Act 3: And at midnight......
Amanda was momentarily speechless as Christina grabbed her arm and
pulled her further inside the little cafe. Several patrons looked
up from their warm cups and conversations and watched the two women
contend quietly with each other. The place was filled with many residents
relaxing before the last minute rush to prepare for tomorrow's Seder meal.
Amanda resisted as Christina led her toward the back of the room to a
table surrounded by some greenery. She leaned to go back toward the front
door and cried out "Christina! Let go! I was just on my way to find Lee!"
Christina gave Amanda a stern but compassionate warning, "No. You will stay
here. Amanda, I saw those Hezbollah extremists grab Lee and carry him off."
Aaron Bergman popped his head over the plants hiding him from their view and
nearly caused both women to stumble.
Amanda caught her breath as Christina leaned in closer and whispered,
"Let's find a better place to talk."
Amanda nodded in agreement when a kind male voice said, "You ladies
are welcome to come over to my place." Aaron smiled. He would do pretty
much anything to protect his homeland and anyone else against terrorists.
Especially Hamas or Hezbolah extremists.
As both women stared in wonder Aaron continued, "You're American, right?"
Christina shot a look at Amanda before saying, "Thank you but no sir." As
she once again grabbed Amanda's arm and propelled her toward the front door,
she explained, "We were just on our way..."
Before Christina could say "out", two frightening men rushed into the cafe.
They appeared to be on a womanhunt. Christina swallowed hard, she recognized
them as the ones who had assisted the terrorists in grabbing Lee.
"Amanda! We must get out of here!" Christina whispered. In a panic, she
looked around the room but saw no means of escape. Aaron quickly grabbed
both ladies by the hand and pulled them toward the restrooms. There was a
small hallway past the men's room which led to a backdoor. Once outside,
they began running down the back alley.
Breathless, Aaron pleaded, "Please, please come stay with my family! Everyone
is coming over for the Seder meal tomorrow! I will tell everyone that you
are my long lost American cousins..."
Christina blurted out "But I'm Russian!"
***
The barrel of a gun. That's the sight that greeted Lee Stetson when he
came to. Despite the wake up call, Lee slowly reached up and felt his nose.
Broken? No, but man was it bruised!
"Look, pal..." Lee's throaty voice scratched out.
"Shut up! You will listen to me!" shouted the young gunman. "Lay down!
On your face!"
Lee glanced down and noticed his revolver was gone. There was no use in
arguing so Lee laid down on his stomach. He watched as another pair of dusty
boots walked by his face.
"Hamad!" 'Dusty boots' said, "This man is no threat anymore. Kill him!"
Lee watched as 'Dusty boots' strode away and was about to spring up to his
feet and fight off the gunman when he heard the click of a trigger.
And another click. And another.
Nothing. Nada. Nyet. Nien. No bullet. No smoke.
Lee stood up, staring at the shocked young man. The petrified extremist
dropped his gun and stared open-mouthed at the American. As he scampered
away, Lee slowly reached over for the gun. The bullets were still in it.
Lee's heart skipped a beat and he looked up toward heaven. Before he could
get out a 'thank you', he was knocked out by a blow from behind.
***
"Ahhhh, my good friend....." Mosama mumured in Harry's ear. "Are you ready
to tell us where the vault is?"
Blindfolded and bound, Harry shivered as the brute's chilling breath hit the
back of his neck.
"Look, it's been over 50 years! I'm gonna need a map! I can't remem..."
THWAP!
The slap snapped Harry's head back. He didn't know how much longer he could
take this. 'Christina, find me!' he prayed silently to himself.
Mosama noted the old man was breaking down, wasn't as saucy as before, or as
resistant. 'Good!' he thought, 'It won't be long till we have what we want.'
***
Cold. Darkness. Lee attempted to feel for his surroundings but his hands and
feet were bound. He had quite a headache. He had been beaten. Tortured
really. Conventional attempts by his attackers to kill him had been miraculously
thwarted but Lee was exhausted. They had punched him, kicked him. What
hadn't they done? The extremists simply wanted him out of the way but God
had other plans.
Lee leaned up on his elbow. Every muscle hurt. "This is worse than football"
he moaned. His attention was captivated by brilliant stars shining in the
high window over his head. 'Must be late in the evening. I wonder how Amanda
is...'
Lee rolled over and positioned himself to lean up against the cold walls of
his cell. Solid. The walls were definitely solid. No way to lockpick his
way out of this baby! Lee struggled to rise to his feet but his legs
wouldn't hold him.
As he fell back down, his eyes moistened. 'I hope they didn't get Amanda.
She's probably scared to..' Lee couldn't even finish that thought.
"No, gotta look on the bright side." he said aloud.
The gunman standing guard outside Lee's cell door turned around and shot a
look through the barred window and he yelled, "SHUT UP!"
Lee curled his lip but held his tongue. (God must be doing a new work in him!).
He turned his face again toward the night sky. 'I wonder where Harry is.'
Lee hadn't seen his mentor yet.
***
Amanda stared out into the night sky. Aaron Bergman and his family were
very generous hosts. She looked at the soft bed and fluffy pillows and
wondered, 'Is Lee even alive?' She could hear Christina getting ready for
bed in the bathroom next to her room. 'And what about Harry?'
Suddenly, Amanda felt what seemed like birthpangs. "What in the world?"
She had the strongest urge to pray. Amanda fell to her knees and grabbed
the compact Bible she had had in her purse. Lee had given her the new
Bible along with her lovely diamond cross pendant after God's supernatural
intervention several weeks ago.
"Oh!" Amanda grimaced as she leaned over. She had no idea what was going
on but she knew she needed to pray. She wasn't sure where to start so she
whispered, "God, show me...please..."
Immediately she opened her Bible and a verse jumped out. Proverbs 18:10.
She started to read..."The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous
run into it and they are safe..."
***
Safe. Lee smiled. He actually felt safe. He knew he was secure in God. He
looked out the high window again. From the position of the almost full moon,
Lee guessed it was about midnight.
Lee's smile widened as he thought about a message he had heard on the radio.
Something about Paul and Silas being unjustly imprisoned and beaten and that
'at around midnight' they sang praises to God.
Lee shook his head and chuckled. Never in a million years could you have
convinced him that he would believe in God. The one true God. Lee cleared
his throat and started to softly sing.........
tbc
Amanda was momentarily speechless as Christina grabbed her arm and
pulled her further inside the little cafe. Several patrons looked
up from their warm cups and conversations and watched the two women
contend quietly with each other. The place was filled with many residents
relaxing before the last minute rush to prepare for tomorrow's Seder meal.
Amanda resisted as Christina led her toward the back of the room to a
table surrounded by some greenery. She leaned to go back toward the front
door and cried out "Christina! Let go! I was just on my way to find Lee!"
Christina gave Amanda a stern but compassionate warning, "No. You will stay
here. Amanda, I saw those Hezbollah extremists grab Lee and carry him off."
Aaron Bergman popped his head over the plants hiding him from their view and
nearly caused both women to stumble.
Amanda caught her breath as Christina leaned in closer and whispered,
"Let's find a better place to talk."
Amanda nodded in agreement when a kind male voice said, "You ladies
are welcome to come over to my place." Aaron smiled. He would do pretty
much anything to protect his homeland and anyone else against terrorists.
Especially Hamas or Hezbolah extremists.
As both women stared in wonder Aaron continued, "You're American, right?"
Christina shot a look at Amanda before saying, "Thank you but no sir." As
she once again grabbed Amanda's arm and propelled her toward the front door,
she explained, "We were just on our way..."
Before Christina could say "out", two frightening men rushed into the cafe.
They appeared to be on a womanhunt. Christina swallowed hard, she recognized
them as the ones who had assisted the terrorists in grabbing Lee.
"Amanda! We must get out of here!" Christina whispered. In a panic, she
looked around the room but saw no means of escape. Aaron quickly grabbed
both ladies by the hand and pulled them toward the restrooms. There was a
small hallway past the men's room which led to a backdoor. Once outside,
they began running down the back alley.
Breathless, Aaron pleaded, "Please, please come stay with my family! Everyone
is coming over for the Seder meal tomorrow! I will tell everyone that you
are my long lost American cousins..."
Christina blurted out "But I'm Russian!"
***
The barrel of a gun. That's the sight that greeted Lee Stetson when he
came to. Despite the wake up call, Lee slowly reached up and felt his nose.
Broken? No, but man was it bruised!
"Look, pal..." Lee's throaty voice scratched out.
"Shut up! You will listen to me!" shouted the young gunman. "Lay down!
On your face!"
Lee glanced down and noticed his revolver was gone. There was no use in
arguing so Lee laid down on his stomach. He watched as another pair of dusty
boots walked by his face.
"Hamad!" 'Dusty boots' said, "This man is no threat anymore. Kill him!"
Lee watched as 'Dusty boots' strode away and was about to spring up to his
feet and fight off the gunman when he heard the click of a trigger.
And another click. And another.
Nothing. Nada. Nyet. Nien. No bullet. No smoke.
Lee stood up, staring at the shocked young man. The petrified extremist
dropped his gun and stared open-mouthed at the American. As he scampered
away, Lee slowly reached over for the gun. The bullets were still in it.
Lee's heart skipped a beat and he looked up toward heaven. Before he could
get out a 'thank you', he was knocked out by a blow from behind.
***
"Ahhhh, my good friend....." Mosama mumured in Harry's ear. "Are you ready
to tell us where the vault is?"
Blindfolded and bound, Harry shivered as the brute's chilling breath hit the
back of his neck.
"Look, it's been over 50 years! I'm gonna need a map! I can't remem..."
THWAP!
The slap snapped Harry's head back. He didn't know how much longer he could
take this. 'Christina, find me!' he prayed silently to himself.
Mosama noted the old man was breaking down, wasn't as saucy as before, or as
resistant. 'Good!' he thought, 'It won't be long till we have what we want.'
***
Cold. Darkness. Lee attempted to feel for his surroundings but his hands and
feet were bound. He had quite a headache. He had been beaten. Tortured
really. Conventional attempts by his attackers to kill him had been miraculously
thwarted but Lee was exhausted. They had punched him, kicked him. What
hadn't they done? The extremists simply wanted him out of the way but God
had other plans.
Lee leaned up on his elbow. Every muscle hurt. "This is worse than football"
he moaned. His attention was captivated by brilliant stars shining in the
high window over his head. 'Must be late in the evening. I wonder how Amanda
is...'
Lee rolled over and positioned himself to lean up against the cold walls of
his cell. Solid. The walls were definitely solid. No way to lockpick his
way out of this baby! Lee struggled to rise to his feet but his legs
wouldn't hold him.
As he fell back down, his eyes moistened. 'I hope they didn't get Amanda.
She's probably scared to..' Lee couldn't even finish that thought.
"No, gotta look on the bright side." he said aloud.
The gunman standing guard outside Lee's cell door turned around and shot a
look through the barred window and he yelled, "SHUT UP!"
Lee curled his lip but held his tongue. (God must be doing a new work in him!).
He turned his face again toward the night sky. 'I wonder where Harry is.'
Lee hadn't seen his mentor yet.
***
Amanda stared out into the night sky. Aaron Bergman and his family were
very generous hosts. She looked at the soft bed and fluffy pillows and
wondered, 'Is Lee even alive?' She could hear Christina getting ready for
bed in the bathroom next to her room. 'And what about Harry?'
Suddenly, Amanda felt what seemed like birthpangs. "What in the world?"
She had the strongest urge to pray. Amanda fell to her knees and grabbed
the compact Bible she had had in her purse. Lee had given her the new
Bible along with her lovely diamond cross pendant after God's supernatural
intervention several weeks ago.
"Oh!" Amanda grimaced as she leaned over. She had no idea what was going
on but she knew she needed to pray. She wasn't sure where to start so she
whispered, "God, show me...please..."
Immediately she opened her Bible and a verse jumped out. Proverbs 18:10.
She started to read..."The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous
run into it and they are safe..."
***
Safe. Lee smiled. He actually felt safe. He knew he was secure in God. He
looked out the high window again. From the position of the almost full moon,
Lee guessed it was about midnight.
Lee's smile widened as he thought about a message he had heard on the radio.
Something about Paul and Silas being unjustly imprisoned and beaten and that
'at around midnight' they sang praises to God.
Lee shook his head and chuckled. Never in a million years could you have
convinced him that he would believe in God. The one true God. Lee cleared
his throat and started to softly sing.........
tbc