“I’ll be right back,” Judd whispered to Zvi.
Judd crawled on the tile floor, scooting on his knees and pulling himself forward with his hands.
The woman looked wild, clawing at her skin until it bled. Big patches of hair were gone from her head. “Oh, God, help me. I don’t want to go through another one of these!” She finally stopped and put out a hand toward Judd. “Who are you?”
“A friend. Don’t be afraid. I’m not going to hurt you.”
“You’re one of them, aren’t you? One of the Judahites.”
Judd didn’t answer. He simply stared at the -6 on her forehead, signifying that she was from the United North American States.
“Before the disappearances, before any of the bad things started happening, I went to one of those big meetings,” she said. “The kind they used to have in stadiums.” Saliva ran down the woman’s lips and onto her chin. She was sobbing as she talked, reaching out, then pulling her hand back.
“A man sang and then another one stood up and talked about the Bible. I didn’t want any part of it. My friends and I were there to make fun of the meeting. And then I saw some people from my neighborhood going forward. I almost went with them, just to see what would happen. I almost did.”
“Why didn’t you?” Judd said.
“I thought religion was for weak people. I thought I had plenty of time to decide. I wanted to have fun with my life. But …”
With this, the woman flew into a frenzy of scratching and wailing. Her eyes flew open and Judd saw how hollow they looked, as if he could see all the way to her soul.
When she settled, Judd came closer. “Let me help you to a safe place.”
“Where can I go in this blackness that’s safe?” she spat. “I might as well throw myself off the side of the building. There’s no hope!”
Judd wanted to tell her she could call out to God and be forgiven, but he couldn’t. The best he could do for her was ease her pain a little.
“I know what I’ve done!” the woman yelled. “I had a lot of chances to say yes to God, but I kept putting it off.
Kept saying no. And now look what happened.”
Judd sat back, drained of emotion. How many other people on earth could say the same thing? How many had hardened their hearts toward God, making jokes of the message or saying they would get around to it later? Judd had been one of them. He had ignored the truth for so long, but God had given him a second chance.
Judd scampered back to the office and helped Zvi to his feet. “Come on. We have to help this lady.”
Judd pulled him into the hall, and they both helped the guard to her feet. Judd found a lunchroom down the hall and put the woman in a chair. “There’s a refrigerator behind you, to your right. Looked like there were some sandwiches in there. And here’s a drink in case you’re thirsty.”
The woman reached out and nearly knocked the can of soda over. She took a sip, sat back, and mumbled something.
“What did you say?”
“I know he tried to reach me,” the woman whispered. “I watched them bring people through here and treat them like dogs, then talk about peace and love and goodwill. I knew in my heart it was fake and the other message was true.” She looked up and opened her mouth. Her chin quivered as she tried to form the words. Then tears welled in her eyes.
Judd guessed what she was trying to say. She wanted to know if there was any hope, if God would somehow give her one more chance. But the woman must have known the answer. She put her head on the table and sobbed.
Judd put an arm around Zvi and guided him to the door. As they walked down the long hall, the woman’s wails and cries nearly tore Judd’s heart out.
When they reached the police cruiser and the others, Judd found Gunther and explained what he had seen on the computer in the director’s office. Gunther and Westin went back inside to investigate while Judd and Zvi climbed into the GC cruiser.
“How could you have compassion for that woman when she wanted to kill you?” Zvi said.
“Because I was exactly like her before the disappearances. For some reason, God gave me mercy and allowed me to call on him before it was too late.”
“Why do I still have a chance when that woman doesn’t?”
“I don’t know the full answer, but I do know that if God has given you one more opportunity to respond, do it.”
Zvi turned his head toward the window, deep in thought. “Tell me why you think Jesus is the Messiah.”
Judd began in the Old Testament and from memory shared many prophecies that looked forward to the Messiah. “In Genesis, God curses the serpent and says that a descendant of Eve will crush the serpent’s head. Jesus won the victory over the devil on the cross. In Isaiah it’s predicted that a virgin will conceive a child and give birth to a son. Mary, Jesus’ mother, was a virgin.
“In one of the little books, Micah, I think, it says that out of Bethlehem will come a ruler over Israel whose origins are from ancient times. Jesus was born in Bethlehem.”
“But wasn’t Jesus just a good teacher? He never really claimed to be the Messiah, did he?”
“That was the reason the Jewish leaders were so angry. He called God his Father. He said, ‘I existed before Abraham was even born,’ which is how God referred to himself to Moses. It drove them wild. They wanted to kill him.”
“But did Jesus actually say he was the Messiah?”
“In one of the Gospels, John the Baptist sent someone to ask that very question. It was something like, ‘John wants to know if you’re the one who was to come, or if we should expect somebody else.’ ”
“What did Jesus say?”
“I’m going from memory here, but it was something like, ‘Go back and tell John that the blind can see, the lame can walk, the deaf hear, and the good news—’ ”
“ ‘—is preached to the poor,’ ” Zvi finished. “I know that passage. Isaiah 61.” He closed his eyes. “ ‘The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has appointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to announce that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. …’ ”
“It’s exactly what he’s done for you today, Zvi. God has freed you from your prison so you can respond to him. So you can know him. So you can be forgiven.”
Zvi stared into the darkness. “Give me a moment.”
Judd nodded. “I’ll be right back.”
Judd stepped out of the car and said a prayer for Zvi, then dialed Chang Wong’s secure phone and reached him at his apartment.
“Judd, your worries are over,” Chang said. “I’ve finally decided it’s time for me to get out of here. Captain Steele and a couple others are coming for me as soon as possible. They’re taking me to Petra!”
“That’s great news.”
Chang told Judd what had happened at the palace during the last few hours, and Judd relayed his story about the guards and the building they raided.
“You’re right in the thick of things,” Chang said. “There’s supposed to be some kind of emergency meeting there tomorrow morning. Nicolae was supposed to come, but with the plague of darkness, I’m not sure.”
“We’re following a lead on a concentration camp,” Judd said.
“I’ve felt so bad that I haven’t been able to do much about that. I’ve tried to slow things down with shipments and computer glitches, but they’ve even constructed a camp here on an island.”
“Is there any way to tell if the darkness has affected it?”
“I’m sure it has, but let me check. Look, you and your friend must come with us to Petra.”
“Right,” Judd said. “Get back with the time of the flight as soon as you know.”
Judd started to dial Vicki to give her the good news, but Zvi tapped on the window. “I think I’m ready.”
“You are?”
“I’ve actually read Dr. Ben-Judah’s Web site more than once. When he came on television and said that all the pro
phecies pointed to Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah, I laughed. My whole family scoffed at his statement. But God brought back much of what he said while you were talking. I can’t believe I’ve been so blind.”
“You can give your life to God right now and live for him the rest of your life.”
“That’s what I want to do.”
“I’ll pray with you.”
“Yes, please.”
“God, I thank you for my new friend, and right now we come to you with grateful hearts that you’ve helped us live through these terrible days. And I thank you that you’ve called Zvi to be your child.”
Zvi picked up the prayer. “Lord God, I’m sorry for rejecting you and your Son for so long. I know that I’ve sinned and I’ve gone my own way. But now I want to choose your path. I believe Jesus died for me, that he was the Lamb of God—I just remembered that from Dr. Ben-Judah. You are the Lamb who took my sins and paid my debt. And I believe you did rise from the dead, not like Carpathia, but you came back to give life. Lord God, change me. Help me to live for you. Help me to tell others about you and follow you for the rest of my days.”
“Amen,” Judd said.
“Yes, amen.”
Zvi opened his eyes and gasped. “I can see! I can finally see!”
9
AFTER Judd gave Westin and Gunther the good news about Zvi, the group rejoiced. Judd also told them about the meeting the next morning.
“I’d like to sit in on that,” Gunther said.
Westin smiled. “No reason we can’t.”
It was late and everyone was tired. Westin suggested they backtrack to a hotel he had seen on the way and get some sleep.
While they drove to the hotel, Judd phoned Vicki and explained what had happened. She was overjoyed that Judd was safe and that they had helped a new believer, but she hesitated when Judd told her about the meeting the next morning.
“Why aren’t you trying to get out of there?” Vicki said.
“Vick, listen—”
“No, you don’t seem to care about what I think.”
“I do care. It’s just that it’s so clear. I don’t know why God has turned out the lights in New Babylon. I don’t understand everything about the prophecies. But I do know that we might have a chance to save a bunch of lives and help them come to know God.”
Vicki was silent on the other end.
“Vick, put yourself in my place.”
“I’m trying.”
“This doesn’t mean I love you any less. And your support means so much.”
“I’ll pray. I can do that much. But I can’t hide the fact that I’m ticked at you.”
“Ticked at me, or ticked that God would put me in this place?”
Vicki paused. “I guess I’m ticked at both you and God.”
“Then I’m in good company.”
Vicki chuckled and sighed. “Be careful, Judd.”
“I love you.”
Judd’s car was the last of the group to pull up to the hotel. New Babylon was half ghost town, half freak show. There were people on the street, crying and moaning, looking for some relief from their pain. Others seemed to have hidden away.
Westin grabbed Judd, and they ran to the hotel office.
“We need a bunch of rooms. Okay if I put Zvi with you?”
“Sure,” Judd said.
The lobby of the hotel was plush, with thick leather chairs and expensive rugs. Westin stepped to the front desk, looked around, then vaulted it with one leap. He rubbed his hands together. “Let’s get some rooms.”
“What do you think you’re doing?” a Middle Eastern man said. Judd turned and saw a nicely dressed man in a doorway by the front desk. His eyes were wild. “Who are you?”
“Sir, we’re with the Global Community,” Westin said. “There’s a big meeting tomorrow morning near here, and we need a few hours of sleep.”
The manager sighed with relief. “And you are able to see?”
“Special optical lenses. It’s another one of those solar things. The potentate anticipated this, but we weren’t able to outfit the population. Hopefully we’ll be handing these out if the darkness continues.”
A look of hope came over the man and he walked forward. “I was afraid this was some kind of … well, let me try to help you. We have many guests. How many rooms do you need?”
Westin told him.
“I can’t see the computer, but most of our top floor is empty. If I gave you a master key …”
“That would be fine. We’ll just slip in and get some rest and be gone by morning. When the lights come back on you can bill us.”
“We have had many GC guests stay with us in the past.”
“Good. Then you know the billing procedure.”
The man hesitated.
“What’s wrong?” Westin said.
“Nothing. It’s just that you don’t sound like any Peacekeepers I know.”
“No, we’re actually escaped Judah-ites from the local facility.”
The manager laughed. “Yes, I suppose if you weren’t GC, you wouldn’t be staying here. And you wouldn’t have those special lenses to help you see.”
The man gave Westin two master keys, and Judd helped lead the group quietly to the elevators.
Judd had never seen such luxurious rooms. The room he and Zvi found was so big it even had a grand piano in it. A television screen took up most of one wall.
Judd fell asleep quickly and minutes later, or so it seemed, Westin and Gunther were standing over him, telling him to wake up.
“You’ve got time for a quick shower,” Westin said.
Judd showered, dressed, and met them downstairs where the same manager was still on duty. They tiptoed out the entrance and headed for the meeting.
Something had bothered Judd about Westin since they had teamed up to rescue the people in the Indiana library. He seemed to have no problem lying to the GC or to members of the Tribulation Force. Judd tried to bring up the subject.
Westin frowned. “Look, this is war. Life or death. These people will chop our heads off. And pretty soon they’ll be gunning for us with nukes.”
“The GC is one thing, but to lie to Rayford Steele about me—”
“I was trying to do you a favor and keep you out of trouble.”
“I know, and I’m grateful you wanted to look out for me—”
“Then drop it. If you have a problem with it, let me go my way and you go yours.”
Judd felt frustrated that the conversation had turned into a fight, but he still felt bad about Westin’s lies.
Gunther got them focused on the task ahead and explained that the meeting would most likely be in the first floor conference room they had passed the night before.
Not wanting to arouse suspicion, they parked a few blocks away and headed for the facility on foot. The streets looked the same as the night before. They passed several bodies. Those who were alive were in agony.
The ones who could walk looked like they were drunk, tipping one way, then the other. Judd noticed one man walking quickly toward a building, heading straight for a descending stairway. Judd called out, but it was too late. The man fell like a rag doll to the bottom. Judd shouted and raced down the stairs.
“Who is that?” someone said behind him. “Are you with the Global Community?”
Judd kept quiet and felt the man’s neck for a pulse but found none. He guessed the man had broken his neck on the way down.
Then he heard it.
The sound began as a soft, crackling noise wafting through the streets. As Judd reached the top of the steps he made out the strains of a recorded version of “Hail Carpathia,” sung by the 500-voice Carpathianism Chorale:
Hail Carpathia, our lord and risen king;
Hail Carpathia, rules o’er everything.
We’ll worship him until we die;
He’s our beloved Nicolae.
Hail Carpathia, our lord and risen king.
Judd’s stomach turned when he heard the song.
Then a voice Judd didn’t recognize came over the loudspeakers. The man sounded like he was in pain as he said, “Loyal subjects of the Global Community, please move toward the sound you’re hearing for food and water. We have a supply station nearby where you can find rations.
“Also, for those attending the joint staff meeting, please come to the aid station and move directly up the stairs to the conference room. The meeting will begin in ten minutes.”
Westin came up beside Judd. “You notice anything about these people?”
“They’re in a lot of pain,” Judd said.
“Yeah, but they’re not singing along. Usually they’d be chirping with the choir, praising Carpathia.”
Westin was right. Some were even grumbling against the potentate. “Carpathia’s always told people the big advantage of worshiping him was that he was a god you could see,” Westin said. “I guess the real God took care of that for a while.”
Judd found the aid station, which was a couple of tables set up with water bottles and pre-made sandwiches. Those who found the tables grabbed food and ate hungrily.
Others cried out in the distance. “What’s happening here? Why can’t we see?”
“How long will this darkness last?”
“Why am I in such pain?”
The aid workers, who were GC Peacekeepers pulled into service, were in just as bad of shape as those on the street. They had no answers.
No one blocked Judd’s path as he walked up the steps. He passed a man in uniform crawling. The man had several stars on his shoulders, and medals clinked against the steps.
Gunther motioned them silently past an armed Peacekeeper. The Peacekeeper clutched his stomach and was nearly doubled over in pain. Despite his anguish, he repeated a phrase every few seconds. “Only authorized GC personnel past this point. Joint Chiefs meet directly across the hall.”
Judd moved to the conference room where several people sipped at water bottles and moaned. Judd, Westin, and Gunther spread out around the room.
The man who had been crawling walked into the room, stopped, and announced, “General Showalter!”
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