It was then that Tony felt Someone whisper to him. It was so clear he turned to his right to see who was standing next to him. No one was there.
Tears filled his eyes again and this time he didn’t blink them away. He grabbed Arnie’s arm.
PRESCOTT OPENED THE LID to the chest. “Get in,” he ordered.
River shook her head. “I’m not going to do it. If you want to kill me, do it now. I won’t die that way. I just won’t.”
He grabbed her and turned her around, then he shoved her toward the trunk. It was old and smelled musty. It reminded her of the other one, and she was determined not to get inside.
“This is your last chance,” he said, pointing his gun at her. “Get in!”
River stood her ground. She wasn’t going inside that trunk. Not for any reason.
Get inside. Trust Me.
She started to tell Prescott to go ahead and shoot her when she realized he hadn’t said the words she’d just heard. She took a quick involuntary breath. Every fiber of her being screamed that she shouldn’t obey, but she’d heard a soft whisper that was stronger and more forceful than her fear of dying in the water. A deep sob ripped through her as she pushed herself to her feet, sat on the edge of the trunk, and swung her legs inside the old chest. It was difficult with her ankles bound.
“All the way,” Prescott ordered.
River forced her muscles to move, and she knelt down. Then she put her head down, her chin resting on her bent legs. It made it hard to breathe.
“I win,” Prescott said loudly. His laugh was obscene. “I beat you and your partner. He may not be dying tonight, but he’ll die inside when he pulls your body out of the river.”
“You’ve won nothing,” River said, her words muffled by her position and the knowledge that Tony would be crushed if Prescott succeeded.
“If I die here, God will take me home to be with Him. So you lose, David. No matter what you do, you still lose.”
Before she had a chance to prepare herself, pain exploded in the back of her head. He’d hit her again with his gun. She fought to stay conscious, but she felt herself slipping away. The last thing she heard was David Prescott cursing God’s name.
When she regained consciousness, she couldn’t see anything. It was dark and cold. And wet. She gasped loudly when she remembered where she was. In the Mississippi River, drowning.
“God, please,” she cried out. “Please don’t let me die here. I’m not ready. I haven’t told Tony that I love him. Please, Father.”
She stopped as she felt water in her mouth. She choked and gagged. Remembering the last time she was inside a trunk, she wiggled herself onto her side so she could get a few more breaths of air before the chest was completely submerged. She recalled begging for her life back then. Promising God she’d return to Him, but then turning her back once she’d been rescued. This time would be different. If she died, she would die praising Him for His love. For giving the life of His precious Son for people who hated Him. Who reviled Him. Even for people like David Prescott. It was the kind of love that was impossible to understand.
She tried to turn on her back, attempting to keep her head elevated, but she couldn’t. Suddenly, a song filled her mind, and she began to sing. The cold made her body tremble and her lips quiver. As well as she could, she sang, “My God is an awesome God, He reigns from heaven above . . .” She stopped as water filled her mouth and nose. It seemed that this time no one was going to pull her out. No one would save her. It wasn’t what she wanted, but if this was what was going to happen, it was okay. Fear was gone. She was getting ready to see the face of her Savior. The One who loved her more than anyone else.
She held her breath as long as she could, but she finally had to give up. She was so cold, it was as if she couldn’t control her muscles anymore. She felt herself drifting away. Then there was warmth, and she found herself standing in a field of flowers. She was amazed to see hues of color beyond anything she’d ever imagined. As if there were colors human beings had never seen. A warm breeze moved the flowers, and they sang. It seemed that everything around her was made of music. All of creation was praising God. There were no words in the English language to describe the beauty she beheld.
Suddenly she realized that Someone was walking toward her. He was made of light. She couldn’t clearly make out His features because his face was too bright. Somehow, she realized that she didn’t have the kind of eyes that could see His face. Not yet, anyway.
“Lord?” she whispered.
He came up and took her hands. “It’s not time for you to be with Me,” He said. “But you will be someday. I want you to always remember how much I love you. Never doubt it for a moment. You are my beloved daughter, and I am well pleased with you.”
River looked down at His hands and saw the scars on His wrists. She tried to tell Him how much she loved Him, but her vision grew misty, and He began to fade. The last thing she heard was “Don’t be afraid. I am with you.”
Peace flowed through her. Peace so strong, she realized that it was what she’d read about in the Bible. Peace that passed understanding. She smiled and drifted away.
CHAPTER
FORTY-EIGHT
River was suddenly aware of a bright light that surrounded her, but it didn’t feel like the light she’d seen before. She felt warm, but it was different too. Where was she?
“Lord?” she whispered. Her throat hurt and she was confused. There wasn’t supposed to be pain in heaven. What was wrong?
“You can call me Tony,” a voice said.
River forced her eyes to focus. Someone was standing over her. “Where . . . where . . . ?”
“You’re in the hospital, River. You’re going to be okay.”
She blinked several times, trying to clear her vision. The light was from the fixture overhead and the warmth came from the blankets that covered her. She could finally make out Tony’s face. “What . . . ?”
“Just save your voice,” Tony said. “You’ve had a tube down your throat. It will be a little sore for a while. When we found you, Prescott had thrown you into the river. We almost got there too late.”
“My phone?”
Tony nodded. “River, I swear God reminded me about that phone. I’d completely forgotten about it. Then, when we realized Prescott had found the tracker and we had no idea where you were, suddenly I could hear you telling me about that stupid phone. I remembered the number, even though I’d never written it down. I should have. It was stupid of me. I’m convinced it was God taking care of you. Arnie had your phone tracked and we found you. If we’d gotten there even a few minutes later . . .” He cleared his throat. “It’s a miracle the doctors brought you back.”
“Brought me back?” The pain in her throat brought tears to her eyes.
Before Tony could answer her, someone else came into the room.
“I heard you were awake.” An older man with gray hair stepped up next to River’s bed. “Do you know your name?”
River frowned at him. “Of course. I’m River Ryland,” she croaked. “And who are you?”
