Donald joined them, “Honey, meet Brian’s mother, Sarah.”
Donald took a sip of his lukewarm hot chocolate, “Nice to finally put a face to your name. First time I saw you, we were wearing hazmat suits.”
“Seems like so long ago,” Sarah said.
“Just nice to formally meet you before we leave for the Philippines.”
Sarah shot Mary a sideways look, “Oh?”
“We hope to leave after the new year.” Mary said, “Let’s dine together after the wedding ceremony and I’ll fill you in.”
Sarah nodded and smiled politely, “Congratulations to you both!”
For Brian, it was nice seeing his mother showing true grit for the first time since arriving at the safe house, and perhaps for the first time in her life, without his father by her side strengthening her. He was proud of her, broken heart and all.
Tamika’s eyes scanned the sanctuary, “Where’s Charles?”
Brian said, “Beats me. He left a while ago. Figured he went back to the house to change before church service.”
“Nope.”
“Shh,” Jacquelyn interrupted. “Do you hear something?”
Before anyone could reply, Tony Pearsall burst through the door. “Looks like we got company at the front of the property. One of the guards told me to go warn everyone.”
“Who could it be?”
“No clue, but he said there are many.” The fear in the burly man’s eyes was palpable. “The guards told everyone staying in cottages near the front of the property to head here immediately.”
Tamika became terror-stricken. Had New York City authorities finally tracked her down? Suddenly that outcome sounded peachy compared to being imprisoned as a Christ follower in one of Romanero’s prisons. Her heart throbbed in her chest.
Just when I was finally letting my guard down…
Brian was thinking similar thoughts. The warrant for his arrest was like chump change compared to the alternative. Were thieves coming to rob them and set the property ablaze? Had locals discovered they were Christians? Had his call to Craig Rubin a few weeks ago somehow been traced?
The very thought rendered Brian spitless.
Brian glanced at his mother. The courage she’d shown to finally leave the house shriveled up inside her like a flower protecting itself from a violent storm. She was so frightened, she nearly fainted.
Sarah started trembling and wished she’d never left her bedroom. And she was presently unaware of what was happening out there…
Brian glanced at Jacquelyn. She covered her belly with her two gloved hands. The expression on her face was sheer terror. She looked completely helpless. Thoughts of Ajit Laghari flooded her mind again.
Brian’s heart sank, “Relax, my love, everything will be fine.” He kissed his wife and raced upstairs hoping that it would be.
“Lord, help us. We need you now!”
41
“WE’VE GOT COMPANY BOYS!”
When no one replied, Brian searched the entire top floor. Seeing no guards, he panicked. “Where are you guys?”
Had they abandoned protocol? He looked out the window facing the front of the property. The vast snowfall greatly illuminated the many dark figures coming toward them; his heart rate accelerated to top speed.
Mulrooney took a puff from his inhaler and raced down the stairs, taking them two at a time. His pulse raced in his ears.
He retrieved four sets of night vision binoculars, which were stashed in every building and cottage on the property.
Handing a pair to Tony, Donald and Joaquim, he said, “Follow me. Everyone else stay here! Better yet, go upstairs. When the others arrive, tell them to be ready for anything.”
The four men left the sanctuary at once, and went to the back of the church to gain a better vantage point of the main entryway to the property.
With eight babies already born and many more on the way—including his own child—Brian was prepared to do all he could to protect them.
The four men gazed out at the front of the property with binoculars, just to the right of the cafeteria. Their eyes doubled in size. Hundreds of bodies were approaching. Fear gripped them.
With only a few against so many, they felt entirely powerless.
Brian whispered, “Why didn’t the motion sensors go off? And where are the guards?”
Tony grimaced, “Good questions…”
“Go warn the others. Tell everyone underground to go into lockdown mode. The children must be protected!”
“You got it.” Pearsall raced off to the underground nursery, leaving Brian alone with the two grooms.
“Be careful!” Brian whisper shouted, unsure whether Tony heard him or not.
Joaquim gulped hard. He had proven himself to be bold and brave for his age. Still, he was only 15. This was an intense moment for him. Hence, the fear in his heart. More than anything, he wanted to be with Leticia and the baby now. He wondered if the wedding would be canceled.
Glancing out at the approaching mob, his thoughts quickly shifted to, Will we even be alive in the next few minutes?
Donald said, “Who are they?”
Brian whispered, “Seriously doubt they’re thieves. If so, why are they moving so slowly? And why haven’t they spread out by now?”
Donald Johnson sighed, “Don’t think they’re universal peace-keeping soldiers either. For one thing, they’re not marching or wearing matching uniforms.”
Brian tightened his grip on the binoculars, hoping whoever they were wouldn’t see their collective breath floating skyward and give their location away. “Are they part of a local militia here to oust us off the property and turn us into the authorities?”
Joaquim prayed, “Lord, You are my Rock, my Redeemer, Friend, and my peace in this turbulent world! Why should I fear man or death?”
“Amen!” Brian’s fearful tone of voice betrayed his bold reply.
Just as they were about to race back to the church to warn the others, the mob stopped walking and did the strangest thing: they all lit candles.
Brian shot Donald Johnson a sideways look, “What in the world?”
Johnson shrugged his shoulders and remained silent.
There was soft singing, “O, Come let us adore Him, O, Come let us adore Him, O, Come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!”
A voice said, “Merry Christmas, Brian. Keep fighting the good fight. Pray for us as we pray for you. God is with us!”
The deep booming voice sounded familiar, but Brian couldn’t pinpoint it. He glanced at Donald.
Johnson shrugged his shoulders. He whispered, “Could be a trick.”
Against his better judgment, Brian yelled, “Who’s there?”
“Amos Nyarwarta, from Africa. Peace be with you, my dear brother!”
“What in the world?” The three men exchanged confused glances.
When the mob slowly started toward them again, they met them halfway, still trembling with fear and shivering from the cold stiff wind.
Brian saw Clayton and Travis walking alongside Amos. “What are you doing here? And who are all these people?”
Travis Hartings said, “Many are new members who will be staying here when the rest of us leave. Among them is a doctor, a cardiologist, two nurses, and more than a hundred pregnant women.
“Expect many more to arrive next month. It’s time to start filling safehouses to the brim. With Braxton gone, Clayton and I are meeting many of them for the first time.”
“Merry Christmas, Brian!” Nyarwarta’s words exploded into clouds in the frigid night air. “This is my first time in America and my first ever Christmas celebration. Thanks for having me as your guest.”
“I’m honored to have you here, Amos. Just wish I had a little more notice. You nearly gave me a heart attack!”
Clayton Holmes said, “Sorry about that, Brian. But consider this a drill of sorts. Next time it may be for real…”
Brian said, “Had it been for real, I don’t think I would have been
able to escape the way my asthma kicked in.”
Nyarwarta said, “I heard your prayer. Very touching.”
Before Brian could reply, Amos bear-hugged him, lifting him clear off the ground, rocking him back and forth like an oversized, weightless rag doll, before releasing his firm grip, allowing Brian’s feet to settle on the frozen ground again.
In pained grunts, Brian said, “With that grip of yours, I never want to become your enemy!”
Both men laughed.
Brian’s lungs burned. He took another puff from his inhaler.
Glancing at Travis, Brian couldn’t overlook the fear he saw in his eyes. “Wait, I’m confused. How’d you manage to get inside without breaching security?” Brian followed Travis’ eyes to Charles, who was standing in between Clayton Holmes and Dr. Lee Kim. “You deactivated the security system, didn’t you?”
“Guilty. Soon as I left the church, I asked one of the guards to deactivate the alarm system and do a quick plow job in the parking lot, so the delivery trucks wouldn’t get stuck. All the guards were involved.”
Brian made a fist, “I’ll get you for this!”
“Me too,” Donald Johnson said, still trying to calm his nerves. He took a few deep breaths, “For a moment there, I thought I’d be the next to be buried at safe house number one, never to return to the Philippines.”
Calloway said, “Sorry fellas. Just glad you didn’t hear us. Would have ruined the surprise drill. We can never keep our guards down…”
Now that Mulrooney’s eyes had time to adjust to his surroundings, he saw Pastor Jim Simonton. “Brother! Wow! Our second Christmas Eve in a row. Could we be starting an annual tradition?”
The Michigan pastor laughed, “Merry Christmas, Brian! Place sure looks beautiful under a blanket of snow!”
Simonton’s last day as lead pastor at Southeast Michigan Evangelical Church was the day the large equipment was delivered to the safe house he was managing in the Upper Peninsula, in northern Michigan. He never even bothered putting the property on the market. Many from his church had since relocated there, along with those who attended the Catholic church in Ann Arbor, where Tom Dunleavey was a priest.
“Too bad we’ll have to shovel it before it melts.”
Travis said, “With so many more helping hands, your job just got a whole lot easier.”
“Amen to that! We’re going to need all the help we can get!”
Clayton Holmes chimed in, “What do you say we head inside the sanctuary. It’s just about showtime and it’s bone-chilling cold out here.”
Brian breathed into his gloved hands, “I must warn, as the only building on the property without a heating system in place, it’s cold in the sanctuary as well.”
“I’m sure it’s a whole lot warmer than out here.”
“Not by much...”
Nyawarta’s big hands gripped Brian’s shoulders, “Well then, looks like we need to bring the heat, don’t we?”
Mulrooney wanted to laugh, but his heartrate was still too jacked up. “We have plenty of space heaters in storage, just in case. I think now’s a good time to use them.”
Walking to the church, Travis said to Brian, “After the choir finishes singing, you’ll open in prayer. After that, rejoin the congregation without reading Luke, chapters one and two. As you might imagine, Clayton has much to share with us. Tomorrow you can read them at our morning service, before ewe get busy removing all this snow.”
Brian exhaled deeply, “Truth be told, I’m relieved. Reading God’s Word to everyone watching online is one thing, but if I had to deliver tonight’s message to a full house, I’d be a nervous wreck!”
Travis said, “By the way, don’t worry about not having enough food prepared. We didn’t come empty handed. We have enough deep-fried turkeys and cooked hams, plus all the fixins to feed everyone.”
Brian eyeballed the two fearless leaders, “Man! You guys sure think of everything!”
They arrived at the sanctuary to find Jacquelyn, Tamika, Sarah and many others at the main entrance looking anything but frightened. In fact, they were smiling.
Charles sent a text message to Tamika on the way to the sanctuary: Fear not, sis, everything’s fine. Prepare for a full house and reserve the front rows for our special guests. Don’t ask questions, just do it. Be there soon. Peace!
When the mob came into view, Tamika’s eyes grew wide, “Miss Evelyn!” she shouted to Clayton Holmes’ aunt.
The elderly woman beamed. “Nice to see you again, Tamika! Been looking forward to this all day. What a sight you are for sore eyes, dear!”
“You too.” They shared a tearful embrace.
After a few quick introductions were made, the three women were handed lit candles and they went inside.
Calloway pulled a candle from his coat pocket and lit it for Brian. “Can’t attend a candlelight service without a candle, right?”
Brian nodded and even smiled, though briefly. “Thanks for this wonderful Christmas gift, even if nearly at the expense of my heart.”
Charles laughed. “Brian, meet Miss Evelyn.”
Brian said, “What a pleasure it is to finally meet you. Tamika’s always talking about you.”
Miss Evelyn took a seat in the front row and covered herself with a blanket she brought with her. “Nice to finally meet you too, Brian.”
“Miss Evelyn, this is my mother Sarah, and my wife Jacquelyn.”
“Nice to meet you both. This is my fiancé, Deacon Ernest Stone.”
Tamika’s face lit up, “I see someone’s been busy in my absence.”
Brian extended his hand, “Pleasure meeting you, sir. I still remember praying for you after you were attacked by those monsters who desecrated then burned down your church.”
Ernest grunted, “Attacked would be putting it mildly.”
“Yeah, Charles told us all about it. Praise God, you survived.”
“Amen! Otherwise I would have never met the love of my life. And speaking of Miss Evelyn, would it be okay if we were married tonight in the presence of so many of our brothers and sisters?”
Miss Evelyn said, “Marriage is the one thing I never got to do. Been on my bucket list for forty years! This may be the only chance I have.”
Everyone who heard her laughed.
Brian said, “I think that’s a question for Donald and Mary, not me.”
Donald shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t mind. Given the circumstances, I’m sure Mary won’t mind one more couple joining us either! Right, honey?”
Mary smiled, “Why not? The more the merrier, right? Never expected a normal wedding anyway.”
Miss Evelyn said, “Just hope brother Tom won’t mind if my nephew marries us…”
Mulrooney said, “I’m sure he won’t mind at all!” Just hope your wedding ceremony turns out better than mine did!
Shamus Harmon was about to answer Miss Evelyn’s question for them…
42
SHAMUS HARMON CAME BARRELING through the door. He took a deep exasperated breath, “Brother Tom had a heart attack!”
Jim Simonton’s eyes grew wide with panic. Not only was Tom someone he considered a good friend, many residents at his safe house in Michigan were former parishioners at the Catholic church, where Tom was a priest for more than 30 years. This would come as devastating news to them. “Is he okay?”
“I don’t know. Doctor Singh believes the sudden commotion caused it. She told me to tell Tamika to join her underground immediately.”
“Right away.”
Brian said, “Tamika, wait!” Then to Travis, “Didn’t you say we have a cardiologist among us?’
“Yes. His name’s Darren. He’s here from Scotland.”
“Talk about perfect timing…”
Travis signaled for Dr. Darren McWilliams to join them, then briefed him on the situation. Before Hartings even finished speaking, he rushed off to the underground hospital with Tamika.
Holmes said, “Looks like I’ll be presiding over all thr
ee marriages.”
Brian said to Joaquim, “Why don’t you make sure the monitors are working in the cafeteria, so we can stream the service to the overflow crowd. Then go check on Leticia and the baby. I’ll save a front row seat for you and Leticia’s parents.”
“You got it.”
With a click of the mouse on Joaquim’s laptop, the acoustical music stopped playing, and the roving camera positioned itself at center stage, then stopped. At that, the 15-year-old groom rushed off to the cafeteria, near the front of the property. He turned on the monitors and was thankful everything was still in working order, after three months without power.
Joaquim then went to check on Leticia and Julio Jr. His bride-to-be breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing him. They embraced.
“You need to change quickly so we’re not late for our own wedding.”
Joaquim smiled and kissed Leticia on the cheek. After changing into the nicest outfit he owned, the three of them left for the sanctuary.
Everyone streaming online watched the choir no one expected lining the stage in four rows, still wearing winter gear. By choice, there were 144 of them—72 men and 72 women of all nations and tongues—symbolic of the soon-to-come 144,000 Jews God would anoint to lead multitudes to Christ Jesus.
The 144 singers were sandwiched in between the two Christmas trees honoring God’s Two Witnesses prophesying at the Wailing Wall. Twelve plants encircled both trees, one represented the Twelve tribes of Israel; the other twelve represented Jesus’ Twelve disciples.
They started singing, O Holy Night. They sounded angelic!
Everyone in the sanctuary and those streaming online sang along with them, praising God through this ominous storm, as the remaining ETSM members at safehouse number one left their cottages, and slowly trickled into the sanctuary, looking totally disheveled.
Taking their seats in the last available rows, they marveled. Where did the choir come from? And who were all these unrecognizable faces filling the sanctuary? Once all seats were taken, Shamus Harmon and Tony Pearsall stood outside, directing everyone else to the cafeteria.
Travis sat as closely as he could get to a space heater, in the front row of the sanctuary, hoping his pale complexion would soon warm with color. Clayton sat to his right. Next to Clayton were Jacquelyn, Tamika and Sarah. Brian would join them after welcoming everyone.
The Sealing Page 27