Shaken (20 page)

Vicki recalled a phone conversation with Mark while she was on her cross-country trip. Lionel had written briefly about Judd's girlfriend. Vicki had made fun of Nada's name. Now she felt guilty.

“I got an e-mail from Tsion that really helped,” Judd said. “I'm going to look up a bunch of psalms he suggested.”

Vicki moved closer to the screen. “I can't tell you how sorry I am. I wish I could be there.”

Judd nodded. “When I get back, I'd like to talk. I know we've had our good and bad times. If it's okay with you, I'd like to patch things up.”

“I'll look forward to talking face-to-face. And I'll be praying for you.”

“Thanks. If there's anything we can do from this end about the satellite feed, let us know.”

Vicki closed the connection and sat back. She felt bad for Judd's loss. She couldn't imagine what Nada's family was going through. But there was something else to her sadness, something she couldn't explain. Was it jealousy? fear? She had to admit that the news about Judd's romance had affected her. Usually she could push her thoughts aside until she went to bed. It was then that her feelings about Judd, the past, and the next judgment came to the surface.

Vicki checked with Mark to make sure their plan for Marjorie was in place. She found Marjorie talking with Janie. Within an hour, Marjorie had begun speaking about God and Jesus and saying nothing about Nicolae Carpathia.

“It'll be such a blessing to meet the rest of the group,” Marjorie said. “When can I see them?”

“I'm sure we'll work it out,” Vicki said. She handed Marjorie her gun and walkie-talkie. “No need to keep these from you anymore.”

Marjorie tossed her gun on the bed and looked at the GC radio. “I was going to ask God to help me figure out what's wrong with this. Does he answer prayers like that?”

“What do you want to do with it?” Janie said.

“If I can reach my superiors, I'll tell them I'm all right and I'll be back soon. Then I can report to you guys.” She opened the back and gasped. “Somebody took out the solar cell.”

Vicki asked Mark to come in. He brought glasses of lemonade on a tray. “Lenore thought you guys would like something to drink before bed.” He handed Marjorie a glass, then let Janie and Vicki choose theirs.

Marjorie downed hers in two gulps. “Do you know anything about the solar cell?”

“Yeah, I took it out when you got here,” Mark said.

“Well, go get it so I can radio headquarters. Then we'll all praise the Lord!”

Mark looked at Vicki. “Okay. I'll be right back.”

“The GC is going to come looking for that truck,” Marjorie said. “When I get back, I'll tell them it was destroyed.”

Vicki thought about Carl. If Marjorie told the GC about the truck, Carl would be in danger. “We already took care of that. We hacked into the GC database and listed it as destroyed.”

“You can do that?” Marjorie said.

Vicki yawned. “It's getting late. Maybe you should radio them in the morning.”

Marjorie sat on the bed and put a hand to her head. “No, I want to call them tonight, if it's okay.” She closed her eyes and opened them wide. “Is it me, or is something wrong in here?”

“Lie back,” Vicki said. “You need to rest.”

“Yeah, maybe a little snooze will help.”

Marjorie turned her head and drifted to sleep. Janie squinted. “What's the matter with her?”

Vicki motioned Janie into the hallway and closed the door softly. “Lenore found something in the medical supplies that helps you sleep. We put it in her lemonade.” Mark ran up the stairs. “Is she out?”

Vicki nodded. “But Lenore said it won't last long.”

“All right. Let's go.”

Conrad joined them and helped Mark carry Marjorie to the car. Vicki got in the back to steady Marjorie during the bumpy ride to town.

“This looks good,” Mark said as they approached a GC headquarters building. “I don't want to get too close and have them spot us with a surveillance camera.”

Conrad stopped, and the three carefully placed Marjorie on the ground. Mark hooked up the solar cell to the walkie-talkie and handed it to Vicki. “You've always wanted to be a Morale Monitor, right?”

Vicki smiled and clicked the radio. “Headquarters, this is Morale Monitor Marjorie Amherst. I'm in trouble. Need help. I'm just a couple of blocks from headquarters on the side of the road.”

Vicki slurred her speech and said, “I'm passing out. Help me. Please.”

Vicki fastened the radio to the holder on Marjorie's shoulder and jumped in the car. Conrad drove into a nearby alley. Moments later a GC patrol car pulled up to the curb and two uniformed officers got out.

“She's okay,” Mark said. “Let's go.”

“You think the GC will believe her story?” Vicki said.

“They will when she tells them about the satellite truck,” Mark said.

Vicki slept late the next morning. Janie was waiting for her when she came into the kitchen. A Bible and a notebook were open on the table. “I'm ready to learn. I promise I'll listen and take notes this time.”

Judd helped Mr. Stein and the others prepare for their first meeting. Everyone was excited at the response from people on the street. Some had thrown the pamphlets down, but others eagerly read the information. Many had said they would attend.

Judd found a note on his bed the afternoon of the first meeting. “Meet me at 5:00
P.M.
Tell no one.” Underneath was an address. Judd stuffed the paper in his pocket and told Lionel he was going out.

“What about the meeting?”

“I'll be back.”

The Global Community had tried to make things seem normal, but how could anything be normal with a third of the world's population dead? Bodies had been removed from the streets, but there was still the smell of charred buildings in the air.

He found the address and buzzed the correct apartment. The door to the entrance clicked, and Judd walked inside and up two flights of stairs. A single bare bulb lighted the hallway. Judd had to squint to read the apartment numbers.

Kasim opened the door and let Judd inside. There was a table and a couple of chairs but not much more. The refrigerator was old and smelled funny. “Love what you've done with the place.”

Kasim motioned Judd to the window and opened a curtain. “I'm not here to decorate. I'm here for the view. Look.”

The window looked out on a huge plaza. There were shops to the right and left, then an open area. “What is it?”

“I broke into the main GC computer in New Babylon. “That's where they'll build the stage. This window will give me a clear shot.”

Judd closed his eyes. “You mean at Carpathia?”

Kasim nodded and pulled out his handgun. “But I have a problem. I need to find some kind of rifle with a scope. This won't reach that far with any accuracy.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“You have to help me find one. The people I bought this from are upset. You can travel freely. I can't.”

“No thanks.”

Kasim opened a nearby Bible to Revelation 13. “It says in here that one of the heads of the beast will be fatally wounded. I think that's Nicolae, and I'm going to be the one to wound him.”

19

VICKI
and the others worried that Marjorie's return to the GC would trigger a search for the satellite truck, so the kids pulled the truck into the woods below the schoolhouse. Conrad showed them an old logging road that ran by the river, and the kids parked the truck near it. Charlie and Shelly scoured the surrounding woods for branches and limbs to cover the truck. When they were finished, it was completely hidden.

“The best chance they have of spotting it is from the air,” Mark said.

“You can't see it from above,” Conrad said. “The satellite dish is out in the open, but it's pretty small.”

Over the next few days the kids monitored GC satellite transmissions. The head of the Global Community Department of Education, Dr. Neal Damosa, outlined his future plans at a press conference. Before the transmission, Damosa talked with an aide as they clipped on a microphone. A huge mural of New Babylon was placed behind him.

“Here are the notes you requested, sir,” the aide said.

Someone tipped the painting and it nearly fell on Damosa. The man cursed and screamed at the work crew. “That happens again and I'll have you all fired.”

Conrad looked at Vicki. “I wonder if that's how Carpathia acts off the air?”

“He's probably worse,” Vicki said.

Damosa scanned the notes. “I asked for numbers of dead in the age range—”

The aide quickly turned the pages and said, “Page three, sir.”

Damosa studied the numbers. “We have lost a third of those eligible for attendance. But it has just become easier to keep track of all our students. That is our goal, you know. We want to track every person alive. Have the security measures been stepped up?”

“Yes, sir. In addition to the Morale Monitors, we will have Peacekeeping presence as well.”

“Good. The Morale Monitors can ferret out our enemies, but they are helpless when the attacks occur.”

“The Monitors now wear stun guns. If they suspect a Judah-ite in attendance, they have been instructed to stun the individual and ask questions later.”

Damosa smiled. “I doubt there will be many Judahites at our next lessons.”

“We'll be ready if they come.”

Mark wrote something on a scrap of paper. “I want everybody to know about the stun guns. I'll put it on the Web site pronto.”

The aide fussed with Damosa's collar as someone shouted cues. Reporters took their places in front of the podium. Finally, Damosa went on the air. When the cameras were on, his scowl turned to a warm smile.

“This guy is almost as good as Carpathia,” Conrad said.

“Before I take questions, I have a brief statement,” Damosa said. “I come to you with a heavy heart, knowing that many who were with us at our first meeting are no longer alive. Now more than ever, we need those of the younger generation to understand the importance of their contribution. In spite of the danger of possible attack, we will send a message to our enemies that we will not be intimidated by their terrorist tactics.”

Vicki shook her head. “I don't know how they can blame believers for this and get away with it.”

Damosa continued. “This is a time of great fear. It would be easy to panic or simply stay in the safety of your homes. By attending the satellite schools, we show that we will not cower. Just as Potentate Carpathia has led us in the pathway of peace, so our young people will strive toward that same goal.

“Therefore, I urge everyone up to and including the age of twenty to attend our next session. We have many surprises in store, and your safety is our utmost priority.”

Vicki noticed Charlie in the back of the truck drawing something. When she asked to see it, Charlie turned the page around. It was a replica of the picture behind Damosa.

“That's pretty good,” Shelly said.

Vicki took the paper. “It's better than pretty good. It's perfect. Where did you learn to do this?”

“I've been able to draw since I was little. I'm better at buildings than people.”

Vicki handed the drawing back to Charlie. “Do you think you could do that on a big sheet of paper? or maybe on a wall?”

“Sure. Why?”

“If we're going to break into a GC telecast, I want them to think it's something coming from New Babylon.”

Vicki heard a strange noise. “Is that coming from the satellite feed?”

Mark turned down the volume, but the sound was still there.

Conrad opened the door. The droning grew louder. “It's a plane or maybe a chopper.”

“Quick! Hide the dish!” Mark said.

Conrad leaped from the truck and threw a sheet over the satellite dish. When he was safely inside, Vicki shut the door.

“That's definitely a chopper,” Conrad said. “Probably GC.”

The kids listened as the helicopter drew close. Vicki's heart beat faster and faster. What would the kids do if the GC spotted their hideout?