The Calling

by Rachelle Dekker

  Damien, Jesse thought.

  “The time has come for you to win back my trust.”

  Jesse waited as the Scientist thought through his next statement. Whatever the Scientist asked, Jesse would do.

  “We have much to discuss, but first let’s discuss the child. I was told there were complications with her injections.”

  Jesse had known this topic would arise. “Not complications really; rather, nothing happened.”

  “Explain.”

  “After giving her the proper dose for her size and age, we ran a neural scan, as we have done with the other children, and we found nothing irregular. As if she hadn’t been injected at all.”

  The Scientist thought through Jesse’s words. “And you injected her a second time?”

  Jesse nodded. “The results were the same.”

  “That seems highly improbable.”

  “All of the doctors attending her are stunned.”

  The Scientist thought another moment. “Well, if she cannot be injected, then we will need to dispose of her.”

  Jesse had assumed as much, but he was not willing to let that happen. “Actually, I propose we hold off on that. The injections may still work if we tweak the solution, and she could become very helpful as we track down the remaining Seers.”

  The Scientist glanced over at Jesse and met his eyes. He held them, as if time were suspended, and Jesse waited. “You will tend to her?” the Scientist asked finally.

  “Of course, and when she shows no further use of any kind, I will dispose of her myself,” Jesse said.

  The Scientist nodded and Jesse felt a rush of relief. Elise would be spared, at least for now. Jesse didn’t know why exactly, but he felt the child was immensely important. He was actually beginning to believe that she might be the key to everything.

  “I have always had big plans for you,” the Scientist said. “We need to start executing those plans immediately.” He looked at Jesse sternly. “I have already been let down once by you; I will not tolerate it a second time.”

  Jesse felt a swirl of fear move through his gut but kept it from showing on his face. The future was unclear. What would become of the Seers was still to be determined. And Elise’s purpose was in question. But he was certain of one thing.

  Jesse returned the Scientist’s gaze with as much intensity as he could manage. “You won’t have to.”

  The sun was setting behind the mountains when Remko and Smith finally stopped for a break. They’d escaped the Genesis Compound with little trouble. Smith had known exactly where to lead Remko so they wouldn’t be detected until they were miles away. Once out, they’d headed north as the light inside Remko called him forward. He listened, as Carrington had listened when they had first left the Authority City all those months ago. He’d wondered then how she could be so sure of where she was going, but now he understood.

  The truth was he’d always known where to go, what road to take, what path to travel, but he’d covered up the light that lived inside with the shadow of fear and self-hate. Now that the light was pulsing freely, following it was natural and simple.

  Smith had very little to say, but Remko could hear his mind working. Making the choice to break Remko out meant that Smith could never return to the life he’d known before. But Remko wasn’t worried, because there was now truth inside Smith, and Remko would do all he could to help the man discover it.

  Wasn’t that what they were called to? To see each other just as they saw themselves? To know that they were all the same, with the same light living inside them all, just waiting to be discovered? The only option was to respond to the light with pure love, even if a person hadn’t discovered it yet. There is no war, Remko thought, and it brought a smile to his face. Even in the ominous gloom of his current situation he still felt joy. Because he knew it would all be different now.

  Remko glanced back at Smith, and the man nodded, offering him water from a canteen at his waist. Remko accepted the gift and let the cool liquid touch his lips. A warm wind, even in the cold night, softly shuffled around Remko. He closed his eyes and breathed the air into his lungs. It filled him with energy and made his flesh buzz. His Father was close and leading him.

  The thought nearly brought Remko to his knees again. He wondered if he would ever get used to the overwhelming wave of emotion that came from knowing his true identity. He hoped not.

  Smith used his binoculars to survey the land ahead while they still had some fading light. He paused, looking through the scopes, and handed them to Remko. “I think I see something.”

  Remko took the binoculars and looked for what Smith had seen. He smiled. A fire, small in the distance. A camp. Hopefully Carrington’s camp. A heavy dose of sorrow and fear dropped into his gut. How could he possibly beg her forgiveness for abandoning her, for not being there to protect their daughter, for all his failings?

  As the questions banged against the inside of his head, they threatened to cover the light that had moments ago been so vibrant. Another gush of wind swirled around them and Remko listened for truth. This was the journey of remembering and forgetting. Smith nodded for Remko to lead on and he did, even with a small tremor in his steps. It was hard to hear truth over the pulse of his blood.

  By the time they made it to the outskirts of the camp, the sky was lit only with shining stars. A figure noticed them approaching and alerted the rest of the group; the sentry probably thought they were a threat. Remko and Smith approached carefully, their arms raised until they were bathed in enough light that those in the camp could make them out. For a long moment no one moved.

  Remko scanned their faces. Wire, Kate, Ramses, Lesley, Eleanor, others he knew, all of them too shocked to move. But he didn’t see Carrington. Panic started to blossom in his chest until a small woman walked out from behind the crowd, her green eyes damp and red, her face shadowed by exhaustion.

  Remko’s eyes filled with tears and he took a step toward her. Carrington broke the stillness as if she had been finally set free and rushed toward him. She was up in his arms, sobs already shaking her shoulders, his hands clasping her close, arms holding her tightly and soaking in her warmth. They said nothing; there was nothing they could really say in this moment. Remko only wanted to hold her, to feel her breath and heartbeat, to kiss away her tears.

  Carrington pulled back to look at Remko’s face. She placed both hands on his cheeks and held his eyes with her own, her tears glimmering in the starlight. He leaned down and kissed her, aware that everyone around was watching, but not caring. He’d been certain she was lost to him, certain he’d never feel her again. Yet here she was, wrapped in his arms.

  He released her mouth, and through labored breaths she spoke.

  “Elise—” she tried but couldn’t continue as another wave of tears engulfed her.

  “I know,” Remko said. “She’s alive and we’ll get her back. We will get her back.”

  Carrington nodded and laid her forehead against Remko’s chest. He looked up to see the faces of people he loved dearly waiting for him to say something. There was so much hurt in their eyes—hurt he’d caused, pain that needed mending. It was almost impossible to feel the light inside through the guilt and shame, but he heard the voice and felt an ease fill his bones.

  I call you mine, son of the Father. What shall you fear?

  Kate stepped forward, her eyes fixed on Smith, her mouth a straight line. “What is he doing here?”

  Remko hadn’t even thought about how Smith’s presence would look to the others. Smith was their enemy, he’d been a large part of capturing Sam, and they were not to blame for feeling afraid.

  “Please,” Remko said. “He is the reason I’m here.”

  “It’s some sort of trap,” Ramses said from behind Kate. Remko felt another tug of joy at seeing his brother and took a step forward before noticing the pain in Ramses’s face.

  Remko stopped. Much healing needed to be done before they trusted him again. He hadn’t anticipated how much that wo
uld sting.

  He swallowed and held Ramses’s eyes. “It’s not a trap. I trust him.” He knew his words probably meant very little, but it was enough to make both Kate and Ramses stay where they were. No one was charging anyone yet. That was a start.

  “And Sam?” Wire braved.

  Remko could feel the change in Kate as much as he saw it. His heart broke with her and again he had to stop himself from moving forward to comfort her.

  Smith spoke before Remko could. “Sam isn’t what you remember. Damien has made him into something else. Damien plans to make us all into something else.”

  Remko saw Kate’s eyes flood with tears and before she could respond, another figure walked into camp from the darkness. Aaron.

  His eyes found Remko’s and the rest of the camp turned to see him. He walked straight for Remko and Carrington. He stopped beside them and placed his hand on Carrington’s arm, his eyes filled with empathy. She gave him a tired smile and he squeezed her arm. Then he turned to Remko and the overwhelming sense of the Father within him shook Remko to the core. The guilt, shame, and fear that had inched up Remko’s back fell away.

  Aaron smiled, his eyes filled with contagious joy, and Remko followed suit. A soft chuckle left Aaron’s mouth and the two men embraced as brothers for the first time. Remko felt his own laughter bubbling as he patted Aaron’s back.

  “Welcome home, brother,” Aaron said. And home was exactly where Remko felt he was. The two men released each other and Remko turned to the rest of the group.

  “Where do we go from here?” Wire asked. The boy’s eyes were filled with tears and Remko again found himself practicing letting go of his shame.

  “We do things differently now,” Remko said. “We stop fighting them, because that is only bringing us suffering. Now we learn to be true Seers, and then we show them, not by our actions but by our choices. We will be what we are called to be: brothers and sisters of the light, truly awake. We will show them by our faith, and we will let the awakening begin, with us.”

  Remko saw the hesitation in people’s faces, but he knew they would see as he did with time. He turned to Aaron. “Thank you.”

  Aaron smiled and squeezed Remko’s shoulder. He stepped to welcome Smith as the camp watched.

  “It’s good to have you here,” Aaron said and extended his hand toward Smith. Slowly Smith reached out and accepted.

  “Let all who come, come,” Aaron said and turned to the group. “The days ahead will be dark, but we are filled with light, so there is nothing to fear.”

  “Damien’s plans are terrible,” Smith said.

  Aaron smiled sadly. “Yes. Thankfully we follow a different plan.”

  “I have heard you are powerful; can you not just stop this?” Smith asked.

  The rest of the group stayed quiet. They had all had the same thought before. Remko watched as Aaron looked at the faces surrounding him, a somber expression in his eyes.

  “My role is to lead you to power. I can’t save you. I never could. But a time is coming when someone can. We have done what we can here, and now we will leave for a season.”

  “Leave?” Kate asked.

  “Where will we go?” Ramses asked.

  “There is a city where others like you live. A place you will be safe as we prepare for what comes next.”

  “What!” Kate said.

  “Then why did we stay here all this time?” Wire asked.

  “All that has happened was necessary for what is to come,” Aaron replied.

  “We can’t leave. I won’t go without her,” Carrington said and the rest of the group fell silent.

  Aaron turned his gaze to Carrington, then moved to her and grabbed her hands with his own. Tears glistened in his eyes. “Elise is more powerful than you know, and she is where she has been called to be.”

  Tears rolled down Carrington’s cheeks. “She is a baby—my baby!”

  Remko shook his head. Aaron couldn’t possibly be suggesting they leave their daughter? As if in response to Remko’s disbelief, Aaron reached out one hand and placed it on Remko’s shoulder.

  The moment he did, a strong wind swirled through the group, lapping at Remko’s hair and easing his fear.

  What shall you fear?

  Remko closed his eyes and let the wind rustle against his worry and pain. Carrington cried out in sorrow beside him, and he opened his eyes to see the wind wrapping itself around her as well. He saw all the members of the group being affected by the truth he now knew. The rush of love and strength fought against their fears.

  Remko looked to Aaron, who was etched in a glowing light, assuring Remko of what he already knew. Aaron was not merely a man, not even anything they could really comprehend, but he was their guiding force, and he knew the wind better than any of them.

  And then, almost as soon as it fell upon them, the wind left, leaving behind the spirit of freedom it had carried. The entire group rose as one, each person seeing truth clearly and understanding their journey was just beginning.

  Silence surrounded them as they breathed together. Long moments that were filled with both pain and light, but the light was stronger. Remko pulled Carrington close and felt her sorrow melt into his own. “Now we have to practice trust,” Remko whispered to her.

  Carrington squeezed his side and fresh tears soaked through his shirt.

  “We have to trust that something bigger than us will hold Elise close. The power we’ve both experienced will protect her. We have to remind each other to have faith, and listen for the truth, and trust.”

  Carrington softly turned in Remko’s arms so she was facing him. Their eyes connected. She placed her hand on the side of Remko’s face and the heat from her skin spread down his neck.

  With tears still wet on her cheeks she spoke. “You’re going to have to remind me often.” Emotion caused her voice to crack and she swallowed. “Because I won’t be able to remember on my own.”

  Remko nodded. “I will.”

  “We will all remind each other,” Aaron said beside them.

  Remko shared a moment of knowing with Aaron before looking across the group and seeing knowing in them as well.

  He knew everything would be different now. There was much they needed to hear, many moments of fear and suffering to come, but they would practice faith; they would trust in a power bigger than their own. They would walk the path of the light, the wind as their source, Aaron as their guide, the truth as their anchor.

  They had been chosen, and they had been called. Now they would move toward their final awakening.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  When I sit down and think of all the people who helped shape this novel, the list becomes almost overwhelming. How did I get lucky enough to have so many inspirational people in my life? The kind who listen, love, give advice, laugh, cry, and hold me up when the sky feels like it’s falling down around me. Their constant encouragement and support are the reasons this novel, or any novel I write, gets finished.

  To Tyndale, the greatest publisher in the world. I hope you know how fortunate I feel to get to work with your team every day. To Jeremy, my editor, and the copyediting team at Tyndale, thank you for making this manuscript shine.

  To Whitney and Esther, the two beautiful women who I know are always fighting for me. Thank you for being so enthusiastic and dedicated. Seriously, you two are like superheroes.

  To the Blue Monkeys, who never seem to doubt me. Kelsey and Stephanie, your friendship has become a necessary part of my life. Even across the distance that separates us, I always know you have my back and I lean on that truth more than you know.

  To Katy, one of the world’s greatest women and my dearest friend, thank you. The time you spent walking this path with me, and the way you loved this story and helped it grow, is inspiring.

  To my family. My siblings for making me laugh and keeping me humble. My mom for being a beautiful rock of encouragement and a nonjudgmental place of love to run to when the world sends its doubts. My dad for conti
nuing to seek truth and in doing so inspiring me to do the same, and for encouraging me to step into my fear rather than run from it. Thank you all. I love you more than I could say.

  To my stellar husband. Doing life with you is my favorite thing. Thanks for never kicking me out when I get “story-crazed,” for listening to me talk myself in circles, for taking me to eat chips and salsa when I need inspiration, and for picking up all the other pieces of my life so I can just write. I could never do this without you. I love you.

  But most importantly, to my Father. The One writing my story. Let your words be my words as I seek love first. Let your thoughts be my thoughts as I learn to walk through fear, and let your way be my way every time I sit down to write. May every word be a reflection of truth, of love, and of you.

  Thank you all,

  Rachelle

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  The oldest daughter of New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker, Rachelle Dekker was inspired early on to discover truth through storytelling. The Choosing was her critically acclaimed debut novel. Rachelle graduated with a degree in communications and spent several years in marketing and corporate recruiting before making the transition to write full-time. She lives in Nashville with her husband, Daniel, and their diva cat, Blair. Visit her online at www.rachelledekker.com.

  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  Authority President Damien Gold says, “Fear is a powerful sedative for rebellion.” What does he mean by this? Do you agree with him?

  What are the effects of fear in Remko’s life? How does it affect his ability to lead and make decisions?

  In chapter 7, Carrington reflects, “Faith was an impenetrable wall, not because it shut the fear out but because it invited the fear in.” Can you think of an example of this from your own life—where faith meant acknowledging your fear and trusting God anyway? Later, in chapter 12, Larkin tells Carrington to accept and surrender her fear. What does it look like to surrender your fear to God?