A NOVEL ─ THE ADVENTURES OF KEVIN KRAMER IN COMMUNIST EUROPE ─ A Novel about the End Times ─ Chapter 10 ─ "The Enemy Drone"

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The Adventures of Kevin Krämer in Communist Europe

- The Escape from Communist Europe -

 (A Novel about the End Times)

By: Justin Brown (a pen name)

Recommended reading for ages 14 and older.

This is a novel for teens and adults.

This novel contains some violence (such as gunshots and fights); intense chase scenes;

clean romantic elements (i.e. clean conversations between a guy and his girlfriend);

 and themes appropriate for teenagers and adults.

You will not find any profanity, immorality, or gore in this novel.

It is written to edify the reader, and not to provoke sinful thoughts.

This story is free to be copied, printed, and distributed, but it must remain unaltered.

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Synopsis

Europe has been invaded, the superpower across the sea is no more, and the country of "Baltania" is controlling Europe through communistic puppet governments. Under the oppressive cloud of communism, a small group of underground Christians faces a powerful crime organization bent on their capture and destruction. 

(The entire story is in a complete PDF file
which can be read at this link on Google Drive.
I make no money from this story. It is entirely free.)

Under this heavy, oppressive cloak, Kevin Kramer, a 30-year-old, and Maritza, his attractive, 27-year-old girlfriend, must decide who they will serve as they fall in love with each other, start a romantic relationship, and try to evade the unrelenting and dangerous members of a criminal organization, which seeks to kidnap underground Christians to sell to the secret police.

Together with some friends, Kevin and Maritza must do their best to avoid being captured as they learn to trust God and follow His guiding hand in these last days just before the rise of the Antichrist. This fast-paced story is designed to be fascinating. But, don't just take our word for it... 

[Note: Baltania is a fictional country within the Eurasian landmass. At one time, it had a communistic past. During a third world war, communism revived in this country as its armies conquered Europe. Since we do not want to point fingers at any particular country, we will not name this country or coalition of countries.]

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Chapter 10

"The Enemy Drone"

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The Drone

A black quadrotor drone hummed through the air as it flew high above the forest road which Konrad Adebayo, Kevin, and Maritza had driven down just seconds ago. Konrad’s rented Delta Solarstorm sedan was driving autonomously down the forest road 18 meters below the drone.

Humming like a bee as it shot through the air at 80 kilometers per hour, the robot focused on the license plate of the moving car and zoomed in to snap a photo. With its high-definition cameras and onboard “artificial intelligence” software, the drone could tell that the self-driving car was empty of people. The drone turned its attention to the forest near the side of the road as it reversed direction and flew over the road, heading back the way it had come. After several minutes passed, its sensitive infrared sensors picked up three human-sized shapes moving through the trees below.

Maintaining its altitude, the robot drone followed the humans who were walking through the pine trees below, unaware of the faint buzzing sounds of its four rotors.

__  __  __  __

Kevin, Konrad, and Maritza

“Should we keep walking?” Kevin said after he and the other two had finished praying.

“We should since we still have a day of walking ahead of us,” the Nigerian replied.

A western yellow wagtail chirped in a birch tree high overhead.

“Did either of you notice that black delivery van we drove past?” Maritza said, looking from Kevin to Konrad Adebayo.

“Yes,” Kevin said, looking curiously at the blond-haired girl. “What about it?”

“He drove past us, but I noticed him staring at me and you,” Maritza said, blinking several times as she remembered seeing the driver’s face and piercing eyes.

“That’s troubling,” Kevin said, furrowing his brow in thought. ‘Who is that guy Maritza saw?’ Kevin thought to himself. ‘Is he connected to the crooks who chased us in the parking lot? Or, are we both just on edge and imagining things?’

“We could be reading into this too much,” Kevin said, trying to see what Maritza would say.

“I don’t think so,” Maritza said. “He seemed very creepy to me.”

“Well, if that man is after us, he has probably lost the trail,” Konrad said as he started walking further up the wooded hill. “Our car is driving away without us in it.”

Following behind him, Maritza said quietly, “I just have a feeling that we’re being watched.”

__  __  __  __

Sighting

Hovering high above their heads, and above the tree tops, the drone caught sight of Konrad, Kevin, and Maritza. Its cameras zoomed in and took some photos, which it quickly processed and transmitted to an orbiting satellite. Advanced computers located in the interior of Europe received a stream of data coming in from the drone, via several satellites.

Rat’s van pulled up to a stop on the side of the road not far from where Konrad had stopped earlier. His drone provided him with the information he would need to track and capture the Christians. But, he knew he could not easily do it all alone. He would need backup. So, he pulled out an encrypted cell phone and made a call.

_ _ _ _

The computers were contained in an underground bunker which was owned by a government organization, which was under the umbrella of Baltania. Red Venom, a crime organization, had agents in the bunker working for both the Baltanian government and the crime organization. Known by the code name Red Venom, the organization was highly structured and had chapters in every substantial population center in Europe. The crime organization had many double agents within the communist puppet governments of the European states. 

_ _ _ _

After ringing a few times, the call was answered by a cold voice, which said, “Hello Rat, what’s going on?”

“Claw, my autonomous drone located the blond girl, Maritza, and two men,” Rat said into his phone.

“Excellent,” said Claw, Rat’s boss, “I will send Scorpion, Python, and Wolf as soon as possible. Stay where you are and give me updates from time to time.”

“I will certainly do that, Claw,” said the bald man with a red goatee and a large scar between his eyes.

_ _ _ _

The capture of Christians brought a bounty to the crooks who turned them over to the communist puppet governments of Europe, which were under the secret control of Baltania. Every Christian turned over to a puppet government would bring money equaling a month’s wages to the criminals who caught them. And, that was the reason that the man known as Rat, and his associates, sought to capture the three Christians walking through the woods.

_ _ _ _

“And, Rat,” Claw said menacingly, “don’t let them escape. If you do, you will wish you hadn’t.”

“I won’t fail you, Claw,” Rat said firmly.

“Good. I will talk to you later,” Claw said before hanging up.

Once the conversation was over, Rat leaned back in his leather seat and popped his knuckles. He grinned wickedly as he thought: ‘Rat never fails to catch his prey. Those Christians will be sorry they didn’t forsake their religion.’

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Night Fire

A camp fire crackled and popped as the evening sky darkened. Stars began to appear through gaps in the pine forest canopy. High up in the trees, an owl stirred and began hooting. Night had come, and the three “underground” Christians had just made a fire to warm themselves. Being the season of spring, the air was cool.

“Kevin,” Maritza said as she turned to face her boyfriend.

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Kevin was sitting on a log on the opposite side of the camp fire from her. His backpack, with its attached sleeping bag, was resting two meters from him. Earlier, while it was still light out, he, Maritza, and Konrad had set up their three dome tents. To give her space, Maritza’s backpacking tent was separated from the men’s tents by a distance of 25 meters.

“What’s on your mind, Maritza?” Kevin said as he looked across the flickering flames toward the blond-haired girl.

“You left your apartment and all the stuff there,” she said. “What do you think your roommate, Heinrich, will think of your absence?”

“Well,” Kevin said, “Heinrich might think I’m staying at a friend’s house. He usually is unconcerned about how I spend my time and where I go. He tends to keep to himself and his virtual reality games. But, he has a community of people he chats with by way of VR hang-out spaces and he plays online multiplayer games.”

“But, your stuff,” Maritza said. “It’s still there.”

“Yes, but I am willing to let go of it. Since we are both being hunted down by that crime gang, I don’t think I’ll ever return to that apartment,” Kevin said, sighing slightly. “But, I’m willing to let my stuff go.”

“You may still be able to get some stuff from the apartment, Kevin,” Konrad said from his seat to Kevin’s left. “But, God did promise to provide for all our needs. He said so in Matthew 6:33, in Matthew 6:31-34, in Matthew 5:6, in Philippians 4:19, and in Psalm 37:23-25.”

“Those are a lot of verses,” Kevin said. “Do you think you could write them down so I could look at them? And, do you have a Bible with you?”

“I have two Bibles with me, but I printed the verses on a sheet of paper, which is in my Bible,” Konrad said. “Would you like to see it?”

“Yes,” Kevin said. “I need something to encourage me.”

Konrad walked over to his backpack, unzipped it, and drew out two Bibles. He strolled over to Kevin and handed him one along with a folded piece of paper he had removed from his Bible. Thanking him, Kevin took the sheet of paper and the Bible. Then, he scanned over the verses that appeared on the sheet.

After a couple minutes had passed, Kevin said, “I like Psalm 37, verses 23 through 25.”

“What does it say?” Maritza said, leaning forward in her seat. The burning wood popped and small sparks flew up into the air, rising with the updraft of the flames which separated her from Kevin.

Kevin held up the paper and said, “Psalm 37:23-25 says: ‘[23] The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. [24] Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. [25] I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.’

“That is very comforting,” Maritza said. She blinked a few times and wiped her cheeks as tears began to run down them. “Ever since my parents were killed during the war, when Baltania invaded, I felt fearful that I’d be forsaken and left on my own, but God never failed me. He provided for me a place to stay, people to care for me, and all that I needed.

“He’s been very good to me. But, I miss my dad and mom. I wish they could somehow still be alive. It’s felt like a long time… a long time since I’ve last seen them.” As she said that, she began to shed more tears. Then, she leaned forward and covered her face.

Kevin felt like he wanted to place a comforting hand on her back, but something in him made him feel he shouldn’t do that. But, the desire to comfort her and hold her close was strong. Maritza was now leaning forward and placing her elbows on her knees and her hands over her eyes as she cried softly. ‘She must be remembering the painful experiences of losing her parents,’ Kevin thought. ‘Maybe, I should go over there and place a hand on her back to comfort her.’

“Kevin, My son, I am with you, and I love you very much,” God’s voice said into Kevin’s spirit and soul. He turned and looked up and he began to sense Jesus standing beside him.

“Yes, Lord Jesus,” Kevin whispered.

“I am with you and I love you very much,” God said gently. “I know that you care for Maritza and that you want to comfort her, but it would not be appropriate for you to comfort her by touching her body.”

‘But, dear Jesus, why would it not be appropriate to touch her?’ Kevin thought, in response.

God’s kind voice continued, saying, “For, her body is My temple and I am her Father, her God, and her Comforter, and you are her future husband. But, since you are not her husband right now, it would be inappropriate for you to comfort her or to touch her. You must keep your hands to yourself, because if you get used to touching her, your innocent touch could lead to more bodily contact, and this could lead to sex. It is unwise to touch a woman who you are not currently married to because that would lead to adultery or a relationship that is based on lust rather than on true love.

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about some of the characters from this novel.)

“Many young people and other people get confused about the difference between love and lust. They think that by holding their significant other close, and holding hands, and hugging frequently, and kissing, that they are showing love. But, if they are not married yet, they are showing lust. And, their future marriage will be based on lust. And, there is a strong chance it will not last. For, if a marriage is based on the flesh, it will not last. And, I the Lord your God and Abba Father have spoken.”

“Father, so you don’t want me to touch her at all?” Kevin thought. “But, you said she will be my wife.”

“My son,” God said gently but with gracious authority, “if you touch her hand, her back, or any area of her body, and I am not leading you in it, you will be opening yourself up to the devil in the region of lust. And, that will lead eventually to having sex with her before you are married. She is your future wife, but she is not your wife now. She is your friend and your girlfriend, but you must treat her as a sister until you and her have had a wedding ceremony before a live audience. And, I the Lord your God and Abba Father have spoken.”

“I know that sex before marriage is wrong,” Kevin said silently. “But, Father God, what do you call that in the Bible?”

“My son,” God replied in His kind but truthful voice, “that would be called fornication and adultery. The people who commit that sin are entering a trap that will bring them into Hell, because they have hardened their hearts through the deceitfulness of sin. People who commit that sin can repent, but they must repent if they are to have eternal life.”

God continued, saying, “If you think you can commit that sin, and then repent later, you are deceived, for that sin is very deceptive, and repenting from something you intend to do, again and again, is not true repentance. It is false repentance. And, looking at a woman to lust after her in your heart is fornication and adultery, as well. You can read about this in Matthew 5:27-30. And, I the Lord your God and Abba Father have spoken.”

“Wow,” Kevin said silently. “Thank you for showing me that, Father God. I didn’t realize that looking at a girl and lusting after her was just as immoral as adultery, but your Word says that it is one and the same as adultery.”

“Here are the verses, My son. I spoke these words in Matthew chapter 5, 27 through 30: ‘[27] Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: [28] But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. [29] And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. [30] And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.’ That is why you must bring your thoughts into captivity to the obedience of My Son Jesus Christ. And, now, you may continue talking with the others.”

“I want to obey you, Abba Father God, because you really do love me,” Kevin said. “And, your Word is clear about adultery, fornication, and lust.* They are evil, and they bring a soul to Hell.”

[* See Galatians 5:19-21, and Revelation 21:7-8, and Mark 9:42-50.]

Then, he felt a peaceful feeling on his shoulder, and he sensed that Jesus was standing over him and placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. Relaxing, Kevin looked back toward Konrad and Maritza. While he had been speaking with God, he had been looking up toward where he thought he sensed Jesus standing near his right side. Kevin hadn’t actually seen Jesus, but he had sensed His presence.

“What were you looking at, Kevin,” Maritza said as she walked toward the camp fire from the deep shadows of the woodland. “Or, were you praying like I was?”

Kevin hadn’t noticed her leave the fireside while he had spoken with God, and he was slightly startled to hear her voice from his left.

“I was also talking with God. He was telling me some things,” Kevin said.

“Would you like to share them with us?” Maritza said, drawing close to the crackling flames.

“Maybe later,” Kevin said. “I’ll share them with you another time.”

He felt embarrassed at the thought of sharing with her all that God had told him. But, the understanding that she was his future wife and that God wanted him to be careful how he treated her both worked to make him feel more interested in her as a person than in her attractive face.

“Well, we will need to get up early to spend time with God before we go out for several more hours of hiking,” Konrad said as he stood up from his seat by the fire.

The group walked over to their backpacks, and taking them, each moved away from the campfire. Remembering what God had told him, Kevin was glad that Maritza had decided earlier to set up her tent far away from the other tents. He didn’t want to have any temptation.

Inside his tent, Kevin unrolled his sleeping bag and sighed. ‘Daniel and Monika’s home is only a journey of another few hours away, according to Konrad,’ he thought as he sat down and slipped into his sleeping bag. ‘But now, it would be nice to relax and get some sleep.’ Crickets chirped and an owl hooted from some distance away, making the forest seem very lonely, but Kevin decided he would not spend his time alone, knowing that God truly was his best Friend.

Kevin talked with, and listened to, his loving Creator until he had fallen fast asleep. It seemed as if no time had passed before something began shaking the tent. Kevin sat up and squinted, wondering what was causing the shaking. He was suddenly afraid it could be a wolf, but Konrad’s voice came through the air, causing him to calm down.

“Kevin,” Konrad said through the tent fabric, “are you awake?”

Kevin unzipped his sleeping bag and walked over to the tent door. He was fully dressed, wearing his daytime clothes. After unzipping the tent door, he squinted into the darkness of the forest.

In the darkness of shadowing trees, Konrad stood near Kevin’s tent, looking at him, but his face was obscured by shadow. Kevin grunted as he stood to his feet and rubbed his tired eyes.

“What’s going on? Why did you wake me?” Kevin said, concerned.

“Kevin, God woke me up and showed me that we need to start walking,” Konrad said from the shadowy darkness of the forest. Stars peeked through the upper branches of the trees above them and wispy clouds slowly sailed through the atmosphere, creating a tranquil scene.

“I wonder why,” Kevin said as he began to unzip the sleeping bag.

“I don’t know exactly why, Kevin. But, let’s both awake Maritza,” Konrad said before walking toward the direction of the campfire. Kevin followed and stifled a yawn.

He could see faint moonlight which provided just enough illumination to see his surroundings by. Walking for some distance, He and Konrad passed the ashes of the campfire and continued walking for 20 more meters until they arrived at the spot where Maritza was sleeping.

Kevin could see her backpacking tent in the moonlight. “Maritza,” he said, “it’s time to wake up.” He tapped on the tent fabric, but there was no movement or sounds from within. Then, he walked around the tent and noticed that the door was opened. He looked in and could see an empty sleeping bag. ‘She’s gone!’ he thought, alarmed, ‘But, where did she go?’

“Konrad,” Kevin said, trembling as he glanced at the other man, “Maritza is missing!”

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Rolf, Svenja, and Abdul Behind Bars

A bright LED light protected, by a metal cage, cast a harsh glare down on the prisoners in the concrete cell below. Two metal beds were fastened to the concrete wall. A stainless steel ladder, bolted to the floor, provided access to the top bunk bed. Hard mats on each bunk provided a slight amount of comfort for sleeping.

Standing beside the bunks, a 2.44-meter* giant with curly, brown hair rested his elbow on the top bunk. He looked down at his cell mate, a young, 20-year-old, middle-eastern man, and said in a deep, rich voice, “Abdul, don’t be disheartened. I believe God will deliver us from this prison.” [* 8 feet.]

Abdul looked up at the exceptionally tall man and said, “Rolf, you’ve been a Christian for longer than I have. But, have you seen God deliver someone from prison?”

“I’ve read about it in the Bible,” Rolf said. “Do you remember reading in the book of Acts when Simon Peter was in prison?”

“I think I have, but tell me what happened to refresh my memory,” Abdul said.

“Acts chapter 12 describes how Peter was locked up in prison by King Herod because Peter was preaching the Gospel, and Herod hated Christians,” Rolf said in his resonant voice. “At night, an angel of God appeared and awoke Peter. Then, invisible angels unlocked the shackles, which held him fast, and opened the prison doors. He was able to walk past the guards because they were all in a deep sleep. Since God delivered Peter, I believe He will also deliver both of us and my wife, Svenja.”

“That is encouraging,” Abdul said with a serious expression on his face. “I just have to believe it can happen for us.”

“Let’s pray it will, and I believe God will answer our prayers,” Rolf said with a peaceful expression on his face.

Abdul nodded, and then walked over to a door leading into a small bathroom. He took a cup and got a drink from a faucet. As he did, the prison door suddenly unlocked and squeaked open. Abdul looked out the bathroom door in time to see two prison guards entering the cell. They were wearing dark uniforms; tall, black boots; baseball caps; and holstered pistols on their belts.

“Prisoner 2257,” a stone-faced guard said, “please allow us to place these cuffs over your wrists. We are going to take you to a room for questioning.”

Rolf held out his wrists for the cuffs to go on, and said, “I have no reason to refuse.”

Then, the men ushered him out, and the metal door slammed shut, and the lock clicked. Rolf was again walking down a white-linoleum-floored hallway past rows of cell doors. The harsh ceiling lights cast faint shadows below his feet and caused him to squint slightly. One guard followed behind him while another walked some distance ahead of him. ‘There doesn’t seem to be a way of escape, in the natural sense,’ Rolf thought to himself, ‘but the same was true for Simon Peter in Acts 12.’

After traveling down some hallways, they reached a red, metal door. One of the guards placed his hand on a biometric sensor and typed in a security code. Once this was complete, the door clicked and the guard opened it quickly and motioned for Rolf to enter.

A darkened, concrete room within contained a metal table and chairs. In the ceiling, a caged light bathed the room in dim, red light. Fastened to a wall, close to the ceiling, a digital clock displayed the time in red digits ‒ 9:01 P.M.

Rolf was instructed to have a seat in one of the chairs, which were both bolted to the floor. As he sat, the guards snapped leg cuffs around his ankles, chaining him to the floor so he couldn’t run. Then, the guards backed up and melted into the shadows in the far corners of the room.

A door in one wall squeaked open and out stepped a man with short, dark hair, a wiry physique, and a cruel smile plastered on his rugged face. On his chin a scar appeared. He sat in a chair at the opposite end of the table and set a briefcase down on the flat, metallic surface before him.

Rolf had never seen this man before, but he had a feeling the man knew a lot more about Rolf than Rolf knew about him.

Without saying a word, the man unclasped the briefcase and drew out some photographs. He gently placed each photo on the table with the white back facing up so that the image could not be seen on the opposite side. Then, he looked up at Rolf and a thin smile tugged on his lips, momentarily, before it disappeared.

“Mr. Berger, I am officer Overbeck. I met your wife earlier this month and I asked her if she had seen a certain lady.”

Mr. Overbeck turned over a photo to Rolf’s left, revealing a picture of Tamara. A red-haired lady with a pony tail, who appeared to be in her late forties, dressed in a light jacket and baggy women’s trousers, appeared before Rolf’s eyes. She was standing before a flowering bush and smiling. Rolf had no idea where the secret police had obtained that photo from, but it bothered him to see it in their possession.

_ _ _ _

Tamara was an underground-Christian lady who he had allowed to stay at his apartment. His wife, Svenja, who at the time had not yet received Jesus, had enjoyed talking with Tamara and learning more about what it was like to be in the underground Church.

_ _ _ _

Rolf continued to stare at the photo, wondering what he should do. But, he felt a sense of peace come over him, and he quickly and silently asked God to guide him in exactly what to say that would honor God and glorify His name.

“Do you recognize this lady, Mr. Berger?” Mr. Overbeck said, staring at his face.

“I do,” Rolf said, looking up at the secret police agent. “Why do you ask?”

“Have you or your wife ever invited this lady over to your apartment?” the rugged-faced man said.

“I let her stay at my place because she was in need,” Rolf said boldly. “Wouldn’t you help someone who was in need of shelter?”

“I’m asking the questions,” Overbeck said coldly as he glared at Rolf. “Now, Mr. Berger, did you realize that this lady is involved with illegal activities?”

“What activities?”

“She has broken a law prohibiting religious proselytizing and religious teaching,” Overbeck said, “and she is guilty of committing seditious plots against the Communist Republic of Germany.”

Rolf found the man’s statements absurd. Tamara was not guilty of plotting to overthrow the government. She merely shared the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ whenever she felt led to. ‘What harm could come from that?’ Rolf thought.

Overbeck reached for a photo to the right of the picture of Tamara. He flipped the second photo over, revealing a picture taken from a high-definition security camera. It captured a split-second of time when Rolf and Svenja were talking with Tamara in a parking lot beside Rolf’s apartment building. Rolf and Svenja’s faces could clearly be seen, but Tamara’s back was turned toward the camera.

Rolf felt his heartbeat increase. He knew that the security cameras could zoom in on certain subjects that the “A.I.” computers running the cameras were interested in. Then, Overbeck flipped over a third photo, revealing Tamara’s face with Rolf and Svenja’s back turned toward the camera. It was from the same meeting in the parking lot.

“Tell me that you and your wife Svenja weren’t the ones talking with Tamara,” Overbeck said, grinning slightly.

‘What do I say to him, Lord Jesus?’ Rolf thought.

“My son, just tell him the truth,” God’s calm and loving voice said.

Rolf looked Overbeck in the eyes and said, “I and my wife were talking with Tamara.”

“Do you agree with Tamara’s religious beliefs?” Overbeck said.

“Sir, I am a Christian and I know that God’s Word is true,” Rolf said boldly, feeling peace in his heart. “And, I know that God’s Word teaches that we Christians need to share God’s plan of eternal life to all people whom God directs us to.”

“Then, you are willing to break the law in doing so?” Overbeck said, leaning forward.

“God’s Word teaches that we ought to obey God rather than man, but we must follow His Spirit’s leading too,” Rolf said.

Mr. Overbeck turned over another photo. Rolf’s eyes glued onto the picture, and Overbeck allowed a smile to slowly spread across his lips. The picture was a snapshot of Svenja wearing an orange jumpsuit. A guillotine standing beside a concrete wall formed the grisly backdrop of the photo and sent shockwaves of fear through Rolf’s body. His own wife could be beheaded.

Overbeck slowly turned over another photo and Rolf felt chills run up his spine. It was an image of Svenja wearing her orange jumpsuit and lying down on the guillotine bench with her head locked into two parallel, metal pillories. A sharp, heavy blade hung over her neck in a grooved, metal frame.  

“What is this?” Rolf said, trembling.

“This was just an object lesson for you, Mr. Berger,” Overbeck said with an evil smile. “Svenja is not dead, yet. But, your wife will lose her head tonight if you don’t renounce your connections to underground Christians and renounce your illegal faith.”

“I, I can’t,” Rolf sputtered, feeling fear attacking him strongly. He was slightly relieved to know that Svenja was still alive. But, he couldn’t fathom losing her to a guillotine.

“You don’t sound so sure of yourself, Mr. Berger,” Overbeck said. “Perhaps, you need more time to think things through. If you don’t renounce your faith by 5:30 A.M., in the morning, you will see your dear wife executed in front of your eyes. But, if you do renounce your faith, you will be released and be free to return to your regular life, and she will be free as well. However, you will be required to turn in the first and last names of at least five underground Christians at the time you renounce your faith. That will prove that your decision is a sincere and honest choice.”

“I understand,” Rolf said gravely.

“I will now let you return to your cell to think this over,” Overbeck said, leaning forward with an evil glint in his eyes. “But, don’t make the wrong choice, Mr. Berger. It would be utterly foolish to do so.”

___________________

CLICK HERE FOR CHAPTER 11.

AN EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER 11 ("Concern in the Night"):

'... Suddenly, dense bushes 13 meters from Kevin rustled and someone or something pushed through ...'

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