Corbin pursed her lips in thought. “No one’s ever asked me that before, but it explains a lot. Until now, I didn’t understand how he did it.”

“Did what?” Josh said, having finally stepped out of the elevator.

“How he evaded all of us. How he planned this attack and slipped into the school unnoticed, despite the entire campus being full of Watchers on high alert,” Corbin said. “He must be using a legion of demons under his control to amplify and spread out his power. In the Bible, in both Mark and Luke, Jesus confronts the demon-possessed man in Gerasenes. Jesus asks him his name, and the demon says, ‘I am Legion, for we are many.’ Remember, he casts them out and they go into a whole herd of pigs and the pigs jump into the sea and drown.”

Sarah Beth looked at her in awe. Corbin shook her head.

“Don’t be impressed,” she said with a smile. “I learned it in New Testament class last year. So what if Victor is possessed by many demons?”

A terrible and crushing silence hung between them while they each considered Corbin’s words and wrestled with the fear those words stoked inside.

Finally Corbin broke the silence and extended her hand like a team captain in a sports huddle. “Our brothers and sisters need us,” she said. “We’re the strongest. We have to help them.”

Sarah Beth put her hand on top of Corbin’s. “I’m in.”

Josh nodded and clapped his hand on top of hers. “Me too.”

When Michaela hesitated, they all turned to look at her.

“I’m afraid,” Michaela said, trembling.

“We all are.” Corbin smiled at her warmly. “But we’re stronger together than we are alone.”

Sarah Beth looked at her older schoolmate, her lip quivering. “It’s okay, Michaela,” she said, touching the girl’s arm. “I’m afraid too. I was terrified when Victor came at me. But then a Scripture popped into my head—from Deuteronomy. Do you want to hear it?”

The girl nodded and wiped tears from her cheeks.

“It says, ‘The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.’ I think God put that verse in my head because I don’t really remember learning it, but I sure know it now. Maybe we can believe it together? That God will go before us?”

Michaela gave her a tight smile and pressed her lips together, inhaling deeply through her nose. Then she slapped her hand on top of Josh’s. “Okay, I’m with you.”

CHAPTER
FORTY-SEVEN

C-130J, “VALLEY ONE”

ONE THOUSAND FEET OVER THE HARPETH RIVER

Jed and Eli performed buddy checks on each other’s gear while Johnny and Bex did the same. After getting the thumbs-up from Eli, he tugged one last time on his rifle sling, snugging the weapon tight to his chest. He nodded at the veteran, who nodded back and gave him another thumbs-up.