Hunted by Jerry B. Jenkins Read Free Book Online Page B

gladiators,” Sam muttered.
    Suddenly a curtain parted, and a man stepped forward. He wore normal-looking clothes, and his hair reached his shoulders. Sam noticed his eyes, which seemed to bore into the man with the severed arm. The long-haired man stooped and picked up the limb from the stage.
    The crowd hushed. The hero worship for the winner turned to silence as the man placed the severed arm back in place, grasped it with both hands at the point of the injury, and said, “I have been given power by the potentate. Therefore, under the authority of the risen lord, Nicolae Carpathia, I pronounce this wound healed.”
    The injured man lifted his once-severed arm and raised a bloody fist above his head. “It’s back! He healed my arm!”

6
    DID they do that with mirrors?” Sam said, his mouth still open at what he had just seen.
    â€œIt has to be a trick,” Aron said.
    Mr. Stein shook his head. “It is real power, but not the power of God. It is the power of the evil one.”
    Joel raised an eyebrow. “You mean Bible hocus-pocus?”
    â€œDo not be deceived. You’re seeing Scripture come to life. Leon Fortunato calls down fire from heaven by the power of Nicolae. This faker may attempt other miracles tonight to mock God.”
    The man with the healed arm picked up his sword and raised it in triumph with his new arm. People near the stage fell to their knees and worshiped the miracle worker.
    â€œDo not praise me, for I am only one sent by god,” Orcus said as he pointed to the statue of Nicolae. “I am simply his servant. Turn your affection to the one who has the power of life and death and who lives to serve you.”
    â€œPraise lord Carpathia!” the healed man said.
    â€œPraise him!” the crowd shouted.
    Smoke billowed from the image hovering over the crowd, and everyone lay down before it. Muffled praise rose from the people, and some began singing “Hail Carpathia.”
    When Orcus raised a hand, everyone quieted. “Your praise has been heard, and I assure you, lord Carpathia appreciates your reverence tonight. And to show you how much he loves you—” he swept his hand forward—“let there be light!”
    A great flash of white light bathed the audience. Instead of night, it seemed like day. Sam shielded his eyes and studied the lasers backstage. The light wasn’t coming from them but from overhead.
    Joel rubbed his forehead so hard that the bandage came off. Sam saw the mark of Carpathia beside scratches and blotched skin. “I’ve tried to get this off with sandpaper, even tried to cut the skin. But maybe Orcus is right. If he can do these things by the power of Nicolae …”
    â€œI need to talk to you now,” Mr. Stein whispered to Aron.
    Sam followed and Mr. Stein closed the door. “Your father and mother did not want to believe what I told them about God. But after I explained what the Bible says and they heard Dr. Ben-Judah, their eyes were opened. They understood God wanted a relationship with them and that the only way to escape the judgment coming upon this world was to receive the gift of Jesus Christ.”
    Aron sat and ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve wanted these past three years to be a bad dream. When you wrote, I thought you were mistaken. My parents could never turn their backs on their Jewish faith—”
    â€œThey haven’t. Jesus came to fulfill everything the Bible predicted.”
    With that, Mr. Stein walked Aron through the many prophecies foretelling the coming Messiah. These showed clearly that Jesus had uniquely fulfilled each prophecy and was truly the Son of God. Aron focused on Mr. Stein’s words and nodded, asking questions and listening carefully. “If what you’re saying is true, my brother has no hope.”
    â€œYou are right. Once a person voluntarily takes the mark, their eternity is sealed.”
    â€œEven if he took it