Arrived (29 page)

Judd explained the persecution they had seen over the past few weeks. “Is it safe there?”

“We're in the basement of an abandoned house. Others are scattered through the neighborhood. There are more than seventy, and Enoch says we'll probably reach a hundred before Jesus comes back.”

“You should be careful of newcomers. Never know what the GC will try.”

“I know, but what can we do, turn them away? People actually go out and try to find more converts every day. Enoch says we're trying to ‘get more drowning people onto the life raft.' ”

“Do you have meetings?”

Darrion chuckled. “Yeah, and they're nothing like the Young Trib Force meetings. People come in here, sing, and tell their stories. One man yesterday told how he had kept from taking Carpathia's mark. Not because he was a believer—he was just scared of getting a disease through the tattoo. His name is Adrian, and a GC Peacekeeper found him one day in a stairwell of some old apartment building. Before the Peacekeeper could react, Adrian hit him over the head with a pipe. Knocked him out cold.”

“What did Adrian do then?”

“He went through the Peacekeeper's pockets looking for Nicks or food. You have to understand what it's like on the streets now. There's so much crime, but the GC only seems to be interested in getting people without Carpathia's mark.”

“They don't report it on GCNN, but we've heard how bad it's getting.”

“Well, guess what Adrian finds in the Peacekeeper's pocket? A pamphlet explaining the gospel. We think the Peacekeeper found it in some church or on a believer.

Anyway, this Carpathia follower was actually a missionary because Adrian took the pamphlet, read it, and gave his heart to God.”

“Incredible.”

“He was so glad to find our group, not just because we have food and can give him protection, but to be near other believers. He didn't know he had the mark of the believer until he got here.”

Darrion told him more stories, and Judd asked about Shelly, Conrad, and the others.

“We're doing pretty well. Mark's death shook all of us. I don't know that any of us have gotten over it.”

“I know the feeling,” Judd said. “But we'll see him again. You know that.”

“I can't wait to see my mom and dad and Ryan Daley too.”

The mention of Ryan took Judd's breath away.

When he hung up with Darrion he went outside and watched people gather their evening meal. It had been years since Ryan had been with them. He had missed so much of the Tribulation. What would Ryan be like when they saw him again? Would they really be able to recognize him? Would he be the same age as when he died, or would God somehow change his body to be older but still recognizable?

No matter what Ryan looked like—or Mark or Pete or John or the others who had died—Judd knew there was a great reunion ahead.

Vicki stayed busy over the weeks becoming an Internet counselor for young people. After intense sessions with the elders, Chang Wong, and Naomi Tiberius, Vicki took her place beside people of all nationalities who answered questions from around the world. She was excited that some of those she counseled were actually airlifted into Petra by Trib Force pilots.

Vicki knew the suffering and persecution would end, but as she heard the stories of hurting and wounded people, she longed for the return of Jesus even more. She couldn't wait to see him and hear his voice. She knew from reading the Scriptures that there were more prophecies concerning Jesus' seconding than his first. And this time he wouldn't come as the lowly, humble servant but as the mighty, conquering king ready to defeat his enemies.

Vicki was amazed to see the questions that came into the Web site. She even received one from a woman who was clearly not interested in knowing God but in finding out when the plague of darkness would be lifted from New Babylon.

“How could she believe that we have answers from the Bible but not believe the truth about God?” Vicki asked Judd as they ate one night.

“She's blind,” Judd said. “These people know there's something to the claims of the Bible, but they follow Carpathia anyway. Those troops know how many soldiers God wiped out, but they still follow orders.”

There was a slight knock on the door, and Judd opened it to find Sam Goldberg. Sam sat and had some wafers and quail. Judd and Vicki had been secretly talking with him about a possible trip to Israel before the start of the last great battle.

“Have you found anyone yet?” Judd asked.

“My friend Lev Taubman is from Jerusalem,” Sam said quietly. “He wants to go back there badly, but his mother won't hear of it.”

“Does he know any hiding places, any members of the resistance?” Vicki said.

“There is a man my father was acquainted with,” Sam said. “Very old. His name is Shivte. Lev says he and his sons would never take the mark of Carpathia, but they are not believers either.”

“You think they're still in Jerusalem?”

“Lev is sure of it because he received a message from another friend saying Shivte's wife has become a true believer. And with what I hear about …” Sam stopped and stared at them.

“What is it?” Vicki said.

“I'm not sure I should tell you what I heard about Dr. Ben-Judah.”

“What, that he's teaching an elite group of Captain Steele's military people?” Judd said. “We know that.”

“Did you know he has officially turned over his administrative and teaching duties for Petra to Dr. Rosenzweig?” Sam said.

“What?”
Judd and Vicki said in unison.

“I can't tell you where I heard this, but I believe Tsion wants to be part of the fighting force in Jerusalem. He's been training to use a weapon.”

“I don't believe it,” Vicki said.

Sam leaned closer. “This is what I have heard. Tsion believes the Bible teaches that a third of the remaining Jews will turn to Messiah before the end. That means that many will still need to be reached, and Tsion thinks if he can get to Jerusalem, he can reach them.”

Judd scratched the stubble of his beard. “It makes sense, I guess.”

“Now I don't feel so bad wanting to get to Jerusalem to see Jesus return,” Vicki said.

“Where does Tsion get that more Jews will come to Messiah?” Judd said.

“It's in Zechariah 13. Verses 8 and 9.”

Vicki grabbed a Bible, flipped toward the end of the Old Testament. “ ‘“And it shall come to pass in all the land,” says the Lord, “That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, but one-third shall be left in it: I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people'; and each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.' ”' ”

As Vicki read the verses, something stirred inside her. If there were more Jews who would accept Jesus as Messiah, they had to be hiding. If she and Judd could help find them and prepare them in some way for the message … She looked at Judd and could tell he was thinking the same thing.

Lionel ate breakfast with Zeke Zuckermandel at least once a week and caught up on the latest with the Tribulation Force. Zeke was fun to talk with, and the two relived their days in Illinois and Wisconsin.

“You about ready to come out of that place with all the fancy computers and get yourself dirty?” Zeke said.

“What do you mean?” Lionel said.

“Just that I'm getting a band of people together to help out during the war.”

“Tell me about it.”

Zeke leaned forward and drew a finger through the sand. “This here is Petra with all the rocks and stuff. Here's the desert in front of us and around us, and all the way over here is Israel. Now, most people are mixed up about the Battle of Armageddon.”

“How so?”

“This comes straight from Tsion himself. This valley of Armageddon is really just the staging area for Carpathia's armies. You know, where they set up, eat, prepare, that kinda thing. The actual wars are gonna take place here at Petra—” he pointed to the circle in the sand—“although you have to believe God won't let the armies have a victory here, and over here in Jerusalem. Tsion says people should call this ‘the War of the Great Day of God the Almighty.' But I can see how sayin' it's Armageddon's just plain easier.”

“I'm still confused about what's going to happen when,” Lionel said.

“Tsion says there are going to be something like eight things happening after the Euphrates River goes dry.”

“What's so important about that?”

“Well, you ever see an army try to get across a river that's running? When it dries up, the kings and armies east of here will have a clear shot at us. They can come into this valley—it's called Megiddo—and be ready for the trap.”

“What trap?”

“Well, Tsion says this is exactly what God wants. It'll look like there's no way anyone can stand up to the strength of all those tanks and missiles and troops, but God's gonna zap 'em.”

“What else happens?”

“Once the river goes dry and the armies get together, Babylon will be destroyed. God's gonna do that real quick, and then comes the fall of Jerusalem. I'm kinda hazy about how that happens, but finally Jesus will appear on a white horse with a big army of his own. He'll be mad at old Nicolae, and there's gonna be a lot of blood, you can bet on that. There's gonna be a battle close to here, though Petra will be safe. And then Jesus will show up at the Mount of Olives.”

“Wish I could be there,” Lionel said.

“You and me both. But there's plenty to do here. As a matter of fact, I'm looking for some volunteers.”

“Is this the getting myself dirty part?”

Zeke smiled. “You got it. I need people to go out and pick up weapons, uniforms, ammo—just about anything you think we could use.”

“Sounds dangerous.”

“Could be. But my guess is the GC won't have any power over believers who are living here in Petra. God's gonna protect us.”

“You don't know that for sure.”

“Right. Not 100 percent, but I'm willing to chance it.

How about you?”

Judd went to the airstrip in late December and met with Mac McCullum. Mac, Abdullah Smith, and Ree Woo had become the main pilots for the Tribulation Force, and they had recruited other pilots to help fly believers to Petra from all over the world. Mac had tons of stories of miraculous things God had done to keep believers safe, but this was a short meeting.

“Found what you were looking for in Morocco,” Mac said, handing Judd a small box. “Hope the little lady enjoys it.”

Judd thanked him and raced back to their empty house. Vicki had finished her work at the tech center for the day and was spending some time with little Kenny.

Judd quickly went behind their house to a rock outcropping where he had seen a small bush. After he dug the plant up by its roots and put it in a pot, he placed it on the nightstand. He cut strips of cloth and draped them around the bush, then set the wrapped box on one of the sturdy branches.