“Mr. Prime Minister, please, it is better if you do not know such specifics — safer for our asset, safer for you.”
“Levi, I have to know. How am I supposed to make final targeting decisions based on what he says, assuming we hear from him quickly, which I pray to God we do? How am I supposed to trust someone I know nothing about?”
“Asher, listen, I can’t tell you now, here, flying up the Jordan Valley. But even if we were alone, it’s not a good idea. Mordecai has always been accurate, has always steered us in the right direction, up to and including the Saddaji assassination. I have full faith in this asset, my friend. You should too.”
“That was good enough until now,” Naphtali countered. “But this is different. I am facing the most dangerous moment in the history of the modern State of Israel. No prime minister — not even Ben-Gurion or Eshkol — had to make a decision like this. The weight of the world is on my shoulders, Levi. I have to know whom I’m listening to.”
Shimon looked out the window as they flew over the farmlands of Samaria. “I need to think about it overnight,” he said at last.
“Very well,” Naphtali said. “Have breakfast with me tomorrow morning, and we’ll discuss it then.”
“Do you believe them?”
“I have no reason not to,” Birjandi said. “They are brimming with confidence, David. They are acting like men who have the wind at their backs and believe Allah is on their side and they are about to see a great victory for the Muslim people. They are so blinded. They are about to bring great suffering to the Muslim world. But I believe the Lord is allowing it all to happen, to shake Islam to its core, to persuade Muslims to abandon Islam and start following Jesus Christ, the only hope for any of us.”
“I need to get this back to my government,” David said.
“Of course,” Birjandi said. “I would have told you sooner, but I realized that I had no way to get in touch with you.”
“I brought you a present to take care of that.”
“What kind of present?”
“It’s a satellite phone. It’s in my trunk. I’ll give it to you when we get back to your house. It’s totally secure. You can call me at any time, day or night. Will you see them again soon, before Monday, at least?”
“Actually, they want me to meet the Twelfth Imam.”
“When?”
“In the next few days. Maybe this weekend. They’re going to call me.”
“That’s good,” David said, brightening slightly. “Actually, that’s amazing. You’ll be in the room with the Mahdi. You’ll know exactly what he’s thinking.”
“No,” Birjandi said curtly. “It’s out of the question.”
“What are you talking about? We need this. You have to go.”
“There is nothing he can tell me that I don’t already know, David, or that the Lord cannot tell me Himself if I really need to know. Which brings me to the most important topic — have you been thinking about what we discussed last time?”
“Which topic?” David asked. “There were so many.”
“The gospel. Have you been thinking about the gospel?”
“Yes, a little, but much has happened since I saw you last. That’s part of what I want to tell you.”
“David, you need to take this seriously. You need to make a decision to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior or reject Him forever. The Scriptures say, ‘But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.’ But you’re running out of time, and honestly, I’m scared for you. I pray for you night and day.”
“Whoa, whoa, wait a minute,” David replied. “Let’s not get off the subject.”
“That is the subject, David. Now is the day of salvation. Now is the appointed time of God’s favor. You may not get another chance. You don’t know what tomorrow holds. None of us does. You need to humble yourself and repent of your sins and receive Christ into your heart before something terrible happens.”
“We’ll get to all that,” David said. “I promise you. But right now we need to get you in the room with the Mahdi. And then you need to call me and tell me what he said. Do you realize how much hangs in the balance?”
“David, you’re not hearing me. I’ve been in the room with Jesus Christ. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He told me that you were coming to see me before I had even met you, remember? He told me that David was your real name. He told me you worked for the CIA and that you were in love with a girl named Marseille and that I was supposed to tell you things I had never told anyone else. Do you remember all that we spoke of?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Then you, of all people, should know that I’m telling you the truth. You’ve got your eye on the wrong person. You’re fixated on the Twelfth Imam, on all the death and destruction and chaos he is planning. But Jesus Christ is the one you need to focus on. He’s the one you need to hear from, not the Twelfth Imam. The Mahdi comes to rob, kill, and destroy, my friend; but Jesus came that you might have life, and have it abundantly. That’s what the Holy Scriptures say, and it’s true, if only you have the ears to hear it and eyes to see it.”
“Look, Dr. Birjandi, I appreciate your concern for my soul. I really do. And I have been thinking a lot about what you said, and I’d love to talk about it. But not right now. My country sent me here to stop the Mahdi, to stop Hosseini and Darazi. I need to track down all eight warheads, and I only have a few hours — at most a few days — to do it. If I fail, then one of two things will happen. The Mahdi will fire the weapons at Israel, and a second Holocaust could occur. Or Israel will launch first to thwart a genocide, but we could see the entire region go up in flames. Our only hope is to find these warheads and destroy them before any of that happens. And for that, I desperately need your help.”
Birjandi stopped walking. He turned to David and took both his hands. “Young man, I am doing everything I can to help you. But honestly, you’re not listening to me. Now go, call your superiors. Tell them about the two warheads on the ships. But as for going to meet with the Mahdi, I simply cannot do this.”
“But why? Can you at least tell me that?”
“Because my Lord told me not to.”
“What do you mean?”
“I told you before, when you first came to see me. The Twelfth Imam is a false messiah. I suspect he is possessed by Satan. He is certainly guided by demonic forces. And in Matthew chapter 24, the Lord Jesus warns His followers that there will be false messiahs who arise in the last days. Three times in the same chapter He makes this warning. What’s more, He says these impostors will deceive many. He even says some of these false messiahs will be able to do ‘great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.’ But He is crystal clear that ‘if anyone says to you, “Behold, here is the Messiah,” or “There He is,” do not believe him.’ And ‘if they say to you, “Behold, He is in the wilderness,” do not go out, or, “Behold, He is in the inner rooms,” do not believe them. For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.’”
“I hear you, Dr. Birjandi. I do. But I’m not asking you to believe that the Twelfth Imam is really the messiah. You know he’s not. I know he’s not. So it’s not a matter of believing in him. It’s a matter of meeting with him, eliciting information from him, so we can defeat him, so we can save Iran and the United States and Israel and everyone in between.”
Birjandi turned and started hobbling back to his house. “You are a good boy, David. I like you very much. And I know you are passionate about your work, your mission. But there is a false messiah on the planet. He is deceiving millions. He wants to deceive me as well. So when my Lord tells me not to go meet him, I am going to obey. I’m not that bright, David. I cannot outfox the devil. All I can do is listen to the words of Jesus, and if I love Him, then I will obey Him. And I love my Jesus more than life itself. How could I disobey Him, especially when He is coming back so soon?”