Stung (32 page)

Judd told them his story. Samuel quizzed him about his father.

“He seems closed to the truth, at least for now,” Judd said.

“I've been praying for him ever since I received the mark of the believer,” Samuel said. “I don't understand.”

“It took you a while to come around,” Judd said. “Maybe it's just going to take time.”

Lionel took Judd aside and apologized for not waiting at Samuel's house. “I didn't have a choice. Jamal said I had to follow him closely or he wouldn't let me in the garage.”

“What about Nada?”

“Basically he's keeping her locked up,” Lionel said. “Samuel and I have been working with people in the building since the sun came out. We've been helping Jamal get them back into their apartments, but the guy is as cold as ice toward us.”

“Doesn't he know it was Nada's idea to—”

“Doesn't matter,” Lionel said. “He blames you for what happened. He said she could have been killed.”

Judd shuddered. “It could have been a lot worse, but everything turned out okay.”

Lionel pulled out a sealed envelope. “I don't think so. I haven't seen Nada since we got here. She slipped this note under my door last night. She said to make sure you got it when you returned.”

Judd opened the envelope and scanned the note.

Judd
,

Remember when you asked me if I had feelings for you? I said I didn't, but that wasn't the truth. Lionel was right. Since you came, my feelings for you have increased. I pray you see this note and that we will be able to talk soon. Don't let my father scare you. Please write me as soon as you can
.

Love
,

Nada

Judd handed the note to Lionel. Lionel read it and shook his head.

“Don't say it,” Judd said.

“Man, I told you—”

Judd grabbed the note and stuck it in his pocket. “I don't need that right now.”

The door opened and Jamal stepped in. His face was grim. “I have made a difficult decision. Your presence here is not good for my family. I will have to ask you to leave.”

“Can't we talk about this?” Judd said.

Jamal held up a hand. “I have made my decision.”

28

VICKI
and the others were amazed by how fast the snow melted. The river rose just as quickly. Conrad sealed the outside entrance to the underground tunnel. Shelly asked if they should move to higher ground.

“It would have to rise another ten feet before we'd have to move,” Mark said.

The generator finally began working late Saturday night. Mark checked their e-mail messages. There was nothing from Judd or Lionel, but he did find two messages from Carl Meninger. Mark opened the first, the one he had been reading when the computer had gone dead.

Carl wrote that he had been released from the hospital in South Carolina and was ready to visit Mark. “I'll take a military transport and get as close to Chicago as I can. Just give me the word.”

Mark opened the second e-mail, which had been written the night before.
I want to take a flight soon, but I haven't heard from you
, Carl wrote.
Are you still alive? Has something happened? Please contact me as soon as possible.
Carl included a phone number at the bottom of the e-mail.

Mark picked up the phone, but Conrad stopped him. “I still don't like this,” Conrad said. “I know you want to hear about John, but this might be a GC trap.”

“I told you I was going to be careful,” Mark said. “I'll drive a cycle to meet him somewhere away from here. Maybe Indiana.”

“I think it's a good idea,” Vicki said. “If this guy Carl isn't on the level, Mark can find out and get away.”

Mark dialed the number and asked for Carl. He went into the next room to talk and returned in a few minutes.

“Carl's not there,” Mark said. “His roommate said he took a transport flight early this morning. He thought something had happened and wanted to find me.”

“Just what we need,” Conrad said, “the GC looking for our hideout.”

“Did he say where he was headed?” Vicki said.

Mark shook his head. “It could take him a while and a few different planes to get close. One thing's for sure: he's not coming to Chicago.”

“Why not?” Vicki said.

“There are reports of big-time radiation downtown,” Mark said.

Vicki gasped. “Nuclear?”

Conrad scratched his head. “I don't remember Chicago getting hit with any nukes.”

“Whether they did or didn't isn't the point,” Mark said. “The GC and everybody else are staying as far away from it as they can.” Mark typed a response on e-mail. “Carl's supposed to check this every day.”

“What are you telling him?” Vicki said.

“As soon as he gets close, I'm on my way.”

Judd, Lionel, and Samuel ate breakfast Sunday morning and waited.

Samuel talked about his father and the possibility of seeing him again. “I want you to call me Sam. It's what my friends call me.”

Lionel brought Judd up to date on the warming center Jamal had set up downstairs. “A lot of those people seem interested in learning more,” Lionel said, “but Jamal is cautious. He doesn't want to alert the GC.”

Jamal's wife brought them food and gave Judd a pained look when he tried to talk with her.

“We don't have money,” Judd said. “Where are we supposed to go?”

Jamal's wife shook her head but didn't speak.

Judd wrote a quick note to the kids in Illinois. He explained their situation, leaving out the part about Nada.

“What are we going to do when he kicks us out?” Lionel said.

“He can't kick us out,” Judd said.

Sam said, “You have to understand how important family is to Jamal. You have offended him.”

“But we're spiritual brothers,” Judd said.

“True,” Sam said, “and I'm new to this so I don't understand everything, but you have offended him. You have come between him and his daughter. That is not good.”

Judd felt helpless. Since the disappearances he had been a take-charge person. When a problem came up, he solved it. Sometimes not the best way, but he acted. Now he was at the mercy of someone else. Someone who didn't trust him.

“You have to tell me,” Lionel said when he got Judd alone. “Do you have feelings for Nada?”

Judd looked down. “I don't know. I mean, she's easy to talk to. I like her as a friend. She's got a heart for God—”

“And she's a knockout,” Lionel added, “but that has nothing to do with it.”

Judd blushed. “Jamal has been good to us. I can't go against him. Besides, I don't think this is the time to start a romance.”

“Especially when there's someone waiting back in the States.”

“What do you mean?” Judd said.

Lionel frowned. “You know exactly what and who I mean. Vicki.”

“No way,” Judd said. “We fight too much.”

“You're different from her,” Lionel said. “You're supposed to be.”

Judd put a finger to his lips. Voices in the next room. The phone rang. Lots of activity.

“I've got a feeling we're moving,” Lionel said. “And you'd better write a note to Nada.”

Vicki and the others were up early Sunday morning. Mark packed food and a change of clothes and checked on the motorcycles. Only one worked since the freeze. The rest of the morning was spent preparing for the worship service. The kids didn't know many songs, but they typed up the ones they knew and put them on the computer screen.

They took turns reading verses from the Bible and telling what God was teaching them. Melinda and Charlie seemed to listen closely. Janie sighed a lot and stared out the window.

When it was Vicki's turn, she pulled up news coverage the kids hadn't seen. “I got up early to find out what happened with Nicolae and the witnesses. Carpathia made a deal and promised safety for those who believe the message of Tsion Ben-Judah.”

“So it was Nicolae that made it happen,” Janie said.

Vicki smiled. “He may have made a deal, but it was God who lifted the judgment from us.”

Janie rolled her eyes.

Vicki pulled out a sheet of paper. “I found something interesting on Tsion's Web site this morning. It proves my point that we have a lot to learn from the Bible, but we also have to be students of what's happening around us. Tsion says the next judgment from God will be the most dramatic yet.”

“How could it get more dramatic than a worldwide earthquake?” Darrion said.

“I'll read you what Tsion says,” Vicki said. “
Because of the proven truth of Luke 21, I urge all, believers and unbelievers alike, to train your eyes on the skies. I believe this is the message from the two witnesses.”

“I don't get it,” Shelly said.

Vicki pulled up the computer video of the Meeting of the Witnesses. Tsion Ben-Judah cleared his throat and began. “This passage warns that once the earth has been darkened by a third, three terrible woes will follow. These are particularly ominous, so much so that they will be announced from heaven in advance.”

Vicki moved the video forward and said, “We've just been through that judgment. Now Eli and Moishe come up from behind him and read the Scripture Tsion had picked out.”

Vicki's voice caught when she saw the two prophets standing directly behind Tsion. It was like watching something from a biblical movie, only this was real.

Moishe recited the text without looking at a Bible. “‘And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!'”

Vicki paused the clip.

“What does all that mean?” Melinda said.

“It means you don't want to wait another minute to make your decision about God,” Shelly said. “This next thing that's coming is going to be awful.”

“You're just trying to scare us,” Janie said.

Melinda looked hard at Janie. “I don't think so. They've been right about everything so far.”

Judd gave Sam the note and asked him to slip it under Nada's door when no one was looking. Sam returned, shaking his head. Jamal walked in behind him.

“Come with me,” Jamal said.

“Do you want us to get our stuff together?” Lionel said.

Jamal turned. “Just follow me.”

“Wait,” Judd said. “Before we go I'd like to speak with your daughter.”

Jamal stared at Judd.

“I know how you feel,” Judd said, “but this might be my last chance to talk with her.”

Jamal opened the door to Nada's room and called her. Nada walked out, her head down. “Two minutes,” he said sternly.

Judd looked at Sam and Lionel. The two walked into the hallway.

“I got your note,” Judd said.

“It was foolish of me,” Nada said. “I should never—”

“It was sweet,” Judd said. “You're so easy to talk to. It was like instant friendship between us.”