The Forsaken (The Chosen Series Book 2), Patricia Bell [e textbook reader .txt] 📗

Panicked, Rachel screamed.

Chapter 30 ― Malachi

The time had come. It was May fifteenth, and Malachi was all nerves as he stood behind the market stall and watched the crowd of English stroll by. Questions and doubts plagued him. Why hadn’t he been clearer? He hadn’t told them a time or a meeting place. They couldn’t just walk up to the booth. That would be way too dangerous. Did they even understand the message?

He thought back to Abigail. He’d visited her every night and brought her food. He was so thankful to Daniel for opening the vent. It made things much easier for him to give her things. Jonah had covered for him every day and knew exactly what was going on. Malachi was taking a huge chance by telling him, but he needed the man’s help.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Malachi noticed a couple looking at rugs only three booths away from his. From behind it could easily be Jonathan and Rebecca but he wasn’t sure. He’d never seen either of them in English clothing. Would they even look the same? The couple turned and walked in the opposite direction without a glance his way.

It was almost noon already, and his nerves were on end.

“You need to go to the restroom, Brother Malachi?” Jonah said, coming back from the facilities himself.

“No, thank—” Understanding hit him as Jonah’s eyes pressed. “You know, I did drink a bit too much water. Maybe I should go now before the afternoon rush.” He looked at Elder Joseph.

The man nodded. “Good idea. Hurry back.”

Jonah came closer and whispered, “behind,” then went back to folding blankets neatly.

Malachi nodded his thanks and rushed off to the back of the restroom building. His heart suffered palpitations at the thought of finally meeting with them and of all the things that could go wrong.

As soon as he approached the back of the building, he spotted them immediately. How he thought he would not be able to recognize them now seemed foolish.

“Jonathan,” he called as the two embraced. “Rebecca,” he nodded to Luna.

“Luna,” she answered.

“Right. My apology.” He turned back to Jonathan. “It is good to see you are well. How is Rachel?”

“She just gave birth to a healthy baby boy,” Luna said.

Malachi tried to be polite to Luna. He didn’t want her to be in danger, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that everything bad had started when she came to the community. Before that everything had been fine. Well mostly.

“I have news for you.” Malachi focused on Jonathan. “Things are very bad. Abigail has been imprisoned inside a chamber in the home of the High Prophet. She is not well. I fear she will die if she does not get help.”

Luna’s hand went to her mouth. “I knew it,” Luna cried. “My dreams were right.”

“You dreamed of her?” Malachi turned to Luna.

“Yes. She’s in a dark room chained to a pole. And her face . . . she’s been hit. It’s swollen and bruised. Her clothes are dirty and torn. She cries out to me every night.”

Malachi could not believe his ears. Still, he went on. “We must get her out of there. And as pressing as that is, I have other news just as disheartening.”

“Someone is after us,” Jonathan said.

Malachi nodded. “How did you know? Has someone—”

“My father died trying to warn us,” Jonathan said.

“And the two of us were almost run off the road by a crazy guy in a dark car.”

Dead? Malachi turned to Jonathan. “What do you mean? Naaman is not dead.”

Jonathan gave a wary glance to Luna and then back to Malachi. His face turned white. “He is. We saw it with our own eyes. He had come to warn us and was killed by a big vehicle.”

“An SUV,” Luna confirmed. “Right in front of my mother’s house.”

“No, no. Naaman is away with the sister community in Tucson.”

“What?” Jonathan stared at him, blankly. “What sister community?”

Malachi felt like an idiot. Elder Aaron had lied to them when he stood in front of the entire congregation and told them about the new community of believers that had formed in Tucson. Brother Naaman had been sent to help them build. Now it seemed ridiculous. An entire community in Tucson? Where did they come from? Did they just sprout up out of the ground? And why send one single man to help them build? They had been deceived. How many other lies had they been fed?

“Never mind. Just another one of their lies.”

“What can we do?” Luna asked.

“We need to get Abigail out of there. She has been sentenced to die. Daniel and I have brought her food and water but—”

“Wait – Daniel? Who is Daniel?” Jonathan asked.

Malachi understood their confusion. It was forbidden for anyone in the community to bear that name except for the High Prophet and his successor.

“The son of the High Prophet. He is my informant. He came to me in the night and told me of all these things I have told you.”

“But wait. What if he is setting you up?” Jonathan asked.

“He is not.”

“How do you know?” Luna pressed.

“He has risked serious trouble several times to get word to me. The last time, a week ago, his face had been slashed. He told me his father hit him because he caught him in the room next to where Abigail is being kept. It is a hidden room in the walls.”

“A hidden room in the walls?” Jonathan asked.

“I do not understand it myself, but in that room is loads of money. Daniel says it is stacked on shelves. More than anyone can count.”

“Is that where the money came from?” Luna asked. “The money that was delivered to us?”

“I tried to pay him. He said he would not take my money. His name is Marcus, and he used to work for the High Prophet.”

“How can we get Abigail out?” Luna asked.

“I have thought long and hard. The only thing I know for sure is