“We have work to do.” He stood, glancing over the people in the room. “Now, more than ever, we have to do our jobs well. We have to rid the world of these Deviants and hold the New World Union together until Master Aali recovers.”Ifhe did.
Nodding and wiping tears from their faces, the guards and technicians went back to their duties.
Rodney stood. “What about your prisoner? What is your decision?”
Decision. Closing his eyes for a moment, Thomas rubbed them. He had no choice. He had to send the woman he’d once loved to the guillotine. She was a Deviant, and a Deviant had just shot the Global leader. All Deviants unable to be reformed must be executed. There was no other choice.
Yet…how could he?
Drawing a deep breath, he patted Rodney on the back. “I wasn’t done with my interrogation. Afterward, I’ll handle things. You are needed here more. Be strong for Aali’s sake.”
Wiping a tear from his eye, Rodney nodded and walked away.
???
Tori was not at all shocked to see the agitated look on Thomas's face when he rushed back into the interrogation room.
She crossed arms over her chest. “He was shot, wasn’t he?”
“Yes,” came his stern reply. Heaving a sigh of frustration, he rubbed the back of his neck. “How did you know?”
“God knew. It’s written in the Bible.”
“Bah. Lies!”
“Apparently not.”
“Or”—placing his knuckles on the table, he leaned toward her, his eyes narrowing—“some crazy Deviant who knew the Bible wanted to make it happen.”
Tori smiled. She had once believed that about Jesus and all the prophecies of His life in the Old Testament. That He knew what had been written about Him and simply performed it. But the more she studied His life, the more events she discovered that He, as an ordinary man, never could have controlled. “Maybe. But I’ll tell you something else that’s going to happen that no one but God can control.”
Thomas gave her an annoyed look. “Listen, Tori. The only way I can save your life—”
“There’s going to be a huge earthquake in Jerusalem within the hour. One-tenth of the city will be destroyed, and seven thousand people killed.”
Thomas huffed and shook his head. “Give me a break, Tori. That’s insane.” He pushed from the table. “I’m giving you one more chance. Deny Jesus on camera and give me a verifiable location of one underground church, and I can spare your life. You’ll go back to your cell and possibly even be released if you give us more locations. Otherwise, it’s out of my hands, and you’ll be killed tonight.”
Tori’s heart broke for the poor man. There was no peace about him, just a restlessness, an anxiety, and a deep sorrow. She leaned toward him, extending her hands, but he refused to grab them. “It’s going to be okay, Thomas. Whatever happens, I don’t fault you at all.”
He growled, ran a hand through his perfect hair, messing it up, and turned his back to her.
“Sir!” A voice emanated from the intercom.
Thomas punched a button. “What!”
“Regent Landry is on the phone.”
Without looking at her, Thomas slammed out the door, leaving Tori alone once again. Yet never alone. She felt the strong presence of her King, along with His mighty warriors. So, she did what she’d been doing for the past six months. She prayed. Only this time, she prayed for Thomas.
???
“You see what happened in D.C?” Regent Landry shouted over the phone so loudly, Thomas had to hold it away from his ear. Even in his office with the door shut, he worried everyone would hear the Regent’s scolding. “This is all a result of Deviants. How is the interrogation of that Deviant witch going? I want the locations of these underground churches that plague me day and night! I want them located and every one of them shot on sight. No, I want their heads…or better, I want them crucified. Maybe that will stop this scourge of Christianity on our planet and the senseless murder of so many. Do you hear me, Thomas?”
“Yes, sir.” He’d been waiting for an opportunity to speak. He’d learned long ago never to interrupt Landry when he was raging about something. “I have not been able to break the prisoner yet, sir.”
“Well, you damn well better get it done tonight. Or better yet, we can have a public execution for all the world to see. That should appease some of the bloodlust over Master Aali’s attempted assassination.”
Everything inside Thomas knotted and coiled. Someone as high profile as Tori would make a great sacrifice for the world right now. But… “I promise you, sir. I’ll either break her or turn her over to the executioners tonight.” He nearly choked on the words.
