Mark Within Salvation: Onoma Series Book 3

Mark Within Salvation

Onoma Series Book 3

Alisa Hope Wagner

Dedication

Daniel, my high school sweetheart and soul mate.

Isaac, my first-born son and prophet.

Levi, my brown-eyed boy and shepherd.

Karis Ruth, my cherished girl and graceful companion.

Christina, my amazing twin.

Acknowledgments

Every time I complete the process of writing, editing and preparing a book for publication, I’m reminded of how much work it takes and how much help I need. Writing a book is a solitary process, but preparing it for publication takes a team of friends. I am amazed at how each person who offers his or her time, energy and effort toward my book, shapes it in a unique and wonderful way. I am grateful for all the hands that have gently embraced my story and added a diversity of soul to it. I want to offer my heartfelt thanks to Patti Coughlin, Kerry Johnson, Shay Lee, Gina Martinez, Robin McNaueal, Faith Newton, Jennifer Smith, Daniel Wagner and Bernadine Zimmerman. I value all your encouragement, insights and corrections!

Moreover, the life of writing definitely involves my family. My husband and three amazing kids make daily compromises in order to give me the time to write. I don’t take their sacrifice for granted, so I use my writing time wisely. Thank you to my husband, Daniel, and my children—Isaac, Levi and Kiki—for giving me a few hours every day to write books that honor God.

Finally, without Jesus Christ none of my writing would be possible. He is the one Who makes the fool wise, and I am a fool without the Holy Spirit’s presence and guidance in my life. Thank You, God, for calling me a writer when I didn’t yet deserve the title. But most of all thank You for calling me a Child of God when I could never earn it.

This is a work of speculative fiction. Names, characters, governments, languages, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons or actual events is purely coincidental.

Introduction

In a single year, Ruth has fully embraced Colonial life with her fighter husband, Bear, and the existence she once found revolting has now given her true meaning and happiness. She and her growing family of dissident friends have discovered a way to infiltrate the World Government undetected, creating chaos in the system to loosen the government’s increasing attempts for power and domination. Zach, Ruth’s brother, and his tech-genius friend, Li, go on a journey to spread the web of Pastor Tom’s underground communication network and unearth Neil Elder’s disturbing plan to save on production costs in a world with limited natural resources. A hunt is unleashed for the culprits of the World Bank’s first robbery, and the life of efficiency moves beyond production and into the realm of pomp, artistry and human ingenuity.

“Do not limit the limitless God! With Him, face the future unafraid because you are never alone.” - Lettie Cowman

CHAPTER ONE

“This is a terrible idea,” Zach said, staring out of the car window to the towering building across the street. His normally pale face flushed with apprehension. “What makes us think we can just leisurely walk into the World Bank, grab a bunch of jewelry and make it out of the city? Tom is out of his mind if he thinks we can get away with this. We are driving a gas-powered car. They will know we are Colonials. Bear will literally kill me—kill me!—if anything happens to Ruth! He will put me in a chokehold and squeeze until every ounce of breath has left my body!”

“You have been in the World Bank before,” Ruth said, staring at her brother’s profile from the back seat. She could see sweat trickle down his cheek. “Tom has prayed over it, and we have planned every detail. Jonah will be there too. I feel that everything will be okay. Bear would not kill you—though, he may put you in a chokehold,” she said with a slight smile.

Zach looked back to his sister. “Your new-found wit doesn’t humor me one bit. And you feel it? What happened to my sister who is all logic and no gut? What you feel doesn’t make me feel any better. We should just leave right now before everyone sees you. Tom can find another way to raise the funds for his rebellion.”

“What other way, Zach? Do you think it is a coincidence that I collected millions of dollars of jewels and that I still have my keycard? If it were not for the pearls that God had me put in my pocket a year ago, I would not be alive today. I needed funds to get back home. There are lives at stake. We need money to help people and to accomplish God’s work and the funds for that are sitting in my vault.”

“Look you two,” Li said, as his eyes continually scanned the scene beyond the windows. “You need to make a decision now. Ruth’s card expires tomorrow. The bank must let her in the vault. There is no precedent for this, and they won’t want to make a scene. The last thing the World Bank wants is publicity from a dead, famous woman, especially Eve Pallue. And don’t forget. All of our lives are at stake here. The World Government thinks I’m dead too.”

“You’re right, Li. We are all taking a great risk. I fear for all of us.” Zach furrowed his eyebrows and turned fully to face his sister, gripping the headrest of his seat. “I’ve prayed. I have no clarity.”
“Zach, I think you have no clarity because you are too emotionally involved. I know Jonah will be there, and the longer you wait, the more we compromise our position,” Ruth said.

“I just wish God would give me a sign. I know I shouldn’t have to always ask for one, but I need something. There is too much at stake. At least a single word!”

“Star!” Li blurted out.

Zach looked toward Li. His tan face dripped with sweat and his knuckles were almost white from clutching the wheel too tightly.

Li hesitated. “Star—I don’t know. I just felt that word just now in my mind. Does it mean anything?”

Zach sat stunned for a few seconds. Suddenly, the anxiety on his face transformed to determination. “Ruth, let’s do this. Li, we will be right back with millions worth of jewelry, so don’t go anywhere.”

“Yeah, right. I’ll hold back from going to that café we passed on our way here,” Li said, leaning his forehead on the steering wheel.

Zach opened his door and stepped out. He wore a tailored suit that Ruth had made. He slipped on his sunglasses and ran his hand through his blonde hair, causing his fingers to get stuck. He forgot that Pilar had put some sort of product in his hair to keep his hair from falling into his face. He untangled his fingers and hastily opened the passenger door to let Ruth out.

Ruth wore a black pantsuit that she had also made. Pilar came over early that morning and applied her makeup and curled her long hair into soft waves. She wore black, scuffed heels a size too big and carried a tattered briefcase—all items traded for at the last bazaar. As Zach led the way across the city street, she walked a few steps behind him.

Zach wished he could be accompanying Ruth as a Runner, not as her Bodyguard. He felt like a phony, and he tried to mimic the Bodyguards he had seen briefly in the past. They always carried themselves with confidence and slight cockiness. He prayed that Li’s attempt to change his Runner status to Bodyguard status had worked. He knew Li was smart, but he didn’t feel like betting his life on it just yet.

They arrived too soon at the doors to the World Bank, and Zach floundered at grabbing the handle to open the door for Ruth. Ruth gave him a brief, irritated look. Zach wondered if she was truly annoyed or if she was simply playing the part.

As they entered the expansive lobby, Zach was grateful that the vicinity was relatively empty. Most desks were void of personnel and only a few clerks stood behind the long counter toward the back of the lobby. A man saw them enter from one of the glass-enclosed offices and began to make his way toward the entrance. Zach knew this short, heavyset white man was not Jonah. He stopped feeling his heart pound. He was just about to tell Ruth to forget the entire thing when a deep, voice rang over the intercom.

“Simpson, you are needed in the security center immediately.” The words boomed off the immense walls.

The man stopped abruptly. He gestured toward Zach and Ruth and said, “Wait.”

He turned and headed toward the hallway situated between his office and the lobby counter. Suddenly, a large, dark man wearing a suit appeared from the hallway. He stopped for a moment, glancing momentarily where Zach and Ruth stood. He said a few curt words to the man before walking into the lobby. The other man disappeared down the hall.

Zach knew he was seeing Jonah for the first time, but he couldn’t get over how intimidating the man was. When Ruth talked about him, he envisioned a large, sweet teddy bear. This man was a giant with a no-nonsense expression on his face. As he walked closer to where he and Ruth were standing, Zach couldn’t help thinking that he was about to be tackled to the ground.

“How may I help you?” his voice rolled out like an ocean tide. “My name is Matt Coughlin.”

“Uh—yes, I’m here to assist my client in opening her vault,” Zach stammered.

“You nervous, son?” Jonah asked with a twinge of humor in his voice.

“No, sir. Not at all,” Zach said.

“You know,” Jonah said, as he grabbed the print identifier from the attachment on his belt. “There is no need to be nervous at the World Bank. We know and see everything here. We are protected from all danger and every threat.”

Zach didn’t know if Jonah was trying to be threatening or encouraging.

“Place your thumb here,” Jonah said.

Zach instantly brought his thumb to the identifier, like he had done so many times in the past as a Runner. He silently prayed that his profile would come up as a Bodyguard.

Jonah stared at the screen and then back at Zach. “You’re kind of lean to be a Bodyguard, aren’t you?”

Zach smiled awkwardly. “Well, what I lack in mass, I make up in skill.”

“I see that you are not carrying?” Jonah said, nodding to his belt.

“I have a leg holster,” Zach said, patting his trousers.

“Let’s just hope you don’t blow off your foot,” Jonah said.

Then Jonah’s eyes reverted to Ruth, and he paused for a moment. “You look well this morning, Miss. How are you feeling today?”

Ruth said nothing for a long moment and stared at Jonah. “Well,” Ruth said in T-variety. “Business.”

“Yes, I’m sure you have business to attend to. Let me get your thumbprint, so we can get you started.”

Ruth raised her right thumb to the print identifier. The scars on her hand became evident.

“What happened to your hand?” Jonah asked, concern rising in his voice.

“Accident. Infant,” Ruth said, placing her thumb to the identifier.

Zach noticed that Jonah’s countenance instantly changed. He now saw the man that Ruth had described. “She doesn’t like to talk about it,” Zach interjected, trying to repair the façade of generalities that was shattering.

The print identifier made a noise that Zach had never heard.

“It can’t read your print,” Jonah whispered. “You have no identity.”

Zach looked at Ruth’s hand. It had been burned, but the markings were so faded now that he was used to it. “What do we do now?”

Jonah stood for a second thinking. Suddenly, he put his print identifier back on his belt and gently took Ruth by the arm. “You will have to wait outside while Zacchaeus Daniels does his transaction.”
“What do you mean?” Ruth asked confused.

“Do you have the bank card?” Jonah asked.

“Yes,” she nodded.

“Give it to the Bodyguard. He will have to make the transaction for Eve Pallue.”

Ruth fumbled her hand into her pocket and handed the card to Jonah.

“Give it to the Bodyguard,” Jonah repeated. “Along with your briefcase.”

Zach took the card and the briefcase. “How will this work?”

“I will show you to the vault in a moment. This woman must leave now for her own protection. I will escort her out. You wait here.” Jonah carefully pulled Ruth by the arm and started walking toward the entrance. When he reached the doors, he opened them and turned his back to the cameras he knew were positioned on the ceilings behind him.

“Your identity is safe. God must want you to stay hidden. When you get in the car, hide on the floor of the backseat. The cameras can’t see you there. I’ll explain everything to Zach.”

“Just tell me,” Ruth said. “How did you survive? And how did you find me?”

“I fell to the flat under yours. There was nothing there. The water system kicked on and woke me up. I looked to the ceiling and noticed the fire was contained to a single area in your home, like it had been positioned to burn one way. By then crowds of people were leaving and the fire alarms were sounding. I made my way to the security room and it was empty. I wanted to see if you had made it out, but all the video cameras were off.”

“Randall must have turned them off before he entered my flat,” Ruth said. “He’s good at starting fires and covering his tracks.”

Jonah nodded. He continued, “I walked to the parking garage and noticed spots of blood, leading to where my truck was parked. Thankfully, my vehicle was gone, and I knew you had made it. I took off my shirt and wiped the blood leading to the stairwell, and the sprinkler system in the building covered your tracks up to that point. I found out later that you had fallen, leaving a tooth behind. I’m sorry you were injured so badly. When I finally arrived at Miss Christina’s house, you were gone. I wanted to go find you, but I felt God tell me to stay. I buried Christina’s body and took over her LPS. I then waited by the monitor for more than two weeks to find you.”

“How did you know how to find me online?” Ruth asked.

“I waited for someone to search for one name—Naomi Watson. That’s when I found Thomas Isaacs.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that you were alive?” Ruth asked.

“I didn’t know who I could trust. You must not tell anyone who doesn’t already know who I am. I’ll continue my discourse through Tom. I have to finish my assignment on this end. Everyone has an important role to play, including you, Eve. Keep writing those articles. They are changing the environment around here.”

“Do you think they will recognize me?” she asked

“Not one bit. They’ll never know that you were here,” he said.

“Then Eve is truly dead,” Ruth said matter-of-factly. “My name is Ruth now.”

Jonah nodded. “Ruth it is. Now, you better go. Charlie is in the vehicle?”

“Yes,” Ruth nodded. “He goes by Li.”

“Okay, he and Zach are now blacklisted. They must separate themselves from you and everyone they know until this thing is done. They have only a day or two before they go looking for them.”

“Will you not get in trouble?” Ruth asked. “Won’t they see the video of you and me at the vault when my pearl necklace broke a year ago?”

“No, I already took care of that. I’ve become quite good at erasing video feeds. God has already given me a plan. The only thing I need to figure out is how Zach got your bank card in the first place.”

Ruth smiled. “He stole it from me, remember? When he installed my new Sleeper a year ago.”