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by Robert L. Wise

  Copyright © 2004 by Robert L. Wise.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

  Scriptures are taken from the REVISED STANDARD VERSION of the Bible. Copyright © 1949, 1952, 1971, 1973 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission.

  Warner Faith

  Hachette Book Group USA

  237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017

  Visit our Web site at www.HachetteBookGroupUSA.com.

  First eBook Edition: September 2004

  ISBN: 978-0-446-51033-2

  Contents

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Part I: Confusion Abounds

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Part II: Death Leashed

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Part III: Terror on the Horizon

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  Chapter 64

  Chapter 65

  Part IV: The Dragon Attacks

  Chapter 66

  Chapter 67

  Chapter 68

  Chapter 69

  Chapter 70

  Chapter 71

  Chapter 72

  Chapter 73

  Chapter 74

  Chapter 75

  Chapter 76

  When her worst nightmare comes true . . .

  Jackie’s heart stopped. She had heard it! No animal could have made that sound. Only a human footstep could make such a breaking clamor. Raising the gun, she started a crouching walk toward the door that led out on the veranda where Graham worked outside. Leaning up against the large glass door, she listened carefully. Her hand started shaking again.

  There might be one man out there . . . there might be several! Whatever. She didn’t want to be caught inside the cabin with an attacker. She had to get outside where the assailant couldn’t corner her. Probably the man already knew there was only one woman in the house, and that made her a prime target for attack. Jackie’s mouth went dry, and for a moment she thought she might faint.

  Lying on her stomach, Jackie reached up to make sure the doorknob was still unlocked. The knob wouldn’t turn! Gingerly, she ran her hand down the side until she felt the small lock release. With a flip of her thumb, she popped the lock open. Taking a long, deep breath of air, Jackie jumped up, swung the door open and dashed outside.

  To the countless number

  of Christians

  who endured terrrible trials

  in the face of

  overwhelming circumstances

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  My deepest thanks to David Howlett and Dr. Fred Pike for their kind input and insights. In addition, Steve Wilburn’s editorial assistance and wise insights are gratefully appreciated, as is the work of my good friend and agent Greg Johnson. Finally, my excellent secretary Rhonda Whittacre always goes the extra mile, and does all things well.

  I

  CONFUSION ABOUNDS

  The sun became black as sackcloth,

  the full moon became like blood,

  and the stars of the sky fell to the earth

  as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when

  shaken by a gale.

  REVELATION 6:12-13

  CHAPTER 1

  May 1, 2023

  THE FOREST REMAINED QUIET except for the occasional sound of a deer breaking through the underbrush. A fresh scent of damp pine needles filled the air. In a few weeks spring would break out across the Lewis and Clark National Forest, sending new growth through the virgin landscape, but today the dead grass and dried plants still wore the look of winter. The tall pines reached toward the blue sky while their branches extended across the needle-covered sloping terrain. Not many people ventured into the back corners of the area seventy miles from Great Falls, Montana, but the beauty of the untouched land always left its mark on anyone hiking into the pristine wilderness. Because the leaves of the aspens had not yet broken out, the emptiness made it easier to see through the branches.

  Two Cheyenne tribesmen had returned to the area where their people had traveled in an earlier century. Life in town had gotten crazy, and they needed a break from the strange events that seemed to pop up every day. Joe White Owl and Archie Big Bear had the eyes of ancient warriors for reading the paths and hidden trails in the backcountry. Having grown up on the edge of the national forest, they had traveled the back paths many times in search of rabbits and other game. As they grew to young adults, their climbing skills became as keen as a mountain goat’s, equipping them to scramble along the treacherous edges of the bluffs.

  White Owl led the way down the side of a steep cliff that dropped at least sixty feet to the floor of the canyon beneath them. Joe hesitated just as he was reaching for the next handhold. The dusty wall of rock shook slightly and unnerved him.

  “What was that?” Joe grunted.

  “The ground shook!” Archie Big Bear said. “It never did that before.”

  “In my whole lifetime!” White Owl shouted back. “I don’t know what’s going on. Be careful!”

  The two men slowly worked their way farther down the stone wall. Halfway to the bottom the entire cliff shook once more, sending small rocks flying past the two climbers. Joe grabbed a small pine tree growing between two boulders and hung on for dear life. Although the rumbling lasted only a few seconds, it felt like an eternity.

  “I’ve never been in an earthquake,” Joe shouted. “But this feels close enough.”

  “You bet,” Archie called back. “We’ve stumbled onto something. I want out of here!”

  Both men hunkered down into the side of the cliff to catch their breath, hoping that whatever was shaking the earth would quickly pass. Nothing any longer felt predictable. Their hands turned clammy.

  “Look!” Big Bear pointed to the normally placid terrain below. “Check that out!”

  In the canyon beneath them, a small geyser abruptly spewed steaming hot water from the cracks in the rocks. They could see splotches of residue dotting the terrain, crea
ting a yellowish tint across the top of the huge boulders. Nearby, the land dipped, and a boiling mud pool bubbled up from the depression in the earth, splashing churning black mud everywhere.

  “Wow!” Joe squinted. “Strange sights down there.”

  “Never seen anything like it around here,” Archie answered. “Not in this valley.”

  “Like you said back in town, the whole world’s gone crazy. Attacks happen everywhere. Millions of people disappear overnight. Politicians promise answers, but we don’t get any. We come out here to escape and only find more craziness.”

  “We ought to get out of this area. Worse may yet come.”

  “We’re closer to the bottom,” Joe reasoned. “I think it would be quicker to go on down and get off this wall.”

  “My hand’s starting to get warm,” Archie said. “Feel the sand.”

  White Owl sniffed the air. “Yeah. Strange smells, too.” He inhaled again. “Could be sulfur. Why would there be the smell of sulfur out here in the forest?”

  Abruptly the ground shook violently, nearly sending both men flying. They hung on fiercely, fearing the plunge would kill them.

  “The dirt is walking!” Archie screamed. “We can’t stay here.”

  “Listen.” Joe pressed his ear even harder into the cliff where he rested his head. “Funny noises! The earth is rumbling.”

  “This place is turning into Mount Saint Helens,” Big Bear shouted. “Remember Devils Tower in Wyoming? They say it came from hot ground.”

  “I think we should get back to town,” White Owl insisted. “We need to report what’s going on to somebody.” He started to hurry down the steep incline. “Everything else has gone nuts. Who can say what’s going on out here.”

  With a terrible rumble, the ground resumed shaking. Off in the distance they heard a violent explosion, and the dirt slipped out from under both men. Dust filled their eyes and noses. Directly below, trees buckled and tumbled forward. Cracking sounds of branches breaking filled the air while the smell of smoke became more intense.

  “My God!” Joe screamed. “There’s an eruption over there by that waterspout! Smoke and fire are coming up! Even the trees are shaking. It’s coming this way.”

  “I’m falling!” Archie screamed. “Everything’s breaking loose!”

  Joe White Owl felt the scrub pine he was holding start to break loose. “I can’t hold on!” he cried. “The ground’s slipping away.” The agile man tumbled backward, bouncing off the wall of the cliff.

  A shower of spewing, boiling water shot straight toward them. Joe futilely grabbed for a rock, a branch, anything that would stop his fall. Beneath him the earth split open, the newly formed crevice heaving clouds of black smoke through the trees.

  Turbulent boiling mud splattered brown stains over the green pines. The roar became deafening, drowning out Joe White Owl’s screams. With one more violent jerk, the earth hurled both men into the fiery pit, which bubbled up in a pyroclastic flow of molten magma. Rocks tumbled in behind them, and then the earth suddenly crunched back together. Steaming hot water and boiling mud calmed. The rumbling noise ceased, and silence fell over the valley. Nothing moved. Death now rested at the bottom.

  The smoke and fire had stopped . . . for the moment.

  CHAPTER 2

  June 2, 2023

  GRAHAM PECK pulled back the curtain and peered out the window of his family’s summer home overlooking Mohawksin Lake. Virtually no one knew about this cabin—purchased six years earlier in Wisconsin—but they couldn’t take security for granted. Staring suspiciously, he studied the thick grove of trees to make sure no one was spying on them. Picking up a small pair of binoculars, he examined the forest, looking carefully for any hint of movement along the edge of the trees. Only after a couple of minutes was he satisfied.

  “Anyone out there?” Jackie Peck asked cautiously. Even in jeans and a sweatshirt, her oblong, angular face and brilliant brunette hair gave the thirty-nine-year-old mother the look of a model. Her tall, poised appearance imparted an air of dignity even out in the woods of northern Wisconsin. “I trust no one’s crawled in during the night.”

  Graham smiled. “Not yet. After six months of hiding, we’re still safe. If Bridges’ men knew about this cabin, they would have caught us last Christmas.”

  His mention of Mayor Frank Bridges flooded Graham’s mind with memories of their awful escape from Illinois. Bridges had ordered his men to storm the Pecks’ home after killing Graham’s secretary, Sarah Cates. Graham was forced to take Adah Honi and Eldad Rafaeli, two new Jewish friends, with his family when they fled at midnight to avoid the ominous and ubiquitous electronic surveillance. At the moment when Jake Pemrose had nearly caught them, Graham pushed the red button on a small metal device Sarah Cates had lifted from Pemrose’s office. Apparently the nanorobots hidden in the security implant on Pemrose’s forehead were excited by the signal from Graham’s device and attacked him, causing a fatal car wreck. At that moment the Pecks had fully realized how dangerous their predicament was.

  “Fortunately we never let anyone know about our summer home,” Jackie said. “You were too embroiled in Chicago politics. Being an assistant to Mayor Frank Bridges made you a public entity. We had to have a getaway to escape from the world and the media. I thank God we kept the hideout a family secret.”

  “Hideout’s the right word.” Graham sat down at the long, rustic breakfast table. “This log cabin’s been our security blanket from capture, but I have to admit, not seeing anyone except our family is beginning to wear thin.”

  “We see Adah Honi and Eldad Rafaeli every day. The Israelis have certainly taught us volumes about the Bible during these days. No boredom there.”

  “Sure, I love and appreciate them. But I once hated being inundated by those noisy, demanding voices at work. Now, I miss them.”

  Jackie laughed. “Hey! We’re alive, and even that wicked mayor of Chicago hasn’t caught up with us. Borden Camber Carson’s right-hand man can’t find us, and we should thank God.”

  Graham grinned. “Don’t think I’m not grateful. We managed to crawl out from under a surveillance system of monumental proportions. Not having those beastly security markings on our foreheads kept the police from being able to find us when we sneaked out of Arlington Heights. I thank God every day we’ve been able to avoid being located.”

  Jackie reached over and took Graham’s hand. “We’re only a few miles from the Canadian border. Do you think we’d be safer out of America?”

  “I think about that possibility a great deal of the time.” Graham took a deep breath. “We could claim political asylum, but running north doesn’t feel right today. I think we need to stay put. We’ve been able to buy groceries in the village. When we want to venture farther out, Rhinelander is close, and it’s much larger. For the moment, I think we should stay where we are.”

  Jackie watched the early morning sunlight drift through the cracks in the curtains. She stood and opened the long white drapes. “Look! There’s a deer not fifty feet away!”

  The magnificent buck walked in slow steps across the slope of their property, completely unaware they were looking down on him. Graham smiled. “Wow! What a beauty.”

  “Boom,” Jackie said quietly. “One shot from up here, and you’d have tagged a deer.”

  “Interesting word,” Graham said. “Tagged. You know, we are like that deer. The mayor and security people from across the state of Illinois are a virtual army of hunters armed with computers, every kind of electronic surveillance equipment, nanorobots, guns. They are trying to tag our family. It’s like a big children’s game of ‘tag and you’re out.’”

  Jackie abruptly hugged her husband. “You’re frightening me.”

  “The fact that we haven’t done anything doesn’t make any difference. Bridges is trying to run us down, to trap us, to make us the victims, the losers—except if we get tagged, we are out forever!”

  “I’m getting shivers down my back.” Jackie bit her lip. “Do
you think Bridges’ thugs could escalate the chase? Use some sort of national police force?”

  “We’re peanuts to anybody but Bridges . . . and Carson. State lines make a difference, but . . .” Graham stopped. “Don’t worry, Jackie.” He patted her hand. “Who’d want to catch us? We can trust God for our safety.”

  CHAPTER 3

  MATTHEW PECK came up from the bottom floor of the family’s summer home and found his parents still sitting at the long wooden table. Graham’s striking dark eyes were as bright as ever and his brown hair had not changed, but nineteen-year-old Matt thought his six-foot-tall father looked unusually worn and tired. His normally round face seemed more narrow and pale.

  “Good morning, son,” Graham said. “You’re up for the day?”

  “Yeah,” Matt said. “Mary and George haven’t stirred, but little Jeff will come bounding up the steps any minute.”

  “Adah and Eldad awake?” Jackie asked.

  “I didn’t check their rooms, but I think they are both still asleep.” Matt glanced out the window. “What a beautiful June day! Glorious, brilliant sunlight!”

  “A big buck wandered by just a bit ago,” Graham said, “but I didn’t see any signs of attackers moving in on us.”

  Matt raised an eyebrow. “That’s good news.”

  “Your father was telling me that he has started missing those mobs of people he used to hate,” Jackie said. “Isn’t that a hoot?”

  “Dad missing the rabble packing the metro trains? Now that’s a kicker!”

  “Both of you are telling me that you’re not getting a little stir-crazy sitting in this house day after day?” Graham said.

  “I didn’t want to mention it,” Matt told his father, “but every now and then I feel like the walls are closing in on me. Sure, the cabin gets a little tight.”

  “I simply have no idea how difficult this struggle is going to be,” Graham said. “How long are we going to sit out here camouflaged in the trees?”

  “Boker tov,” Adah Honi said from the basement steps. “I see the family has awakened before me this day.”

  “Ah, Adah,” Graham said. “Good morning.”