Stung (18 page)

Melinda glanced back. “Not yet. I think the truck's blocking them.”

Mark pushed the bike to its limits, screaming around curves. Three miles later, he turned off the engine and coasted down a hill to a small stream. “This is where we get off,” Mark said. “Hurry.”

Melinda struggled to get her hands over Mark's head. “We'll get those cuffs off you when we get back to the schoolhouse,” Mark said.

Mark pushed the motorcycle to a stream that ran under the road. They found a dry place under the bridge and waited.

Finally, Mark whispered, “Why'd you leave the group?”

Melinda explained that she had heard Tsion's message. Coupled with the clear lies of Nicolae Carpathia, it was too much for her. “I had to get away.”

“You don't believe what Tsion says?” Mark said.

“He has to be right,” Melinda said, “but after all I've staked my life on … it's hard.”

Mark nodded. “You went straight to that little town?”

“I hid from Vicki and the GC during the night,” Melinda said. “They came pretty close a couple of times, but I got under some brush.

“This morning I made it as far as the town when I spotted those peacekeepers. I tried to play it cool, but the girl in the store ratted me out.”

“What's an X-13?” Mark said.

Melinda pursed her lips. “That's the order to eliminate a prisoner.”

“They were going to kill you?” Mark said.

“If you hadn't come along, they would have,” Melinda said.

Cars passed overhead. Dust and debris fell from the bottom of the bridge. Mark stuck his head out and quickly returned. “GC squad cars,” he said.

Judd and Lionel talked with Samuel about Tsion's message. Samuel wanted to know what the people were doing who came to the front of the stadium. Judd told him.

Lionel jumped in with questions about what Samuel believed about God. Judd was impressed with the way Lionel showed Samuel the truth about Jesus.

“The Bible shows us that Jesus is more than just a good teacher,” Lionel said. “He's God.”

Samuel glanced at his watch and gasped. “My father! He will be home soon.”

“You shouldn't put off this decision,” Lionel said.

“I will relay information when I can,” Samuel said. “I must go.”

Lionel handed Samuel a piece of paper. The boy took it, put money on the table, and quickly walked away.

“What was that?” Judd said.

“A verse I found that might make him think,” Lionel said.

Judd wondered if they would ever see Samuel again.

16

JUDD
and Lionel told Jamal what had happened. Jamal winced when he heard they had met with Samuel in a public place. Jamal turned on a videotape from the GC network that showed Buck Williams talking to the guard who had been killed.

“The news has been running this to show that Mr. Williams is guilty,” Jamal said.

“Buck's not even carrying a gun,” Lionel said.

“Exactly,” Jamal said. “After Buck leaves, the guard fires over his head. Then, the guard is hit.”

“How could they say Buck killed him?” Judd said.

Jamal shook his head. “The Global Community will cover up the truth. I'm afraid of what might happen to Mr. Williams and the others. Especially since the pilot is dead.”

“What?” Judd said. His heart raced. “Rayford Steele is dead?”

Mark and Melinda kept quiet as the squad cars passed again. Clouds rolled in and the light grew dim.

“How long did it take you to get to the town?” Mark whispered.

“I'm not sure,” Melinda said. “I had to hide so many times. Maybe a couple of hours. Why?”

“We're going to have to ditch the motorcycle,” Mark said. He glanced at her. “That's assuming you want to go back.”

Melinda looked away. “You sure you want to risk being seen with me?”

Mark smiled. “I risked getting you out this morning, didn't I?”

“Why do you people keep helping me?” Melinda said.

Mark picked up a rock and tried to break the chain between the cuffs. “We can't leave the cycle here. It's too close to the schoolhouse.”

“What do we do?” Melinda said.

“Wait here until nightfall.”

The two listened to the stillness of the countryside. An occasional car passed, but the GC had apparently moved their search. Finally, Melinda broke the silence. “Why did
you
leave the schoolhouse?”

Mark told her about his fight with Vicki and his search for his aunt. “I don't see eye to eye with everybody in the group,” he said, “but they're all the family I have now.”

Melinda stared at Mark. “I'm sorry about your aunt.”

Judd put his face in his hands. He couldn't believe Rayford Steele had been killed. Jamal rewound the tape.

A news reporter dramatically walked the runway at Jerusalem Airport. “One of the American terrorists was shot and killed here,” he said. “It happened late last night, after the final session of the so-called Meeting of the Witnesses.” The reporter walked near a Global Community helicopter. “The daring escape included hijacking Potentate Carpathia's own helicopter.”

“That's what we saw last night!” Lionel said.

Chaim Rosenzweig's estate flashed on the screen. “Dr. Rosenzweig had hosted Ben-Judah, murder suspect Cameron Williams, and Williams's wife. According to Global Community Supreme Commander Leonardo Fortunato, the escape was well calculated.”

A disgusted Leon Fortunato was shown at a press conference. “We were assured that the prisoners were under house arrest. Upon further investigation, we found a door to the roof clearly broken from the inside. This shows conclusively how the Americans escaped.”

The reporter knelt on the runway, pointing at a red stain. “When the helicopter landed here, an American terrorist opened fire on GC forces nearby. A sniper killed terrorist Ken Ritz with a single shot to the head.”

“Do you know this Ritz?” Jamal said.

Judd shook his head. “He must have been working with Buck and Tsion.”

The reporter stood in front of the downed helicopter. “The other three fugitives—suspected murderer Cameron Williams, his wife, and Tsion Ben-Judah—have escaped and are at large internationally. It is assumed that Williams is an accomplished pilot.”

“What?” Lionel said. “Buck's smart, but he's never flown a plane before in his life.”

“Somebody else had to help them get away,” Judd said.

The reporter concluded by showing photos of Ben-Judah and Buck Williams. “These men are considered armed and extremely dangerous. If you have any information about their whereabouts, please contact your nearest Global Community post.”

Vicki and the others tried to stay busy throughout the day, but each sound, every crack of a twig made them nervous. Finally, Vicki called a meeting.

“I've been reading a lot in Philippians,” Vicki said. “Paul was a prisoner and was writing to encourage a church he helped start.” Vicki opened the Bible. “Toward the end he said, ‘I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.'”

Vicki closed her Bible. “He was content even in prison. God had a purpose for him wherever he was. It's the same with us. Maybe God wants us to stay here. Maybe he wants us in some GC jail so we can talk to the people there. Whatever the situation, we need to be content.”

“So you're saying we shouldn't be nervous about Melinda?” Darrion said. “Well, I am nervous. I don't want the GC to come in here and arrest us.”

“Neither do I,” Vicki said, “and we need to do everything we can to keep them from finding us. But at some point we have to trust God to protect us.”

“I see your point,” Conrad said. “I think the best thing we can do right now is pray that Melinda will come to her senses and return.”

The kids gathered in a circle and joined hands. Each took a turn praying that God would bring Melinda back, or at least keep her from the Global Community.

As night approached, the kids ate dinner together. Vicki and Darrion answered some of the messages that had come in after the Meeting of the Witnesses. Kids around the world still begged to know God.

Conrad volunteered to take the first watch. While he put Phoenix on a chain in the front yard, Vicki gathered some blankets. Conrad climbed a narrow staircase that led to the old bell tower. As he settled in for the night, Vicki and the others tried to sleep.

Mark worked on Melinda's handcuffs throughout the day with several rocks he found by the stream. When one broke, he picked up another. Mark had rubbed blisters on his hands trying to break the cuffs. Once he missed and hit Melinda's wrist.

The chain between the two cuffs was nearly broken when something moved nearby. Mark looked at Melinda. He could barely see her face in the dim light. He put a finger to his lips and cautiously moved from his hiding place under the bridge.