“Yitzhak told me their story while we were detained,” Mr. Stein said. “Just as the rest of the family believed that Jesus is the Savior, Jamal’s son, Kasim, believed that Nicolae Carpathia was the way to peace and happiness. They had many arguments about it.”
“Just like in your family,” Lionel said.
Mr. Stein nodded. “Except I finally agreed with my daughter. Kasim was killed before he came to the truth.”
“What happened?” Judd said.
Mr. Stein sat back and folded his hands. “Yitzhak said Nada was very bold with her brother. Kasim was three years older, but she would not back away from telling him the truth.
“Kasim was so committed to Carpathia that he volunteered to become a GC guard. Even while he was training, Nada would come into the Global Community compound and speak with Kasim openly about Christ.”
“That girl knows no fear,” Lionel said.
“Maybe she just loved her brother,” Judd said. “Was he accepted into the GC?”
“He was assigned to security in New Babylon,” Mr. Stein said, “to the main building where Nicolae Carpathia kept his office.”
“The earthquake!” Judd said.
“Exactly,” Mr. Stein said. “He was on the ground floor when the quake hit. Jamal and his wife received a letter of sorrow and thanks from the potentate just after the mass funeral. They never found Kasim’s body.”
“I’m sure Nick’s letter meant a lot to them,” Judd said sarcastically.
“You see why I did not challenge Jamal,” Mr. Stein said. “He has been through much pain. I can understand him wanting to protect his only living child.”
“We’ll have to get the money ourselves,” Judd said.
“How are we going to get inside the gymnasium?” Lionel said.
Mr. Stein pulled out a key. “Yitzhak gave me this. It is to the back entrance. Perhaps one of us should go, rather than all three.”
They drew straws. Lionel’s was the shortest. “Looks like I’m headed back to the university,” he said.
In the excitement of Mark’s return with Melinda and Janie, Conrad hadn’t forgotten what he had seen in the tower. The next day he climbed to the top and inspected the board again. He put a foot on one end and tried to pry it loose, but when he did, he noticed something he hadn’t seen the night before. Four boards were attached together.
Conrad inspected the others and found a tiny hook barely visible under the middle boards. He retrieved a screwdriver and tripped the hook. The boards lifted easily.
Conrad gasped when he saw the ancient box in the daylight. It was two feet square with fancy carvings on top. The box was made of thick metal, and a huge lock hung on the front.
Conrad knelt and strained to lift the box. It was almost more than he could carry. He struggled down the stairs into the meeting room and dropped it on the floor. It fell with such a crash that the kids came running from all over the house.
Vicki ran a hand over the ornate etchings on top. “You think this is what Z was talking about?”
Conrad shrugged. “When he talked about a safe, I thought it would be five feet tall. But this is sure old.”
Mark looked closely. “This lock’s going to take some time to open.”
Janie stepped forward. “Are we gonna split what’s inside evenly?” When Vicki didn’t answer, Janie said, “I mean, if there’s anything valuable inside. I just want to be fair.”
“This isn’t our house to begin with,” Vicki said. “If there’s anything of value inside, Z would need to make that call.”
“Right,” Janie said. “I didn’t know this wasn’t your house. Sorry.”
Shelly, who had wandered off, called for the others from the next room. “Judd just sent a message. He asked us to pray for Lionel. He’s evidently doing something pretty dangerous.”
Lionel felt queasy about going to the university but glad that Jamal had agreed to drive him in his small car. In the afternoon, Lionel and Judd helped Jamal move large boxes up the freight elevator and into the hideout. Jamal spoke very little, clearly still upset about what he thought they had asked Nada to do.
“What are these for?” Judd said.
“You will see” was all Jamal would say.
Lionel put on a long robe and turban Nada had found. “One of the witnesses left it behind,” she said. The outfit dragged the floor, and Lionel felt goofy.
“I don’t care if it makes me look less American,” Lionel said “If they catch me, they’ll call the GC.”
Lionel left the disguise and climbed into the tiny backseat of Jamal’s car. He lay on the seat as Jamal wound through the Old City. Several times Jamal warned Lionel to keep down as he spotted Global Community squad cars.
Finally, they came near the university. Lionel sat up. Teddy Kollek Stadium was deserted. Yellow tape circled many of the university buildings where the witnesses had stayed.
Jamal pulled close to the gymnasium and handed Lionel his cell phone. “This is in case you have trouble finding what you’re looking for,” Jamal said. “I’ll wait on the other side of the street until you give the signal.”
Lionel felt inside his pocket for the flashlight. He hoped there would be no cameras or alarms in the building.
Judd and Mr. Stein prayed for Lionel as they waited for him to return. Nada handed Judd the phone. It was Samuel again.
“Did your father catch you outside last night?” Judd said.
“No,” Samuel said, “but I don’t have time to talk. I called to warn you.”
“About what?” Judd said.
“The GC found something at the university where Mr. Stein was staying,” Samuel said. “They have guards there in case someone shows up!”
“Thanks,” Judd said. He hung up without saying good-bye and ran for Nada. “What’s your dad’s cell phone number?”
Lionel let his eyes adjust to the darkness and tried the key. Wrong door. He walked to the end of the building and tried again. This time the lock clicked, and he walked inside.
The cots had been removed from the gym floor. Lionel tiptoed across the hardwood floor, but his footsteps still echoed. He scanned the door for anything suspicious.
Lionel pulled out the map Mr. Stein had drawn and found the hallway leading to a small office. He looked along the wall for the fire extinguisher but couldn’t find it.
He pulled out the cell phone and dialed Jamal’s house. The line was busy.
Something moved in the gym. Footsteps. Voices. Lionel turned off his flashlight and darted into an open doorway. He was in the men’s room. He backed against a wall and listened, his heart pounding furiously.
“What did they say?” one man said.
“Get out your gun,” the other man said. “Campus police said somebody was just at the back of the gym.”
Lionel dialed Jamal’s number again. Judd answered.
“Let me talk with Mr. Stein, quick!” Lionel whispered.
“No!” Judd said. “Get out of there! The GC has guards waiting for you.”
The back door opened.
“I might as well try,” Lionel whispered. “Let me talk with Mr. Stein!”
“Please, Lionel,” Mr. Stein said, “get out now.”
“Just tell me again,” Lionel said. “I can’t find the fire extinguish—”
“Do you see the office?”
“Yeah, I’m in the men’s room across the hall.”
“You are at the wrong end,” Mr. Stein said. “Go the other direction down the hall.”
“Got it,” Lionel whispered. He hurried from the bathroom and down the hall, being careful not to make noise. He found the fire extinguisher behind a glass door.
The gym door closed. The guards were coming. Lionel heard Mr. Stein plead with him to get out. Lionel opened the door to the fire extinguisher slowly. Someone honked their horn. Jamal, Lionel thought. The guards took the bait and ran for the back door.
Lionel pulled the fire extinguisher out of the wall and felt behind it.
Nothing. He switched on the flashlight and saw a small bag at the bottom. He picked it up and looked inside.
“The money’s not here,” Lionel said.
Suddenly an alarm sounded.
20
LIONEL knew the alarm was somehow attached to the empty bag. He dropped the fire extinguisher and ran into the gym. The guards rushed inside. Lionel had a head start on them, but not much.
He ran into a long hallway. He looked right, then left. At the left end was an Exit sign. He sprinted toward it, then realized as he got closer that the sign pointed down another hallway.
“There he goes,” a guard yelled behind him.
Lionel didn’t slow down. He rounded the corner and bounced off a row of lockers. Through light, then shadows, he careened down the hall. A red sign was posted over the door at the end of the hallway: ALARM WILL SOUND. PLEASE USE OTHER EXIT. He hit the red lever full force, and another alarm screamed over his head. He flung the door open and raced into the cool air.
He had hoped Jamal would be waiting, but the man was nowhere in sight. Lionel cursed, then realized what he had said and shook his head.
He sprinted to the right and into the darkness beside the building. The door opened behind him, and both guards raced out. One fired his gun, but Lionel kept running.
“Go that way! I’ll follow him,” a guard said.
Lionel rounded the corner and was nearly hit by Jamal’s car, its lights off. “Get in quickly!” Jamal yelled.
Lionel opened the back door and yelled, “Go!” He jumped inside, hitting his head against the other door as Jamal floored the gas pedal of the tiny car. As Jamal rounded the corner, he turned on his lights and blinded the guard running toward them. The guard threw a hand over his eyes and shot wildly at the small car, the bullet pinging off the hood.
“Stay down!” Jamal shouted.
Jamal zigged and zagged until they were out of the parking lot and into the street. The GC guards followed, but they were no match for Jamal’s knowledge of the city. He took alleys and back streets until he arrived safely in the parking garage of the apartment building.
Judd and Mr. Stein hugged Lionel when he returned. Lionel filled them in on what had happened.
“They must have found your money when they searched the building,” Judd said. “What do we do now?”
“Maybe Hasina will take an IOU,” Lionel said.
Mr. Stein said, “God will provide.”
Judd tried Hasina’s number again, and his eyes widened. “It’s busy!”
“Keep trying,” Lionel said.
Before dinner, Vicki had a chance to talk more with Melinda. The girl seemed less angry and a little more open since she had returned.
“I just couldn’t stay here,” Melinda said. “Listening to all those prophecies, all the bad stuff to come, knowing that it might be true. It just overwhelmed me.”
“How do you feel now?” Vicki said.
“Afraid I’ll be the one who leads the GC here.”
“We have people watching around the clock,” Vicki said. “And we always have a way to escape if we have to.”
Melinda pulled her hair from her face. “I want to go to your classes and all that, but I’m still not sure if I can believe the way you guys do.”
“You mean you’re not sure if what we’re saying is true?”
Melinda shook her head. “I’m pretty convinced you’re on the right track. I’m just not sure I can study the Bible. Still feels a little weird to me.”
“If you’ll ask God into your heart, it won’t feel weird. I remember when I did it. It was a couple of years ago. I’d never even thought of what would happen to me after I died. Reading the Bible was for losers. Then I realized it was true. Practical. What I read in the Bible every day helps me. Every day is a new chance to really live.”
Mark walked into the room holding a few sheets of paper. He had a blank stare on his face.
“What’s wrong with you?” Melinda said.
“I can’t believe we missed it,” Mark said.
“Missed what?” Vicki said.
“Tsion’s message from the Meeting of the Witnesses. It’s all right here, and we missed it.”
Vicki took the paper and scanned the message. “I remember hearing this. Tsion said the sun, moon, and stars are going to be affected by the next judgment.”
“Don’t you see what that means?” Mark said.
“We’ll have a third less light,” Vicki said, “but that’s what the generator’s for.”
“You don’t understand,” Mark said. “A third less solar energy means disaster. The whole planet’s going into the deep freeze.”
“We happen to be out in the middle of the woods,” Melinda said. “If what’s been predicted actually happens, we can just cut down some trees and throw another log on the fire.”
Mark shook his head. “You still don’t get it. I’ve worked it out on the computer. The temperature’s not going down by a third. You cut direct sunlight like this and we’re all in big trouble. People are going to die.”
Judd dialed Hasina again and again. Finally, on the tenth try, the phone rang and Hasina picked up, out of breath. “Taylor, I’m not ready!” Hasina yelled.
“It’s Judd Thompson! What’s wrong?”
“Judd, the GC are chasing Taylor. He tried to take out another installation. He’s on his way here. I have to get his plane ready.”
Hasina took the cordless phone with her as she walked through the steps to start the plane.
“I know this is not the time to ask,” Judd said, “but Lionel and I need a ride out of Israel. Our money is gone. The GC took it. Is there a chance—”
“Taylor wants me to go with him,” Hasina said. “He believes the GC know about our operation. Perhaps we’ll get set up in another city, and we can fly you from there.”
Judd heard a clanking sound and figured Hasina was opening the hangar door. Seconds later, the plane’s engine fired.
“Where do you think you’ll go?” Judd said.
“Spain, perhaps,” Hasina said. “Taylor has a friend there who has said he will help us.” She gasped.
“What is it?” Judd said.
“I see Taylor’s car! The GC are right behind him.”
“Get out on the runway!” Judd shouted.
“I can’t,” Hasina said. “They already have it blocked.”
“Is there a place you can hide?”
“Oh no,” Hasina said, “they have him trapped.”
Judd closed his eyes and listened. He could hear sirens blaring in the background. He thought of Taylor’s escape from the earthquake. Judd had thought Taylor was dead when the raging waters had taken him over the edge of a chasm, but Taylor had survived. Was there any way he could survive this?
“Look,” Judd said, “Taylor will never let them take him alive. He’ll put up a fight. That should give you time to hide!”
A gun went off. Then another. Then a pop-pop-pop of automatic fire.
“It’s no use,” Hasina said, her voice full of despair. “They have him.”
“What do you mean?”
“They shot him as he sat in the car, and they’re coming this way.”
“Hasina, get out of there!” Judd shouted. He turned to Lionel and Mr. Stein. “Pray, and pray hard!”
“I’m putting the phone in my shirt pocket so you can hear what happens,” Hasina said. “If we do not make it, good luck.”
Judd heard the door to the plane open. The phone was muffled for a moment as Hasina put the phone away. She breathed heavily as she ran. Someone shouted, “There she is!” A few shots rang out.
A door opened and closed. Hasina moved furniture to get to something. Keys jangled.
Judd turned on the speaker phone and turned it all the way up. Mr. Stein and Lionel leaned close. They heard Hasina open a door with the keys. It sounded like she was loading a weapon of some sort.
Then someone banged on the door. Something fell to the floor, and Hasina
cursed.
“Open it now!” someone shouted.
“Shoot them!” Taylor Graham said from the other side.
Hasina was breathing hard and scrambling on the floor to pick up what had fallen. Two huge gunshots exploded, and the door banged open.
“Drop it now!” a voice boomed.
“Shoot them!” Taylor screamed, his voice louder now that the door was open.
“I said shut up!” a man yelled, and Judd heard a whack and a crunch of bone.
“Taylor!” Hasina shouted.
“Put the gun down,” another man said.
Something clattered to the floor.
“Good, now step away from the desk, your hands in the air.”
Hasina was breathing heavily now. She spoke with her teeth clenched. “Do you know what this is?” she said. “We rigged this just in case something like this happened.”
“Put it down!”
“I push this button, and the whole place goes up. You shoot me, and I swear I’ll take you all with me.”
A GC officer clicked his radio. “There’s a bomb. The girl’s threatening to blow the whole place up. Everybody out!”
“Leave Taylor and get out of here, and I’ll let you live!”
The radio crackled. “Confirm explosive!” someone said.
Hasina barked, “This is hooked to the underground jet fuel. Now unless you want to all go up with us, leave now!”
The GC officer spoke into his walkie-talkie. He ordered everyone to move a safe distance away. Hasina ran to Taylor Graham and spoke his name.
Judd felt almost guilty, listening. These were such private moments, and Hasina had either forgotten that Judd was on the line or didn’t care.
“Taylor, I love you.”
Taylor’s voice was groggy. “I love you, too. Always have. If I’d have married you like I promised, we wouldn’t be in this mess. We’d probably have five or six kids by now and be living on a beach somewhere.”
Hasina laughed. Taylor sounded close to the phone. “We don’t have to worry about what might have been,” she said. “We both made our choices.”
“Did you really rig the place to explode?” Taylor said.
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