The Complete 8-Book Guardians Adventure Saga

by Summer Lee

  Feeling the rejection, Sam couldn’t help but start to tear up. He wondered how much Christ must have been hated, for just preaching what He knew to be the truth.

  Achava waited a moment for Sam to take in what she had just said. Then clasping his hand, she continued, “Have you heard the phrase ‘Doubting Thomas?’”

  “Oh sure,” he replied. “Everyone knows that one.”

  She raised a brow. “Are you aware of the origin of that term?”

  “Not sure.” Sam looked at her suspiciously. “I do know that one has Biblical reference as well.”

  Achava’s smile never faded. “You know it as a term to describe someone who doubts any experience that they themselves, did not witness. John 20: 24-29 says, ‘Now Thomas, one of the twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘we have seen the Lord!’ But he said to them, ‘unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were and put my finger in His side, I will not believe.’ A week later His disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ The He said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here. See my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’ Thomas said to him, ‘my Lord and God!’ Then Jesus told him, ‘because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those that have not seen and yet believed.’ Thomas doubted, because he did not have the experience that the other disciples had in knowing Jesus personally. This was immediately after Jesus’ resurrection from His crucifixion. He came back to the disciples. Think about the last thing Jesus said in this scripture. ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those that have not seen and yet believed.’”

  Sam stood up and she stood beside him. His mouth and his eyes were wide open. He had never heard anyone describe those particular parts of the Bible with such passion or in such an easily understood lesson before. “You are an amazing storyteller.”

  He remembered way back when he was the prize pupil of Professor Salinger. They had talked about religion at great length. There was always a debate about their differing beliefs, but Sam never dismissed the possibility of a higher power. Now Achava talked about God like He was a friend. Sam trusted her. It might have been the fact that Sam had feelings for Achava, or it could be her intelligence. Her words made a lot of sense. The way she answered his questions made him feel special. He absorbed everything she said. He guessed that was why she was still his favorite partner. “Sam, remember when we saw Gideon’s Fleece in the Bedouin camp?” she asked.

  “Yes. Someone had used it to wrap the golden ephod that Gideon owned.” Sam frowned. “That ephod was worth millions. Why did he own such an expensive plaque?”

  “It was a reward from the men of Israel. They wanted to honor him. So he asked for them to donate the gold taken as war spoils. The ephod was made from the golden earrings, ornaments, and pendants that the soldiers had collected in battle, after they won the war against Midian.” Achava smiled. “It reminded the people that God won the war for them.”

  “Tell me about Midian. Where are those people now?” asked Sam.

  “They intermarried with Arabs.”

  “Maybe they are Bedouins now.”

  “Who knows. If so, it is good that they have Gideon’s fleece and ephod. Maybe they are the rightful owner.”

  “Maybe.”

  He must have been looking at her with a deeper feeling than just a thank you smile, because she looked deep into his eyes. She must have seen his appreciation of her taking the time to be with him and explain a few things to him. “Why now?” he asked.

  “Why am I telling you about our Lord now? Is that what you are asking?”

  “Yes. I’ve known you quite a while.”

  “It just seemed like the right time.” She took his hands in hers. “There is never a bad time, Sam. I only regret that we have not had this discussion before now.”

  “It does seem serious.” He squeezed her hand and started walking away from the others.

  She fell in step with him. “Are there any other questions that you may have before we continue?”

  He looked at her, narrowing his eyes. He needed to make sure she wasn’t just humoring him, wondering if she was trying to sound like his third grade teacher, Mrs. Arbogast. “I’m good for now,” he replied, feeling relieved.

  After getting out of earshot of the others, he stopped and clasped both her hands. He looked deep into her eyes, and saw an honest woman. She was not a phony. “But if I have any more questions…” He shrugged his shoulders.

  “You can ask me any time,” she interrupted.

  “How about I ask for a kiss?” She wrapped her arms around his neck. He placed his hands on her waist and pulled her close. Their moist lips touched.

  Sam was never more ready to dive into anything head first, as he was the search for the Crown of Christ. “Good! Let’s get this expedition started!”

  “Remember, legend has it that the map is not on Gideon’s fleece. Supposedly, this sheepskin came from a lamb owned by Jesus when he was a little boy.”

  Sam turned and faced her one more time. “I understand. This little group does not know that you found Gideon’s fleece in the Bedouins’ camp.”

  “Correct. And it must remain a secret between you and me.” She placed her hands on each side of his face. “This is more than an expedition, Sam. Jesus gave up His crown of gold in heaven to come to earth to wear the crown of thorns. He did it for us.”

  She gently pressed a kiss on his lips. “I do love you.” Sam heaved a big sigh, and clasped Achava’s hand. The two walked back to the others swinging their arms.

  “We are ready to search for that crown of thorns. How about all of you?” she said to the group. “I can’t stress to everyone the importance of us not being seen in the clothes we are wearing. We also are forbidden to change anything. Talk to no one. We have one goal and that is to get to the Crown of Christ.”

  “How are we supposed to get close to it if we can’t talk to anyone?” Anthea huffed.

  “God will guide us to the answer,” Achava responded, as she glared at Anthea. “We all need to be acting as one. We must never stray from one another.”

  Sam watched as Anthea’s eyes widened. With the new telepathic bond between the two ladies, Sam knew that the evil sister tried to unsuccessfully Soul Merge.

  Sam looked at Achava and saw that she knew what Anthea was up to as well. The extra abilities of those two ladies were useless in times like these. Just like her deceit in the underground caverns of Petra, Anthea would try to make a play for the crown once they got closer to it. Sam would keep a close eye on Anthea, Khassima, and the Antiquarian.

  “Since everyone was on the same page and ready to go,” said Achava, “I am confident that we will seek out the crown and find it. We need Sam more than ever before.”

  Chapter the Tenth

  ACHAVA KNEW THAT SHE HAD TO WATCH HER WICKED SIBLING more than the others, because she had an evil father. Achava knew God had placed everyone he wanted in that timeline. Even Aharon had his purpose. Although, what it was baffled her.

  She let Khassima guide them, as she seemed somehow in tune with areas that she had not visited for centuries. Achava attributed it to the fact that Khassima was back in her own time when she was born. That was God’s purpose for her. In the end, He would direct them all to the crown.

  Khassima led them all to what appeared to be a former stone quarry. Sam handed out bottled water that he was smart enough to bring along. Achava reminded them not to throw the bottles on the ground when they were done. That’s all they needed was someone from that time to find the plastic bottles.

  The large pit in which the stone quarry resided, was several hundred yards wide and about ten feet deep. The group marveled at how people with no modern tools could carve out such a beautiful, yet crude memorial for their loved ones.

  There were s
everal stones scattered about the floor of the pit of various sizes. Some were natural and others were obviously meticulously chiseled into blocks or wheels. There were makeshift chisels and hammers for the time period. Achava had to gaze on them a few moments before she recognized what they were.

  ***

  All of the visitors from another time period found it hard to accept where they were. Except for one: Khassima. She pulled Achava to one side and said, “I need to talk to you.”

  Once they were seated on a large boulder, Khassima told Achava that she relished in the fact that she was back to where her life had started, but she felt bad. The pain was that she was back to where she committed her atrocity at the advice of her mother. “Ask for the head of John the Baptist,” her mother had told her. She was even unsure why she received the suggestion, but she said that she trusted her mother at that time. “I need to right the wrong.”

  Achava said, “If you are allowed to fix things like that, you would accomplish the greatest blasphemy in all of the world’s history. You would be rewriting the Bible.”

  “I’ve made certain never to do that again,” she said. “Here I am, the ultimate paradox. Centuries ago, back in the time when I was vulnerable and at the age of making a mistake, I was asked to sin by my own mother.”

  “I know.” Achava knew that she called it a mistake so she wouldn’t have to realize the gravity of what she had done. “Jesus died for your sin as well as mine,” said Achava.

  Khassima kept talking. She had lived through others’ mistakes as well. She told about Mussolini, Lenin, and Hitler. They all made mistakes—big mistakes. “Here I am in a position to correct my past. And you, Achava, have to go and make sense as to why I shouldn’t.”

  Achava looked at Khassima and read her mind. It was filled with confusion as she tried to make sense of why she was even there with the others. Over the many years of her existence, she knew of God’s power and saw His mercy and glory. She now faced her greatest temptation being back in the Lord’s time. “Let me help you,” said Achava.

  Khassima said, “I can feel myself being pulled to where John the Baptist was being held. I can feel my younger counterpart, going through the motions without a clue in her head. When I close my eyes, I can actually see my younger self being used by the queen.”

  Achava said, “Something that you can add to your list of misfortunes.”

  “As I glanced around at the others on this mission, I know that no one else can relate to my anguish. It is hard enough to be alive as long as I have been, but to suffer the torture of that kind of sin against me is impossible to bear.”

  “It was Satanic,” Achava said. “You faced a temptation that rivaled none other. And you failed the Lord.”

  “I know. As much as my gut tells me otherwise, I know, Achava, that you are right. Do you know the meaning of these words: Justice? Karma?”

  “Those are fields that God is in charge of.”

  “What do I do now?”

  “Ask God for His mercy and His grace.”

  The two ladies sat side by side, watching as the others examine some of the openings in the side of the pit, lined with stones. Achava saw there was a four foot squared stone opening that led into each burial chamber. There was a stone track immediately in front where a huge wheel was rolled to seal each tomb. The construction was crude, but still impressive for the time period. There were several tombs along the sides of the pit wall. That’s where her group was exploring. Khassima looked around the old quarry. She stood and kicked rocks out of her way. “I’m confused.”

  “Me too.” Achava kept looking at Khassima. She smiled each time Khassima looked at her, to ensure her that everything was going to be alright. But everything was not alright. Khassima was desperate. She said that she was going to pray aloud. “Let the chips fall where they may.”

  Achava agreed that it was okay. “The Lord loves holy boldness. Plus, there is no sin too hard for God to forgive.”

  Khassima looked skyward and spoke softly. “I know you’re there, my God. You’re always there. We have a history, You and me. Yes? I don’t know why I got this special treatment. It’s a heck of a way to teach a girl a lesson. This immortality thing really sucks. I have to admit that I’ve done some good, but I will never do enough good to get back what was taken from me. I’m no scholar, but even I know that.”

  She sniffed and then continued. “I wasn’t given a chance to exercise faith, because I had to be certain that You exist. Now I’ve seen Your super power. I’m perfect proof of it. Why me though? I’m no good. I’ll never be any good and when I get a chance to do real good, I can’t because it will cause more damage than good. My mind is going crazy with all of this time stuff, you know.”

  Khassima looked again at Achava, sitting on a stone and drinking from her bottled water. She smiled and Achava smiled back. “Feel better?”

  “Not quite.” Khassima smiled again and looked toward heaven. In a low voice, she continued, “I wouldn’t trust me either, Lord. I have a desire to change, Lord. Look at Achava. She has everything going for her, yet she was almost taken out of the race, because of her trust. Her own sister almost killed her! Now that’s Biblical, if you ask me. Yes? I know I’m far enough away from my former self, but now I feel her… rather me. My soul hurts, you know. You brought me here for a reason. I’m supposed to be a part of this expedition. I don’t know why. I wonder what the warrior here thinks about it. Maybe I should talk to her.”

  Achava heard the prayer and now she smiled in her heart. “You are doing good.”

  Khassima said, “Life has been hard.” She started trembling. “I fought off the hardest temptation I ever had when I was tempted to give my body away.”

  “So, you were the one every man wanted. They didn’t care if it was for purely physical reasons. You craved the attention and the knowledge that came with it,” said Achava. “Is that right?”

  “It is right, but I did not give in.”

  “I’m glad you didn’t.” Achava said. “Instead, you gave your heart to Jesus.”

  “Yes, I did. It is so much easier to obey God.” She closed her eyes and sighed.

  “We must always trust him.”

  Chapter the Eleventh

  SAM ADMITTED THAT HE WAS TIRED as night time came and they all prepared to go to sleep. Each had their own cover to wrap in. Sam wrapped his coverlet around his shoulders and went over to sit on a large boulder. Achava walked up. “May I join you?”

  “Of course,” he said, with a light chuckle. “You didn’t bring a blanket.”

  “May I share yours?”

  “Do you think you can trust me?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “You trust me more than I trust myself.” He opened his blanket and she crawled in beside him.

  “I thank you for being by my side, even after I turned down your marriage proposal.” She clasped his hand.

  “You are my first choice for a wife. But it seems that you are called to celibacy. That won’t fit my needs. Someday, I will marry.”

  “You’re a man and you have needs.” Her words choked up in her throat. “I could fulfill all your needs if I was not a servant of the most high God.”

  “Do you have any needs that I could fulfill?”

  “Of course. I am all woman.”

  “I’ve noticed.” He chuckled. “It is hard for me to be near you but not with you, but I understand where you are coming from.”

  “I trust you. That is why I’m in your bedroll with you now.”

  “By the way, have you noticed that you haven’t been protecting Israel lately?”

  “In a way I am.”

  “I am sure you are.” Sam slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. “How are you holding up?” he asked.

  “I’m not as strong as I used to be,” she said. “Thanks to Anthea messing with my aging hormones.”

  “I’ll admit it is harder having her tag along on every expedition, even for me.” Sam was startin
g to become more concerned about the outcome when he noticed how serious everyone else was about finding the crown. He pushed all worry to the back of his mind now, thinking that history would repeat itself and he would be able to go back to Texas and enjoy retirement.

  Achava rested her head on his shoulder. “We both have found our purpose in life. Maybe we both have contributed to our future in our own unique way. Finding the fleece with the map showing how to find the crown of thorns was a big accomplishment.”

  “Also, you found the fleece of Gideon. Maybe that is relevant to your service for Israel,” Sam whispered. “What about how you found that golden ephod and did not tell anybody. You just let the Bedouins keep it.”

  “That was the right thing to do.” She laughed. “Remember all the trouble we went through to put the sword of Peter back where it belonged.”

  “Well, yeah.” He laughed. “Going back even more.”

  She interrupted. “We found the staff of Moses. That was an exciting time.”

  Sam slowly said, “Often with something good comes something sad. My friend and mentor, Ben-tzion, lost his life on that expedition.”

  “Professor Elad Ben-tzion was a brilliant man. That was why I sought him out. I certainly did not want him to die.”

  “I know.” Sam expressed a sad emotion. He paused a moment. “Your mother had the hots for the professor. Remember that?”

  “I know.” Achava’s voice softened. “Mother has never been the same since.”

  “Do you think she loved him?”