Vicki noticed Judd was gone and smiled. There was no question where he was.
She lay back and stretched. Being married was a lot different than she had thought. There had already been disagreements to work through. Her childhood image of “happily ever after” was gone. Marriage was truly a lot of work.
Vicki thought of her friends in Wisconsin. They had seen the ceremony via computer, but it wasn’t the same as being there. She would have liked Shelly and Melinda and Janie to be bridesmaids, but that had been out of the question. Life wasn’t normal and never would be again. But within a few months Jesus would return. Vicki had lived the past six and a half years yearning for him to come back and set things right. Now she would experience the event with her husband.
Husband, Vicki thought. The word made her shoulders tremble.
There was a slight knock and Judd entered. “Ready for breakfast in bed?”
Vicki chuckled. “Are you going to do this every day until Jesus comes back?”
Judd smiled, set down a pitcher of cool water, and handed her a plate filled with fresh manna. “Wouldn’t be a bad job,” he said, sitting cross-legged on the bed. “You sleep okay?”
Vicki nodded. “Though it took a while last night. I kept thinking about lunch today. Have you heard anything from Dr. Ben-Judah?”
“I guess we’ll hear something if it’s off.”
Vicki had figured she would get tired of eating the same food, but each morning the honey wafers tasted great. She recalled advertisements for restaurants that claimed their donuts or croissants melted in your mouth, but the manna literally dissolved on her tongue. It was light, flaky, and tasted good any time of the day. Vicki wondered if God had put extra vitamins in the food to satisfy their hunger.
“You know, we could have made a lot of money if we’d have gotten this recipe before the Tribulation started,” Vicki said. “Even people who were overweight when they came here have lost pounds eating this.”
“Just shows that God’s food is best,” Judd said, taking a bite of a wafer. He put the plate down and wiped his hands. “I know you might be tired of hearing this, but you’ve made me the happiest guy in Petra.”
Vicki smiled. “I never get tired of hearing that. But sometimes …”
“What?”
“Well, I look at Buck Williams who lost Chloe and Dr. Ben-Judah who lost his wife and children. I see their pain and almost feel guilty for feeling … happy.”
“I know what you mean. I met a guy yesterday who lost his brother and dad to the false messiah’s vipers. Every day he wakes up knowing they’re never coming back.”
“I met a woman a few days ago who has family in Jerusalem. She doesn’t think they’ve taken Carpathia’s mark, but there’s no way to tell. She can’t reach them.”
“Maybe we can bring this up with Dr. Ben-Judah,” Judd said.
They finished breakfast, then took a long walk to the fountain. It was one of Vicki’s favorite things to do—walk hand in hand with Judd around the sprawling camp, watching people, looking at the rock formations, meeting new friends. Vicki couldn’t imagine being any happier.
Mark rolled his clothes and a small supply of food into his sleeping bag and tied it tightly. He slipped a gun Zeke had left behind into his pocket, but Mark knew there was no way he could overpower the GC. He would have to outsmart them rather than outgun them.
As he moved his things outside, he noticed Charlie standing by the window. The crisp, fall air was cool, and he could see Charlie’s breath. “You want to come inside?”
Charlie nodded and entered, pulling his hooded sweatshirt over his head. He looked at the floor and blinked.
“What’s up?” Mark said.
“I heard what you’re thinking about doing,” Charlie said, pawing at the floor with a foot.
“And?”
“And I wish you’d stay.”
“Charlie—”
“But if you won’t, I want to go with you.”
Mark put a hand on Charlie’s shoulder. “I’m sure I could use the help—but not this time.”
“You know the GC are mean people, putting Chloe in that head chopper and all. They won’t stop, and if they catch you … I think something bad’s going to happen.”
“Nothing’s going to happen to me,” Mark said. “I hope we’ll all be together at the Glorious Appearing. I want to be standing right next to you when Jesus comes back.”
Charlie looked up. “You really think we’ll make it to then?”
“I’m planning on it.”
Charlie helped carry Mark’s things to one of the abandoned cars parked in the woods, then said good-bye.
Lionel stared at the computer screen, trying to figure out what he had found. An e-mail sent from an aide to Kruno Fulcire to the GC supreme commander updated the progress of the raids. Much of it was straightforward, with statistics about the number of prisoners and the execution schedule. But a line at the bottom included numbers and letters that looked like gibberish.
Chang walked in and Lionel stood. “Glad you’re here. Take a look at this.”
Chang sat and studied the screen. “Good catch. Have you talked to your friends in Avery?”
“I e-mailed them and even made a call, but I can’t get through. I saw that GCNN was predicting some kind of satellite interference for the northern part of the States.”
Chang shook his head. “No way. They must be jamming that area for some reason. When did you send your e-mail?”
“About forty minutes ago,” Lionel said as Chang punched information into the computer.
“Look at this,” Chang said. “The GC intercepted your message. It never got to your friends.”
“What? How could they—?”
Chang clicked on the e-mail from Kruno Fulcire’s aide. He pointed at the bottom of the screen. “See this? It’s code for the higher-ups. I think they’ve finally broken into the Young Trib Force Web site.”
“No,” Lionel gasped.
“That’s not the worst news. Looks like the GC has a location for your friends. If we don’t alert them, they’re dead.”
18
MARK shook hands with Marshall and hugged the others who had returned to the main cabin. Tanya Spivey thanked him for what he had done for her, her brother, and the rest of the group from the cave. Conrad patted Mark’s back. Mark noticed Josey Fogarty wiping a tear away. He hugged little Ryan and patted his head, then moved outside.
Shelly was waiting. “We haven’t always seen eye to eye on things,” she said.
“I’ve been hardheaded. I’m sorry for the stuff I did that hurt you.”
Shelly nodded. “This reminds me a little of when you went with the militia. Are you sure it’s the right thing to do?”
Mark sighed. “I’m a militia of one now. No, I’m not sure this is right, but I just can’t stay and wonder anymore.” He glanced at the people coming out of the cabin and leaned close to Shelly. “You’ve been a good friend to me and the others. I’ve been talking with Conrad. He’s a great guy. Give him another chance.”
Shelly nodded and gave Mark a hug. Then he was off to the small car. The two-seater was perfect for him, fast enough to escape the GC in case he got in trouble but small enough to be able to hide in a pinch.
Mark checked his phone again and dialed Lenore’s number. Nothing. She hadn’t answered his e-mail, but he couldn’t wait. He had general directions to her area, so he would try to get as close as he could before sunup and make contact then. He put on his night-vision goggles and kept the headlights off.
He glanced in the rearview mirror and saw his friends waving. Mark wondered when he would see them again.
Lionel hit the redial on his phone and got the same sound. Chang said the GC could jam certain cell or satellite phones, and it was possible they were moving in on the Wisconsin group.
Judd and Vicki rushed inside the cavern with worried looks. “Naomi told us what’s going on,” Vicki said. “Have you gotten through?”
<
br /> Lionel shook his head. “No phone, no Internet. And if the GC has control of the Web site, we can say goodbye to reaching out to people. They’ll trash it as soon as they raid the hideout.”
Chang hurried over and handed Lionel a printout. “I intercepted this from the United North American States. It was sent to the supreme commander about ten minutes ago.”
Lionel scanned the paper. At the top was a string of letters and numbers. In the middle of the page was the message:
We continue to have great success rooting out rebels and would like to present the potentate with something spectacular today. We believe we have discovered a nest of Judah-ites hiding in rural Wisconsin. They have gone virtually undetected the past few months. We have also been able to tap into their Web site. We hope to have these rebels in custody by morning and turn the Web site into a tool for our cause. We will have them singing “Hail Carpathia” before the morning is out.
Lionel slammed the paper on the table, picked up the phone, and dialed Wisconsin again. He still couldn’t get through.
“What are we going to do?” Vicki said. “We have to warn them!”
“If I can reverse the jam on the phones we could call them,” Chang said.
“Do it,” Judd said.
Mark drove slowly down the narrow dirt road that led away from the campground. The road was little more than a path and had deep ruts from recent rains. The small car scraped bottom several times, and Mark was glad when he reached gravel.
A few minutes later he was on a paved road. He checked his map and headed west, hoping to hit a north/ south route a few miles farther. Mark settled in behind the wheel and adjusted his goggles. In this part of the country he usually saw dead animals along the road, but there were none. He did notice the barren countryside, burned-up trees, and scorched shrubs. Looking through the goggles, a stream running through the hills looked like a long, green scar.
A light flickered on the horizon to Mark’s right, and he slowed. It disappeared. Was that my imagination? he thought. To make sure, he put the car in neutral and coasted to a stop. He watched for any movement on the horizon but saw nothing.
As he pulled back onto the road, the light flickered again, and a line of vehicles rounded the hillside. He quickly gunned the car toward the stream and looked for a place to hide. His tires spun in the soggy ground, but he managed to keep going until he reached some rocks.
As the vehicles rumbled nearer, Mark got out and scampered toward the road. He was glad he had worn dark clothing, and he hunkered down behind a tree to watch the convoy.
The line of Humvees stopped a hundred yards away. A sleek, black truck opened, and several people got out. Definitely GC. But what were they doing here? Mark was too far away to hear, so he crept forward, duckwalking and trying to stay quiet. His goggles let him zoom in on the people, and Mark gasped when he recognized Commander Kruno Fulcire.
“… heat imaging showed they were in this area, but we need specifics,” Fulcire said into a radio.
There was a pause, and then a man on the radio broke in. “We’ll have those for you in just a moment, Commander.”
Mark’s heart raced. Specifics for what? Had the GC finally discovered their hideout?
He had to think quickly. There was no way he could start the car and race the GC back to his friends. They were sure to hear him and follow. Unless …
The radio crackled with a report from the satellite operator, and Mark returned to his car. He had driven several miles from the camp, but he guessed it was only a two- or three-mile trip through the forest.
Mark grabbed the phone and dialed Marshall.
Nothing.
Mark looked around the car’s interior. He had ammunition, enough to keep the GC busy for a few minutes, but his main job now was to warn his friends.
He noticed the plastic gas can behind the passenger seat. Marshall had placed one in each of their vehicles in case they had to make a quick getaway and ran out of gas. Mark glanced at Fulcire and crew. He had to act fast.
Judd followed Vicki and Naomi through a maze of computers and workers. Since the beginning of the setup in Petra, Naomi had grown in influence as a first-rate computer operator, then as a teacher. She was the daughter of one of the elders at Petra, Eleazar Tiberius. She not only had technical knowledge, but she also helped teach workers how to answer spiritual questions on Tsion’s Web site, which was read by as many as a billion people every day. There were now thousands of computers and counselors spread out through the camp.
“How did Dr. Ben-Judah hear about the situation?” Vicki asked, struggling to keep pace with Naomi.
“I talked with my father, and he mentioned it to the rabbi,” Naomi said. “He asked me to get you and move your meeting up from lunch.”
Tsion smiled and welcomed them to his tiny living room. “Please, sit. Is there further news?”
“Chang and Lionel are working on getting in touch with our friends,” Judd said.
“It’s so hard when we’re this far away and can’t do anything,” Vicki added.
Tsion clenched his teeth. “We felt the same way with Chloe. I have a feeling we are going to be doing more mourning in the days to come. Oh—” He put up a hand— “I did not mean that your friends will be harmed, but evil is rising. Antichrist and his followers are desperate.”
“We understand,” Judd said. “It’s just that we know angels warn people. Is there any reason why God couldn’t do something like that now?”
“God’s ways are God’s ways. I do not presume to understand why he chooses to keep some from the blade while others are taken from us. I do not understand why he chose me to lead a million people here, but I am grateful he made me part of his plan. I do not think there is any harm in asking him to act—in fact, I think he wants us to. So let us pray now that he will use some angel or human to save your friends and keep them safe.”
Mark rushed to the stream and up a hill to a grove of charred trees. Behind him the vehicles pulled out and continued. “Come on,” he whispered.
He had reached a knoll when a terrific blast shattered the night. Flames shot into the air, then another explosion. Mark had stuffed a rag in the gasoline can, lit it, and placed it under his car’s gas tank.
The lead truck in the convoy stopped, and several troops jumped out, weapons ready. An officer shouted something, and the last vehicle turned sideways on the road. Mark didn’t wait to see what would happen. He scrambled over the knoll, got his bearings, and headed for the camp.
He kept dialing the phone as he ran but couldn’t get through. Depending on how long the GC remained occupied by the burning car, Mark had a chance of getting to his friends.
Vicki felt better just hearing Tsion’s voice. His prayer showed a deep reverence for God, yet she could tell how much God was his friend. When Judd prayed, Vicki felt the emotion. There was something about talking with God together that touched her.
When they had finished, Tsion asked about their home and how their marriage was going.
Judd said they were getting along fine and asked if Tsion had any advice about what to do when they disagreed on certain issues.
“I hope you do disagree,” Dr. Ben-Judah said. “You have two different perspectives. But the beauty of a relationship built on God’s love is that he has brought you together to make you one. This does not mean that you won’t fight about certain things, but if you did not have conflict, you would never have the opportunity to grow and learn and change. I suspect you will mature as believers more in these last six months than you have the last six years.”
“Did you have fights with your wife?” Vicki said.
Tsion laughed. “We had pouting sessions at first. I would get hurt and pout for a few days. Then she would get hurt and pout for a week. She was much better at pouting than I was, let me tell you. But as we grew together, and especially after we became believers in Jesus, I saw our relationship change.” He sat back and closed his eyes. “Oh, how I long to speak with her
and ask her advice on things. But then I won’t have to wait long for that, will I?”
“You mean when Jesus comes back to set up his kingdom, right?” Vicki said.
“Yes. I am confident that I will see my wife again and that we will have quite a reunion, along with my two children. How I long for those who have not yet believed in the message to do so. As you know, there are some who have come into Petra lately who are not believers, and I want them to hear, but I also want people outside to believe a new message God has been impressing on me.”
“Why don’t you put it on the Web site?” Judd said.
Tsion nodded. “That is one idea I have considered, but I would like to reach even more people, those who haven’t stumbled across my teaching on the Internet. I believe God has given me a message he wants even Nicolae and his followers to hear.”
“Chang seems to be able to do a lot with the setup here,” Vicki said. “Can’t you break into international television?”
Tsion scratched his chin. “Hmm. Chang is quite resourceful. I will need to talk with the elders and Captain Steele, but that is an excellent idea.”
Judd talked about the fact that he and Vicki almost felt guilty for being so happy when people were mourning.
Tsion smiled. “Joy and sorrow go hand in hand. Do not feel guilty for the good gift God has given. Enjoy each other and praise God with your love.”
Judd brought up Vicki’s idea about starting an orphanage after Christ’s return. “In one of your messages you mentioned there could be many children who go into the kingdom who don’t have parents.”
“Yes, I believe that will be true,” Tsion said.
Vicki blushed when Judd elbowed her. “Well, I was watching a news report about the Junior GC program the other day. There are so many young kids who’ve been brainwashed by Carpathia. They will need a lot of help, and I was thinking we could—Judd and I—find a place where we could take some kids in and care for them.”
“The need will be so great,” Tsion said. “I am thankful you are thinking ahead to such a time. The truth is, these children will probably have about a hundred years to decide.”
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