The Search: Living Stone: Two

By Debra McIntyre

The author of The Dance presents a new supernatural thriller.

The Living Stone believers face an adversary more powerful than any they have ever encountered. An evil trio aligns with the stronghold of darkness to unleash a vicious attack. They summon one of heavens ancient enemies and begin their assault with the very fragile Francesca.

Francesca battles heavens archenemy as she races to rescue her new love before he is lost forever. Her agonizing search takes her to an ancient abbey that protects another of heavens gateways. She embarks on a thrilling journey in an unexpected realm to search for him.

Two new warriors arrive from the heavenly city to join Francesca and the Living Stone believers in a terrifying battle to reclaim one of their own. Together they race to defeat the ancient evil and save a precious life.

The Search is a Christian adventure that challenges readers to search and fight for the lost.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Oct 21, 2013
• ISBN: 9781490811406

Debra McIntyre

Debra McIntyre has worked with teens in crises for over twenty years. She is seriously concerned about young women but is encouraged by the powerful impact that women of faith have on our daughters. Debra resides in Kingwood, Texas, a suburb of Houston.

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Debra McIntyre

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Copyright © 2013 Debra McIntyre.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4908-1141-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-1142-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-1140-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013918400

WestBow Press rev. date: 10/17/2013

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1 Fall Tour

Chapter 2 Midnight Swim

Chapter 3 Space In Between

Chapter 4 The Troops

Chapter 5 New Adventure

Chapter 6 Preparations

Chapter 7 From Now On

Chapter 8 Never the Same

Chapter 9 Equipped

Chapter 10 The Next Level

Chapter 11 Seriously

Chapter 12 Collision Course

Chapter 13 Spirits Past

Chapter 14 Sparklers

Chapter 15 A Different Course

Chapter 16 Math

Chapter 17 Ready

Chapter 18 Peter Pan

Chapter 19 Upgrade

Chapter 20 Cinderella

Chapter 21 The Ball

Chapter 22 The Cliffs

Chapter 23 Retreat

Chapter 24 Whatever It Takes

Chapter 25 On the Ledge

Chapter 26 The Guild

Chapter 27 Traveling

Chapter 28 #SS2-16

Chapter 29 Only One

Chapter 30 Christmas

Chapter 31 Waiting

Epilogue The Right Answer

Dedicated to my sister who touches hearts and

lives in miraculous ways every day!

Prologue

CONCEALED IN THE Pyrenees Mountains between the borders of Spain and France, the citadel rose ominously from the surrounding forest. It was accessible only by a private airstrip or from an obscure, gated road. Two sides of the property were shielded by sheer cliffs plummeting sharply into the sea. The walls of the inner fortress held centuries of wicked schemes and evil plots. The demise of many godly and unsuspecting people had been designed within its stone tower.

The ancient fortress shrouded the machinations of three evil matrons who partnered with the forces of darkness to gain a foothold with the immortals. They were responsible for atrocities against humanity having been aligned with a recently defeated demon. Without Gaspar’s covering, their citadel would provide little defense against his competitors. Soon Gaspar’s powerful rivals, titans of darkness, would assault the three witches.

Wulfeva was grieving the most for Gaspar; she was his companion from the beginning of history in the known world. Her sisters, Freda and Agnes, would fight beside her. Their most valuable collateral would be in destroying the Christian believers responsible for Gaspar’s defeat—all three were in agreement to unleash a wave of revenge and devastation against the believers from Living Stone.

They would begin with Barrett’s precious Francesca.

One

Fall Tour

WE OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED the Beloved tour in Houston leaving Living Stone far behind. We had been on the road for several weeks traveling first to Austin, San Antonio, and El Paso. Two nights ago we were in Flagstaff, Arizona, and this morning at 6:22 a.m. we were watching the sunrise from the Grand Canyon.

In the past several months, I had watched the sunrise from Central America and northern Italy. With each new sunrise, I learned how to worship and praise God more deeply. I acknowledged my total need for the love and mercy of my Savior every day. This sunrise completely overwhelmed me with the enormity of the canyon and the immense vista. I was humbled God had called me to be a part of his divine plan and felt my heart would burst at this magnificent display of his majesty.

I could see Stephen felt the same, and we were totally speechless for the few short minutes it took for the sun to take its place in the eastern sky. The light reflected off my Beloved necklace which Stephen gave me on the night we pledged our hearts to each other. We slowly faded back into reality and into each other’s arms.

Francesca, I love you, he whispered.

Each time he said my name, I became oblivious to everything and everyone around me.

We were so much in love and had become inseparable since my return from captivity in a Central American jungle camp. I was very grateful Stephen’s brother, Steele, and band member, Becca were to be married at Christmas. In addition, his oldest brother, Sawyer, and our road manager, Ellie were newlyweds. I was new to all this romance, and at times it could be overwhelming. However, everyone was focused on their own partners. Stephen and I were able to enjoy being together without too much undue attention.

So far, the tour was going well. I was accustomed to being on the road as a former member of a professional dance company. The audience and atmosphere, however, were very different. I was still adjusting to the Christian rock crowds and the extended ministry at the conclusion of all of the concerts. Ellie had done a great job of adapting the logistics to include my performance, but I was already wondering what the future held for me as a member of the group after this tour.

My dancing career took an unexpected turn after coming home to Living Stone. I originally planned to join a dance company, but other forces intervened in my life. My heart was changed, and I was learning to answer the call of God in my life. My small contribution was making a difference in the hearts and lives of many people, and my ability to minister to the needs of others was growing stronger each day.

I was also happy being close to Stephen. We were committed to facing the challenges of the future together having endured a horrible ordeal the previous summer. Both of us were working on degrees through distance learning programs and could usually be seen buried in our laptops. We also set time aside each day for Bible study and maintaining a devotional blog. The tour bus was relatively comfortable, and each couple had carved out their own personal space. This was our home for the next several weeks. I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.

I would be glad to get to southern California, however. Since we had left San Antonio, the highway seemed endless with thousands of tumbleweeds, cacti, and never-ending desert. I was excited about the trek up the California coastline and seeing the ocean every day. Our first stop would be in Santa Monica.

We planned to slip into the hotel quietly. At our last two stops, excited fans were already waiting at the hotels and concert venues. I was learning how to maneuver around them so I could find the workout facilities and take care of daily tasks, like laundry. I traveled only with the essentials having become an expert during my European tour, so I had very little to take care of.

I rarely went anywhere by myself. I had escorts because of my unprecedented ability to disappear. As a pawn in a vicious battle between demonic forces, I was abducted and rescued three times during the previous summer. Band members, the road crew or my personal favorite, Stephen, accompanied me everywhere. Becca and I had adjoining suites with Steele and Stephen so we were rarely separated.

I was always aware of his presence and knew when he was overly concerned about me. His eyes always scanned the crowds, and he became protective if over-zealous fans got too close. He was trying so hard not to give into the fear of losing me again. Sometimes I felt his faith was being stretched to the limit.

We had planned a personal day after the next concert, and hopefully, we would get to do something normal. Part of our day would be spent locating a rare bookstore in downtown Santa Monica. We had recently received a notice that a package was ready for us. My family and Living Stone Ministries were part of a worldwide network of believers who had taken their faith to a higher level. Those of us from Living Stone lived in a multi-dimensional world where the spiritual realm often collided with the affairs of men.

The network informed us about the happenings of spiritual forces around the world. We received messages and updates in antique books, delivered by undercover couriers. A Messianic rabbi, operating from a secure location in Jerusalem, coordinated the flow of information. Things had been somewhat peaceful in the past several weeks, but my parents were convinced it was the calm before the storm. Hopefully, I would not be the focus of the next assault of evil.

As we pulled into the hotel parking lot my hopes for a discreet entrance were dashed. The welcoming committee consisted of more than one-hundred screaming fans being restrained by hotel security. I wondered if they were really here for us, but they were wearing the Beloved T-shirts. I braced myself, and Ellie reminded me all of the screaming fans actually had hearts screaming to know the love of the heavenly Father.

The tour had just started, but I was already a bit road weary. The hotel rooms were starting to look the same, and they all had the same sanitized smell. We took turns in the shower and had lunch sent to the room, so we could prepare to minister to the soldout crowd. We loaded back on the bus after two short hours and arrived at the stadium to find lines already forming at the ticket gates.

While the band rehearsed and performed sound checks, I warmed up. I practiced the dance to get familiar with the limitations of the space. I didn’t have a full theater stage and had to adjust my steps so as not to fall or trip over the equipment.

When I finished, stadium security escorted me through the tunnels to the dressing rooms. As we walked, I caught a whiff of a repulsive odor triggering an immediate feeling of anxiety. I kept moving, but I had a strange feeling something wasn’t right. I knew I had been exposed to this repulsive odor before, but I couldn’t see anyone or anything threatening. My feet moved a whole lot faster just the same.

I was relieved to find Ellie in the dressing room. Even though I felt like I was successfully handling my post-traumatic stress, sometimes I was anxious—not fearful, but a little uneasy. Ellie was instantly aware something was wrong, but I quickly assured her nothing had happened.

I tried to figure out what prompted this feeling of apprehension. In the jungle, I had learned to use all of my senses to survive. As I thought of my imprisonment and subsequent events, I remembered the sulfuric smell—Gaspar’s fortress! But Gaspar had been defeated by the heavenly Host. Maybe the odor could have been an institutional smell, but something was nagging at me, an intuitive feeling that something was wrong.

The knock on the door made the world right again. I knew it would be Stephen. We always spent the minutes before a concert together, praying and encouraging each other. Even though I tried to disguise my momentary panic, he sensed something was wrong. Ellie left to be with Sawyer to give us some private time.

I always tilted my head up when he held me and was expectant for the next kiss. Being close to him changed the atmosphere, and I could never get enough of his physical presence. He filled a space within me created just for him.

Francesca, do we have something to be worried about?

I don’t think so. Did you smell anything strange in the walkway?

We didn’t come through the underground tunnel. We needed some things from the bus and came down on the elevator.

Do you remember the sulfuric odor at Gaspar’s?

He grimaced. The memory was painful for both of us. We associated the hideous smell with the presence of evil. I could feel him tense, and I knew he was a just a breath away from calling in reinforcements.

Stephen, let’s think this through first. Maybe, it isn’t about me specifically. Maybe it’s about the concert in general. It’s more likely someone or something doesn’t want the ministry to happen tonight.

He stopped to think about it, and I knew he was racing through the myriad of possibilities. His eyes searched mine. It felt like he was looking all of the way into my inner-most being. In moments like this, I knew we belonged together.

Seriously, I don’t think that this is about me. I just think I have become supersensitive. It’s just a theory, but I want to be sure before we call in the troops.

Security knocked on the door indicating it was time to get to the stage.

We’ll talk with Sawyer after the concert. I love you Francesca. I am torn between making you happy and keeping you safe. He temporarily relented.

Okay, let’s go. Try not to break too many hearts tonight, I teased him.

The concerts were full of adoring young women who became so caught up in the music they had a hard time separating their love for God with an overwhelming desire to find a Christian mate. All of the brothers were uncommonly handsome. They looked very much alike. Sawyer and Stephen were just a little over six feet tall and had dark chestnut hair. Steele, the middle brother, was a few inches shorter and had lighter hair coloring than his brothers.

When I first started with the band, Ellie and Becca had given me a crash course in dealing with the fans. I was glad I had their support, because this was probably the most difficult thing about the tour. I wondered if I would ever get used to having young, beautiful girls throwing themselves at Stephen—giving him their Facebook and Twitter information and their cell numbers. I knew it still happened with Sawyer and Steele, but Ellie and Becca were able to look beyond it and pray for the lonely girls.

I was totally focused on my dance career at that point in my life. I skipped the entire desperate-to-find-someone phase. Maybe I would have experienced it if God had not brought Stephen and me together. It looked incredibly painful. For many girls, their thoughts are consumed with finding their soul mates. They wonder what he will look like and what his personality will be like.

They become obsessed with looking for him, and the romance escalates if they think for one second he will be a handsome, talented musician. Concerts become one avenue where they release all of their emotions, expectations, and unbridled hormones. Sometimes it is too much drama for me. I am much more accustomed to the civilized world of the theater. Even so, I am always amazed at how God uses music to touch hearts and lives.

I was escorted to the front row beside Ellie. My dance was the last song of the night, so I was free to worship and participate in the concert. I never got tired of watching the band and experiencing the spirit of God moving over the audience. I could feel the collective emotion of an encounter with the Savior.

I found myself praying the same prayers my mother had prayed for me during my life. Her prayers were downloaded to my iPod and had sustained me during my captivity and the challenges I had faced the previous summer. Sometimes I prayed so intently, I missed minutes of the concert, but tonight was different.

Stephen was singing with an anointing stronger than I had ever seen before. He moved from keyboard to guitar and back again, performing with a passion that was awesome. Security appeared at my side during the next blackout to escort me to the stage. As the lights slowly came up, the first tender strains of Beloved floated into the night air. I danced with the same passionate yearning as the band had exhibited. I had a very brief time to convey the love of the Heavenly Father for his beloved.

The audience rose to its feet with arms raised high as I stepped into the final pose, and I had a most welcome surprise. Stephen had become caught up in the moment and moved to hold me. For a brief moment, we looked longingly into each other’s eyes.

Our love for each other was all-consuming. Our desire to be together was escalating, and this moment felt too intimate to be shared. Thankfully, the lights blacked out, and we moved quickly offstage. That had never happened before, but somehow I had the feeling it might become a permanent part of the concert.

Two

Midnight Swim

LOCAL CHURCH GROUPS volunteered to pray with the waves of people who requested one-on-one ministry. Sometimes we participated in this time of ministry, but the rest of the band was road weary too—time for a short break. I felt used up and a little weak having been cruelly reminded of Gaspar’s fortress. Could another attack be coming so soon? The rabbi had not warned us of increased demonic activity.

We reserved the pool area on the roof for a light supper and swim. A midnight swim was a great way to unwind and expend the last surge of adrenaline from the concert. The hotel pool would have to substitute for the lake and waterfall at Living Stone. I loved swimming at night under the stars. We were content, and I felt like it was the right time to ask a question that had been rattling around in my head for a while.

Stephen, how did you know? How did you know it was me so long ago?

He looked tenderly at me and finally replied, You know my parents and your parents have made me explain this to them, and I’m not sure I’ve done a good job.

My parents? My eyes must have grown huge.

He smiled and replied, My secret fascination wasn’t much of a secret when I was being encouraged to date other girls. Our parents have kept a close eye on me, making sure I wasn’t consumed with an impossible infatuation. They made sure I was constantly growing in the ways of God.

When did you know? It couldn’t have been when we were kids? Heaven knows, it couldn’t have been then. I shook my head in disbelief and wrinkled my nose.

His grin was playful when he said, It wasn’t that way in the beginning. It was more like a crush. First, I had to find out who you were. You cannot imagine how relieved I was to find out you were Joel’s sister. Then I had a glimmer of hope I would actually get to meet you.

Why do you think we never did? There should have been so many opportunities. It seems strange to me our paths never crossed.

Maybe that would have spoiled it. I believe there was a perfect time and place for our hearts to come together. I wanted it to happen for so long. I designed your necklace and carried it around with me for months. And then… He teasingly looked at me.

And then what? I returned his playful expression.

"And then, I felt the time was getting closer, and our paths would finally cross. And then, you came home early at exactly the same time we were scheduled to arrive at Living Stone to record the new CD. And then, we had the concert. And then, I saved you from drowning."

You did not! I protested.

I wish you could’ve seen your face when Jackson threw you in.

I wish you could’ve seen your own face when you pulled me out, I teased.

Can you think of anything more perfect—no awkward introductions or trying to meet?

We had enjoyed a series of perfect moments at Living Stone. The chapel was a special place for us. We promised our hearts to each other inside those sacred walls. We also shared a secret place beside the waterfall. Of course, Francesca’s Cottage was our private retreat.

Think what it would’ve been like if our first chance had been when you were so frustrated and angry with the world.

Just thinking about my former emotional state made me so thankful for what I had now. It brought a smile to my face, and I responded, You mean like when I buzzed my hair and pierced my eyebrow?

He grimaced. You are so beautiful. Don’t ever do it again, please.

Eager to shift the focus away from me, I asked, So why didn’t you just give up? You had to have met a lot of really wonderful girls along the way.

I will admit it started getting really hard, but not because there was anyone else who captured my attention. You were always so far away—away at ballet schools, away at auditions, away at performances. When you left for Europe, we all felt like we were losing you to the world.

I shuddered as I thought of how close I had come to losing everything—my faith, my family, my very life.

So, what then? How did you keep waiting and waiting?

He sighed before he spoke again, "A lot of prayer, and then I followed you all across Europe via your company’s website. It was easier and harder when I could see you dancing in the video clips. Your performances were breathtaking, and you seemed so happy. I thought I would have to wait a long time for you to come home. To most people, it seemed irrational and illogical. But I knew deep inside, you would come home someday. Then I just had to worry you would feel the same about me."

I couldn’t believe he could have ever worried I would not fall totally and irreversibly in love with him. His love for me was both fierce and absolute. That kind of love is impossible to walk away from.

One of my favorite memories was the first time I saw Stephen. I had just arrived at Living Stone and was attending a concert with my parents. I was exhausted from two years of dancing in Europe and was despondent when an injury threatened to end my career. The band was performing at the camp, and our eyes locked in one of those moments where we knew destiny was taking over.

But you knew from the first moment, didn’t you? I remembered how he consumed my thoughts and my dreams from the moment of that first concert. I was desperate for the next time we would be together. There wasn’t much waiting. We