The Witness (30 page)

By the time he got them there, bullets were hitting all around them. People were screaming and running in panic. A passing camel grunted and fell to the ground, trapping its rider underneath.

As Marwan tried to figure out what to do next, the horror of last night’s dream flashed behind his eyes.
I will not let that happen! No matter what, that will not happen!

God, protect this family. Don’t let them die because of me. Take me; I’m ready to go. But please watch over these three.

Marwan peeked over the stone wall and got an eyeful of dust from a near miss. Abruptly he dropped back down. Rima was crying, and Dalia was trembling with fear as Naheem held the two of them close.

“These people are after me. I’m going to draw them away,” he said to Naheem, putting his hand on the big man’s shoulder. When he did, he felt that it was wet. He quickly pulled his hand away and saw that it was red with blood.

“I’m fine,” Naheem said with a determined look.

“But—”

“Go! Deal with the threat, soldier! I’ll watch over my family. You just be sure to take care of yourself.”

“Don’t you worry about that,” Marwan said with a fierce glint in his eyes. “I’ve got to survive. I’m planning on marrying your daughter.”

A savage smile spread across Naheem’s face as he pointed with his head for Marwan to go up the theater’s steps. Just before he turned to go, Marwan’s eyes caught Dalia’s. The look that passed between them said all that needed to be said. Then Marwan was off.

68

Marwan raced up the steps, zigzagging as he went. Bullets ricocheted all around him.
How many of them are there?
he wondered as he dove into the entrance of a small tomb.
There’s got to be at least four or five, probably more.

The darkness of the tomb and its elevation allowed him to survey the scene. He could see the Nours crawling into another access tunnel.
Excellent move, old man. Now just lie low.

It was mayhem down both sides of the canyon as people fled, but below him empty space had opened up.

He saw three men with machine guns running across the open area, heading for the theater. They were firing short bursts at him, keeping him pinned down. He managed to get three shots off in their direction. One of them connected.

Marwan hated being trapped, and he looked for an exit. There was nothing to his left, but to his right there was a small shaft of light. He chanced another look out. What he saw was not good. The two remaining gunmen were rapidly approaching, and two more were on their way, coming from the other direction.

I’ve got to get them away from Dalia’s family! I’ve got to keep moving!
The pain in his leg was growing steadily worse, and he knew he was losing blood.
Come on, make the most of the time you have left!

He ducked back into the cave and moved toward the light. As he drew close, he found a small opening. Beyond the gap was a narrow path that led to other caves and tombs that dotted the mountainside.

Wedging himself through, he stood up on the other side and immediately pressed himself against the stone. The path was little more than a ledge. One slip would plunge him seventy feet to the rocks below. He hugged the rock face and worked his way forward as quickly and carefully as he could, leaving a streak of red to mark his progress.

Somehow, Marwan managed to get to the next cave. He hunkered down there for a moment, trying to catch his breath and steady his nerves.
Think! What now? Those guys are moving twice as fast as you. You don’t have time to—

Suddenly a shadow blocked the entrance to the cave, quickly followed by gunfire. Surprised, Marwan began firing and didn’t stop until he saw the shadow fall backward off the cliff.

Before he could catch his breath, the barrel of an automatic assault weapon nosed around the corner. Bullets ricocheted off the cave walls, and the air filled with smoke. Marwan felt one round clip his arm and another take a chunk out of his ear.

He dropped flat and tucked himself into a corner to ride out the assault. When the firing stopped, Marwan pointed his gun toward the light and waited.

Patience, patience.

Eventually, way down low, the gunman poked just enough of his head around the corner for a bullet to send him down the cliff after his buddy.

Crawling to the front of the cave, Marwan looked both ways along the ledge. For the moment, it was clear. He jumped to his feet and had a moment of vertigo. Too much blood was pouring out of his leg for him to keep this going much longer.

Got to keep moving! There’s got to be safety somewhere! You stay here, eventually you’ll run out of either ammo or luck.

Marwan edged himself onto the ledge and worked his way farther down the cliff face. His head was spinning and he was having trouble keeping his balance. Shouts from below echoed up the rock wall. He’d been spotted, and now he was a sitting duck.

As he prepared to be picked off, the wall suddenly gave way to an old rock stairway leading to the top of the mountain. He hurried up the steps as fast as his wounded leg would let him.

Something slammed into his back. As he stumbled forward, he heard the distinctive report of a sniper rifle. He started gasping for breath even before he hit the ground, and he knew that one of his lungs was collapsing.

Got to keep moving,
he thought as he pulled himself along the dirt.
Got to keep . . .

69

When Marwan came to, he saw a tall, gaunt man standing over him. He was flanked by two other men, and they all had murder in their eyes.

“Well, well,” the man in the center said, “if it isn’t the great Marwan Accad.”

Marwan said nothing.

“Allow me to finally introduce myself. I am Inspector Marcel Lemieux. Perhaps you’ve heard of me.”

Marwan’s breath was coming in short gasps, but he managed to say, “My brother . . . knows everything. . . . He’s got men . . . in Brazil . . . hunting Claudette Ramsey.”

“Claudette is in hiding,” Lemieux said with a sad shake of his head. “And Ramy is in jail. But don’t worry, I’ll take care of him next.”

“I don’t believe—”

“Enough! I don’t care what you believe! You’ve caused me enough trouble, and now your time is at an end.”

As Marwan watched Lemieux point the gun at his head, he was amazed at the peace he felt. Rather than facing death alone, he was going to meet his God. And when he did, he’d have the right answer to that question Naheem asked him earlier.

He closed his eyes.

An enormous roar filled the air, and a violent rush of wind stirred up a thick cloud of dust on the mountaintop. Had Lemieux pulled the trigger already? Marwan opened his eyes again, only to see a helicopter rising quickly above the cliff’s edge. The aircraft hovered near the group of men.

“Put your weapons down, Lemieux!”
a voice said over the chopper’s loudspeaker.
“All of you, don’t make it worse for yourselves! Claudette Ramsey has confessed to everything in São Paulo. It’s over! Put your weapons down, drop to your knees, and put your hands behind your heads!”

Lemieux’s men did what they were told. But Lemieux himself refused to be taken that easily. He fired through the dust at the helicopter—round after round. The pilot banked left, then right, then circled the entire mountaintop, trying to stay out of Lemieux’s line of fire. When the inspector’s gun was empty, he quickly dropped the clip out and reached into his pocket for another.

Marwan saw his chance. He pushed himself to his feet and fell onto Lemieux. The gun dropped from Lemieux’s hands and went skittering across the rocks. Lemieux swung and kicked, trying to get Marwan’s deadweight off his back.

Marwan saw one of Lemieux’s men reach for his gun, but three shots rang out and the man slumped to the ground. Knowing he couldn’t hold on much longer, he began working his hands up Lemieux’s shoulders. When he reached the man’s long neck, he closed them tight.

Lemieux reached up to pull Marwan’s fingers away, but his grip was too strong. He held for Kadeen; he held for Rania and the girls; he held for Rafeeq Ramsey and his twelve-year-old daughter. Tighter and tighter he squeezed, until Lemieux dropped to his knees. Using his own weight, Marwan pulled him backward until they were both facing the sky with Lemieux stretched out on top of him. The inspector was flailing now, and Marwan felt things begin to pop in the man’s neck.

“Marwan, no! Don’t do it—please!”

He was stunned. It was Dalia’s voice.

Her eyes red with tears, she was walking toward him. Naheem and Rima were following behind, and just beyond them, Marwan could see the helicopter touching down.

“Marwan, please, it’s not right,” she cried. “Don’t become like him.”

Slowly Marwan released his grip. Lemieux rolled off of him, coughing and gasping for air. A moment later, Naheem was on top of the man, keeping him down with a knee to his back.

Dalia dropped next to Marwan and cradled his head in her lap. Rima came up behind her and stood praying.

“I know you wanted us to stay put,” Dalia said as she held him close, “but we saw the helicopter and we had to come. I’m so sorry.”

With his breathing so shallow, Marwan was unable to get any more words out, so he simply mouthed “I love you” to Dalia.

“I love you, too,” she said through her tears. “So very much.”

Everything was getting hazy for Marwan, and he bounced in and out of consciousness. The second time he came to, Ramy was there helping to lift him onto a makeshift stretcher.

“We got you now, Big Brother! We’re getting you out of here.”

Marwan tried to smile but wasn’t certain if he was successful or not. So he blinked instead, but when he opened his eyes, he saw he was being loaded onto the helicopter.

Just beyond the crowd surrounding him, two uniformed deputies were handcuffing the last of Lemieux’s men. Lemieux himself was also cuffed and was being held tightly by a European-looking man in a dark blue suit.

Marwan’s body was jostled around as his stretcher was strapped to the floor. He knew that it should hurt, but he really wasn’t feeling much of anything anymore. Ramy climbed in and sat at his feet; then Dalia followed and sat by his head.

Through the encroaching blackness, Marwan saw Dalia’s face and felt her cool hand stroking his cheek and forehead. In her eyes was so much life, so much love.
There’s no way I’m letting this take me away from her. Forget it. We’ve got a whole life to spend together.

Marwan fought to keep consciousness, but it was a losing battle. The last thing he saw before the peaceful blackness enveloped him was a cheap, already-peeling Egyptian ring sitting firmly on the third finger of Dalia’s left hand.

About the Author

Josh McDowell
received a master’s degree in theology from Talbot Theological Seminary in California. In 1961, he joined the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ International. Not long after, he started the Josh McDowell Ministry to reach young people worldwide with the truth and love of Jesus.

Josh has spoken to more than ten million young people in eighty-four countries, including more than seven hundred university and college campuses. He has authored or coauthored more than seventy books and workbooks and has sold more than 51 million copies worldwide. Josh’s most popular works are
More Than a Carpenter
, which has been translated into over eighty-five languages and sold more than 15 million copies, and
The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict
, recognized by
World
magazine as one of the twentieth century’s top forty books. Josh continues to travel throughout the United States and countries around the world, helping young people and adults bolster their faith and scriptural beliefs.

Josh has been married to Dottie for more than thirty years and has four children. Josh and Dottie live in Dallas, Texas. Visit his Web site at www. josh.org.