Through the Flames Read Online Free PDF Page B

what happened.”
    Judd was amazed as Ryan told where he had been and what he was up to. At first Judd wasn’t even sure he could believe the story, but it had a ring of truth to it. Lionel’s mouth dropped open when Ryan told of the phone conversation he had overheard between Talia and André. Lionel looked like he wanted to leave right then and track down his uncle.
    Ryan brought the story all the way up to where he was racing away on his bike, with Talia running after him and the van starting in the distance. “What did you do?” Vicki demanded. “Where did you go?”
    He told them the whole story.
    “Why didn’t you call us?” Judd said when Ryan finished.
    “I didn’t have the number! The church’s number is still on the notepad by our phone from the first time I wrote it down.”
    Judd was as excited as Ryan had been. He had reason to be pleased with himself. Maybe what he had done, getting so close to those people at Lionel’s house, had not been smart. But he had stood up to them until he could escape, and his escape was perfect.
    “You wanted that bad to stick with us, huh?” Judd said.
    “You have no idea,” Ryan said.
    “And you’ll be here Sunday with the rest of your friends?” Bruce said.
    Ryan nodded. “This is where I’m supposed to be, I guess.”
    “What are you saying?”
    “I got to thinking when I was on Raymie’s street, what happens if LeRoy catches me? Or what happens if I don’t see some car and shoot out in front of it? I could die. Then where would I be? I made my decision and said my prayer while I was on that bike. Is that OK? I mean, I didn’t even have the breath to say it out loud. Does it still count?”
    Bruce stood and embraced Ryan. “It sure does, buddy,” he said. “God heard you. Welcome to the family.”
    Later Bruce helped load Ryan’s bike into the trunk of Judd’s car. “See you tomorrow,” he said, and Judd noticed that as happy as Bruce had to be, he wasn’t smiling. There was happiness once in a while, Judd realized, when something turned out the way they hoped. And he was sure everyone was as thrilled as he was that all four of them were now believers. But looking and acting happy was something totally different now from what it had been just a week before. There was too much to think about, too much to get used to, too much to overcome to be too smiley.
    Ryan let out a big sigh, sitting next to Lionel in the backseat. “Wow,” he said. “I don’t ever want to have to go through that again. You can fight your own battles from now on, Lionel. I’m getting tired of looking out for you.”
    That almost made Judd smile. For now he was as exhausted as Ryan sounded. He was ready to sleep. And already he could hardly wait for Sunday morning.

FOUR
Sunday
    J UDD was awakened early Sunday morning by a phone call from Bruce Barnes. “I’m concerned about Ryan,” Bruce said, “and I’d like you to help me check up on him.”
    “He’s still upset about his parents, of course,” Judd said. “But he seemed a lot happier last night. Why are you worried about him?”
    “Well, I have no doubt his decision was real,” Bruce said. “I just want to make sure it wasn’t something done totally out of fear. He was afraid something might happen to him, that Lionel’s uncle’s friends or enemies might catch him and kill him.”
    “Yeah?” Judd said. He wasn’t following Bruce. “Does it make a difference? I mean, a big part of my reason was fear too.”
    “Yes, Judd,” Bruce said, “but you also understood, if I recall your story correctly, that you were a sinner and needed God’s forgiveness.”
    “And you don’t think Ryan thinks that?”
    “I don’t know. I’m just saying I didn’t hear him say it. That doesn’t mean his conversion didn’t ‘take,’ but it’s important to our faith and to our walk with Christ that we realize what he has saved us from. True guilt and sin have been washed away.”
    “You want me to ask