Chapter Seven: Catacomb Rescue Part 1: Stephan Strange
It was a starry night in Bayville with a full moon. While it was a beautiful night for most, for Charles, Moira, Scott, Jean, Kurt, and Alex, this meant only one thing: Nur's soldiers could spot them very easily. They had to be extra careful, and every time a soldier began to come, they would hide behind a building.
"Moira, vhy are we being so careful tonight?" Kurt asked.
"Because tonight's meeting is especially dangerous, Kurt." Moira explained. "Charles' friend Stephen Strange will be there, and Nur would love to capture him because he's told so many people the stories of Jesus."
"I think it's safe now." Charles whispered before he was proven wrong when Remy and Essex were questioning a young man.
"You there!" Remy said to the man. "We're looking for a man named Stephen Strange, a Christian. Do you know him?"
"No I don't." The man said simply.
"Alright." Remy said plainly when Essex shoved him aside.
"You call that an interrogation, Remy?" Essex scoffed. "I'll show you."
Imperiex easily lifted the man up and held him close.
"Do you know a Christian named Stephen Strange?" Imperiex asked.
"No, I swear!" The man said, easily frightened by Imperiex's visage.
"You don't only know him, you are Strange, aren't you?" Imperiex said as he pulled out a whip and started lashing the man. "I say you're Strange! You're Stephen Strange the Story Keeper!"
"Yes!" The man said, scared out of his wits. "Yes, anything you say!"
"Liar." Essex said with a smirk as he tossed the man into a troth of water.
"That my friend is how it's done." Essex told Remy smugly.
"Why do they have to be so cruel?" Jean asked.
"They beat my father like that." Scott said bitterly. "Before they took them away."
The guards walked off as Scott looked angrily at them.
()()()()()
The meeting that night took place in a secret underground house with Hank acting as a lookout as usual; he also made sure all who entered knew the sign of the fish to prove their Christianity.
After awhile, Charles and the others arrived, and Hank greeted them just as Stephan Strange arrived. Stephan was a middle-aged man with graying black hair.
"Charles, how are you doing?" Stephan said as he and Charles hugged.
"Stephan!" Charles called out. "I'm so glad you made it! Everyone's been looking forward to hearing your stories."
Charles then turned and addressed the crowd.
"Friends of Jesus, please welcome Stephan Strange, the Master Story Teller!" Charles called out.
"Ah, Charles is too kind." Stephan said with a smile. "For he knows that I'm nothing compared to the greatest storyteller of all. Why one day during a biblical past live, I remember hearing Jesus in Galilee, and as he spoke, a man stepped forward.
"'What must I do to live in God's new way?' The man asked arrogantly.
"'What do the Scriptures say?' Jesus asked in response.
"'They say we must love God and our neighbor as ourselves.' The man recited.
"'Yes.' Jesus said. 'Do this and you will live.'"
"'But who is my neighbor?' The man asked again.
"Jesus took a stick and drew a line in the road.
"'There was a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho.' Jesus began. 'But some men put a trap on the road, and when the man came by, they robbed and beat him. Leaving him there, bleeding and alone. A priest was going down the same road, but he refused to stop and help. Then a Levite came by, on his way to the temple where he worked, but he didn't stop either. Then just as the man thought he would die, a Samaritan came over. The wounded man didn't think a stranger from Samaria would help, but the foreigner took pity on him and stopped. After tending to the man's wounds, the Samaritan took him to an inn.
"'"This man needs help." The Samaritan told the innkeeper.
"'"Do you know this man?" The innkeeper asked.
"'"No, but please take care of him for me." The Samaritan requested and gave the man several coins. "If it costs more than this, I'll pay you on the way back."
"'The innkeeper was amazed. Samaritans and Jews don't usually talk to one another, and yet the priest and Levite had broken their own law by not helping the man. Now, which one of those men who passed by the wounded traveler was his neighbor?"
"'The one who was kind to him.' The man said, understanding.
"'Exactly.' Jesus said as he put a hand on the man's shoulder. 'Now you go, and do the same.'"
"Now there was a master story teller." Stephan finished with a smile.
"Ah yes." Charles said with a smile.
While Charles went to introduce Stephan to the others, a thin man with light brown hair bumped into Hank as he stared at him quizzically.
"I don't remember seeing you before." Hank said plainly.
"Who me?" The man asked. "Well I'm visiting. I'm visiting my uncle, yes. And there he is. Oh uncle!"
Hank rubbed his chin as the man rushed off. There was something about that guy he didn't like, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
()()()()()
"And finally, this is Alex, and his brother Scott." Charles said after introducing everyone to Stephan.
"It's great to meet you all." Stephan said.
"Come on to the mansion." Charles said. "Moira has a feast waiting for us. After dinner, I'll tell you about our plans." Charles said with a smile. "Believe me, we'll have you out of the city before Nur even knows you're here."
()()()()()
"What do you mean he's here?!" Nur shouted. "Who's here?"
"The one who spread all that Jesus nonsense throughout Massachusetts." Nur's spy, Graydon Creed said as he shook.
Remy couldn't blame him. He doubted he'd be very brave when it came down to a face-to-face talk with Nur.
"Oh… Him." Nur said, realizing Creed was talking about Nelson. "Why the unmitigated dog! It's bad enough he spreads that poison out in the rest of the world, but to come here… Creed, thank you for bringing this to my attention.
"You're welcome." Creed said.
"Remy," Nur said. "Why isn't this Christian here now begging for his life?"
"Well sir, my men haven't found him yet, but I have them on the lookout for any unusual activity." Remy responded.
"If your men are able to look for anything at all, that would be unusual activity." Essex said with a sneer. He and Remy were natural rivals as they were both very high up in the army and had such opposing views.
"Do you mean that Creed is the only one who knows where this Christian is?" Nur asked incredulously. "That Creed is the one true everlasting friend of the empire?"
"Well…" Creed said. "I didn't actually see where he went."
Nur growled angrily and then smirked as he held up his arm, and Creed disappeared.
"Now, where were we?" Nur mused.
"The search for the Christian is a matter for my Elite Guard." Essex said quickly. "Not these common foot soldiers. Let me do this my way, and I guarantee we'll have this Christian in chains by sunrise."
"The only thing y'all can guarantee, Essex is brutality and destruction!" Remy called out angrily.
"Brutality and destruction?" Nur asked with a smirk. "Why Remy, what an excellent idea. I want you and Essex to work together."
"Sir!" Essex protested.
"Silence!" Nur ordered. "Now close the city gates, and let no one travel the hyper space routes of the empire without my official seal!"
Nur then put down two sets of papers, poured some melted wax from a candle onto them, and pressed down on them with a stamp installed in one of his fingers, leaving his mark on the papers.
"I want that Christian dead." Nur said as he handed the papers to Remy and Essex. "As well as anyone caught hiding him. You have your orders, now go!"
Uh-oh. Thinks look bad for the gang now, don't they?