Shaken (3 page)

Vicki shivered as she read. She pictured the frightening beasts and riders and the millions who would die.

This passage has puzzled me for some time. For centuries scholars have looked at prophecy as symbolic. These symbols have been explained in different ways by different people. But why would God make it so difficult? I believe when the Scriptures say the writer saw something in a vision, it is symbolic of something else. But when the writer simply says that certain things happen, I take those literally. So far I have been proven right. This passage says John sees 200 million horsemen in a vision. I doubt these men and animals will be flesh and bone since John mentions a vision, but they will have a terrible impact on the world. They will indeed kill a third of the population. Friends, I don't know how this will happen or even how long it will take. God could make it occur in an instant. It appears to me that it will take several weeks. I ask you to read the account in Revelation and ask God to make it clear to you
.

Vicki folded the pages and stuffed them in her pocket. She rubbed her eyes and asked Shelly and Conrad if they needed anything.

“Rest,” Conrad said.

Vicki awoke in what seemed like a few minutes. She looked at the clock on the dashboard and saw that she had been asleep four hours. Conrad glanced in the rearview mirror.

“Are they still back there?” Shelly said.

“Yeah,” Conrad said.

Vicki sat up. “What's wrong?”

“Somebody's following us,” Conrad said.

Vicki turned but didn't see any cars. In the moonlight she spotted a mountain range and a butte in the distance. “Where are we?”

“South of Denver,” Shelly said. “Mark showed us a highway that should take us straight to Illinois, but—”

Conrad whipped the van to the left as a car parked alongside the road suddenly pulled out in front of them. Shelly screamed and hit her head against the side window. Conrad veered inches from the car and struggled to regain control. He nearly went off the side of the road but managed to get the van back on the pavement.

“They must be working together,” Conrad said.

Vicki glanced behind them and saw two sets of headlights. “They're gaining on us.”

“Is it the GC?” Shelly said, putting a hand over a knot on her head.

“It might be worse,” Conrad said.

Judd and the others considered several plans to help Nada and her family. Judd wanted to create some kind of diversion outside of headquarters. Sam suggested they slip sleeping pills into the station's coffeepot.

Finally, Mr. Stein said he was going to bed. “I think we should all pray about what we're going to do.”

Judd shook his head as Mr. Stein left. “How can we sit here and pray when we know they're in trouble?”

Sam put his arms behind his head and stretched.

“I understand how you feel. You want to get in there and get them out.”

“If we don't, they're toast.”

“If we don't come up with something soon, I'll go to my father.”

“You can't do that.”

Sam sighed. “Part of me wants to run in there with pepper spray and disable the guards. But I still hold out hope that my father will believe. I don't want him to think we're some kind of radical military group. I want him to see Christ in what we do.”

The morning sun was coming up as they each fell asleep. Mr. Stein awakened them. “It's time.”

“Time for what?” Judd said.

“God has spoken. He revealed that we should go to the station quickly.”

“What are we going to do?” Sam said.

“Get dressed. We must go.”

Vicki watched the two sets of headlights rapidly approach. One set was an old truck. The other was a smaller sports car. “Can't you go faster?”

“There's no way we're going to outrun them!” Shelly screamed.

“We're going uphill,” Conrad said. “I'm going to try something.”

Conrad jerked the wheel to the right, and the van ran into a ditch and up the side of a gully. Even though she was buckled in, Vicki's head hit the ceiling. Finally, the van reached a dirt riding path that ran parallel to the road.

Vicki glanced behind them. The truck was a few hundred yards behind. The sports car was still on the main road.

“I'm going to try something else,” Conrad said. He turned off the headlights, plunging them into darkness. Vicki could barely see the lights of the truck through the dust they had kicked up. The sports car slowed and pulled to the side of the road.

“Maybe they'll think we went off a cliff or something,” Conrad said. “Hang on!”

He jerked the van to the right and drove straight through a wooden fence and onto another road. They found an overpass and headed west. Conrad drove wildly across an open field. He slowed as they hit a winding stretch of road. He turned his headlights on for an instant to get his bearings. They crossed railroad tracks and turned into a gravel parking lot. Vicki spotted old playground equipment and a lake. Conrad drove onto a jogging path and parked the van behind an abandoned picnic shelter.

The three got out and kept watch. A few minutes later the sports car flew over the railroad tracks and wound its way around the lake. The truck followed moments later.

“You think we're safe?” Vicki said.

Conrad turned. “Let's get back to the main—” He stopped mid-sentence and grabbed Shelly by the shoulders. Shelly stared straight ahead, shaking.

“What's wrong, Shel?” Vicki said.

Shelly dropped to her knees and gasped for air. She pointed toward the lake.

Vicki and Conrad looked but didn't see anything. The cars were out of sight now.

“They're gone,” Conrad said. “Don't worry.”

Shelly trembled, as if she had just walked out of a freezer. She rubbed her arms and shook. Vicki knelt beside her and looked into Shelly's eyes. Total fear.

“I think she's going into shock,” Vicki said.

“Get her in the car and let's get out of here.”

Judd followed Mr. Stein, Sam, and Lionel through the narrow streets that led to the GC headquarters. Judd asked several times what they were going to do, but Mr. Stein merely shrugged.

When they neared GC headquarters, Mr. Stein took them to a small café across the street. The four sat, and Mr. Stein ordered each of them something to drink. When the waiter left, Mr. Stein scratched his beard. “I have felt such a strong urge to be here, but I don't know why.”

“This happened a lot on your trip, didn't it?” Lionel said.

Mr. Stein smiled. “There were many times when I didn't know my next move, but I simply trusted God. This feels the same. I know God wants me to speak about him, but I have no idea how this could gain the release of your friends.”

The kids studied the headquarters building. Sam said, “We don't even know if they're still—”

Sam stopped as the front door to headquarters opened. Deputy Commander Woodruff and Sam's father stepped outside. Woodruff was yelling at Mr. Goldberg.

Mr. Stein turned. “I believe this is it. I have to go.”

Judd stood, but Mr. Stein held up a hand. “Please. I have to go alone.”

Vicki held Shelly in the backseat as Conrad drove back to the main road. Shelly shook violently, and Vicki couldn't calm her.

“I think we're okay now,” Conrad said. “We're leaving those guys behind.”

“Good,” Vicki said. She pushed Shelly's hair from her face. “See, you don't have to worry about those guys.”

“I-I-I'm not,” Shelly managed. “Th-th-that's not what scared me.”

“Then what on earth did?”

“Not what
on
earth, but what was above it.”

“What do you mean?”

“You didn't see them? They were hovering over the water by the mountain. It was the most awful thing I've ever seen.” Shelly put her face in her hands.

Vicki glanced at Conrad in the rearview mirror. He shrugged. Vicki turned to Shelly. “What scared you?”

Shelly swallowed hard and closed her eyes. “Horses. Huge horses that looked like lions.”

3

VICKI
leaned close to Shelly. “Are you sure you didn't fall asleep and dream about it?”

“They were there, I swear. Just as real as you and me.”

“We believe you,” Conrad said. “We just didn't see anything.”

“You said they were above the ground?” Vicki said.

Shelly nodded. “It was like they were walking on air. And they were huge.”

Vicki felt confused. Tsion had written that the horses would be some kind of angelic beings, unseen to the human eye. If Shelly had seen them, they were real and the next judgment was about to begin.

Conrad hit the accelerator. Vicki turned and saw the same car and truck. “These guys don't give up.”

The truck pulled along their right side, and the car raced on their left. The driver of the truck wore a hat and had a stubbly beard. He pointed and yelled.

“Whatever you do, don't stop!” Vicki said.

A woman rode in the passenger seat of the sports car.

She rolled down her window and yelled, “Pull over!” When Conrad didn't obey, she turned to the driver.

“She's got a shotgun!” Shelly screamed.

Conrad swerved into the truck, but it was too late. The gunshot blew out the left front tire and sent the van reeling. Vicki and Shelly screamed as Conrad fought to keep control. He slammed on the brakes, and both vehicles shot past them. The van skidded into a ditch and toppled over.

Vicki unbuckled first and checked Conrad and Shelly. Shelly was bruised but okay. Conrad lay slumped over the steering wheel, his air bag deployed.

“Are you okay?” Vicki said.

Conrad grabbed his neck and put his head back. “I think so. But I can't say the same for the van. We're stuck.”

“Look!” Shelly shouted.

The car and truck were turning. Shelly tried to open the side door, but it was stuck. Conrad pulled himself free and pushed the front passenger door open. The three crawled out and hit the ground just as the truck skidded to a stop in front of them.