Hunted (14 page)

Other than Judd, the person who weighed most heavily on her mind was Cheryl Tifanne. Cheryl had become a believer shortly after being rescued from a GC holding facility in Iowa, and the girl was pregnant. She wasn't due for another few months, but Vicki wondered if the girl would be strong enough to deliver the baby.

Cheryl had asked Josey and Tom Fogarty to be the parents of the child after he or she was born, but Cheryl was having second thoughts. As the baby began to move in Cheryl's womb, it became more real and Cheryl wondered if she had made a mistake promising the child to someone else.

“If I hadn't become a believer, I would have probably had an abortion,” Cheryl said. “Now I can see that every life is precious, even though the baby's father abandoned me.”

“You'll probably stay right here with the Fogartys,” Vicki said. “You'll help raise the child.”

“But it's going to be hard just handing the baby over,” Cheryl said.

“From what I know about pregnancies, your emotions are going to go all over the place. It's important to keep asking one question: what's best for the baby? If you keep that in front at all times, you won't be swayed by how you feel. You'll do the best for the child.”

Cheryl nodded. “It's not going to be easy, though. I can't imagine holding the little thing in my arms and then giving it away.”

Vicki put an arm around the girl. “God will show you what to do when the time's right. And he'll give you the strength to do something good.”

Cheryl caught her breath. “Did you feel that? He kicked! Right here. Feel.”

Vicki put a hand on Cheryl's stomach and felt something pressing against her. A bump appeared on Cheryl's skin and Vicki giggled.

“I think that's an elbow. Can you believe it, Vicki? A brand-new life coming into the world and at a time like this.” Cheryl trembled as the baby moved again. “I'm scared for the little thing. How are we ever going to take care of it?”

Vicki didn't answer. She knew there were no guarantees for any of them. The GC could find out about their camp and wipe it out in a few minutes if they wanted. But for some reason God had left them here, scared and outnumbered, for a reason.

Judd tried to stay calm throughout the day as he and Lionel led another study of Scripture. Lee and Brooke tried to act interested, but Judd could tell the Bible annoyed them. Judd scooted close and asked Brooke to read a few verses. As she staggered through the words, Judd looked closely at her forehead. Whoever had covered their marks had done a good job. All of Brooke's scratching had left a crease in the makeup, and Judd thought he saw air bubbles under the rubber-like covering.

Tom and Luke gathered the radios and a few BHDs, put them in backpacks, and hid them in the woods to the north of the house. When the six gathered for dinner, Tom gave Judd a discreet thumbs-up.

“Why don't you lead us in a prayer tonight, Brooke?” Luke said.

“Oh, I-I-I couldn't, really.”

“Nonsense. I know you're new and all, but you've got to get over being nervous about praying in public. Give it a shot.”

“Yeah, go ahead,” Lee said with a smile.

“Okay.” She folded her hands and closed her eyes.

Judd felt a twinge of guilt listening to the girl stammer. He wanted to punch Luke for suggesting it. All they needed was for her to slip and pray something to lord Carpathia and the whole Global Community would come down on them. When Brooke finished with, “I pray to Jesus, amen,” Judd heaved a sigh of relief.

Two hours later, Luke handed Brooke and Lee a radio and asked them to follow. He placed Tom at a spot near the river, then left Lionel a few hundred yards to the south in a marshy area.

“We'll leave you two together by the fence there,” Luke said. “You'll have the best view if anybody comes up the road.”

“Let's hope it's your friends, the believers,” Lee said.

“Exactly,” Luke said. “Judd and I will walk west toward that field. That'll give us a better view of the air in case the GC decides to join us.”

“Got it,” Lee said.

Judd and Luke jogged west through the tall grass. A faint orange glow shimmered on the horizon as the last of the sun played through the trees.

“How far do the radios reach?” Judd whispered when they hit the tree line and headed north.

“Two, maybe three miles. Far enough that when we get out of range, there won't be anything those two can do about it.”

Judd hustled after Luke. They had left Tom near the river because of his bad leg. He was closest to the meeting point.

Judd stopped when he heard a creaking sound. “Is that a helicopter?”

Luke shook his head. “It's just cicadas. Come on.”

Tom checked in on the radio and the others answered. Luke had been careful to place everyone out of sight of Lee and Brooke.

“Nothing here,” Lee said into the radio.

“Check,” Luke said. He turned to Judd. “I'll bet a hundred Nicks they've called their GC comrades. You could see the gleam in their eyes when we dropped them off. They're out for blood.”

“It's sad, really,” Judd whispered.

“What do you mean?”

“You know the GC had to brainwash them. Who knows what would have happened if Nicolae's goons hadn't gotten to them.”

Judd's mind played back the scene in Israel where he had injured a Morale Monitor. Judd had never heard whether the boy had lived or died, but he knew they were in a war. Nicolae Carpathia would stop at nothing to wipe out his enemies, and Judd was in that group.

“All right, we're in place,” Luke said when they had run to the back of the property. “Everybody check in.”

“Everything's quiet over here,” Tom said.

“Same here,” Lionel said.

Luke stared at the radio, waiting for Brooke or Lee. Finally, Brooke's voice cut through the static. “Nothing over here. Luke, where did you and Judd go? We lost sight of you.”

“See that little copse of trees on the knoll? We're about a hundred yards farther to the west.”

“Wave to us.”

“Something's not right,” Judd whispered.

Luke nodded and keyed the microphone. “I don't want to give our position away. What's wrong?”

“It's just that we can't see any of you, and we don't want to get separated. You know, in case the GC come,”

Brooke said.

“I should have thought of this,” Luke muttered. He keyed the mike again. “Okay, how about I come back to you and Lee goes with Judd?”

“Are you crazy?” Judd whispered.

“That's good,” Brooke said. “I'll head toward you now.”

“What are you doing?” Judd said. “You can't switch places—”

“You head toward the meeting place, and I'll stall these two,” Luke said to Judd.

“How?”

“I don't know, I'll think of—”

“Hold your positions, guys,” Lionel said over the radio. “I see movement. Brooke, Lee, do you see something moving this way from the road?”

“No, there's nothing … wait. Yes. Now I see it.”

Two clicks sounded on the radio, the secret signal for everyone to run. Luke took off into the brush and Judd followed, his heart racing. The soft light of the sunset had given way to a creeping darkness, and Judd found himself at Luke's heels, dodging trees and crashing through the underbrush. Had Lionel's report about movement been true or a ruse to keep Luke away from Lee and Brooke? Had the GC moved in to arrest the small band of the Young Tribulation Force?

Judd gasped for breath as they plunged deeper into the woods. He hoped they would find Lionel and Tom at their meeting place.

14

JUDD
ran as fast as he could through the thick brush. They passed a swampy area, and Judd made sure he followed Luke's exact steps. He hoped Lionel would catch up with Tom, who knew the area well.

Brooke's voice cut through the songs of crickets and grasshoppers. “We think that's a deer moving on the road. Luke, are you on your way?”

Luke stopped and tried to still his breathing. Judd bent double, his hands on his knees.

“I'll just come over there and you meet me,” Brooke said.

“Negative,” Luke said. “I thought I saw headlights coming this way. It could be our people.”

The radio was silent for a few moments, and then Brooke's excited voice came again. “Okay, tell us if you see anything else.”

“Maintain radio silence until I give the word,” Luke said, then clicked the radio twice.

Luke started running again at an even pace. Judd was beginning to think their plan would work. When they reached the clearing, Judd helped Luke pull out the hidden backpacks, and they both put one on. Luke knelt, his eyes darting back and forth at the scene. The moonlight cast an eerie glow through the trees.

“Where are they?” Judd whispered.

Luke put a finger to his lips. “Somebody's coming.”

Tom crashed through the brush and fell into the clearing. He held his injured leg and gasped for breath. “Didn't think I was going to make it.”

“Where's Lionel?” Judd said.

“Didn't see him. I thought he'd catch up with me before I got here.”

Tom reached for a backpack, but Luke waved him off. “You don't need the extra weight on that leg. I'll carry it.”

“You don't think he's back there waiting, do you?” Judd said.

Luke stood, concentrating on the sounds around them. “I hear something.”

The three squatted and Luke grabbed a large stick. Luke's muscles tensed as he got a firm grip. Footsteps sloshed through water behind them, and then Lionel ran in from the west and plopped down in the middle of the group. “I went too far,” he gasped. “Tried to find Tom … then got turned around … sorry.”

“It's okay,” Luke whispered, pulling out a compass.

“Did you really see something on the road?” Judd said.

Lionel pulled his backpack on, shifted its weight forward, and shook his head. “Thought you guys could use some help. Brooke was about to come your way.”

Luke pointed northeast. “Tom sticks with me and you two bring up the rear. We're headed two miles in that direction, then—”

Tom held up a hand and glanced into the brush.

“What is it?” Luke said.

“I don't know, I thought I—”

The brush crashed around them as Lee and Brooke hurtled into the clearing. Judd's first thought was to run, but when he saw Brooke reach into her boot, he knew he had to stop her. He lunged, but Brooke stepped back, avoiding him, and Lee's sharp kick to Judd's stomach crushed air from his lungs.

Before Brooke could push the button on the phone, Luke threw the extra backpack and knocked the phone into the brush.

Brooke fell back. “You Judah-ites are dead!”

“So you're not real believers after all,” Tom said. “What a surprise.”

“All four of you on the ground. Now!” Lee yelled.

“You're forgetting something, GC boy,” Luke drawled. “There's four of us and two of you.” He grabbed Lee by a wrist, turned his arm behind him, and the man went down hard. Brooke screamed, and Judd clamped a hand over her mouth.

“Hand me some duct tape, Tom,” Luke said.

Luke taped their mouths, hands, and feet. Lionel found the phone and gave it to Luke, who dropped it on a rock and smashed it with one stomp.

“How many are coming for us?” Luke said, ripping the tape from Lee's mouth. “And no yelling.”

“I'm not telling you anything.”

Luke knelt beside Lee. “I know a big snake pit not far from here. You two should feel right at home.”

Brooke's eyes widened, and she shook her head violently.

“I don't know how many exactly,” Lee said. “Enough to flank the road and capture as many Judah-ites as you said were coming.”

Luke glanced at Tom. “That changes things. Get on the phone to our people and tell them to hold their position. We'll head to the—” Luke stopped, then pulled Tom to the side, whispering something in his ear. Tom nodded and walked several yards away and held the phone to his ear.

“You're not going to get away,” Lee said. “If we don't get you, the bounty hunters will.”

“Maybe you're right,” Luke said. “Maybe we'll get caught. But when your Global Community crumbles, remember we told you what would happen. You're on the losing side.”

Truck brakes squealed in the distance. Lee started to call out, but Luke slapped the tape back on his mouth.

Judd looked back as they headed east toward the river. Lee and Brooke lay squirming on the ground like earthworms. Judd had caught his breath from Lee's kick, but his heart pounded like a jackhammer. The GC were at the house and would be searching for them.

After they had run a hundred yards east, Luke pointed left and they switched directions. A few minutes later, he held up a hand. “I'm hoping they think we're headed for the river and that we're trying to meet our group downstream. They shouldn't find Lee and Brooke for a while, so it should give us some time. You guys ready?”