“If not, I’ll take care of it, but it would be a waste for them to attack any earlier.”
Claire elbowed him in the stomach, but he didn’t flinch. “You let me get all dressed up for nothing.”
Samuel smiled. “I thought you’d be happy. The Humvee matches your clothes.”
Claire looked down at her olive green tank top and light tan cargo pants, and then feigned irritation. “Not good enough.”
Samuel’s hand swallowed Claire’s small shoulder. “Once you reach Jerusalem, I promise you’ll use your fancy vest more than you’d like.”
Claire and Jared traded glances.
“Sounds like a party,” Ryan said with a grin.
Chapter Eighteen
Sepulchre
Loading the Humvee only took a few minutes, and then we were barreling down the highway, weaving in and out of traffic. Bex drove, Claire sat in the passenger seat, and the rest of us piled in the back. Jared barked directions at Bex, securing packs and loading weapons at the same time. Knowing he was in protector mode until we were all safely tucked under the Sepulchre made me miss him, but I had to let him focus. The more miles Bex put behind us, the more my fear threatened to take over.
Kim scooted closer to me and grabbed my hand.
I looked over at her sheepishly. “Are you scared?”
“I’m about to piss my pants.”
I nodded quickly, glad that I wasn’t the only one not looking forward to a battle.
Ryan was humming along to a song inside his head, tapping his fingers to the beat against his assault rifle.
“You weren’t kidding” I said.
He looked up. “What?”
“About the party.”
He smiled. “What can I say? I miss it.”
Kim laughed once, incredulous. I couldn’t even manage a reaction.
“Oh c’mon,” he said. He gestured to us, “You two get to see me in action for the first time. Who can say they’re friend has gone off to war and then they get to watch them work? No civilians, I guarantee it.”
“It’s going to get bad,” I said.
He shook his head and smiled. “I’m counting on it.”
As usual, Ryan’s casual demeanor made my anger boil just below the surface. “What if something happens to you? Do you know what that means for Claire?”
“This isn’t my first rodeo, kiddo.”
Kim leaned forward. “It’s not your moment to impress her, either. This is serious. Quit screwing around and focus before you get us all killed.”
While Ryan and Kim bickered, I leaned up to look out the window. The scenery didn’t look so different. Retail stores, traffic, and pedestrians. The only thing that seemed foreign was the sun and palm trees. We could have been in California. I settled back against my seat. For reasons I couldn’t explain, the familiar surroundings made me feel better.
The Humvee took a sharp turn, shoving me against Kim.
“Bex?” Jared called.
“They’re shelling, but they’re keeping their distance. I’m just trying not to get boxed in.”
“Patience,” Samuel said.
Jared nodded, and then fastened an extra ammo belt around him. I crawled to the closest mirror, and watch as civilian cars and pickup trucks crowded the sides and behind our Humvee.
Bex swerved to the right, nudging one of the cars off the road. Claire readied her weapon.
“Just wait,” Samuel said. His voice was even, creating a strange calming effect.
I watched him for a moment. “Why can’t you stay with us until the Sepulchre?”
“So that you may rise above your struggle,” he said. “And because that was the agreement. I will keep you safe throughout the flight and trip to Jerusalem. Then you must rise above your struggle. Only then will you appreciate your plight.” He shrugged. “It is the way of the humans. It has always been the way.”
I wasn’t exactly sure where he was getting at, but I didn’t want to question him more. He wasn’t as practiced as Eli at human relations, and I had a feeling that no matter how in depth he explained it, I would only be more confused.
Kim leaned into my ear. “He means he can’t just give us a Get Out Of Jail Free card, because it behooves our character to struggle before success. God is all about being fair and not interfering.”
“And Hell is the opposite,” I groused.
Another swerve threw me into Kim. “I’m glad you’re here.” I said, righting myself.
One side of her mouth turned up. “I’m not.”
“Plan B,” Bex said. “I’m taking the next exit!”
Samuel held up his hand. “Stay the course. Think of them as an escort.”
“Not the good kind.”
As we approached the city, the cars and trucks around us became more uniform, and it was evident that everyone around us had shelled. I peeked out of the window to see the sedan running alongside us. It contained a woman in her mid- to late twenties. An empty car seat was in the back.
I closed my eyes. When Samuel left us, they would attack, and we would have to kill them.
“Jared?”
“Yes?” he said, albeit distracted.
“That woman over there,” I said, nodding in her direction. “She has a baby.”
Jared barely glanced at her. “Yeah?”
“We can’t kill her.”
The woman looked at me, her eyes bulging and black.
Jared drew my attention away from her, gently turning my jaw to face him. “She can’t kill you, either. We’re going to make plenty of tough decisions between now and then. Let’s not dwell on the shells. We can’t.”
I nodded, but Ryan glanced at the woman in the car, and was visibly unsettled.
Jared grabbed the barrel of Ryan’s weapon and jerked it. “Everyone can shell. Everyone is a threat. The demons are
“Got it.”
“Five minutes!” Claire called.
Everyone tensed. Bex flew through traffic, trying to leave the shells building up around us behind, but every time he gained ground, the drivers of the cars ahead shelled. The stores and houses seemed to be almost on top of each other, covering the gentle hills. Many of the buildings — especially the older ones — were made of rectangular rocks and castle-like in shape. Trees peppered the landscape, unlike the vast desert I had expected.
The sun was blindingly bright, glaring off the road and buildings. Kim squeezed my hand when we passed two statues of knights on horses, flying flags and proclaiming victory over the land. It was dizzying to think of how many how many empires had tried to own this land, and how much blood had been shed for a claim to it. We were going to be the numberless battle in that holy city. Not to own it, but survive it.
Jared looked at me. “Stay close. Never leave my side, for any reason. Keep your eyes and ears open.”
I nodded. “I love you.”
He managed a small smile and shook his head. “I love you,” he said, pulling me to him. He planted a quick kiss on my lips, and then the Humvee stopped.
“Damascus Gate less than one klick!” Claire yelled.
Jared looked to Samuel for explanation, but he was gone.
