Shaken (5 page)

The news anchor asked, “Which is more dangerous, the black smoke or the yellow?”

Haase said, “First we believed the black smoke was coming from the fires, but that doesn't appear to be the case. It can be deadly, but the yellow smoke smells of sulfur and has the power to kill instantly.”

“Has the Global Community considered the possibility of terrorist action?”

“It's very early,” Haase said. “We've ruled nothing out. We do know there is a group of religious zealots who would love to create more suffering, but I won't speculate on that. To be honest, we simply don't know what we're dealing with.”

“Great,” Darrion said. “Now we're being accused of germ warfare.”

The reporter put a hand to his ear, then read from a bulletin. “This just in. While there are pockets in which no fire or smoke or sulfur has been reported, in other areas the death count is staggering, now estimated in the millions. His Excellency, Global Community Potentate Nicolae Carpathia, will address the world via radio and television and the Internet inside this half hour.”

“What do you think Carpathia will say?” Lenore said. Mark shook his head. “He'll find a way to look good. He'll probably get more people to worship him because of this.”

The report switched to a feed from Jerusalem. Smoke rose from the old city, and fires were everywhere. Another report came from New Babylon, where Nicolae Carpathia was about to speak. People lay motionless in the street. Once sparkling buildings were shrouded in black and yellow clouds. Fire and smoke appeared on every continent, in every major city, but no one knew how it was happening. People throughout the world panicked. Airplanes filled with passengers plunged from the sky after choking pilots radioed their Maydays.

“They even have power to affect airplanes?” Charlie said.

Melinda walked in, rubbing her eyes. “What's going on?”

Lenore stood and let the girl have her seat. “The next judgment is here. Nicolae's about to put his spin on it.”

“How do you know this is from God?” Melinda said.

Lenore showed her the passage in Revelation. Melinda read it and glanced at the television. “If this is supposed to be caused by horses, how come they haven't shown any?”

Mark said, “My guess is they're not visible. But believe me, they're real. And we don't know how long they'll be here. You could be in danger.”

“Just me? Why wouldn't you guys be worried?”

Darrion turned down the volume. “When things like this happen, those who believe in Jesus are immune. The locusts didn't sting believers, just unbelievers. It's the same with this.”

Melinda seemed in a daze. She stood and walked up the stairs to the balcony. Mark followed. The moon was bright, but there was no sign of horses and riders.

“You've heard the message every way we can think of telling you,” Mark said. “We've all been praying for you.”

“I want to talk to Vicki. I trust her, and I don't want to do something simply because I'm scared of dying.”

“I understand. The problem is, we have no idea where she is. We haven't been able to reach her.”

“I'll wait.”

Darrion yelled that Carpathia was about to speak. Mark and Melinda sat just as the potentate was being announced. Carpathia looked into the camera and did his best to calm viewers.

“I want to assure you that this situation will soon be under control,” Carpathia said. “We are working around the clock and using every resource to stop the fires and smoke. Meanwhile, I ask citizens of the Global Community to report suspicious activity, particularly anyone who is making or transporting toxic chemicals. Sadly, we have reason to believe that religious rebels may be behind this massacre of innocent lives. We have extended every courtesy to these people, and this is how they react.”

Carpathia bit his lip. “Though they cross us at every turn, we have defended their right to dissent. Yet they continue to see the Global Community as an enemy. They feel they have a right to maintain an intolerant, close-minded cult that excludes anyone who disagrees with them.

“You have the right to live healthy, peaceful, and free. While I remain against war, I pledge to rid the world of this cult, beginning with the Jerusalem Twosome, who even now express no remorse about the widespread loss of life that has resulted from this attack.”

“Who's he talking about?” Melinda said.

“Jerusalem Twosome must be his new nickname for the two prophets, Eli and Moishe,” Mark said.

Carpathia pushed a button, and a video of Eli and Moishe appeared. They were speaking in unison near the Wailing Wall. Words flashed across the screen underneath the video clip.

“Woe to the enemies of the most high God!” they said. “Woe to the cowards who shake their fist at their creator and are now forced to flee his wrath! We beseech you, snakes and vipers, to see even this plague as more than judgment! Yea, it is yet another attempt to reach you by a loving God who has run out of patience. There is no more time to woo you. You must hearken to his call, see that it is he who loves you. Turn to the God of your fathers while there is still time. For the day will come when time shall be no more!”

Carpathia turned off the video and smiled. “The day will come, my friends, when these two shall no longer spread their venom. They shall no longer turn water to blood, hold back rain from the clouds, send plagues to the Holy Land and the rest of the globe. I upheld my end of the bargain negotiated with them months ago, allowing certain rebels to go unpunished. Now this is how we are repaid for our generosity.

“But the gift train stops here, loyal citizens. Your patience and steadfastness shall be repaid. The day will yet come when we will live as one world, one faith, one family of man.”

“Yeah, one big happy family,” Darrion said. “What a loser.”

Carpathia continued. “We shall live in a utopia of peace and harmony with no more war, no more bloodshed, no more death. In the meantime, please accept my deepest personal condolences over the loss of your loved ones. They shall not have died in vain. Continue to trust in the ideals of the Global Community, in the tenets of peace, and in the genius of an all-inclusive universal faith that welcomes the devout of any religion.

“Just four months from now we shall celebrate in the very city where the preachers now taunt and warn us. We shall applaud their demise and revel in a future without plague and disease and suffering and death. Keep the faith, and look forward to that day. And until I address you again, thank you for your loyal support of the Global Community.”

“What does that mean?” Melinda said.

“Tsion has taught us all along that the two witnesses will one day be killed by Carpathia. It looks like Nicolae has done his homework. The 1,260 days of their preaching ends in four months.”

Mr. Stein led the kids inside the Global Community police station. Many of the officers had rushed outside when Mr. Stein began to speak. A few were still inside now, coughing and sputtering.

“Where's Sam?” Judd said.

“Outside with his dad,” Lionel said. “I'll get him.”

Mr. Stein pointed to a locked doorway. Judd found the keys on an officer's desk. Inside, they heard more coughing and wheezing.

“Can't breathe!” someone shouted. “We need air!”

Judd found Nada's cell. She was huddled in the corner with her mother. “Thank God you've come!” Nada said. She hugged Judd and pointed toward the back of the building where her father and brother were being kept.

As they rushed past the cells, several believers called out from behind the bars. Judd freed those with the mark of the believer on their foreheads. Most of them believed because Sam had given them the gospel.

Judd opened the last door on the corridor and found a guard on the floor, gasping for air. Kasim and Jamal cried when they saw Nada. She took the keys from Judd and released them. They had bruises on their faces, deep circles under their eyes, and they looked like they hadn't eaten for days.

“Let's get out of here,” Jamal said weakly.

“Wait!” someone said as he rushed through the door.

Judd turned and spotted the jailer pointing his gun at them. “Stop or I'll shoot!”

Vicki crawled into the van and handed Conrad and Shelly as many supplies as they could pack into the sports car. The cell phone had crashed into the windshield and was fried. The sports car was a tight fit for the three of them, but they were grateful to have something to drive.

“I feel guilty taking this car,” Vicki said.

“They're not going to use it anymore,” Conrad said.

“I know, but they probably stole it.”

Shelly pointed out the window at another cavalry of fiery horses and riders. They were moving north along an abandoned railroad track. As they ran, they breathed great clouds of black and yellow smoke over rows of homes and ranches nearby. In some homes, lights came on and people burst through the front doors, falling on lawns and rolling. In other places, the horses snorted enough fire to send whole blocks up in smoke. Conrad pointed to the other side of the road where another herd stood perched on a butte overlooking a small town.

“There doesn't seem to be any method,” Shelly said.

“They're just putting that smoke and fire wherever they find people.”

“I'm glad they came when they did,” Conrad said. “I feel like a cat who's just used up two or three of its lives.”

“How long will it be until we get home?” Vicki said.

“Before the roads were torn up during the earthquake, we'd have been able to do it in less than twenty hours,” Conrad said. “Now it's going to be at least two days, and that's if we push it.”

Vicki sat back and watched the herds run. She had no idea how long they would stay, but when they were through, the world would never be the same.

Judd held up his hands and begged the man not to shoot. The others stood back, waiting to see what would happen.

The guard choked and gasped for air. “If they find prisoners missing from here, they'll have me shot!”

Mr. Stein moved forward and knelt beside the man. “Many of your fellow officers are dead or are dying because of this judgment.”

“You're one of those crazies!”

“I bring you good news. You don't have to die. Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.”

The jailer frantically looked around. Some of the prisoners were coughing uncontrollably. Others lay motionless in their bunks. “Why aren't
you
coughing? Is this some kind of spell you've put over the jail?”

Mr. Stein shook his head. “This was predicted thousands of years ago in the Scriptures. A third of those still living will die because of this terrible judgment. But you can be saved from it if you will—”

The jailer stood and waved the gun frantically. “All right, everybody back in their cells.”

Mr. Stein moved back. He motioned for the others to leave the cellblock. “The Lord has provided a way of escape. I won't allow our friends, who are innocent, to suffer any longer.”