Eden (28 page)

“
Time for
what?”

“
The end.”

My eyes popped open. Jared had left
his seat, and I could hear him conversing with Bex and Kim
somewhere in the back of the plane. I rubbed my eyes, and turned to
my right. Samuel sat across from me, his massive frame nearly too
large for the seat.

“
Did you sleep well?” he
asked.

“
I did,
actually.”

He smiled. “I know. I was just being
polite.”

“
Oh. Right.” I maneuvered
my body out of my seat, stretching.

Jared’s eyes met mine, and he stood,
moving to the side.

“
Again?” Bex
teased.

“
Yes, Bex. I’m pregnant.
When you have a full-grown infant doing a handstand on your
bladder, I’ll keep track of how many bathroom breaks you take,
mmk?” I waddled down the aisle, passing Ryan and Claire, who didn’t
seem to notice my presence. I noticed that Ryan’s pinky was
overlapping Claire’s however, and she wasn’t beating him to a
bloody pulp for it. I smiled, and made my way to the
lavatory.

I opened the door and frowned. I felt
like Winnie the Pooh trying to squeeze into the honey tree. I
looked down the aisle, meeting the inquisitive eyes of my husband.
“I always feel I’m going to get stuck in there.”

Jared laughed. “If you do, I’ll get
you out.”

Bex held up a white bottle. “I have
lotion. That should help.”

I rolled my eyes and made my first
attempt to navigate the small space.

Without event—or lotion—I returned to
my seat, but not without the irritating snickering of Kim and
Bex.

“
Shut it,” I grumbled,
glaringly aware that my penguin walk only made their laughter more
boisterous.

. I turned my attention back to Jared.
“I don’t suppose you’ve thought about the little
things.”

“
Such as?”

“
Bathrooms? Sleeping
arrangements? Privacy?”

“
All luxuries that won’t
be readily accessible.”

“
Pardon?” I said, my
eyebrows shooting up two inches. “I’m heavily pregnant, and there’s
no bathroom?”

Jared shifted nervously.
“Yes.”

I sighed with relief, and looked to
the ceiling. “Oh, thank God.”

“
But...not like the
facilities you’re used to.”

I peered over at him.

He shifted again. “It’s more like
a...a...hole. In the ground. But there is running water below so
it’s not as bad as it sounds.”

My face screwed into
disgust. “You expect me to balance this,” I said, pointing to my
belly, “over a
hole
?”

“
You have Claire and Kim
to help.”

I crossed my arms and faced the wall.
“Not funny.”

“
It can’t be
helped.”

I relaxed, and covered my face. “I’m
so sorry. I sound like a brat. It’s just…” Tears burned my eyes.
“It’s not the way you imagine your pregnancy, you know. Not that I
ever really imagined it, but living the last few weeks of my
pregnancy in a moist, dark hole, with medieval accommodations and
the birth,” I said with a faltering breath. “I’m scared to death.
It’s going to be painful, and I trust you, but...not being in a
hospital, or even have a midwife there. I’m afraid I won’t be able
to do it.”

Jared wrapped his arms around me
tight. “It is. But, Claire and I have researched it to death,
talked to every medical professional we know, and brought every
supply we’ll need.”

“
I’m still scared,” I
said. A tear fell down my cheek.

Jared rested his cheek on my hair, and
his fingers pressed into my skin. “I’m going to love you through
it.”

I nodded, and pressed my face into his
chest.

Claire tapped Jared on the shoulder.
“We need to ready the weapons and check the supplies.”

Jared nodded and released me. Everyone
looked to him, and he gestured to everyone. “We have a lot of gear
to hike through the city. The most important packages are weapons,
med supplies, and rations. These will be carried by myself, Claire
and Bex. Ryan, you’ll be extra eyes on the book, but stay close to
Claire.”

Ryan nodded.

Jared continued, “Kim, stay close to
Bex. If any one gets separated, hold your position and we’ll double
back. Under no circumstances is anyone to go off alone. I don’t
care if you’re in a panic, or you see a better way to go.
Fracturing the group puts us all at risk, so we stay together. Got
it?”

Everyone agreed.

The pilot announced the beginning of
our descent. Claire and Bex had already brought the supplies and
weapons packs to the front, and we were prepared to scramble to the
waiting vehicle.

Jared was clearly anxious, but Samuel
didn’t seem fazed.

I nudged my husband. “Samuel said he
would ride with us to the old city. Does that mean things will be
calm until then?”

“
I don’t know. We should
be prepared for anything.”

I nodded, and wiped my sweaty hands on
my pants.

Claire and Ryan both had AK-47s slung
around their shoulders, pistols in the pockets of their cargo
pants, and communication devices in their ears. Claire passed two
more to Bex and Jared, and they spoke quietly to each other,
testing the clarity and to see if they worked correctly.

The more they rushed around to prepare
to land, the more nervous I became.

Claire handed me a vest, and Jared
encouraged me to put it on. I watched Claire hand the same vest to
Kim, Bex, and Ryan, and I realized they were bulletproof. Mine was
surprisingly light.

Jared bent down to ensure my laces
were tied and secure.

“
Really?” I said. “I’m not
a toddler.”

“
I’m just covering all the
bases, sweetheart.”

Kim and Samuel sat back, barely
noticing the activity around them.

“
Ryan,” Claire barked.
“Hand me the fifty-cal. The launcher is in pack two.”

Ryan nodded, and rifled through one of
the larger duffels. He handed her what looked like a heavy
backpack.

As the wheels touched the runway,
Claire and Ryan put on their own dark sunglasses and stood by the
door, assault rifles in hand. I unfastened my seat belt, and Jared
took my hand. Kim and Nina in the middle, Bex bring up the rear.
Claire and Ryan on point.

At the door, Samuel closed his eyes
and whispered something both beautiful and menacing, and then
opened the door. He walked out, and stood, his arms crossed, on one
side of the stairs.

“
It’s quite safe, I assure
you,” he said, his deep voice echoing. The tarmac was empty except
for our waiting Humvee. It was borrowed, light tan, and gauging by
the bullet holes, had already seen action in its
lifetime.

Claire took off her sunglasses and
looked up at Samuel in awe. “It’s going to be like this until we
get to the old city?”

“
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.