The Secret Chapel (god's lions)

by John Lyman

  The small band of men and women began working together in the laborious task of unloading the trucks, pitching tents, and organizing supplies, while the cooks cranked up the mobile kitchen and were slicing and dicing their way to dinner. In the dusty orange haze of the desert sunset, the camp was just beginning to take shape when they all heard the sound.

  A rhythmic thump, thump, thump could be heard in the distance. The noise grew louder, then fainter as it crisscrossed the floor of the canyon below. Everyone in camp stopped what they were doing and listened. Whatever it was, it was getting closer to their campsite.

  The sun had just dipped below the horizon, allowing the group to see rapid bright-red flashes of light shooting up into the sky from the edge of the desert where the plateau met the rim of the canyon. With everyone’s attention riveted on the lights, a dark fast-moving shape materialized from the rim and flew up and over the camp, followed by another. Blowing sand swirled over the vehicles and tents, entering the nostrils and mouths of the startled and confused group as they shielded their eyes.

  Slowly, they began to grasp their situation. Two large Blackhawk helicopters were circling their campsite and preparing to land, their flashing red strobe lights reflecting against the vehicles and desert floor around them.

  The group instinctively turned their backs to the landing aircraft, pulling their shirts up over their faces in an effort to keep from breathing in the swirling sand. The helicopters began touching down next to the camp and quickly shut down their engines, one after another, until the whine of the turbines and the chop of the rotor blades came to a halt.

  Leo and the others brushed away the fine grit that covered their clothing and filled their hair as the helicopters’ doors began to slide open, revealing familiar faces peering out from inside.

  Ariella was the first to spot Lev. “Father! What are you doing here? How did you…?”

  “I’m sorry, little one. We tried to reach you on your cell phones and radios, but nothing seems to work right out here. Our signals were probably blocked by the canyon walls. But the radios seem to be working fine now. Moshe finally convinced one of his high-ranking cabinet friends to authorize the use of these helicopters. We didn’t plan on having them so soon.”

  Everyone was overjoyed at the arrival of Lev and the other staff members from the villa, including a dusty but grinning Leo. “I didn’t think we’d see you for another few days.”

  Lev winked before reaching into the helicopter and pulling out a case of wine. “Tonight, my friend, we eat, drink, and dance. Tomorrow, we work.”

  John looked confused. “Did Lev just say we were going to dance?”

  Ariella threw her head back in laughter. “It’s an Israeli thing.”

  Chapter 18

  The Negev Desert-Day 1

  The two groups came together and continued to set up the camp, designating separate areas for different purposes. Lev instructed one of the helicopter pilots to radio the villa, and soon, another convoy of trucks full of equipment was en route.

  The cooks threw more meat on the grill in anticipation of the new arrivals while Leo helped some young people carry long folding tables into an enormous screened mess tent Lev and his staff had erected next to the mobile kitchen.

  John and Ariella took charge of setting up generator-powered lights to illuminate the area around the perimeter where another group was busy setting up a row of large ten-person tents with a series of portable latrines nearby.

  Around nine o’clock at night, a line of headlights could be seen in the distance. The second convoy, bringing more supplies and additional staff from Lev’s villa, soon rolled into camp, spurring another round of unloading and organizing. There were twenty-four people in the new group, half of them women. They had been summoned to perform various roles, including security, medical, communications, archaeological excavation, photography, transportation, and supply. The helicopters were being secured for the night by their crews and would remain with the expedition, as it was now being called, for as long as they were needed.

  Alon and Daniel began work on setting up a special communications facility in the center of camp. It was an improved version of the inflatable tents designed before the Gulf War for the harsh desert environment. It came complete with its own power source and the air-conditioning necessary for the sensitive electronic equipment.

  Antennas began to sprout up around the perimeter of the new facility like a giant spider web. One of the vehicles in the second convoy was a huge four-wheel-drive tanker truck full of water, which was conveniently placed between the kitchen and a second inflatable tent used for showering.

  Exhausted from the day’s work, everyone in camp finally gathered around the steaming platters of food that were coming in a steady stream from the kitchen to the tables in the mess tent. Candles provided a soft, flickering light while a CD of classical music played in the background. Bottles of Israeli wine were passed around, and soon, the evening began to take on the aura of an impromptu party in the middle of the Negev Desert.

  Lev and Leo sat at one of the long tables and enjoyed the stillness of the moment. Leo was still amazed at how the Bible had led them to this spot in the middle of nowhere, and he was anxious to learn more about his new friends and their work on the code.

  Lev reached over and poured some white wine in Leo’s glass. “We share a common bond, Leo, a bond formed by our faith in Christ and the knowledge that our numbers are slowly dwindling. I believe this group here tonight represents one of many seeds that will soon spread throughout the world. In fact, I would call them all chosen ones.”

  That got Leo’s attention.

  “What do you know about those who are mentioned in the code as chosen, Professor? Have you found any more names in the Bible listed as chosen for this task?”

  “So far, we only have the five names Daniel found. No one else here is mentioned in the code, but they all support our mission. Even though all these people have gathered here at this time and this place to do God’s bidding, only those whose names are encoded in the Bible will be tasked with retrieving the object we were sent to find.”

  The two men looked around at the others from their place at the end of the table. They were enjoying the camaraderie of this special group of men and women who had volunteered to help solve an ancient mystery, despite a clear warning about the danger they all faced.

  John entered the tent, wearing fresh jeans and a clean white T-shirt borrowed from a staff member.

  “I see the new shower tent has been christened,” Leo said.

  “What a great idea, a tent with running water. I feel like a new man. There’s nothing like a cool shower before dinner, even if it is almost midnight.”

  Lev winked at Leo. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Living this close to the desert all our lives has helped us learn a few tricks to keep comfortable.”

  Ariella entered the tent with the stray dog wrapped in a towel.

  “What on earth are you doing with that dog?” Lev asked.

  “He needed a bath too. He smelled terrible. Since he’s staying with us, he’s going to be well-groomed.”

  The mess tent had taken on the din of a popular bistro at happy hour. Everyone was chatting all at once and enjoying the sumptuous meal created by the cooks. Alon seemed happier than usual and had his arm draped over the shoulder of one of the female helicopter pilots. Ariella introduced her to Leo and John as Alon’s fiancee, Nava. The couple apparently had not seen each other in months and couldn’t take their eyes off each other.

  John and Ariella retreated to a far corner of the tent to engage in some quiet conversation while the former stray dog slept soundly at their feet after having made the rounds of every table and receiving his fill of handouts.

  “Those two are starting to look like a couple,” Lev said, watching his daughter and John alone at a table. He sighed before turning his attention back to Leo. “Do you have any knowledge of group dreams and prophecy, Father?”

  �
��Well, my specific area of study is ancient Christian sects and how they came to form the Catholic Church, but I recall several documented cases of group dreams occurring throughout history among the faithful. Some are what I would call inspirational dreams that have a positive effect and can spur people on to achieve great things in the name of God. Others seem to be more prophetic in nature, predicting either catastrophic or miraculous events. These dreams can also be a warning, offering instead a vision of things to come for those who refuse to heed God’s word.”

  “Can these dreams come from somewhere other than God?” Lev asked. “I mean, could Satan inspire group dreams in people?”

  “Well, I guess when you’re talking about dreams with religious overtones, there’s really no way to tell. A lot depends on the content of the dream and what you may or may not be asked to do in them. Mental institutions and prisons are full of people who did some really bad things they believed God had told them to do in a dream.”

  Lev shifted uneasily in his seat. “I haven’t mentioned this before, Leo, but many of us here have been having dreams about coming to this desert together, including myself. I guess there’s been some concern about where these dreams are truly coming from.”

  This was getting interesting. “What exactly do you see in your dreams, Lev? I mean, are there any explicit verbal instructions, and do you all dream the same thing?”

  “For the most part, we all see a terrible storm over the desert.”

  Leo felt a sudden chill as the hair raised up on his arms.

  “I don’t know if Morelli told you, Father,” Lev said, “but I’ve had the gift of prophecy since I was a child.”

  Leo put his glass down and looked Lev right in the eyes. This man was serious. Leo had a knack for being able to tell if someone was telling the truth or pulling his leg. In his entire career as a Jesuit priest, he had met only one other person who had the gift of prophecy, and that person was the previous pope.

  “Do you mean you actually see things that happen in the future?”

  Lev looked embarrassed. “Well, yes. It’s only happened a few times and I never know when it will occur again. When I was a student, I told one of my teachers in school that I had dreamed about the American president being shot and killed. The next day, President Kennedy was assassinated. I also dreamed about the World Trade Center being hit by airplanes the night before the attack.”

  Leo was dumbstruck. A real-life prophet here and now in this day and age. Morelli must have been totally beside himself when he met this man. One of his main goals in life had been to meet a real prophet living in today’s world. Morelli had believed that by meeting a modern prophet whose prophesies could be verified, he could validate stories from the Old Testament about the prophets of old.

  “But you said others in your group have been having dreams about coming to the desert.”

  “Only lately. Those of us mentioned as chosen have had the same dream for the past two weeks. We’re all praying that these dreams are coming from God and not somewhere else.”

  Leo thought for a moment. “Have any of the others had prophetic dreams in the past?”

  “No, and we’re not sure that these dreams are even prophetic, because nothing we saw in the dreams has happened yet.”

  “Is there a common thread to these dreams other than the storm and the desert?”

  Lev ran his hands through his hair and breathed in deeply. “Yes. Besides seeing a storm, we all heard a voice telling us that we were chosen.”

  Leo took a long sip of Israeli wine and reclined in his seat as he thought about what Lev had just told him. “Until it’s proven otherwise, I would have to say your dreams come from God. If it makes you feel any better, I’ve had the same dream, and Father Morelli instructed me not to trust anyone with this task who wasn’t specifically listed in the code as being chosen.”

  “I have to admit, I was starting to wonder if you had dreamed the same dream as the rest of us,” Lev said. “I felt relieved when I saw the word chosen encoded with our names in the Bible. That does seem to verify that these dreams come from God, even if none of us has any idea why we’ve been chosen, or for what. What we do know is that all of us have been brought together in what, in my opinion, is way more than just a coincidence. I guess we’re just going to have to be patient until the code reveals the real reason we’ve all been summoned here.”

  “I’ll drink to that,” Leo said, hoisting his half-full glass of wine.

  Lev touched his glass to Leo’s. “A toast to dreams and codes and all true messages from God.”

  The two men continued to hold their glasses in a salute, looking straight into the eyes of one another, knowing, at that moment, that God had truly ordained this conclave in the desert. They placed their glasses on the table, and Leo leaned close to Lev in an effort to keep their conversation private. “I’m probably being redundant telling you this, Lev, but there are fifteen prophets who have books named after them in the Bible. Elijah was the first to perform miracles in a battle between God and the deities of the pagans. I sincerely pray you will be our Elijah in the days to come. God has given you the gift of prophecy for a reason, and you must use it wisely, both for the sake of everyone here tonight and maybe even the world itself in the days to come.”

  Lev frowned at the comparison between himself and the prophets of old. “You don’t pull any punches, do you, Father?”

  “Only in boxing when I was in the ring with a weaker opponent.”

  Lev had enjoyed his discussion with Leo. The priest had a gift for listening and condensing other’s concerns down to their very essence. Yawning, he realized he needed a few hours of uninterrupted sleep before their work began in the morning. He stood and stretched before turning back toward Leo. “The gift of prophecy is a difficult thing to describe, Father. I’ve been struggling with it all my life. I used to get periodic flashes of things before they happened, but now they’re becoming stronger and more frequent. I can only tell you that something bigger than anything I have ever seen before is coming. We need to have a meeting tomorrow after breakfast with everyone in the camp. I’ll go over what we know up to now, and hopefully, that will help us in our plan of action in the days to come.”

  “Get some rest,” Leo said. “I have a feeling we won’t be getting much over the next few days.”

  The tables in the mess tent began to empty as Leo followed Lev out into the rapidly cooling desert air. Both men stared up into the star-filled heavens in silence. This initial gathering of those called to this spot in the middle of an empty wilderness was coming to an end, and one by one, they felt their way into darkened tents, where they collapsed onto their cots. Soon, sleep overcame all who were not on sentry duty on their first night in the Negev Desert.

  Chapter 19

  The Negev Desert-Day 2

  A dusty yellow ring that seemed painted around the sun provided a hazy backdrop over the awakening camp. As the day wore on, the pastel horizon of the dawn gave way to a brilliant clear-blue sky, and the unrelenting heat began to make itself felt across the desert. Breakfast in the camp had ended an hour earlier, and people scurried about, finishing projects they had started the night before.

  Out in the desert, the sound of gunfire echoed against the surrounding mountains as Alon introduced John to military weapons. The big Israeli commando had taken John under his wing, becoming a surrogate big brother to him. Much to John’s relief, Alon had pointed out that the Hawaiian print shirts John and Leo were wearing were glaringly inadequate for the harsh desert environment, so he had furnished them both with some long-sleeved white cotton shirts, khaki shorts, and olive-colored hats that had soft wide brims that hung loosely down around the sides.

  “What kind of backpack is that, John?” Alon asked, peering at a small hole beginning to form around the bottom.

  “A cheap one. I bought it a few months ago, before I came to Europe. Didn’t have much money.”

  “I think what you’re carrying deserves better
.” Alon walked over to a truck and pulled out a general issue military backpack like those used by the Israeli army. “Here, John. Put the brick in this. It’s made of Kevlar. This material will even stop a bullet.”

  John had given Alon and the others a chance to examine the brick the day before at the villa. They were all full of curiosity at the strange painting of a jet hitting one of two tall towers and the obvious reference to the disastrous 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York City. The same question was on everyone’s mind: how did that image get painted two thousand years ago on a stone brick found under the Vatican? Most puzzling of course was the question of why. Lev and his team had still been unable to find any clue to the brick’s significance or its relation to what they were looking for in the desert.

  The stray dog was already gaining weight as John continued to make sure he had plenty of food. He had decided to name him Camp, since he was now recognized by everyone as the official mascot of the entire camp.

  Returning from a scouting mission of the region, the turbine engines of one of the helicopters drowned out any conversation as Leo and Lev emerged from the dust created by the spinning rotors and called for everyone to gather in the mess tent.

  Lev stood up first. “Shalom, everyone. This morning we scouted the area around our campsite, taking pictures and looking for signs of life or anything out of the ordinary. There’s probably no one around us for at least fifty miles. Because of the sensitive nature of our work here, that’s probably a good thing. I want to turn this meeting over to my daughter, Ariella, so she can explain the archaeological aspects of the mission and also go over any hazards we might encounter out at the excavation site just to the south of our camp.”