Seeking Refuge

by Alana Terry

  They raced over the two and a half miles through narrow streets to the church. Most of the girls cried as they walked, from a mixture of joy and fear. A few of them ate granola bars as they went; they looked as if they had hardly eaten for a year or more.

  “Is this the safe house?” Channah asked as they stopped in front of the church.

  “No, it’s not,” Hadassah said, “but it is a safe house, and you will be kept from harm until we can get you there.”

  “Turn around, everyone,” Christina said. “Look!” She pointed with outstretched arm and mouth agape. Throughout the city, piles of rubble, smoke, fires and mayhem stacked nearly to heaven. One of the girls fainted, and Mr. Cooper caught her.

  When they got to the church steps, a crowd from a prayer meeting had assembled outside, all of them just as shocked as the R.S.O. team.

  “Get the girls inside,” Mr. Cooper commanded.

  They took the younger girls to the healing room and the older ones to the sanctuary, where women gathered near to tenderly wait on them and assess their needs.

  All the while, the band and singers on the stage led sweet praise to Jesus. At some points the band looked as if they would stop, and they even slowed down, but they kept singing, and kept praying.

  “How can it be so peaceful in here?” Channah asked Hadassah.

  “His Name is Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, the Prince of Peace, and only He will bring peace,” Hadassah said.

  “I want what you have,” Channah said in return. So did a few of the others.

  “God our Father is planning a wedding feast for His Son and you’re invited.” Hadassah trembled with an unusual joy, especially given the circumstances. “To accept the invitation means you clothe yourselves with righteousness, clothing Yeshua Ha’Mashiach purchased for you with His own blood. When Yeshua dwells in your heart by faith, you have full access to the wedding ceremony, dressed in white and in righteousness alongside the King of the Universe. How many of you would like to come to the wedding?”

  All seven of the girls raised their hands.

  ELI SET UP A TELEVISION in the lobby of the church and everyone watched as the Presidents of Italy and America, the Pope and the Prime Minister of Jordan urged people not to panic.

  “The perpetrators will be found and brought to justice,” Pope Leo XIV declared.

  People watched with fixed expressions, ignoring their cell phones and breathing shallowly as events unfolded. Suddenly a woman called out from the sanctuary, “Turn that man off. He is evil.”

  Eli complied immediately.

  “Let’s return to prayer,” the pastor said. “Prayer is the most important thing to do in this hour. Call out to God, Beloved, and let us continue to pray His heart back to Him, even in the midst of this great darkness.”

  Hadassah could smell the fire from the city as she turned to the prayer room again. She typed an e-mail to Matt on her phone:

  “We’re all okay. Zach 2. Please pray for us.”

  The music resumed as she sat beside Channah and held her hand while the young woman wept and wept. Her own heart and voice joined the trembling prayers uttered over the microphone:

  “Abba, Father, we pray for peace and safety.”

  Chapter 41: Aftermath

  WHILE HADASSAH PRAYED, Hyun came and whispered into her ear, “Eli says we need to get the girls together soon and bring them to the safe house.”

  When Hadassah followed Hyun into the lobby, she saw Christina and Pedro. Mr. Cooper could be heard on the phone outside the prayer house.

  “Mr. Cooper just got a call from the police.” Pedro rolled his eyes and sighed. “We don’t know why yet.”

  “I hope it’s news about Zach,” Christina said.

  “One of the girls, Ileyah, is Zach’s sister; she was taken from Cairo, Egypt.”

  Hadassah almost smiled when she heard this news. “Really?”

  “Eli said it could take two hours before the bus gets here to bring the girls to the safe home,” Hyun said

  Just then, a voice came over the microphone in the sanctuary with an announcement. “Italian military and NATO have surrounded the Vatican after several bombs exploded there, as well.” The sound of sobbing filled the sanctuary, yet on stage a quiet song about God’s mercy began.

  TRAFFIC THROUGHOUT the city was so snarled it took four hours to get the girls to the safe house. Then Hadassah, Christina and Hyun helped the counselors settle the frightened and traumatized girls, which took nearly three hours.

  Traffic was even worse as the team headed back to their host homes; some people had abandoned cars where they were and walked home. But making one’s way walking through the crowded streets was just as time consuming. A fight broke out down one street, and it nearly turned into a riot. All over the city, people had cell phones to their ears and were crying from grief or relief throughout the conversations.

  It was close to 2:30am when Hadassah and Christina arrived at their host home. The family had left a basket of fruit and packs of clean socks for Hadassah and Christina, a gesture received with double gratitude after their day. They learned several facts from Mr. Cooper’s text messages. Tameka was back at her host home. And Mr. Cooper was called in for questioning, but received no other information from the police.

  When they awoke late on Saturday morning, Hadassah and Christina joined the host family around the television to watch the news and read the constant feed about the crisis in Rome. Then they saw a photo of Zach. The anchorman explained how the young man was either a suspect in the terrorist plot, so thought because of the devices he had strapped to his body when he was discovered, or a pawn of the terrorists, which would explain the signs of abuse found on him.

  “All we know at this time is the devices found on this man held biological warfare compounds which were contained before authorities arrived on the scene,” the anchorman said. “Also, authorities believe he is American. We don’t know what connection this man had with the terrorists who destroyed our beautiful, ancient and peaceful Rome.”

  “I don’t think I want to watch anymore,” Christina said.

  The anchorman moved on to a different story. “The reports of bombing within Vatican City have been a rumor. There is no indication of where this rumor began, but not a building or business around the Holy City has been hit. We have a reporter on the ground there live, to confirm this. Gillian?”

  Christina lingered in the doorway. “Rumors of war...” she remarked.

  The father at the host home looked over at her. “Exactly.”

  “In other news,” the anchorman continued a few minutes later, “It has been confirmed that UN Secretary General Jenna Freedman was killed in the blasts in Rome. The UN is in a hasty closed session as they choose the new Secretary General. None of the names of the nominees have been released to the press. We will keep you informed as we learn of new developments.”

  Hadassah’s phone rang.

  “Tell Christina her phone is off.” Mr. Cooper sounded exhausted. “I want it turned on. I’ve been allowed into the hospital to see Zach, but I want all of us to meet at the church when I’m done, so why don’t you head on over there now.”

  WHEN THE TEAM WAS ASSEMBLED with Mr. Cooper at the church, Hyun was the first to speak up. “What’s happening with Zach?”

  Mr. Cooper sighed. “The officials are furious, but after the doctors saw Zach, no one is making him a scapegoat anymore.”

  “Will he be okay?” Tameka asked.

  “The doctors say he will recover, but he’ll need a few months.”

  Pedro’s fist pounded the table. “A few months? What did they do to him?”

  Mr. Cooper fixed a level gaze at Pedro, then at the rest of them. “The doctors are still running tests to make sure all his organs are okay. But the authorities will be deporting him once the tests are done and he’s stable.”

  Folding her fidgety hands together in her lap, Hadassah looked up. “Don’t the authorities realize we were trying to help bring those ter
rorists to justice?”

  “They do, but it’s complicated.” Mr. Cooper sighed again. “They are unhappy with us publicly, but at the end of the day they’re grateful to us. Because of your work they were able to respond to the crisis faster and more decisively.”

  “What about Zach’s standing with R.S.O.?” Christina asked. “Is he going to be let go now that his face has been seen all over international news?”

  “The authorities will be pulling Zach’s image from the news feed today, and will not expose the rest of us at all. As for Zach’s standing with R.S.O., that’s something I’ll be talking with him about directly once he’s recovered. For now, let’s be thankful he’s okay.”

  “When will we be able to see him?” Pedro asked.

  “Probably after he’s back in the States,” Mr. Cooper answered.

  Much to everyone’s surprise, Christina burst into tears. “I’m sorry,” she sobbed, “I can’t help it. First Zeke and now Zach... I don’t know how much more I can bear.”

  Hadassah reached her hand over to hold Christina’s hand. Seeing this strong woman cry like this brought tears Hadassah didn’t want to release. She reeled them in, not wanting to eclipse her friend’s sadness.

  Mr. Cooper stood from the conference table and placed a firm but compassionate hand on Christina’s shoulder. “I’m sorry this is so hard right now. But the authorities want to speak with each one of you. I tried my best to deflect them, but they want to talk to all of you, beginning with Pedro and Hyun tonight after sunset.”

  “Will they be detaining us?” Pedro asked.

  “They said questioning,” Mr. Cooper answered, “but I can’t say what else they may do. The three of you ladies will be called in tomorrow.”

  “What would you like us to say, Mr. Cooper?” Tameka asked.

  IT WAS PEDRO’S TURN to be interrogated first, while the rest of the team went back to their host homes. Hadassah defaulted to her laptop to keep from scraping away what was left of her fingertips. Matt’s e-mail didn’t help.

  “They’ve closed off the roads into and out of Babylon after the attacks on Rome. Rumor has it they’ve done the same with Baghdad and Bozrah. This is particularly frustrating for the team since most of us are trapped in Babylon, investigating a lead, while Dave stayed in Tikrit to negotiate with a contact for additional resources. The good news is we have heard about the Korean group. I’ve spoken briefly with the man who saw them. The bad news is we’ve attracted attention and may find ourselves in the same predicament as those missionaries if we’re not careful.

  “Any news on Zach? We’re all praying for him as well as the rest of you, especially after seeing his face all over Al Jazeera. They are definitely painting him as the scapegoat here. And how are the girls from the nightclub? I think of you constantly.”

  “Zach is at the hospital,” Hadassah replied. “The authorities are talking about deporting him as soon as he recovers, but they don’t think he was involved, except as a pawn. Still, they won’t let anyone but Mr. Cooper see him in the hospital. Security there is tight.

  “The girls we rescued are doing well and are settling into the safe home. Seven of them gave their lives to the Lord! It’ll take time for them to be whole again. Praise God the nightclub is a pile of rubble and the girls are all out safe.

  “Now we wait for our turn to be interrogated. Hyun and Pedro are with the police tonight, then Tameka, Christina and I have our turns tomorrow. I hope I choose all the right words. Mr. Cooper drilled us pretty hard this afternoon, and I am thankful.

  “I miss you. I miss you so much.”

  The next e-mail she wrote was to Mom, asking for help.

  Chapter 42: Interrogated

  AS SHE SAT IN THE POLICE station, Hadassah tried her best not to fidget or display any other nervous behavior as she waited for Christina’s interrogation to be over. It was easier when the officers and citizens stopped staring at her. Papers littered every desk at the station in large piles, a testament of the chaos throughout Rome.

  “Hadassah Michelman?” The woman who called her name had a strangely familiar face, and her voice made Hadassah think of her grandmother, her bobeshi from Tel Aviv. The woman’s uniform, however, reminded her exactly where she was. “Please follow me.”

  Christina’s smile, as they passed in the hall, carried a mixture of reassurance and perplexity.

  “Have a seat, please,” the woman said when they entered the interrogation room.

  The room was as stark as any interrogation room she had seen, either on TV or in the New York Police Department: concrete walls, tepid temperature, buzzing florescent lights. It looked like they hadn’t remodeled since the 1970’s.

  “You probably don’t remember me,” the woman continued, “but I’m your mother’s cousin. Natalia’s my name. Being a relative of yours, I’m not allowed to take part in the questioning, but I wanted to be the one to bring you in and reassure you no one is in trouble. We are trying to get the clearest picture possible so we can conduct a thorough investigation. Many lives have been lost, and the whole world is looking for answers. And the authorities are looking to you. But they’ve agreed to allow Colonel Schindler to speak with you first. Here he is with his team, and I must leave you.”

  Hadassah sat as instructed in the wooden, straight-back chair and started scraping her fingertips before the Colonel even opened his mouth.

  With slow, calculated motion, Colonel Schindler took the seat across from her. “Ms. Hadassah Michelman, please tell us your intentions during your stay in Rome.”

  Lying would be so easy. Saying she came as a tourist could be justified by her visa and would save her from this incredibly uncomfortable interview. She stared at the grooves in the concrete walls and breathed past the temptation. “To investigate a possible human trafficking ring, sir, with the intention of exposing the perpetrators and rescuing those being exploited.”

  “Before you arrived in Rome, did you know these men you were investigating?”

  “On the day we arrived, we were given the list of names.”

  “Who gave you this list of names?”

  Eye contact, she reminded herself, or he’ll think I’m lying for sure. “Elisha Rosin, sir. The man, I believe, is known to you.”

  The muscles in the Colonel’s face twitched, but whether to form a frown or a smile Hadassah couldn’t tell. “Mr. Rosin is known to us. Tell us the nature of your visa.”

  “I arrived on a tourist visa, with provisions for volunteer work.”

  “Do you feel you violated the conditions of your visa?”

  “No, sir, since the work we did was volunteer.”

  “Who else assisted you while you volunteered?”

  Hadassah suppressed a smile and decided to take a chance. “My mom.”

  “Please state the name of the woman you refer to.” He looked intently at her, as if he would extract the information whether or not she wanted to give it. This look in his eyes must have been habit after years of interrogation, or maybe he did mean to use other methods if she withheld anything.

  She fought the strange impulse to laugh. “Eva Michelman, sir.”

  “Eva Vishniac Michelman?”

  “Yes, sir.” She didn’t stifle her smile in time.

  He exhaled gruffly and his eye twitched.

  “Did you know her, sir?”

  “I’ll ask the questions, if you don’t mind.” He glared. “Did you spend any time in the tunnels or sewers while here in Rome?”

  “Yes, sir. Am I in trouble for this?”

  “We will discuss that later. Did you also obtain a voice recording of a man named Junayd before exploring the sewers?”

  “Yes, sir, I did, and submitted the recording to Mr. Rosin.”

  One of the other officers switched on a device and she heard the interview she had recorded in the café.

  As soon as the recording was switched off, the Colonel turned to her again. “Were you instructed to make this sort of recording, Ms. Michelman?”r />
  “We were encouraged to collect as much evidence as possible, sir. Since I was approached by Junayd, I thought it wise to make the most of the situation.”

  Before he continued, he flashed a brief smile as if he agreed. “When did you first make contact with the women who worked for La Bestia Alata nightclub?”

  “Some of the girls are as young as fifteen,” Hadassah clarified. “And to say they worked for the club implies wages. We have evidence saying no wages were given.”

  “Please answer the question, Ms. Michelman, and refrain from commentary.”

  “Yes, sir. I met Channah, a girl who was enslaved by the owners of La Bestia Alata, two weeks ago. When we freed Channah on Friday, I met the rest of the girls who were with her.”

  “Where did you take them after you freed them?”

  “We took them to the church we used as our base while here in Rome. We intended to take them to the safe house on the far side of the Jewish Quarter, but we didn’t know if there was a safe route through the city.”

  “Did you know La Bestia Alata would be a target?”

  “We did not,” Hadassah replied. “We had hints something was going to happen soon, but we didn’t know when, what, or where. If we hadn’t rescued those girls when we did, who knows what would have happened to them?”

  “We have the recording from the listening device Zacharias Safar planted at the nightclub, and our analysts are reviewing the data as we speak. Did you assist Mr. Safar to plant the listening device in the nightclub?”

  “I assisted him by helping to locate the blueprints and by praying for him.”

  “Was Mr. Safar seen after planting the device?”

  Hadassah hesitated, then looked down. “Yes, sir.” She tried to keep her composure while the image of his face alit in her mind. “I saw him Friday morning before rescuing the girls from La Bestia Alata. He was strapped with a device filled with Ebola. We secured the device and alerted the authorities.”