by Justin Price
“Yes. I am serious. If I hold on to this, then it is just going to eat me up and consume me for the rest of my life. I don’t need that or want that. Logan…people make mistakes. We all do. Sometimes…unfortunately those mistakes can’t be taken back or fixed, but the best thing that can be offered to us, no matter what the situation is…is forgiveness.”
Logan looked down at his cuffed hands and back at her. “I don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve your forgiveness. I have gotten what I deserve. I’ll be in here from twenty five years to life. That is the reality of what I have done and it is something that I will have to think about every day as I wake up and see the bars…the same concrete walls…the other inmates and guards. This is my new reality.”
“Yes”, Abbie said. “You’re right. This is your reality now, but I won’t be holding you captive in my mind through holding this against you. It’s a terrible thing that happened. I will have to live with the consequences as well, but it is better than living with bitterness and hatred.”
Logan began to tear up. “Why are you doing this?”
Abbie leaned in and looked at him through the glass directly in his eyes and said, “because I have been forgiven much…by God.”
He leaned back and put his hands to his face and wept for all that he had done. Abbie got up and walked out, taking one last look at a chapter of her life that could now be fully closed. She could hear him asking God to forgive him as she walked back through the doors that she came in through.
She stepped outside into the fresh air, feeling much lighter than she did when she came in. Despite it not making any sense to her whatsoever, she realized now that God knew what He was doing. It was for her benefit, and from what it sounded like, a killer’s life may have just changed as well.
It was onto her next mission now. She needed to track down her biological father, Charles Billingsley, in New York. Her fear of that meeting had diminished greatly after looking Logan Smith in the eye and forgiving him and extending God’s mercy. Abbie felt like she was ready to take on the world that she knew she had been called to.
“I don’t see any side roads here, Javier!” said Noah with a lump in his throat. “If we go through this traffic stop, then we are all done for.”
Javier looked around and couldn’t see any way out of the situation at this point without getting noticed. “Our only choice is to make a “U” turn here in the middle of the road. We are close enough that they will see us and I’m sure that it will be reason enough for them to pursue us.”
Noah only had a few more seconds to think and make a decision. “Let’s do it. Turn around. It’s our only chance.”
“You’ve got it bro”, said Javier.
He whipped the car around as quickly as he could and they sped off the other way with the flashing lights of the squad cars becoming smaller in the distance. They all held their breath, waiting for the sound of police sirens. After several tense moments, it became more apparent to them that they were not pursuing them.
“I think we are safe”, said Joanna.
“Me too sister”, said Javier. “Now we just need to find an alternate route. Hopefully that’s the only one that they have blocked off right now.”
As they continued down the road, Javier noticed a black SUV quickly gaining on them. ‘Oh no’, he thought. “Guys…I hate to tell you this, but I think we have company.” He nodded his head to the mirror and they all looked out the back window.
“Great,” said Noah. “I am so sorry guys. I am sorry that I have put all of you in danger because of my curiosity. I won’t ever be able to forgive myself.”
“Dad…it’s going to be alright. God will protect us.”
Noah looked at his son…an example of perfect, childlike faith as the blue lights started flashing behind them.
John cradled David’s head in his arms. He had only known him for a few days, but it felt like a lifetime. The only thing he had missed about the military had been the sense of comradery and brotherhood and he felt like he had found that in David and the other rebels. Unfortunately, the thing that haunted him ever since he left the middle east had found him right here at home.
Once again, he had to hold someone as they died in his arms. It was something that could happen a thousand times and he would never get used to it. The joy of having his wife with him again was eclipsed by tragedy. The man basically gave his life so that John could be with Maggie again.
What was it that DeShawn had said earlier? “No greater love is there that a man would lay down his life for his friends.” Those worlds still echoed in his ears like they had just been spoken. The gratitude that he felt to David in this moment was too great to ever describe. But, according to all of them, this was the essence of what it meant to be a believer in Christ.
He was no stranger to sacrifice after serving in the military for so long, but this was very deep and personal. He kept thinking about everything that David had told him in the short time that they had together. How this Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice to give him something that he didn’t deserve at all. Forgiveness…eternal life…a life of companionship with God Himself.
John suddenly became very emotional and started to weep. He looked up at Chaim and said, “I am ready to give my life to God. I want Jesus.”
Suddenly, a loud “pop” startled them as the van pulled hard to the right and hit the cement barricade on the side of the road. Smoke billowed from under the smashed hood and broken glass gleamed in the street lights. There was no movement…only silence.
The motorcade carrying Samyaza al Assad, Adnan Bahar, Liam Cain, Charles Billingsley, and Nick Young rolled through the streets of Damascus toward the outlying desert area to demonstrate the wormhole generator to the world leaders. There was excitement and nervousness on the part of the two scientists, as they hoped that everything would go as planned.
Charles, the elder of the two and the boss of the entire operation, knew that this was a pivotal day for himself, Cosmic Labs, and the entire world. Samyaza had taken special interest in this project from time that he knew it existed until now. Charles had wondered what the fascination was for him. He was a political leader, and this was something that should have only excited the scientific community. That should have been the case. At least until there were real, concrete results that could be taken to the public arena.
This had been a top secret project, and Nick was just as happy as Charles to make it public. There had been space exploration for over one-hundred and fifty years, but this was something completely different. This was perhaps the closest thing to a time machine that had been created. There was actually a possibility of sending matter…possibly even people…back in time. What possibilities could that create?
It even opened up the possibility of interstellar travel as well. After all of the years of searching planets in the far reaches of the universe for intelligent life, maybe this would be the answer to making contact with other life forms. Maybe they didn’t have to board a ship and travel for months to reach other planets. Maybe it could be done in a matter of seconds from anywhere in the world.
The vehicles that carried these extraordinary people pulled up to the designated area and parked. They all got out and looked both ways down the desert road. There was no person or building within sight for several miles. All roads had been blocked until the demonstration was finished.
Charles and Nick gestured for the men to stand about forty feet away from the target area where the portal would be opened. Charles said, “We want to keep this as safe as possible. Anytime that we have closed the portal, it has always been accompanied by a shockwave that has created a blast that is capable of knocking you off your feet and momentarily deafening you.”
President Cain put a pair of sunglasses on and stepped back a couple paces from Assad and Bahar stood. “That’s good enough for me”, he said.
Bahar turned to President Cain and said, “Oh, come on Cain. We are outside now. It will surely dissipate to the point tha
t it won’t have the same effect.”
“I am going to be on the side of caution. You are more than welcome to be knocked on your behind”, said President Cain.
Charles and Nick stood just a few feet in front of the leaders. They looked at each other and gave a nod to let each other know that it was time to begin.
Charles took the generator in his hand and turned the power on. A single beam of light was projected about thirty feet in front of him. A small roar could be heard as the beam cut through the matter in front of them until a hole about the size of a dime was created in the air.
He slowly began to dial up the handheld device, being careful to keep it stationary until the wormhole was fully open. It slowly opened in front of their eyes. The more it opened, the more Assad’s eyes lit up. The blue light from the inside of the portal reflected and danced on his eyes as he intently watched, as if someone watches for expected company to arrive.
The portal continued to open up until it was the size of an actual door. Assad stepped up behind Charles and whispered in his ear, “Can it open any further?”
“Yes, it technically can, but we have never…”
“Do it. I want to see what this thing is really capable of.”
Charles couldn’t argue with Assad. He just held his breath and continued to dial up the intensity until it was the size of a garage door. Sand and dust swirled around and the energy created high, rushing winds. The roar sounded like that of a tornado passing right over their heads.
Finally, Charles locked the portal in place and handed the device to Nick, who looked at Charles like he was crazy. He took a baseball from his bag on the ground and threw it into the portal, expecting it to come out the other side in about five minutes according to his calculations.
Samyaza, Adnan, and Liam all looked on with expectation to see what would happen until Assad stepped forward abruptly and began walking directly toward the portal.
“Sir! What are you doing?!” yelled Adnan.
Nick and Charles wanted to restrain him, but they felt like their legs couldn’t move. It felt like they were stuck in concrete. All they could do was stand by and watch as Assad lifted his hands up in the air and stopped about five feet in front of the portal.
The men who stood watching all wondered if their eyes were playing tricks on them, but it appeared as though Assad had energy coming from his hands, which flowed directly into the portal. Charles walked a little bit closer, thinking that he heard Assad shouting something in an unknown language.
His heart almost leapt out of his chest when he heard what sounded like a thousand screams come from the portal. The sound was just a high pitched shriek that seemed to go through his whole body. Judging by the other men’s body language, they felt and heard the same thing.
Suddenly, the smell of smoke and sulfur blew across the desert and made them choke, rendering them almost breathless. Charles tried to yell at Nick to shut it down, but he had dropped the device and scrambled for it while trying to catch his breath.
Charles looked up in time to see Assad levitating a foot off the ground as fire burst from the opening of the wormhole. What looked like a million shadows flew from the opening, covering the sky above them with darkness. The sun was blocked out for a moment and the only thing they could see was the bright mixture of fire and blue energy behind the silhouette of Assad who looked up with great pleasure at the beings who had made their way to earth.
Nick placed his quivering finger on the button and pressed it. The portal slammed shut and the force knocked everyone off of their feet. As Charles came to, he saw Assad walking toward him with his hand outstretched, dust and sand still swirling around him. His countenance had changed to reveal that he was something different…not of this world.
TO BE CONTINUED…
About the Author
Justin Price is a Christian speaker who has ministered across several churches in Southern Illinois. He attends and serves at Crossroads Bible Church in Norris City, Illinois with his wife, Rachel, and two daughters, Lacey and Kylee. He also holds an Associate’s degree in biblical studies from The Call Bible College in Harrisburg, IL. His utmost desire is to see God’s Kingdom expanded on earth, to see the church live up to her potential, and to proclaim the love and grace of the Father to all people. You can follow him on Twitter at @JRPrice86.