Deceived

by Jerry B. Jenkins

  “You may want to rethink that.”

  “Why? What did Carpathia say?”

  “It’s not only what he said, but what he did. You were at the Temple Mount when the head of the Morale Monitors tried to kill Dr. Rosenzweig, right?”

  “Yeah, Loren Hut.”

  “Right. He’s dead.”

  Judd gasped. “What happened?”

  “Hut talked back to Carpathia, was sarcastic, and Nicolae shot him.”

  Judd shook his head. “Carpathia’s out of control.”

  “He sure is. And he says once the curse is lifted, his enemies will be bunched up in four places or in the air.”

  “Mount of Olives, Masada, Mizpe Ramon, or Petra.”

  “Exactly, and he’s declared all of Israel a no-fly zone at 9:15.”

  “There could still be planes and helicopters in flight.”

  “And my guess is, the GC will try to shoot them down. They’re also planning an attack on Masada at 9:30.”

  “What?” Judd said.

  “Carpathia wants to wipe out the Orthodox Jews and the Judah-ites wherever they are.”

  “Then everybody needs to head to Petra,” Judd said.

  Mr. Stein asked what was happening and Judd held up a hand.

  “Carpathia says Petra is just as defenseless against their weapons as Masada,” Chang said. “Judd, if God doesn’t do something miraculous, you guys could all die out there tonight.”

  30

  VICKI ate some fruit and toast and tried to fight fatigue. She didn’t know how long she had been up or how long she had been running on adrenaline. It had to catch up soon, but she reminded herself of their mission. Claudia Zander was out there, running from the GC, and needed help. At least, that’s what she said.

  Vicki drank coffee and winced. It perked her up a little but left a bad taste. Another gang member walked into the garage and came out a few minutes later and spoke to the man with the gun.

  “What do we do about Claudia?” Vicki said.

  “If they let us go,” Mark said, “I say we go get her.”

  Vicki put the cell phone in her lap and redialed the Wisconsin hideout. Darrion answered and sounded like she had been asleep. Vicki spoke softly and told Darrion what had happened. “Have we gotten any more messages from Claudia?”

  “I’ll check,” Darrion said. The girl asked someone to wake up. Probably Janie, Vicki thought.

  “Okay, it looks like a message came in from her a few minutes ago.”

  “Read it.”

  “ ‘Dear Young Trib Force, it looks like time is running out. I don’t think I can wait much longer. Please tell me if you’re coming or not. Claudia.’ ”

  The man with the gun stirred, walking closer.

  “Write her back and tell her—”

  “Hey, no phone calls!” the man yelled.

  “—to stay where she is. We’ll be at her place as soon as we can get there.”

  “I said, no phone calls!” the man said, grabbing the phone and turning it off.

  “She’s not calling the GC,” Manny said.

  “Shut up, traitor!”

  Manny stood, eyes flashing. “I’m a traitor? I’d like to see how long you would last in a GC jail cell, Carlos. How long would you hold out until you squealed on your friends and turned them in?”

  “I know one thing,” Carlos answered. “I wouldn’t use religion as a crutch.”

  Manny shook his head. He was about to say something when a door opened and a young woman walked in.

  Carlos smiled. “Now let’s see what a tough guy you are.”

  The girl was dressed in a jogging suit and wore a scarf over her brown hair. Her brown eyes locked on Manny as she marched across the room. She stopped inches from his face and stared.

  Before Manny could speak, the girl slapped him hard. The blow left a handprint on his face. He turned his head slightly, then looked into her eyes.

  The girl clenched her teeth. “That was for getting caught!” She swung again. “And this is for leaving me alone!”

  Manny caught her right hand in midair. She swung the other and he blocked it. They stood facing each other until the girl’s shoulders shook. Manny let go of her arms, and the girl hugged him tightly and wept. “I thought you were dead.”

  Mark whispered to Vicki, “Looks like he had more people to talk with than Hector.”

  “Anita,” Manny said, “I told you to leave and go to—”

  The girl put a hand over his mouth and shook her head. “I couldn’t leave. I knew you’d find a way to get back.”

  “I’m sorry you got involved in this. Have they taken care of you?”

  The girl nodded. “Hector brought me here soon after you were arrested.” Manny grabbed her shoulders and Anita smiled. “They haven’t hurt me.”

  A wave of relief showed on Manny’s face. He turned to Vicki and Mark. “I want you to meet my new friends.” He put his arm around the girl and kissed her cheek. “This is my sister, Anita.”

  Lionel marveled at the Hummer’s electronic navigation system. He had used global positioning devices before— his mom and dad had both had one—but this one included a computer screen with 3-D images of what was ahead and behind them on the road, their speed, distance to their destination, and a projected arrival time.

  “Will that thing tell us if the GC are going to attack?” Lionel smirked.

  Westin touched a button on the screen. “Watch this.”

  A number flashed at the top indicating the current temperature. The readout also included wind velocity, barometric pressure, and humidity. As the statistics flashed on the screen, the 3-D image tilted skyward, revealing a gridded outline of the sky. “I’ve got it on ten miles right now, but you can set it for twenty, fifty, a hundred, or more.”

  “What’s it do?” Sam said.

  “Lets you know about aircraft activity,” Westin said. “Some use it to avoid radar detection from choppers. It could also be used in a military situation. These rigs are usually decked out with lots of gizmos people never use.”

  “Can you set it to look back at the Mount of Olives?” Lionel said.

  Westin touched the screen a few more times and the grid enlarged. He pointed to the left side of the screen. “I could put in the coordinates, but this is basically the location of Jerusalem—here. The Mount of Olives is about here.”

  “What are all those dots to the right?” Sam said.

  Lionel leaned closer and smiled. “Operation Eagle!”

  Judd told Mr. Stein what Chang had said about Carpathia’s plans. As he described the situation, Judd saw fear on the faces of Rabbi Ben-Eliezar and his wife.

  “I think we should continue to Masada,” Mr. Stein said. “The prophet God has sent told us to—”

  “Your prophet told you to go toward Petra,” Rabbi Ben-Eliezar said. “Only people like us should go to Masada, right?”

  Mr. Stein rubbed his forehead. “True. But I feel called to Masada to help unbelievers in any way I can.”

  “Is that what we are to you?” Mrs. Ben-Eliezar said.

  Mr. Stein leaned close. “I don’t mean to offend you with my words about the Messiah. You have a knowledge of God and a zeal for him.” He looked at Rabbi Ben-Eliezar. “You risked your life because you love God’s house and didn’t want to see it defiled. But God is asking you not just to be zealous for him, but to know his Son. He sent Jesus as the perfect sacrifice for sins so that—”

  “Enough,” the rabbi said. “I know your position.”

  “Please do not harden your heart,” Mr. Stein said. “God has given you an opportunity to know him fully, through Jesus.”

  The line of vehicles stretched for miles toward Masada. Judd phoned Chang again but his line was busy. He wondered what new plans Chang might uncover that could help believers in the coming days.

  Judd sat back and prayed that Lionel and Sam would find a way to the safety of Petra—if Petra truly was safe. Would God’s protection extend to all believers,
or was it only for those who were Jewish?

  Judd watched the terrain change as they drove closer to Masada. He thought of others in the Young Trib Force and prayed for their safety. When he thought of Vicki, he felt a strange ache. He believed his time spent in Israel and the Middle East was something only God could orchestrate, but he longed for home, to see his friends, and especially Vicki. So much had happened since he had last seen her. Maybe he wouldn’t make it back to the States at all. Perhaps the next few days would decide that.

  Still, Judd held out hope that he would return one day soon and put his troubles with Vicki behind him. Judd laid his head against the door and closed his eyes. Though there was much to fear, he knew the best and safest place to be was where God wanted him.

  “I’m yours, God,” Judd prayed. “I’ll do whatever you want.”

  Vicki listened as Manny told Anita how the Global Community had caught him and what had happened in jail. When he described his conversation with Zeke, Anita looked away.

  “I’ve heard of jailhouse conversions, but I never thought you’d be one of them,” Anita said.

  “Me either. But I’ve wanted to find you and tell you since it happened. You have to listen.”

  Vicki turned as Hector approached Manny. “No bugs in the car. Your story checks out. Our guy close to the GC says they’re still looking for you. Go.”

  Vicki and Mark stood. Manny looked at them, then at Hector. “I’d like your permission to stay.”

  “Why?”

  Manny took a breath. “I could leave here right now and do lots of good things with my life. I could tell other people I meet what has happened to me and what a change I’ve experienced, and maybe it would help them. But I’ve been thinking that I was given this gift so I could give it to the people I care about most.”

  Hector smiled. “You want to be a preacher to the gangs? You think you’ll get brownie points in heaven?”

  Manny looked at Vicki and Mark again. “I know how much these people did for me, and they didn’t even know me. How much more should I care about the only family I have left? How could I live with myself if I kept life from you? The stinging locusts, the earthquake, everything we’ve seen the last few years has a purpose, and it’s to get our attention. Let me stay and tell you.”

  “Keep your religion,” Hector said. “It would spoil our business.”

  Manny walked closer. “If you harden your heart against God, you will never know true freedom.”

  Hector shook his head. “Freedom? The only freedom I need is from nuts like you. Stay if you want, but you’ll obey orders like before.” He walked out of the room.

  Mark put a hand on Manny’s shoulder. “This is suicide. If you don’t get out—”

  “I know,” Manny interrupted. “I think this is where I’m supposed to be.”

  Vicki looked at Mark. She knew Manny had made up his mind. “If you need help, you know how to reach us. We’ll do all we can. Take this.” She handed her watch to Manny and showed him how to work The Cube, a hightech, 3-D demonstration of the gospel.

  Manny looked at Vicki and Mark through tears. “What would I have done? Where would I be today, if you had not helped me?”

  “Be faithful with the message,” Vicki said. “God put you here for a reason.”

  “But what about Claudia?” Manny said.

  Vicki shook her head. “Stay. We’ll sort that out.”

  “Vicki’s right,” Mark said. “This may be your only chance to talk with your sister and the others.”

  Manny gave specific directions to Claudia’s hotel and retrieved their cell phone. Manny led them to the garage and Vicki waved as they pulled away.

  Vicki sighed. “What now?”

  “We have two options,” Mark said. “Head back to Wisconsin or go after her.”

  “We haven’t come this far to turn back,” Vicki said.

  Colin Dial answered when Vicki called the Wisconsin safe house. “Darrion sent your message, and Claudia said she was still at the hotel. Room 223. What’s going on down there?”

  Vicki quickly explained how they had eluded the GC and that Manny had chosen to stay with the gang. As she talked, Vicki kept an eye out for any GC squad cars. Mark spotted one coming the other way and calmly kept driving. The officers seemed not to notice them.

  A few minutes later, Mark pulled into a parking lot a block from the hotel. He got the phone number from a sign on the side of the building advertising weekly rates and told the desk worker he was looking for a safe place to have a family reunion.

  After a few minutes he hung up. “She said there hasn’t been any GC activity there that she knows of, so our reunion looks like a go.”

  Vicki shook her head. “You know I don’t like it when you lie to people.”

  “Sorry. I thought it would help to know if—”

  Vicki held up a hand and looked at her watch. They had plenty of time to find Claudia and leave.

  Mark unbuckled and opened the door.

  “You’re not going without me,” Vicki said.

  “They’ll recognize your face.”

  Vicki pulled out a hat Manny had given her and pushed her hair underneath. She put on bright red lipstick and a pair of sunglasses. “Let’s go.”

  Mark shook his head. “Okay, but follow my lead.”

  Mark and Vicki stole through an alley and around a concrete barrier to the street. They crossed a half block from the hotel and worked their way back, keeping a close watch for any GC vehicles. The hotel rose six stories and Vicki kept an eye on the windows for anyone watching.

  Several people sat in the lobby eating breakfast when Vicki and Mark walked inside. Vicki’s heart beat faster as they approached the front desk. She saw a surveillance camera in the corner so she picked up a newspaper and pretended to read while Mark approached a woman clicking at a computer screen.

  “I called a few minutes ago about a family reunion,” Mark said.

  “Yes?” the woman said, not looking up.

  “Would it be possible for my sister and me to look at one of your rooms?”

  “How many in your party?”

  “We’d probably be renting a whole floor.”

  The woman looked up. “Most rooms have two double beds. A few have king-size with whirlpool baths.”

  “And meeting rooms?” Mark said. “How many will those hold?”

  “Up to two hundred,” the woman said. “You’ll have to make food arrangements outside. We don’t provide that.”

  “Of course,” Mark said. He studied a layout of the building as the woman grabbed a key. “Could we see something close to the pool? I think that’s on the second floor, isn’t it?”

  The woman nodded. “Yes, if you’ll let me see some identification, you can go right up.”

  Mark dug out the fake ID Colin Dial had helped him create and handed it to her.

  She wrote down the information and gave him a card. “Room 264 is down the hall and around the corner from the pool, but that’s the closest I could find that’s clean. Take the elevator across the hall or the stairs down there.”

  “Great,” Mark said. “We’ll be right back.”

  Vicki followed Mark to the stairs. He paused and held the door slightly open.

  “What?” Vicki said.

  “I want to make sure that woman’s not calling anybody.”

  He finally closed the door and they ran to the second floor and opened the door quietly. A soda machine hummed around the corner. Room 201 was directly across the hall.

  “You ready?” Mark said.

  “Yeah, let’s go.”

  31

  VICKI followed Mark into the hallway, and a wave of chlorine assaulted her senses. Before her sister, Jeanni, had been born, Vicki’s family spent a couple of weekends every year at what her dad called “a fancy hotel.” Vicki spent hours at the pool with her older brother, Eddie, ate at nearby restaurants, and once she remembered getting room service.

  The door to the pool opened a
nd Vicki heard splashing. She missed the laughs and giggles of kids around a pool, of kids in general. An older woman carried a bucket of ice inside and closed the door.

  “Her room is right up there,” Mark whispered. “Play it cool when we go by. Don’t stare.”

  They walked confidently down the hall. 215. 217. 219. Vicki slowed a little and listened for a television, someone talking, perhaps a GC radio. They passed 221. Mark squeezed by a laundry cart ahead, and Vicki paused as she passed 223. A maid across the hall loaded wet towels into a basket. Covers and sheets lay strewn on the floor.

  A door opened suddenly behind her and Vicki nearly screamed.

  “Excuse me,” a man said loudly.

  Vicki stopped, took a breath, and turned. She expected a Peacekeeper or Morale Monitor, but instead saw a man in his undershirt, his hair neatly combed back and parted in the middle, hands on hips. “I called down to the front desk twenty minutes ago and asked about an ironing board!”

  The maid walked into the hallway. “Very sorry, sir,” she said in broken English. “I … get now.” The woman hurried to the elevator as Vicki followed Mark to 264. He had the door open when she got there.

  “It’s going to take that cleaning woman a few minutes to get back,” Vicki whispered. “Let’s go into the room that’s being cleaned.”

  Vicki led the way back down the hall and slipped into room 224. Mark closed the door behind him and watched the hallway through the tiny hole in the door. “Call her.”

  Vicki scanned the directions and figured out how to dial the room directly. As she was about to punch in the final number Mark put up a hand. “Hang on, somebody’s coming.”

  “Is it Claudia?”

  “Only if she’s six feet tall and has a mustache. Okay, he’s going into that guy’s room. Go ahead.”

  Vicki dialed 2-2-3 and heard a faint ringing through the door. Someone answered on the second ring.

  “Claudia?” Vicki said.

  “Who is this?” a girl said.

  “Claudia, if this is you, please—”

  “Vicki? I hope you’re not anywhere near here.”

  “Why? What’s wrong?”