The Ultimatum

by Nancy Moser

  “That's a narrow viewpoint.”

  ‘“Narrow is the gate. ’“She couldn't remember the rest of the verse. “You mentioned good and bad people. What you need to understand, Cal, is that there is good and bad in all of us. We are all sinners.”

  “Now you sound like my father.”

  “That part of what he says is true. What you learned when you were with Treena is true. Find that truth again. Now. Before it's too late.”

  He looked overwhelmed. He sank into the chair and rested his head against the mattress.

  She stroked his head.

  She comforted him.

  “That's the last of them,” Cal said to Avi.

  She dried the last dish and put it on the counter for him to put in the cupboard. At her request, they'd had macaroni and cheese for dinner. Not his favorite, but something he could make.

  “I'm going up to my cubby, Daddy. Want to come?”

  “Me?”

  “Sure.”

  “I'm too big.”

  She looked disappointed and went upstairs alone. He plopped onto the couch, picked up the remote, but didn't turn the television on. The last thing he wanted to hear was TV chatter.

  But without it…the house was so quiet.

  He found himself on the stairs, seeking out Avi.

  The light in the master closet was on, the door to her cubby ajar. “Knock knock,” he said, tapping the wall.

  She shoved the door open, her face bright. “You came to visit!” She moved back. “Come see, Daddy. Come in and see.”

  It's not that the door wasn't wide enough. It was a good two feet by three feet, but Cal had never once considered entering his daughter's domain.

  Until now.

  He crawled inside as Avi frantically moved books and dolls aside, making room.

  “Here, lean back here,” she said, fluffing a pile of pillows.

  “So this is where our extra pillows went.”

  “Mama said it was okay.”

  He flicked the end of her nose. “It is. I'm just giving you a hard time.” He got settled in. Actually, it was kind of neat. The slant of the roof made standing impossible, but Avi had made it quite comfy. She had the walls decorated with drawings. One caught his eye. It was a cross section of their house with two men on the first floor with Annie and him, and Avi huddled in her cubby upstairs. To think of her up here, by herself, afraid…

  “Want to see my newest drawing?”

  “Sure.”

  She presented him with a picture of the three of them—plus an older man with glasses and an oxygen tank. His father.

  “That's our family.”

  He kissed the top of her head. “It's very nice. But what's this?” He pointed to the band of blue with a bunch of disembodied faces looking down.

  “Those are the angels protecting us, and that big one is Jesus. It's God looking down. Mama said He's always with us. Watching us. Taking care of us.” She looked right at him. “He healed Mama. We prayed, and He did it for us. Right, Daddy?”

  The evidence was clear enough for a ten-year-old to see. Wasn't it about time he…?

  “You're right, Avi. You're completely right.”

  Avi nodded. Case closed. Then she took down the picture of the bad guys and taped up the picture of their family.

  “There,” she said. “All better now.”

  There. All better now, indeed.

  Epilogue

  If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ,

  if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit,

  if any tenderness and compassion,

  then make my joy complete by being like-minded,

  having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

  PHILIPPIANS 2:1-2

  ONE YEAR LATER

  BLANCHE SHOVED THE BOX of myrrh into Ivans hands. “Its official. You are the first wise man who's an old rutabaga.”

  “Just because I wanted more sequins on the box.” Ivan straightened his turban. “A king should have lots of sequins.”

  Annie approached them, a cassette tape in her hands. As the director of the Christmas pageant this year, her nerves were a bit frayed. “Get along, you two. Blanche, go see if Bailey has his frankincense. And I think Cal and Ken were looking for their shepherd staffs.”

  Blanche sighed deeply as she was walking away. “What would you do without me?” She swung around to Ivan. “Dorit even think about it.”

  Avi ran up to Annie, holding her angel wings, which were decidedly broken. “Mama, look!”

  Oh, dear. “Take it to Susan. Shell fix it.”

  She watched as Avi ran to the corner where Susan worked at a sewing machine, making last-minute repairs. Sim played with baby Caleb close by.

  Annie spotted her original target. “Harold!” He had been invaluable as her assistant director. For who would know more about good drama than a former teacher of Shakespeare? “I was looking for you. I need you to—”

  He took hold of her upper arms. “I need you to calm down. Everything will be fine. Wonderful.” He nodded toward the choir, who were getting dressed. She watched Claire straighten the stole of Merry's robe. They saw her and offered a thumbs-up.

  “See?” Harold said.

  Annie wasn't convinced. “What we need is a miracle.”

  Harold slipped his hand through her arm and turned them both to the right. “See that?” he said, pointing. “That's a miracle.”

  Bailey was helping Cal adjust the headdress of his costume with as much care as he would if they were appearing on the cover of GQ. Who would have thought these two would ever set foot in a church, much less participate?

  God.

  “You get my drift, Miss Annie?” Harold said. “You ready to let go and let God?”

  “You shamed me into it, Harold.”

  “Whatever it takes.”

  She remembered why she'd wanted to find Harold. She handed him the tape. “Here's the cassette to make the recording for Jered in jail. You have someone to work the recorder?”

  “Yes, dear. And here's hoping that next year Jered will be right here, helping us.”

  “With good behavior, that's the plan. I'd love to see him involved with the music.”

  Cal spotted her and left Bailey's adjustments. He put his arms around her waist. “Are you ready?”

  “I hope so.”

  He rubbed the crease that appeared between her eyes in times of stress. “We're all prayed up, Annie-girl. Let it go.”

  The significance of his simple words was not lost on her.

  He leaned close. “Have you ever been kissed by a shepherd?”

  She fingered the edge of his headdress. “Not today.”

  Cal took care of it.

  And God took care of the rest.

  The Beginning…

  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel,

  praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest,

  and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

  LUKE 2:13-14

  The publisher and author would love to hear your

  comments about this book. Please contact us at:

  www.letstalkfiction.com

  VERSES FOR THE ULTIMATUM

  OPENING PAGE: Philippians 2:1-2

  CHAPTER 1: Anger/James 1:19-20

  CHAPTER 2: Wisdom/Proverbs 4:7

  CHAPTER 3: Anger/Proverbs 17:14

  Anger/James 3:5

  CHAPTER 4: Seeking/Jeremiah 29:13

  CHAPTER 5: Salvation/Luke 19:10

  Love/1 Corinthians 13:4-8

  CHAPTER 6: Child of God/1 John 3:10

  CHAPTER 7: Comfort/Psalm 62:5-6

  Rest/Matthew 11:28

  CHAPTER 8: Judgment/Ecclesiastes 12:14

  CHAPTER 9: Trust/Psalm 40:4

  Love/1 Corinthians 13:4-7

  CHAPTER 10: Faithfulness/1 Corinthians 4:2

  CHAPTER 11: Truth/Proverbs 23:23

  Giving/2 Cor
inthians 9:7

  Eternal Life/John 3:16

  CHAPTER 12: Lies/Proverbs 19:9

  Sin/Colossians 3:5-6

  CHAPTER 13: Temptation/1 Timothy 6:

  9 Jesus/John 14:6

  CHAPTER 14: Strength/Psalm 140:7-8

  Knowledge/Jeremiah 33:3

  CHAPTER 15: The wicked/Psalm 73:6-7

  Safety/Psalm 17:8-9

  CHAPTER 16: Snares/Psalm 141:9-10

  Living in Christ/Philippians 1:21

  Asking God/James 4:2

  CHAPTER 17: Courage/2 Chronicles 20:17

  Protection/Psalm 140:1-2

  CHAPTER 18: Rescue/Jeremiah 1:8

  Jesus/John 3:16

  CHAPTER 19: Good/3 John 1:11

  Mercy/Matthew 5:7

  CHAPTER 20: God/1 Corinthians 3:22-4:1,

  NLT Sacrifice/John 15:13

  Salvation/John 14:6

  Gods will/Mark 14:32-36

  CHAPTER 21: Sacrifice/John 12:27-28

  CHAPTER 22: Obedience/Jeremiah 42:6

  CHAPTER 23: Salvation/Matthew 7:13-14

  EPILOGUE: Fellowship/Philippians 2:1-2

  Christmas/Luke 2:13-14

  Dear readers:

  Sometimes people ask how much of my life shows up in my books.

  Too much sometimes.

  Last spring, when I first wrote this manuscript, I was in…a mood. Let me revise that: a Mood. The problem was that I was way too busy. My to-do list consisted of thirty-four items—and these were not five-minute tasks like sweep the floor. The pressure weighed me down and made me a frazzled and frayed female. “Don't Tread on Me” should have been tattooed on my forehead.

  I got to the point where I figured that I might as well include item numbers thirty-five, end world hunger, and thirty-six, ban commercials from television, because the chances of my checking off the last item—on time—seemed just as impossible. As far as making time for God? I had Him penciled in on Tuesdays from 2:30-2:31 A.M. It didn't help that our youngest was graduating from high school and the whole empty-nest thing loomed large…

  But, by gum and by golly, I got the manuscript turned in. On time. Check one off the list.

  Or not.

  A few months later, when I received the editorial review of the manuscript from my editor (where she gives the author extensive notes regarding the bigger issues to address), I was faced with a problem. Though Julee was tactful, basically the whole manuscript was a moody mess (my term, not hers). The husband Cal was nasty and totally unlikable, Annie was constantly picking fights (and winning, of course), and the issue of faith? It was generally a beat-'em-over-the-head-with-God book. I could have sold the sermons on cassette for a good profit.

  However, curiously, the Jered-Jinko storyline—the criminal storyline—was okay. Not a problem there. But the story about the family? The police should have been called to handle the domestic disputes. The topper was that I even had Annie die in the end. Deathbed scene, the works. Talk about a downer! Yet the odd thing was, I didn't shed a tear in writing it. That should have told me something (like I was just plain weary of her and glad to see her gone?).

  Needless to say, when confronted with these awful truths, I was stunned how the stress of last spring had adversely affected what I was writing. All my books stem from self-experience, but this one was over the edge. In truth, it was disconcerting. Even a bit scary.

  But God is good, and Julee is patient (and my list of thirty-four to-dos had all been completed—numbers thirty-five and thirty-six still pending). I give whampum thanks to both of them for giving me the opportunity to redeem this book from the pits of negativity and (hopefully) lift it up to some semblance of true faith and inspiration for the reader. Our God is the God of second chances, and I certainly got one with this book. Big-time.

  Your turn. Don't waste the chances He offers nor the lessons He gives you to learn. And take my advice, make your life easier by putting Him on the top of your list.

  And keep Him there, no matter what. Many blessings,

  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  People come to Christ in different ways: Some can name one defining moment, others come to Him a little at a time, while still others can't remember a time when they weren't His. How did it happen to you? Or if it hasn't happened yet, what's keeping you from fully committing to Him?

  Cal and Annie don't understand each other. Do you have a family member who doesn't understand your faith—or do you find it hard to understand someone else's deep faith? What are the best ways for a believer and an unbeliever to connect?

  Have you ever pushed too hard to share your faith? What were the results?

  Jinko Daly lured Jered with charm and false promises. Do you think evil is more insidious if it's blatant or subtle? Why? When have you experienced either or both types?

  As the years passed, it got harder and harder for Cal to tell Annie his secrets. Do you have a secret that should come out? What's keeping you from clearing the air? Should all secrets come out?

  Bailey was a proud man. What were the consequences of his pride? How should a person deal with unhealthy pride—in themselves or someone else?

  Annie suspects Cal of having an affair. Do you think she handled her suspicions correctly? How might things have turned out if she'd reacted differently?

  God often has to do something drastic to get our attention. How has He gotten your attention? Or has He?

  Jereds dream was to be in the music business. Do you think he had what it takes to succeed? What's your dream? What are you doing to make it happen?

  Annie was willing to sacrifice her life for her family, which reveals a powerful love. But her reason for doing so—to give her husband more time to know the Lord—shows an even deeper commitment to her faith. How would you have reacted if put in this situation?

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogues are products of the authors

  imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons,

  living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  THE ULTIMATUM

  published by Multnomah Publishers, Inc.

  © 2004 by Nancy Moser

  Other Scripture quotations are from:

  Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT)

  © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

  All rights reserved.

  Multnomah is a trademark of Multnomah Publishers, Inc.,

  and is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

  The colophon is a trademark of Multnomah Publishers, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted,

  in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording,

  or otherwise—without prior written permission.

  For information:

  MULTNOMAH PUBLISHERS, INC. o PO. BOX 1720 o SISTERS, OR 97759

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Moser, Nancy.

  The ultimatum / by Nancy Moser.

  p. cm.

  eISBN: 978-0-307-56404-7

  1. Hostage negotiations—Fiction. 2. City and town life—

  Fiction. 3. Sacrifice— Fiction. 4. Robbery—Fiction. 5. Kansas—Fiction. 1. Title.

  PS3563.088417U45 2004

  813′.54—dc22

  2003026157

  v3.0