“Sure.” Matt shrugged. “Listen, Dad. You've become a hero to these kids. They don't really know you, but you've got big time respect with them.”
“What are you thinking?” Jackie asked. “I think there's something else going on in your mind.”
“Well,” Graham said slowly, “there's one more thing. I haven't trusted my secretary Sarah Cates for a long time, but I may need her help. She could be lying to me, and that could bring the roof down on my head if she's in cahoots with Pemrose, Bridges, or who knows.”
“You really think so?” Jackie asked.
“I don't know.” Graham said. “But I wanted both of you to know that I'll probably crawl way out on the end of a weak limb at the office. If something snaps, we'll have to move fast.”
Jackie put her arm around Graham's shoulders. Don't worry. We're three hundred percent behind you.”
“Thanks,” Graham said. “I'm about to jump on that branch. I hope I don't crash to the ground.”
CHAPTER 45
ON THURSDAY, the New Seekers group met again. Following the meeting, Graham and Jackie met with Adah Honi at the back of the room Huddled next to a back wall, they talked quietly.
“Adah,” Graham said, “you've been amazingly correct. You've helped us understand why millions of people disappeared, the moon turned red, the source of the accelerating wars and conflicts, and the rise of the Anti-Christ. What do you see Happening next?”
Jackie squeezed in closer to the Jewish woman. “We need your advice and direction.”
Adah smiled. “I am no prophet.”
“You are to us,” Jackie insisted.
“If my interpretation of the Bible is correct,” Adah said slowly. “I think that the climate of fear and chaos will increase as does Rashid's ability the world to control. I suspect that this man his power will consolidate. He will be a most diabolical person.”
“More war, huh?” Graham asked.
“But he will make a surprising support for Israel in a short while, but the troubles for Christians, for believers in Jesus as the Messiah will only increase. If I were you, I would put my money into gold as a hedge against troubles with currency.”
“We have more dark days ahead?” Jackie asked.
“I am afraid so. Very dark days.”
Graham patted Adah on the shoulder. “We may need your help when the crunch comes. Can we call you?”
Adah beamed. “At any moment! My friend Eldad Rafaeli is also ready to help. Don't hesitate to let us know about how we can be of assistance.”
“Thank you, Adah. appreciate your support,” Jackie said.
“More than we can say,” Graham added. “And you trust this group of students?” He pointed around the room.
“Of course,” the Jewish woman said.
“Adah,” Jackie said, “I have one last question. I hear you talking about trusting God.” Jackie stopped and rubbed her chin thoughtfully “I understand the idea, but nothing seems to connect with me. Trusting someone like my husband makes sense, but God is such an abstract idea.”
Adah nodded. “Yes, I understand. Let me see if I can help you.” She beckoned for them to follow her across the room. Picking up a slice of bread and a glass, the Jewish woman sat them on the table in front of Graham and Jackie. “From our history each year we have the Passover Supper, a time when we remember God delivered our people from death and set us free. We eat bread and drink wine to celebrate our trust in God.”
“Y-yes,” Jackie said slowly.
“Then Jesus, or Yeshua as we say, took this cup and unleavened bread and made it a symbol of himself. Christians usually took this sacrament to come into an intimate relationship with the Lord. You see?”
Graham shook his head. “No. No, I don't.”
“When you eat something, it becomes a part of you,” Adah explained. “It is literally absorbed into the cells and tissues of your body. Nothing could be closer or more intimate.”
“Of course,” Jackie said. “I understand that idea.”
“You must trust the bread and wine completely if you are going to eat them, expecting such a wonderful encounter in your spiritual world. Right?”
“H-u-mm.” Jackie nodded her head. “Trusting God is like deciding to eat the bread and drink the wine?”
“Exactly!” Adah said. “It is a act of saying ‘yes’ to everything that is to you offered.”
“Thank you,” Jackie said. “Yes. The idea makes more sense to me now.”
Graham said nothing. The explanation was clear but had left him uncertain. Could trusting God be as simple as eating a piece of bread? He didn't think so.
On Friday Graham called Sarah Cates into his office. The attractive young woman brought her scratch pad, prepared to take notes.
“Sit down, Sarah,” Graham said. “I want to talk to you for a minute.”
Sarah gritted her teeth. She sat down slowly. “I'm being fired” You're moving me to another office, aren't you? I knew this wouldn't last.”
Graham studied her carefully. Sarah didn't look hostile. In fact, she seemed to still have that slight gleam in the corner of her eye.
“I understand,” Sarah continued. “I'm sorry, but I guess I had it coming.”
“No, Sarah. A move isn't in my plans.”
“Oh!” Sarah looked surprised. “Really? You're sure?”
“You said that you had some affection for me,” Graham continued. “Is that still true?”
Sarah's face began turning red. “Look. I was drinking and I should never have…”
“I ask if you still care about me?” Graham pushed.
Sarah looked at the floor, saying nothing. Finally she said, “Yes.”
Graham took a deep breath. “Good. I need your help as well as your confidence. I must be able to trust you.”
The woman blinked several times. “What? What are you saying? Certainly, you can tell me anything.”
Graham's eyes narrowed. “We've got some traps to set. You ready to go fishing?”
CHAPTER 46
JACKIE PECK was sitting at her desk, when the walls began to shake slightly. The desk gradually inched away from her and the chandelier swung back and forth. She looked up from the list she was making and stared at this strange movement around her. The ceiling rippled and the entire room seemed to shift. Her balance abruptly felt out of kilter. Suddenly the entire house shook and for a moment Jackie felt nauseous. She grabbed the edge of her desk for stability, but everything inside of her buckled. Thirty seconds later the frightening movements stopped.
Jackie's heart pounded. With her hand on her chest, Jackie dashed out of the room and darted through the front door. Across the front lawn a large, winding crack jagged in an ugly zigzag pattern into a cracked sidewalk. A black cloud drifted in front of the sun, sending ominous dark shadows everywhere. The wind whipped around the corner of the house and a blast of arctic air hit her in the face. Across the street the neighbor ran out her front door.
“Oh, Lord help us!” the woman shouted. “What's happened?”
“It must have been an earthquake,” Jackie said. “Never in my life have I been in such a big shake. I don't think one like this has ever hit Chicago.”
“Never heard of such a thing! Did it hurt your house?”
“I don't know. I suppose I'll have to wait for Graham to come home and check around the foundation.”
The woman nodded. “Yes, I suppose so.” She looked up into the sky. “How strange. Even the sun looks black.”
People began coming out of other houses, looking around and gawking up at the sky. Jackie didn't like the exposure and went back inside.
One day there would be summer-like temperatures; twenty-four hours later a blizzard blew in. Everything was out of order. Now an earthquake had undermined their city!
Jackie walked through all the rooms of the house looking for cracks in the wall or through the ceiling. Finally, she picked up the phone and called Graham.
“Did you feel the sho
ck?” Jackie asked.
“Yes. Our building swayed for several seconds. When I looked out the windows I could see hugs waves rolling in off of Lake Michigan and slamming the piers. Looks like significant damage is being done there by the docks. Did it hurt our house?”
“I don't think the damage is severe. What do you make of it?”
“I think the quake must have occurred out there under Lake Michigan,” Graham said. “It's really created chaos downtown.”
“I can't actually tell how badly the house got hit, but we do have a cracked sidewalk.”
“I hope we don't have any trouble with the foundation.”
“I wanted to make sure you were okay,” Jackie said.
“No problem down here that I've detected yet. Have you started gathering up those items we spoke of last night?”
“I was making the list when the earthquake hit,” Jackie explained. “I'll be on to it shortly.”
“Good,” Graham said. “Let me know if any other problems pop up.”
“You bet!” Jackie hung up.
She walked back to her office. The small writing desk had moved three or four inches more after she left the room and books had fallen from the bookcase. Jackie readjusted the furniture and picked up the list she was writing.
“Flashlights, pocket knife, extra blankets, dehydrated food, a rope ladder,” Jackie read out loud. “I sure hope Graham knows exactly what we need.” She sat down to complete the list.
Graham's door flew open and Sarah Cates burst in. Behind her Graham could see turmoil in the outer office. Employees were shouting and some of the women were darting hysterically back and forth.
“The glass on the front door shattered,” Sarah said breathlessly. “We've got a dangerous crack in the front wall! People are frightened to death.”
“Okay. I'll be there. “Graham walked through the doorway and leaped up on top of Sarah's desk. “Everybody listen to me!” he shouted. “The earthquake appears to be over, It's all right. Let's settle down. No one's hurt. Get back to your own desks.”
The noise started to subside.
“I'll have workmen up here as quickly as possible,” Graham assured the staff. “Don't worry. We're not in danger anymore.”
Some of the men waved their appreciation. Several of the secretaries returned to their workstations.
Climbing down, Graham looked around the office. The truth was that he didn't know that there wouldn't be another quake at any moment, but he couldn't let the office fly out of control. He had to put a lid on a boiling kettle.
“I think the disturbance will settle down now,” Graham said to Sarah. “Please come back into my office.” She followed him inside and Graham shut the door behind them.
“Have you found anything yet?” Graham asked.
Sarah shook her head. “Like you said, I have to be extremely careful. I've been by his office several times but inside it only once. Mr. Pemrose has been here most of the time. No. I haven't seen anything like what you described.”
“You're frightened?”
“Of course I am!” Sarah forced a smile.
“Good. Keep your eyes open for information about something that will neutralize the security devices placed on people's foreheads. Watch for any clues. Remember this search is a total secret.”
“You bet,” she whispered.
“Okay, Sarah. Go back and look liked a hardworking secretary.”
Sarah took a deep breath. “I'll keep watching.” She walked out and shut the door behind her.
Sarah seemed to be playing her part well. Her apprehension appeared genuine enough. On the other hand, if Sarah was a plant, she might have talent for this sort of thing and might only be acting. Should the woman balk then he'd know she wasn't trustworthy and he could believe a plot was unfolding within the mayor's offices. However, if Sarah really did come back with something revealing, he might know what Pemrose was doing behind the scenes.
Picking up his cell phone, Graham dialed Matthew, hoping that it had not been worse to the north.
“Hello?”
“Son, we got hit by a earthquake down here. Did it do any damage at the university?”
“Dad, it's been terrible. Several classrooms collapsed and the side of the library caved in.”
“Sounds worse than what we got I downtown Chicago. I take it you're not hurt.”
“I came out without a scratch because I was walking across the campus. If I'd been in the library, I might have been injured.”
“Okay,” Graham said. “I'm relieved to hear you're in good condition. Is it possible for you to come home tonight or could I meet you somewhere if the roads are open?
“You asking me?” Matthew laughed. “Now, that's a twist!”
“No, son. I'm serious.”
“It would help me if you could come up here. I am supposed to have a big exam tomorrow.”
“Is this afternoon bad?”
“No. Not at all.
“I'll see you at three o'clock. The regular place.”
“You bet!” Matthew said.
Graham hung up the phone. Going back to the window, he watched the waves pounding against the shoreline. Like the bizarre glow of the moon, nature had spun out of control again with a quake that had unleashed terror up and down the Chicago waterfront. Workmen worked frantically on the docks with every possible tool. Wherever he looked, it seemed that God himself was screaming at the world.
CHAPTER 47
REPORTS OF INJURIES poured in from up and down the coastline of Lake Michigan with the damage up north appearing to be worse. People in the Highland Park area around Glencoe reported severe losses. The entire Chicago tram system sank into chaos while officials worried about the effects of the earthquake. The downtown Metro Express train closed while workmen checked out the overhead trusses for damage to the supports.
Graham discovered that the Kennedy Expressway hadn't been damaged badly enough to stop traffic and grabbed a taxi to travel up the Highway 94 route that wound around Skokie before a side road went east toward Evanston.
Graham watched the driver carefully. The man seemed nervous and shaken. Even his usual disheveled appearance had dropped a notch and his driving was on the erratic side.
“Where're you from?” Graham asked to calm him.
“Immigrated form Lebanon.” The driver glued his eyes nervously on the highway.
“Really? You came here for more opportunities?”
“No! I came here to keep from being killed! Lebanon has turned into nothing more than an enormous battlefield. Now this happens to Chicago!”
“Yeah. You look like this earthquake frightened you?”
“Of course! I've been through tremors in the old country. You can get killed in an instant.” He snapped his fingers. “Boom! The shakes frighten me plenty.”
The shakes had certainly frightened Graham. His first reaction had been to make sure the world was still in order and keep the office under control. It was only after he found the Metro closed and got in the taxi the full emotional impact descended on him. Fear had to be setting over the entire city.
The cell phone ran. “Peck here.”
“Graham, this is the mayor. I'm concerned about what this quake has done to the city.”
Graham paused and thought about his position in the taxi. He was actually running away from the office. “I'm heading north to check out the current situation,” he finally said. “I understand damage is worse up the shoreline. The Metro is now closed.”
“Closed!” Bridges said. His voice filled with seriousness. “I didn't know the train was shut down.”
“I'm checking it out.”
“Good. Excellent. Let me know as soon as you have a report.”
“Yes sir,” Graham answered briskly and clicked off his phone. At least, he was covered with the front office, but he still had to pay close attention to what had happened around him.
The driver eventually turned down Dempster Street toward the Lake. Graham kept th
inking about what this man had said about war in Lebanon. No matter where he turned, the world seemed to be in endless turmoil. On every street corner, wars and rumors of wars confounded Graham.
“Let me out at that dormitory straight ahead.” Graham pointed across the campus. He could see buildings that had been damaged. “I'll walk the rest of the way.” The taxi pulled up to the curb and Graham paid the driver.
Everywhere Peck looked, he saw mayhem. On one side of the street a few smaller houses had front porches bent at strange angles. Around the university cracks ran down the sides of buildings and windows had shattered. Pieces of the concrete sidewalk were twisted and tilted at strange angles. Graham hurried on toward the dormitory cafeteria where he always met his son when he was visiting on campus.
The building looked like it withstood the quake fairly well; no cracks or broken glass anywhere. Students were coming and going as Graham hurried inside. He found Matthew sitting at a back table by himself.
“Quite a day.” Graham sat down across from Matthew. “I had to grab a taxi to get here. Makes for a long ride. Looks like we've had one of the most unexpected disasters anyone would have thought possible around Chicago.”
“Anyone who has never read the Bible,” Mathew answered. “If I am reading Revelation right, this big shake is about on schedule.”
“That's what I need to talk with you about. As best I can tell, you've bought everything the New Seekers are saying.”
Matt smiled. “I'm sure I sound on the enthusiastic side, but I can't find anything wrong with what they're teaching.” Matt stretched out his legs and leaned back in his chair. “In the dorm, people are afraid terrorists will blow up the university or shoot us in the streets. I see nothing but kids running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Guys are sleeping with girls like there's no tomorrow. The place is wild and crazy. I don't find any help around here.”
Graham nodded. “I know what you mean. It's the same way in my office.”
“But when I'm with my New Seekers friends, it's different world. These people are sane, sensible, balanced. They believe God is working behind all the mess and they trust Him.”
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