Shaken (26 page)
Vicki thought of Judd, Lionel, and the others. Would they be safe from the earthquake? Would other believers be hurt?
Vicki read the rest of the letter and tried to rewrite it in a way anyone could understand. At first it felt weird to change any of the letter. But she knew some kids wouldn't be able to understand all the words.
She wrote:
Because death will be in the air in Jerusalem next month, I will not attend this outrage. This festival is an excuse to bring about the evil plans of Satan himself
.
I will follow the Gala on the Internet or television, like the rest of the world. But I believe this event will begin the second half of the Tribulation, called the Great Tribulation, which will make these days seem relaxing
.
If you watch the GC newscasts, you know how bad things have become. Crime and sin are beyond control. The food and supplies we need to live on are in short supply because many workers who make and distribute them have died. Life is cheap, and our neighbors die every day at the hand of criminals who steal things from them. Many Peacekeepers have died, and the ones left are either overwhelmed with their jobs or are crooks themselves
.
Vicki moved through the rest of the letter, highlighting Tsion's belief that evil would become worse and worse.
I urge you to prepare for the day when it is illegal not just to read this Web site or call yourself a believer. One day you will be required to take the terrible mark of the beast on your forehead or your hand in order to buy or sell anything
.
Don't make the fatal mistake of thinking you can take that mark and privately believe in Christ. Jesus has made it plain that those who deny him before men, he will deny before God. I will talk more later about why anyone who takes the mark of the beast will not be able to change their minds
.
Vicki thought of Lionel and Judd. They had called themselves Christians before the Rapture. Playing church wasn't an option now.
If you have asked God to forgive your sins and have trusted Christ for your salvation, you have the seal of God on your forehead. This mark is also not reversible, so you don't have to be afraid of God turning away from you
.
Tsion quoted a verse from Romans and Vicki opened her own Bible. She had read the passage before, but thinking about the current world situation brought tears to her eyes. She read:
If God is for us, who can ever be against us?
Vicki smiled. That verse said it all.
Tsion's letter continued to quote Scripture.
Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold or in danger or threatened with death? No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us
.
With the apostle Paul, I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord
.
Vicki closed her eyes. She didn't know whether any of the new believers would understand the word
principalities,
so she cut it, but left the rest in. Tsion closed by urging every believer to give thanks to God for every victory he gives. He ended with
Steadfast in love for you all, your friend, Tsion Ben-Judah
.
Vicki thanked God for those around the world who had watched the satellite broadcast and had become believers. She thanked him for Janie and Melinda, whose lives had radically changed. She prayed for Judd and the situation with his friend, and for Carl in Florida.
When she had finished praying, Vicki felt troubled but couldn't figure out why. A few rooms away Tolan whimpered and cried, and Vicki realized why she felt so uneasy. If the kids had to run, there wouldn't be enough room for everyone in the satellite truck.
Carl Meninger sat in his office in Florida waiting for a call he didn't want to take, and hating himself. He had screamed at the people in the control room and blamed them for something he was secretly responsible forâ Vicki's satellite broadcast.
“Don't you realize this could mean my job?” Carl had yelled.
The engineer and the others had looked at the floor while Carl ranted and raved. When Carl was finished, the engineer said, “There's no way they could have done what they did unless they had help on the inside. It could be in New Babylon or Jerusalem or it could be here.”
“And who do you suppose it is?” Carl said. “Look around. Who's the mole who helped the Judah-ites?”
No one in the room spoke. Carl finally told them to search “every inch of the compound” to make sure the problem wasn't in-house.
Carl felt isolated from the rest of the Young Trib Force. It had been his decision to go back to the Global Community and work from the inside, but he had had no idea how alone he would feel. There wasn't another believer in the entire compound, and Carl missed talking to Vicki, Mark, and the others.
He read Tsion Ben-Judah's e-mails religiously in his apartment. The rabbi's Web site, along with
www.theunderground-online.com
, was his lifeline to other believers.
The phone startled Carl. He checked the readout and sighed. His supervisor was a foulmouthed man who could make anyone feel worthless. He picked up the phone, and the man screamed at him. Carl held the phone away from his ear as his boss cursed and threatened Carl if Vicki ever got on the air again.
“I understand, sir,” Carl said. “We're working to find out how it happened.”
“Work faster,” the supervisor said. “I've got Damosa and his people, and even Fortunato, busting my chops.”
“I heard Fortunato was traveling,” Carl said.
“He is. Called me from Africa or wherever he is this week and said if we didn't find this nest of Judah-ites, he would personally see there would be GC personnel executed.”
“Executed?”
“Yeah, so make sure no one's working on the inside.
We think we know where this girl and her cohorts are.”
“Where?” Carl said.
“Illinois. A Morale Monitor got kidnapped by these crazies. Choppers are looking for a stolen satellite truck.”
“Any luck?”
“Not yet, but we'll find them.”
“I'm sure you will, sir.”
“I want a full report on anything suspicious. Oh, and one more thing.”
“Yes?”
“Dr. Damosa has called another satellite school uplink for this Saturday to make up for this fiasco. The Global Gala starts Monday. I don't have to tell you how important it is that this goes as planned.”
“Yes, sir,” Carl said.
Carl hung up and turned on his cell phone. He had turned it off to make sure no one from the Young Trib Force called him while he was talking to the others. Now he couldn't wait to talk with Vicki and Mark. It was time for an encore.
WHEN
Mark told her what Carl had said, Vicki called a meeting of the Young Trib Force. Everyone crowded into the computer room. Conrad held Tolan to give Lenore a break.
“Marjorie told the GC everything she knows,” Vicki said. “We need a twenty-four-hour lookout in the bell tower.”
Darrion volunteered for the first shift.
Shelly raised a hand. “Why don't we all just leave? Wouldn't that be safer?”
Mark stood. “Because Damosa's called another satellite meeting for this Saturday.”
Vicki nodded. “The reports from around the country and a couple of sites overseas tell us we've had incredible results. The truth is changing these pro-Carpathia kids. We estimate there were one to two hundred decisions made at each site.”
“That means there are thousands who are now believers,” Charlie said.
Vicki nodded. “We think a lot more might pray at the next meeting. We can't throw away this opportunity.”
“What about Carl?” Darrion said. “He's going to get caught.”
“They've asked him to head up the transmission this time,” Mark said, “so he's wiring a button underneath the control board that will let him switch back and forth without anyone knowing.”
“But they'll eventually find it,” Darrion said. “And even if they don't, they'll punish him for letting Vicki get on the air again.”
Vicki took a deep breath. “You're right. He's in trouble if I go on again, but he wants to take the chance. He thinks this may be our last shot.”
“If everything goes as planned,” Mark said, “he'll get out after the broadcast.”
“What about us?” Janie said. “Where are we going?”
Vicki had thought about that question for weeks. The truth was, she didn't want to leave the schoolhouse. It was the perfect hideout. There was space for the kids to spread out and not bother each other, and they had been able to take in unbelievers.
“There are a few of you who came here during the locust attack,” Vicki said. “We'd love to be able to stay together, but we can't. We'd like you to go back to your homes and tell others what you've learned. Help them know God.”
Tolan squirmed in Conrad's arms and got down. He went to his mother and hugged her. “Mommy cry?”
Lenore picked him up, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I'd like to say something.” She handed Tolan to Shelly. “You kids saved my life. Literally. And you saved my son's life. But that's not the best thing you did for me. You gave me a reason to go on. You showed me how I could know God. For that, I'll be forever thankful.
“I knew this day would come. I didn't want it to, but I figured eventually the GC would find this place and you'd have to run. My house is not big, but I'm willing to open it up to any of you who want to stay with me.”
Charlie raised a hand. “Do I get to go, or do you want me to stay here?”
Vicki smiled. “You're with us.”
Charlie smiled and slapped Conrad a high five.
When the others had left the room after the meeting, Darrion shared an idea, and the kids agreed it was a good plan. They helped the others pack and said good-bye. Vicki held Tolan a long time and wiped away a tear. “I wanted to watch you grow up.”
Conrad loaded the small car and handed Lenore the keys. “We won't be needing this.”
Lenore strapped Tolan in the back and waved. “We'll be praying for you every day.”
With the Global Community Gala approaching fast, Judd, Lionel, Sam, and Mr. Stein moved to General Zimmerman's home to be closer to the city.
“I talked with my neighbor today,” the General said.
“Chaim Rosenzweig is excited about being invited to the Gala as an honored guest.”
Judd shook his head. “He still thinks Carpathia is a good guy?”
“Apparently so. I tried to talk with him, but he seemed tired. His speech was somewhat slurred.”
“Did you tell him about the earthquake prophecy?”
General Zimmerman nodded. “He wouldn't listen. I tried to explain what happened to me at the meeting, but he said he has many Judah-ites trying to convince him to become one of them.”
“I hope he does before it's too late,” Judd said.