“I didn’t store up much treasure here. I was so foolish…and selfish.”
“But your last act on earth was a noble one. You finally learned how to serve others. Well done, Josiah, my good and faithful servant.”
“I will serve you forever, Lord.”
Jesus left the white throne and knelt down by Josiah, taking him in his arms. Barrett leaned into the embrace, reveling in the tenderness that somehow existed alongside infinite power.
“Thank you for allowing me to see the angel. I wouldn’t have believed in you and your kingdom had you not,” Barrett said. “And I would be lost now.”
“You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” Jesus helped him stand up. “There is someone who longs to see you. Enjoy your reunion, Josiah.”
Barrett followed Jesus’s gaze. He saw his mother, holding out her arms to him. Her mahogany skin glowed. Barrett rushed over to her. “You look amazing, Mama. You’re young again!”
Susan Barrett laughed. “I’m not young, I’m ageless. And you don’t look so bad yourself, Josiah. You look even better than you did in your early twenties.”
Barrett realized then that he felt different. He felt…powerful. And not only strong but energetic. He patted his sides and stomach and started laughing. “I do look good. I’m not chubby anymore.”
“I never stopped praying for you, son. Even up here I kept asking Jesus to soften your heart and make it receptive to his love and forgiveness.”
“I was such an awful person down there, Mama. I’m grateful that you never stopped praying for me.”
They started walking. And before Barrett knew it they strolled along a country path that cut through a lush meadow dotted with flowers. They came to a beautiful home tucked in the trees. “This is where I live, Josiah.”
“It’s beautiful, and big.”
Susan Barrett nodded. “And your house is just down the lane from mine.”
“Oh, Mama, I barely made it into heaven. I’m not going to have a mansion like yours. I’ll sleep in the golden streets. I don’t mind. Just living here with you and Jesus is enough.”
“Nonsense, Josiah. I watched Jesus build it. He’s a master carpenter, you know. Granted, your house isn’t as large as mine. But it’s still grander than any palace on earth. Come on, I’ll take you to it.”
Chapter 37
With his hands and feet securely tied up, Jon Rafter could only use his eyes to aid his cause. His hazel eyes flitted about the parlor, resting briefly on objects he might be able to use as weapons, provided he could ever bust out from the plastic flex cuffs.
The obvious weapons were the antique fireplace tools sitting on the hearth. The poker would do the most damage in close-quarters fighting. He could stab, poke, or strike with it. Rafter found his glances returning to it often. There was also a nearby bookcase filled with hardcover novels. Serious damage could be done to a cranium with a well-placed strike from a thick book.
Of course there were always his fists, elbows, and feet. But most of all, the weapon he coveted the most was the derringer hidden somewhere on Annie’s body.
Annie possessed a figure that made other women jealous, and made men’s necks kink up from craning too far. And yet she was so modest she rarely wore tight or revealing clothes. Today she wore jeans and an oversized t-shirt. The t-shirt hung down over her butt. Rafter assumed the small side arm hid under her waistband near the small of her back.
But the derringer might as well be locked up in a gun safe. With their hands and feet tied, they would never gain access to the weapon.
Rafter once read a book on survival written by an ex-Navy SEAL named Cade Courtley. The book covered multiple survival scenarios, including one on home invasions, complete with a section on escaping restraints.
Although never an easy task, ropes can often be overcome by a sharp object or friction. Offering a stronger and cheaper restraint, plastic flex cuffs raise the degree of difficulty by quite a bit. Courtley stated in his book that two methods existed for defeating flex cuffs: the Shim method and the Break method.
The Shim method required finding an object to wedge into the latch. The tiny plastic teeth could be worn down or broken over time. A shim in the tie slot can theoretically prevent the one-way catch from activating, allowing escape.
The Break method consists of ramming the flex cuffs against something hard. Flex cuffs can snap if jammed violently against an unyielding surface. In a pinch, the ex-SEAL said to use your own chest as a striking surface.
Rafter didn’t doubt the veracity of the escape methods. But he couldn’t try either method as long as Iris kept close watch on him, and as long as Arcadias and Damien kept coming into the parlor.
I should just do nothing. The police are here now. And a SWAT team will be close behind. Let the professionals do their job.
But from his past experience, Rafter knew if Arcadias refused to negotiate, a SWAT team would shout, “Search warrant!” and break down the door with a battering ram. They’d pour into the house like an ocean at high tide, throwing flash-bang grenades and tear gas grenades, and pointing MP5 submachine guns at anyone who dared to move.
Rescue operations amidst that much chaos can and do go wrong. Rafter looked at his wife. His eyes misted over. He couldn’t let such a high-risk scenario happen. One misplaced bullet, one freakish ricochet could kill Annie, not to mention Ned or Keith Jepson. He had to find a way to get free and diffuse the situation himself.
Annie caught his eye and winked at him. For some reason her playful wink reminded him of their honeymoon at Myrtle Beach, and a promise he once made to her.
Chapter 38
Myrtle Beach—38 months prior
Sunset had given way to twilight and now darkness fell on the Grand Strand—a sixty mile stretch of beach in South Carolina. Jon and Annie walked hand in hand along the beach, alone for the most part. The popular beach had emptied out around sunset when a short-lived thunderstorm moved in.
A strong breeze had all but chased most of the thunderheads away. And now a full moon bathed the sand and ocean waves in silvery moonbeams. As he walked with his bride, Rafter listened to the relaxing sound of surf relentlessly pounding sand, and seagulls crying as they circled the surf looking for small fish.
Rafter breathed in the air tinged with salt spray. A smile worked its way across his face. It felt good to be alive.
They’d spent the bulk of the day inside their rented beach house, doing what honeymooners are supposed to do behind closed doors. They finally ventured out around seven pm and grabbed something to eat at a restaurant on the Boardwalk. After filling their stomachs with seafood, they rode the nearby SkyWheel—a 187 foot tall Ferris wheel, complete with glass-enclosed, air-conditioned gondolas that light up at night.
“You picked a great place to honeymoon, Babe,” Rafter said. “What a beautiful evening.”
Annie squeezed his hand. “Myrtle Beach is a special place. I can see why so many people vacation here.”