Hunted (43 page)

Lionel held up his glass. “If I could add to that?”

Colin nodded.

“For the prayers of our friends. God answered in ways we couldn't have imagined, and we thank you.”

“I might as well give mine and not let you two hog the spotlight,” Zeke said. The others laughed. “To all the people we've known who believed and are no longer with us. And to my dad.” He looked at the ceiling and gave a short salute. “I hope I can live long enough to make you proud.”

Judd looked around to see if anyone else would add a toast. Charlie stepped forward. “I have one. To Judd and Vicki.”

“To Judd and Vicki,” everyone said.

Judd couldn't remember the last time he had eaten homemade cake. He devoured his first piece and went for seconds. The warmth of the group, the laughter and happy faces, were the perfect end to the evening. Though they had all experienced loss and the world was winding down like a huge clock, it felt good to have fun again.

Before the group went to their cabins, Marshall gave final instructions. “We're awaiting word from the Tribulation Force about the movement of supplies and people. Everybody be ready to help or welcome additions if we need to.”

After an emotional time in prayer, everyone moved to their cabins. Judd lingered, talking to Conrad and Mark about the possibility of joining the Tribulation Force to move supplies.

Vicki talked with Becky Dial and others about Judd's return. As everyone filed out, Vicki touched Judd on the shoulder to say good night, but he excused himself and walked her to her cabin. The air was cool compared to the daytime temperature, and Vicki rubbed her arms.

“Great night, wasn't it?” Judd said.

“The best I can remember.”

“I have something to apologize for.”

“What?”

“Your birthday.”

Vicki chuckled. “The whole world is burning, and you're worried about my birthday?”

“I had it written down to send you a message on your birthday, but we switched computers and it slipped my mind. When I finally remembered, it seemed kind of lame to just apologize, and I couldn't send this.”

Judd pulled out a small package and Vicki gasped.

“I ran short on wrapping paper,” Judd said.

Vicki unwrapped the newspaper and opened the box slowly. Shelly peeked out the cabin door, then closed it. Vicki heard snickers from inside, and Judd blushed.

“When we moved from Indiana to Ohio, we met a doctor who treated Lionel's arm. His wife had disappeared in the Rapture, and he'd kept this ever since he found it on her pillow.”

Inside the box was a beautiful gold chain with a heartshaped pendant. A diamond sparkled in the middle. Judd turned the heart around and pointed at elegant writing on the back that said
Ich Liebe Dich
.

“What's that mean?”

“The doctor said it's German for ‘I love you.' He had studied in Germany and brought that back as an engagement gift for his wife. When I told him our story, he wanted me to give it to you.” Judd took the necklace from the box and fastened it around Vicki's neck.

“I love it. And I'm glad you waited to give it to me.” She gave Judd a hug.

He smiled and squeezed her hand. “See you at breakfast?”

“Wouldn't miss it.”

40

THE FIRST
night was the hardest for Lionel. He told Marshall he would take the first watch for any GC activity, and when Marshall protested, Lionel put his hand on the man's arm. “It would do me good to stay up. I'm not doing too well with all the changes.”

Zeke volunteered to stay at the computer with Lionel, and they had a good talk. “Must be kind of hard for you with all the excitement over Judd and Vicki.”

“I expected it,” Lionel said. “I don't know which was harder, running from the GC these last few years or keeping up with Judd's love life.”

Zeke smiled. “You've seen a lot more of the inner workings of the GC than any of us here.”

“And I've seen a lot of death.” Lionel told Zeke about Conrad's brother, Taylor Graham, and how he had died. Zeke asked about Pavel, their young friend who had invited them to New Babylon, who had also died. When Lionel got to the stories of Nada and her brother, Kasim, he shook his head. “I think we need to change the subject.”

“Good idea. Tell me what God's done with you since you left.”

Lionel held up the stump of his left arm. “He did this.”

“Are you upset about it?”

“No. I just don't understand why it had to happen.”

“Accidents happen.”

Lionel nodded. “I guess that's one thing that changed while I was away. Before the Rapture, I thought about God in terms of him being way out there and us down here trying to do stuff for him. When I became a true believer, I realized he wanted to be with us, helping us. But I still thought living for God meant doing stuff for him, trying to convince people he's there and he loves them. All the pressure was on me to perform, you know? If somebody didn't become a believer, I felt responsible, like it was my fault.”

“And that's changed?”

“Big time. I know I need to reach out as much as I can, but the past few years have taught me this is God's battle. He's the one drawing people to himself and fighting the enemy. If I talk with someone and they don't become a believer, I feel sad, but I don't feel guilty. God really is in control.”

Zeke nodded. “That's a hard lesson to learn. We want to keep control of things and make it all about us when this is all about God.” He paused. “But how does that affect your arm? If God's in control, he let it happen.”

Lionel stared at the computer screen. “Sometimes at night I'll reach out for a drink of water or rub my eyes, and I'll realize I'm still reaching with my left hand. And then I'll have nightmares about the rest of my arm under that rock.”

“Ever have any pain in the arm that's gone?”

“You bet. It shoots up and down the tendons and into my fingers … fingers that aren't even there.”

“They call that phantom pain, but it's supposed to be just as real as if your arm were still there.”

“I thought it would go away, but it hasn't.”

“Give it time,” Zeke said. “I watched you tonight during the celebration. You've adjusted well to the physical part, eating with one hand and everything else. But there's a mental side to this, an emotional thing you have to adjust to. I can't say I can help much, but if you need somebody to talk to …”

“Thanks,” Lionel said.

“And there's something I've been workin' on since I heard about the accident.” Zeke walked to a storage closet and pulled out a box. He laid it at Lionel's feet.

Lionel gasped when he opened the lid. Inside was a plastic replica of the lower portion of his arm. “How did you—”

“As soon as I heard what happened, I went looking on the Internet and through our sources at the Co-op for what they call prosthetic devices. Then I realized I had most of the materials right here, so I went to work. The hard part was making a mold for the plastic. I must have tried a dozen times before it came out right. Go ahead— try it out.”

Lionel lifted the gadget into place. It fit perfectly against the end of his arm.

Zeke helped him fasten it. “You ain't gonna be lifting with it or using two pistols to fight the GC, but it does move with pressure.” He showed Lionel how to turn his hand and move the lower arm by shifting his weight.

“It's perfect,” Lionel said, holding out his new left hand. “Put her there.”

Zeke shook Lionel's left hand and smiled. “I don't know why God allowed that to happen either, but I wouldn't doubt it if he was preparing you for something.”

“He's going to have to hurry if he wants to use me,” Lionel said. “There's only a year left before Jesus comes back.”

Vicki liked the fact that Judd hadn't kissed her good night. The slower they took this, the better, as far as she was concerned. As she lay in bed, she held the golden heart up to the moonlight streaming in the window and watched the reflection dance against the ceiling. Shelly and Janie had moved into the room with her and had gushed over the present.

“It's so romantic!” Janie had said.

“Is that an engagement necklace?” Shelly said.

Vicki grinned. “The reports of our wedding have been greatly exaggerated.”

Now, as the others slept, Vicki wondered what would happen. She had been waiting for so long she didn't know how to act now that Judd was actually here. She closed her eyes and thought of a scene from a movie where two people had been married in a secret ceremony. She drifted off to sleep clutching the golden heart.

Over the next few days, Judd tried to help out with whatever jobs needed to be done at the campground. The latest news from the Co-op suggested they would need to make room for a group that had been hiding south of Chicago, where the GC were more active.

“It's easier to move people than supplies,” Rayford Steele had said, “and this will get our people out of harm's way.”

Judd kept in contact with Sam Goldberg for the latest in Petra. The boy continued his Petra Diaries, and each new writing was filled with facts and observations about Tsion's and Chaim's messages.

Judd also spoke with Chang Wong in New Babylon and encouraged him to use the heat wave to escape Nicolae Carpathia and the palace. Chang resisted, saying the Tribulation Force needed him there now more than ever.

“There's so much to move—equipment, aircraft, food, and other supplies,” Chang said. “If I can hang on long enough, we'll all be in a lot better shape for the final year.”

“What's it like there?” Judd said.

“Everyone is obsessed with finding shelter from the sun. The first couple of days were the worst. People went underground and set up their offices and living quarters. They work at night and try to sleep during the day, but some don't even want to go out at night because of all the bodies and burned-out vehicles.”

“What about Carpathia? I hope he's mad about all this.”

“He says the heat's not bothering him at all.”

“You're kidding.”

“No, the sun comes through the glass ceiling and roasts the whole floor. His secretary is underground, but Nicolae orders people around all day from his office.”

“Can anyone work in the palace?”

“On the lower floors, they've painted the windows black to keep out the sun, and some can work there. The weirdest thing happened the other day after Nicolae told his secretary he was going into the courtyard to sunbathe.”

Judd shook his head. “And I suppose he did it.”

“I snuck to a corner window and scraped a hole in the black coating. Carpathia took off his shirt and lay on a concrete bench and soaked in the rays.”

“How long did he stay there?”

“He was out there at least an hour. Flames were licking at the concrete and all around him. I listened to a recording of Leon Fortunato with their head security guy, Akbar. Leon said he couldn't stand within twenty feet of Nicolae after the sunbathing incident because it was too hot.”