Devil's Island (45 page)

Marcellus nodded. “Thank you,” he said. “I'd like that. I'm already packed and ready to go.”

John linked one arm through Rebecca's and the other through Jacob's, then said, “Let's go home.”

Home
, Rebecca thought. She was going home, after all.

They went inside the cave and quickly retrieved the remaining copy of John's letter and the stool. John loved the rickety old folding chair and thought it would make a great souvenir.

Marcellus tore an old tunic and fashioned it into a sling that would keep Victor cradled against Rebecca's chest as they traveled down the mountain.

As they started to walk out of the cave, Jacob stopped and took a final look around.

“Those two rats—” he said to John. “The ones you named Damian and Domitian. Did you ever manage to kill them?”

“No,” John said. A weary but triumphant smile split the old Apostle's craggy face. “But by the power of God, we overcame them. And in the end, that's the only thing that matters.”

NOW AVAILABLE
Book Two in The Apocalypse Diaries

AVENGER OF BLOOD

The crowning of a new emperor in Rome means reprieve for John the Apostle and his young friends, Jacob and Rebecca. But when they return to Ephesus from their exile on Devil's Island, Jacob and Rebecca realize that the life they left behind has been shattered.

Both of their parents are dead. Their brother, Peter, has kept the shipping empire intact, but their older sister, Naomi, not only betrayed their father, she is now trying to seize control of his entire estate.

While Rebecca's fiancé, crushed by her return home with an illegitimate child, is keeping his distance, she attracts the attention of a young lawyer, an unbeliever drawn deeper into the family circle when Naomi's greed takes a vicious turn. Eventually Rebecca must choose between reconciliation with her childhood sweetheart, marriage outside the faith, or life of unmarried service to the church.

Jacob, consumed with bitterness because of the persecution of his family, is determined to bring an end to their suffering once and for all—by killing the man who has tormented them. Jacob's quest for revenge takes him far from Ephesus—and far from the purpose to which he once believed God had called him.

Avenger of Blood
is the compelling story of a first-century Christian family whose lives have been torn apart by greed, betrayal, and revenge. Their triumphant story is a testament to the redeeming power of faith and love.

$19.99
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Hardcover, 352 pages
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0-7852-6789-1

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DR. JOHN HAGEE, author of the bestsellers
The Battle for Jerusalem,
From Daniel to Doomsday, Beginning of the End, His Glory Revealed,
and
Final Dawn Over Jerusalem,
is the founder and pastor of the 17,000-member Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas. He is also the president of Global Evangelism Television, which broadcasts his daily and weekly television and radio programs throughout the U.S. and around the world. He and his wife, Diana, have five children and one grandchild.