“Wait.” He tugged her back. “You go. They can’t track you.”
“But they’ll catch you.” Her voice broke—the first time he heard fear in her tone. “And, besides, you’re in trouble because of me.”
“Over here!” someone shouted, and a flurry of footsteps grew louder.
He swallowed. They would catch him. He knew that now. He’d known the risks when he’d helped her escape, but in all honesty, his pride had forbidden him to entertain the possibility of ever being caught. If it weren’t for the puddles of sewage, rats, the stench, homeless and sirens screaming through the night, he’d think he was having a nightmare.
The worst kind of nightmare.
The kind you never wake up from.
Either way, they’d be on him in minutes. “Go!” He shouted, turning his back to her and walking away.
“No way.” Her stern voice echoed behind him.
He faced her.
“You either come with me now, or I’ll allow myself to be caught with you.”
Her tone was enough to convince him she meant it.
A breeze eddied through the alleyway, spinning both trashandhis thoughts into a cyclone.
No one had ever been willing to die for him.
“We’ll never make it,” he said.
“We will.”
“Another one of your prophecies?”
“You could say that.” A cloud moved, showering her in silver light as if she were an angel. A smile graced her lips. A smile? In the middle of this madness?
“Have I been wrong yet?” she said.
“He’s close!” a voice blared.
“There’s always a first time.” Thomas grabbed her hand and started running. “I just hope this won’t be it.”
???
Tori turned down the familiar neighborhood street, too tired to run anymore. No doubt the NWU would be on them in minutes. That was, if God didn’t intervene, which she’d been praying He would. The Tribulation was a different time. Scripture said God granted the Antichrist the power to overcome the saints. That meant a rescue wasn’t always possible.
Darkness spilled over the rundown city like black sludge, and with very few streetlights functioning, she had difficulty finding her old house. Would it be safe? Not for long. But she prayed for enough time to get what she needed.
She glanced at Thomas, his breath coming hard and heavy beside her. She knew exactly what he was going through. His entire world had been stripped away from him in an instant. Not only his world, but his worldview, everything he believed. It was all starting to fizzle away like stale soda. She had to admit she was impressed with the way he was handling things. Although perhaps he was still in shock.
They had but minutes, seconds even, before the NWU found them again. Why they weren’t already here, she could only attribute to God’s intervention. When the man had attacked them in the alleyway, she’d seen the mighty angel standing guard behind him—a rare vision for her—and she knew God would protect them. What she hadn’t known was that Thomas had fighting skills, something she would not have expected of the stylish man.
He said nothing as she led him past several empty homes with broken windows. Lights from the few houses where people still lived created an eerie glow on the sidewalk.
“Where’d everybody go?” he asked.
She wanted to laugh. “You don’t know? They were rounded up and put in government housing downtown.”
“Much better for them. They are closer to everything they need so they don’t need cars.”
“And the NWU income they were given isn’t enough to pay for their bills. Hurry.” She dove into her neighbor’s yard and made her way to the back. Crouching, she looked through the hole in the fence. No men, no guards stationed in the backyard, and she’d not seen any out front.Lord, please show me. Please protect us. She rarely saw angels, but she felt their presence now, knew they were there because she saw no demons slithering about.
