Deceived
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Deceived
is a special edition compilation of the following Left Behind: The Kids titles:
#29: Breakout!
copyright © 2003 by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. All rights reserved.
#30: Murder in the Holy Place
copyright © 2003 by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. All rights reserved.
#31: Escape to Masada
copyright © 2003 by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. All rights reserved.
Cover photo copyright © PunchStock. All rights reserved.
Left Behind
is a registered trademark of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Published in association with the literary agency of Alive Communications, Inc., 7680 Goddard Street, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920.
Scripture quotations are taken from the
Holy Bible
, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Some Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Designed by Jessie McGrath
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data
Jenkins, Jerry B.
Deceived / Jerry B. Jenkins, Tim LaHaye ; with Chris Fabry.
p. cm. â (Left behindâthe kids)
Special edition compiliation of the following three previously published works: Breakout!; Murder in the Holy place; Escape to Masada.
Summary: Four teens battle the forces of evil when they are left behind after the Rapture.
ISBN 1-4143-0270-3 (hc : alk. paper)
[1. End of the worldâFiction. 2. Christian lifeâFiction.] 1. LaHaye, Tim F. II. Fabry, Chris, date. III. Title.
PZ7.J4138De 2005
[Fic]âdc22
2004018503
Printed in the United States of America
10Â Â 09Â Â 08Â Â 07Â Â 06Â Â 05
9Â Â Â Â 8Â Â Â Â 7Â Â Â Â 6Â Â Â Â 5Â Â Â Â 4Â Â Â Â 3Â Â Â Â 2Â Â Â Â 1
Contents
VICKI
and the others in the Dials' underground Wisconsin hideout gathered around the television. It was two in the afternoon, and the kids expected the worst about Zeke Sr. Vicki held the phone while Mark Eisman monitored e-mail, both hoping Natalie would find a way to contact them.
An earlier news report had said the first mark application had begun at a GC facility in Wheaton, formerly known as the DuPage County Jail. Other mark applications were scheduled that afternoon in various local jails and prisons.
The kids had rejoiced when Conrad called with the news of the escape of Ginny and Bo Shairton, Maggie Carlson, and a former gang member who was now a believer, Manny Aguilara. All four were now in the home of Jim Dekker, a GC satellite operator from Illinois who had helped the kids.
Vicki prayed for Natalie. As far as Vicki knew, Global Community Peacekeepers hadn't discovered that the four former inmates were actually free.
Mark fiddled with the TV antenna to pull in the Chicago station.
Finally, a reporter in Wheaton, Illinois, broke into the newscast. “As we've reported, the mark applications began here a little after noon today. With the new technology, Peacekeepers wondered if there would be any glitches in the system. We're told that everything went fine until the last prisoner was brought into the application room and refused to take the mark.
“That set in motion a series of events that local Peacekeepers say was regrettable, but necessary.”
The broadcast cut to a video feed of an interview with Deputy Commander Darryl Henderson. The man pursed his lips and shook his head. “We brought this prisoner from Des Plaines and gave him every chance to comply with the simple requirement of taking the mark of loyalty. When he refused, we had no alternative.”
“Is it true you didn't expect to need the guillotine?” the reporter said.
“It's a loyalty enforcement facilitator,” Henderson corrected. “No, we assumed that our prison population would all take the mark. Everyone did except for this one man.”
The scene switched to the reporter looking at his notes. “That one man is identified as fifty-four-year-old Gustaf Zuckermandel, formerly of Des Plaines. He had been charged with black market trafficking of fuel oil, but sources inside this facility tell me he was a follower of the dissident Tsion Ben-Judah. Officials say they hope this execution will serve as a warning to other Judah-ite followers that this kind of defiance of the Global Community will not be tolerated.”
Mark turned off the television and the kids sat in silence. Vicki thought of Zeke Jr. and wondered if he knew about his father's death. There was no denying the clear facts. They had now entered a bloody season when believers in Christ would be hunted and if caught, executed. Vicki shuddered. If she and Darrion had been caught in Des Plaines, they would have been forced to choose Carpathia's mark or the blade. Would she have chosen to die for what she believed? Would she have to make that choice in the future?
The phone rang and Vicki answered it. Conrad wanted to know if the kids had heard about Zeke, and Vicki said they had.
“We're staying at Jim Dekker's farmhouse until things settle,” Conrad said. “He wants us to take supplies with us when we go.”
“What do you mean?”
“GC uniforms, ID cardsâyou name it, he's got it.”
Mark talked with Conrad after Vicki was through, and then the kids met to discuss their next move.
“We can't slow down now,” Melinda said. “We have to tell as many people as we can before they take the mark.”
“Pretty soon there won't be anyone left who's undecided,” Janie said. “Then we'll just have to try and survive.”
“What's important right now is getting the message to as many unbelievers as possible,” Darrion said, “and our best tool is The Cube. It's high-tech and gets people's attention. We should send the file and look for any other ways to get the message out.”
The phone rang again and Vicki jumped. Mark answered and handed it to her. “It's Natalie.”
Lionel Washington hid in some bushes near the Global Community apartment building where Chang Wong and his parents stayed. Judd had given him Chang's description, but Lionel was nervous. What if someone who looked like Chang came out of the building? Lionel was glad Judd would be back early in the morning.
Nights in New Babylon felt eerie to Lionel. The blistering heat of the day gave way to cool air once the sun went down. A breeze blew through the bushes, and Lionel hunkered down in his hiding place.
Lionel had witnessed incredible things in the past few weeks. He had seen the deaths of the beloved prophets, Eli and Moishe, and a few days later had watched them ascend into heaven. That had been one of the high points of their trip to Israel. But soon after came Carpathia's murder and his eventual rise from the dead. Every time Lionel thought about it, he recalled the lightning of Leon Fortunato and the bodies of innocent victims lying in the palace courtyard.
The door opened at the front of the apartment building, and a guard strolled out front, lighting a cigarette. He walked to within a few feet of Lionel's hiding place and flicked cigarette ashes into the bushes.
Thanks for using our world as your ashtray
, Lionel thought, recalling the words of his father. Lionel smiled as he remembered driving in the car with his dad.
A motorist would pass, flicking ashes or a spent cigarette to the pavement, and Lionel's dad would shake his head. Once Lionel's father had stepped out of the car at a stoplight, picked up a smoldering butt off the ground, and handed it to the driver through the open window.
“I think you dropped this,” Lionel's father had said, then returned to the car before the light changed. He buckled up and stifled a smile. “Don't tell this to your mother.”
Lionel missed his dad more than he wanted to admit. They had missed so many things. With each birthday or holiday, Lionel ached for some kind of celebration, a cake, or some presents. But the truth was, the kids didn't have time for things like that. Life was a constant struggle.
At moments like these, when Lionel was alone, he thought about his family, his mother's smile, his father's strength. Most of the kids he knew from school had parents who were divorced. His mom and dad had stayed together through some rough times and Lionel was glad.
The guard flicked the spent cigarette into the bush where Lionel was hiding and walked away. The glowing ashes faded and finally went out. It was just like the world, Lionel thought, dying and almost dead.
He drew his knees to his chest, wrapped himself in the light jacket he was wearing, and leaned back. The night chill and lack of activity inside the building made his eyelids droop.
When he fell asleep, he was thinking of his father. Vicki tried to comfort Natalie, but the girl was nearly hysterical. When she finally calmed down, Vicki discovered that Natalie was at her apartment, having told her boss she wasn't feeling well.