The Northern Force Book four is now complete and being edited as we speak. Soon it will be published in E-book first.
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Eight
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The Challenge to God-Fallen Comrades
Fall-August……68 months of Tribulation
Babylon………………………….…August
The Supreme Leader stood in the highest point of his large mansion in the center of Babylon. He looked across the city in which he had rebuilt from the dust. He stood tall and proud of his accomplishments, but yet he had one more goal on his agenda. He wanted to defeat his long time enemy, Jesus. He knew he was returning soon to battle him.
Gutierrez looked to the sky and raised his fist to God himself saying, “I will defeat you, Jesus. You will see your last days for sure when you return. Come quickly. I am looking forward to this challenge.”
“I have caused the…well, most of the world to curse you the rest I killed because they wouldn’t serve me. The world is learning who is in charge. I AM!!!”
As he spoke the earth shook under his feet for a few seconds. The sun turned black and his kingdom again was dark. He became very angry as he did his best to get back inside his large home. Later his second in command found him wandering in the dark.
Megiddo, Israel………………..a few minutes later
Joseph and Geo climbed the dusty trail to the top of the hill overlooking the Megiddo Valley. They could hear the noise of motors roaring and the firing of large ammunition. When they reached the top of the ridge, they observed a valley that was filled with military equipment from all over the world. They looked to be in preparation for war.
“Geo, this is his army. Maybe half of them have arrived. The Supreme Leader really thinks the more the better to defeat our Lord when arrives in a few months. I figure we have about three months. There still are many who have not received the mark. He will be in a hurry to complete his task. It’s our job to keep him from accomplishing his goal. So let’s get down from here and head to Jerusalem. I have sent several missionaries there today.
Geo and the missionary quickly climbed back down the steep hill and got into their vehicle. Their driver directed the vehicle south west to the Holy City.
Tanana Valley………………………….two days later
The Northern Force in the Tanana Valley was gathered together to pray over Nick and Margaret as they prepared to leave again in the morning for their mission field north of Fairbanks. Many tried to discourage them from their mission but they were not deterred.
Chris Senior offered the prayer, “Dear, God, protect our dear friends who have for these last few years, ministered for you. Continue to use them and protect them as the return. Not our will but thine be done. Amen.”
Jose and Whit were to escort the missionaries across the Nenana Bridge and then the northern underground would meet them just above Nenana and lead them to another safe house further north. Nick and his wife were to use this location for a base of evangelism in the area. They realized the risk from the UW, but they trusted that this was God’s will.
By six AM the next morning, Jose and Whit were on their ATV’s with Margaret and Nick behind them, and they began their journey north.
The short trip through Nenana and over the bridge went uneventful. The UW forces in the village seemed rather light due to the preparation for war in Israel. Two members of the northern underground were right on time, and the exchange went quickly. Margaret and Nick were again on the road.
As the northern underground team and Nick and Margaret moving ever northward, they were suddenly attacked without notice by semi-automatic weapon fire. The missionary couple and one of the rescuers were left for dead ten miles north of Nenana. The other underground member, after being shot several times, managed to get on an ATV and escape before capture.
Jerusalem, Israel…………………..two days later
Geo and the three missionaries walked swiftly through the deserted streets of the Holy City. They were to meet up with Joseph, who was ministering to a group of Rabbis, near the Wailing Wall. Geo stopped in his tracks, and pointed straight up the alley way they were walking through.
Geo whispered, “Look, up there. UW officials and…Joseph…I think. They are questioning him.”
The youngest missionary inserted, “They can’t hurt him…He’s one of the one-hundred and forty four thousand.”
Geo answered, “But they can put him in jail and then in turn keep hundreds from finding Christ.”
Another missionary asked, “What should we do?”
Geo quipped, “Rescue Joseph.”
The old trapper led the way down the alley and as they walked they picked up potential weapons off the road. The officers had their back to Geo and the missionaries. The UW officers never knew what hit them.
The missionaries quickly ushered Joseph down the alley, from which they had just came. Geo discarded the weapons and caught up with them. The team eventually fled to a safe location on the edge of the Mount of Olives.
When they stopped for a rest, Joseph spoke, “You didn’t have to save me. I would have gone to jail for Him. But you four did well. I was praying you would know what to do. Geo, do you know where we are?”
“No, Joseph, I don’t. Where are we?”
“We are near the Mount of Olives where Jesus will step his mighty foot in a few months. I’d love to stay here until that day….but we have lots of work to do. Shall we go?”
In a second or two they were gone.
Tanana Valley…………………………three days later
Junior, carrying little Lizzie, walked to the entrance of the big cave where Jose and Chris Senior chatted.
Jose inserted, “We haven’t heard from Nick and I’m well I’m kind of concerned. You think we should?....”
Junior interrupted, “Rescue them again?”
Chris Senior then commented, “I don’t think they would want us to rescue them. Did you hear the determination in his voice before they left? He was going to go up there or die. I hate to say this…but maybe….Maybe we should spend a bright full moon evening and do some checking up near Nenana…just in case.”
“Jose, shall we? Sounds like a good idea…a plan?”
Jose replied, “I’ll tell Janise we are headed out…She won’t like it but….It’s our job…Huh, Chris?”
“Sure is buddy, sure is….Dad, can you take Lizzie? I need to tell Izzy and then refuel the ATV. This is going to be just another important mission for the Northern Force.”
North of Nenana……………………two hours later
Chris and Jose followed the exact same route the rescue team from the northern underground would have traveled. They notice nothing out of the ordinary until they came upon a deserted Yamaha ATV. Chris, who was driving, stopped so he and Jose could investigate. The vehicle was covered with blood but there were no bodies.
Jose walked off the trail for a few hundred feet to explore and to see if he could find signs of other vehicles or people. About a hundred feet from the location of the blood covered ATV he found a pile of injected brass from a semi-automatic weapon and tracks from what appeared to be a large four by four.
He called Chris over to where he stood.
Chris spoke, “What the?….What in the world? They unmercifully took them out in seconds. I do believe this was our friends’ demise, a military style assassination.”
“Yes, this is sad. Thank you, Lord for taking them home. They were you servants and deserved better than this.”
The two friends dejectedly walked back to their ATV. They mounted the vehicle and sat there for several minutes.
Chris broke the silence, “I am so mad, but what good is that? Maybe they are still alive. Maybe we should do something. I don’t know what.”
Jose thought for a second or two and then answered, “This is a tough one….but we are here ,not very far away. Let’s at least follow the tracks of the big ATV to see what might have happened.”
“Jose, I think you have a point. We are here and it’s still dark. Let’s give it an hour, then we will head back.”
“OK, let’s go!!”
Chris gunned the four-wheeler and they again found the tracks and started to follow them. The pair traveled only a mile or two and they noticed a few people gathered near a deserted cabin. As they came closer, the friends saw two gentlemen and a young lady. One of the men was tall and lanky.
Jose inserted, “Chris, that’s the guy we saw in Clear….who was asking about Izz…..”
Chris interrupted, “Izzy…He was asking about Izzy?.. But …is that David standing with him? Let’s go speak to David.”
“Let’s go!!”
Chris drove the ATV slowly up to the group of three, and when the light of the vehicle shone on the threesome, they started to run away.
Jose called out, “We are friends. Don’t run. We need to talk to you, David.”
When David heard his name, he stopped and turned around in his tracks. The other two kept running.
“David, it’s Chris Meyers Junior. You are Izzy’s dad.”
David answered, “Chris, it has been a long time. I’m surprised to see you up here in the boondocks. Are you guys lost or looking for me?”
Chris and Jose dismounted the running ATV and walked toward David. They both shook David’s hand as the other two strangers came back into the light of the four-wheelers.
David inserted, “Sorry, for being so elusive. The guy behind me is George, my brother, and this beautiful woman is my wife. We were afraid to join up with you all again, because of the way I disappeared with no communication or anything. I really miss my daughter. And I want you to know, I have not taken the mark. The three of us are like you…trying to avoid the UW forces.”
Chris responded, “We were wondering what happened to you. Izzy talks about you all the time. You need to see your granddaughter, soon. My next question is how is your heart? How is your walk with God?”
David looked around and hugged his wife. He stood quietly for a moment and then he answered, “I…I.. I’m not sure….I prayed before but lately I can’t say I’ve been serving him. I know this may sound weird but can you help me and my wife? Her name is Amy. I can’t speak for my brother George, to my right, but we…my wife and I, want to get right with God before it’s too late.”
Jose raised his hand and then said, “Praise, God. We can help you right now. We don’t need a church or a pastor. All we need is someone willing to accept him and then we can pray with you. Chris, lead them in a prayer.”
“The Bible says if we believe, we confess our sins, and repent of them, we can be saved.”
George interrupted, “Wait, I don’t understand all this confessing stuff and sin. I’m not a sinner. I believe in God.”
When George finished talking Jose began, “Like your brother said, he is not speaking for you. If you would like, you can wait here, while we pray with your brother and his wife.”
George answered, “I’ll wait back there….but can I go with you guys back to the valley even if I won’t pray?”
Junior replied, “Of course you can unless you are a spy for the UW.”
They all laughed and George insisted he wasn’t a UW guy. Without a word David’s brother walked back into the darkness.
Chris prayed with Amy and David and they accepted the Lord as their personal savior. Jose and Junior rejoiced with them for their decision.
The team’s next move was to transport George, David and Amy back to the Tanana Valley. Jose came up with a brilliant idea. The vehicle that was covered with blood still had a key in the ignition. If it had enough fuel Jose could drive it home with two passengers on the back and then Chris could carry himself and one other.
The five were ready to start for Nenana when they heard shot being fired in their direction. Everyone took cover in the brush near the ATV’s.
Tanana Valley, Alaska………….five minutes later
Chris looked out of the cave and into the valley and asked, “Where are those guys?. God, I feel a heaviness come over this place. I need to gather everyone to pray right now.”
Chris Senior gathered the whole Force in the large meeting room and they begin to pray. The whole room was filled with the presence of God and they prayed for several hours.
Petra………………………………..two hours later
Joseph stood quietly contemplating and whispering a prayer. “God, what is your plan for us at this moment? I can see it, Lord. I need to talk to Geo…..Geo, where are you?”
“Oh, sorry, Joseph I was napping…You have had me up at all hours…Just trying to catch up.”
“No matter, we have a mission! You friends are in trouble in Alaska. We can’t do much but we can pray. Chris is praying now and we need to pray…Junior, that great young man, is in trouble, along with another friend.”
“I can see it, brother. It is Jose. And David? Izzy’s father? Dear, God, please be with them, right now… Protect them…protect them.”
“My, Lord, right now..please send your mercy to Alaska.”
Near Nenana, Alaska…………….a few minutes later
It seemed as if the shots fired in the direction of the Force team came from everywhere around them. Not one shot had wounded anyone, as yet. They were basically penned down in their position.
Chris Junior quietly whispered a pray asking God to give him guidance on what to do next. Jose was doing exactly the same thing.
David crawled on his knees to the location he last saw Junior. When he found Chris, he reached out to grab his shirt and the young Meyer was immediately startled.
“Whoa, it’s you, David?…What’s up? We have to be really careful right now if we plan on getting out of this mess alive.”
“I know, Chris, but…I…I…think they are after us…the guys shooting. They are after George and me.”
Jose overheard the previous conversation and inserted, “Are you sure of that, David. We have enemies out her, too. They murdered our friends.”
David was astonished and replied, “Killed your friends? Who did they kill?”
Chris quickly answered, “We think they shot Pastor Nick and Margaret to death. The blood on the ATV was theirs, we think.”
Another flurry of gunshots flew over the heads of Chris, Jose, and the rest. Amy was huddled in a fetal position and crying profusely. David crawled back to her side and comforted her. George was nowhere to be found.
Jose looked one way and saw David and Amy and then he looked to his right and saw Chris, but he didn’t see George. A shot was heard in the distance.
Petra…………………………….two hours later
Joseph and Geo, and the rest of the missionaries, continue to pray for several hours for the needs of their Alaskan friends. When the answer came they stopped praying.
Tanana Valley………………a few minutes later
Chris Senior and Izzy prayed, holding each other tightly. All of a sudden Chris let go of Izzy and stood to his feet. He proclaimed, “The answer is on the way. It is done.”
Izzy looked at her father-in-law with a very strange face, and then she responded, “Dad, what do you mean? ‘The answer is here.’ Are they, OK?”
“I’m not sure, but I know the answer is on its way. He has answered our prayer.”
Izzy sat on the floor and covered her face. She then lifted her hands in the air and said, “God, I want to believe you have saved them and protected them…give me peace.”
When Izzy finished her prayer, Julie called out for her mommy and Izzy found her and picked her up. She spoke to her child, “Julie, your daddy will be OK. I know it. He will be O…K…..” She felt peace.
Near Nenana……………………a few minutes later
Chris quipped, “Where is that guy? Where did Jose go? David!!”
