called, he would be enabled. So he released what he had done, and had peace resting in that knowledge.
The Defining Question
There was great activity in Heaven this night as the great cloud of witnesses joined with brothers and sisters on earth in bringing America in prayer before God. Their prayers were directed by the light within and paralleled the prayer offered by Daniel, who while living in captivity in Babylon had stood before the Lord and prayed for himself and for his nation. The prayer in the 9th chapter of the Book of Daniel had been the subject of the Bookseller’s posting. Daniel had prayed:
O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love with all who love Him and obey His commands, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from Your commands and laws. We have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name…12
Daniel’s conclusion is the reason God was able to answer the prayer, for Daniel’s request reflected the truth that they were not worthy of an answer. He closed by praying,
Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of Your servant… We do not make requests of You because we are righteous but because of Your great mercy. O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For Your sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people bear Your Name.13
America, the “Christian” nation, whose people had proclaimed to the world to be “one nation under God,” desperately needed to repent. The only question was, would they? America’s future hung on the balance just like the Jewish nation living in the Babylonian captivity, dependent upon their answer to that single question.
Chapter 2
Kill the Children Now
Thursday, February 14–MD minus 25 days
It was a very straightforward plan. All they were to do was steal a car and drive to Kingdom Daycare, arriving around 7:45 AM after most of the parents would have dropped off their kids on their way to work. Two would storm the front door, and one would go around to the backyard to eliminate the teachers and kids in the playground area. They had five minutes to kill as many as possible, then race back to the car. Then they would drive to the designated drop zone — where it would be abandoned — so they could escape on the hiking trail. This path surrounded the city, and ultimately went all the way to Chicago. Returning to the house, they could rest in preparation for Saturday’s attack on the Jews.
There were no second thoughts that day. The second thoughts had come earlier as the forces of light attempted to open their eyes and draw each of the terrorists away from the evil that dominated their hearts. But free choice reigns in human hearts because God allows it to be so. Thus, they knowingly chose hate and death.
Ackmid Hasine spoke with cold dedication, “If you see any of those red-coated fools who partnered with Farsi, kill them quickly, so we don’t have another disaster like the church attack. There are only three of us left. The five cowards who would not fight with us have received their ‘reward.’ We must seek to survive as long as possible so that we can complete our mission, but do not be deceived — you will die today, Saturday, Sunday or soon thereafter. But before you are taken, we will have struck a blow these American infidels will never forget. Those cowards who claim our faith but will not stand with us will know the meaning of terror when they find the remains of the five, just like Farsi.”
In the invisible, Legion smiled approvingly. “They have learned well,” he thought. He watched with anticipation as their Keepers poured the Dark Master’s influence into their hearts and minds. “Death to the children of these infidels” was their mantra; “kill them now before they can grow to be enemies” was their mission.
Already present at Kingdom Daycare were Susan Stafford and Sam Will. They had arrived before 7:00 AM to be visible as the children were dropped off by the parents. At 7:30 AM, they separated, with Susan remaining at the front for any late arrivals and Sam at the back to be visible to the children playing there before formal activities began at 8:00 AM. Susan watched carefully for what she sensed was coming, yet she was strangely at peace.
The forces of light had been active early on this cold Thursday morning. They had awakened believers throughout the world with a compulsion to pray for children. Their prayers moved the Spirit to inspire Susan’s awareness and peace. Those called to pray wondered for whom the prayers had been solicited. Soon, everyone would know.
Air Force One landed right after Susan and Sam arrived at Kingdom Daycare. The president had been successful in slipping out of Washington without notice. As the plane taxied to a secured location under the protection of the Alpha Force, he too found himself strangely burdened to pray for children. So he did.
Back in Williams, an unmarked military vehicle had just picked up the Bookseller
and Paul Phillips at the warehouse to take them to meet with the president. As they left the city limits of Williams, the stolen vehicle driven by Ackmid Hasine arrived at Kingdom Daycare. The three in black hoods rushed from the car to their assigned positions, with automatic weapons raised. Janice Foster screamed and grabbed her child as she saw the three figures, pulling little Todd back into her car and falling on him in a single motion as he cried. Bullets pierced the glass flying over her now prone body and striking the other door. Hasine ran toward the car to finish his kill as the other two momentarily froze to watch.
Susan had seen the men as soon as they left the car and immediately ran from the front door toward them. She fired at Hasine, hitting him twice in the back as he had turned to kill the mother. He fell, hitting the car as the remaining two opened fire, striking Susan numerous times in the chest and legs. As she fell, Sam Will raced around the corner, firing at the terrorist who had been heading toward the backyard hitting him in the chest and face. The remaining terrorist quickly spun and returned fire, hitting Will in the arm, side, and leg. As he fell, the terrorist ran toward the door seeking to complete the job they had come to do. Up from the ground, another shot was heard that dropped the terrorist before he could reach the porch. Writhing in pain and cursing, he was immediately paralyzed as his spinal column was severed and his weapon slid out of reach.
Across the tracks, the gunshots had been heard by the Alpha Force team members assigned to secure College Church for the memorial service, and a strike force was immediately dispatched to address the threat. They arrived moments later, followed by the ITN camera crew who had been setting up for the service. Sam Will had crawled to Susan Stafford, holding her as she whispered, “Sam, there is a letter inside my jacket. Please read the letter. Forgive me. I’m so sorry,” and just like that, she was gone. But the end for Susan Stafford was very different from the two who came to kill the children, for as evil as she had been, she had been made a new creation in which ‘the old was gone.’14 She faced death and judgment as a sinner forgiven.
Sally Johnson and Pete Samson arrived soon after. Medical personnel were working with the critically injured terrorist and trying to stabilize Sam Will’s injuries — which although numerous, were not life-threatening. One medic observed to Sam, “Either you are the luckiest man on earth this morning, or God doesn’t want you dead yet.”
Before they separated him from Susan Stafford’s body, Sam had reached into the inside pocket of her jacket for the plastic bag containing the letter, now covered with her blood. He quickly breathed out the story of Susan’s last moments and gave the unopened plastic bag to Sally Johnson. She wiped the blood off and placed it in her coat pocket to read later.
Emerging from her car frightened and traumatized, but
