Hunted

by Jerry B. Jenkins

  “The baby’s fine,” Wanda whispered. “Really healthy, even though he’s a little early. He’s nursing and getting enough to eat. I’m concerned about the mother. The birth took a lot out of her. If she were in a hospital they’d have given her an IV with lots of fluid. She can’t stay awake long enough to eat or drink anything.”

  “What could that be?”

  “Might be that she’s just tired. I’m hoping that’s all it is and that we’ll get her through this.” She put a hand on Vicki’s shoulder. “You need to motivate her.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  Wanda sat and patted the bench for Vicki to join her. The baby stuck out his tongue and made a sucking sound, then turned and went back to sleep.

  “Cheryl has given the baby to the Fogartys, right?” Wanda said.

  Vicki nodded.

  “I’ve seen it happen before. If the mom is weak and something goes wrong, she can lose her will to keep going. For the baby’s sake, you’ve got to help that girl take care of herself. Even if the Fogartys raise him, he’s going to need his mother’s milk. You can get formula on the black market, but it’s pretty difficult to find.”

  Wanda took the baby from Vicki and explained more about what Vicki should do, and Vicki took notes. Finally, she asked how Wanda had become a believer.

  “I was a nurse for a number of years. Then I trained couples about the birthing process. You know, breathing techniques, that stuff. I even went with couples to the hospital and stayed with them when the baby came.”

  “What made you want to do that?”

  “My father was a doctor. He used to talk about the miracle of birth, how every one of them was a gift from God. Delivering babies interested me, but I didn’t think God had anything to do with it.

  “One night I was helping a couple who had gone through a difficult pregnancy. The mother had been on bed rest for weeks, and the labor was going way into the night. The doctor finally decided they had to do a Csection.”

  “That’s where they operate on the mom?”

  “Right. I was there when they took her to surgery. The doctor did a perfect procedure. All the monitors said both the mother and baby were fine. The doctor made the last cut, put both hands around the baby, and lifted her out. I saw the little one’s face. The doctor looked at the mother and said, ‘You have a beautiful baby girl.’ Then the doctor’s hands flew into the air, and the baby’s umbilical cord dropped to the floor. That child had simply disappeared before our eyes.”

  “It must have been awful.”

  Wanda nodded. “The mother started screaming, asking what they had done with the baby. One of the nurses fainted.

  “That’s when I started thinking more about God and what my father had said. I read my Bible, but it didn’t make much sense. I found some answers on the Internet and prayed a prayer they listed. I kept working at the hospital until the wrath of the Lamb earthquake, and then I moved up here to get away from the GC. God brought several pregnant moms to me, and I got sort of a reputation. I’m glad to still be part of bringing little ones into the world, but I have to tell you I don’t know what kind of world it’s going to be.”

  “It would be a lot worse for us if you weren’t in it.”

  Wanda cradled the baby and hummed an old hymn. “I used to think my parents were crazy for believing all that stuff about Jesus coming back. I just wish it hadn’t taken all that’s happened to convince me.”

  Lionel raised his head as far has he could, shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand. He pushed the bottles of water and food under the rock to keep them cool.

  The engine revved again. Could it be Judd? Maybe he’s forgotten the way.

  Lionel listened as the rumbling stopped, and then he heard voices. Perhaps Judd had made it to the safe house and had gotten help before the GC raid.

  Someone whistled and a dog barked. Then another. Lionel’s heart sank. He was trapped and the GC was closing in.

  Judd rested in the backseat of the Humvee. When it got too hot, he cracked the windows a few inches to let in some fresh air. Throughout the morning, Judd listened to conversations of people passing. Some talked about the expensive vehicles, upset that doctors made so much money. Most discussed their work or things at home.

  “… and it was all over the news about the Judah-ites they caught last night,” one woman said.

  “I didn’t hear about it until this morning,” another answered, “but I’m not surprised. There were a lot of them around before the GC started the mark of loyalty, and then they just disappeared… .”

  Every few minutes, Judd glanced at the hospital to make sure the GC weren’t coming for him. He had scouted his escape route if someone came. Judd could jump out and run through a residential section or barrel away in the doctor’s Humvee, but that would mean maneuvering out of the parking lot, which Judd didn’t think he could do quickly.

  He looked at his watch and tapped his foot. Dr. Rose was taking too long.

  Lionel lay perfectly still, listening for any movement. He guessed the vehicle rumbling in the distance had stopped because of the trees a few hundred yards away. He hoped the rain had washed away their tracks, but the dogs worried him. Whoever was out there was looking for him or some other rebel.

  Rebel. Lionel liked the word. He was a rebel, trying to free the captives. He was a child of the king, on a mission not just to save his own life but also to save others. But how long would he be a rebel?

  “God, keep me safe right here,” he prayed silently.

  Judd was startled at the knock on the window. He had dozed off on the plush seats, and the car felt like it was one hundred degrees.

  Dr. Rose opened the front door and hopped in, handing Judd a Styrofoam box. “Here’s some lunch from the cafeteria. No guarantees.”

  Judd glanced at his watch. It was ten minutes after noon! “What took so long?”

  “The GC had an accident. From what I can tell, it wasn’t caused by rebels, but that’s who they’re blaming.”

  “How much longer you gonna be?”

  Dr. Rose shook his head. “One of the guys still has internal bleeding. They want me to stay until everybody’s stabilized.”

  Judd slammed the box of food on the seat. “And how long will that take?”

  “I told you I don’t know. Now you can get mad or work with me. I found out from one of the guys that there’s a detail of GC with dogs looking for rebels north of town.”

  “That’s where Lionel is.”

  “That’s what I thought.” Dr. Rose scratched his head. “You know, it might be best if they find him. They could bring him back here and let me—”

  “You know the first thing they’ll do to him,” Judd said. “They’ll take him to the guillotine. They won’t waste a hospital bed for someone they’re going to kill.”

  Dr. Rose got out of the car. “Eat something. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  23

  LIONEL couldn’t see movement above him, but he could hear the searchers getting closer. Radios squawked. A female laughed.

  Small rocks skittered down the embankment, and Lionel closed his eyes. The men were right above him on top of the hill. His only chance now was to lay still and keep out of sight. The rock on his arm had trapped him, but it was also hiding him.

  “Tell me again what we’re supposed to be looking for,” a man said with a drawl.

  “You know they caught a bunch of Judah-ites under the old feed store,” another man said.

  “Yep.”

  “Well, before they took them to the guillotine one of the younger ones told the GC about a couple of guys heading north last night.”

  “So we’re looking for two?”

  “Yeah. One black, one white.”

  So the GC hasn’t caught Judd, Lionel thought. But where could he be?

  Several others joined the two at the top of the hill. A man with a nasally voice took control. From what he heard, Lionel guessed there were a few Peacekeepers and Mor
ale Monitors along with volunteers.

  “The dogs haven’t picked up anything, but I’m not willing to give up,” Nasal Voice said. “From the information we have, the two on the loose were Judah-ites, maybe high up in the so-called Tribulation Force. As you know, there’s an extra bounty for those.”

  Lionel wondered who in the Salem group had talked. He felt sorry for the people who had faced the blade and couldn’t blame them for giving information.

  “My guess is, we’re a little off their trail,” Nasal Voice continued.

  “Which way, sir?”

  Lionel’s heart pounded. If the group came down the hill, they would spot him. If they came to the stream they would see him too.

  “Our best bet is to get back to the vehicles and push a little farther east where there aren’t as many trees. We’ll have helicopter support later in the afternoon.”

  “Maybe a few of us should follow that stream,” a man said. “We could spread out—”

  “I’ll give the orders,” Nasal Voice barked, “and we’ll stick together and head east. I don’t think the Judah-ites would have the guts to try to go through land like this. It’s too hard.”

  Someone threw a rock that landed in the stream behind Lionel. It splashed with a loud ka-thunk. The group moved away, and Lionel sighed. They had missed him this time, but a helicopter would surely spot him. He picked up the phone and dialed Vicki’s number.

  Judd watched the doctor go into the hospital, then opened the Styrofoam box. He found some cold French fries and an even colder grilled cheese sandwich. He shoved a few fries into his mouth, took a bite of the sandwich, and thought of Lionel. If he had remained conscious and hadn’t lost too much blood, there was still a chance he was alive. But if the doctor was forced to stay at the hospital, Judd was out of ideas.

  He pushed the food away, put his head on the seat in front of him, and prayed.

  Vicki was trying to get Cheryl to eat lunch when Shelly brought the phone. “Lionel wants to talk.”

  Vicki took the phone and walked to the other side of the room. Lionel sounded a little better than before, but something about his voice scared her. He explained what had happened since they last talked. The bleeding had stopped and Lionel felt stronger, but the prospect of the GC being in the woods along with the execution of his friends back at the hideout had terrified him.

  “I wanted to talk to you before I go ahead with what I’m about to do,” Lionel said.

  “I don’t understand,” Vicki said.

  “There’s a verse somewhere in the New Testament. It’s Jesus talking about it being better for a man to poke out his eyes than for his whole body to go to hell.”

  “Lionel, stop.”

  “I can’t remember what Jesus was teaching there, but I figure it’s better for me to be able to live without my arm than to stay here and die or get caught by the GC.”

  “Lionel—”

  “Please, just listen. I know you care a lot about me. So I have to ask your help.”

  “I’d do anything for you, but—”

  “It’s my arm. I’ve got a pocketknife here, and I think it’s sharp enough—”

  “Stop it!”

  “Vicki, I know it’s hard to think about, but this might be my only chance. I have no idea where Judd is—I don’t think the GC caught him, but I can’t be sure. There’s a chopper coming this afternoon, so if I don’t get out, they’re sure to see me, and you know what they’ll do. I have no feeling in my left arm, and I think the bones were crushed.”

  Vicki felt woozy. Lionel was talking about something so horrible she could hardly listen. But this could be his only chance to live. She tried to put aside the sick feeling in her stomach. “All right. What do you need to know?”

  “Is there anyone there who knows about medical stuff? I’m going to need help.”

  Vicki told him about Wanda. “Her specialty is babies. I’m not sure she could—”

  “Put her on.”

  Vicki quickly explained the situation to Wanda. The woman took a breath and held a hand over the phone. “Even if he does this cleanly, he’s going to have to get some medical treatment.”

  “There’s not much chance of that,” Vicki said.

  “If someone doesn’t clean the wound, he could get an infection and die. Plus, he needs—”

  “If he doesn’t get out, he’s going to be dead anyway,” Vicki said.

  Wanda spoke with Lionel, asking him if he could see any blood or feel any broken bones. Vicki walked out of the cabin and called everyone together. It was time to pray.

  Lionel talked with a woman he had never met, asking questions he never thought he would ask, about to do something he never dreamed of doing. In order to save his life, he was going to have to amputate his own arm.

  He had heard of mountain climbers doing this, and he had even heard an old radio broadcast once about a man whose leg had been trapped by a falling tree. It has been done before, he told himself.

  “There’s no way you’re going to cut through the bone with a pocketknife,” Wanda said. “How is your arm positioned?”

  “It’s turned up, with the elbow pointing toward the ground.”

  “That’s good. Now you’re going to have to find a way around the bone. Can you reach your elbow with your right hand?”

  Lionel reached under the rock as far as he could. “Just barely.”

  “Is the arm numb? Pinch yourself, or put the knife blade up to the skin below the tourniquet and see if you can feel anything.”

  Lionel preferred pinching himself. He used his fingernails but only felt slight pressure.

  “All right,” Wanda said. “I knew a hunter once who had to do this to his leg.”

  “What happened to him?”

  “He wasn’t being chased by the GC like you, but he lived. Last I heard he had taken up fishing.” Wanda paused. “Lionel, how far are you from medical help?”

  “I don’t know. Probably a couple of hours from the town. But finding anybody who would take me in will be the problem.”

  “We’ll pray. Now, if you’re ready, I can try and walk you through this.”

  The clouds were gone, and the sun beat down on Lionel’s face. The stream swelled with the night’s rain and pushed the edges of its banks. A black bird flew overhead, and Lionel heard the familiar caw of the crow.

  In order to perform the procedure, Lionel knew he would have to talk with Wanda, put the phone down, pick up the knife, and continue. “I’ve always wanted to be a doctor, so here goes.”

  Vicki couldn’t bear hearing Wanda’s instructions to Lionel, so she and the others gathered in the main cabin. Phoenix seemed to sense something was wrong, and he whined at the door. Before leaving to join Wanda, Marshall Jameson suggested they pray short, sentence prayers.

  “Dear God,” Charlie prayed, “I want to ask you to show Lionel exactly what he needs to do to get out from under that rock.”

  “And, Lord,” Darrion continued, “help Wanda know what to say. Give her wisdom.”

  “Father,” Mark said, “you know how much Lionel means to us. I pray you would give him your strength, through your Holy Spirit.”

  There was a pause, and Vicki heard a few sniffles around the room.

  “I can’t imagine what Lionel’s going through right now,” Shelly prayed, “but you are the Great Physician. You answered our prayers for Cheryl and baby Ryan, and now we pray you would help Lionel.”

  “Nothing happens without you knowing about it,” Janie said. “It’s hard to even think about, but we put our trust in you, and we give Lionel and his life to you.”

  Conrad slipped into the room and knelt with the others. When he caught his breath, he prayed, “Father, I know Lionel’s started the operation. Guide his hand, and help Wanda and Marshall as they talk to him. Don’t let him pass out, Lord, and keep the GC away.”

  Vicki felt overcome with emotion. She tried to remember the first time she had seen Lionel. She had heard about him from Lionel’s
older sister. Clarice had shared a seat on the school bus with Vicki, and Vicki had seen her family’s picture, but the day after the disappearances was the first time she had actually met Lionel. She saw him first near New Hope Village Church, Lionel on his bike and Vicki on foot. Lionel had the same features as his sister, a cute face and round nose, but Vicki could tell the boy had been crying that day. They were both scared. Their family members had vanished.

  As she thought of the emotion of that day, Vicki brushed a tear from her face and cleared her throat. “Father, I know that as much as we love and care for Lionel, you love him even more. You gave your only Son to die for him. So we ask you to comfort us with that love, and help us not be afraid.”

  “Give us the chance to help Lionel when he comes back to us,” Zeke said.

  “Yes, Lord.”

  “Amen.”

  Vicki put her head in her hands. Never had she heard the kids pray so strongly or more sincerely. Words came straight from the heart as they pleaded with God to spare Lionel. After a few minutes, the kids didn’t pause between prayers, picking up from the last word and continuing in one long petition for Lionel’s life. At one point, Josey Fogarty asked the kids to break into groups of two. The room came alive with voices, some shaking with emotion.

  As the voices grew louder, the door opened. Vicki looked up and saw Wanda with the phone in her hand. Marshall walked in beside her. Neither smiled or gave a hint of what had happened.

  Finally, with his chin trembling, Marshall said, “It’s over.”

  Throughout the afternoon, Judd felt like he was going crazy. He watched for any sign of Dr. Rose, but he didn’t return. Several times Judd reached for the door handle to leave or studied the keys, wondering if it was time to make a getaway, but something told him to wait.

  Finally, as evening approached, a figure rushed through the emergency room exit and headed for the Humvee. Dr. Rose hopped in, and Judd threw him the keys. The man squealed his tires on the way out, waving and smiling at the scowling security guard.