End of Days: The Hunted

Chapter 18

They all held an expression different from the other. Luke, Matt, and Rebecca frowned at each other of the news that was just revealed.

"What's a consatration cap?" asked Rachel curiously.

Tim put a hand on her shoulder, "Concentration camp. Like the ones used by the Nazis. Correct?"

"Yes, but for Christians." Tom said, "This is not good. We should get out of here quick."

"Wait!" Matt put up a hand, "I want to see it for myself."

"What? You don't believe us?" questioned Tom.

Mary looked at him with serious eyes. and he knew they were telling the truth.

"I believe you. I just want to see it for myself."

Luke stepped up, "I'll go with him. The rest of you go on. We'll catch up."

Luke and Matt slowly moved through the thick of the forest. Crouched behind some bushes, they peered at the camp. It was as Tom and Mary said, a concentration camp. It was an abandoned mine within the mountain side. Two men with light armor stood guard at the entrance as men and women walked back and forth in chains.

Matt looked toward Luke, "What do you think they're making them do in there?"

He thought for a moment, then spoke quietly, "I really don't know nor wish to find out. Let's get out of here."

"Hold on." Matt whispered as he pointed back toward the camp entrance.

There was a small child being dragged alongside his mother. One of the guards came over and pulled the child away from his mother and the mother screamed. The guard turned and smacked the woman. He then pulled a thick, steel baton and began beating her as she screamed for her child to run. Matt watched as the woman was beat. Tears ran down her dirty face and she cried for God to help her. The guard screamed, "There is no God!" It only took three hard smacks more to silence her cries.

The other guard started after the young child when the brutal one shouted, "Let him go! He'll just die in the forest!" He laughed loudly.

"Matt, let's go."

"No. We must do something."

"What?"

Matt looked at Luke, eyes watery and said dryly, "We must stop this."

"But what can we do?"

Matt pondered for a while and finally his face grew brighter. "I've got an idea."

The sky became dark, cloaked by pitch black. Not a single star shone on this night. Thunder quaked the earth and clouds hid the face of the moon. Saul found Safe Haven, the concentration camp. The name resembled a place to be safe, but the inside was death for those who claimed Jesus as their savior. Poor souls.

"Have you seen any traitors pass through here?" he asked as he confronted the haven guards.

"Just the ones sent here for work."

"Okay. Contact us if you see anything." he paused, "And don't take anything into your own hands, am I understood."

"Yes, sir!" the guard saluted.

Shadow lurked through the dark forest. He sensed something was going to happen, he wasn't sure what, but he knew something was off. He flipped on the night vision goggles attached to his helmet and started off again. He silently searched past what seemed to be millions and millions of trees. When he turned to see how far he had gotten, he realized that the camp was out of sight. He sighed. Might as well keep searching. He crouched when he saw a print in the dirt. It was from a boot. A workman's boot.

He looked up suddenly when he heard a loud crack.

A man started sprinting out of a bush. He was watching him. How could he be watched? Shadow was the man he usually done the ghost missions. Frustrated, he ran after the man. He could not let that man escape, he couldn't fail. As he got closer, he sprang after the silent sprinter and knocked him down. Shadow pointed a gun at the man on the ground. The man turned on his back, "Gotcha."

"Huh?" Shadow suddenly had a huge arm wrapped around his head and under his throat. The arm tightened and air became scarce to his lungs. Suddenly, the green and black of his goggles was filled with stars. Then he was completely out.

"Okay, so we got one of them. What now?" Luke asked curiously.

Matt grinned, "You'll see."