“Did you hear anything from the GC about Lionel?” Judd said.
“I heard one Peacekeeper say there’s a chopper out there, but I don’t know if they found anything.”
Judd sighed and rolled his window down a little to let fresh air in. “Thanks for not sending them to get me.”
“Thank me when you find your friend.”
For a second, Judd had the sinking feeling that the doctor was leading him into a trap. He dismissed the thought, knowing there was nothing he could do but try and get to Lionel as quickly as he could.
Judd gave the man directions and ducked when they saw someone on the street. A GC cruiser flashed his lights, and Dr. Rose cursed. “Get down in the back and don’t say anything.”
Judd held his breath as the doctor rolled down his window. He spoke angrily to the patrolman. “I just patched up three of your friends at the hospital—the least you can do is let me go home and get some sleep.”
The man went back to his car, then returned, apologizing to the doctor and telling him to have a nice evening.
Dr. Rose pulled away and found the route Judd and Lionel had taken into the woods. Skirting trees and sometimes going over the small ones, the doctor was able to navigate the way in half the time it would have taken them to walk.
As the sun set, they came to an area near the woods with tire tracks. Judd found food wrappers in the dirt and assumed the GC had been there. He grabbed the tire jack and led the doctor to the stream. The two followed it until they came to the hill from the night before. It was the first time Judd had seen it in daylight, and the height of the incline took his breath away. He climbed over some smaller rocks and spotted the boulder that had fallen on Lionel.
“Would you mind waiting here?” Judd said.
“Go ahead.”
Judd walked slowly, hoping his friend would still be alive. “Lionel?” he called out.
No answer.
“I brought some help,” Judd continued. “You don’t have to worry about that helicopter or any of those Peacekeepers looking for you.”
Judd reached the huge rock that held his friend, took a breath, and peeked around the corner. What he saw made him drop the jack and fall to his knees.
24
JUDD stared in disbelief. Lionel was gone—at least his body was gone. Judd turned away as Dr. Rose raced forward and knelt by the empty water bottles and blood.
“These are the kind of people you’re following,” Judd said with disgust. “They chopped off his arm so they could drag him away and cut off his head.”
Dr. Rose scanned the area. “I don’t think the GC did this.”
“How can you defend them?”
“I’m not defending. Look at the ground. The only footprints here are yours and your friend’s.”
“Then how—?”
“Either somebody got here before us, or—”
“Or what?”
“Or he did this himself.”
“That’s impossible. Nobody would be able to …” Judd stopped when he remembered Lionel’s pocketknife. The thought of Lionel cutting off his own arm to escape sickened him. He looked around for the backpack and the phone, but they were gone.
Dr. Rose followed some footprints and a trail of blood to the edge of the stream. “He’s still losing a lot of blood. See the trail? Looks like he walked over to the stream to clean the wound.”
“Is that bad?”
“Cleaning it’s the right thing, but this water could cause an infection. We need to find him—fast.”
Judd waded into the stream and searched for any footprints on the other side. “If there were dogs out here, he could have waded in to throw them off his trail.”
A sound broke over the trickling of water, and Judd recognized the thwock-thwock-thwock of a helicopter. He instinctively ducked, but Dr. Rose pointed east. “They’re over there.”
Dr. Rose stumbled out of the stream and climbed up the other side of the bank. Judd followed, jumping out of the way of a small water snake. As the chopper moved farther away, the sound grew faint.
The light was fading, and Judd figured they had only a few more minutes of daylight. With their eyes glued to the ground, the two moved by the stream, looking for any sign of Lionel.
Nothing.
Judd was about to turn around and go the other way, but something in the woods caught his eye. “Lionel?” Judd whispered.
It was the most wonderful and terrible sight Judd had ever seen. The young man who had been with him since the start of the Young Tribulation Force—Lionel Washington, the strong, resourceful, solid, and steady member— stumbled out from behind a rock, his right arm held up in a wave, his shirt covered with blood. Judd’s belt was still tightly wrapped around what was left of Lionel’s left arm.
Judd rushed to his friend and grabbed him as Lionel collapsed.
“I didn’t think you were coming back.”
“Sorry it took me so long,” Judd said through tears. “It’s okay. We’re here. This is Dr. Rose.”
Dr. Rose examined Lionel’s arm. “What did you do this with?”
“My pocketknife. A woman on the phone helped me. After I got away from the rock, I think I passed out. I don’t know for how long.”
“Is he going to be okay?” Judd whispered.
Dr. Rose ignored Judd’s question, pulled out a light, and flashed it in Lionel’s eyes. He asked Lionel a series of quick questions, then helped Judd carry him back across the stream. “We have to get to the car.”
Lionel’s head lolled back as they carried him. “You don’t have the mark, Doctor. Why not?”
Dr. Rose looked at Judd. “He’s not seeing clearly. That concerns me.”
Judd winked at Lionel and whispered, “I’ll explain in the car.”
Lionel floated in and out of consciousness as Judd and Dr. Rose helped move him toward the car. His thoughts swirled in a sea of dull pain. What day was it? Why had this man with the mark of Carpathia come with Judd? Lionel reached to scratch his left hand, then realized it wasn’t there.
As they walked along the wooded area he saw the fox. The animal licked its paws, turned its head, and was gone.
When they reached the car, Judd spread a blanket on the backseat and helped Lionel get settled. Dr. Rose handed him three pills. “These will ease the pain.”
Lionel put the pills on his tongue and washed them down with a gulp of water. He put his head on the seat and closed his eyes.
Judd wrapped Lionel’s injured arm with a piece of fabric torn from a blanket, and Dr. Rose told him how to apply it. Judd pulled the pack off Lionel’s back and looked inside. The bloody pocketknife lay at the bottom. Judd clenched his teeth and decided to leave it alone. Instead, he took the phone, also spattered with blood, and called Vicki.
“Lionel?” Vicki answered. “Is that you?”
“No, it’s me, Vick. We’ve got him now.”
“Oh, thank you, God!” Vicki said. Her voice muffled as she told the others Judd was calling. “Are you all right?”
“After seeing Lionel, I’ll never complain again. I hear somebody with you helped him.”
Vicki told Judd what had happened in Wisconsin, and Judd couldn’t believe how God had answered their prayers. Judd explained that he had found a doctor who was going to help Lionel.
“A believer?” Vicki said.
“No. I can’t explain right now.”
“Judd, how do you know he’s not going to take you to the GC and turn you over to them?”
“I don’t know that for sure. I’m taking this one decision at a time.”
“We’ll be praying. Just let us know what happens.”
Judd hung up and stashed the phone in his pocket.
Dr. Rose looked in the rear-view mirror. “Who was that?” He put up a hand before Judd could answer. “Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.”
“Some friends of ours we’re trying to get back to. It’s been a long time.”
“I’m not going to
be able to take him to the hospital,” Dr. Rose said. “First thing they do these days is check for the mark of Carpathia. I’ll need to stop there and get some supplies though. Then we can head to my place.”
Judd spent a few tense moments in the parking lot, wondering whether the doctor would bring the GC back with him, but the man returned alone, just like he said.
It was dark when they arrived at his house, and they quickly carried Lionel inside. Princess met them at the door and followed them downstairs where they placed Lionel on a pool table. Judd couldn’t bear watching the doctor sew Lionel’s wound, so he went to the kitchen and flipped on the television to catch up with the latest from the Global Community.
The world was still in awe of the miracle workers. These false messiahs performed miraculous deeds for the sick, diseased, maimed, and disabled. One program featured a collection of video clips from around the world. After a miracle had been performed, the video made sure viewers knew this was all done by Nicolae’s power.
Judd switched channels and found live coverage of yet another Z-Van concert. This time Z-Van had taken his crew into a remote country in Africa. As a camera panned the audience, Judd was surprised to see people with no mark on their foreheads. An announcer explained that because of technical difficulties with materials, many in this region had not been able to take Carpathia’s mark.
Though people in the audience could not understand the man’s words, Z-Van screamed his lyrics, pranced, danced, and flew over the stage. When he soared into the air with his demonic message, the crowd seemed mesmerized. A huge hologram of Nicolae appeared and spoke a message in the local language. Judd was about to turn the coverage off when a camera jerked wildly away from Z-Van and tilted. The producer quickly cut to another camera that focused on people in the crowd. Instead of enjoying Z-Van’s show, they seemed upset, pointing at the sky and shrieking.
Finally, the screen showed a wide shot of the scene. ZVan stood cowering on the stage. Musicians ran for their lives. A man stood several yards from the microphones, but it was clear everyone in the crowd heard him.
“My name is Christopher,” the man said, “and I come to you on behalf of the true and living God.”
Princess darted into the kitchen, the hair on her back standing on end.
Christopher explained the gospel and told people they should ask God’s forgiveness for their sin. “That forgiveness is offered through God’s only Son, Jesus Christ.”
Another angel, Nahum, appeared next to Christopher and warned of the coming fall of Babylon. He urged people not to take the mark of Carpathia, that it would mean death to their souls. “Anyone who accepts the mark of the beast and worships his image seals their fate for all eternity.”
“Accept the mercy of God now,” Christopher said.
It was clear to Judd that people working behind the scenes were frantically trying to get the program off the air. Z-Van paced the stage like a caged lion, sneering at the angels who didn’t seem to notice him. As Christopher led a prayer, people near the stage prayed and received the mark of the true believer. Judd closed his eyes and gave thanks that God was still working.
“What are you watching?” Dr. Rose said.
Judd stood, frightened by the voice. “Just a concert.” He turned the TV off. What do I talk with this man about now?
Dr. Rose grabbed a beer from the refrigerator, popped the top, and leaned against the kitchen counter. “Your friend is pretty shaken. I cleaned and dressed the wound. It’s not going to look as nice as if I’d done it at the hospital, but he’ll live.”
“Thanks. I-I know you took a risk helping us.”
“That’s what a doctor’s supposed to do, right?”
“Not a loyal doctor for the Global Community. Your first duty is to help Nicolae rid the world of people like me.”
Dr. Rose frowned. “Yeah, maybe I just added to the human pollution.”
“Where should I go with him? We can’t stay here.”
“No, you can’t.” The man rubbed his eyes, and Judd remembered how long they had both been awake. “Your friend needs to be in the hospital for a few days, but since we can’t arrange that, I’d suggest you get on that phone and find someplace for both of you. Without the proper attention, the arm could get infected. He could still die if you’re not careful.”
Dr. Rose walked to the stairway leading to his bedroom and turned. He took a long drink and stared at Judd. “You really think you know where my wife and baby are?”
Judd nodded.
Dr. Rose pointed to the mark on his forehead. “And because of this I’m not going?”
Judd pursed his lips and nodded again.
“I don’t get it. I’ve tried to help people. You’d think God would take that into account.”
“It’s not about doing good things.”
Before Judd could explain more, the doctor moved into the shadows. “I guess I had my chance.” His voice cracked as he spoke again. “Do me a favor, would you?”
“If I can.”
“Assuming you make it to where my wife and baby are, would you tell her I love her?”
The man’s voice trailed off, and he whispered something Judd couldn’t hear. It was clear he was in despair, and Judd wanted to say something to make him feel better, but what? What could he say to someone facing eternal separation from God and the people he loved?
Dr. Rose picked up the phone and dialed a number. “Judy, it’s Pat. I’m taking a couple of days off. I really need to be away. Don’t try my beeper or phone.” He put the phone down, climbed the stairs, and Princess followed, whimpering. The door closed.
Judd grew tired. He found a pillow in the living room and carried it to the stairs leading to the basement.
The gunshot startled him. It came from Dr. Rose’s bedroom. He dropped the pillow and took the stairs three at a time. Judd stopped at Dr. Rose’s door and shook his head. He didn’t look inside. He knew what he would find.
25
LIONEL awoke with a headache and for the hundredth time reached for his forehead with the left hand that was no longer there. Several times during the day he reached to scratch his arm or pull it across his body, but he grabbed nothing but air.
He opened his eyes and tried to get used to the low light in their new hiding place. After moving Dr. Rose’s body, Judd had used the man’s computer to communicate with Chloe Steele. Chloe had found a safe house for them across the Ohio border where one of the members was a family doctor. The trip had been traumatic for Lionel. He had lost more blood, and some of the stitches had come out as Judd took back roads and cut across fields with the Humvee. But they had rendezvoused successfully with the new group, and the doctor had put Lionel on strict bed rest.
The safe house was dug into the earth at a historical site that had been all but forgotten by the Global Community. Most historical sites had been changed to somehow include Nicolae Carpathia and the Global Community. This one had been declared a disaster after the wrath of the Lamb earthquake, but the people there had fixed it up and used it to treat sick and desperate believers. The addition of the Humvee was welcomed, and Judd and Lionel felt good that the vehicle would be used for something positive.
Because of the way the safe house was situated, not many people came and went for fear of GC raids. And with what had happened in Indiana, the last thing Judd and Lionel wanted to do was be responsible for tipping the GC off.
Vicki had protested the decision, saying they could drive from Wisconsin and pick up Lionel and Judd, but even she had finally admitted that wasn’t practical. Driving near any populated area, no matter what time of day, was dangerous for anyone without Carpathia’s mark. Lionel felt bad they were still separated, and as the days wore on and his health improved, he longed to go north, not just to see Vicki, Mark, and the others, but also to find Zeke and see if the man could fit him with some kind of device for his missing arm.
Lionel not only regained his strength but also learned to function with only one hand
. Eating wasn’t a problem since Lionel could use one hand with most of the food. The doctor and everyone else in the new safe house had been amazed at what Lionel had done.
Their routine was much the same as other safe houses they had visited. During the day, people tried to sleep and stay quiet. At night, people used outdated computer connections to plan their next supply shipments with the Tribulation Force Co-op.
“When do you think we’ll head north?” Lionel asked Judd a few weeks after they had arrived.
“I want you at 100 percent,” Judd said. “It won’t surprise me if this last leg of the trip is the hardest.”
Vicki and the others in Wisconsin had rejoiced when they heard Lionel and Judd were safe, but Vicki despaired when she heard it would take a few weeks before Lionel could travel.
Cheryl had recovered from the birth of baby Ryan more quickly than Wanda expected. The woman had stayed an extra few days, helping Cheryl get used to feeding the baby and training the Fogartys on raising a child without doctor’s visits.
Charlie had come up with the most surprising find of their stay. Months earlier, Marshall Jameson had discovered a GC warehouse on a routine Web search. From what Marshall could tell, the metal buildings held weapons and ammunition for GC forces in the Midwest. In a daring, nighttime raid, Charlie had accompanied Mark, Conrad, and the newest member of the team, Ty Spivey, to the facility, in spite of protests from Shelly, Tanya, and Vicki.
Instead of guns and bullet clips, they found medicine and food. Mark had deactivated the main alarm so the three strolled through the compound, taking much-needed pain relievers, cough medicine, and bandages.
Charlie had broken away from the other two and had found a tiny section of the building with baby formula, disposable diapers, and even shampoo. They brought all the supplies they could carry and made it back to the hideout before sunup.
Later, Tom Fogarty found information that the supplies had been confiscated by the GC and were supposed to be destroyed. The GC wants everyone depending on them for everything, Fogarty wrote the Trib Force. Maybe some GC general or higher-up decided to put that stuff away in case it was ever needed. Maybe the guy was killed. I don’t know, but I do know where the stuff in those buildings can get the best use.
Hunted Page 17
