As they entered the plane, Lionel recognized Mac McCullum’s drawl over the plane’s intercom. He was showing the current group the instrument panel and answering questions.
An older man raised a hand. “Is this the plane that was attacked in Africa? I read about that in the paper.”
Mac smiled. “No, I’m afraid that plane, the Condor 216, was destroyed. This plane was actually a gift given by the head of Enigma Babylon One World Faith, Peter Mathews. It was renamed the Phoenix.”
Judd raised a hand. “How did you survive that attack, sir?”
Mac squinted and finally recognized Judd and Lionel. “That’s a story for another tour. Now if you’ll move to the middle of the plane, one of our stewards will show you the executive cabin.”
As the group moved back, Mac grabbed a radio and said, “Hold that next group a couple of minutes. I’ve got some company up here.”
Mac took Judd and Lionel into the cockpit and closed the door. The three shook hands, and Judd explained how they had gotten to Tel Aviv. Lionel told Mac about Mr. Stein’s plan to preach during the Gala.
“That’s pretty gutsy, telling people about God in the middle of a purely evil party.”
Judd asked if Mac had flown Leon Fortunato during his recent travels.
“Yeah, it was the same spiel everywhere we went.
Fortunato buttered up each regional potentate with big promises a thousand Carpathias could never keep.”
“What’s going on behind the scenes?” Lionel said.
“Something’s up with that Peter Mathews guy. He thinks this Gala is going to net him more followers, but Carpathia and Fortunato have it in for him. Don’t be surprised if he’s not around much longer.”
“Really?” Judd said. “I thought they were working together.”
“They tried, but I guess even the Global Community isn’t big enough for Carpathia and Mathews.”
“What does Carpathia say about the Gala in private?
” Lionel said.
“He’s about to jump out of his skin, he’s so excited. He says it’s going to be their finest hour, whatever that means. He told the staff yesterday morning they should pamper themselves with all the physical pleasures they could find. You know, the old ‘if it feels good, do it’ routine.”
“How are Captain Steele and Mr. Williams and the others?” Lionel said.
“Actually, you could pray for them. The GC is holding a friend of theirs. They think she’s somewhere in France.”
“She?” Judd said. “It’s not Hattie Durham, is it?”
Mac stared at him.
Judd reminded Mac that he had met Hattie Durham on the scary flight to Europe the night of the disappearances. The kids had run into her a couple of times after that, and he knew the adult Trib Force wanted her to become a believer. Lionel and Judd said they would pray for the secret operation to rescue Hattie.
Mac’s radio crackled and the guard outside said, “Captain, the people are getting very restless out here.”
“Okay, send ’em up.” Mac put an arm around Judd and opened the cockpit door. “Sorry to have to cut this short.”
“Before we go,” Judd said, “I need some advice.” Judd explained the situation with Kasim, and Mac closed his eyes as he listened.
When Judd was through, Mac took a deep breath. “We know the big guy is going down at some point. Tsion believes it’s going to be by a sword of some sort, but there’s no way to know what that means for sure. If this Kasim is anything like his sister, he’ll follow through with his plans. With all the security, he’s committing suicide if he walks in with a weapon. The GC will probably execute him for even trying to kill Carpathia.”
“What should we do?”
“Stop him,” Mac said.
People crowded inside the plane. Mac opened the cockpit door and said, “You two enjoy the Gala. Hope to see you real soon.”
Judd and Lionel walked by the crowd and gawked at all the electronic gear.
The earlier group was gone, so a steward led Judd and Lionel through the rest of the plane. “These rooms are for the pilots. When they’re on the ground for an extended time, they’re able to sleep or just relax and wait for their next assignment. This is the conference room where the potentate or the supreme commander entertain leaders and dignitaries.”
“What are all those monitors along the wall?” Lionel said.
“For the potentate and his staff. They keep up-to-date with the latest news from GCNN or tap into different satellites.”
“You mean they watch movies?”
The steward smiled. “No. They keep track of what’s going on in the world. The potentate can go live on every television and radio outlet from this room. It’s very important they have constant communication.”
Lionel noticed the next group stepping into the cockpit area. Mac McCullum spoke over the intercom. “Sorry to keep you folks waiting. Instead of the nickel tour, we’re gonna give you the quarter version.”
“If you’ll follow me,” the steward said to Judd and Lionel.
Judd grabbed Lionel’s arm and looked toward the front.
“What is it?”
“I think I saw Kasim in that tour group,” Judd whispered.
“Gentlemen?” the steward said.
Vicki was awakened Sunday morning by activity outside. The girls had shared the master bedroom. The room was dusty and Vicki had sneezed half the night, but it felt good to be in a real home again. Vicki dressed without waking the others and slipped outside.
Mark and Conrad were cleaning out the Suburban behind the house. There were scraps of lumber, chains, gasoline cans, and old blankets in the back.
“We’re going to need to air this out before we leave,” Mark said.
Vicki looked at the barn and noticed the door was open. “Who’s down there?”
“Charlie and Bo are trying to figure out what to do with the satellite truck,” Conrad said. “I think they’ve taken a shine to Charlie.”
“Excuse me?” Vicki said.
“Ginny and Bo really like him. You should have seen the breakfast they made. Charlie must have had ten pancakes and a whole carton of eggs.”
Vicki walked to the barn. The sun felt good on her skin. She hadn’t realized how dark it was at the schoolhouse with all the trees surrounding the place. Here in the open land, things felt fresh.
“I’m thinking we can take it apart and use it,” Bo said. “What we can’t use, we’ll bury.”
Charlie shook his head. “You don’t know the GC. If they find pieces of this truck on your land, they’ll arrest you and your wife. I don’t want that.”
“Charlie’s right,” Vicki said. “We should get this out of here and as far away as we can.”
Bo scratched his head. “There’s a junkyard on a back road about ten miles from here. You don’t pass many houses that way.”
“Good. I’ll get Mark and Conrad.”
The kids decided not to take anything from the truck, and Mark drove it to the junkyard. Conrad followed him in the Suburban. The other girls awoke, and Ginny served them breakfast.
“We’re going to have us a Sunday worship service as soon as those boys get back,” Ginny said.
Vicki noticed a cloud rising over the road. She looked out the kitchen window and let her fork fall to the table.
Coming up the driveway was a GC Peacekeeping vehicle.
Judd stayed at the bottom of the stairs waiting for the other tour group. Lionel paced. “So what if it was Kasim? He can tour the plane like everybody else, can’t he?”
“What if he’s planting a bomb in the plane so Carpathia doesn’t even make it to Jerusalem?” Lionel squinted. “Where would he get a bomb?”
“I’m just saying, that’s how serious Kasim is about this thing, and he could be endangering other people’s lives.”
The group walked down the steps single file. Judd saw one man who slightly resembled Kasim, but no one else. “Maybe he’s hiding on the plane.”
Lionel shook his head. “Come on, let’s go home.”
Judd reluctantly followed and got in General Zimmerman’s car. He kept looking at the plane and wondering. The first thing he had to do when they returned to Jerusalem was find Kasim.
31
VICKI and the others hid in the cellar as the GC Jeep approached. Charlie remained outside with Bo, hitching something to the tractor. Ginny closed the cellar and told them to keep quiet. Vicki looked through spaces in the rickety door.
“Where are they?” Darrion whispered.
“Still outside,” Vicki said.
Ginny quickly cleared dishes from the table and opened the front door. Two GC Peacekeepers walked in, tipping their hats. One was thick and pudgy, the other tall.
“Can I get you some breakfast?” Ginny said.
“Thank you, ma’am, but—”
“I’m starving,” Pudgy said. He looked at the eggs and biscuits still on the table. Ginny got a plate and put it in front of him.
Bo and Charlie walked inside and sat. Charlie looked around the room, and Vicki closed her eyes. She hoped he didn’t give the kids away.
“We’re looking for a satellite truck that a bunch of teenagers stole,” the tall one said.
“Satellite truck?” Ginny said. “We saw a long, white thing yesterday evening. I thought it was an RV.”
“I didn’t see it,” Bo said.
Charlie chimed in. “I heard something rumbling along the road, but I didn’t get a good look at it.”
“See?” Ginny said. “I told you I wasn’t seeing things. It was long and had something weird-looking on top.”
“That must have been the satellite dish,” Pudgy said as he spooned a heaping of homemade jam on his biscuit.
“Which way did it go?” the tall one said.
Ginny took him to the window and pointed. “That way. I ran to tell Bo about it, so I didn’t see if it turned off at that other road or kept going straight.”
The Peacekeeper sucked air through his teeth and looked at Bo. “Mind if we have a look around?”
Bo laughed. “You can plow under my scorched corn if you want. I don’t care. Charlie, take these men outside.”
Pudgy pulled his chair closer to the table. “If it’s okay, I’ll just—”
“Stay,” the tall one said.
“Should I take him to the barn?” Charlie said.
Vicki froze. There was a note of fear in Charlie’s voice.
Bo laughed. “I know it’s a mess in there, but I don’t think that’s against the law. Show him anything he wants to look at.”
Vicki and the others tried to stay as quiet as they could. She wondered if anything had been left behind after Mark and Conrad drove away.
“You don’t have any apple butter, do you?” Pudgy said.
Ginny smiled. “I sure do.” She moved past him and stopped. “But it’s in the cellar. You don’t mind waiting, do you?”
“Not at all, ma’am,” Pudgy said.
Vicki and the others moved as far back from the door as they could. When it opened, light from upstairs shone on their feet. If Pudgy turned around, he would see them.
Ginny walked past the girls and whispered, “You mice just stay quiet down here.” She grabbed a jar and headed upstairs.
Pudgy giggled as Ginny opened the jar. “I made this last fall. One of my best batches.”
With a full mouth, Pudgy said, “I almost forgot how a home-cooked meal tasted. The GC gives us three squares, but it’s nothing like this.”
“What’s going to happen when you catch these kids?”
Pudgy took a long drink of milk and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “These are the worst kind. They follow that Ben-Judah guy. The one redheaded girl interrupted our satellite signal. We’re mostly after her, but we’ll lock all of them up.”
“How many do you think there are?”
“Our informant said at least four and probably more. We’ll keep hunting till we find them.”
“Then what happens? Some kind of prison?”
“Reeducation camp is what we call it,” Pudgy said. “But their life’s never going to be the same. You have more butter?”
Ginny got some as the tall man returned. Charlie came in first and sat down.
“Your boy here was telling me those tracks out in the barn are probably from your tractor.”
Bo shook his head. “I don’t remember any tracks. But if there are, it’s probably from the hay baler.”
The tall one turned to Ginny. “What time did you see the truck come by?”
Ginny looked at the floor. “It was just after supper, I think.”
The tall one handed her his card. “If you see or hear anything, please call me.”
Pudgy grabbed two biscuits and followed the man outside. “Thanks for the breakfast, ma’am.”
The tall one turned. “I don’t see any other vehicle on your property. How do you folks get around?”
“My Suburban,” Bo said. “A couple neighbor boys borrowed it this morning.”
The two got in their Jeep and drove away. A few minutes later, Conrad and Mark returned. “I saw that GC Jeep in the driveway and we hid. What did they want?”
Vicki told them and Mark winced. “We should get out of here as soon as it’s dark.”
Everyone agreed except Charlie. “If those GC people come back and I’m not here, they’ll know something’s up. I can’t leave.”
Mark stepped forward. “Then you’ll have to make a choice, Charlie. Go with us or stay here.”
Judd couldn’t believe the traffic returning to Jerusalem. The drive took three times as long as their trip to Tel Aviv. The driver stopped for sandwiches, and Lionel and Judd ate hungrily.
The television in the car picked up the latest from the Global Community News Network. A reporter stood next to a scaffold where the gigantic outdoor platform was almost complete.
“This site will be the main stage for the opening ceremony tomorrow night here in Jerusalem,” the reporter said. “Tomorrow, metal detectors will be set up as Global Community Security Forces keep a tight check on the massive crowd. Already, it’s estimated that nearly two million people will attend the opening session, and hundreds of millions will watch by television and listen by radio.
“As you can see, the workers are putting the finishing touches to the stage and the sound system that will boom the music and speeches to the crowd.”
The camera zoomed in on the stage with its vast green canopy. Messages in different languages were printed across the back. Judd couldn’t make out the words, but he recognized the huge sparkling logo of the Global Community.
Lionel turned the sound down and leaned forward. “You want me to go with you to Kasim’s place? That’s what you’re thinking about, right?”
Judd nodded. “I’d appreciate it.”
Judd used the car phone to check in with Mr. Stein and make sure he didn’t need Judd or Lionel. Mr. Stein was happy they had gotten to see Mac McCullum, and Judd told him about the plane. Judd called Yitzhak’s home and asked to speak with Jamal, Kasim’s father.
“I have heard nothing from my son,” Jamal said. “Do you know where he is?”
“We’re going to find him now,” Judd said. “He took a weapon from the General’s house and I have to return it.”
“We will pray,” Jamal said.
Judd and Lionel thanked the driver as he let them out near the Wailing Wall. Kasim’s apartment was less than a half mile away.
People milled about, trying to get a look at Eli and Moishe, the two prophets of God many blamed for the suffering of the past few years. The crowd didn’t want to get too close. They had heard and seen the reports of people burned to death by those who threatened the two.
The GC had placed massive television lights over Eli and Moishe. Satellite dishes, cables, and cameras filled the space in front of the two witnesses.
“I wonder if they have this much giz at the stage we saw on TV,” Lione
l said.
Judd was thrilled to see Eli and Moishe again. He wanted to stay and hear them preach, but he knew he had to find Kasim.
Judd and Lionel had walked this same route in the past, but they were surprised at all the new businesses. They passed bars, massage parlors, fortune tellers, and even pagan sanctuaries.
“Can you believe this?” Lionel said. “Chicago had these kinds of places, but you had to go out of your way to find them. This junk is out in the open for everybody to see.”
Lionel was right. These weren’t run-down stores in the bad part of town. Gleaming storefronts advertised everything sinful. One busy shop run by a group of witches offered to cast spells. If you purchased one, the second was free. Many shoppers bought charms guaranteed to hurt the two witnesses. A block away, a bar played music so loud Judd couldn’t believe people could go inside without losing their hearing. The lyrics of the songs were so evil, Judd took a side street to escape the noise.
Judd and Lionel quickened their pace and finally made their way to the festival site, where in less than twenty-four hours, Nicolae Carpathia would speak. Judd found Kasim’s building and waited until someone went inside. He darted behind the man and caught the door before it closed. “I don’t want to scare Kasim off by ringing the buzzer.”
Lionel followed Judd up the stairs. They reached Kasim’s apartment and caught their breath. As Judd started to knock, someone screamed inside.
“So that’s the way you want it?” a man shouted. “You want us to kill you?”
Vicki sat at the kitchen table with Charlie. The others crowded around. Conrad put a hand on the boy’s shoulder.
Finally Vicki said, “What’s going on?”
Charlie took off a hat Bo had given him and sighed. “I’ve always wanted to live on a farm and do outdoor stuff. And these people are so nice. They’ve treated me like I was their son.”
Bo stepped forward. “We’d be awfully proud to have you stay. I could use the help.”
Charlie smiled. “Plus, if those GC guys ever come back, they’re going to wonder what happened to me. They’ll ask questions. And … and I could help teach Mr. Bo more about the Bible and get on your Web site and show them around.”
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