CHAPTER 4
Christina stared at David. Her mouth dropped open. “Uh, forgive us, sir, but what is his name?” She swallowed hard. “My brother works in Rome, and he and his family have disappeared. We’re trying to find them.” Her voice shook.
David smiled sadly. “I don’t doubt you are.” He paused. “His name is Ryan Whittaker.” He lowered his voice. “He and his family are staying with me. Come with me, and I’ll take you to them.”
Christina beamed. “That is most kind of you. Thank you!”
Richard nodded agreement. Thank You, God!
Suddenly, a gleaming black limousine pulled up to the curb; to Richard’s horror, Elijah Dayan stepped out, dressed in a gray polyester suit. Please, God, Richard silently prayed, don’t let him see us.
Elijah stared hard at David. To Richard’s relief, the man ignored the Dalys. “Weizmann! Come here.”
Slumping his shoulders, David sighed. “Go ahead and check in. I’ll take you to see them later.” He nodded in Elijah’s direction. “Duty calls.”
As the Dalys watched him go, a familiar voice startled them. “I believe you three need a ride?”
Richard whirled; to his joy, Tess stood nearby. “Tess, of all—angels!” Laughing, he embraced her; Christina and Rachel followed suit.
Tess nodded toward her gleaming Cadillac convertible, parked nearby. “I’ll take you to the Weizmann home. Come with me.” She put a hand on Rachel’s shoulder. “Rachel Nicole Daly, I can’t believe how much you’ve grown! Last time I saw you, you were just a child. Now you’re maturing into a lovely young woman!”
Rachel laughed. “Thanks. I’m 15 now.” Tess hugged her. “Daddy’s teaching me to play basketball.” The young girl looked at her father, who chuckled and nodded.
The Dalys picked up their luggage and followed the heavy-set angel toward the red car. The air conditioning felt good on their skins as they admired the scenery whizzing past them. Half an hour later, they stopped in front of a two-story frame house. Ryan rushed out the door, followed by Kristen, joy etched on both faces. For the next few minutes, the two families shared hugs and greetings.
“I prayed that God would make a way to contact you,” Ryan said, a few minutes later, in the living room. “I dared not call you after we escaped from Rome.”
“Puccini was going to kill you?” Richard frowned.
“Yes. Kristen, too.” Ryan sighed. “And he was going to take our children. He knows we’re believers now, so he was determined to eliminate us.” He shook his head. “And if it hadn’t been for David, he might well have succeeded. We’re safe for the moment, but we’ve got to remain in hiding.” He rubbed his hands on his jeans.
“Of course.” Christina smiled, then set her soft leather purse down on the coffee table. “We’re here now, Ryan, and we’ll be here for as long as you need us.”
Ryan put his hands in his pockets. “I’d take you to see the babies, but they’re asleep, now.” Christina and Richard nodded. “By the way, how are the young people you took care of at the orphanage?”
“Last time we saw them, they were fine.” Richard chuckled. “Christina, here, has been quite a mother to the orphaned young people our home church took in. That is, until they had to go into hiding, to escape the new world religion, that is.” He shook his head at the memory, then gazed at his wife with proud eyes. “And she’s a wonderful mother to our Rachel.”
Christina blushed, poking him, yet a pleased gleam appeared in her eyes. “Rachel’s a sweet girl. Always has been.” She hugged her adopted daughter to her side. “And she’s been maturing in her faith by leaps and bounds.”
Rachel giggled. “Aw, Mom!” She looked away from her mother toward the beams of sunlight pouring through the front window. They made a rectangle of light on the carpet.
Laughing, Kristen nodded. “Well, if you three will excuse me, I’ll make you something to eat. You must be hungry.” She paused, sadness and disapproval welling up in her eyes. “Deborah should have been here to do it, but David threw her out.” She left the living room, shaking her head, as the visitors took their seats.
Richard and Christina exchanged frowns. “Threw her out?” Richard asked his brother-in-law.
Ryan grimaced, then sighed. “Yes. I’ll tell you about it while Kristen fixes our meal.” The mattress sagged and creaked as he shifted position on the armchair and leaned forward.
______
“You ready, Miss Wings?”
Tess folded her arms across her chest as she gazed at the angel under her charge. Monica nodded, then glanced at the full moon overhead shedding its soft beams on the city below. “I am. But where are Andrew and Gloria?”
“Right here.” Andrew appeared with Gloria at Tess’s side. “We’d better be on our way.”
“Yes, we had. Let’s go.” Tess pointed in the direction of the Wailing Wall.
The supervisor angel led the way down the mostly-deserted sidewalk, followed by the other three angels. Their shoes clicked on the concrete underneath. Silently, she prayed that God would use the conference to give them the guidance they needed to get through to David. She couldn’t stand the thought of David resisting the truth another day, nor did she want the two Weizmanns to be separated any longer than they just had to be. She could not act, of course, until the Father told her to; until then, all she could do was befriend Deborah and give her a place to stay. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t pray and consult with the others in the meantime.
A minute later, they found themselves at their destination—the Wailing Wall. In the far corner, the two witnesses crouched against the stone lichen-covered wall, heads slumped. Soft snores reached Tess’s keen ears.
“Moses! Elijah!” Tess’s imperious tone rang out across the area. “Wake up!”
The two witnesses leaped to their feet, then approached the angels. “Hello, Tess. We meet again.” Moses inclined his head in greeting. Elijah raised his bony hand.
“Hello.” Andrew smiled.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again.” Gloria beamed. “I’ve been following your work ever since we met less than three-and-a-half years ago.” She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.
Moses nodded. “And we’ve been following yours, Gloria. Tess sometimes tells us about your assignments and Monica’s when she comes here.”
Tess raised her hands. “Well, we’re not here to catch up on old times, but to discuss an assignment the Father has given us.” She wagged her finger as she spoke.
Elijah nodded. “David Weizmann.”
“Yes.” Pursing her lips, Tess put her hands on her hips. She glared at the others, looking from angel to angel, then from Moses to Elijah. A cool night breeze caressed her cheeks and ruffled her hair. Overhead, stars dotted the velvet sky.
“Time is running out,” she added. “God wants you two to help us in this assignment, and you’ve got only a short time to do it. If we don’t do our job, David will be lost eternally. As it is, he’s in danger of losing his sister because he threw her out.” She sighed. “We must pray for guidance. Miss Wings, you lead off—Moses, you pray next! I’ll pray last.”
Monica bowed her head. “Father, there is a man who’s lost, hurting, and he doesn’t even know it.” She swallowed. “He’s blinded by his hatred for Your Son. Please cleanse him of his hate, and open his eyes to Your love. To the truth.” Her voice faltered. Tess squeezed her shoulder.
One by one, Moses, Elijah, then the three remaining angels prayed for David and Deborah. Folding her arms across her chest, Tess prayed last. “Father, get through David’s thick skull before it’s too late.” Irritation tinged her voice, the same irritation that had been building up in her since she’d taken Deborah in.
“Amen,” Elijah added.
Everyone raised their heads. “We will do all we can,” Moses said. “We must still preach to the people, though, until our time comes.”
“I know.” Tess patted his arm. “And you just keep doing so until that day comes. But the Father wants you to help us with our assignment as well.”
Andrew nodded, then looked from Moses to Elijah. “Adam and I will escort you Home, when that day comes. You will not be alone.” He put his hands in his pockets as he spoke.
“No.” Elijah exchanged glances with his colleague. “The Father is with us, as He has been from the beginning.”
Tess nodded agreement. “And now, we angels must leave. It will soon be midnight, and you’re about to have visitors. But we will be back.” She and the other angels disappeared.
END OF CHAPTER 4