The Overseer

by Conlan Brown

  “Kimberly!” a woman shouted from the door.

  The girl’s mother and father rushed toward them. Kimberly left Hannah’s side and ran to her parents.

  Her parents held her as she cried.

  Maybe not like the lost sheep, Hannah thought. Maybe more like the prodigal son, who squandered his inheritance on wild living, only to be welcomed back by his father with love and acceptance. Like the bride of Christ—freedom lost and bought again.

  Maybe that was an overstatement, but Hannah didn’t care. All she knew was that Kimberly was in her parents’ arms. And she was free.

  “Have you decided what you’re going to do now?” John Temple asked, coming up alongside her.

  “I don’t know,” Hannah said, brushing a tear away. “Maybe I’ll go back to school. Make another attempt at having a normal life.” She turned to John. “And you?”

  “I’m going to find Angelo,” he said, leading her toward the airport door. “He seems to know a lot about this ‘reckoning’ that’s coming. He seemed to know how to stop it.”

  “Where is he?” She followed John into the setting sunlight.

  “I don’t know.” John shook his head. “I think he’s still in the Nevada desert somewhere.” He smirked. “Now that I’m here, I think I’ll take some time to reconnect with God and fight the devil in the wilderness, like ancient monks used to do.”

  Hannah nodded. “You’ll have to let me know how that goes.” She stopped for a moment. “What about Trista?”

  John looked away. “Some things aren’t meant to be.”

  “And you and Trista aren’t meant to be?”

  John shrugged. “I guess we’ll find out in due time.”

  They walked across the parking lot to where Devin Bathurst stood.

  “So, what’s your decision?” John asked Devin. “Are you going to accept the offer from the OGA?”

  Devin nodded. “I’ve signed the papers.”

  “What’s this?” Hannah asked. “What’s the OGA?”

  Devin filled her in, and she nodded. “It’s strange. Clay Goldstein talked about power—said how some people find it in religion, some in politics, some in business. Looks like that’s what’s happening here.”

  “What do you mean?” John asked.

  “Well, it’s just that the Firstborn are restructuring into a business.” She turned to John. “You’re embracing your religious duty in the wilderness.” She turned to Devin. “And you’re going to work for the government.” She thought for a moment. “I guess everything is changing.”

  “I guess everything is,” John agreed.

  Devin was quiet for a moment, then spoke. “Well, then I guess there’s just one thing left to do.”

  Angelo walked along the desert highway, watching the sun set, trying to thumb a ride.

  He could feel them—John, Devin, and Hannah—together. Praying together. The three of them kneeling in the Arizona desert. But their reason wasn’t money, power, or the demand for a religious experience.

  Angelo felt something change—something about the coming reckoning.

  There was something about these three—coming together in humility for no reason other than love and mutual respect.

  He smiled.

  He felt something he hadn’t felt in a long time—about the past, the present, and the future. About life. About the world. There was a word for it. Something distant and special.

  Then he remembered the word.

  Hope.

  The word was hope—and for the first time in as long as he could remember, he was filled with it.

  Acknowledgments

  GENERAL

  Jamin Walters – For doing so much to help promote these books

  Scotty Gallagher – Thematic development

  Ryan Olsen – Technical Advisor

  Mark Fauth – Technical Advisor

  Scott Miller – Fire-Sciences and EMT Advisor

  Lee Vary – Breaking writer’s block

  Russel Garret – Various and profound contributions

  JL – For introducing me to the pressing issue of human trafficking

  PROOFREADERS

  Very special thanks to those who took the time

  to look over this book and give feedback:

  Scott Coffey

  Kirstin Roberts

  Wil Davis

  Shannon Davis

  Cathleen Walters

  EDITORIAL

  Lori Vanden Bosch – Amazing Content Editor

  Dinah Wallace – Phenomenal Line Editor

  Bob Liparulo – Friend and support

  Jeff Gerke – Friend and mentor

  Debbie Marrie – The person who makes everything happen

  Chip MacGregor – Marketing Advisor

  James L. Rubart – Marketing Teacher

  Frank Redman – Because we writers all

  desperately need honest feedback

  Eric Wilson – A scholar and a gentleman. A writer’s writer.

  Thank you.

  Sue Allen – For giving the fine talent you brought to

  the Left Behind series to a small book like this.

  And the countless others who made this book possible.