Vicki nodded and put a hand on Charlie’s arm. “If you decide to stay, I don’t know if we’ll be able to come back for you.”
Charlie took her hand. “I don’t want to leave you guys. You’ve been so good to me. You put up with all my questions.” Charlie shrugged. “For some reason I think God wants me to stay here.” He turned to Ginny. “I can sleep on the couch or even out in the barn—”
Ginny waved a hand. “We’re going to fix up Amelia’s room for you.”
“No, you can’t—”
“It’s time I let go of that little girl. I’m going to see her in heaven someday. I know that for sure. There’s plenty of room for you in there.”
Vicki wiped away a tear. Charlie sat forward and said, “Oh, I didn’t think about you, Vicki. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
“You didn’t,” Vicki said. “I’m happy you’ve found a place to stay before the Glorious Appearing. But I’m going to miss you.”
Charlie stood and put an arm around Vicki. “If you ever need me, you know where I’ll be.”
Judd wanted to break down the door and help Kasim, but footsteps from inside approached, and he signaled Lionel to move away. The two found a closet down the hall and ducked inside.
Judd left the door open a little and saw two burly men walk out of Kasim’s apartment, past them, and down the stairs. When they were sure the men were gone, Judd and Lionel crept toward Kasim’s apartment.
The door was open slightly and Judd walked inside. The apartment was dark except for light coming from the street. In the distance Judd saw the huge stage where the opening ceremony was to be held. He picked up a pair of binoculars on the windowsill and read the writing printed on the backdrop. The largest read One World, One Truth: Individual Freedom for All. Judd scanned the plaza. Everywhere the Global Community could find a space they plastered the slogan Today Is the First Day of the Rest of Utopia.
“Judd, in here,” Lionel whispered.
Judd hurried into the tiny bedroom and found Lionel kneeling beside Kasim’s body. Judd flicked on a light. Kasim’s mouth was bloody and his face bruised. Lionel felt Kasim’s neck for a pulse.
“Is he dead?” Judd said.
32
JUDD was relieved to discover Kasim wasn’t dead. He helped Lionel carry the boy to the bed. Lionel got a cool rag and wiped blood from Kasim’s face.
“Who do you think those guys were?” Lionel said.
Judd shrugged. “I don’t know, but at least we know Kasim wasn’t in Tel Aviv today.”
Kasim awoke a few minutes later and cried out. Lionel left and returned with two cans of soda. “There was no ice, so I figured this would help.”
Kasim took a can, wrapped it in the wet rag, and held it to his head. “I didn’t think they’d ever find me here.”
“Who were those guys?” Judd said.
Kasim sat up. “I bought a gun and some other things from the black market. They—”
“What’s the black market?” Lionel said.
“It’s like an illegal store,” Judd said. “You tell somebody what you want and how much you want to pay, and they get it for you.”
“And these guys don’t like to wait for their money,” Kasim said.
“Why didn’t you give back the gun?” Judd said.
Kasim held the can tight to his forehead. “Please, I don’t want to talk about it.”
Judd looked around the apartment for General Zimmerman’s rifle. He walked close to the bed and said firmly, “Give me the gun.”
“Your friend will get his precious weapon back tomorrow night.”
“Not good enough,” Judd said. “I want it now.”
Kasim moaned. “You said you’d keep this between you and me. Why did you bring Lionel into it?”
“I talked with one of Carpathia’s people today and—”
“You what?!”
“He’s one of us. He said the GC will execute you if they discover your plan.”
“They’re not going to—”
“If you don’t give me the rifle, I’m telling them myself.”
Kasim stared at Judd. “You’d do that to a fellow believer? Someone who wants to rid the world of that evil man?”
“You’re not thinking clearly,” Judd said. “And if you did get away with it, they’d trace the weapon to General Zimmerman and he’d be in trouble.”
Kasim pursed his lips and stood. “Help me turn the bed over.”
Lionel and Judd flipped the bed and found General Zimmerman’s rifle taped underneath. Kasim ripped it off the mattress and handed it to Judd. “Now leave.”
“Come with us,” Judd said. “We want to—”
“Leave!”
Judd and Lionel wrapped the rifle in a blanket and hurried outside. They thought of stashing it somewhere, but they were afraid someone would find it. They walked along back streets and alleys until they came to the Wailing Wall.
Once again Eli and Moishe spoke to the crowd about the forgiveness found only in Jesus Christ. A few jeered at them, but most listened.
“You’re going to get yours,” one man muttered.
As Judd and Lionel walked away, Lionel said, “That guy’s right. Carpathia is supposed to make war with them in the next few days.”
Judd shifted the rifle to his other shoulder and said, “I’m not looking forward to that.”
The two avoided any contact with GC Peacekeepers or Morale Monitors and slipped into General Zimmerman’s house unnoticed. Judd crept upstairs and returned the rifle. He said good night to Lionel and fell into bed. Since Judd had learned of Kasim’s plan to kill Carpathia, Judd hadn’t slept well. This night, he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
While Mark and the others tried to rest before their trip, Vicki spent the evening with Charlie, reliving their adventures. Charlie recalled how difficult it had been to carry Ryan’s body all the way to New Hope Village Church.
“I wish you could have met our pastor, Bruce Barnes,” Vicki said. “You would have really liked him.”
“I’ve liked all your friends,” Charlie said. “I wish I could have known you before all the people disappeared and everything.”
“I was a different person back then. I’m not sure you would have liked me that much.”
Charlie smiled and looked at the floor. “That Judd guy likes you.”
“What do you mean?”
“You two yelled at each other, but I could tell he really likes you.”
“You notice a lot of things you never talk about.”
“Yeah, like Conrad and Shelly. They like to hold hands when nobody’s looking.”
“Really?” Vicki said. “I didn’t know that.”
They talked about the other kids in the Young Trib Force, and Charlie grew serious. “I’ve been reading as much as I can about what’s going to happen next. It’s going to get bad, isn’t it?”
Vicki nodded. “We’re in a seven-year period of trouble. The first three and a half years have been awful. The last three and a half years will be worse.”
“Are we going to die before we see Jesus coming?”
“I don’t know. A lot of believers will be killed for their faith in the next couple of years. I hope we all make it to the end.”
“Are you ready to die?”
Vicki took a deep breath. “I guess. I mean, I don’t want to, but if it’s the difference between obeying God or obeying the GC, I’m ready.”
Charlie nodded. “I used to lay awake at night in my old house and worry about it. Sometimes I’d shake just thinking of all the different ways you could die. Now it doesn’t bother me so much. I don’t want it to hurt, but I know as soon as I’m gone I’ll be in heaven.”
“I look forward to you meeting Ryan and Bruce,” Vicki said.
“That’ll be great,” Charlie said. He stared out the window. Vicki noticed how bright the moon and stars were in the country. Charlie scrunched his eyes and said, “Do you think we’ll be able to know each
other in heaven? Will we know those guys in the old Bible and the disciples?”
“You mean Old Testament?” Vicki said.
“Yeah, like David and Moses and people like that.”
“I think we’ll recognize each other, and we’ll be able to talk and ask people’s names. Who do you want to meet in heaven?”
“There’s so many; I can’t name them all. Like that Paul guy and Peter and that prophet man who had the fight with those guys on that hill.”
“I don’t think I know that story.”
Charlie quickly gave an overview of Elijah’s confrontation with the priests of Baal. Vicki was amazed at Charlie’s grasp of the story. “Was that Elijah?”
“Yeah, he asked the other religious people if their god was asleep or on a trip. That was cool. I want to meet him and ask him what that was like. How about you?”
“I’d like to meet Ruth. Her story is so sad and then romantic. And Mary, the mother of Jesus.”
“Yeah, and Joseph too. I want to find out what happened to him.”
Charlie and Vicki talked about what they might see on television from Jerusalem during the week. She encouraged him to keep in touch through the kids’ Web site.
Vicki showed Charlie everything she knew about the Internet, including how to send urgent messages to the others. She found a note from Carl saying he had made it safely to South Carolina and that Luke and Tom Gowin said hello. Vicki wrote a message back, showing Charlie how to reply to incoming messages.
The others stirred as Ginny and Bo carried boxes of canned goods and other food to the back of the Suburban. Vicki protested, but Ginny patted her on the back and said, “You kids are starting all over again.”
“Where are you headed?” Bo said as he loaded cans of oil into the car.
“It’s probably best we don’t tell you specifics,” Mark said, “but it’s north. We’ll stay there until things cool down a little; then we can figure out our next move.”
Bo hugged Vicki. “If you ever need a place to stay, you know where we are.”
The kids climbed into the Suburban and Mark started the engine. Charlie stood by Vicki’s window patting her arm. “Gonna miss you.”
Vicki choked up and couldn’t speak. Finally she said, “We’ll see each other again.”
Mark backed out, turned, and headed toward the main road. Dust billowed behind them. Vicki saw Charlie in the moonlight, waving good-bye.
Judd awoke the next morning and smelled breakfast cooking. He went downstairs and joined the others, who were talking about the opening session of the Gala.
Mr. Stein paced as he ate. “The Global Community has just announced there will be no arrests or detainments during the Gala.”
“What about their enemies?” General Zimmerman said.
“No one will be arrested or detained until after the Gala,” Mr. Stein said. “The supreme commander announced that this morning.”
Judd looked at Lionel and Sam. “That means Vicki and the others have a chance to hide if they haven’t been caught.”
Sam nodded. “I found an e-mail from someone named Charlie this morning. He said to tell you that everybody got out of the schoolhouse.”
“Yeah,” Lionel said, “but Vicki’s picture is plastered all over the Internet. They better find a good place to hide, because when this Gala is over, they’ll be looking for her.”
Mr. Stein went over his plans for the day. Already, witnesses were handing out pamphlets to attendees of the Gala. “I don’t think there is any sense in holding a meeting during the actual opening ceremony tonight. Everyone wants to see what Carpathia will say, and the noise from the musical groups will be heard for miles.
“Instead, we will conduct our first meeting this afternoon, just before the dinner hour, under a tent the General has loaned us. The GC, under their banner of tolerance and goodwill, has approved the site. We need help passing out invitations to that gathering.”
Judd, Lionel, and Sam volunteered. Judd said, “What should we do about the opening session? Is it okay to attend?”
Mr. Stein nodded. “I would like for us all to be there so we can take advantage of any opportunity that might come up. In a crowd of this size, there will be people who are truly searching, even in the midst of this sinful gathering.”
Mr. Stein put his plate in the sink and crossed his arms. “My friends, we are now at the devil’s party. He does not want us to succeed. But you and I know the one who has forgiven us is much greater than the one alive in this world.”
Everyone stood around the table and prayed. Afterward, each took pamphlets and invitations to pass out. As Judd was leaving, General Zimmerman pecked him on the shoulder. “Might I have a word?”
“Sure,” Judd said, following him through the meeting room.
“I need to ask you a question, but you have to promise me you won’t think I’m accusing you.”
Judd nodded. “Go ahead.”
“Yesterday one of my servants came to me and said there were items missing from my weapons collection. I noticed this morning that the missing rifle had been returned. Do you know anything about it?”
Judd told the General what had happened with Kasim and that he and Lionel had brought the gun back late the evening before.
General Zimmerman listened carefully and put a hand on Judd’s shoulder. “Thank you for telling me the truth. Was that the only thing he took?”
“I didn’t see him with anything else,” Judd said.
The General put his hands behind him and looked away. “All right. I appreciate your honesty.”
“What’s missing?” Judd said.
“A special item I purchased a few months ago. If your friend found it that night, he could have easily put it in his pocket and you wouldn’t have seen it.”
“Is it a gun?”
“No, it’s a high-intensity laser that can be used as a sword.”
Vicki and the others drove north in Bo’s Suburban. Though Mark and Conrad had cleaned it, the car still smelled like a barnyard. The kids kept their windows rolled down.
Darrion sat in front with a map. She had told the others about her parents’ cabin in Wisconsin before they found the schoolhouse. Now it seemed like the perfect spot to hide.
Mark tried to find the least traveled roads. Bo had gassed up the car from his underground stash of fuel, so they wouldn’t have to stop for gas. Everyone agreed the best route was away from Chicago, so Mark drove west before heading north toward Rockford. When they crossed the Wisconsin border at Beloit, Mark found a main road that went east.
“Where is this place?” Conrad said.
“Closest town is probably Lake Geneva,” Darrion said. “I hope I’m not taking us here for nothing.”
“What do you mean?” Mark said.
“The earthquake could have wiped the place out. I was going to come here with my mom but …”
Vicki put an arm around Darrion. The girl’s mother had died in the wrath of the Lamb earthquake. Each of the kids had lost so many friends and family members in the last three years, it was hard to keep track.
“If we’d have come up here like we planned, she’d probably still be alive,” Darrion said.
Mark drove through the night, the cool air rushing through the car. Vicki kept watch for any sign of the GC.
33
AS LIONEL and Sam passed out invitations to the meeting that afternoon, the voices of Eli and Moishe echoed through the streets. Every time Lionel heard these two, he felt goose bumps. Today their message seemed even more urgent as the prophets tried again to get people to embrace the truth of God.
Sam showed Lionel a shortcut to the Wailing Wall. Hundreds of thousands crammed into the area before the preachers, curious to see the two.
Sam climbed to a place where they could look down on the gathering. Lionel noticed many people kneeling by the fence directly in front of the witnesses.
“Those must be new believers,” Sam said.
Others in the crowd je
ered and mocked the witnesses as they spoke with great emotion. Lionel thought Eli was near tears as he shouted, “How the Messiah despaired when he looked out over this very city! God the Father promised to bless Jerusalem if her people would obey his commandment and put no other god before him. We come in the name of the Father, and you do not receive us. Jesus himself said, ‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”’”
The crowd fell silent, and no one moved as Eli continued. “God sent his Son, the promised Messiah, who fulfilled more than one hundred ancient prophecies, including being crucified in this city. Christ’s love compels us to tell you that he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
“We are Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for you, so that in him you might become the righteousness of God. I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which you must be saved. Though this world and its false rulers promise that all religions lead to God, this is a lie. Jesus is the only way to God, as he himself declared, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”
Now it was Moishe’s turn. He stood and yelled, “This world may have seen the last of us, but you have not seen the last of Jesus the Christ! As the prophets foretold, he will come again in power and great glory to establish his kingdom on this earth. The Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
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