Heart throbbing in his chest, he hurried inside the mall and went to a restroom, stripped out of his clothing, and put new clothes on.
He said a silent prayer and left the restroom, knowing authorities would eventually see video of him wearing something other than what he wore on the way in. He hurried to the agreed upon exit and saw the driver waiting for him in the surface parking lot.
Their willingness to help their famous brother in Christ was about to end very badly for them.
While Braxton Rice’s little plan had succeeded in catching the enemy off guard, it didn’t take long for them to start catching up.
The two men were pulled over by authorities and taken into custody.
As of yet, no one else knew…
IT TOOK TEN DIFFERENT vehicles and three different disguises before Yogesh Patel successfully arrived at Abu Dhabi International (UAE) Airport; this time dressed as a courier delivering a package to the owner of a private jet plane. It was just before midnight.
Yogesh climbed the stairs and boarded the Gulfstream V to hand deliver the package. He never got off the plane.
Someone matching his physique wearing the same attire got off the private jet in his place and drove off in the delivery truck without incident.
The package Yogesh delivered was full of clothing he would change into once his nerves calmed down. He took a seat, shaking like a leaf on a tree in a hurricane.
The plane departed on time, en route to Naypyidaw, Myanmar where they would make a brief stop to refuel and deliver much-needed cash and medical supplies to ETSM members living underground in that country, compliments of Jefferson Danforth, before flying to the Philippines.
After that, Yogesh would be flown to Australia, before ultimately going to the United States with Braxton Rice and taken to a safe house.
If he lived that long…
Normally, with Manila being a nine-hour flight, the pilot would have preferred stopping in India to refuel. But with so much heat on his main passenger, landing in New Delhi was out of the question.
Myanmar was the next best choice. The pilot hoped they had enough jet fuel for the six-hour flight.
Yogesh watched the monitor of the flight path progress in real time. As the plane soared high above India, he wept uncontrollably, knowing he could never again step foot in the country of his birth.
What he wouldn’t give to be with Hana and the baby now, or with his new brothers and sisters in Christ underground, but it was too risky. Everyone knew his face. Then again, where wasn’t his face known?
His biggest fear was that Romanero might harm Hana to get to him. All he could do was trust that God would bless his obedience and rescue his wife from the antichrist and bring her to faith in Christ.
If that happened, it would all be worth it. The only chance they had of seeing each other again, in this life or the next, was if God opened Hana’s eyes to the Truth and she became a follower of Jesus.
That would be Yogesh’s prayer from this day forward, until God took him out of this world, which very well could be today.
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SIX HOURS LATER, THE Gulfstream V gently touched down in Myanmar. While refueling and removing supplies and $5M in cash from the plane, the pilot and lone crew member shared a brief time of fellowship with ETSM members there.
Yogesh remained on board the entire time. For their own protection, their brothers and sisters in Naypyidaw didn’t know their new hero in the faith was on the aircraft. It would be too risky if they did.
Like the rest of the world, they were mindful of what took place at Dubai World Trade Centre Arena the night before. They knew Patel was on the run. But as far as they knew, he wasn’t part of the organization, so why would he be on one of the planes?
At any rate, if things ever went badly, and Yogesh was linked to this plane, the flight path would be investigated, and the three ETSM members receiving the delivery would surely be sought for questioning.
If it ever came to that point, by not knowing Romanero’s archenemy number one was on board, they could stick to their story that they were there only to receive supplies. If they didn’t know, they didn’t know!
Then again, even without Yogesh’s involvement, if they were ever questioned about this delivery, it would already be too late for them…
With the delivery made, it was wheels up to Manila. Yogesh dozed off after liftoff and slept the entire three-hour flight.
The plane landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport just before 10 a.m. the next morning. Braxton Rice was there waiting for them. He boarded the Gulfstream V as Nigel Jones remained on board the other plane they would take to Sydney, Australia ahead of this one.
Rice swept the plane for electronic devices or counter-intelligence spyware. Everything seemed fine. He handed Patel a new change of clothing just to be safe; another cotton sweat suit, only this one was black in color. Yogesh exited the lavatory a few moments later, and the two men descended the seven steps leading from the fuselage to the tarmac.
The last thing either of them wanted was to board another plane. Both men were already jetlagged. On top of that, Yogesh was totally numb from missing his wife and daughter so much. The thought of never holding them again or kissing Hana was the worst kind of mental torture.
The two men quickly boarded the plane and sat across from each other in the cabin. Nigel occupied the co-pilot’s seat. When the cabin door was sealed, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Once airborne, Yogesh hoped to sleep the entire eight-hour flight, to hopefully forget all about his present reality, namely that he would never see his wife and child again.
Upon arriving in Australia, Braxton and Yogesh would stay in a spacious 3-bedroom apartment, at one of the high-rise buildings Jones owned, until the green light was given to bring Patel to America.
Yogesh still knew nothing about the End Times Salvation Movement. All he knew was Braxton Rice was part of a large Christian organization, he was invited to live in one of their safe houses, and he wouldn’t need to bring anything with him, including money.
The engines roared to life. Rice glanced out the window looking for anything out of the ordinary. Seeing nothing, he sighed, Thank you, Lord!
Up until now, the game plan had been executed to near perfection. It had to be if they had any chance of escaping. So far, so good!
Then again, Rice was unaware of what was happening in Dubai. Not only were the two drivers arrested in the shopping mall parking lot, the driver who delivered Braxton, Nigel and his pilot to the Dubai International Airport was caught, along with the five Middle Eastern men who aided and abetted Patel by attempting to be his lookalikes.
When it was discovered the three individuals wearing burqas weren’t women, but men, Dubai police took turns beating them senseless, far worse than what the others had received.
As the jet slowly taxied down the runway, the plane Yogesh had just exited was surrounded by police cars. The aircraft was seized, and the pilot and lone crewman were both taken into custody.
Braxton glanced at Yogesh. It dawned on him, “Where are your sunglasses?”
Patel’s mouth was twisted in a yawn. He felt around his chest or them. He often tucked them into the top of his shirt so he wouldn’t lose them. “I must have left them in the lavatory on the other plane.”
Rice wanted to say something, but he was as exhausted as Patel looked. Besides, as head of security for an international organization, and architect of this great and daring escape, if he left them on the other plane, it was just as much his fault for not noticing.
But he was too focused on getting Yogesh from one plane to the next to notice. Not only that, how could he possibly be mad after what Yogesh did with the whole world watching?
Braxton watched his speech on one of the big screens outside the arena, with thousands of others. Jacked as he was, Rice was also proud of his brother and hero. It was one of the most amazing moments of his life. He kept replaying it in his mind, savoring each word.
Besides, soon they would be in Australia, and out of hostile territory. Rice chided himself. For Christians in this new world, there were no safe havens; all territories were hostile!
Braxton Rice was about to see just how right he was. The moment they boarded the plane to Australia, their collective fate was sealed.
In short, their journey was about to come to an end…
GC authorities knew Patel had been safely ferreted out of Dubai on a jet plane, from the men in custody in Dubai. The driver detained before he could leave the airport confirmed that much. What they didn’t know was what plane Patel was on or where it was headed?
Even after suffering several beatings, the driver insisted he didn’t know. With the little information they did have, orders were given for security cameras at all private, executive and international airports to remain trained on all private planes coming and going.
Even though Yogesh’s head was covered with a baseball hat and his face was covered in a surgical mask, just before boarding the second aircraft, he glanced up to see where he was going, exposing his eyes to a camera that was trained on him.
The technology was so advanced, all it took was for a speck of the eye to be exposed for possible identification to take place. That’s precisely what happened. In a millisecond, those on the other end of the camera to know beyond a certainty it was Patel.
With all cameras linked to the dissident system worldwide, and Patel’s facial measurements already programmed, calls were made.
When Romanero got word of it, his first order was that everyone on board the aircraft be detained upon landing in Sydney.
After talking it over with the Pope, he decided not to detain them. It would be better to follow the four men and arrest them at their Christian safehouse, along with everyone else there.
But the more the Man of Peace recalled the humiliation he felt at the peasant’s hands, the more it gnawed on him.
He became so enraged that he ordered the flight tower at Manila International to delay the Gulfstream, until further orders were given…
HANA PATEL WAS NURSING her child when the phone in her hotel suite rang. “Hello?”
“If you ever mention your foolish belief to anyone that you were pregnant before the contest,” the angry female voice barked, “you will lose everything! We will be listening! Now turn on the TV…”
The line went dead.
Hana felt panicked. How in the world did they know that? She stared at the phone and tilted her head. She gulped hard. Were they listening to her conversations even before the fiasco?
The very thought terrified her. She was too fearful right now to feel violated. That would come later. She was already questioned in her hotel suite for several hours, after the last father praised the Miracle Maker.
The only names she could provide to authorities were Brad and Joan Henriksen from America. They were the ones who sent Yogesh the Bible. She admitted her husband had spent time with Ajit Laghari, but she didn’t know where they met or when. She never had an interest in knowing.
As far as she knew, they were satisfied with her answers. In that light, Hana had passed the test. When they left her hotel suite, she was beyond convinced they’d been listening to their conversations all along.
They had to be. The only person on the planet who knew her belief that she was already pregnant before the contest was announced, was her wayward husband. No one else knew. Or so she thought…
But Romanero had another reason to be concerned. The way Hana shrunk away from him on stage when he put his arm around her to comfort her, it’s as if she was rejecting him. He told no one about this.
Hana reached for the remote control and turned on the TV in her room. It mattered not what channel she turned on—the aircraft racing down the runway was shown on all stations.
A reporter said, “We have an update to bring you from the Philippines. The airplane you see on your screen belongs to billionaire, Nigel Jones, from Sydney Australia. What makes this aircraft so significant is that authorities are one hundred percent certain that Yogesh Patel is on board the plane with Jones, his pilot, and an unidentified man.
“Patel’s image was picked up when he got off another aircraft owned by Jones, which authorities believe was the plane used to help him escape from the Middle East. This has yet to be substantiated until flight logs can confirm it. At any rate, that aircraft has since been seized. Everyone on board has been taken into custody.”
As the aircraft raced down the runway and slowly ascended into the partly overcast sky over Manila Bay, Hana’s body started trembling. She feared what would happen to her husband when the plane landed in Sydney. After the way he humiliated Romanero, it wouldn’t end peacefully for him or the other three men on the plane she didn’t know.
The reporter said, “One can only think that archenemy number one will be arrested upon landing in Sydney…Then…Oh, my…”
Hana’s trembling worsened considerably when the Gulfstream V suddenly exploded into a ball of flames on her TV screen, after being hit by a missile. She didn’t see the impact in real time. But the many slow motion reruns after, clearly showed the missile piercing the fuselage, causing it to explode on impact.
The aircraft plummeted into Manila Bay, killing all four souls onboard. They never had a chance...
Hana shook so violently that she had to pull her daughter off her breast and lay her on the bed. She wailed uncontrollably…
NORMALLY AT 1 A.M., Clayton Holmes was sound asleep. But not this night. He had no intention of going to bed until the plane left Manila and was en route to Sydney. Then he would do his best to sleep until he received notification that the plane had safely landed.
Clayton believed they would be relatively safe in Jones’ high-rise office building, until Yogesh could be smuggled to the States, whenever that would be.
When the plane was blown out of the sky, it was as if all the air left the subterranean facility in Idaho. Holmes watched in horror, then fell to his knees mourning bitterly for the four souls onboard, especially Braxton Rice.
Not only was Braxton his chief of security, he was one of his best friends. He rejoiced knowing the four men on the plane were at peace now, but the pain he felt inside was like a kick to the gut.
With Rice gone, who would take his place? Who could? No one. This frightened and saddened him even more.
As the unconverted world mourned for Hana Patel, Christians praised Yogesh’s bravery and rejoiced over his willingness to become a martyr for Christ Jesus. It was both brave and admirable. Knowing what was still to come and what they still had to endure, they didn’t mourn for their brother. If anything, they longed to be with him.
ETSM members also rejoiced over what they got to see and hear coming from the mouth of their heroic brother, but they also mourned for their two fearless leaders, Braxton Rice and Nigel Jones.
Even if most Christians on the planet didn’t know them, they were legends in the ETSM, and would be sorely missed.
Dr. Lee Kim and Travis Hartings both knew Nigel Jones for many years and were deeply saddened.
Travis first met Nigel in the business arena long before the Rapture.
Lee Kim worked for the billionaire for more than a decade as his chief internet technician. Nigel was the reason Lee was led to the End Times Salvation Movement. He took his death hard. His heart ached…
IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG for investigators to confirm the plane Patel was on had made a brief refueling stop in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, before taking the last leg to Manila.
Surveillance camera showed footage of the plane on the tarmac being emptied of supplies and given to four men in that country.
Their face-covered images were broadcast all throughout Myanmar and beyond. Anyone assisting in their capture would receive a $1K international monetary card.
In this dreadful economy, for a thousand dollars, many would keep their eyes wide open looking for the fugitives. If spotted, there would be no hesitation turnin
g them over to authorities.
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10 DAYS LATER
PRIOR TO THE RAPTURE, real time emergency push alerts were sent to mobile devices, warning locals of impending danger—hurricanes, tornadoes, prison escapes, active shootings, AMBER and SILVER alerts being among the most frequent.
When all young children vanished, AMBER alerts were no longer necessary. And with the elderly becoming less important in the new world Romanero was creating, SILVER alerts no longer warranted the attention of the masses.
Since the Rapture, the issuing of emergency push alerts had grown exponentially, warning the world of the constant tragedy pounding the planet. It seemed every few minutes, new warnings were sent to mobile devices worldwide. What made push alerts so effective was that they were received on mobile devices in real time. They even interrupted calls and chats to inform the receiver of what was going on in the world.
The instant Romanero finished giving his address from Dubai World Trade Centre Arena, images of the ten mothers who’d failed to catch their flights—eleven including number 107—flooded every smartphone on the planet, in the form of global emergency push alerts.
As contest winners, their images were already widely known. Now that they were the enemy, they needed to remain fresh in the minds of Romanero’s loyal followers until they were ultimately captured, and their newborns were taken from them.
As of yet, none had been located. Anyone assisting in their capture would be awarded a $5K international monetary card.
The image pool was quickly expanded to include all pregnant women and new mothers in the GC database, who stopped showing up for doctor’s appointments. With no place safe to hide, many were picked up at their homes or at the homes of Christian friends and relatives.
Everyone with them was deemed guilty by association and were detained as co-conspirators. But many were still at large, presumably living in hiding in Christian communities.
The Sealing Page 23
