Fugitive: A King David Novel (Paperback) by Greg Baker

A King David Novel (Book Three of the Davidic Chronicles)Book three of the Davidic Chronicles continues to follow David as he becomes a fugitive and outcast. On the run, alone, and pursued by the king, David must struggle to stay alive and find his place among his own people. Hunted by friends and enemies alike, David confronts his own anointing by Samuel and what that means for his future. He must do this while his king continues in the throes of the evil spirit and is driven to kill anyone who stands in his way--men, women, and children.Inside Fugitive...King Saul snarled and pointed his spear at the high priest. "You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and your entire house!" Standing up to his full height, which was easily head and shoulders above everyone else, he gestured to his soldiers. "Turn, and slay the priests of the LORD, because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to me." His men stared at him aghast, but though some shifted their weapons around, they did not fall upon the priests and obey. One by one, the soldiers dropped their eyes, refusing to look at their king. He knew what they were thinking-to slay the LORD'S priests would surely invoke the wrath of Jehovah. But they were wrong. The priests had forfeited any right to God's protection the moment they had turned against the LORD'S anointed-the rightful king of the land.Despite his rage, one fact was clear. If he forced his men to kill the priests, he would lose them. Looking from face to face, his gaze finally fell upon Doeg the Edomite. "Son of Edom, you claim to serve me. If there be any truth to your words, turn and fall upon the priests." Doeg's eyes widened at the command, and Saul detected a hungry light that sprang into existence in those dark orbs. The foot-licker saw opportunity here, and he acted without any further hesitation. He sprang to the side of one of the soldiers and stripped away the man's sword. The warrior thought better of protesting after a single look at Saul's face, and let the Edomite take the weapon.The priests were milling about in a circle. For though the soldiers were not attempting to kill them, they did hold them back from escaping. Cries for mercy and cries to Jehovah Elohim went unheard, and more than anything, that justified Saul's decision. For if God would not spare His own priests, then surely they were guilty.With a raspy battle cry, Doeg sprang upon the first priest, a man still wearing the linen ephod, the mark of his office. With one stroke, the Edomite cut him down. The man fell with a gurgled cry of protest and pain, blood staining the rocky ground.Most of the priests panicked and tried to run at that point, but Saul's men kept the group bunched together with spears.Doeg, like a wild man, began flailing about him without skill or precision. Soon the man was covered in blood, and the groans of the dying filled the air.