CHAPTER 11
The hum of the truck’s engine created a steady monotone in General Agnon’s ears as he sped toward the prison camp. The cool breeze from the air conditioner felt good on his face. Tess sat in the passenger seat of the army truck with him; Gloria sat in the back.
“Please, Jehovah!” he prayed. “Get us there on time.” He tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
“He will, general.” Tess patted his knee. “He will.” She glanced out the window at the cloudless sky overhead.
A moment later, the prison camp appeared on the horizon. As he approached its barbed-wire fence, two soldiers darted out a narrow side door of the one-story building. “Is that—?” His voice broke.
“Yes. That’s your son and Rafael.” Tess leaned forward.
To Amos’ horror, several Arab and Iranian soldiers rushed from around the corner and aimed rifles at the fleeing prisoners. “No!” the general shouted. “Please, Jehovah—get me to my son in time!” he begged. “Please don’t let my son die!”
He slammed on the accelerator; the truck lurched forward. The mattress sagged beneath him as he leaned toward the windshield. He fought to keep his panic under control. What if his son and Rafael couldn’t reach him in time? Well, Rafael couldn’t get hurt, since he was an angel, but Theodor was another matter! What if the angry guards shot him?
At that moment, several figures bathed in Heavenly light appeared in a circle surrounding Theodor and Rafael. “Please, God,” the general whispered. “Please, God—please!”
The two soldiers rushed out the open gate and toward the army truck; General Agnon slammed on the brakes. An explosion of muffled gunfire reached the general’s ears; to his relief, no bullets struck his son or the angel. Gloria swung open the back doors.
A few seconds later, Amos heard Theodor and Rafael climbing into the back of the truck; the doors slammed shut. The gunfire continued.
“Go!” Tess ordered. “God has your back covered so the bullets can’t damage your truck.”
Amos obeyed. Within seconds, the prison camp had disappeared from view; the sound of gunfire faded. An hour later, the truck pulled to a stop in front of the bunker.
As Gloria and the two erstwhile P.O.W.s climbed out of the back of the truck, Amos hopped out of the driver’s seat and darted toward his son. “Thank Jehovah you’re safe!” he muttered, clasping Theodor to his chest.
Theodor smiled, salty tears wetting his face. “Yes, I am. Thanks to Jehovah sending his angels in our time of need.”
Tess stepped toward them and laid a hand on General Agnon’s arm. “Speaking of which, general, we have much to talk about, so let’s go to your office. You need to listen to what your son has to say.”
Amos nodded. “I owe you an apology,” he told his son, as they entered the bunker. “I failed to take the necessary precautions that would have kept you and Rafael safe from capture, and then I ran off and left you to your fate. I am so sorry.”
Theodor put an arm around his father’s shoulder. “I’ve forgiven you, Papá.” The two led the way toward Amos’ office, their boots thumping on the stone floor.
Theodor could only hope that his father was, at long last, ready to listen. He intended to share with the general what God had revealed to him three-and-a-half years before, immediately after the Rapture. Amos flipped on the light switch; the usual harsh glare immediately bathed the whole room in its light.
Monica and Andrew joined them in the office. Tess scanned the assembled angels now standing in a half-circle in front of Amos and his son. “General, you know that Rafael, here, is an angel, and so am I.” Rafael acknowledged the supervisor angel’s statement with a nod. “What you don’t know is that Monica, Andrew, and Gloria are also angels.”
Amos’s jaw dropped open. “God sent us five angels?!”
Andrew chuckled. “Yes, Amos, He did. He also sent another angel you haven’t met to act as our spy, so we could deliver the intelligence you needed. He knew you and Theodor would need us, so He sent us to help you. Not only in rescuing your son, Theodor, but in bringing you to a knowledge of the truth.”
The general frowned. “Truth?” He squared his shoulders, as he fixed his eyes on Andrew. The usual stern expression returned to his face.
“Yes.” Stepping forward, Tess wagged her finger, an equally severe expression etched on her own ebony face. “I told you, earlier, that God had a message for you, and that you would hear the rest of it later, after your son was rescued. I believe you’re ready to hear it now.” She paused to gauge his expression; a bewildered look now furrowed his eyebrows. “Your son is going to deliver it, and I want you to listen to him.” Her voice softened. “Your soul depends on it, Amos Agnon.”
END OF CHAPTER 11