Devil's Island by John Hagee Read Free Book Online Page B

where an angel led Peter out of prison. He went to the house where his fellow disciples were praying, and when he knocked on the door, the maid—”
    â€œRhoda!” Rebecca said. “I remember her name.”
    â€œYes, Rhoda. She was so excited to learn that it was Peter at the door, she ran to tell everyone about his miraculous escape—and forgot to let Peter inside.” Servius chuckled briefly and then became sober. “Perhaps we will hear a knock on the door even at this hour, and it will be our master, or young Jacob and the Apostle.”
    Moisture brightened Elizabeth’s eyes. “Let it be so,” she murmured. “Let it be so.”
    Elizabeth watched her daughter’s head drop almost to her chest, then pop back up. “It must be almost daylight by now,” Elizabeth said as she stood up from the sofa where she’d sat next to Rebecca for most of the night.
    One of the women rose stiffly from the floor. “Ma’am, would you like me to prepare a light meal?” she asked.
    â€œYes, but just bread and oil with some fruit or cheese. And serve everyone here. We’ll make room at the table.”
    One of the kitchen helpers left with the cook, and a moment later Elizabeth heard a knock at the door. But it was not the knock they had hoped for. It was a thunderous pounding, accompanied by shouts of “Open up!”
    One of the servants, a young girl, shrieked in terror and someone clamped a hand over her mouth.
    The dining room opened onto the atrium, directly across the courtyard from the main door of the villa. The shouting was so loud that every word could be heard clearly by those inside.
    â€œIn the name of Lord Domitian, Emperor of Rome, open this door or we will break it down!”
    No one moved. Rebecca clung to her mother, and several of the servants began to pray out loud. The pounding stopped suddenly but was followed by a mighty cracking sound as the solid wooden door splintered and crashed to the ground.
    Elizabeth stepped from the dining room into the atrium, Rebecca and Servius close behind her. “We’re in here,” she said firmly. “And I will thank you not to trample my house the way you’ve just ruined that door.”
    Her calm dignity momentarily halted the soldiers streaming through the broken entry. A centurion came to the front of the marauders.
    â€œYou are holding illegal meetings here,” he said to Elizabeth. “We have orders to remove everyone from the house and take you before the authorities to answer charges.”
    Several soldiers had already routed the others out of the dining room, using their long spears to prod the terrified group into the atrium. “Search the rest of the house,” the centurion ordered his troops. A half-dozen soldiers went up the staircase and another group scattered through the main floor of the villa.
    Elizabeth prayed silently and tried not to let her rising fear show on her face. I know that my Redeemer lives, she thought over and over as she listened to the heavy thud of boots moving from room to room.
    In a few minutes, Naomi’s voice drifted down the stairs. “Get your filthy hands off me. I am perfectly capable of walking unassisted.” She maintained an imperious tone as she strode into the atrium, clad only in her sleeveless tunic, her long hair cascading down her back. Quickly discerning who was in charge, Naomi walked over to the centurion. “There’s been some mistake,” she said. “I am not one of them !”
    The centurion circled Naomi slowly, eyeing her from head to toe. He lifted her thick mane of hair and held it on top of her head for a moment before letting it fall. “I believe I saw this little vixen at the baths yesterday,” he said.
    â€œSo you did.” Naomi smiled seductively. “I told you I was not one of them,” she repeated. She appeared serenely poised, but her hands were balled into tight