by Summer Lee
Perhaps she could look for Gideon’s gold vest instead. Gideon made the ephod with gold earrings taken from the plunder when they won the war with the Midianites. That is what she would do.
She refused to go forward on the fleece search without Divine direction. Instead, she concentrated on the Bedouin camp where the gold vest was stashed. She had met Zelda from the Bedouin camp of Ohrah, while working in Jerusalem. So, closing her eyes, she concentrated on Zelda. Pushing off with her feet, she traveled to Ohrah. Landing behind a bush, she moved out quietly, trying to remain unnoticed. But it was not that easy.
Questions started flying: “Who are you? Why are you here?”
“I want to see Zelda.”
“I don’t know.”
She asked around for Zelda, but was told that she had gone to the city.
Achava walked out to where a small boy was on a donkey, shepherding sheep, goats and one camel. “Hello,” she said.
He shook his head and said something in an unusual Arabic tongue. She pointed to the hills and motioned that she wanted to walk around. He smiled and nodded.
There was an open cave that fascinated her. She saw boxes lined up on one wall. She wanted to get permission to go inside. When she turned, she saw an old man running toward her. “No, no, no,” he yelled.
Achava had to think fast. “Is Zelda here?”
“No!” he said. “No Zelda. You must leave.”
“Okay! But I’ll be back to see Zelda. When will she return?”
“Two days.”
“Thank you.” She walked away, over the hill. Once out of sight, she slipped back into the cave to look around. There were some great treasures there—all made of gold. She would return to see Zelda for certain. Her guess was that Gideon’s ephod was in one of the boxes. She would definitely return. Once over the hill, she closed her eyes to Soul Merge back to Mt. Nebo.
The tourists were still milling around. Achava lowered her head to think. She would go back inside and look for other trumpets. All three hundred of Gideon’s soldiers had a trumpet. Looking around, she made sure no one was watching. She stepped onto the flat rock that opened like a door into the mountain.
Looking straight ahead, she saw Anthea, Aharon, and Sam standing right in front of her. “What are you guys doing here?”
Aharon spoke first. “We believe that you need help.”
Achava’s face lit up. “You are here to help me?”
She could not get her eyes off of Sam, even though he would not make eye contact. “Hi Sam.”
Anthea was the closest to her. “Achava. Give me the horn.”
“What?” Achava felt weak. “What kind of help is that?”
“Not the kind of help you think, are we willing to give,” Anthea said, confidently.
Achava looked at all three of them, one at a time, with a questioned look. You are not going to help me find the fleece, are you?”
“Just the opposite,” Aharon said.
“What exactly are you doing here, then?”
It was the first time that Aharon didn’t say something with a lighthearted tone. “We’re here to stop you.”
Achava felt the tears flowing, as she glared at Sam. “What say you, Sam? Do you side with the traitor and the sibling of Itai?”
Sam looked her in the eye. “Yes. What they say makes sense. You can’t do this. The fleece hasn’t been found for a reason, Achava. You should listen to them.”
Anthea repeated, “Give me the trumpet.”
“I don’t have it.” She pointed by the wall. “Look over there.”
The anger that emanated from Achava was unlike anything she had ever seen or ever felt. “So I am betrayed... again. I should have learned that none of you could ever comprehend the mission of my Lord!” She stepped next to Sam and looked him in the eye. “You are like them. You are of Lucifer!” she yelled in his face, as she hit him full force in the chest, causing all breath to leave Sam. A choking sound resounded as soon as Achava hit him. Sam started to wheeze as he dropped to his knees and onto his stomach. He fumbled around, trying to get his inhaler out of his pocket, but was obviously in too much pain.
Anthea reacted and grabbed Achava by the hair. She brought Achava’s head down onto her own knee as hard as she could. Achava’s nose cracked, and blood flowed from it.
Aharon assisted Sam in finding his inhaler, but it didn’t seem like it was enough. “Anthea!” Aharon called out. “Achava knew exactly where to hit him. I believe she tried to kill him!”
Anthea looked shocked and then turned back to face Achava with a snarl on her face. The snarl was hidden from Sam and Aharon. “Well, sister. It looks like you’ve done it this time.” Anthea hit Achava in the face, knocking her down.
When Achava hit the ground, she looked over at Sam, who was losing consciousness. “No!” she cried, as she attempted to reach out to him.
Anthea grabbed the ram’s horn and jammed the small end into Achava’s right shoulder. “Blood for blood, Achava!” While placing one foot on her head to prevent her from getting up, Anthea pushed the horn hard.
Achava screamed. She wasn’t just screaming because of the incredible amount of pain being inflicted, but because of the pain she felt for what she had done to Sam. She refused to fight back, as Anthea took her foot from Achava’s head and placed it near the entry point of the horn. She was trying to gain leverage, as she pulled on the horn. The strain was incredible, because of what the horn really was. It was never meant to be destroyed, but the fact that it was already chipped, meant that the possibility for its destruction was more than just probable.
Anthea started to groan and grunt against the strength of the horn. She wrestled her sister, until they tumbled outside, and Anthea jumped on her again.
Achava felt every move her sister made. Losing blood, she got weaker and weaker.
Finally, she prayed for something that she never thought she would ever pray for. She wished for release. Release from her life. It appears that the longer she remained in the flesh, the more mistakes she made, anyhow. She may have just killed Sam. If he died, she would never forgive herself. She didn’t think God would ever forgive her either.
She turned her head slightly toward Anthea. “Do it,” she said, softly. “Get it over with.”
Anthea’s eyes were wild, as she struggled harder against the horn. Achava could not tell if she was pushing it in or pulling it out. Every sinew in her shoulder burned as her arm became weak. She then heard a cracking noise, and looked at the face of Anthea, who showed the determination to finish the job. With one loud scream, Anthea did the unthinkable. She broke apart the horn that had been used by the priests when God destroyed the walls of Jericho.
There was a loud popping sound, as a blinding flash of light surrounded the area. Anthea was thrown backward by an invisible wave of force. Achava lay still. The piece of the horn that remained in Achava’s shoulder, had turned completely black in color. The rest of the horn started to wither away to dust.
A small crowd gathered. Some of the people who witnessed the event called police on their cell phones. An ambulance arrived along with the police cars.
An officer asked Aharon what had happened. Aharon looked around in desperation. “I don’t know.”
Sam was just mumbling. Anthea took charge of the police, and told them that everything was under control.
“I am not familiar with hospitals in this area. I cannot take him back with me to you-know-where. Anthea?”
“We won’t let them take him,” said Anthea, as she took her eyes off of Achava and went to Sam’s aid. Taking his atomizer out of his pocket, she placed it in his hand. Lifting it to his face, she said, “Breathe deeply.”
Meanwhile, Achava saw that Sam had turned to her sister for help. She couldn’t deal with that fact. Achava moved quickly to close the short distance between her and Sam. Since she was still on the ground, she grabbed his leg and Soul Merged both of them out of the area and back to Texas.
It was tim
e for Achava to pray. She prayed from her heart. “Almighty God, forgive my sins. Hear me when I pray. Show me words in Your Bible that You are taking care of me. I know that in Your sovereignty You allow adversity, and Your Word says we should consider it joy when we experience trials. Now that is hard. But You are just testing our faith. Adversity is the training ground for Your glory. I ask You to shape me, teach me, and equip me for something greater. Amen.”
Chapter the Twelfth
SAM WAS FURIOUS when both he and Achava ended up back at his house in Dallas. “What is your problem?” he yelled at her, but he couldn’t help and feel sorry for her in the condition she was in. She had blood all around her nose and mouth and she was bleeding from her shoulder as well.
He wondered if Anthea was just that much stronger than Achava, or if Achava allowed herself to be beaten almost to death for a reason.
Achava struggled to stand. “Sam. I apologize for abducting you, but I need to talk to you.”
Sam didn’t want to hear anything she had to say. “You said all I needed to hear, Achava. Right now I need a doctor. You broke my ribs.”
“No, I didn’t. It just sounded like it.”
“We don’t need each other.” He used the inhaler again. “I think you’ve made that fact abundantly clear.”
She shook her head. “Something’s... wrong. You know me, Sam. This isn’t me.”
“I’ve heard this all before, Achava! I dealt with your getting in touch with your humanity and I had to sit back and watch you murder innocent lives on that plane that went down! Everything is for your cause! You made yourself clear! I want nothing to do with you anymore! Now leave me alone!”
Achava started to cry. “I have no explanation, Sam. I am lost.”
“Well, I certainly don’t understand you.”
“How do you feel?”
“The same you would feel if you got punched in the ribs by a Power Ranger.” He looked at her and smiled. “Just go to a mirror and look at yourself.”
She went into the bathroom to look into the mirror. “Oh my goodness, look at me.”
“I already did. Now wash your face.”
When she returned, she looked better. Sam smiled again. He decided he would like to be her friend. He could have a working relationship with Anthea, and a mild friendship with Achava.
“I need to know more about the Midianites,” she said.
“I still have the puzzle pieces of the map on my kitchen table. Let’s look at it.”
The two walked to the kitchen together. Sam said, “Gideon’s battle with the Midianites had to have happened somewhere around the Arabian Peninsula.”
She stood by the table and studied the map. Placing her finger on it, she said, “After thinking it over, I believe that the closest existing area to where Gideon defeated the Midianites, could only be in one place.”
Sam was not listening. He clasped her shoulders and turned her to face him. “I want to ask you something.”
“What is that?”
“Why did you come back here with me? What were you feeling or thinking?”
Suddenly, Anthea appeared between Achava and Sam. “Stay away from Samuel Godfrey, sister! Leave him be! He is under my protection now. Or perhaps you would like more of what I gave you.”
“I have my mission,” Achava added.
“Your mission is over.” Anthea stood over her, trying to force back a grin. “Your God has forsaken you, because you are pathetic.”
“Anthea. Don’t...” Sam said, sympathetically.
Anthea turned toward Achava’s would-be savior. “You defend the blasphemer after what she said to you? Open your eyes, Sam! She is done! She is nothing but trouble and would sacrifice you at her whim! Just like she did Salinger.”
A strange numbness waved over his body. A cold chill ran up Sam’s spine. He had never even considered that Salinger died because Achava wanted him dead. He knew that she stressed in the beginning that she would not be responsible for him and Salinger. If they slowed her down, she would leave them. Salinger was older and didn’t get around as quickly as Sam did. Did she kill him? Did she do it on purpose?
As much as he wanted to deny it, Anthea was right about everything she said. For whatever reason that Achava gave him, she committed horrendous acts to accomplish her mission. He couldn’t just sweep all of those acts aside, like he had done previously. Achava was out of control.
He assumed that since she performed her missions for longer than most people who were alive, that she was burned out. Maybe it was time for her to retire. She wouldn’t take a vacation, or even just a few days off to rest. He knew that her stress level was too high for her to continue on her chosen path.
He saw the once mighty warrior look up at him as if to beg for something he couldn’t give. He shook his head. “Anthea has so much common sense. She can see through people. That is what she has done for you, Achava.”
“That is not true.”
“You know I am right, Sam,” said Anthea. “Don’t let her bully you. Stand up to her, like a man.”
“Goodbye, Achava.” Sam started to cry.
“Goodbye Sam.”
“Now get the hell out of my house!”
“Hell has nothing to do with it. I won’t be seeing you in hell.” Achava looked as if she regained some sense of purpose. “I’ll be going to heaven when I die.” She lowered her head and disappeared.
“You did the right thing, Sam,” Anthea said, reassuringly.
“Maybe,” he replied. “But I don’t think she’s giving up.”
Anthea grimaced. “You told her what she needed to hear! She told you in so many words that she was done with you!”
Sam shook his head. “That’s not what I’m talking about. I think she knows where the fleece is.”
“What?” Anthea never liked to be surprised. “How do you know?”
He sighed. “It was the way she looked when she left. She looked as if she had to continue the mission.”
“How will we beat her to the fleece if we don’t know where it is?” She looked concerned.
“You have to think like an archeologist, I guess.” Sam looked lost in thought, as he scratched his head. “The thing about archeologists is we first want to find out where something happened. Even if we have clues to certain objects. Location, location, location.”
Anthea looked confused.
“We need to try to find her.”
“We can’t. She has a head start.”
“Trust me on this one,” he said, as he went into the bedroom. “I’m going to change and grab a few things, Anthea. I would suggest that you contact Aharon if you can. We’ll need him on this mission, too.”
“Where are we going, Sam?” Anthea asked, looking confused.
Sam stuck his head out from behind his bedroom door. “Gideon’s battle with the Midianites had to have happened somewhere around the Arabian Peninsula. After much deliberation, I believe that the closest existing area to where Gideon defeated the Midianites, could only be in one place.”
He came out of his room dressed in shorts and a comfortable top with a pocket over each breast. He had a backpack in his hand. “I believe that place is Petra.”
“I’ll get us there,” she said.
Chapter the Thirteenth
ACHAVA APPEARED before the gateway to the Siq. She could not use the Soul Merge within the city or the entrance to Petra. The Siq was just that. The entrance to the ancient city.
The sun was bright and warm which was the perfect time to look for the fleece. Too many people had tried to go at night, which was a mistake. Once the tourists left Petra, the residents made it a point to walk through the streets to make sure that no one tried to sneak into places they weren’t supposed to be in. Many archeologists and curious treasure seekers would try to go into the roped off areas with their cameras or their pick axes. They believed that if they could just take a piece of the ancient city home, the trip would have been worthwhile.
She g
ot chills as she entered the dim, narrow gorge. It was a holy place. One that she had never been to before. She did know that any abilities, other than her natural ones, could not be used there. She never knew why, but she accepted it as God’s law.
The Siq walls stood between 300 to 600 feet tall. She had done her research on the Siq. It was a natural geographic fault separated by tectonic forces. It was later smoothed out by water wearing it down. The entrance contained a large dam. The Siq was sacred to the Nabatean people.
Her thoughts wandered off to the Bedouin camp where the golden vest was hidden. She did not want to take it away from the Bedouins. She just wanted to see it and estimate its worth. Zelda would not be home yet, so no need to go there now. This was the time to locate the Fleece of Gideon.
As she traveled through the Siq, she saw what appeared to be holes that led to several underground chambers. She had heard that those led to dwellings where the guards were housed, who defended the entrance to Petra. They were blocked off with chains and rope, so no one would fall into the holes.
As she walked, she admired the way Petra was protected from attack, by having the Siq as the main way into the city. There were other ways to gain entrance, but they were only known by Petra’s rulers.
Her eyes sparkled with tears, as she saw the Al-Khazneh Firaun, while peeking through the other side of the Siq. She liked the English translation over the Arabic, which is, “The Treasury.”
She heard that the reason it was named “The Treasury” was because of a story about pirates who hid their booty in a stone urn on the second level. The story was that Bedouins shot at the urn to try to free the treasure within. She heard another tale that it may have been an Egyptian treasury from the Pharaoh in the time of Moses. If she had more time, she could explore all of Petra. For now, she had more pressing matters to attend.
Before exiting the Siq, she stood in awe of The Treasury. Over 2,000 feet of majestic glory stood before her. The treasury was carved into a large cliff. Six huge pillars framed the entrance, which also included statues of Pollux and Castor. According to legend, they lived part of the time on Mt. Olympus and part of the time in the Underworld. Amazons wielding double-axes adorned the upper level. On the top were four eagles that were supposed to carry away the souls of those buried inside. All of the sculptures were of figures that represented the afterlife, which they believed to be possible.
