would be Hanukkah. The night would pass in an instant and the festivities of the next eight days would begin-only this night David felt the exact opposite. He knew that as soon as he fell asleep, morning would arrive too soon and they would be facing dangers unknown to other men of this time period.
David’s theory proved to be correct. As soon as his eyes closed and his body relaxed, it was morning. Everyone was up with the sun and only ten minutes later, Lazarus was out the door and headed for Jerusalem. Mary and Martha left with Lazarus, encouraged by David to do so. This might be their last chance to see Jesus alive, and he didn’t want them around if Roberts showed up.
Tom watched as Mary walked toward Bethany with her siblings. He felt a terrible sadness. He had said a simple goodbye to a disappointed Mary before she left the house. Only now did Tom realize this moment might be the last time he saw her. Tom looked at David, who was already nodding to Tom’s unsaid question.
The house shrank behind Tom as he tore down the dirt road and grabbed Mary by the shoulders. “Mary, wait.”
Lazarus and Martha stopped walking and turned back to see what the delay was. Their impatience was visible, but they didn’t say a word.
“A lot is happening,” Tom said, as he looked Mary in the eyes. “I don’t know what the outcome will be. I don’t know what’s going to happen to me, where I’ll go, what I’ll do, but I wanted you to know… I just…”
“I already know,” Mary replied.
Then Mary closed her eyes, waiting. Tom didn’t let her down again. He grasped Mary in his arms and kissed her, lingering for a moment to absorb the soft curves of her lips as they spread into a smile. Tom moved back after their lips had separated and became suddenly serious. “If I must leave…will you come with me?”
“Where will you go?”
“I cannot tell you that. Will you go with me?”
“Yes.”
Tom’s shoulder fell as he relaxed. This day might turn out all right.
“Time to go, Mary. Time is short.” Lazarus said with a strong voice, as he and Martha began walking again.
“I’ll see you soon… I promise,” Tom said.
Mary nodded and after a quick kiss on the lips, ran to catch up with her brother and sister.
The sound of David’s feet on the earth announced his approach. David stood next to Tom, watching the three leave. Tom looked at David, his face taut, “Nothing bad happens to her, right?” Tom asked.
“Mary’s fate isn’t recorded in the Bible,” David replied.
“That’s not very comforting.”
“Well, I’m sure it would have been had something bad happened to her,” David reassured.
“And what about Jesus? When does he die?”
“Tomorrow.”
Tom was surprised. “That fast?”
David nodded sadly.
“There’s got to be something we can do to get rid of Roberts until-”
Tom became rigid as his mind wrapped itself around their dilemma. It was always Tom’s belief that the world was composed of a series of problems. Science was the method humans had invented to find the solutions to these challenges. Being one of the world’s most brilliant scientists, Tom believed that there was a solution to every conundrum, and that he could find it if only given the time. And this problem took no time at all.
“We’ve been living here for years. We blend in. We’re natives. Jews. We belong here and he doesn’t,” Tom said.
“What are you thinking?”
“Captain Roberts is about to get a rude cultural awakening. But first we need to get his attention.”
Tom began walking higher up the hill.
“Tom, wait. What are you planning to do? He’s got a gun and we’re unarmed! He’s a trained killer and we’re-”
“In the best shape we’ve ever been in.”
“What’s that got to do with anything?”
“We’re going for a little jog. Think TED can keep up with a couple of old men?”
“I think he might be able to pass us,” David said nervously.
“Don’t worry so much. God’s on our side, right?”
David smiled. He knew Tom was being sarcastic, but he also knew Tom was really enjoying this. He had come up with some masterful plan to beat brawn with brains and wanted David to see it all unfold in dramatic fashion, rather than just detail the whole plan.
“Fine, but keep in mind: my fate isn’t recorded in the Bible either.”
“Don’t worry, David, I’m sure if you died they would have mentioned you,” replied Tom with a grin.
David smiled and let his muscles loosen a bit. “How are we going to let Roberts know where we are?”
After walking fifty feet toward the Mount of Olives, which was just to the north, Tom cupped his hands and yelled at the top of his lungs, in English, “Hey Roberts! We’re over here!”
Tom continued yelling, hoping this wouldn’t take too long. He knew all the screaming in English might attract more than just Captain Rob“ARGH!” Tom yelled while cupping his arm. He fell to his knee and lifted his hand. It was covered in blood from a tear in his skin. “He’s here,” Tom said. “Go! Run!”
“But you’ve been shot!” protested David.
“It’s only a scratch and we don’t have time to play nurse! Now move it, old man!”
“Old man? You just try and keep up!”
Tom and David sprinted down the hill toward Bethany.
“Where are we going?” David asked as they ran. “Bethany’s too small; we’ll never lose him there!”
“We’re not going to Bethany.” Tom replied.
“Where then?”
“Jerusalem!”
David’s eyes widened. “Jerusalem? That’s three miles away!”
David looked over his shoulder. Roberts was still there, gaining on them slowly but surely. In front of him, David could see the walls of Jerusalem appearing over the hill. They were almost there. If there was more space between them, losing Roberts in the lower city would be no problem, but David knew that wasn’t part of Tom’s plan.
In fact, Tom had requested that they slow down a few times to let Roberts grow closer. They were in better shape then they expected. The three miles to Jerusalem passed quickly and they were able to carry on a conversation the entire way. At one point David even forgot they were being chased. Roberts was only fifty yards behind them, the distance an Olympic sprinter can cover in five seconds, the same distance a bullet could cover in under a second.
“We have to slow down again,” said Tom.
“Are you crazy? He’ll shoot us!”
“Once we get in the city he won’t want to make a scene. He’ll want to catch us someplace private,” Tom explained. “And we need him to see where we’re going.”
“I’m putting my faith in you,” David said, as he slowed his pace.
With a jerk of the neck, Tom looked at David. He didn’t like the way that sounded, but hadn’t the time to make a comment. Roberts had quickly closed to within twenty-five yards. Close enough.
Tom and David entered through the front gates of Jerusalem and merged into the congested streets, which were alive and loud today with the news of Jesus’s trial. Tom and David overheard statements of Jesus’s guilt, arguments of his fate and threats to his life. They ignored everything and continued toward the upper city, toward the temple.
They reached the upper city quickly. David wracked his mind to try to decipher Tom’s plan, but to no avail. They entered the temple with Roberts only fifty feet back, well within shooting range. But the number of people
