by Justin Price
“Like the coming of a Messiah?”
“Yes”, said Assad. “That is exactly right.”
“Forgive me for being so forthcoming, but many believe that you are the one spoken of by the prophets. Could that be true?”
“With each passing day, that becomes more of a reality. I think that people will be able to make that decision for themselves when they see what I will do for this world.”
Levi gave a half grin and said, “If the shoe fits…”
The motorcade quickly approached the dome of the rock, where a large crowd was gathered to hear Assad speak. There was expectation in the air as everyone turned their attention to the black vehicles pulling in to the area.
The two men along with Adnan Bahar stepped out of the vehicle and quickly headed toward the lectern waiting on them directly in front of the Dome of the Rock. Built around 691 A.D., the dome was said to enshrine the rock where Mohammed ascended to heaven. It was also the site where Abraham offered Isaac to God as a sacrifice. All three of the men approaching the site knew that despite personal beliefs, this site was perhaps the most important place on earth.
Assad walked up to the site, flanked by his security detail, Director Bahar, and Prime Minister Rosenbaum. They stopped at the podium and took in the energy of the crowd that had been patiently waiting for hours to see Assad.
After a few moments, Levi stepped forward to address the crowd gathered as well as the worldwide audience watching the press conference. He straightened his jacket and composed himself as he began.
“For centuries, this site that we stand on today has been a place of worship and adoration of the descendants of Abraham. Wars have been waged over this very small parcel of land at the center of Jerusalem. The historical importance of this place cannot be understated. Today, we make another mark on history. This time, not to divide it by Muslim, Jew, or Christian but to use this site to unite all people from every walk of life. I am pleased to introduce my friend…a friend to Israel…Samyaza al Assad.”
Assad shook hands with Rosenbaum as he approached the microphone. He raised his hands to quiet the crowd before he could speak.
“Thank you. Thank you all so much for the very kind welcome that I have received here in Jerusalem. I am humbled by the outpouring of support from all of you. As Prime Minister Rosenbaum was saying, this site carries so much history. Much of it has been a history of bloodshed. Today, we change that narrative of history however. For many years, the Jewish people have been pushing for the Temple of Solomon to be rebuilt on this site. Now, the laws in the global community attempting to squelch division and discord by preventing the propagation of religion have been quite successful. In spite of this, I do not want to simply throw tradition aside. We should be able to honor the past while reaching forward to the future. For this reason, I have approved the request by the Jewish people to rebuild the temple right next to the Dome of the Rock. Since it is no longer mankind’s primary goal to hate other cultures, I feel it is the right time to have two important pieces of human history standing next to each other. I have even approved sacrifices to be offered in the temple once again. The process of building the temple will take only three days with our current technology and resources. As many around the world have converted their old churches, temples, synagogues and mosques to interact with my image and pray to me; this temple will also feature that capability. Tomorrow morning, we will be signing the treaty between Israel and the Arab nations to officially begin the seven years of peace. It will be a monumental occasion that I hope the world will join me in celebrating. The hatred that once separated the nations in the Middle East will be put to rest once and for all. In its place, will be peace, prosperity, and mutual respect for one another as people of the book. We are all connected. Tomorrow, after the signing of the treaty, will be an announcement, the revealing of important matters that you will not want to miss. Blessing and peace on every citizen of the global community.”
The crowd erupted in applause as every major news station in the world cut back to their anchors to discuss the shocking news that Solomon’s Temple was to be rebuilt right next to one of the most holy sites in Islam. The overall narrative was that it had historical relevance and that Assad was doing this as a sign of goodwill toward Israel. A big centerpiece of the discussion was that it would double as a temple to Assad himself. There weren’t many devoted Jews who actually worshipped Yahweh anymore, but many felt that the worship of Assad as the god of this age would cause issues with the traditionalists who still didn’t accept Assad as the Messiah.
The three men walked back to their vehicles and left as quickly as they had come, leaving many to wonder what else Assad could possibly reveal tomorrow during the signing of the treaty. As the raucous crowd clamored for more, Assad flashed a smile and waved. Many people fell out on the ground in elation as if under some power. The growing mainstream acceptance of this man as the savior of the world had begun to take hold as a new era was about to begin.
―――――
“The government is closing in on your location Commander Ramsey. We were warned by an angel that they plan to ambush the hideout this evening.”
Joshua Ramsey stood solemnly and looked at Javier with questioning eyes. “Are you sure?” he asked.
“I am as sure as I can be”, said Javier.
“How long do we have?”
“I don’t know. We could have hours or even minutes. Night has come and we have got to get everyone out of here that we can and take or destroy any pertinent information that could compromise our operation.”
“We will make the announcement immediately. We certainly can’t chance it.”
Commander Ramsey immediately gathered the other leaders and elders in the control room and updated them on what was happening. After a few minutes of discussion, they passed the information on to a young lady who made the announcement over the speaker system.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it appears that we have been compromised at this location. We will be putting the primary evacuation plan into practice immediately. Everyone please gather your family and the essentials and exit immediately to your assigned passenger van. Drivers, be ready to drive to the designated backup spot where we will go over further plans. This is an urgent evacuation. I repeat…this is an urgent evacuation.”
Within seconds, the place was buzzing with people going here and there; frantically gathering belongings in backpacks, duffle bags, and suitcases. They all filed into a neat line and exited one family at a time. Commander Ramsey deployed a small unit to the roof of the old building to be on the lookout for government agents or police.
As the controlled chaos happened around them, Noah asked Javier, “Where is this backup location that was mentioned?”
“It is east of here. The Northeast corner of Joshua Tree National Park.”
“We aren’t going there right? I mean, my wife and son are in the opposite direction in Bakersfield.”
Javier paused for a moment. “No, we aren’t leaving your family behind. We are going to leave here and go straight to my house to pick them up. We will stay in contact with Commander Ramsey and the rest of the crew to find out where they are going.”
“I just pray that we can have everyone evacuated before the law comes knocking. It won’t be pretty if a SWAT team shows up”, said Noah.
“I believe that messenger from God warned us when he did for a reason. Everyone is going to be alright”, said Javier.
“Well, is there anything else we can do here?” asked Noah.
“No, we’ve done what we can”, said Javier. “Let’s get out of here now so that we can get a head start and pick up Joanna and Ryan.”
Noah agreed completely with that notion and the two quickly headed out as the ones with less to carry began filing out through the manholes one by one. If there were any authorities in the area, the sudden increase in activity would alert them. They were certain of that.
They quickly jogged to Javier’s car and go
t in to drive away from the abandoned neighborhood. The two of them sped off in time to hear the sound of jets flying low overhead. They made a pass by the old building, which was now about three blocks in their rearview mirror. They flew off into the distance.
“They’re drones”, said Javier. “Reconnaissance drones. Not equipped with any heavy artillery. But, if they see the obvious, the fighter drones won’t be far behind.”
“We need to start praying now then”, said Noah. “There are still hundreds left down there. They are sitting ducks.”
Javier pulled out his phone and made a call. “Commander Ramsey, are you in the control room? Are you aware that there are drones in the vicinity?”
There was a short pause…”No, just recon drones, but there are too many people on the ground right now. The fighters won’t be far behind… Yes… Very well sir. Godspeed.”
Javier put the phone down and looked over at Noah and said, “They are instructing everyone to leave as quickly as possible because they have been compromised and will be under attack any minute. In the meantime, they have techs in the control room trying to scramble the signals of the incoming drones.”
Just as their vehicle made the turn back onto the main highway, a fleet of bomber drones could be seen on the horizon. The inhabitants of the underground church had only seconds to either evacuate or disable the drones.
As several of them passed overhead, one of them broke formation and took a nosedive straight for their car. There wasn’t enough time to react.
CHAPTER 6
Abbie was as nervous as she had ever been. She stood backstage with her guitar; her clammy hand clasping the neck as she went over the opening song in her head. This was her big break. She realized that she was playing in one of the most famous arenas in the country and she had to go out there and leave a lasting impression.
She was relatively unknown other than the local scene, where she had established herself as one of the town’s top performers. That was really saying something in a city where a person could throw a rock and hit about ten people with musical talent. She had paid her dues; there was no doubting that.
As Abbie stood there reflecting on her life, she thought about her friends that had come to Nashville with her seven years earlier. One had given up and the other was murdered. For some reason, it was her standing here in this moment. She felt that God had her there for a reason. She could hear her mama’s voice saying, “Everything happens for a reason.” She smiled and thought, ‘maybe it does’.
She had just gotten her first album finished and two of the songs had already started receiving heavy play on radio stations across the globe. The album was quickly racing up the charts in the few days that it had been available to the public. Everything seemed to happen so fast. The tour was made official around the time that she finished cutting her vocal tracks.
Amazing quality and turnaround time was what Moonshine Records was known for. She was just thankful for the opportunity. The lights went down in the arena and the crowd became very loud. One of the stage managers gave her the queue to walk out and start her set. She was so nervous that she almost dropped her pick and stumbled forward to catch it before it hit the ground.
She stood up straight, took a deep breath, and said a little prayer. Abbie Clark was ready. It was the moment she had been waiting for and this was her time. She walked out with a big smile on her face and began the first song. It was a song about being proud of where she came from and how hard work pays off. It was a great way to kick off the concert, as she showcased her country values and charm.
Abbie continued through all eight of her planned songs, ending with the most popular single from her debut album. As she was singing, she looked out across the crowd and thought she caught a glimpse of her friend, Jenna. She was taken back for a moment, but tried to stay focused on finishing the song without breaking down. She closed her eyes for a moment to try to regain focus.
When she opened her eyes again, she saw what looked like the same creature she had seen while on the plane before landing in New York. The creature had an ugly grin on his face as he stared at her; trying to intimidate her. She knew that moment that this thing was a demon. She decided that the best thing to do was ignore it as if it wasn’t there and just continue playing until she finished. She could deal with it later.
She finished her song and thanked everyone for coming out while pumping up the crowd for the headliner. She walked off the stage, relieved that it went well and also relieved that she could go somewhere alone to talk to God. That creature was obviously aware of her presence and wanted her to be aware of his for some reason. It felt like she was in the middle of a battle, and she had to learn how to fight.
As she entered the backstage area, she was greeted and congratulated by several people; including Jenson Moon and her mother. She relaxed a little bit and invited her mom to come back to her dressing room with her. It was her mother that had shown her the bible and allowed her to read it to make up her own mind. Maybe she had some answers or advice for her about what she was dealing with.
The two of them left Jenson as he took his place at the side of the stage to see Savannah Lynn perform. They turned a corner and walked down a corridor, which had a few security personnel. They came to her dressing room and Abbie locked the door behind them.
“Mama, I have to tell you something…and ask you a question”, she said.
“Okay…Just be careful about what you say here”, said her mom.
“Yea yea… I know. Listen… When I flew into New York, I saw a creature flying outside of the plane, watching me. It joined several others like it and flew into the city. When I was out there performing, I saw one of them again. I don’t know exactly what it is, but I feel that it is evil and that is knows I can see it. In fact, I believe that the decision I made has something to do with my ability to see it.”
Her mother looked her over for a few seconds; not really sure how to respond. Mental illness had run in the family and she knew that Abbie had suffered a lot of trauma with the incident in Nashville with the loss of her friend. She wondered if that may have triggered something.
Finally, she spoke up and said, “Abbie, do you feel like you are doing alright? I mean…you have been under a lot of stress and maybe you haven’t quite had time to deal with things lately. With the investigation and all…”
“Mom, I know what I saw. It had nothing to do with anything that happened. This is connected with my decision to follow God somehow. To put it plainly, I think I may have seen a demon.”
“I’m sorry Abbie. I didn’t want to jump to any conclusions, but with all things considered, I couldn’t ignore that it may have just been your mind playing tricks on you. Are you sure that we are secure here?”
“Yes. It’s a safe zone. I have complete privacy in here.”
“Good. As far as the demon thing goes, it isn’t out of the question. I am aware of their existence, but I have never put a lot of thought into it. I did read the book years ago and even believed it, but I just never let it go any further than that. I couldn’t risk anyone finding out that I had a faith in God. Your guess is really as good as mine honey.”
“Ever since I made my decision, I have heard God speak to me. Not audibly, but in my head. I felt that he told me that He has called me to destroy their works. I’m not completely sure what that means yet or how to do it, but He told me not to fear them. I feel like I am protected by God.”
Abbie’s mother looked at her with tears in her eyes. “I really do wish sometimes that I would have had the same boldness as you. Please Abbie…just be careful. You are high profile now and you don’t want to be found out. They will make an example out of you.”
“I’m not afraid of that mom. Eternity is all that really matters”, said Abbie. “Besides, it’s never too late to live bold. You believe it in your mind. Let it sink into your heart.”
“Maybe someday”, she said looking away with a sense of shame.
“I hope
so”, said Abbie. “Well, are you planning on going back home tomorrow?”
“Yea, I will need to get back. Going to go back to work.”
“Hopefully, you won’t have to work for much longer”, said Abbie.
“Baby, I don’t expect or want you to support me.”
“Momma, you worked your whole life to support your family with no help. I would say that has earned you the right to enjoy your life a little more.”
She smiled and said, “Well, if that ever happens, I want to pull my own weight. I would do something to help you out on the road or at home. I can’t be idle. Being lazy will make you crazy.”
They both laughed. It was an expression that Abbie’s mom had used as long as she could remember. If there was someone who knew how to work and support her family, it was her. She never had anything in life handed to her. Abbie secretly wondered if that was part of the reason why it was so difficult for her to completely accept salvation through Christ. Maybe she felt like she would have to earn it and if she couldn’t publicly live it out, then she didn’t want any of it.
Whatever the case was, she really hoped that her mother would come to the same revelation that she had come to. Her mom hoped her daughter wouldn’t get arrested or executed for her faith. They were both motivated by love, but only one was right.
―――――
President Cain reclined in the oval office; having poured over the list of officials all across the world that could be sympathetic to their cause. He worried about his own safety, but more than anything, he thought about the bloodshed that would take place from the country tearing itself apart. He felt responsible in a way. After all, it was he that made the final decision to join the World Council only to recant after his conversion.
Speaker Bernhart walked in as Liam was mulling over the decisions that would need to be made and their potential consequences. “Mr. President…Here I am again”, said William enthusiastically.
