Hunted (30 page)

“All right then, you've worked in all your tiresome Bible verses. I shall be content to merely thank you and—”

“For as long as you have me on international television, Mr. Fortunato, I feel obligated to preach the gospel of Christ and to speak forth the words of Scripture. The Bible says the Word shall not return void, and so I would like to quote—”

The screen went blank as the Global Community finally cut Tsion off. A cheer rose from the crowd for Tsion, and Sam noticed Lev Taubman a few feet behind him.

“How long have you been here?” Sam said.

“I saw most of it.”

Lev looked tired or scared. Sam couldn't tell which. Suddenly, a group of people shaking their fists at Tsion moved toward the Siq to go outside Petra. Others screamed warnings, but the people wouldn't listen.

“Are you leaving with them?” Sam said to Lev.

Before Lev could respond, Tsion cried out over the noise, “ ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.' ”

Sam watched the people walk toward the desert. He had heard the GC had constructed a stage almost two miles from the entrance to Petra.

Lev turned. “The Global Community is offering forgiveness for not taking the mark, even though the deadline is long passed. It's tempting.”

“And what do you think?”

Lev ran a hand through his hair. “I need to stay with my mother.”

Sam took the boy by his shoulders. “Lev, I have been praying for you nonstop. God wants you to come to him. He wants you to choose life.”

“I am thankful that you care, and after what happened to my father and sister, believe me, I have more questions, but—”

“Let me help you answer them. What is keeping you from believing in Jesus as your Messiah?”

Lev shook his head. “I don't know. I'm confused. What Dr. Ben-Judah said makes sense… .” He licked his lips. “Let's go up to the high place. I have a pair of strong binoculars. If this is a trick by the GC, I will do as you say.”

“Don't put the decision off,” Sam said, but Lev was gone, running toward his house for the binoculars.

28

SAM
climbed with Lev up to the high place and looked out over the desert. The concert stage had been set up quickly, and people moved in a long line toward it. As an airplane landed on the runway nearby, a helicopter flew out to meet it.

“One of the reasons it makes no sense to go out there is the protection we have here,” Sam said, handing the binoculars to Lev. “The helicopter pilot is my friend Abdullah Smith. He says the GC tries to shoot our planes and helicopters down, but it is no use. God is protecting us.”

Several hundred people walked through the hot sand toward the venue. Lev clicked the binoculars to increase the power and punched Sam in the shoulder. “Looks like your friends in the chopper are going to the show as well.”

Sam grabbed the glasses and looked closely. Sure enough, Abdullah's chopper flew toward the stage. Sam watched the reaction of armed Peacekeepers as the chopper set down a hundred feet from the stage, whipping up a sandy cloud. There was a brief standoff, with the chopper starting up again, and then the GC left the craft alone.

While the crowd made its way to the stage, Sam continued explaining the Scriptures about Jesus. It was the same message Lev had heard from Chaim and Tsion for many weeks, but Sam thought that perhaps this time the words would sink in and the boy's heart would soften.

When the people were in place, someone onstage captured their attention. Sam and Lev couldn't see the stage, but they could tell from the crowd reaction that the people were impressed.

Suddenly the crowd looked up, shading their eyes from the sun. A white cloud appeared over the gathering and blocked the hot rays.

“What do you make of that?” Lev said.

Sam kept his eyes on the people. The cloud disappeared, and moments later a spring of water gushed from the middle of the group, and people drank from it.

Lev took the binoculars. “They're passing around a basket of food.”

Sam shook his head. “I see what's happening. Whoever is up there is trying to prove he can do God's miracles. Lev, you need to pray—”

“A hundred people just fell to the ground! It looks like they're dead!”

Sam took the binoculars and viewed the chaos. People shrieked, some turned and ran, and then everyone froze.

“Look there,” Lev said, pointing to a small cloud of dust rolling like a tumbleweed toward the gathering. “What could that be?”

Sam glanced at the cloud and shook his head, focusing on the group again. “I don't know, but the people look deathly afraid of it.”

Suddenly the spring turned to blood. People backed away, then fled toward Petra. Many screamed and staggered in the sand, trying desperately to retreat.

“The dust cloud just changed direction,” Lev said. “It's headed for all those people. Could that be some kind of animal?”

The chopper started, and a cloud of dust kicked up and covered the area. Sam strained to see through the binoculars. When the sand cleared, Lev let out a shriek. Bodies dotted the path back to Petra. The stage was gone. There were no Peacekeepers or vehicles or anything that had been there only moments ago.

Sam, his hands shaking, gave the binoculars to Lev, but the boy was on his knees, tears streaming from his face. “That could have been me out there. If I had gone, I would be dead right now.”

Sam knelt beside him. “Take this last chance to turn to God and away from the enemy of your soul. Nicolae and his followers would like you to curse the true God and take Nicolae's mark, but God—”

“I'm ready,” Lev interrupted. “And not just because I'm afraid. I do believe what you've said about Jesus. I opened the Scriptures and read the passages Tsion has given. I don't know why I haven't seen it before, but I'm ready to pray.”

Sam put a hand on the boy's shoulder and prayed. Lev repeated Sam's words softly. “Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your Son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for my sin. I believe that he died in my place, and right now I ask you to forgive me of my sin. I'm sorry I've rejected you and the gift you've offered, but now I reach out and take it by faith. And because Jesus rose from the dead, I know you have prepared the way for me to spend eternity with you. Thank you for saving me from death today, for saving my soul, and I ask you to come into my life and lead me and show me your path for the rest of my days. In Jesus' name. Amen.”

When Lev looked up, Sam saw the mark of the believer on his forehead. Lev wiped tears from his eyes and stood. “Let's go talk with my mother.”

Vicki couldn't wait until midnight each night. That was the time she and Judd agreed to communicate with each other. They limited themselves to three times a week talking by phone, and the other nights they used the computer.

In one e-mail, Judd described his thoughts about Lionel.
I feel awful that I resent him. I know there's no part of him that wanted that to happen, and he's been through so much pain during the healing process. Yesterday I awoke out of a dead sleep and heard him gasping for breath. I thought he was dying, Vick, but when I got to him, he was crying. He said his arm really hurt, and he was just sad about the things he'd never be able to do again
.

All that must make it even harder for you
, Vicki wrote.

Yeah. Deep down I know that what happened is not anybody's fault. But when I think of not being able to be there with you, all those ugly feelings come back
.

Vicki had slept on it and had brought up the subject the next night on the phone. “I've been thinking more about you and Lionel.” She paused. Over time she and Judd had been able to share some deep things without holding back.

“God protected you and Lionel from the GC,” Vicki continued. “Even though the others in that group were killed, he spared you two for a reason. I don't know why we've had to be apart so long, and my heart aches just as much as yours about the separation, but one of the good things for me has been that I know we don't have to be together in order to show love to each other. I'd hate to think of this happening, but if we never saw each other again before the return of Jesus, that would be okay. If God wants us together, I know we will be. If he just wants us to be friends and help each other along the next few years, then that's okay too.”

“Totally surrendered,” Judd muttered.

“What?”

“I was just thinking about being surrendered to God. Letting him control things and resting in his love for us takes a lot of the pressure off. I can't imagine not seeing you, but you're right. If God wants us to stay apart, I can handle it. But I don't think he wants that, do you?”

“I hope not,” Vicki said quickly, then laughed.

“When you look at things that way, with God in control, there's no way I can blame Lionel for us not being together.”

“Tell Lionel Zeke is working on a gadget he thinks Lionel will be able to use. I hope we'll be able to see him soon too.”

Vicki and Judd always ended their conversations and e-mails with prayer. Sometimes one would pray, sometimes both. Most of their talks lasted hours, and several times the sun had come up before they finished.

The Wisconsin group had a routine of eating the morning meal together, then having a time of teaching and prayer. It was Vicki's turn to give a brief devotional one morning, and she happened to see the latest Petra Diary from Sam. She brought a printed copy to the meeting and gave everyone the good news that the boy they had prayed for, Lev Taubman, and his mother had become believers.

“Let me read the latest entry that proves we don't wrestle against flesh and blood, but against a spiritual enemy. Sam writes, ‘Lev and I saw something incredible happen in the desert, but it wasn't until I spoke with my friend Abdullah that I found out what really happened. Abdullah was in the desert when people from Petra ventured out to see the miracle worker.

“ ‘Abdullah said the man looked like a younger version of Leon Fortunato, and the man said he was not from this world and that he had been given power by the risen lord, Nicolae Carpathia.

“ ‘The first miracle the guy did was bring in a cloud that blocked the sun. Then the guy made the cloud disappear, not move or fall apart, but vanish. Next he turned the microphone and stand into a giant snake. Everybody recoiled, but just as fast as he turned it into a snake, it was a microphone and stand again.

“ ‘Then from the middle of the crowd came a spring of water gushing straight into the air. People drank from it. The man asked if people were hungry and produced a basket of real bread, warm and chewy. Everyone in the crowd took some, but the basket never emptied.

“ ‘Do you see the mockery of this? Miracles God performed in the Bible were produced by this faker to gain people's trust. And they fell for it big-time. The man, or being, whatever he was, said he was a disciple of Carpathia. And while his behavior had been nice up to that point, he then said that Carpathia's patience had run out and that he would administer Carpathia's mark. He simply pointed at people, and they had the mark of Nicolae.

“ ‘This is where the story really gets ugly. The man killed more than a hundred at one time. People went crazy. Then the man raised the dead people back to life. It went on like that, the man convincing people their friends were really dead. Then a little cloud of dust appeared on the horizon.

“ ‘I have to tell you, Lev and I saw this cloud moving straight for the stage and audience, but we didn't know what it was. Abdullah said the man onstage told the people the cloud contained snakes, vipers with a deadly venom. That's when the spring of water turned to blood and the man called the people fools and said Nicolae wanted them dead. He told them to run but warned that the vipers would kill them before they reached Petra.

“ ‘And that is what happened. The cloud caught up to the people, and there was a line of bodies in the sand. Abdullah was sitting in the helicopter with two of his friends when the evil man appeared before them. The wonder-worker didn't open his mouth, but they heard him say, “I know who you are. I know you by name. Your god is weak and your faith a sham, and your time is limited. You shall surely die.” ' ”

Vicki glanced at the group and saw looks of disbelief. Shelly and Janie shook from the horrific story.

Charlie looked up with glassy eyes. “Didn't any of them survive?”

“All of the people on foot died. Abdullah and the others in the chopper were okay because they were believers. Sam wrote that when the dust settled, everything on the desert—the stage, the vehicles, the Peacekeepers—was gone.”

“It was all an illusion?” Tanya said.

Vicki folded the paper. “I don't know what it was. Tsion told Abdullah and some others that the man was probably a demonic apparition.”