by Pam Funke
****
Tara and Andrew walked into the sanctuary and sat down on a pew in the back.
“We need to keep an eye on this guy. He most certainly knows something. Did you see how nervous he got when you started talking about Katy?” Andrew whispered.
“Yes, you idiot, I saw everything. I am not stupid you know. We’ll follow him after services and see where he leads us.”
Why does she treat me like such a jerk? I’ve done nothing to her. Andrew shook his head and remained quiet.
CHAPTER one hundred and sixty
Reverend Richards walked to the front of the sanctuary and began his sermon. He kept looking around the sanctuary for the mysterious couple—at last, he spotted them in a pew to the back. He was going to keep an eye on them. He tried his best to give his sermon with the feeling that he usually gave, but he was so distracted and worried about Katy.
An hour later, Tara and Andrew quietly got up and left the sanctuary, they figured they had a good twenty minutes before the sermon was over. They headed toward Reverend Richards’ office to snoop around. His office was so neat and tidy; everything was in its place.
“Make sure you put things back exactly how you found them. We don’t want to make the Reverend nervous now do we?” Tara said.
Andrew didn’t reply. After ten minutes of looking around and finding absolutely nothing, they headed to their car and sat quietly. They wanted to be outside when the Reverend got into his car as they did not know which one was his.
Reverend Richards finished his sermon and said his goodbyes before heading to his office to take off his pastoral robes and hang them up in the closet. He walked over to his desk and took out his day planner. Seeing that he didn’t have any appointments within the next couple of days, he decided it would be best if he made a trip up to check on Katy and her friends. He picked up the phone and called Meredith.
“Hi Meredith, it’s Germaine. How is everything up there?” he inquired.
Meredith was suspicious as Germaine rarely called her on the house phone; was something wrong?
“Jesus is the way and the life,” Meredith said.
No wonder Meredith was acting suspicious, he had forgotten to say the phrase.
“None can come to the Father except through Him,” Germaine replied.
Meredith relaxed a little. It was definitely Germaine, but she still had the feeling something wasn’t quite right.
“I need to come up and see my clients. I had some very interesting visitors at the church tonight asking about one of them,” Germaine said.
“How did they find you?”
“That’s what I would like to find out. As far as I know, she would never have told anyone.”
“Okay, I will let them know you are coming. And Germaine?”
“What is it, Meredith?”
“Don’t come up to the house, use the secret tunnel. And if you’re followed you know what to do, right?”
“Yes Meredith, I know. If I even suspect that I am being followed I will not come anywhere near the safe house.”
Germaine hung up the phone and locked his office. He then walked through the church making sure everything was okay and that no one was still inside; he then locked all the doors and headed to his car.
Finally. Tara had been afraid they would have to leave the parking lot for fear of being the only other car left in the parking lot when the Reverend came out. There were others still talking and hanging around the parking lot.
“Good night everyone. Have a blessed evening,” Reverend Richards called out as he got into his car.
He looked around but did not see the couple who had mentioned Katy. Satisfied, he started up his car and drove away. He was going to go home to eat and freshen up a bit before heading up to see Katy. He hoped this would be an uneventful trip.
“Follow him, Andrew, but not too closely,” Tara said. “We don’t want to lose him or spook him.”
Andrew slowed down a bit allowing three cars to get in between theirs and the Reverend’s car.
“I wonder where he is going,” Andrew said.
“Hopefully, somewhere that will lead us to Katy and the doctor.”
Germaine kept a watchful eye on his rearview mirrors watching for anything suspicious; seeing none, he drove to his home. Andrew followed and parked their car a few houses down from where the Reverend stopped. He turned the car off and sat quietly. Tara got out of the car and quietly walked up to the house they’d seen the Reverend go into and peered into the window. She watched as the Reverend walked around his home gathering some things and placing them into a small duffel bag. Now where are you going, Reverend?
Germaine thought he saw someone at the window and walked over; Tara ducked down below the window and into the shadows just in time. Whew, that was a close one. I’ll have to be a little more careful. Tara peered over the windowsill and saw an empty room.
“Now where did he go?” she mumbled.
She looked around the house looking for any lights; finally, she saw lights coming from a window towards the back of the house. She peered into the window and immediately wished she hadn’t. Embarrassed she turned away from the window giving the Reverend some privacy. She had inadvertently looked into the window just as the Reverend was getting out of the shower; that was a sight she didn’t know if she would ever be able to wipe from her mind. She blushed as she waited a few minutes before peering back into the window. She looked in just as the Reverend was turning off the lights and heading back toward the kitchen. She waited a few moments before walking back to the front of the house.
Tara watched as the Reverend set about the kitchen making a couple of sandwiches before sitting down at the kitchen table to eat them. She noticed the duffel bag was now on the table by the front door. He was definitely going somewhere and soon. She crept quietly away from the house and went back to the car. Andrew looked at her.
“Well?” he asked.
“Now, we wait. He’s definitely going somewhere tonight and we’ll follow him.”
Andrew turned the radio on; he was interested to see if there was anything on the news about the attacks. He was a little upset that they were missing all the action first hand, but he figured they’d be going back soon. At least, he hoped they would. He lay back in the seat and relaxed, he may as well get a catnap while they waited for the Reverend to leave. He was dozing pretty good when the cell phone started to ring. He nearly hit his head on the steering wheel. He looked at Tara questioningly.
She shrugged then answered the phone, “Hello.”
“What’s the status? Have you found them yet?” the man asked.
“Not yet, but we are following a lead.”
“Well let me know when you find something!” the man replied hanging up. Tara looked annoyed.
“What did he want?” Andrew asked.
“He just wanted to know if we had found her yet, he wasn’t too pleased that we haven’t.”
Andrew suddenly ducked down and pulled Tara with him.
“What’s wrong with you?” Tara said trying to sit back up.
“Well if you want the Reverend to see us, by all means sit straight up.”
Tara peered over the seat and saw the Reverend drive by. After he was a few houses away she sat up in her seat.
“Come on Andrew, let’s go before we lose him,” she urged.
Andrew started the car up and followed behind the Reverend. They wondered where he was going in such a hurry.
CHAPTER one hundred and sixty-one
“Rosalind, where are you?” Nicolaitanes called out as he walked into the situation room.
“Nicolaitanes, when did you return?” Rosalind replied stepping back into the room.
“Just now. Where is everyone?”
“I sent them off for a meal break. They should be back in approximately 45 minutes.”
Rosalind looked at her watch. Nicolaitanes looked at her.
“I have sent Adolph off to China and Russia to initiate P
hase 3,” Rosalind said.
Nicolaitanes raised his eyebrows. Rosalind looked down at the floor; apparently Nicolaitanes was not pleased with this decision. She sighed. Nicolaitanes walked around the room for a moment.
“Give me an update on how Phase 2 went,” Nicolaitanes inquired.
“Everything has gone well. The missiles were launched on time. We all watched as the targets hit their marks and then we watched the newscasts for confirmation.”
“Really? So tell me then, why is it that there is no news report from Jerusalem?”
“I’m not sure, but we watched as the missiles hit their marks there.”
Nicolaitanes stared at her, making her nervous. He walked towards her, “What happened to your news reporter?”
“He should have been on the air by now. I don’t know what happened.” I hope he wasn’t killed during the attack.
“Is that possible, Rosalind?”
How does he always manage to do that? “Yes, it’s possible as he was headed to Jerusalem to meet with Prime Minister Olmert. I hope he wasn’t in Jerusalem when the missiles detonated or we will have to find a replacement.”
Nicolaitanes frowned at this. He turned one of the television screens onto the local news channel; so far there was still no report about Jerusalem. Nicolaitanes was angry.
CHAPTER one hundred and sixty-two
Byron had a three hour layover; he decided to call his wife’s cell phone again. He dialed her number, but now it just rang and rang without anyone answering it. At least, it’s no longer just static. He hung the payphone up and sat down. Now, what am I going to do? He got up and walked over to the window to watch the planes taxi and take off. He turned and looked around the airport deciding to find something to eat while he waited for his connecting flight. Byron started walking down the concourse when he saw an internet café. He stepped off the moving sidewalk, went into the café and over to the counter.
“How much to use one of your computers?” he asked.
“30 euros per hour,” the clerk said.
Byron thought this was a little expensive, but he paid it anyway. He chose a computer away from everyone else and took out the memory card from the camcorder. He watched his copy of the footage they took at the Wailing Wall. It was incredible to watch. He rewound the footage a little too far and saw that he had captured the man who appeared at the Wailing Wall before the supernatural event at the Dome of the Rock, but what was it that he was saying? Strange. He distinctly remembered hearing the man in English; what language was this? I’ll just watch it later, I want to get Gage’s broadcast uploaded.
Byron did a little editing of the footage and watched the newscast that he’d produced. After watching it, he decided to add the footage of the man speaking at the wall, he wasn’t sure why, but he knew it was important that he add it. Satisfied with his work, he submitted it to ICNN news for immediate broadcast. He looked up at the clock on the wall; he still had an hour left. He signed off the computer and went to get something to eat.
****
Nicolaitanes absentmindedly flipped through the channels looking for any news cast about Jerusalem. Finally, he caught the tail end of one that caught his eye.
CHAPTER one hundred and sixty-three
“As we continued to watch a fluffy reddish like substance started floating towards the ground. Before that substance could get to the tops of the buildings a massive white hot fire spread across the sky consuming the substance. Incredibly no one here in Jerusalem has been harmed by the attack. The only injuries are from those rushing to flee the area that fell down the stairs or was pushed down by others trying to flee as well. This is absolutely amazing. The only damage here seems to be the damage to the Dome of the Rock. It now stands in ruins. This could have only been the work of God. You would have had to see this with your own eyes. I hope this gives someone out there some hope in all this turmoil. This is Gage Cameron, ICNN news. Have a wonderful evening.”
Nicolaitanes was furious. He knocked a chair over and threw the remote across the room. Rosalind quietly left the room; she didn’t want to be there while Nicolaitanes pitched his little tantrum.
“What are you doing?” Nicolaitanes yelled. “You said that this was my time, but yet you are constantly interfering. Stop interfering! You gave these humans the freedom of choice; now let them choose freely as you said. What are you afraid of—that they will choose me?” Nicolaitanes continued yelling at the ceiling.
Nicolaitanes paced back and forth. How can I use this to my advantage? Jerusalem has been spared and the Dome of the Rock has been destroyed. There has to be something. Nicolaitanes sat there thinking for a moment and then he smiled. He knew just how he could use this to his advantage; in fact, it would play perfectly with Phase 3. All is not lost after all.
****
Adolph arrived in Hong Kong, China, on time. He was exhausted as he had been unable to fall asleep on the plane. He could not wait to get to his hotel room to take a short nap before starting on his assignment. He picked up his baggage and went through customs. In the main lobby of the airport, there were a bunch of people standing around holding up signs. He was startled to see his name on one of them. Strange. He walked over to the man holding the sign.
“Who are you? Why are you holding up my name?” Adolph asked. The man stared at him.
“I come to drive Mr. Adolph to the hotel. You, Mr. Adolph?” the man asked.
“Yes, I am,” Adolph said suspiciously.
“Come, sir, the car is this way,” the man said leading to a sleek black town car.
Adolph looked around before getting into the car. The man put Adolph’s bags into the trunk then got behind the wheel and drove away. Minutes later, the car pulled up in front of an elegant five star resort. Adolph wasn’t exactly expecting someplace so nice, but he was pleased with the accommodations. He checked into his room then decided to relax in the Jacuzzi before taking a nap. This is so relaxing. He sat in front of one of the jets allowing the water to massage his back. I could stay in here all day, but I guess that I had better get some sleep so I can get my assignment here done. Reluctantly he got out of the Jacuzzi and headed back to his room. He took a quick shower then lay down on his bed and closed his eyes. He’d barely had his eyes closed when the voice yelled at him.
“What do you think you are doing? You are not on vacation!” the voice yelled.
“I just need a little rest so that I can do my best. The plane was too noisy for me to sleep on the way here,” Adolph replied.
“Very well, but make sure that you do not rest too long,” the voice replied calmly.
“Thank you.”
Adolph lay back down on the bed and attempted to close his eyes, but now he was wide away.
“Darn,” he said angrily; the voice had ruined his nap.
He sat on the edge of the bed. He hated when this happened. Well, he may as well get on with it then, then he could get back to the resort and enjoy himself. He walked around downtown Hong Kong.
“It has to be the Christians who started this mess with the attacks. Haven’t you noticed they don’t seem to be around anywhere? If they weren’t responsible for the missile attacks on Israel, the United States, England, Bogotá, Russia, Columbia, Libya, and here then why have they been missing since the attacks started? We should join forces and retaliate against them,” Adolph said.
Everywhere he went people nodded and agreed. They soon started chanting it and passing the message along to others. This is excellent. After doing this for several hours he headed back to his hotel room. He was exhausted and fell asleep almost as soon as his head touched the pillow.
Soon people were rioting in the streets demanding the government do something about the missile attacks.
“Death to the Christians,” they shouted.
“Death to the great Satan—who has brought this death and destruction upon our heads,” they chanted.
All the commotion got the attention of the government officials as they want
ed. They voted that the people were right and they really should do something about all of this. But what could they do?
As the first missile attacks were against Israel, the people of China figured it was somehow their entire fault. They decided to take all their anger and frustration out on Israel. Soon word got out that China was in the process of declaring war on Israel. Adolph smiled at all of this; things were going according to plan. He liked it when plans came together. He decided to enjoy himself and use some of the resorts amenities before he had to get ready for his flight to Russia.
CHAPTER one hundred and sixty-four
Gage drove back to the Knesset in hopes of being able to meet with Prime Minister Olmert again. He wasn’t sure why exactly, but he had a feeling that it was important for him to stay in Israel, at least for the next week or so. Something was going on and he felt as though Israel was important in all of this somehow. What did it all have to do with?
Ruth was at the security desk when Gage arrived at the Knesset.
“Mr. Cameron, what are you doing here?” Ruth asked surprised to see him.
“I need to see Prime Minister Olmert again.”
“I am afraid Prime Minister Olmert is very busy right now and cannot see visitors.”
Gage looked at her frustrated. “You don’t understand Ruth. Something happened here in Jerusalem last night and I believe it is important that the Prime Minister know about it from someone who saw it firsthand. I also believe something is about to happen here in Israel, although I admit that I do not know what it is. I want to know why Israel is suddenly so important. So please Ruth, I am begging you. Please take me to see the Prime Minister.”
Ruth stood looking at Gage unsure of what to do. Prime Minister Olmert had told her specifically that he was not seeing anyone because he would be meeting with Intelligence for the rest of the day. But if Mr. Cameron has some information that could help him. Finally making a decision that she hoped would not cost her job, she took Gage back to see the Prime Minister.