Another SCENE!!!! Any thoughts y’all?

[Anonymous]

@elishavet-pidyon. Aww, thank you! 🙂

It is a bit repetitive, as that is part of the point, to show what’s going on inside that head of his, but I can see what you mean by it getting distracting. I’ll keep that in mind! 😀

I’m glad you liked it! Yeah, I don’t want nor need my reader’s to be completely let in, at least not at this point. Instead, I’m going for a little clue here, a little clue there, and the reader will be the one free to put together the pieces. I’m not sure if that’s the way to go, but that’s how I’m gonna do it! I hope people like that, though. 😉

Haha. Yes. Her sitting on his legs to pin him was hilarious. XD And then when she kissed him to make sure he didn’t get her off right at that moment…ahh. I’m glad their relationship had balance and I’m glad you could tell just how well they know each other! (They should! The two of them have been married for 10 years by this point, lol. XD)

Aww, I’m glad you love it! 😀 Hmm…yes, you can only imagine what his words start in her head. She’s so concerned about Riker and…oh, she’s so sweet! I love her! <3

Thanks for answering and thank you for reading it as well! 😀

[Anonymous]

@freedomwriter76 *sobs with you*

AWWW!!!!! MY HEART!!!!

Of course, girl!

[Lydia S.]

@freedomwriter76

*sniffs*

MY BABYYYYYYYYYYYYY…

I don’t think I’ll get tired of reading about him any time soon… 😉

1. Definitely! I thought the contrast between the visible and invisible blood on his hands was particularly powerful.

2. Yes. @elishavet-pidyon made a phenomenal point: the fact that Ryker believes his trembling is because of failure on his part, rather than the abuse of his father, testifies to the depth of his trauma.

3. I definitely got that they care deeply for each other! I love Iris… 🙂

4. Yes, Jennie feels like a real mother. Ryker is (literally) her baby, and she still feels the urge to care for and protect him.

[Anonymous]

@lydia-s. AHHHH!!!! I KNOWWWW!!!!! *cries*

Aww, thanks for answering the questions! I’m soooo glad I got the things across that I wanted to get across! 😀

[Anonymous]

@lydia-s. @gracie-j. @elishavet-pidyon. @koshka. Okay y’all…another scene. XD For a SMALL possibility only, y’all! I have a small idea for a POSSIBLE book that takes place five years after Freedom’s Fire ends, and it tracks Leon and Riker’s return to West Germany in the early 1950s, when they bring the gospel there. (they also go into East Germany and possibly get arrested by the Soviets…y’all will just have to wait in suspense. XD) But anywho, this is a possible scene for that! I hope y’all like it!

“Please let it not be true. Please. Please. Dear God, please.” Riker thought, as the doors slid open.

There was so much he needed to say. And not enough time to say it.

“You’re here.” He breathed, just as Leon stood from where he had been sitting down.

Leon raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you ask me to come if I could?”

“Yeah. But you didn’t…have to.”

“There’s nothing else I have to do. Besides,” Leon wrapped an arm around Riker’s shoulder, “something tells me it might help to have someone be here with you. Iris is still back in America.”

“Yeah, but…” Riker closed his eyes. “You shouldn’t feel like you have to be here for me.”

Leon smiled. “I don’t feel like that. I could have easily chosen to not become your friend, couldn’t I?”

Riker nodded.

Leon had forgiven him…he’d already finished his five-year sentence to prison…but something was trying to come back up that he didn’t want to address.

Not now.

Maybe not ever.

“…Riker?”

Riker glanced back at Leon. Smiled at his friend. “I’m good. I need to find out what room he’s in…” Riker bit his lip. “Leon, I don’t…I have no idea what to say. There’s so much I want to…so much more things I need to say. But I don’t…I don’t know where to start.”

Leon patted his shoulder. “Let God lead you. He knows exactly what your dad needs to hear from you.”

Leon gave him a reassuring smile. “And besides, I’ll be right behind you. What else are friends for?”

Riker smiled. “Thank you.”

Leon nodded.

Together, they walked up to the front desk.

Riker told the receptionist the name.

“I’ll look that right up for you, sir.” She said with a smile.

But within a moment, that smile faded.

Dear God. Please. No. I’m too late.

“I’m sorry, sir. Franz Schind isn’t here anymore.”

~*~

The cold fall air wisped Leon’s hair. He watched as his friend paced back and forth outside the hospital close to the street.

Riker was whispering words Leon couldn’t quite discern. He kept pulling at his hair a bit as well.

Leon touched his shoulder. “Riker…I’m so sorry.”

Riker turned to him, tears unashamedly rolling down his cheeks. “It’s all my fault…”

“What are you talking about?”

“I didn’t get to him in time. I didn’t get to tell him…I didn’t get to tell him that I’ve forgiven him for everything he did. I did, during the war, but back then…it wasn’t really true. It is now. I didn’t get to tell him…I didn’t get to bring him Jesus. Now he could be in Hell and it’s all…it’s all…”

“Riker, no it’s not.”

“Yes…yes, it is.” Riker sank onto the sidewalk. Leon looked down at him.

This man…who he had once hated…who he had once forgiven for killing his wife…had become his closest friend.

Leon had forgiven him.

God had forgiven him.

But here Riker was…blaming himself for something else.

“If I had only gotten to him in time…if I hadn’t held onto all the pain he caused me…”

“God understands, Riker.”

“My father is likely in Hell right now.” Riker replied simply.

Leon sat down beside him on the sidewalk. He was going to reach Riker.

Even if it took all day long.

“I know.”

“You forgave me all those years ago…God forgave me all that time ago and continues to do so…but I…I….it’s…”

“A whole lot harder to forgive yourself.”

Riker let out a deep breath. Closed his eyes.

And with that, Leon knew he was right.

“Sometimes…some nights in the prison…it all came flooding back. Everything I did…all the people I killed…faces came back. All the people I killed all those years ago…they all came back…” Riker blinked away tears. “And I couldn’t sleep. Now…my father might be in Hell. All because I…I didn’t…”

“Riker. That’s not your fault. God’s forgiven you for everything you’ve ever done. You’re not the same man you were then. Neither am I. When you asked Jesus to come inside your heart, Riker, God washed it all away. You’re not the same person anymore.”

“…I know. But sometimes…when you’ve done what I…I’ve done…you can’t help but look in the mirror and see…see a man that did so much harm to so many people. Sometimes all you can still see is…a monster. And I don’t…I don’t know how to see myself differently than that. You forgave me. God forgave me. But even after all this time….I guess I…I can’t forgive myself.”

Leon gripped and shook his friend’s shoulder. “Riker. Hey, remember that verse Phillip shared in a sermon the week before we left to come here back to Germany?”

Riker wiped away tears. “…Which one?”

Leon smiled. Pulled his small Bible out of his satchel.

“From Micah. Chapter 7. Verse 19. “You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” The sea is very deep. All the sins you committed all those years ago…Riker, God threw them to the bottom of the ocean. You’ll never be that man again. God has changed you completely. For, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” You remember that verse, right?”

Riker nodded. “2 Corinthians 5:17.”

Leon gripped his friend’s shoulder tighter. “You’ve been forgiven, Riker. God has forgiven you…I’ve forgiven you…now, all you need to do is finally forgive yourself.”

“It’s not easy, Leon…possibly the hardest thing I’ve ever done…”

“That’s why you have God, your family, and me right behind you. God knows it’s not easy. But he gives us the grace to go forward, even when life throws it’s hardest. Yeah, you know what? You made a lot of bad choices. But also, Riker, that’s in the past. And the past is dead. Just like how your sins are dead in the ocean. And reminding you of the sins of the past…that’s just Satan trying to get you to hate yourself again.”

Riker nodded. “Got it. I’m going to try to forgive myself.”

Leon smiled. “I’m glad.”

And he wrapped his friend in a hug.

[Anonymous]

AWWW, Y’ALL, THEIR FRIENDSHIP DYNAMIC IS SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!! ACK, I’M GONNA CRY SUCH HAPPY TEARS!!!!!! *sobs and hugs them both tight*

[Anonymous]

@freedomwriter76 HOW MANY TIMES TO I HAVE TO SAY IT?

POOR. SWEET. RIKER.

And, seriously. This is…augh. So good. I NEED this to be a story, okay? We MUST have a sequel. I NEED MORE LEON AND RIKER. THEY ARE SO PRECIOUS TOGETHER!!!!

And I personally believe Riker and Jesus did get to his dad… 😉

[Anonymous]

@gracie-j. IKR!? RIKERRRRRR!!!!!!!! *sobs*

Awwww, thank you!!!!! Haha. XD Even as the writer, I’m like: “Ohhh….I need more of you two.” THEY ARE SO PRECIOUS TOGETHER!!!!! When reading the book, readers are never gonna see it coming, though. XD With the way Leon hates him and the way Riker struggles, no one would ever guess that they would become wonderful friends! 😉

I believe that too. (and I’m the writer, so…XD) 😀 Because, like, Riker showed his Dad love even when his dad hurt him the ways he did. Riker never stopped loving him, which honestly just shows how good of a man Riker has always been, even before Leon forgave him. 🙂

[Anonymous]

@gracie-j. @lydia-s. @elishavet-pidyon. @starshiness. @koshka. Another scene y’all. This one is actually for Freedom’s Fire. 😉 This one is one of my favorites out of the recent scenes, lol. XD Maybe because it has some of my four favs. Riker, Leon, Fin, and Y’ALL, Y’ALL GET TO MEET AADELHEIDE!!!!!! HERE WE GO!!!!!

“They claim you know exactly where your kids are.”

She smiled faintly. “I do. But I can’t tell anyone where they are. They’re safe and happy. I’m not going to take that away from them. Do you have kids, Lieutenant?”

Riker bit his lip. “Four of them.”

Aadelheide nodded. “I’m sure they’re wonderful. But I cannot tell you where my kids are.”

“I understand.”

“Thank you. May I have three pieces of paper?”

Riker blinked. “Of course.” He slid three pieces of paper and a pen over to her.

She began to write, and Riker waited.

If he were in her place, Riker would do the exact same.

“I’m done.”

How long had Riker been sitting there thinking?

“Thank you for letting me write.” She folded the pieces of paper. Held them both out. “Could you bring these to my mother?”

“What? Why?”

“I’ll need someone to take them to her…if I don’t make it out of this place alive. I’m asking you to do it for me.”

“Why would you trust me with this?” Riker asked, carefully taking the pieces of paper.

“You seem like a trustworthy man. You’ve treated me with much more care than anyone else in this place.”

“I’m sorry.”

Aadelheide shook her head. “No. Don’t apologize. God has brought me here to be a witness. People don’t see love in this place. But God’s love is still here, and he has sent me here to share that love with those who see none.”

Riker glanced up at her.

“What do you think of this place, Lieutenant?”

Riker fingered his wedding ring. “…I hate it.”

“Maybe God has sent you here to be a witness as well.”

“What purpose could God have for someone like me?” Riker asked quietly.

After everything he had done…God should be far away by now.

God should have walked away.

Aadelheide seemed to think about that for a moment. “Have you ever read the story of Paul, once known as Saul, in the Bible?”

The same Biblical man Jennie, Angelina, Iris, Fin, and Esther kept pointing him back to. “Not in a long time.”

“Maybe you need to read it again. Do you have a Bible, Lieutenant?”

He nodded. “My mother gave it to me.”

Aadelheide smiled. “Your mother is a very kind woman. I knew her. Read the story of Paul in the book of Acts. God can redeem anyone and use them for his glory. Maybe you don’t see him, but God’s right here with you.”

“He shouldn’t be.”

“Maybe not, according to us, but God sees things differently. Maybe you think God should have left you by now. But God doesn’t see you the same way you do. God loves you. Even with all your mistakes.”

“Not with all the things I’ve done. All the people I’ve killed…”

Aadelheide smiled, her smile full of concern, care, and compassion.

Riker looked away. He deserved none of those things.

“But God doesn’t look at your mistakes. He looks at the man inside. He knows you better than you ever will. He sees his wayward son. All he wants is to hug you and welcome you into his arms. God is a father. And no matter how bad your earthly father was, God loves you no matter what. No matter how many mistakes you make.”

It was impossible to believe.

Riker bit his lip. Glanced back at Aadelheide. “I’ll promise to bring these to your mother. But I’m hoping you can tell her whatever is on this yourself.”

Aadelheide smiled. “Thank you.”

Yet she didn’t say ‘I hope so too’.

“I suppose it’s about time for me to leave.” Aadelheide noted. “But first, God has a plan for you that you can’t see yet, Lieutenant. I’ll be praying for you.”

“…Thank you. But you don’t have to.”

“I don’t have to do anything. But Jesus commands us to love everyone. Even enemies. And you are a man God has a wonderful purpose for, even if you don’t know what it is yet.”

Riker would believe it when he saw it.

A knock sounded on the door.

“Sir, the one you called to be interrogated.”

“Let him in.”

The door cracked open.

“What do you want with…Aadelheide?”

“Leon!”

She rushed to her husband.

They hugged.

Riker looked away.

“I’ll give you both a few minutes. Not too long, else they’ll get suspicious.”

Riker quickly locked the door, then headed out the back, feeling Leon and Aadelheide’s eyes on him, before sliding to the ground in front of the door.

Love…compassion…concern…Riker deserved none of those things.

He deserved nothing good.

“You might as well have an entire army praying for you by now.” Fin whispered.

Riker looked up. “I didn’t realize you were there.”

Fin smiled faintly. “I was kinda hoping you wouldn’t for a moment, so I got my wish.” Fin winked.

Riker smiled faintly, but then his gaze fell again.

Fin’s smile faded. “Hey,” he got down in front of Riker, “what’s wrong, Riker?”

“She shouldn’t be praying for me. It’s my fault she’s still here. Leon begged me to do something, and instead I…I did…nothing.”

“Riker…”

“I’m nothing but a mistake and a murderer.”

“Riker, hey, look at me,” Riker did so, “don’t sell yourself so short. You are doing what you can. There would have been nothing you could have done.”

“I could have tried. And you’re right, I am doing everything I can to help Jews and other innocent people. I’ve killed so many, so now I’m helping as many as I can. I’ve killed innocent men and women and children and even…babies. So now…I need to help all the people I can.”

“To earn atonement?”

Riker ran a hand through his hair. “I can never earn atonement for what I’ve done.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I never will be able to.”

“That’s okay. Because you never have to.” Fin insisted.

Riker took in a deep breath.

“You are so much more than a mistake, Riker.”

“How can I believe that? It’s easy to feel like a failure when that’s all you’ve ever been and all you’ll ever be. All I ever do is mess everything up. I mess up lives. I mess up dreams. I mess up everything.”

“That’s not true.”

Riker smiled faintly. Chuckled quietly. Fin raised an eyebrow.

He didn’t understand.

No one did.

No one understood all the things he’d done over all the twenty-eight years of his existence.

“You don’t mess everything up, Riker. It’s not true.”

Riker smiled.

“If only it wasn’t.”

RIKERRRR! *sobs* But haha, Riker set this up for them to see each other and talk. Such a sweet man. *sniffs* Also, what do y’all think of Aadelheide!? 😀

[Anonymous]

Haha. What was Riker thinking about? Y’all will never know. XD

Also, I was mostly listening to the song The List by Matthew West when writing this song. Oh, and Family Tree and The God Who Stays as well, also both by Matthew West. Most of my songs for Riker are Matthew West, lol. XD

[Anonymous]

@freedomwriter76 You’re so welcome!! YES YES YES PLEASEEEEE!!!! Oh, definitely not! It’s SO perfect!!

YES. EXACTLY. Augh, Riker is just the best. I adore him.

And. That. Scene. OH. MY. GOSH.

That was so sad and sweet and precious and wonderful and I love Aadelheide so muchhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *hugs her forever so that way you can’t kill her*

[Anonymous]

@gracie-j. Awwww, thank you so much!!!!!

I love her so much tooo!!!!! But her death is sadly necessary. *sobs* But in the end, Leon gets healed and also…Aadelheide is happy in Heaven, right? Not that it makes me feel any better about it. *sobs long and hard*

[Anonymous]

@gracie-j. Sorry it took so long, but…I finally have a scene with Hans. DX This one’s new, but…really shows his horrid personality. *Sobs*

The clock on the wall ticked, marking down each minute as it passed.

There was no telling how much time any of them had left.

The door behind Riker slowly creaked open and slammed closed. “I’ve been waiting for this a long time.”

Riker stood and turned around. “Hans.”

Hans smirked. “Riker. It is not a pleasure.”

“The feeling is mutual.”

Hans chuckled. “I see…I see. Maybe I will miss your idiotic remarks, Riker. But I will not miss having my duty thwarted. You have been doing this for months now. You hid it well. But traitors can only stay free for so long. Sit down.”

Riker slowly and silently did so.

He knew when and when not to obey orders.

Hans sighed. “We all thought you were a wonderful officer. Always followed orders…you were very skilled at paperwork, you spoke well and with clarity, and no matter how hard someone pushed you, you never pushed back. You never lost your temper. Good qualities in many officers. We even considered you for promotion. But after your breaks and leaves became suspiciously few and far between, I knew something wasn’t right.”

Hans grinned. “Now I know what it was.”

Riker simply watched him.

Waiting.

Bracing himself for what he knew was coming.

“Fin pulled you in well. He couldn’t have picked a more capable officer for that line of duty. But if he thought you would be able to avoid imprisonment, he was so wrong.”

“You killed him.”

“Of course, we did. We do what we must for the glory of the Third Reich. Fin knew what he was getting himself into. I suppose maybe you did as well. But do you know who spied on and turned Fin in for me?”

Riker nodded. “Erich.”

“And yet…you just helped him desert. Even though he killed your friend and mentor. Fin was a fool in many ways. First for helping Jews. Second for thinking he could get away with it. And third, maybe the most foolish of all, putting faith in some idiotic God.” Hans spat.

“He had a right to his beliefs.”

“That didn’t make him any less of a fool. What did his faith bring him, anyways? Heaven? And don’t tell me heaven. I doubt you believe much of it yourself.”

Riker nodded slowly. “You’re right. I don’t. Not all of it, at least. But I do believe in heaven and hell.”

“And you believe Fin went to heaven?”

Riker nodded. He was such a faithful, good man. He was too faithful not to.

“And since you believe in that stupidity…where do you think you’ll go when you die, Riker?”

“That’s simple. Hell.”

Hans chuckled, low and mocking. “I see. You helped Jews escape. You forged fake documents. You have lied to us and betrayed Germany. And, you helped Erich desert. That’s a death sentence right there.”

They would kill him for all those things. “You already killed Fin. You’ve killed so many…what’s one more to you?”

Hans’ openhanded blow gave Riker stars for a moment.

“If it’s you, nothing.”

Riker felt a trail of blood run down his cheek.

“Any idiot could figure out you didn’t do it all alone, Riker. In the end, you will only die for your crimes.”

“If you’re going to kill me, then just do it already.”

“Did you not hear me? You didn’t work alone. I intend to figure out exactly who helped you.”

“You’re going to kill me. Do it.”

Hans grinned. “Oh, I will. But Riker,” Hans stepped forward, grabbed a lock of Riker’s wavy hair and twirled it in his finger. Riker looked up at him, their eyes met, “I’m going to have more fun torturing the information out of you first.”

[Anonymous]

MY BABY!!!!! NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

@freedomwriter76 You’re so welcome!! 😀

*sobs* I know. BUT STILL. THE PAIN.

And omgosh that scene. HANS IS SUCH A VILE, HEARTLESS CREATURE!!! I honestly don’t have an insult bad enough… *shakes head*

MY POOR RIKER!!!!!! *holds him close to protect him*

[Author]

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