Kingdom Come - The Final Victory (24 page)

He had an idea, a fun one he thought Ekaterina would love, but also one that might help him find valuable counsel. He wanted to update Bruce Barnes, his parents’ old friend, on him and Kat and see if he was willing to officiate at their wedding someday. But maybe Bruce would be a good adviser too. Kenny got Bruce’s number from his mother and called him in Osaze. Bruce was in the middle of a project but promised to call him back that evening.

Chloe was troubled. She’d thought the phony Ekaterina Risto personnel report had blown over, and frustrated as she was to have never gotten a handle on where it came from, she had been able to put it behind her. And the more she got to know Kat, the happier she was for Kenny. It was clear that relationship had developed into love, and she and Cameron adored Kat. Chloe only hoped Kenny was calling Bruce for the reason she suspected.

But that day her in-box had brought another upsetting note. Unsigned, of course. Cameron had told her she ought to institute a policy that she look first to see if suggestions or complaints were signed and summarily trash them if not. “If a person isn’t willing to stand by what he says . . .”

This note read:
Kenneth B. Williams is your culprit in the Risto personnel matter.

That made no sense, of course. Ludicrous. And yet Chloe carried the crumpled note around all morning. What was she supposed to do with something like that? Finally she paged Cameron. “It’s not urgent,” she said. “But when you have a moment . . .”

It felt weird to Abdullah to be strolling to “work” every day with a portfolio full of papers and his Bible, setting up shop, as he liked to call it, in the enemy’s lair. It violated every boundary of logic he had ever been aware of, and yet God knew.
His ways are not our ways,
Abdullah reminded himself.

Abdullah had the strange feeling that he had somehow captivated Sarsour, and from the looks they both got from Mudawar, it was clear he wasn’t happy. Every time Mudawar emerged from his office, it seemed, Sarsour was sitting with Abdullah and listening to some tale. “Back to work, bug,” Mudawar would bark.

On the other hand, Mudawar himself had actually been consulting Abdullah almost daily. Despite Mudawar’s appearing to take out his impatience and frustration on Sarsour, he seemed to treat Abdullah with more and more deference. Gone was the sarcastic tone and the ridicule. Often he would ask earnestly, “If I wrote something like this about God, would believers say I was wrong or unfair, or would they just be bothered because they don’t understand Him either?”

Abdullah would study the paragraph and at times even feel led to advise Mudawar how to better frame his argument
against
God. When the fleshy little man would retreat to his office, Abdullah would seek the Lord. “Is this really what You want from me? I feel as if I am aiding and abetting.”

But Abdullah felt God compel him to love the man as Jesus would. No argument of man could besmirch the name of the Lord.

Down deep Abdullah had an inkling of what seemed to be changing these men’s minds about him. He really was loving them and caring for them and praying for them. Mudawar had a favorite drink, an especially thick, rich, and dark coffee available only from a certain street vendor. Every day he arrived nursing one of those drinks. And every day, Abdullah would slip away late in the morning and bring him another.

To win over Sarsour while stringing him along daily with snippets of his own story of his raptured wife, Abdullah discovered Sarsour’s love for a particular kind of hummus, a mash of chickpeas and sesame seeds flavored with garlic and lemon. When he ducked out for Mudawar’s drink, he would also bring back that treat for Sarsour.

It was clear the young men did not know what to make of Abdullah, but they were growing more civil to him every day.

On his break, Sarsour glanced at Mudawar’s closed door and slid a chair next to Abdullah’s desk. “So you divorced your wife when she became a believer, and you turned against your own faith, drinking and carousing. When she and your children were taken in the Rapture, you dug out her old letters. And what did they say?”

Abdullah sat back and studied the young man. “Now we are getting very personal.”

Sarsour threw up his hands. “Oh, I don’t mean to pry. But you began this story. I merely want to hear the end of it.”

“I’ll tell you what,” Abdullah said. “On Monday I will bring the most potent of the letters and let you read it.”

“You know how I feel about garbage like that,” Cameron said. “Toss it.”

“I know, hon,” Chloe said, having expected that response. “But we haven’t had this kind of mischief, and I don’t want it now. Isn’t there a way to find out who’s doing this?”

Cameron sighed. “Before the Rapture, I would have blamed it on the wiles of the devil, devising time wasters to keep us from what’s important. It’s almost worse to know he has nothing to do with it. This is the flesh. Why don’t you ask Kenny if he knows of any enemies who might have some motive for getting him into trouble?”

“I hate to even show him this.”

“Then toss it and forget it.”

But Chloe knew she couldn’t.

Kenny was walking Ekaterina home when Bruce called back. “Oh, hello, Pastor,” he said. “Actually now
I
can’t talk.”

“Oh, she’s right there?” Bruce said.

“How’d you know?”

“Why else would you have called me in the first place?”

“A couple of reasons, actually. I’ll call you later, Pastor.”

“Pastor?” Ekaterina said as Kenny finished. “What pastor?”

“Oh, just an old friend of my parents.”

“Bruce?”

Kenny blushed and nodded. “I want to get an outside opinion on what I should do about the Jospins.”

That seemed to satisfy Kat, and they spent the dinner hour with her parents, talking openly about their future. Nothing was official yet, of course, but their conversations had progressed even to the logistics of where they would live. Kenny wanted to make his actual proposal something dramatic and special.

That night Raymie called a meeting of the Millennium Force, and it was clear Zaki was not happy. “You still pining over your buddy?” Raymie said. “I don’t get it. All of us except Kenny here have glorified minds, and you’re still obsessing over what I had to say to Qasim.”

Zaki shook his head. “I felt ganged up on, and I know Qasim did. I want to go on record that you overreacted and that you had no right to ban him from our meetings.”

“He didn’t belong here!” Bahira said. “He was never a member, and Raymie made it clear he was not to even pretend to represent us, but still he did just that! He called himself our
TOL
infiltration expert!”

“He was just trying to help.”

Kenny remembered when these meetings had been positive and consisted mostly of prayer for the undecideds they so longed to reach. “I can’t stay long tonight,” he said. “I have a call I need to make.”

“But you suggested this meeting,” Raymie said.

“I know, and I appreciate it. I just think we need to get off the subject of Qasim and talk about what you all think I should do about the Jospins.”

“It’s time to act,” Zaki said. “You’ve got a chance here to really get next to them and find out what’s going on. One more delay or misstep and you lose all credibility with them.”

“I can’t argue with that,” Raymie said. “Bahira?”

“Much as I hate to agree with my brother—”

“Hey!”

“Kidding! I agree it’s time to act.”

“Guess that means a green light from us,” Raymie said. “Be careful and keep us posted.”

“Of course,” Bruce said. “Kenny, I would be honored. And I agree it’s a nice touch, tying your wedding to that of your parents. But you must get Ekaterina on board. She may have another idea. It has to be her call. I won’t be offended either way.”

While they were connected by their implanted cellular phones, Kenny filled Bruce in on the situation with the Other Light in Paris.

“What’s the benefit compared to the risk, Kenny? What is the upside for the Millennium Force?”

“Knowing what they’re up to. Being able to counter what they say before they say it. We’re not afraid of them. They’re not going to hurt us or any other believers. Our mission, our target, is the undecided.”

“As long as it helps accomplish your mission, I’d say go for it.”

Monday morning, after Abdullah had stepped out to fetch the treats for the two young men, he asked Mudawar if it was all right for him to chat with Sarsour on his break.

“Why are you asking me? He spends a lot of his work time with you anyway. But sure, fine. You know this is a joke—a believer, a member of the opposition, officing here. It’s silly when you think about it, but I’m not amused. Fact is, really, I’m taking advantage of you. Besides learning a few things and being able to better articulate our position, I am keeping you from more important duties, keeping you from the very hearts and minds we are trying to reach. But don’t expect me to let you sit there in all your glory when we have visitors.”

“I am surprised I haven’t seen any yet. For what purpose
do
they come here, and why have there been none?”

“They come for monthly strategy sessions, and sometimes we get visitors from chapters in other parts of the world. Your presence when they arrive will be verboten.”

“And when will that be?”

“Nothing is currently planned, but believe me, it’ll happen.”

“Kenny,” Chloe said, “I decided to call both of you in because I know you’ll tell Ekaterina anyway.”

He and Kat looked at each other. “Tell her what?”

Chloe spun the note on her desk so both could read it.

Ekaterina said, “Oh, for the love . . .”

“Good grief, Mom. Really, why do you even waste your time on stuff like this? You know how ridiculous this is. I’m in love with this woman and plan to marry her. I would no more do her harm than I would harm myself!”

“I know. I’m sorry. I just want you to know what I’m dealing with. Can you think of anyone who would want to stir up this kind of trouble?”

“Only Qasim,” Kenny said, “and Mattie claims he’s turned over a new leaf.”

“It’s true,” Kat said, nodding. “He’s been a perfect gentleman ever since I started my new role. And I don’t think he’s faking it. He doesn’t disappear when we need help anymore. He seems to go out of his way to pitch in.”

“How about the spiritual part?” Chloe said. “Does he seem any more interested in talking with kids about the Lord?”

“I can’t say that he does, but then we don’t get that much opportunity for that in rec. Plus now I think people sort of leave that part of it to me. Which is all right with me. It just gives me more opportunities.”

“Yes,” Chloe said, “but evangelism is what we’re all about. It’s why we’re here. I want people working for us, even in your area, who care about these children’s hearts and souls.”

They sat in silence for a moment. Finally Kenny said, “Let’s just forget this other, Mom. It’s not worth the time, really.”

ABDULLAH
HAD
Yasmine’s permission to show her letter to whomever he felt it necessary, but already he was repenting of promising to show it to Sarsour. It was so personal, and frankly so painful. . . .

And yet if it could somehow turn a stubborn heart toward God, he didn’t have a choice.

When he and Sarsour were sitting across from one another again, the young man’s countenance and demeanor had reverted to their first days together. “What is troubling you, son?”

“I don’t know,” Sarsour said, his mouth full of his snack and his tone evidencing that he did, in fact, know. “It’s only fair to tell you that so far you have not changed my mind a whit. You are a curiosity, and I like a good story as well as the next man. But don’t start thinking you are getting to me.”

“Fair enough. But it is not your mind I care so much about, Sarsour. It is your heart. That is what God is after too.”

“You sound like my parents.”

“They know your mission, your work?”

The young man shook his head. “It would be cruel to tell them. They know I am not a believer, that I have a lot of questions and accusations against God. That hurts them enough. I don’t need to nail the final lid in their coffin.”

“They are not the ones who will die, son.”

“Touché.”

“But it is true! They entered the kingdom redeemed of the Lord, and while they will age—because they are naturals—they are promised eternity with God. They will be ushered from this kingdom to the next. How old are you, Sarsour?”

The young man shrugged.

“Come, come, everyone knows his own age.”

“I am two months younger than Mudawar.”

“And he is?”

“Nearly a hundred.”

“Sarsour, please, we have no time to waste. You boys must come to your senses, come to the Lord. Consider all this foolishness just youthful independence and rebellion, but turn now to what you have to know is the truth.”

“I know nothing of the sort!”

“Listen, let’s say you’re right. Let’s say that despite all you TOLers dying off at the end of your hundred years you are somehow able to keep this torch burning down through the centuries as the population expands. By the last century of the Millennium, you have amassed this great army, and all right, let’s say that against all odds and logic and prophecy and the very Word of God, your side prevails. Let me postulate that those of you who thought this up and schemed and strategized are still dead and still in hell and that your leader does not have the power to resurrect you. Convince me I am wrong.”

“Well, Lucifer would be returned to his rightful place. He would be the king then, in charge, on the throne.”

“And he would inherit the powers of God Himself?”

“Sure. Why not?”

“Because it doesn’t work that way. If he was almost God, almost as good as Jesus, and had himself overestimated, why was he kicked out of heaven? Why didn’t he stay and fight? Because he doesn’t have the power, and the power will not be endowed him, regardless what happens in that final conflict. Think of the irony. Your side wins, and you all still lose.”