I wasn’t exactly sure where he was getting at, but I didn’t want to question him more. He wasn’t as practiced as Eli at human relations, and I had a feeling that no matter how in depth he explained it, I would only be more confused.
Kim leaned into my ear. “He means he can’t just give us a Get Out Of Jail Free card, because it behooves our character to struggle before success. God is all about being fair and not interfering.”
“And Hell is the opposite,” I groused.
Another swerve threw me into Kim. “I’m glad you’re here.” I said, righting myself.
One side of her mouth turned up. “I’m not.”
“Plan B,” Bex said. “I’m taking the next exit!”
Samuel held up his hand. “Stay the course. Think of them as an escort.”
“Not the good kind.”
As we approached the city, the cars and trucks around us became more uniform, and it was evident that everyone around us had shelled. I peeked out of the window to see the sedan running alongside us. It contained a woman in her mid-to late twenties. An empty car seat was in the back.
I closed my eyes. When Samuel left us, they would attack, and we would have to kill them.
“Jared?”
“Yes?” he said, albeit distracted.
“That woman over there,” I said, nodding in her direction. “She has a baby.”
Jared barely glanced at her. “Yeah?”
“We can’t kill her.”
The woman looked at me, her eyes bulging and black.
Jared drew my attention away from her, gently turning my jaw to face him. “She can’t kill you, either. We’re going to make plenty of tough decisions between now and then. Let’s not dwell on the shells. We can’t.”
I nodded, but Ryan glanced at the woman in the car, and was visibly unsettled.
Jared grabbed the barrel of Ryan’s weapon and jerked it. “Everyone can shell. Everyone is a threat. The demons are counting on you to see the human and hesitate. Hesitation will get you killed. Got it?”
“Got it.”
“Five minutes!” Claire called.
Everyone tensed. Bex flew through traffic, trying to leave the shells building up around us behind, but every time he gained ground, the drivers of the cars ahead shelled. The stores and houses seemed to be almost on top of each other, covering the gentle hills. Many of the buildings—especially the older ones—were made of rectangular rocks and castle-like in shape. Trees peppered the landscape, unlike the vast desert I had expected.
The sun was blindingly bright, glaring off the road and buildings. Kim squeezed my hand when we passed two statues of knights on horses, flying flags and proclaiming victory over the land. It was dizzying to think of how many how many empires had tried to own this land, and how much blood had been shed for a claim to it. We were going to be the numberless battle in that holy city. Not to own it, but survive it.
Jared looked at me. “Stay close. Never leave my side, for any reason. Keep your eyes and ears open.”
I nodded. “I love you.”
He managed a small smile and shook his head. “I love you,” he said, pulling me to him. He planted a quick kiss on my lips, and then the Humvee stopped.
“Damascus Gate less than one klick!” Claire yelled.
Jared looked to Samuel for explanation, but he was gone.
Bex turned, his face intense. “Shells coming over the hill!”
“That’s it! We’re on our own!” Jared yelled. He took the safety off his pistol, and grabbed a fistful of my vest.
Claire and Ryan left the Humvee first, and Jared and I followed. The bullets were already flying, landing in the sand at my feet. We hunkered down in a small alley just inside a stone corridor until Kim and Bex joined us, and then Jared silently ordered us to move.
Claire pointed further inside the corridor. “Damascus Gate. Markets and pedestrians. No good.”
Jared nodded once, and then we moved out. Claire took to the street with cover fire, running at full speed to the next alley. People walking in the street would run, and then suddenly stop to follow. Jared pulled me across the street, and a large man with military fatigues ran at us. Claire put a bullet in his head in less than a second. Jared didn’t bother to slow down. We jumped over the corpse and caught up.
Duck and cover seemed to be the plan of action for the next two streets. The Old City was a series of narrow rock roads and corridors lined with trinkets and rugs for sale. We reached the end of one road to find ourselves at the beginning of a marketplace. Claire froze, and we stopped abruptly behind her. A hundred or so people stopped, slowly turning around. They eyes of men, women, and children were black as night and bulging from their sockets.
“Move,” Claire said, waving us back.
Jared turned on his heels, leading us to the next building and up a set of stairs. We climbed to the roof, with the mob just behind Bex and Kim. Jared took a few wide strides and then we leapt from that roof to the next. He wanted to continue, but I refused, waiting for Kim. Once they breeched the top of the stairs, I saw hands clamoring over bodies, the shells trampling each other to get at us. Bex was focused, but Kim’s eyes bulged.