Stung

by Jerry B. Jenkins

  The witnesses who had remained in Jamal’s apartment eagerly greeted Mr. Stein. Some spoke in other languages, but Judd could tell they were thanking God their prayers had been answered. As they sat down at the evening meal, Mr. Stein explained what had happened. Nada and Jamal interpreted for the others.

  “When the meeting ended that final night, I accompanied Yitzhak behind the stage to greet Dr. Ben-Judah,” Mr. Stein said. “We all thought it might be our last time to express our gratitude to him. The rabbi seemed agitated, like something was wrong. I overheard him talking to Mr. Williams. He said, ‘I have a terrible feeling I can only assume is from the Lord.’ He wanted to leave quickly, but Mr. Williams could not find his wife and Dr. Rosenzweig. We all looked for them.

  “Buck ran away, then a few moments later rushed at Tsion. They hit the ground just as gunfire erupted.”

  Judd broke in and told them what had happened with the Global Community guard. The witnesses all praised God when Judd told them the guard had become a believer.

  Mr. Stein picked it up from there. “GC guards ran to the stage as the gunfire began,” he continued. “Buck grabbed Dr. Ben-Judah and ran for their car. The local committee provided a few obstacles.”

  “What do you mean?” Lionel said.

  “We stood in front of the exits and blocked the guards,” Mr. Stein said. “We thought it was the least we could do for Tsion.”

  Witnesses laughed. “What happened then?” Lionel said.

  “They shot their guns in the air to frighten us, but we were not about to allow them to shoot at our leader.”

  “Did that stop them?” Judd said.

  Mr. Stein smiled. “We gave the rabbi and the others a few extra moments to get away. The guards finally got through us, but not before Tsion and the others escaped.”

  “Is that when you were arrested?” Judd said.

  Mr. Stein nodded. “I have never been treated so roughly in my life. They held their guns to our heads and led us to a GC van parked near the entrance to the stadium. We sang praises to God and encouraged each other with verses we had memorized. I said to Yitzhak, if Paul and Silas can pray all night in prison, so can we.”

  The witnesses seated around him sent up another cheer.

  “Daniel stood in the van as it careened around the streets. He shouted, ‘We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don’t give up and quit.’ Another said, ‘We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going.’ And Yitzhak finished the passage, saying, ‘Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.’

  “When we stood before the Global Community officers, each of us was asked why we were a follower of Dr. Ben-Judah. I learned later that each of us answered with the apostle Paul’s words, ‘I believe in God, and so I speak!’”

  The witnesses around the room lifted their hands and praised God. Some whispered; others shouted.

  Mr. Stein held up a hand. “I had no idea the enemy would inflict so much punishment on us. They knocked us down and made us suffer greatly. They beat me again and again, asking me where they could find the rabbi and the others. But I do not know, so how could I tell them?”

  Mr. Stein smiled, then grew serious. “At one point yesterday, I believe they planned to kill me. They knew I was the only American in the group and believed I had to know more than I had told them, which was nothing. They had treated me so badly they knew there was nothing they could do to make me give them information about my friends.

  “So I waited and prayed. Yitzhak was in the next cell. We prayed together for courage and strength. We were both so exhausted, so spent from the mistreatment.

  “And then, at our lowest point, we heard a noise. Faint, down the hallway. I went to the front, pressed my ear between the iron bars, and heard a sound I will take with me to the Glorious Appearing of our Great God.”

  Judd leaned closer. Mr. Stein stopped, overcome with emotion. “What was it?” Judd said.

  Mr. Stein looked up, tears in his eyes. “Singing,” he whispered. “I heard a dear brother—I cannot tell you who he was—but he began the little song I have never heard, but I will never forget.”

  Mr. Stein softly sang the words Judd knew were from the Doxology. They had sung it at his church at least once a month when he was a kid, and it had meant nothing to him then. Now the words sent a chill throughout his body.

  “Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise him, all creatures here below. Praise him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.”

  Witnesses wept as they quietly sang along with Mr. Stein. “Forgive my voice,” he said. “The only place my wife would let me sing was in the shower.”

  Everyone laughed.

  “But I am sure that sound brought joy to our heavenly Father. We were praising him in the midst of our trouble.

  “We sang the song over and over, until I learned all the words. Then, Yitzhak recited something from the Psalms. I do not recall the entire verse, but it talked about committing your way to the Lord. It was very powerful.”

  A barrel-chested man stood meekly in the corner. His voice was strong and clear as he recited from Psalm 37. “’Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence as clear as the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.’”

  “That’s it!” Mr. Stein said. “And that is exactly what we did. In the midst of suffering and possible death, our hearts were knit together. The fear I had was gone. I knew if I lived, I would give glory to God. If I died, I would be with my wife and daughter, and with my Lord. Wherever I was, I would give glory to God.”

  Mr. Stein wiped his eyes and sat. His shoulders shook with emotion. Finally, he spoke. “I fell into a deep sleep. It had nothing to do with the mistreatment by the guards. I simply drifted off and slept like a little child.

  “When I awoke, I discovered they had taken me into a sort of doctor’s office. There were beds around the room and a huge, metal refrigerator with compartments for bodies.”

  “The morgue!” Lionel said.

  “Exactly,” Mr. Stein said. “I had gone into such a deep sleep that somehow they believed I was dead.”

  “Didn’t they check your pulse?” Judd said.

  “I have no doubt that they did,” Mr. Stein said, “but I do not know why they could not feel it. Either God blinded their eyes or he made it so faint that they could not detect it. How he did it, I do not know, but that the tall man did it I am sure.

  “A tall man and his assistant wheeled me to a hearse. Once I almost sneezed, but I was able to control it. I kept my eyes closed until we reached the funeral home. That is when I opened my eyes and saw that the tall man had the mark of the believer on his forehead. When he came close, I reached out and grabbed his arm.

  “I raised up on the bed and said, ‘The Lord be with you, my brother!’ and the man nearly fainted dead away.”

  Witnesses around the room laughed and shouted with joy.

  “And here I am,” Mr. Stein said, “a testimony to the grace of God, a picture of the goodness and provision of God. May he alone be praised.”

  With that, the people around the room clapped and commended Mr. Stein on his faith. Behind Judd, a small voice began the strain again. Judd turned and saw Nada, singing through tears, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow. …”

  Vicki and Mark spoke briefly with Melinda the next morning. Melinda apologized for putting the group in danger and thanked Mark again. “If he hadn’t helped me, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

  “And if I hadn’t gone to see about my aunt,” Mark said, “I wouldn’t have had any reason to be there.”

  “God w
orks everything for good,” Vicki said, “even disagreements.” Vicki told Melinda about the school.

  Melinda seemed hesitant but gave her word that she would attend classes at least the first week. “I’m not sure I buy into everything you guys believe,” Melinda said, “but I’m pretty sure you’re right about the Global Community.”

  Vicki and Conrad met with Mark to discuss the mysterious e-mail messages that had been coming in for Mark. The same message asking for him to respond immediately had appeared again, and it concerned Conrad.

  “I think the safest thing we could do is delete the thing and not respond,” Conrad said.

  Mark studied the message. “It’s definitely from a GC post. How would they get our e-mail address, and why would they want to write me?”

  “Have you answered any of Tsion’s e-mails?” Conrad said. “They could have gotten the address from that.”

  “Some, but not nearly as many as Judd,” Mark said. “It just doesn’t make sense.”

  “Unless it’s from somebody who knew John,” Vicki said.

  Mark nodded. “That’s a possibility, but how do we know they’re friendly? Maybe whoever wrote met John and he ticked them off.”

  “What would it hurt to try?” Vicki said. “They can’t trace our location from the e-mail, right?”

  Mark nodded and read the message again. “Vicki’s right. We ought to try.” Mark wrote a quick reply that read: I’m not sure I can trust you. Explain your intentions.

  Vicki asked, “What now?”

  Mark sat back. “Wait to see what he says.”

  Judd stayed with Mr. Stein and listened to more witnesses share their stories. Some seemed as amazing as Mr. Stein’s. One man described how he had walked a hundred miles, then traveled by camel, by boat, and finally by plane to get to the Meeting of the Witnesses. His food and water ran out the second day of his journey, but God had provided. At one point he thought he would pass out from thirst, but there came a downpour, and the man caught rainwater in his hat. When he had enough to drink, the rain stopped.

  “Our God is awesome,” the man said.

  Nada touched Judd’s shoulder. “You have a phone call from Samuel.”

  Samuel was still out of breath when Judd picked up the phone. “I’m very sorry about your friend, Mr. Stein,” Samuel said. “He is dead.”

  Judd asked for more information, not letting Samuel know the truth about Mr. Stein. He didn’t want Samuel to know more than he had to.

  “My father is still very upset. He wants to catch Ben-Judah and the others who have made the GC look bad. They think you might be able to lead them there.”

  “We have no idea where the rabbi is hiding,” Judd said.

  “I believe you,” Samuel said, “but you must be very careful. They have increased security at all the airports in the country. They suspect you will try to leave soon. And my father says they have a plan to catch you.”

  “Thanks for the info,” Judd said. “You’d better be careful yourself.”

  “I do not think he suspects anything,” Samuel said.

  “Have you thought about what we talked about?” Judd said.

  Samuel sounded agitated. “I think I see my father’s car!”

  “Go!” Judd shouted. “And call me back when you get the chance.” Judd hung up.

  Mr. Stein took him and Lionel aside. “I have been given a wonderful opportunity. I did not want to talk about it in front of the others.”

  “What kind of opportunity?” Judd said.

  “Yitzhak and the others on the local committee want me to stay and learn from them. They have agreed to teach me about the Scriptures. It is exactly what I’ve been looking for.”

  Judd was excited for him but couldn’t help wondering how he and Lionel would get home then.

  “I know you want to return to your friends,” Mr. Stein said. “I will arrange a commercial flight for you both.”

  Judd told them what Samuel had said about the airports.

  “That will make it more difficult,” Mr. Stein said.

  “Do you still have your money?” Lionel said.

  “I sensed there might be a problem, so I hid it at the university.”

  “So all we have to do is get it and find a way back,” Judd said.

  Mr. Stein nodded. “What about Taylor Graham’s friend in Tel Aviv?”

  “Hasina!” Lionel said. “She’d help us!”

  Mr. Stein looked at the ceiling and wiped away a tear. “Call her first thing in the morning. Perhaps she will come through.”

  “What’s wrong?” Judd said.

  “Throughout this ordeal I thought of Chaya,” Mr. Stein said. “She would have loved to see me at the Meeting of the Witnesses and hear Tsion speak.”

  “I bet she was watching,” Lionel said.

  Mr. Stein smiled. “It’s clear we must retrieve the money, but we have a problem. Neither you nor I should be seen in public.”

  “I will go,” Nada said.

  Judd turned. He didn’t know she had approached.

  “I’m the same age as many of the students,” Nada said, “and I blend in much better than you Americans.”

  “We’ll talk about this in the morning,” Mr. Stein said. He went to his room.

  “I can do it,” Nada said.

  Judd nodded. “We’ll run it past your dad in the morning. Maybe he has a contact who can get us in.”

  Nada said good night and returned to her family’s apartment. Judd grabbed Lionel’s arm. “I can’t wait till tomorrow to call Hasina. Let’s try her now!”

  Judd found her card and dialed the number. It rang several times before Hasina’s answering machine picked up. Judd left a message about needing a flight home, but he thought it too dangerous to leave Jamal’s number. He told Hasina he would call the next morning at 9 A.M. Judd wondered if she would be able to help them. She was their best chance to make it back to the States.

  19

  VICKI checked e-mail late that night in Illinois. She was relieved to see a message from Judd. He briefly explained what had happened at Teddy Kollek Stadium and how Mr. Stein had escaped a Global Community prison.

  We’re trying to get back as fast as we can, but there may be problems, Judd wrote. I’ll write again and tell when you can expect us. Lionel sends his best and so do I. Hope things have worked out with Melinda. Judd.

  Vicki frowned. When Judd was gone from the group she felt an emptiness that wouldn’t go away. When he was there, he and Vicki fought. She still had feelings for him, still missed him, but she had no idea what to do with those feelings.

  She pushed the thoughts from her mind and scanned the other messages. She sat up straight when she saw another e-mail to Mark. It was from the same person who had written earlier from the GC. She called out to Mark.

  Mark came quickly. Vicki read over Mark’s shoulder as he opened the message.

  Dear Mark,

  My intentions are pure. I’m at a GC outpost in South Carolina, recovering from injuries I received on the Peacekeeper 1. Your cousin, John Preston, saved my life.

  I want to meet with you. I’d like to tell you what happened, since the GC has kept the story quiet. Can you come here? If not, I can come to you as soon as I’m released from the hospital.

  Please write and let me know. You can trust me.

  Sincerely, Carl Meninger

  Mark scratched his chin. He opened a computer filing cabinet filled with other e-mails.

  “What are you doing?” Vicki said.

  “That name sounds familiar,” Mark said. He did a search of the name Meninger and came up with nothing. Then he typed in the name Carl. A single e-mail appeared on the screen. It was John’s last message.

  “This is it,” Mark said.

  At the end of the message John had written, Someday I hope you meet Carl. He can tell you what happened here. No time now. Just enough to say I love you all. Keep fighting the good fight. We’ll be cheering you on. Never give up. John.

  �
�You think it’s the same Carl?” Vicki said.

  “Has to be,” Mark said. “John says he hopes we get to meet him. That’s enough for me.”

  “What if it’s a GC trick?”

  Mark raised his eyebrows. “Now who’s the one being too cautious?”

  Vicki smiled.

  Mark answered the e-mail, saying that he would love to meet Carl, but he could not get to South Carolina any time soon. Mark suggested that Carl write about his experience with John or set up a phone call.

  “I wonder how he survived the meteor,” Vicki said.

  When Judd awoke the next morning, he heard Mr. Stein and Nada talking in the next room. He called Hasina again but hung up when he reached her answering machine. By the time Judd joined them, Nada was gone.

  Judd could tell that Mr. Stein was upset, and in the morning light he saw more clearly the bruises about the man’s head. It was a miracle he had gotten out of the GC questioning alive.

  Before Mr. Stein could explain what they had talked about, Jamal came in the room. He spoke through clenched teeth as he looked at Mr. Stein.

  “Stay away from my daughter, and stop filling her head with these crazy ideas!”

  “Believe me,” Mr. Stein said, “I told her I couldn’t put her life in danger—”

  Jamal looked at Judd. “You put her up to this!”

  “Is this about Mr. Stein’s money?” Judd said.

  “You care more about your own lives than you do hers,” Jamal said.

  Judd started to explain that Nada had volunteered to get the money, but Mr. Stein put up a hand. “Trust me; we will speak no more of this to her.”

  Jamal stared at them. “I will not lose another child.” He slammed the door as he left.

  “What was that about?” Judd said.

  Lionel walked in. Mr. Stein offered him some breakfast. “Did Nada tell you how she became a believer?”

  Judd nodded. “She said her mother believed first.”

  “Did she say anything about her brother?”

  Judd was puzzled. “I didn’t even know she had a brother. Jamal never said anything about him.”