Judd laughed. As Sabir sang again, Judd thought about some of his old high school friends and how they had laughed together at television programs and movies. With the death and destruction in the world, that carefree spirit was gone. In fact, Judd couldn’t remember when he had laughed this hard. It wasn’t the humor in the words, but the tone of Sabir’s voice, his perfect imitation of Leon Fortunato, and the way he waved his arm over the steering wheel like he was leading a thousand-voice choir.
One of Judd’s favorite phrases, that always angered his father, was “Lighten up!” Judd recalled times when his father’s business wasn’t going well and his dad appeared weighed down with responsibilities. Now, Judd felt that same weight. He knew there would be a time when he could laugh freely again, and this brief chuckle was a taste of what was to come.
When Sabir finished his concert, Judd asked why he was going to Jerusalem.
The man shrugged. “To take you there, of course.”
“Why were you at the airport?”
Sabir smiled. “I live not far from there. Sometimes I feel God tells me to go there. Other times I park and pray for the people I see and try to find a believer or two and encourage them.”
“What about today?” Lionel said. “Did God tell you to come there?”
Sabir shook his head. “I was listening to coverage of Carpathia’s arrival on the radio. It grieved me that so many were going to take his mark of loyalty, and I wanted to pray for them. I drove around the site asking God to show people the truth and wound up at the airport.”
“So you’re making a special trip just for us?” Judd said.
“You would do the same for me if I had come to your country, would you not?”
Judd nodded. “I hope I would.”
Sabir pointed out some of the ancient sites as they passed, and Judd was amazed at the history of the country. Finally, he asked how Sabir had become a believer in Jesus Christ.
Sabir winced. “For that story, I have to tell you some terrible things about myself.”
Vicki listened to more of Cheryl’s story. The girl seemed hungry to learn about the Bible, and Vicki gave a quick overview of the Scriptures. Cheryl asked Conrad and Shelly to tell their stories, and the two joined the discussion.
When it was Vicki’s turn, she described meeting Judd and the others in the Young Tribulation Force after the disappearances. She told Cheryl that it was a pastor, Bruce Barnes, who had explained the truth to her and the other kids.
“Now that I understand what God did for me, I want to tell other people,” Cheryl said. “Did that happen to you?”
Vicki smiled. “Absolutely. I couldn’t believe people at Nicolae High couldn’t see the truth. One of the first people I talked to about God was …” Vicki stopped and stared off.
“What is it?” Cheryl said.
“I just remembered something. A woman whose husband was a police officer wanted to know why all the children had disappeared.”
Now Vicki had Conrad’s attention. “What are you talking about?”
“Fogarty. Josey Fogarty was her name. Her husband was Tom. Judd and I helped him catch a couple of crooks.”
“Did Josey become a believer?” Cheryl said.
Vicki nodded. “I remember I wished Bruce would come and talk with her, but she wanted to pray with me.”
“What about her?” Shelly said.
“She told me she had been into all kinds of religions and some weird stuff when she got divorced from her first husband. She lost custody of her two kids.”
“But why is she important—?”
Vicki put a hand on Shelly’s shoulder. “She had two sons who disappeared. Their names were Ben and Brad.”
Judd sat riveted to Sabir’s story as they drove toward Jerusalem. Sabir said that before the disappearances, he had been a terrorist.
“I grew up in a community that hates all Jewish people, just like Carpathia. He hates Jews even though he signed the peace treaty with them. Our religious leaders believed that God would reward us for actions against Israelis, and so we plotted terrible acts.”
“You tried to kill them?” Lionel said.
“Yes. Looking back, I can’t believe I did some of those things. I actually taught people, some younger than you, how to use explosives and blow themselves up in buses, on sidewalks, or other crowded places. The goal was to kill as many people as possible, and we did it in the name of God.”
Judd had read the history of violence in the Middle East, particularly in Israel. During the time before the Rapture, there had been many attempts at peace, some of which seemed like real breakthroughs, but no sooner was a treaty signed than the violence broke out again and people were killed. But the peace treaty signed by Carpathia brought a new era to the world. Judd knew it was only the lull before the storm of Carpathia’s wrath against Jewish people.
“Why did you stop the bombing and violence?” Lionel said.
“Because I learned the truth about God. I love my family and my culture, but I discovered the God who created me is a God of love, and the Jewish people have a special place in his kingdom. Now I love them with all my heart, and I pray that they will turn to their Messiah.”
“How did you go from wanting to blow them up to loving them?” Judd said.
Sabir smiled. “That is a question many in my family continue to ask. Though I have tried to explain, they do not understand.”
Sabir merged with traffic and found the main route between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. “I had never questioned whether I was doing the right thing when I helped plan killings. I was taught to hate from the time I was a boy. We learned songs that glorified violence, we thought God was on our side, and that we would gain special favors in heaven for sacrificing ourselves.”
“You actually planned the killings?” Lionel said.
“I trained many young assassins and helped build explosive devices.” Sabir ran a hand through his hair. “My own son, not much older than you, died in a terrible explosion I planned. Sometimes I have nightmares about him and the others I sent to their deaths.”
“But didn’t you feel bad about the people you killed?” Judd said.
“A terrorist cannot afford sympathy. It is the same as being a coward. That’s how we were trained.”
“If you were convinced you were right, what changed your mind?” Judd said. “It must have been miraculous.”
Sabir nodded and smiled. “It was about three years ago and I had been having trouble sleeping. My wife—I wish you could meet her—had been reading everything about the disappearances she could find. There were magazine articles and, of course, theories by the Global Community. She was interested in the possibility that God had taken his people to heaven. I told her it was a foolish idea. We were still on earth and we were God’s faithful.
“One night, I tossed and turned on my bed, unable to sleep. I went to the roof of our home and sat outside, looking at the stars. I must have dozed off, but I suddenly saw a man in a white robe standing on the other side of a body of water. He motioned for me to come to him and said my religion did not follow the truth.
“Understand, I’m not saying God spoke directly to me. Some people have based their faith on some kind of vision and have been very wrong. This message caused me to investigate Jesus and do something I had never done before—read the Bible.”
“What did your wife think?” Judd said.
“I woke her and told her what had happened. We found a Web site that talked of Jesus. I found a Bible on-line and read the prophecies he fulfilled. We both knelt by our computer and asked God to forgive us. As you can see by the mark on my forehead, he did.”
“What did your friends say?”
Sabir pulled the collar of his shirt down, revealing an ugly scar. “They nearly killed me. My wife and I put everything we owned in this car and drove to the Old City. I had plotted against the lives of so many Jewish people, and I was going into that city looking for help. That’s when another great miracle occ
urred.”
Vicki told the others more about Josey Fogarty. Cheryl asked if Josey’s husband had become a believer.
Vicki pursed her lips. “I’m not sure. One of his friends on the police force died and Judd tried to convince him of the truth, but I never heard what happened.”
“And you think this woman would take care of my baby?”
“All I can tell you is that those two little boys’ names came to mind when I heard about your situation. I think Josey would be a great mom, but we’d have to find her and ask.”
Vicki dialed the safe house in Wisconsin and spoke with Colin’s wife, Becky. When Darrion came on the line, Vicki gave her all the information about Josey she could think of and asked Darrion to do a search for her.
“I’ll give it my best shot,” Darrion said.
“What happened in Jerusalem?” Judd said, scooting forward so he could hear Sabir better.
The man put both hands on the wheel and stretched. “When I think of it now, I see it as a great answer to prayer and a sign from a loving God that he cares for his children. My wife and I drove through the streets late that night. But what were we looking for? Someone, anyone, who believed in Jesus as Messiah. And how would we find such a person? The Orthodox Jews hate even the mention of his name.”
Judd tried to put himself in the man’s place. Sabir and his wife had turned their backs on everything they had followed their whole lives.
“I pulled to a stop at the side of a narrow street and my wife and I prayed that God would show us where to go. A man walked by and I asked if there was a church nearby. I figured I might find a believer there.
“The man laughed at me and said there were plenty of churches, but that no one would be at any of them that time of night. He pointed out the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. I had no idea of the history of that place. I simply needed help.
“We parked and walked there. The man was correct— the church was locked tight, so we sat outside near the front, our heads in our hands, and prayed.”
Sabir wiped his eyes and continued. “A few moments later we heard footsteps, and someone came out of the dark and stood only a few feet from us. He said, ‘Have you come to find the way?’ I asked him what way he was talking about. The man, his name was Ezra, knelt before us and said, ‘He is risen.’ I knew then that he was a believer in the true Christ.
“But I felt like the man should know who he was help- ing. I told him what I have told you, that I had plotted to kill Jews and that I was guilty of many deaths. With tears in his eyes he said, ‘Have you asked God to forgive you, and have you accepted the forgiveness he offers in the Lord Jesus?’ I broke down and told him we both had.”
Sabir’s shoulders shook, and Judd thought the man was going to run off the road. When he had composed himself, Judd said, “What did the man do?”
“He told me that his wife and two children had been killed in an attack in Ramallah a few years earlier. It was one I had planned.”
“Did you tell him that?” Judd said.
“I had to. I told him how sorry I was, but he stopped me, grabbed my hand, raised me to my feet, and hugged me. ‘You have been forgiven by God and you are now my brother in Christ.’ From that day on we have lived and prayed and eaten meals with Jewish believers. I have committed my life, not to killing, but to saving as many lives as I can from the evil one. That is why I have given you this ride. I do it in the name of Jesus.”
A sign posted the number of kilometers to Jerusalem. Judd could barely see the writing.
16
AS THE car neared the outskirts of Jerusalem, Judd saw the preparations for Nicolae’s return. Banners and signs welcomed the potentate and all visitors. Trees and shrubbery had been planted to spruce up the city’s appearance.
“What about the site of the earthquake?” Lionel said.
Sabir shook his head. “The 10 percent that was ravaged by the quake is still a disaster area. Some of the dead still haven’t been found.”
Judd hadn’t seen this much excitement on the streets since the opening of the Gala before Nicolae’s assassination. Overnight it seemed Carpathia had created jobs for hundreds of vendors selling trinkets and souvenirs. Some sold palm branches to wave at the potentate or lay in his path, a gesture of worship. Others peddled floppy hats, sandals, sunglasses, and even buttons with Nicolae’s picture on the front. People could have their picture taken beside a life-size cutout of Carpathia, and one kiosk offered to record a person singing ‘Hail Carpathia’ and digitally add the person to the video from the day before in Tel Aviv.
Morale Monitors and Peacekeepers clogged streets with military vehicles. They were prepared for any kind of uprising.
Judd told Sabir the address for Sam and Mr. Stein, then called Chang. He expected to find Chang upset about Mac and the others, but Chang sounded upbeat.
“I’m sorry about what happened,” Judd said. “Lionel and I were on the beach in Tel Aviv.”
“I heard it came a lot closer to the spectators than it was supposed to,” Chang said.
“Than it was supposed to? You mean they planned to crash?”
Chang chuckled. “I’m sorry. I forgot you didn’t know.”
“Know what?”
“Mac, David, Hannah, and Abdullah are fine. They weren’t on the plane.”
“Now I’m really confused,” Judd said. “We saw them fly over and do acrobatic stunts before the crash.”
“Mac used a remote control to fly the plane. He had already programmed the craft to do those fancy maneuvers.”
“But wouldn’t he have to talk with people over the plane’s radio?”
“Again, by remote control. They thought of everything.”
Judd relayed the good news to Lionel and Sabir, and they both cheered. Judd asked, “But won’t the GC know there was no one on the plane?”
“They intended to crash in the middle of the Mediterranean, but smashing on the beach was just as good. The GC haven’t found any bodies and believe they must have been vaporized.”
“But when they search their rooms, won’t they be suspicious that all their stuff is gone?”
“That is the beauty of Ms. Palemoon’s suggestion. She told them to pack like they were only going on a short trip. They left change on their dressers, and Mac even made a doctor’s appointment for when he was scheduled to return.”
“Perfect,” Judd said.
“David scheduled staff meetings for next week as well. They even got into a fight with one of the cargo people about how much weight the plane was carrying. I’m sure they’re blaming Mac or Director Hassid for overloading the aircraft. I’m telling you, no one suspects anything.”
“So you’re alone?”
“Yes, but I have much to keep me occupied. The Tribulation Force is converging on the Middle East, and it’s my job to make sure Operation Eagle goes as planned.”
“Back up. What are you talking about?”
“Because of what Dr. Ben-Judah believes is about to happen in Jerusalem, they have prepared for an evacuation. I will monitor the escape and stay tied in with the computers at the safe house in Illinois, keeping everyone up-to-date on how the mission is going.”
“Who are they evacuating?”
“Anyone who wants to get away from Carpathia, but mostly the Jews and believers in Christ.”
Chang told Judd the Tribulation Force’s plans and how they had constructed a remote airstrip and refueling center right under the Global Community’s nose in the Negev Desert. “They’re going to airlift people there and then take them to Petra.”
“Petra?” Judd said.
Chang’s phone beeped. Judd wanted to hear more and ask Chang how he was coping with his dual marks, but Chang told Judd he would explain later.
Sabir slowed as they turned onto a familiar street. Judd told the story of meeting General Solomon Zimmerman at a meeting led by Mr. Stein. They passed Dr. Chaim Rosenzweig’s estate, which had been burned to the ground.
Lionel g
asped and pointed. General Zimmerman’s home lay in charred ruins.
As Vicki and the others continued toward the Wisconsin hideout, she thought about the changes of the past few days. Her late-night discussion with Chad had helped her deal with her guilty feelings about Natalie’s death. She still ached for the girl, but she knew Natalie would want her to keep going and helping as many as she could.
Thoughts of Natalie reminded Vicki of the e-mail that had caused such a stir among the kids. Vicki wanted to believe Claudia and talk with her about Natalie’s last moments alive. Vicki pulled out a wrinkled copy of the e-mail and reread it.
Dear Young Tribulation Force,
I need your help. My name is Claudia Zander. I was Natalie Bishop’s roommate. Before she died, she talked with me about God. I didn’t want to listen at first, but now that she’s gone, I think what she said might be true.
She told me not to take the mark of Carpathia, and I’ve only got a few more days to comply. Please write back.
Claudia
Vicki sighed and closed her eyes. She had long ago decided to take every opportunity to talk to others about God, no matter what the risk. She had done a study of some of the major characters in the Bible—from Abraham to David to Jonah to Paul—and discovered that God had taken them to dangerous places.
Before she had become a believer, Vicki took chances and lived on the edge. Now, with so many bad things happening and the Glorious Appearing a few years away, Vicki felt more alive than ever. She believed God had chosen to involve her in his great plan and was calling her to dangerous places. At times, that meant taking risks. Other times it meant admitting she was wrong or revealing her feelings to people around her. Deep inside, Vicki ached to make a difference. She saw people blindly following Carpathia and hoping he had the answers.
She had written in her journal, There is a spot in my heart God has touched that simply longs to follow. No matter where he sends me, no matter what he asks, I want to go.
But as Vicki studied Claudia’s note, something didn’t feel right. The words felt calculated, like the girl had tried too hard to say the right thing or not to say the wrong thing. Dismissing Claudia’s plea as a trick of the Global Community could be a mistake that would ruin Claudia’s life for eternity. But meeting her face-to-face and falling for a trap would be equally wrong.
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