Shaken

by Jerry B. Jenkins

  “God above has given you this wisdom. But many will turn from the true and living God to serve this man of sin.”

  “We may agree about this, but we cannot follow your teaching about the one you call the Christ.”

  Mr. Stein smiled. “I was once like you. I did not accept the claims of Jesus as the Messiah. When my daughter told me she had turned from my faith, I counted her as dead. I turned my back on her.”

  “As well you should,” the man said. Others agreed. Mr. Stein asked for his Bible. Lionel brought it to him.

  “I admire your faith and your zeal. But as the Bible predicts, our society will become more and more sinful. Soon, even to this holy city, there will be such great evil and wickedness. And one day in the future, the temple you now worship God in shall be defiled by the Antichrist.”

  “How could you know such things?” the man said.

  “Are you a prophet?”

  “I am a humble follower of the King of kings and Lord of lords. He has given me and others the ability to speak in different languages so that everyone may hear the truth.”

  The group grumbled and urged the man to leave. Mr. Stein pleaded, but one by one the Orthodox Jews filed out of the room. Mr. Stein bowed his head. He returned to the front of the room, weeping.

  Vicki and the others listened to the chopper pass. Mark peeked out the back window. “It’s GC all right, but I don’t think they slowed down as they went over the schoolhouse.”

  “That was way too close,” Vicki said. “We have to be ready to get out of here fast.”

  “Already got that covered,” Conrad said. He took a sheet of paper from Charlie and marked the escape route. Vicki couldn’t believe the detail of the plan.

  “This is only if the GC find us, right?” Charlie said.

  Conrad nodded. “I’d like to remove some equipment from the truck and set it up downstairs. Then we can pull the truck a little farther onto the logging road.”

  Vicki nodded. “Let’s get the equipment out of here. Charlie, you start on the painting. Choose a room downstairs and make one of the walls as much like the picture we saw on TV as you can.”

  “Got it,” Charlie said.

  The kids stopped when they heard the thwock thwock thwock of the chopper again.

  Judd prayed as Mr. Stein composed himself and stood before the group. People turned to each other and talked, many in different languages.

  “We want to tell you the best news you could ever hear. We want to tell you how you can have true peace with God and live with him forever.”

  The people stopped talking as Mr. Stein read or recited several Bible verses. Something shuffled outside in the shadows, but Judd couldn’t make out what or who it was.

  Suddenly the door burst open and three Global Community Peacekeepers charged in with rifles drawn. “Hands up! Everyone!”

  Everyone obeyed except Mr. Stein. He stepped toward the men. “What is this about? We have no quarrel with you.”

  “Hands in the air!” the Peacekeeper shouted. “This is an unlawful assembly. You will all be arrested and questioned.”

  Several in the audience started crying. Lionel got Judd’s attention and nodded toward a back door. Judd shook his head. He didn’t want to risk getting shot by running.

  Mr. Stein knelt. “Our Father, we have been faithful to the task you have given. If you desire us to speak about you to those in authority, we will gladly do so. But we ask your divine protection on these who have not yet been able to respond—”

  The lead Peacekeeper kicked Mr. Stein in the side. “On your feet, old man!”

  Mr. Stein slumped to the ground as Judd rushed to help him. A woman nearby leaned down and whispered, “If we believe what you are saying, what are we to do?”

  Mr. Stein closed his eyes. “Lord, give us enough time to show these people how to respond to you.”

  Someone gasped and another man cried out. Judd looked up as all three Peacekeepers fell backward. Two darted outside and ran away. The third landed on the floor, his gun clattering against a metal chair. The man pulled his knees to his chest and shook with fear. “Please, don’t hurt me!”

  Judd picked up the gun and walked to the man. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

  “Not you.” The man’s eyes were as big as saucers as he pointed toward Mr. Stein. “Them.”

  Judd turned. The room looked the same as it had all night. “Who are you talking about?”

  “Those two beside the guy with the beard.”

  Judd looked again. The Peacekeeper was clearly pointing toward Mr. Stein, but there was no one beside him.

  “What do they look like?” Judd said.

  “Big. Shiny. It hurts to look at them. And they have weapons! Please, tell them not to hurt me.”

  “It’s okay,” Judd said, trying to figure out what the man had seen. “Leave now and you won’t be hurt.”

  The Peacekeeper stood and ran out the door.

  Judd turned to Mr. Stein. “What was that all about?”

  Mr. Stein smiled. “God has protected us again. We asked for his help and he has given it.”

  20

  WHEN the helicopter was gone, Vicki and the others helped Conrad remove equipment from the satellite truck. Though some of the gear was permanently attached, Conrad took enough inside for the kids to watch the satellite school transmissions and make their own recording.

  Mark called Carl to find out how they could uplink Vicki’s video. Since Janie was the newest believer, Vicki asked her to help craft an explanation of the truth.

  “Carl says you’ll probably have about five minutes, tops, before the GC figure out how to jam the signal,” Mark said. “We’ll record ten to fifteen minutes just in case, but make sure you get the important stuff up front.”

  “How do we get the video to Carl?”

  “Still working on it,” Mark said. “Hopefully we can align the dish and let Carl take care of the rest.”

  Vicki scribbled notes of things she wanted to say. Janie and Melinda told her what had helped most in changing their minds about God. Vicki had written several pages when Conrad asked them to come into the new control room.

  The basement had been transformed into a television studio. Conrad had the camera set up near the wall Charlie was painting. A huge monitor sat in the corner.

  “It’ll take some time to figure out how to link up with Carl,” Conrad said, “but we can record as soon as you guys are ready.”

  Charlie had draped a sheet over two ladders to keep his painting private. Vicki asked if she could come in, but Charlie said he wanted to wait until he was finished.

  “How much longer?”

  “I’ll work through the night. Should be ready by tomorrow afternoon.”

  Vicki typed her notes into the computer so she could read them from the monitor. She wanted everything about the recording to be perfect. “Can we put any kinds of graphics or messages across the bottom?”

  Conrad smiled. “Just tell me what you want me to put on the screen.”

  After the Peacekeepers had run from the room, many people stood to leave. Mr. Stein tried to stop them.

  “We don’t want them to come back and shoot us!” one man said.

  “Stay and hear the message!” Mr. Stein said.

  “If we leave, will you kill us?” another asked.

  “Of course not.”

  Mr. Stein talked about Jesus to the few who remained. When he was through, several prayed. One man who had just prayed approached Judd. He was older with a square jaw and piercing eyes. He had a powerful handshake and towered over Judd. “You are American. Do you have a place to stay?”

  “Yes, but there are others passing through who might need somewhere to sleep.”

  The man handed Judd a card. “I have many rooms in my house. One as big as this. Tell your friends. I will be back tomorrow night with my neighbors.”

  When they returned to Yitzhak’s house, Judd asked Mr. Stein why the Peacekeepers had run.
/>   “This also happened during my trip to Africa. The Bible shows many examples of angels helping people. I fear tonight we were in very serious trouble, but the Almighty protected us.”

  Lionel nodded. “If that’s true, maybe we shouldn’t go back to the same place two nights in a row. The GC could be waiting for us.”

  Mr. Stein scratched his beard. “You’re right. But where do we go? And how do we let people know we’ve moved the meeting?”

  Judd pulled out the man’s card from earlier that night. “This man said he has a lot of room at his house.”

  Yitzhak squinted as he read the man’s name.

  “What is it?” Lionel said.

  “This man is one of Israel’s leading military planners. They call him the General. He lives near Chaim Rosenzweig’s estate.”

  One of the witnesses said, “Who is Chaim Rosenzweig?”

  Sam stood. “Only one of the most famous men in all of Israel. He discovered a formula that makes the desert bloom like a garden.”

  Judd said, “Some in the Tribulation Force are talking to him about God.”

  Mr. Stein took the paper. “General Solomon Zimmerman. We must go and see this man.”

  Vicki gasped when she saw the detail of Charlie’s work. The painting had intricate details of the New Babylon skyline. The kids and Lenore clapped when they saw it. Little Tolan giggled and laughed as Charlie held him in his arms.

  “Almost looks like you could walk right into it,” Darrion said.

  Vicki winked at Conrad. “Let’s get started.”

  Since Mark had the deepest voice, Vicki had him read a brief introduction. Mark tried to sound like a GC announcer, but laughed when Conrad made a face. After a few tries he got through the introduction, and Conrad played it back.

  “In cooperation with the Global Community Department of Education, we proudly present the new ambassador to the next generation, Connie Goodwill.”

  Conrad found an instrumental fanfare and mixed it under Mark’s voice. The kids were amazed. “This is where we fade up on Vicki—”

  “You mean, Connie,” Shelly said.

  “Right,” Conrad said. “We’ll start with Connie sitting in front of Charlie’s painting.”

  Lenore slipped out and returned with something on a hanger. “Charlie’s not the only one with talent. Z sent some material in his last supply shipment, and I tried to match that Damosa character’s suit. Here’s what I came up with.”

  Lenore unveiled a new outfit for Vicki that looked almost exactly like Dr. Damosa’s suit. On the shoulder was the insignia of the Global Community.

  “Where did you get the insignia?” Vicki said.

  Lenore smiled. “Just get dressed and record your message, Ambassador.”

  Judd shook his head as he walked into the courtyard of Solomon Zimmerman’s home. When he had seen the man the night before, the General looked like any other person off the street. Now, standing in the midst of what seemed like a tropical garden, Judd saw that he was a man of great wealth and stature.

  A man in uniform led Judd and the others inside. They waited in a foyer until General Zimmerman met them and showed them into his massive library. While Mr. Stein talked about using the house for the next meeting, Judd studied the volumes that lined the man’s bookshelves. There were biographies of great military leaders, works of fiction about warfare, volumes of reference material, and even different translations of the Bible.

  The General said he would be delighted to have them meet in his home. Before they left, Mr. Stein asked how the General had heard of their meeting.

  “One of my aides found a flyer on the street. I have seen much death and bloodshed in my career, but these last few years have been extraordinary. I was curious to hear your explanation last night, and in the process, I discovered the truth.”

  “Weren’t you in command when the nuclear attack against Israel began?” Yitzhak said.

  General Zimmerman closed his eyes and nodded. “I remember it like it was yesterday. I suppose that’s when I first began to think there might be a God.” The General looked at Judd. “I saw you looking at my books. Are you surprised I have copies of the Bible?”

  Judd nodded. “If you didn’t believe in God, why would you have them?”

  “I studied the Bible because to me it was a book of warfare. In my military history classes I learned, and later taught, about the many battles described in what you call the Old Testament. There is great wisdom in the way Gideon divided his men, the way King David attacked the Philistines, and of course, God’s soldier Joshua, and the way he took Jericho. In all the time I studied those battles, I never considered them of any spiritual importance. They were simply stories. Now that I know the truth, they are much more than stories.”

  “What happened when the Russians attacked?” Lionel said. “We studied this in school, but I’d like to hear your version.”

  General Zimmerman smiled. “I suppose we have my neighbor to blame.” He pointed out the window. “If Dr. Rosenzweig had not created the formula that literally changed the landscape of our country, perhaps we would not have been attacked.”

  “The Russians wanted the formula?” Lionel said.

  “Russia’s economy had been devastated. All they had was military might. When Israel prospered, they were determined to occupy the Holy Land. We had an inkling something bad was coming, but we had no idea it would be an all-out attack.”

  “Didn’t it come in the middle of the night?” Judd said.

  General Zimmerman nodded. “I was awakened and told missiles were heading toward our largest cities. Fighter-bombers with nuclear weapons flew overhead as I reached our defense headquarters. We had no time to ask for help. We were outnumbered one hundred to one. But we had to act.

  “We launched surface-to-air missiles toward the enemy, and the first ones hit their targets. But the number of missiles attacking us was overwhelming. Our radar screens were filled with targets we could not possibly destroy.

  “Then the explosions began. Planes slammed to earth. We knew the end was near. But we discovered the planes were falling from the sky without us shooting them down. The Russians’ nuclear weapons exploded high above the earth. The sky was on fire and night turned to the brightest daylight. You cannot imagine the heat.”

  General Zimmerman ran a hand through his hair. “I went outside the bunker. I figured we were all dead anyway. Then came the hail, which turned to freezing rain. After a few minutes, the fire in the sky went out and darkness settled in, along with deathly silence. The entire Russian air attack was consumed in fire that night.”

  “What did you think happened?” Lionel said.

  “Some believed it was a meteor shower, but how could such a thing happen and not harm one living soul on the ground? How could so many planes crash and burn without killing anyone except the pilots? I have asked that question many times, but I have not come up with a believable answer until now. Now I know that God protected Israel like he protected us last night.”

  The General explained what had happened since the rise of the Global Community. Zimmerman said he had never fully trusted Nicolae Carpathia, and now that he knew the truth about God, he cringed at what would happen during the Gala.

  “We have other plans while that celebration occurs,” Mr. Stein said.

  “Tell me,” General Zimmerman said. “I want to help tell others the truth.”

  It took Vicki a number of takes to get through her message. She felt nervous with others watching her and asked them to leave the room.

  “Hundreds of thousands are going to see this,”

  Conrad said.

  “I know it’s silly, but I’d feel better if it was just you and me in here.”

  When she finished, Conrad began editing. “Shouldn’t take me more than a couple days to have the final product.”

  “How did you learn how to do this?”

  “My brother had a pretty sophisticated computer with a lot of video and editing software. He u
sed to let me play around on it.”

  Conrad’s voice trailed off. It had been a while since Vicki had asked about Taylor Graham. She said, “I bet you miss him.”

  Conrad nodded. “When we’re in the middle of a project like this, I stay focused. But at other times, like when we were driving cross-country, I think about him a lot. I wish I’d had more time to talk with him.”

  Vicki put a hand on Conrad’s shoulder. “Maybe what you’re doing here will help a lot of kids know the truth.”

  For the next few days the kids watched the news and the countdown to the return of the satellite schools. Conrad finished Vicki’s recording and played it for the entire Young Trib Force. Charlie beamed when he saw his painting. Everyone was impressed with Vicki and for fun called her “the Ambassador.”

  Finally the day arrived when Dr. Neal Damosa appeared before cheering crowds around the world. The kids watched closely and took notes on the latest teaching from the Global Community.

  Mark tapped Vicki on the shoulder and asked her to come upstairs. His face was grim.

  “The helicopter’s not back, is it?” Vicki said.

  Mark shook his head. “When we brought the stuff in from the truck we must have damaged the satellite. We can’t get the signal to Carl.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Unless we come up with another plan, no one will see your recording but us.”

  21

  OVER the next few weeks, Judd and the others held meetings nightly at General Zimmerman’s home. Some nights there were only ten or fifteen people, but as time went on and more heard about Mr. Stein’s teaching, General Zimmerman’s house began to look like a convention center. People hungry for the truth returned with neighbors and friends. Mr. Stein was elated.

  Judd spent little time at Yitzhak’s house and hoped Kasim would forget his assassination plan. But a conversation with Jamal changed that.

  “Kasim came here late last night looking for you,” Jamal said.

  “Did you tell him where we’re meeting?”

  “I mentioned the General’s house, and his eyes lit up for some reason. I wouldn’t be surprised if he shows up for a meeting there.”