can’t see anything?”
“I haven’t eaten any manna.”
“It’s probably better you haven’t. This isn’t just any demon. You can’t go any higher than him.”
“Let’s go then. We need to leave. You can’t fight him,” Emily said.
Thorn turned to face his wife. “I have to fight him. It’s part of the prophecy. It’s why I’m here.”
“No, you don’t have to fight him. Screw the prophecy. You can’t defeat him, you know that.”
Thorn pulled Emily into his arms. He spoke softly into her ear. “I know what the etching says. You were right, it’s about the Rapture. And Spencer is the key. That’s why Satan is stalking him. And that’s why I have to fight Satan. I’ll keep him busy while you guys escape.”
“What does the etching say?”
“Webb will tell you everything. Just keep Spencer alive. It’s all you have to do.”
Emily clung to him with all her strength. “Adam, please don’t go,” she begged. “You’ll never come back.”
“I have to go, Em, I’m sorry. I love you so much. And I’ll never stop loving you. That’s why I have to do this.” Thorn kissed her and broke free from her grip. He walked over to Spencer and knelt down. “Spencer, I need to leave you for a little bit.”
“Are you coming back, Dad?”
Thorn looked at his son, studied his every feature, memorizing them, stamping them into his brain. The boy’s thrill at receiving the trident was gone. He looked so sad now. “I’m going to do my best, Spence. Now, I need to ask you a favor, a big favor. Someday, I don’t know when, but someday the Lord is going to knock on the door to your heart. When he does I want you to let Him in. Will you do it?”
Spencer nodded. Thorn hugged him tight, savoring the feeling of Spencer’s bony frame pressing into his. He let him go and started to walk across the stream, his eyes welling with tears.
“Mad Dog, I’m coming with you. We’re a team. Who is going to have your back if I don’t go with you?”
Thorn turned around to face Webb. C-Dub looked almost as sad as Spencer. Thorn shook his head. “Remember your promise? I need you to keep it. I’m holding you to your word.”
“Okay, if that’s what you want. It will be my honor. But don’t forget you made a promise to me. I’m holding you to it.”
“I’ll try, C-Dub. I’ll give it my best shot.”
“Dig deep, buddy. Don’t ever give up. Never surrender.”
Chapter 42
The water was shallow and only came up to his shins. Thorn splashed across the stream toward his destiny and a fate he never asked for. The showdown had been brewing for several millennia, and now the time had finally come for the battle to play out. No turning back now, he thought.
Thorn didn’t look at his opponent. He didn’t want to become unnerved before the battle even started. He also kept his eyes down to avoid the intense glare. Satan gave off a dazzling bright light that lit up the cave. It was as if the Destroyer stood on a darkened theatre stage with several spotlights trained onto him. Thorn longed for sunglasses.
Thorn’s right hand wrapped around the Eden sword’s hilt. He pulled the sword from its scabbard, taking comfort in the sword’s familiar heft. Despite his burned palms, Thorn had grown attached to the supernatural weapon. It was part of him now.
His heart drummed raggedly in his chest, speeding up the closer he neared Satan. Only a few yards separated them. Thorn struggled to rein in his emotions as he forded the stream. Sadness and fear churned in his mind. Common sense told him to turn around and run back to his family and never look back. But he knew he couldn’t do that. This moment had been written down long ago, preordained to happen. Nothing could stop it.
Thorn reached the stream bank. He exited the stream on wobbly legs. He shuffled to within ten feet of his foe and finally looked up. His jaw dropped. He expected to find Satan terrifying, but instead he was taken back at Satan’s beauty. His majesty overwhelmed Thorn’s senses, mesmerizing him. Thorn forgot to breathe. He was aware that Satan could disguise himself as an angel of light, but he hadn’t expected this much splendor.
Thorn wondered if he was the first person to see Satan since Adam and Eve conversed with him in the Garden of Eden. If he was it was a rarity he could do without. Thorn’s eyes had adjusted at last to the brightness, and now he looked his foe over. Satan was just as tall as the other demons he fought, but he saw no battle scars or anything else that could be considered a flaw. Long hair the color of liquid gold spilled from his head in ringlets. A strong yet perfectly sized nose centered his face. Luminous skin covered his muscular frame and threw off shimmering light. But it was his blue eyes that Thorn found so mesmerizing. They glimmered like sapphires, and the bluest ocean on earth couldn’t compare.
A white robe covered Satan’s body. And over the robe he wore a golden ephod. Inset in the ephod was a breastplate of gold containing twelve precious gemstones. A kaleidoscope of red, blue, green and amber colors swirled off the cave walls. Among the stones, Thorn recognized topaz and beryl, emerald and sapphire, ruby and jasper, carbuncle and onyx. The gemstones reminded him of a passage in the twenty-eighth chapter of Ezekiel. Beginning in the eleventh verse, the chapter is actually a lamentation over the king of Tyre, but it also described Satan’s appearance right before God expelled him off the holy mountain. The description matched up perfectly with what Thorn saw now.
“Andrew Maddix, we meet at last. Or should I call you Adam Thorn? Do you prefer one over the other?”
“Neither. You may call me Enemy,” Thorn said, thankful his voice came out strong and didn’t crack. He noticed Satan carried no sword or bow or any kind of cleaving or clubbing weapons. That’s because he uses guile and cunning to defeat his foes, Thorn thought almost immediately.
Satan clasped his hands together. “I must compliment you, Andrew. You have conquered my most esteemed warriors. Not since Job have I come across a human so difficult to break.”
“Why did you do it? You had it all. You were on the holy mountain. You walked among the fiery stones. You were a guardian cherub. You stood next to God. But then you threw it all away, and you ruined everything for us.”
Irritation flared briefly on Satan’s face. “You see my great beauty, Andrew, my majesty and my splendor. I refuse to be a mere angel. I deserve to be worshipped.”
“That will never happen. You’re not God. And you’re not even holy.”
“Oh, but you’re wrong Andrew. Billions of people will take my number during the Tribulation and worship Henrik Skymolt.”
“What are you talking about? Henrik Skymolt is an aging land tycoon from Sweden that just happens to hate Christians.”
Satan smiled a dazzling sneer. “
I am Henrik Skymolt. And I have great plans for Henrik. He’ll make an excellent Antichrist. But I’m not ready for the Tribulation to happen just yet. I’m also not ready for the Rapture to take place. I enjoy rubbing shoulders with humans on earth. I wish to continue. That’s why you are going to help me, Andrew.”
“Count me out on that one. I will never help you,” Thorn said. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the canoe hadn’t moved. What are they waiting on? They’re running out of time.
“I prefer you to call me Lucifer. Satan is such an ugly name. It doesn’t compliment my appearance.” Satan began to pace back and forth, using elegant and agile movements. “I don’t think you truly understand how much power I have at my disposal, Andrew. I’ve influenced the greatest human minds of recorded history.
“I was in Rome when Nero’s mind became troubled. I whispered in his ear, told him to burn the city, to kill his mother and brother and wives, and to persecute the early Christians. I was at the Kremlin in Moscow with Joseph Stalin. I stirred up a fear of the Ukrainians in his mind. I convinced Stalin they would eventually demand independence against his rule. And then I whispered in his ear, giving him the idea of starving the Ukrainians with an artificial famine. 8,000,000 people died.
“I was in Berlin with Adolf Hitler and helped him establish the Third Reich. I twisted Hitler’s mind and convinced him that the Jews were racially inferior and the great enemy of Germany. I helped him with his war plans and the construction of the concentration camps. I spent a great deal of time at all the camps. But I especially enjoyed my stays at Auschwitz. I celebrated every time a Jew was exterminated. Six million Jews were killed, as well as five million other people Hitler deemed expendable. I consider the Holocaust and World War II to be my finest achievements so far. But it’s nothing compared to what I will do in the near future.
“More recently, Andrew, when you were a teenager, I sat next to you at the dinner table when your parents disowned you. I was also on the mountaintop in Utah when Coleton Webb stole the Eden sword. I helped him do it.”
